And we're back for more of Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors! (Actually, I noticed how that new mysterious voice wasn't heard at all behind Door 3. I wonder if that means something...?)
Warning!: This is based upon a game that's rated M for Blood, Drug
References, Strong Language, Suggestive (read 'Sexual') themes, and
Violence. If any of these things offend you, don't click on the link.
'... ...Lotus and Clover looked up as they entered. Ace was there as well, although he looked as though he had only just woken up. The moment they spotted Junpei, Lotus and Clover headed straight for him. As she neared him, Lotus drew back her hand--'
Slap incoming!
'And slapped him, open-palmed, across the face.'
(Yeah, you were right about that.) Well, I did see this path before I started the LP. (Then why did you have so much trouble with the bathroom?) Like I said, human memory isn't perfect...
Lotus: How could you do this to us?!
'Her face was furious.'
And the music has the pace to match.
'She grabbed Junpei by the collar and shook him violently. Clover didn't touch him, but the hate in her eyes was no less potent. It was Seven who stopped them.'
Seven: Knock it off! We've got bigger shit to worry about right now!
'His deep voice echoed across the massive room. Lotus glared at Seven, but let Junpei go after one last, vicious shake.'
At least she wasn't shaking him by gripping his hair... Just remembering that is starting to make my head hurt. Ow! (Oh yeah, that one incident with the TV remote... Hey! You! Wipe that smirk off your face!) (Why are you pointing at Ac... Oh, right, that "mysterious voice" you keep talking about.)
Lotus: What?
Seven: Go have a look.
Lotus: Um...?
Seven: I stuck the screwdriver in the door. That door over there. The one without a number. So long as the screwdriver's there, it can't shut, so you can get in there.
'Seven also explained how they might find the shower room and how he'd used the broom to ensure that door remained open as well.'
Lotus: Then you're saying we can go in there without passing through the numbered door?
(Exactly! ...What did you say about Lotus!?) Yeah, Ace wasn't with us in the bathroom, but now that we're in the same room as Ace; suddenly Akurei's hearing that mysterious voice again...
Seven: Yeah, that's about the size of it.
Lotus: What the hell is in there?
Seven: You'll know when you see it.
(And you won't like it, especially Clover...)
'Lotus and Clover looked at one another for a moment, then nodded and stepped through the door. But then, Ace had made his way to them, moving with the stiff, shuffling steps of someone who has only just awoken from a lengthy slumber.'
Ace: My goodness... I know I said I was sure you'd come back for me... I didn't think it would happen so soon, though.
'Ace shook his head weakly.'
Ace: Should I go as well?
(You know full well what's behind that door! Heaven, that poor dude is probably up there playing with Snowflake right now.) Dude, can we just leave Snowflake as a noodle incident already! (...I do not like the look on that dudes face right now...)
'Seven nodded.'
Ace: Very well.
'Ace followed Lotus and Clover, with his stiff, tired gait.'
(Woah! Woah! What the fucking hell do you think you're doing!? Let go of me!) Niyagi! We have to help Akurei now! Some invisible force is pulling her beyond the door! (*holding Shimohi* Why should I? She's a horrible monster, not to mention that even if she does die, she'll just come back to life.) Even so, let go of me! And...she's gone...
'... ...The squeal of tortured metal made Junpei's teeth curl. It sounded like the noise a ghost would make. No matter how many times he heard it, he never got used to it. Every time, it put him on edge.'
*sigh* I hope Akurei comes back soon. No offence, Niyagi, but waiting here with only you to talk to was really boring. (*from behind Shimohi* Yikes! *looks up* "Tortured" was correct, I wouldn't want to spend any time alone with that creep any time in the future, period!) Akurei! What happened!?
'It didn't help that there was a girl nearby who looked far more like a ghost than a living human should. It was Clover.'
(I'll give it to you straight... He knows about Snowflake.) ! ...Oh shit... (You know that's going to come to light eventually.)
'She sat on the edge of the bed, her head drooping listlessly onto her chest. Her eyes were blank, and stared across the room at nothing. Her breathing was slow and mechanical. Aside from the rise and fall of her chest, she didn't move. Junpei felt as if even a nudge might cause her to shatter into a thousand pieces.'
"If I make another move, if I take another step, then it all would fall apart. There'd be nothing of me left." ("But I break...into...pieces, more and more!") (Now you're mixing your musical references... *sigh*)
Seven: Snake was probably murdered.
(! ...Nope, can't say anything more about that.)
Seven: Chances are he was killed the same way the 9th Man was.
'Seven lowered his voice, likely in an effort to keep Clover from hearing what he had to say. There were 4 other people in the room with Junpei and Seven. Ace, Santa, June, and Lotus. Seven looked at each of them in turn, and continued.'
Seven: It's pretty straightforward. Not that hard to figure out how they did it. First, the killers got Snake to authenticate on the RED to open door [3]. Then they shoved him into it, alone...And waited 9 seconds for the door to shut. Once that door shut, it was over for Snake, but he didn't give up. He probably knew it wouldn't do him any good, but he probably ran into the shower room looking for the DEAD.
But, in this case, he was going to be DEAD. (*hands over mouth*)
Seven: It was a small chance, but it wasn't like he had anything to lose. Unfortunately, it didn't work.
(Hey! Snake's eyes are slightly open in this picture. *ding*) If you're wondering why I'm not including said picture, well, I'm hoping that Spike Chunsoft, and Aksys Games won't sue me if I don't include the visuals as an incentive to actually buy the game and see for themselves.
Seven: The detonator's only deactivated if everybody who authenticated when they went in uses the DEAD. And then 81 seconds after he was shoved in...
(Boom! Instant nacho topping! *munch* *crunch*) By the way, how did you suddenly appear behind me? (Oh, after he tortured the information out of me, he tried to use me like a sex doll, but I wouldn't have any of that, so he killed me instead. *munch* *crunch*) But, if you died, wouldn't your nachos be back behind Door 3? (I'm a demon, remember? Laws of physics don't apply to me and all that. Besides... *munch* *crunch* ...as long as you're alive, the Pansy and I can be killed several times and we'll still come back to life.) (B-But I'm human!? How can I come back to life as well!?) (Because we're both imaginary.) (La, la, la! I'm not listening to the Monster!)
Seven: That happened.
Junpei: I see... So that's what you meant by killers, huh. You need at least 3 people to open one of the numbered doors, including Snake. It wouldn't open for Snake and a single killer.
(Actually, there is another way...) *ji...* (But Shimohi won't let me say it without losing my nacho privileges.)
Seven: Exactly. That means we're looking at multiple perps here.
