Soui : Je suppose que oui, Shokora était pas mal innocente après tout. A la base, c'était l'une des rares que je n'avais pas considéré comme pouvant être la Taupe. Elle devait être le Mario de cette édition, une personne relativement innocente...mais elle aurait fait une Taupe parfaite. DX C'est d'elle dont je t'ai parlé une fois sur Skype quand je disais que je n'étais pas sûr d'avoir fait le meilleur choix de Taupe. Ça m'énerve de ne l'avoir jamais considérée. Et à moi aussi elle va me manquer, mais ça va aussi changer les dynamiques maintenant qu'elle n'est plus là pour rappeler les autres à l'ordre. Tu trouves que ça va vite ? LOL ! Heureusement que tu n'as pas suivi dès le début vu comment j'ai fait ma grosse feignasse à un moment. :noel: Blainely can drop dead, Heather's da tru quen. Merci du commentaire ! ^^
Moley : Yes, I wanted Shokora to appear relatively innocent when compared to the rest of the cast, plus I feel like I represented her well, as it makes sense for a politician to solve the problems of their people. I'm already missing her, personally, lol. Thanks for the comment !
Sepron : I think Shokora is the first major execution. I mean, Goombario was supposed to be a surprise, but Shokora really was a big character in this. Which is actually normal as I tend to give love to forgotten, obscure or unpopular characters whenever I can. This is also the reason why this story's closest character to an All-Staris Dixie, I prefer to pull away from the main characters, unless they really bring something to the table. Well, as long as at least one person likes polls, I'll keep on making them, lol. Thank you for the comments !
KingBloo : Shokora... :-( But it had to be done, she was next on the Mole's hitlist, lol. Plus she committed way too many crimes to escape her fate. XD Actually, I already have picture clues on my profile. I don't know if you noticed them, they are on the English part, under the summary for this story. There's at least three of them I think. As always, thanks for the support.
Previously on The Mole, Enguarde revealed to the rest of the players that he had found an exemption in the sunken ship, thus bringing the number of immune contestants to three.
Monty Mole grinned from ear to ear. "Yes, Enguarde summed it up. I gave you a hint about an exemption being at stake at the very beginning of the challenge. My words were: 'There is one valuable treasure in this ship, that should be useful in the very near future'. Does that ring a bell?"
"Of course, it makes sense now," Shokora replied with uncertainty, looking at Enguarde with a worried look on her face.
And unfortunately for the group, Monty Mole gave them a penalty of five thousand coins because they had broken the only rule he had instructed them to respect during the challenge.
"I'm not arguing that the switch broke the rules. I'm saying that you all continuously broke the rule throughout the duration of the challenge," Monty Mole stated with a dull tone, shaking his head. "From my perspective, Kolorado and Blanche were two people connected to the ground. Then, shortly after the beginning of the challenge, Waitress took the last spot on the beach. That makes three. And almost every time one of the swimmers made it back on shore with a treasure chest, they pushed it so far on the beach that they were walking on it as well. Thus, multiple times during the challenge, you broke that rule," he explained as concisely as he could.
"I'm just...speechless," Melody uttered with difficulty. Like most of the others, she had trouble believing that the challenge was a fiasco.
After that, the players took the time to mingle with each other, knowing full well that the next questionnaire would have to be taken during the night. While Kolorado and Waitress discussed the challenge...
"Sounds really hard! What was it, like, about though? General stuff or tricky things like 'how many 'A' are there in 'alphabet''?"
"Hum... Not sure there is anything tricky about that question," Kolorado pointed out with a hearty chuckle. "No, we had to answer questions about the game. For example, 'How many green screens did Melody face so far'?"
...Shokora decided to confront Melody about her attitude, as she did not want to seem like she was putting the musician aside.
Facing Melody's back, the human continued. "I wanted to speak with you of your behavior during the mission. Please note that I am in no way saying that some of your reactions are unwarranted, but I do believe that you are taking the meaning of the word 'headstrong' to a whole new level. So, can we talk or should I return to my own activities?"
After a short moment, Melody deigned to face her. "What is there to talk about? You sided with Waitress, just like you sided with Enguarde before, even though you know in your heart that I was saying the truth."
Meanwhile, Boo and Enguarde decided to enjoy ice cream, with the oceanographer trying to stay in the spy's good graces in order to prolong his stay in the game...
"Hmm-hmm... Do you think we could share some info?" Boo became alarmed.
"Like a coalition?"
"Nah, if I didn't make one with Bullet, no way am I going to make one with you," Enguarde totally dismissed the idea.
"I don't know whether to feel relieved or insulted by what you just said," Boo pointed out in annoyance.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that!" apologized the swordfish. "I could have worded that better, but do you want to discuss the game with me? You're basically the last person I can relate to on this show. Shokora is too strict, Kolorado too old, the girls too girly, and Melody too...Melody. I could talk to my own reflection, but I wouldn't want to be called a narcissist, you know?" Boo could not help but laugh as he agreed to his friend's terms.
...whereas White Mage simply chose to dress for the dinner they would have later that night.