'Junpei crossed his arms and grunted.'
Junpei: Well, just in case, I wanna make sure. Let's say you're right... When do you think Snake was killed?
Sometime between when we were looking for the missing parts for the REDs and when we returned to find the REDs suddenly fixed.
Seven: When we all split up to look for the parts for the REDs... I think.
Exactly!
Seven: Right after that was when we noticed he was gone.
Junpei: Then that means none of us have alibis. We were all off searching the rooms we'd been assigned, looking for those parts...
Seven: Yeah... That means anybody could be a killer.
June: W-Wait a minute! What are you talking about?!
(So, June didn't over hear us...I mean them?) (Yeah, these people can't hear us.)
'June seemed shocked.'
June: How can you say 1 of us is a killer so casually?!
Seven: Well, not just 1 of us. If I'm right, then at least 2 of us are murderers.
Ace: Why don't you calm down a bit, Seven...
(And the mysterious asshole voice is back...again. *pulls katana out of hammer space, pointing it in Ace's general direction* I've got a weapon and I'm not afraid to use it!)
Ace: What are you going to gain by being so suspicious?
[sarcasm] I don't know... Maybe not being dead? [/sarcasm]
Ace: That's what Zero wants, you know.
Seven: What...Zero wants?
Ace: Exactly. This game was set up by Zero, wasn't it? Any game has a winner and loser.
Well, there are games where the players have to co-operate to win against the game itself. Like "Pandemic"! Or tabletop role-playing games, where the goal is to tell an interesting story together. It's only when munchkins become involved does it turn into a "win-lose" scenario.
Ace: Whoever makes it through door [9] is a winner, and those who don't are the losers. Zero is trying to make us fight against one another for that victory.
June: Then you're saying that Zero is trying to split us up by making us fight each other?
(*LOL*)
Ace: Yes. That is why we can't let ourselves fall prey to suspicion. We have to trust one another, and form a strong bond of friendship.
Yes, "Friendship is magic" but...if friendship is magic, and magic is power, and power can be used for all kinds of ends (for good or for ill); then even something like friendship can be used as a curse...
Ace: Otherwise, we'll end up ensnared by Zero's manipulations.
(But Ace didn't say anything about not being ensnared by 'his' manipulations...)
Lotus: Then, does that mean that...the person who killed Snake...
Ace: Yes. Almost certainly Zero himself.
(Nope, I'm sure you're not Zero, Ace. You just wish you were.)
Ace: If there's anyone we should doubt, it should be Zero. He masterminded this game, and kidnapped all of us.
(Who said that...) *ji...* (Okay, shutting up again. Besides, you've already threatened to take my nachos away over this specific spoiler.)
Ace: Doesn't it seem reasonable that he would have killed Snake as well?
(Certain other people could have other reasons for killing Snake, but again "spoilers"...)
'Junpei hadn't really considered that. If Zero had killed Snake, then Zero was on the ship with them.'
(...May I?) *sigh* What are you planning on saying? (*whispers to Shimohi*) Well... I'll let this one slide. (Yes, you're right that Zero is on the ship with you guys, but wrong that Zero killed Snake.)
<<Was Zero still on the ship with them...?>>
-Junpei wasn't sure.-
-Of course.-
Bring on the Street Fighter movie reference!
'Of course he was. That was obvious. Zero was somewhere on this ship, but... Junpei had no idea where. Junpei mumbled to himself, lost in thought.'
Junpei: ...Where could Zero be hiding...?
'Suddenly, everyone went very quiet. The silence was cold and clammy, and Junpei could feel it crawling across his back and around his throat. Again, he heard the ghosting moaning noise. And moments later, a person who looked more ghost then human appeared.'
(Bless it! Did he actually see us!?)
'It was Clover.'
(*sigh of relief* That was close.)
'She looked at the floor as she spoke, and her voice was a cold monotone.'
Clover: I think... I think Zero is...one of us...
'?!'
That was odd...
'Every human body in the room froze. The only sound was the muffled rustling of breath. Eyes darted from face to face. One of those faces was the face of their jailer. ...But who?'
(I'm not at liberty to answer that question.)
'Junpei...'
<<Said...>>
-"Hmm... Well, that's possible."-
-"That's crazy!"-
I know we went this this option last time, but we don't have a good reason to pick the other one now.
Junpei: Hmm... Well, that's possible.
June: ...Huh?
Junpei: Like Clover said, Zero might be one of us.
June: W-What are you saying, Jumpy?!
(Exactly... Oops sorry!)
June: Didn't you hear what Ace said?!
(Yeah, but I'd rather not believe something said by a dude being haunted by jerk even a demon like myself would call an asshole.)
Ace: Exactly.
(...No, will the asshole in the room shut the fuck up!?)
Ace: I said we shouldn't suspect one another for no reason--
Junpei: No reason? I've got a great reason.
Santa: And what's that?
Junpei: The bracelets.
'He held out his left arm.'
Junpei: Why are the bombs in our bodies connected to the [bracelets]? You're all thinking Zero's hiding somewhere, watching us, right? If he's doing that, then he could just detonate the bombs by remote control if someone did something they weren't supposed to. It would be a lot more precise, and a lot easier. But... If that's the case, then why is the bomb set off by the detonator in the bracelet?
(Well, maybe some of the bombs are like the cake, a lie.)
Santa: Huh... You got a point.
Junpei: I'm not done. Try applying the same ideas to the Nonary Game. All of the puzzles here run all by themselves. In other words, Zero doesn't have to be controlling them for the game to move forward. Why's that? Why would Zero bother to do something like that?
'Junpei let the question hang in the air, and looked at the others. It was Santa who answered.'
Santa: So let's say you and Clover are right. Zero's one of us. If that's the case, then it'd be really hard for him to keep track of all of us, or control anything remotely. That's why all the puzzles run by themselves. ...That's what you're getting at, right?
Junpei: Yeah.
'Junpei nodded.'
Junpei: Seven, when we were talking earlier... You said any one of us could be Snake's killer, right?
Seven: Yeah, something like that.
Junpei: All right then, I've got a question for you, Ace. You said something like "Zero must be the one who killed Snake", right?
Ace: Yes, something like that. I can't think of any other explanation.
Junpei: So what do we get if we combine those? The fit together pretty well, I think. Something like this... (Whoever killed Snake) = (Zero) = (one of us) Seven and Ace's theories aren't mutually exclusive. They actually complement each other pretty well. At least they do if Zero is one of us.
Well, what if whoever killed Snake isn't Zero? (Exactly!)
'No one spoke.'
And, once again, we're ignored. Because we're like ghosts.
'Their faces were grim, but Junpei wasn't sure if they believed him or not. Finally, Lotus spoke up.'
Lotus: What were his motives?
Junpei: His motives?
Lotsu: Yes. Isn't that pretty important? Why would Zero want to hide as one of us?
Junpei: Oh... Well, that's because...um...
(You've got nothing.)
'Junpei choked. He hadn't thought of that, and he had to be honest with himself... He had no idea.'
Junpei: I...dont' know...
'Lotus sighed.'
Lotus: Well, so much for making a persuasive argument, Junpei.
Ace: In other words, you had only circumstantial evidence.
Seven: I don't think that's enough to go on, you know...?
'Junpei was painfully aware of their eyes on him, and their disapproval. He tried to find something else--anything else--to look at. Just when he felt he could bear it no longer-- They heard a bell begin to ring. It was the clock at the central staircase.'
Santa: 3 in the morning.
(PM!) (Enough with the references to Shimohi's little brother and his friends stupid low-budget movies!)
Lotus: That means we have 3 hours left...
Ace: Then we need to move, now. Seven, Clover, Junpei... I know how you feel, but you do understand that, right now, it's important we trust one another, don't you?
'Junpei couldn't bring himself to respond. He swallowed the words he wanted to say, and sighed. Seven and Clover remained similarly silent. Their eyes were looking at something somewhere else, very far away.'
Ace: We must go! We have very little time left!
"Very little time?" I could watch six different anime episodes in that amount of time!
'They all knew where they were going. Their next destination...was [Mercury].'
*whispering to Akurei* Oh dear... This is what we we fearing last time... (*whispering to Shimohi* I know, right... Wasn't it here where... Clover killed Junpei with that axe last time?) *continuing to whisper* Indeed. (Hey! What are you two whispering about?) Oh... (Nothing.) ([sarcasm] Right... [/sarcasm])
'They stood in front of the elevators next to the stairs that led to the casino and the kitchen. Between the 2 elevators was a card reader with the Mercury symbol engraved on it. Junpei stood in front of it with the [Mercury key card]... He'd found the card while investigating the shower room.'
Well, there were toilet stalls in there, so I called it a "Bathroom". Besides, the nearest public bathroom to our camp ground during the trip to the 9th circle of hell had a shower in it. So there!
'He took a deep breath and slid the card through the reader. It made a small beep, and the lights on the reader blinked to life. Now, they were ready. 7 people, including Junpei, climbed onto the elevator. There were only 2 floor buttons they could push... The "C" and "Bottom" buttons. The rest were destroyed or did nothing when pushed. Junpei hit the "Bottom" button. The door closed.'
What? No testing to see if the destination's already flooded or anything like that? (I'm scared!) (Now I'm afraid because the MONSTER, of all people, is afraid!)
'Slowly, they began to move downward. Some time later, all 7 of them stepped off the elevator and onto the [Bottom Deck[. They stepped off, and saw that the hallway to their right ended somewhere between 20 and 25 feet from them. The hallway in front of them was a dead end... But not a regular dead end.'
(It's a numbered door.)
June: This is a numbered door...
(I was right!) That's nothing to boast about, you saw that before.
Junpei: Yeah... It's door [2].
'Immediately they began to discuss who would go through it. Their earlier experiences had show them that they would meet again, regardless of which numbered doors they took. As a result, there we no arguments this time. Instead, they concerned themselves with who would be sent in to investigate what was beyond the door.'
(Oh... I already know we're going to be forced into that door.) (How, did you read the script or something!?) (Actually, yes.) (...)
'The first to volunteer was Seven. Junpei followed suit, which meant Lotus was, by default, the 3rd member.'
'5 + 7 + 8 = 20 [insert arrow here] 2 + 0 = 2.'
Junpei: All right, we're taking off.
Hey Junpei... (Tenmyouji!) what happened to the... Saturn elevator... ("Scene?" Are you hearing that first mysterious voice again?) Yes.
June: Okay. Please be careful.
Seven: Jesus, you 2 are acting like you're married, you know that?
'June blushed. So did Junpei.'
Akane and Junpei... (Temnyouji!) ...sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g! First comes love, then comes marriage... (Junpei...) (Tenmnyouji!) (...wishes!) (What?!)
'Perhaps in an attempt to hide his emotions, he quickly turned away to pull the lever on the RED. The door opened. As they'd come to expect, there appeared to be a short hallway on the other side.'
Lotus: All right, let's go!
'Lotus was the first though the door. Seven was next, and Junpei brought up the rear. Fortunately, it took them only moments to find the DEAD.'
Unfortunately, this means that I'm going to have to face the one puzzle room I found most annoying...again.
'It had been placed just inside the room, right next to the numbered door. They gathered around it and quickly scanned each of their bracelets.'
Junpei: ...
Lotus: ...
Seven: ...
For once, everyone's NOT trying to catch their breath by now.
Junpei: It stopped...
Lotus: Yeah... It stopped...
'Junpei could feel his heart pounding against the inside of his ribs. Seven and Lotus were breathing hard and fast. It was the 3rd time they'd been through the process, but they had yet to grow accustomed to it. Not that Junpei wanted to... He planned to finish the game before he got a chance to let imminent death become commonplace.'
(And yet, he have Shimohi "in harms way" over here.)
'Junpei looked around again. It was a short hallway, with 5 doors along the walls. There were 3 doors along the left wall...And a single one on the right. At the end of the hallway the 5th door was covered by a thick metal plate. Junpei didn't think they'd be able to open it. After taking a look around the room himself, Seven spoke.'
Seven: All right, let's get started. I think we'd probably better split up. You 2 okay with that?
Lotus: Yes, no problem.
Junpei: Sure thing.
'Seven nodded to them and stepped into the room closest to him. Lotus looked at the doors for a moment, then headed for the one in the center. At last, Junpei was left alone.'
What are Akurei, Niyagi, and I; chopped liver!?
Junpei: Well, I guess I'd better get started too.
'He looked intently at the remaining 3 doors.
-----------SEEK A WAY OUT!-----------
(Is this...?) No, this isn't that infamous puzzle room. That would be the one after this one... I think. Let's get going, we're going to check the door closest to us first... Anything on the cot here?
'There's a dirty blanket on the bed.'
Okay, is there anything under the dirty blanket?
'There's a dirty blanket on the bed.'
("Welcome to Corneria.") "I like swords!" Anyway, let's try tapping the bed... Not like that! (Paging Dr. Freud...)
Junpei: Man, this is a mess. It's not even a bed anymore.