White Mage folded the purple outfit and put it back in her closet, before showing Waitress a long and slender white gown accompanied by gloves and high-heels of the same color and receiving a nod of approval. "Thanks! I think that's my best one too! Also, I just thought about it, but since you were on that beach for a very long time, perhaps you saw something interesting?"
"You're totally welcome! That's what friends are for, right? What are you gonna do with your hair though?"
When dinner came, Monty Mole surprised the players with yet another challenge, that one involving food much to Boo's chagrin.
"Oh crap!" Boo could not help but panic at that unexpected turn of events.
Six out of seven players had to drink their blended meal for the challenge to be won completely. However, the contestants only managed to win half of the coins as three of them could not succeed in their task.
Shokora seemed appalled. "Enguarde, do not splash us. And you should hurry up, you are timed after all."
Hearing her words, Enguarde tried to accelerate the process of drinking his mixture. However, he soon reached a roadblock and spat everything he had been drinking in his glass. "Water please!" he choked out.
"Sorry everyone!" Boo yelped, clasping his hand over his mouth and getting out of the room as soon as possible. Right after he escaped, they heard the distinct sound of someone throwing up.
Shokora took a deep breath and tried to shove the liquid down her throat, but she could not do it. "My apologies, but I cannot do it."
After that last hurdle, the players ate a decent meal before taking the fourth quiz of the game. And when the execution ceremony came, it was none other than Shokora who bit the dust and had to bid the others farewell.
Only six are left...who is the Mole?
First name : Melody
Surname : Pianissimo
Birthday : March 13
Job : Musician
First name : Enguarde
Surname : Espadon
Birthday : December 8
Job : Oceanographer
First name : Kolorado
Surname : Raiver
Birthday : January 19
Job : Archaeologist/Explorer
First name : Boo
Surname : Fanto
Birthday : October 31
Job : Spy
First name : Blanche
Surname : Magus
Birthday : April 22
Job : White Mage
First name : Waitress
Surname : Serva
Birthday : July 4
Job : Waitress
It was the third true execution ceremony that had claimed the fairest and possibly the smartest player of the game. Shokora was wise, intelligent, cultivated and had a quick wit as well as the ability to keep her sangfroid in spite of the numerous twists that were thrown her way. And yet, even though she had a lot of qualities, the politician fell victim to the Mole, unable to identify them correctly in the end. Her execution taught everyone a lesson: never grow complacent, because the moment you do is the moment you will face a red screen.
21 : Expert Tricking
Chucklehood Manor, Outside – 18:00
A soft buzzing sound could be heard in the distance. As it grew closer, so did a black and green taxi, in which a certain passenger was patiently waiting, curious as to the purpose of her presence at this venue. The traveler had been asked to stay available for this particular day, several months prior to the event, however, she was not privy to the events that would occur during the night.
Adjusting her white straw hat with the help of a small mirror, the blue being muttered a few words of thanks to her chauffeur and stepped off the vehicle with elegance, her suitcase rolling behind her. She took a good look of her surroundings and nodded to herself. After a few determined steps, the blue Birdo was standing before huge doors, and to notify the inhabitants of the mansion of her presence, she knocked.
She did not have to wait long for someone to open the door to the mysterious building she had been invited to. A small Toadette who had two purple pigtails and was donning the clothes of a maid greeted her and let her in. "Welcoooome to the Chucklehood Manor," she chirped in a sing song voice, although she failed to suppress the exhaustion in her voice. "I'm Waitress Serva, and I'm, like, the maid of the mansion. Who are you?" Waitress asked, yawning afterward.
Waitress Serva : She is the maid of the mansion, and although she certainly looks the part, I could not help but notice how tired she was, which, according to my past experiences, is quite unbecoming of a maid.
"My name is Francesca Von Birdetta," the blue Birdo introduced herself, "and I was invited to this mansion."
"Oh, right, I'd completely forgotten about that," Waitress responded, unaware of the strange expression that now resided on Francesca's face. "I'm gonna go fetch my boss, make yourself comfortable here in the meantime!"
With that, the young Toadette departed, leaving Francesca alone in the lobby. "Well, this certainly is strange, but then again, he is responsible for this, so I suppose it was to be expected," the Birdo smiled to herself.
...
Chuckle Hood Manor, Lobby – 18:07
Francesca looked at her watch, her feet tapping lightly on the floor. She was inspecting an old clock when her attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of footsteps coming her way. Judging from the sound, at least two different persons were coming toward her.
"Good evening," one of the individuals, the one with pink hair, smiled as she extended a hand toward her. "You must be Francesca Von Birdetta, I'm very pleased to meet you. My name is Blanche Magus, and I am the lady of the manor." Blanche was wearing a sumptuous emerald green dress that trailed a little behind her and looked like a princess in her clothes.
Blanche Magus : The lady of the manor, so that would make her my host, right? She certainly looks regal in that beautiful emerald dress of hers. I wish I could wear dresses as well as she does.
"Nice to meet you," Francesca returned the smile as she shook the hand of the mansion's owner. She noticed Blanche looking at her suitcase and looking pensive, but it did not last.