Seven: Can't say I'd want to sleep there.
So, that's a dead end. (What about that blue oval on the mirror over the sink to the right?) Well, let's find out...
Seven: What the hell's this supposed to be? Like a drawing of a whirlpool or something?
Junpei: Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it's trying to look like water.
([sarcasm] No, you don't say... [/sarcasm]) Speaking of water, does the facet do anything?
Seven: Huh. Looks like the water doesn't work.
Damn it!
'Doesn't matter how much Seven turns that thing, no water's coming out.'
Like the facet in the first floor bathroom sink at my grandmothers house.
'Has the water been shut off from somewhere else?'
It looks like there's something up with the drain...
Seven: There's a little tile in the drain.
Junpei: Doesn't look like we're gonna be able to pull it outta there.
Seven: Might have to use our heads on this one.
Hopefully, not literally.
Seven: All right, let's figure this thing out.
(And...now you're checking the toilet...again.) Lift the toilet lid... (Because there's no visible water tank.) ...and we see...
Seven: A symbol on a toilet lid, huh. Seems a little fishy to me.
Junpei: It's a sun symbol, but it doesn't look like the ones on the doors.
Indeed, it more resembles Princess Celestia's cutie mark. Now let's see if pulling the cord does anything...
Junpei: Hey, this handle's pretty loose.
Seven: Loose? You think it'll come off if you pull on it?
Well, there's one way to find out!
Seven: It fell off. Huh... Look at this... That handle doesn't really fit on the string. Maybe it wasn't meant to be attached to it.
And we obtain a handle!
Seven: Take a look at this handle... The inside of the hole's threaded, like you're supposed to screw somethin' in there.
(*screams* Why hasn't Dr. Freud arrived! We've paged him further up the...) "Page"? Yeah, I know.
Seven: We seen anything that might fit in there?
Okay, is there anything on that empty toilet paper roll?
Junpei: A toilet paper tube, huh...
We're both talking about the same thing.
Junpei: I seriously doubt I'm gonna need this for anything.
Hmm... I wonder... ("Will the handle fit on this?")
Junpei: Well, this part is thinner than the rest. In fact...this doesn't really look like it's part of the rest of this thing...
'This rod feels loose... Maybe if I give it a couple turns... Here we go...'
We get a screwdriver shaft!
Seven: Hey, this is a screwdriver shaft. It's missing a handle, though... Even if we run into a screw it fits, we're gonna have a hard time of it without a handle.
Junpei: Well, if we can find a handle, maybe then it'll do us some good.
You mean like... This handles we found earlier! Let's see... handle plus screwdriver shaft equals...
Junpei: So if I just stick this metal rod into the handle...
We get a screwdriver! Too bad it isn't a sonic screwdriver.
Junpei: Thank God it's the right kind of screwdriver for that screw...
Which we've never seen... Everyone, I think we broke sequence.
Junpei: Awesome. We can totally use this.
Seven: Damn, this screwdriver looks like a soldering iron. You think it's some sorta industrial-grade screwdriver? Guess that doesn't really matter... Anyway, so long as we've got this thing, we can unscrew any Phillips screws we run into.
Well, how about we visit Lotus next... *turns to the right* Didn't notice that desk before. Time for a... (No! I won't allow you to make that Age of Empires joke!) (If you're wondering, it's the 23rd taunt in this video.) Now what's in that drawer?
Seven: Huh? What the hell? It's not opening.
Junpei: There's something up with this drawer. I don't trust it.
Well, there's some screws on top of the desk... (Let's take them out!)
Junpei: Sweet. Got the screws off.
Seven: Now we can open the drawer.
Now let's have a... ("Raiding Party!") ...on this desk drawer!
Junpei: There's nothing in here....
Seven: Well, maybe the drawer's what we need.
Junpei: The drawer, huh...
"Crazy enough to work" and all that...
Seven: All right, let's yank the thing out.
And... We have a desk drawer.
Seven: There's a bump on the back.
Junpei: I wonder what it's for.
Seven: Hmm... Maybe there's a hole somewhere, and these bumps line up with it an' trigger a hidden switch or something... Hey, we've seen weirder stuff. Doesn't seem that far-fetched.
Really Seven? *turns around digital model of the drawer* Actually, it kind of looks like there's two bumps on the back. Anyway, NOW we're going to visit Lotus! ...In the door next to the one we left... (And you're checking the bed again?) This time there's something where the pillow should be. And it's a...towel, and we've got it!
Lotus: Well, it looks like a towel. I have to wonder if the design means anything, though. Maybe you should consider what the design might be. Perhaps that'll give us a hint?
(Trying to check if there's anything under the blanket again?)
Junpei: That bed looks cold. Pretty sure you'd freeze to death in the winter.
Which is why, when I packed up for what would latter be known as "The trip to the 9th circle of hell", I made sure to come prepared!
Lotus: No kidding. If I tried to sleep here, my skin would dry out in no time.
(And you'd actually look your age for once.) Thank goodness she can't hear us...
Junpei: Well, it's not like you're that young any more. That shouldn't really matt--
Junpei... (Temnyouji!) ...you idiot. You just never learn, do you...
Lotus: My my, Junpei. Aren't you lucky... It seems you'll die before you have a chance to grow old and hideous.
(*LOL*) This is the first time I've heard that mysterious voice do anything other than say that one thing.
Junpei: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're right. Dry skin is a woman's worst enemy.
Now, the actual bed to see if that gets us something...
Junpei: This bed looked even sadder without the pillow.
Which is actually a towel.
Lotus: So? It's still a terrible bed. I'd never sleep on a bed like that.
Wait! Does this room have a desk as well? (Haters to the left!) And... There is a desk! Time to raid this one as well...
Lotus: There's nothing in the drawer.
Junpei: Yeah. Something's not right, though... That handle on that drawer doesn't really fit, you know? It just looks...messy.
As a matter of fact, it looks more like a sink facet handle than one for a drawer.
Lotus: Why don't you take it out?
And we now have a center room drawer... Let's use the screwdriver on the center room drawer!
Junpei: If I use this screwdriver on the screw on the center of the handle, maybe I can...
...obtain a knob! Speaking of which... (Time to hit that search button!)
Lotus: Well, that came off easily enough. It looks like a faucet handle.
Oh yeah, blogger uses British spelling...
Junpei: Yeah, it seemed a little weird to put it on a wooden drawer like this.
Lotus: I'm sure they made it look odd on purpose. With a shape like that, there's only one place it could go.
Right, time to insert the desk drawer from the other room...
'Sounded like something...falling.'
Junpei: What was that...?
Lotus: I heard it too. Let's open the drawer.
No wonder I remembered something being in a drawer in this room! And we get... a tile. *turns the 3D model around* Apparently a blank tile.
Lotus: What is this tile for... Red, blue, grey... Several lines in each color... What does it mean...?
Junpei: Your guess is as good as mine...
We have nothing else to do with the desk, so it's time to check out the sink next! (Hey, look! It's a waterfall on the mirror, kind of like that towel with the waterfall flowing into a...pond...!) Yeah, I think I'm starting to remember what I need to do. But first, taping on the mirror, because I can!
'Somebody made some wavy blue lines on this mirror with blue paint.'
Lotus: Is that a drawing of a blue scarf...? No, maybe not...
Okay, enough of me messing around. Time to apply the knob to the faucet and see what happens!
'Sweet. The handle I got off that drawer fits onto the faucet perfectly.'
Junpei: Now I can turn the water on.
Assuming, of course, that this faucet even works... Oh well, let's try it anyway!
Lotus: Junpei, what are you doing?
Trying to use the water flowing into this sink to make the tile in the sink in the other room pop out. (...What?!)
Junpei: It's pretty obvious, isn't it? I'm running the water.
Lotus: I can see that. I'm asking you why you're just letting it run like that.
Junpei: Think about it, Lotus. This faucet didn't have a knob when we found it, right?
Lotus: What do you mean?
Junpei: Just watch. Any time now...
Lotus: Hey! Water's filling up! Doesn't that just mean the pipes are clogged?
Junpei: Whoops! Let's turn it off for now.
Lotus: So...did anything change?
Well, let's check the other room for that.
Junpei: The water stopped flowing.
Lotus: Thank you, Mr. Obvious!
("America's favorite answer man! There's not a situation that he can't handle, with his sage-like wisdom and his quick-draw wit!") One of the few "ads" that'll play on our favorite radio station. It's for an uncensored collection of calls... (On tapes, no less. And who the fuck uses cassette tapes anymore!?) that "The Mr. Obvious show" couldn't put on the air.
Lotus: Ugh. Junpei, I'm leaving this one to you, all right?
(You heard the sexy grandma! Back to the other room!) And, just as I remembered, the tile got knocked loose and we can now pick it up! And...It's another tile, also blank...? Whatever, back to Lotus's room!
'Junpei put the wet tile into his pocket.'
Time for another automatic cut scene...
'He was about to turn away when-- There was a noise behind him.'
That doesn't sound good...
'He spun around to see Seven kneeling on the floor.'
(Why? To "pray" or something?)
'His face was rigid and pale. Droplets of sweat covered his forehead.'
Junpei: H-Hey... What's going on? You okay, man?
'He was concerned... He'd never seen Seven like this before. Slowly the other man lifted himself to his feet on shaky legs.'
Seven: Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy, that's all.
'His face was pale, and his breathing was heavy. Sweat was pouring off his face and staining his shirt.'
(Huh... Did he forget about him being diabetic or something?)
'He was many thing, but "fine" was not one of them.'
Junpei: Are you sure? You don't look so good...
Well, my Mom also thought she was fine at first after slipping and falling on the ice... Long story short, it's only one of the reasons a certain camping trip is now referred to as "The trip to the 9th circle of hell".
'Seven didn't answer. Half of his face was twisted, as if distorted by extreme pain, and his eyes were glazed. Finally he spoke.'
Seven: What am... What am I doing here?
Is this a second bout of amnesia?
Junpei: ?
'His words made no sense.'
Junpei: W-What are you talking about...? We opened the number [2] door and walked in here. Don't tell me you forgot...?
Seven: No, no, that's...that's not what I mean.
'He shook his head several times, as if trying to clear something from it.'
Seven: It ain't much, but... I think some of my memories came back. I... I... I...
(Spit it out already!)
Seven: I think I've been here before...
Junpei: ...
Seven: ...
Junpei: ...Huh?
Seven: I said I've been in this room before!
Yikes! Does he mean from when I played this game before the LP started? (No, he's probably talking about something spoiler-ish.)
Junpei: You were here?! When?! Why!?
Seven: Aoi, Light, Nona...
(*inhales* "Santa, Snake, ...ry Game."?) You better hope that was just gibberish... (Yeah! Yeah... That was nothing but gibberish.)
'Suddenly Seven was mumbling to himself. They were words Junpei didn't understand... Seven's hoarse voice trailed off, and Junpei couldn't make out what he'd said.'
Junpei: What the hell was that?
'Seven's brow furrowed furiously, and he ground his teeth back and forth.'
Seven: It's...it's right there... I feel like I'm this close to remembering everything, but I just can't--
So, you're missing it by... *uses index finger and thumb to indicate about 3cm of space* ...that much? (Was that supposed to be a "Get Smart" reference?)
'Seven stopped, frustrated. He pulled his hat off, and ran a hand through his hair. Then suddenly, he looked up, his eyes wide.'
Seven: That's right! An experiment! There was some kinda experiment going on on this ship!
Junpei: An experiment?! What...sort of experiment?
(The type like the fabled "Philadelphia Experiment".) You mean, the type of experiment that involves supernatural forces that no one would believe happened? Like the one involving the US government and goats?
Seven: They were...they were trying to control people! Or...or something like that...
'Junpei didn't know what to make of Seven's story. Instead, he simply stared as Seven continued.'
Seven: Aoi, Light, and Nona... Those were their names. Well, some of them. The kids that were there, in the experiment, I mean...
Akurei... I guess I can let that slide... Cat's out of the bag already...
Seven: I think there were...4 or 5 more... But I don't remember all their names.
(*clears throat* If that was supposed to be a Nonary Game back then, then you're forgetting a ninth kid.) ...I think I know why...
Junpei: ...
Seven: Yeah, that's right... That's why I'm here....
'Seven began to mumble to himself, and wander aimlessly about the room. He looked...confused. So far as Junpei could tell, the man was simply rambling, and there were odd twitches to his movements.'
Seven: Experiment... Cradle Pharmaceutical... Those kidnapped kids...
First Cradle and then Capricorn... Yeah, I would trust pharmaceutial companies about as far as I can literally throw them. (Which means not at all. And, "Capricorn Pharmaceuticals" was the name of a fictional company from a game played with a former gaming group. And I know this seems unrelated but, Ace can go fuck himself!)
Seven: Was I working that case...?
'Seven continued to mumble to himself about things that meant nothing to Junpei. Junpei didn't have any answers for him, of course. He couldn't understand what was happening to Seven. All he could do was wait. After a few minutes, Seven finally stopped. He crouched down and looked under the bed. His face registered mild surprise, and he began to mumble to himself again.'
So... What did you find under the bed?
Seven: The hole's gone...? No, maybe it was a different room.
Okay, I'll make sure to check under the bed in Lotus's room if the game will even let me.
Seven: There's gotta be a ton of rooms on this boat that look just like this one...
'At last, Junpei could contain himself no longer.'
Junpei: Hey, uh, what exactly do you remember? Well, maybe you could stop talking like a crazy person and tell me what's going on here?
'Seven stood up slowly.'
Seven: Well, it's not like I really remember everything. I've only got bits'n pieces, and they're scattered and don't make much sense...
So, you've got to "de-fragment the hard drive". Got it!
Junpei: I don't care. Tell me the bits and pieces, then!
Maybe that'll help with de-fragmenting the data.
'Junpei could feel it... Whatever Seven had remembered, it was important--very important. Seven drew a large, muscled hand down, across his face. As he wiped the sweat from his brow, he spoke.'
Seven: From what I can remember, I think I was...A cop...
Junpei: A cop?!
Well, that explains the knowledge of terms like "OC" and stuff like that.
Seven: Yeah... I was looking for that group of kids that got kidnapped 9 years ago. You remember that, right? It was all over the news.
Junpei: Y-Yeah... I was still in school... I don't remember all the details, but I do remember some of it. I think it was a bunch of kids right around my age...
(Newspaper in the image reads, "MISSING! Where have these 16 boy and girls disappeared to?" *ding*)
Junpei: They all just disappeared. Nobody knew why. It was all over TV and the newspapers, every day...
(Then again, what if there were actually...18 kids, but one boy and one girl were overlooked for some reason?) Well, that makes more sense. Since 18 is dividable by 9...
Junpei: So you're saying you were investigating it?
Seven: Yeah, that's what it looks like. And I guess I found something... There was this medical company called "Cradle Pharmaceutical" that had something to do with those kids.
"Cradle Pharmaceutical" to "Cat's Cradle" to ICE-9... (Why do you know that?)
Seven: After I figured that out, I managed to get some information out of somebody who worked for them. They told me a ship would be leaving that night, with all the kids on it. They were gonna be taken to some kinda big passenger ship somewhere out in the ocean.
'... ...And so, Seven had headed to the wharf.'
(And that picture of Cop!Seven looks as creepy as heaven. *ding*)
'He kept to the shadows, and before long found the suspicious ship he'd been looking for. There were a number of human shapes moving near the ship. They were men in black suits.'
What!? The MIB was involved in this!? (*ji...*) That was a joke. (Of course Shimohi would make a reference to "Men in Black". Why else would he have a neuralyzer in his coat?)
'Many of them were carrying large bags onto the ship. The bags...There was something about he way they moved as they were carried... There could be no mistake: There were human beings in those bags.'
(That, ladies and germs, is how they got the missing kids on the ship!)
'He had moved before he even realized he was going to. Out of the shadows he came, his gun already in his hand. He heard the words "Don't move", but they weren't his. He felt metal touch the back of his head. "Drop your gun," came the cold voice from behind him. With the words, he felt the cold metal thing behind him press against his skull. Slowly, Seven crouched down, and laid his gun on the ground. Then suddenly-- He felt a sharp pain in his neck. ...A needle. Was it...some sort of drug?'
Most likely... Yes.
'As he was thinking about that, Seven felt his face hit the cold concrete beneath him. He could feel the chill of it seeping into him. ... ..."Ugh... Damnit! Shit, my head hurts..." Seven woke to find himself lying on a hard floor. He twisted his neck to peer around the room. "Where am I..." There was a small, shabby bed and a dirty sink.'
I won't drink the water out of that sink if I were you, heck, I doubt it's even potable.
'A toilet with no stall or privacy of any sort... As a cop, it was a place Seven had seen all too often.'
"The Slammer". ("The Big House".) "The Clink" and what ever nicknames you want to call it, it's pretty much a "Penitentiary" or "Jail".
'"I'm in a cell, huh." Opposite the toilet was a door set into the wall. Seven struggled to his feet and hobbled toward it. He gave the door a good shove, then another. Then tried pulling it.'
(Well, at least he's smarter than some criminals.)
'It didn't open. Well, that was about what he'd expected. It wasn't likely that someone would put him in a cell only to leave it unlocked. He threw himself against the door a few times, but to no avail. "I knew it..." Seven grumbled to himself as he moved back toward the bed. He sat down. ... ...He sat there for a very long time. Just how long, he wasn't sure. At last, he began to nod off, and had nearly fallen asleep when he was roused by a distant voice. "There...s! Over...! It's...9...!" The voice was far away--very far away. Seven couldn't understand what it was saying. Nonetheless, it was a voice, and a high one--most likely a child. His eyes shot open. "Hur...! O...ere!" "...kay...ing!"'
Let's see... "Hurry! Over here!" But I can't figure out that last one...
'As he listened, he could pick out several different, distinct voices. There were at least 5 or 6, possibly more... Where were the voices coming from?! He looked around the room, frantically. Perhaps the door? No! That wasn't it! "What...go...ow?"'
Maybe, "What are you going to do now?" I'm not sure!
'Was it coming from the left? Was it coming from...under the bed...?'
(I've heard of "monsters under the bed" but "children under the bed"?)
'He grabbed the bed and flipped it up with ease. There it was. There was a hole for the ventilation in the wall where the bed had been, covered with a metal grate. Seven lay down on his stomach and peered through the grate. He couldn't see anything... It was too dark. Now that he'd found it, however, there could be no doubt--this was the source of the voices. For a moment he was confused. Why were there children nearby? Then he remembered what the man from Cradle Pharmaceutical had told him... How a ship would take the kidnapped children from the wharf to a waiting passenger liner out in the ocean... Was Seven...on that passenger liner?'
Makes about as much sense as any thing else here.
'...It didn't matter. What mattered was that he find a way to the children. Seven looked at the metal grate. Could he fit though that hole...? He stuck his fingers through the grate and grabbed hold of it. "Hhhhggh!" "Urrrrgghhh!" "UuuuurrrrrrrrRRRRGGGHHH!" "Hrrrraah--!" "*Pant* *Pant* *Pant*... Yeah! How'dya like that, you son-of-a-bitch!"'
Seven's words, not mine!
'The dark square sat open before him. Seven wiped the sweat from his forehead and crawled inside. ... ...Junpei waited for Seven to resume his story. The longer he waited, however, the clearer it became that Seven had no intention of doing so. He had gone silent, and simply stared off into the air, his eyes blank.'
Junpei: Hey... What happened after that?
'He'd waited long enough. But Seven shook his head.'
Seven: I don't... I don't remember what happens after that. I think I found some kinda door out of the duct... And I think I found some kids too...
'... ...'
Seven: Oh man... Why can't I remember what happened next...?
Junpei: Oh man...
This is kind of annoying me...
Junpei: What happened to the kids, Seven?! Did you save them?!
(!) (Monster, you know something about that?) Huh... It's complicated... And a spoiler.
Seven: I dunno... I dunno if it was me... I just... I've got this feeling... I think one of the kids died.
(That's impossible! Or rather, we're trying to make that impossible!)
Seven: ...A girl, I think.
Junpei: Huh?
'Deep in his heart, Junpei felt something very cold.'
(Search within you, Junpei...) (Temnyouji!) (...you know who the dead girl is... Yeah, I'm hearing that voice, again. It's really annoying!) (Yeah, I know the two of you have gone crazy, okay, who needed to use Shimohi's "neuralyzer" on?) It'd be better for your sanity that we DON'T tell you that.
'Seven's head dropped, and Junpei saw on it a look of sadness the like of which he had never seen on the man before. The large man's eyes blinked rapidly, as if he were fighting back tears, and he swallowed hard.'
I would not be surprised if Seven has to use a tissue or a handkerchief soon...
Seven: *Sigh*
'His sigh was like the melancholy setting of an old, abandoned building. He shook his head and spoke.'
Seven: Anyway, just... Please don't ask me any more, okay? I really don't remember anything else...
'After that, Junpei could hardly try to force any answers out of the other man... There was nothing more he could do. Instead, Junpei turned his mind to trying to make sense of what Seven had told him. The children who had been kidnapped 9 years before... Apparently, a company called [Cradle Pharmaceutical] had been behind the kidnappings, and had taken the children to the ship they were on now. They had been brought to the ship for an [experiment]. Something to do with controlling human beings, Seven had said. The 16 children who'd been kidnapped were the subjects for the experiment. Seven had said 3 of their names were [Aoi], [Light], and [Nona].'
(Yeah... We've seen two of them.)
'That was the new information. He had also learned that Seven was, or had been, a police officer. Still, there was little he could do with this new information. He'd learned nothing about the Nonary Game or Zero.'
(I can't say anything more because of the spoiler gag order.)
'He had no idea why they had been brought to the ship that had been the site of those experiments 9 years before. Junpei couldn't forget what Seven had said the purpose of the experiment had been... To control human beings!'
(Sounds like something that asshole I met earlier would love to be able to do.)
'Could such an absurd experiment really have been conducted? ... ...Before long, Junpei realized he had spent quite some time deep in thought. No time for that, he chided himself. He had work to do. Junpei shook his head quickly to clear it, and returned to his investigation, thoughts swirling in his mind.'
Well now, back to beeswax as usual. Back to Lotus's room and let's see if there's anything useful near the toilet! First, under the lid! And it's... Princess Luna's cutie mark! Yay. (In case you couldn't tell, according to Shimohi, Luna's best Princess.)
Lotus: A moon? What a filthy, disgusting moon.
Hey! I won't have any of this Luna bashing!
Junpei: Yeah, it's pretty filthy, but it's a precious hint. Let's remember it, all right?
Okay, now we have the handle to check out...
Junpei: It's just hanging from the wall.
Lotus: Well, if we're pulling the string, then it must be a toilet that flushes.
Anything else?
'There's a string hanging from the ceiling here. You pull it to flush the toilet.'
Nope, nothing. Let's check out the toilet paper next... And yes, there is still some paper on this roll.
Junpei: This paper seems to be pretty old.
Like maybe nine-years old?
Lotus: Eww... How the hell can you touch that?
Well, you see, your brain sends a signal to my hand, which then tells the hand to move in a direction that just happens to be where the old toilet paper... (Shimohi, that's being way too literal for a stupid joke.)
Lotus: It's...it's horrible.
Well, it inspires horror in you, Lotus. But I'm not sure about the average human...
Junpei: Well, it's not like I really got a choice, do I? It's not like I want to...
Still nothing. Okay, on to the next room... (Same procedure as the previous rooms?) Same procedure.
'It's a blanket. Not a really great one, but still.'
Nothing from the bed's blanket, next would be the bed itself...
'This light's barely enough to see by... I feel like I'm gonna see a ghost here or something.'
Next is the mirror near the sink!
'In the other room, the river and the spring went together to solve the puzzle... Does that mean there might be a similar puzzle with this mirror? Well... There's nothing else here apart from the mirror. Maybe I just need to pair something with this mirror...'
Like maybe the mirror that the door's light is shining upon?
'I can just barely see a mirror from the light coming through the ceiling.'
Junpei: Sure would be nice if that mirror was a little lower down. It looks like it's the same height as the mirror on the right... I wonder if that means anything.
Back to the sink to see if that does anything...
'It's a sink, but there's no light shining on it.'
Junpei: It's hard to be sure 'cause it's so dark here, but I don't think there's anything going on with this sink. This faucet is...too hard to turn.
(Well, at least we tried, next is the toilet seat.) But I miss that...
Junpei: What's the deal with the lighting here/ There's just this one beam of light. The rest of the place is too dark... I can't see anything. There's no way we can explore the rest of this room.
What do you mean, "too dark" I can see just fine! (Normal people don't have cat-like night vision!) And I'm Shimohi, not normal people. On with the investigation of the third room! ..."14 = E"? (No, seriously, it is written in red.)
Junpei: It says "14=E" in red...
(Told ya!)
Junpei: I think I saw (14) in red somewhere else... Was it on something I'm carrying around with me?
Not that I know of. Now, the string...
'I can just barely make out the string for the toilet, but I can get a hold of it.'
Junpei: Damn it...! It kind of pisses me off that I can see it, but I can't touch it.
('Tis human nature to want what ye can not have...) And now for something completely different... (Another donation to the reference jar!) No...
Junpei: Toilet paper. It's still white enough for me to know what it is, even in the dark. There's nothing out of the ordinary about it.
Well, that, but also Akruei spouting all of her reversed curses in a single, unbroken line of dialouge... (What the heaven is this supposed to be? Just how in the name of Satan are we supposed to be solved or even understood? Bless this puzzle! It's practically solving the soup cans for Satan's sake!) (And this isn't the room that gave you so much trouble that it's infamous in your mind?) Okay, anything in this desk?
Junpei: ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!
(Junpei's now a pirate. *ding*)
'Goddamnit! No matter how hard I pull on this damn thing, it won't budge!'
Junpei: Guess I won't be opening this any time soon.'
'It doesn't look like it's got a keyhole, and there doesn't seem to be anything stopping it. How the hell am I supposed to open it?'
Okay, now for that door on the other side of the hallway...
Junpei: The tiles we found and the tiles here are the same size. When I touched the tiles on the door, I felt something...weird.
Back off! Maybe the tiles are electrified!
Junpei: Huh? I can move these tiles...
Seven: Then that means... Maybe if you swap the tiles we got with the tiles on the wall, something'll happen.
Lotus: I suppose now we just need to figure out what the strange designs on these tiles mean...
Seven: Hmm...
Lotus: At any rate, we should look for all of the tiles that are the same size.
Junpei: You're right.
So... We HAVEN'T found all the tiles yet!?
Junpei: Let's meet back here after we've done a thorough search.
Well... (Shimohi checked in Seven and Lotus's rooms to see if there's a second mirror in there, there wasn't. So now he's going back to the third room to try to figure out how to solve these soup cans!) (What... Is Shimohi trying to use the towel on the lit up mirror?)
'The mirror is hanging at the same height as the other one on the right.'
And... nothing happens. Okay towel to the mirrors in Seven and Lotus's rooms!
Seven: The drawing on the mirror looks just like part of the design on the towel. And the design on the towel was a river...and spring, right?
I was thinking more of a waterfall and a pond. But, close enough for government work.
'...If the picture on this mirror is a spring, and it's talking about the water in the sink...'
We've already solved that puzzle! Well, might as well try to do something with this drawer without a handle...
'I already took the drawer out of this desk.'
Aaaargh! Might as well finish the towel to the mirrors line of reasoning...
Lotus: The drawing on the mirror is just like part of that image on the towel. The towel has a river and...a spring, is it?
Am I the only one here who sees vertical wavy lines and thinks "waterfall"?
'...This mirror has a river on it. If it's indicating this sink, then...'
It has no use right now. Next! (Back to the third room...)
'I can see white toilet paper in the darkness.'
(Yeah... We're going to need help from the Internet if we don't want to spend all day in here.) ...Oh, there is a mirror on the bottom of the drawer without a handle! (Hopefully that's the only bit of help we'll need from the Internet on this playthough.)
Junpei: Oh yeeeeaaaah... We can probably use this mirror to reflect the light. Now I just gotta figure out where to reflect the light... Maybe if I go somewhere that's a little easier to shine light on...
Like the mirror over the sink?
'So, if I shine this light on the mirror in back...'
Junpei: I get it... If I shine light on a mirror, a symbol appears.
The cutie marks of the royal sisters!
'The left one has a sun, and the right one's got a moon symbol.'
Junpei: I'm gonna remember this.
Or we're going to remember them for you, either way... Now back to the other mirror, just to see if anything happens...
Junpei: Is that a number...?
Looks like it's forty...seven. Dang it, it's five digits too high to be the answer to life, the universe and everything!
Junpei: So if I shine light on this mirror, then I get to see some numbers... I can see... a (4) on the left...and a (7) on the right. (4) and (7)...
I know this is unrelated but the keys for "(" and ")" on a keyboard are "Shift" plus "9" and "0" in that order... (And...we're stuck again... "Pull on the string in Seven's room four times."?) Oh right, 4 in the sun room, 7 in the moon room! Of course! First, Seven's room!
'The only thing you can manipulate in this room is that string. Chances are, they made this puzzle so someone wouldn't trigger it by accident...
That's once, three more times to go!
'I guess I should just keep pulling on this thing, then... All right, here goes. Second pull!'
Half way there!
'Third pull...'
Once more! ("Wake up, Leave your hesitation!") "Wake up, Time for us to realize!" ("Wake up, Show appreciation!")
Junpei: Did you just hear something?
Seven: I did, but it doesn't look like anything's happened here.
Junpei: Huh. Wonder what that sound was...
Well, now to tug on the cord in Lotus's room seven times... I think...
'So this is what the moon symbol was pointing to, huh... They probably made it so that someone wouldn't trigger it by accident... If that's the case...'
One out of seven...
'2nd time.'
What the narrator said!
'And a 3rd time.'
I don't really feel like giving comentary for the rest of this.
'4th time.'
'5th time.'
'This is the 6th consecutive time.'
And I'm surprised that Lotus isn't asking what the frak we're doing here. (I see what you did there, because "fracking" is a mining process that's pretty much high-powered flushing on steroids.) And here comes the seventh time!
Junpei: There's that sound again! It happens whenever I pull that string a couple of times.
Lotus: Junpei. Did you hear something from the other room?
Junpei: The other room...you mean from the dark room?
I call it the third room, but whatever... We're still going there anyway! Now can we finally open this stupid drawer!?
'Well, this drawer opens easily enough.' And we've got two more tiles... that are blank on one side with the same blue, red, and grey lines on the other. Back to the door with the tiles!
Lotus: Okay... Well, it looks like we've investigated all the rooms. The only mystery left is that door.
Seven: All right, let's crack that mystery then.
Junpei: We've got 4 tiles.
Seven: And there are a bunch of tiles that are the same size up on the wall here.
Lotus: So if we replace 4 of the tiles on the wall with the one's we've got, that should open the door. Well, there's only one way to find out.
Yeah, brute forcing it! Well, the only letter we heard anything about was "E" so what about replacing all the "E"s with the blank tiles?
Junpei: Hey, did you just hear something unlock?!
Wow, I didn't think it'd be that easy.
Junpei: Does that mean we got it right?
Well, that's the assumption I'm going off of here.
Lotus: Yes, it looks like we did! The (14) hidden on the tile... If you convert that to hexadecimal...it's an "E".
Oh yeah, Lotus does go on for a bit about hexadecimal back in the kitchen...
Seven: Basically the Es in "EMERGENCE" are the (14)s from the tiles... So if we replace it, that gives up the answer.
Junpei: Do you really care why it worked? Let's just get out of here.
([sarcasm] Yeah, yeah, Junpei. Why not race ahead to our doom!? [/sarcasm]) So, we tap on the door... And head toward my nightmare room...
Junpei: Yes! Let's go!
-----------YOU FOUND IT!-----------
'They passed through the opened door and headed to the next room. Junpei jogged down the short staircase and looked around.'
Junpei: What the hell is this place...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to need a bit of a cool down period before dealing with the nightmare room. (But first, we do have a note to make with the reference jar.)
Monty Python Reference Jar
Akurei: $27
Shimohi: $13
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