"Waitress, could you please put our guest's belongings in her room?" Blanche asked rather firmly as Waitress nodded, adjusting her gloves. "Once you are done, please meet us back in the dining room and escort our guest to her room."
"You got it!" Waitress curtsied and walked to Francesca's suitcase, taking it with her outside of the lobby.
"Well then, you are our guest for tonight. Shall I show you around the mansion? There are others, who I'm sure would be delighted to make your acquaintance," Blanche praised her, beckoning for Francesca to follow in her steps.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Kitchen – 18:10
The trip to the kitchen was quick, since it was located on the first floor, and Francesca's blue orbs met an exceptionally clean-looking room, which surprised her and left her wide-eyed. "This kitchen is so well-kept," she muttered almost inaudibly, "It must need a lot of maintenance."
Blanche picked up on her sentence. "Well, our cook is very professional and wouldn't cook if the place was anything but in pristine condition," she remarked, a hint of aggravation in her voice. "I suppose most professionals have to be a little eccentric, but he is really special."
"Oh, really?" the Birdo perked up, interested. Blanche had no time to respond to her, as the cook in question suddenly spoke up.
"It isn't very proper to speak of people behind their back, Blanche," a blue swordfish wearing a chef's hat remarked, fins crossed. "Besides, I'm not special at all, I just want to provide you with the best meals I can make, and I can't make good meals unless I work in a clean environment, you know?"
Blanche shook her head in exasperation, rubbing her right temple. "This is Enguarde, our cook. His cuisine really is something else, I will tell you that much."
"Of course! I'm just the best," Enguarde gave a cocky grin to the two women. Noticing Francesca, he tipped his hat slightly."The name's Enguarde Espadon, nice to meet you, miss...?"
Enguarde Espadon : The chef of the mansion. From my understanding, he works for Blanche, but it would seem there is more between the two of them, because I know I would not talk that way to my employer. He seems like a goodhearted man, yet he is boastful too.
"Francesca Von Birdetta," the blue Birdo answered with a smile.
"Well, Enguarde, we'll see you later," Blanche told him, waving him goodbye. "Let's go meet the good doctor."
...
Chucklehood Manor, Library – 18:16
The library of the mansion was well-furnished, and some of the books looked rather ancient and rare to Francesca, who smiled at the sight of so many works of literature. She liked reading, but it was not the reason why she was smiling, the room simply reminded her of her time in the game show he had hosted.
Snapping out of her reverie, the blue Birdo met a face that was familiar to her, but Blanche's words would soon confuse her.
"Francesca, meet Kolorado, he is another guest we have tonight, as well as the doctor of this manor. Whenever someone is sick, we ask for his services and he never disappoints," the lady owner praised the Koopa.
"Oh, Blanche, you embarrass me!" The doctor chuckled heartily. He turned to face Francesca and introduced himself. "My name is Kolorado Raiver, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Kolorado Raiver : He claims to be the doctor of the mansion, and his claim is supported by Blanche, but the resemblance with the archaeologist Kolorado is uncanny. Could I really be mistaken?
"Likewise, I'm Francesca Von Birdetta. Curiously, I seem to have confused you for someone else," she smiled.
Kolorado stroke his black mustache. "Well, it happens a lot, my friend. Perhaps there's a celebrity who looks just like me? That would explain why people always take me for another." Francesca's face displayed a dubious expression, but she did not press the issue.
"There's one more person I would like you to meet, Francesca," Blanche told her guest. "Besides, I have an inkling you are going to love our next stop. Kolorado, we will see you at dinnertime."
"I'll look forward to it! But, say, Francesca? Aren't you a famous lawyer?" Kolorado wondered aloud, scratching his chin. Francesca gave him the confirmation he wanted. "If so, could you please meet me in my room at seven thirty, please?"
"It would be my pleasure," Francesca acquiesced, before turning around and joining Blanche.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Garden – 18:21
When Francesca stepped into the garden, her eyes were assaulted by a myriad of colors, all of which were coming from the various flowers and blooming shrubs disposed in rows. Flowerbeds surrounded a white fountain on which sculpted cherubs poured jars of water.
"This is truly a vision to behold," Francesca noted, engraving the scenery in her mind. "You must have a lot of gardeners to take care of it."
Blanche let out a laugh. "Well, truth to be told, we only have one gardener, and he is the final person I would like you to meet tonight. Ah, there he is," she pointed to a spherical white being who was watering the plants. "Boo, we have a guest!"
"Oh, is she already here?" the ghost questioned, not expecting this development. "Hello, I'm Boo Fanto, the gardener of the mansion. I hope you like what you're seeing, Miss Francesca."
Boo Fanto : The gardener of the mansion. It amazes me how one single person can take care of such a huge garden. It also is slightly insulting to my own gardening skills, I must confess.
"I do! You are amazing at what you do, and Blanche sure is lucky to have such a wonderful gardener at her side. Especially since you are on your own here, correct?" Boo blushed, scratching the back of his neck.
"Well, you know how it is, some people are good at things and other people are better at other things," he stated shyly, before returning to his work. Seeing this, Blanche faced Francesca.
"You have met everyone, let's return to the mansion, it's starting to be a little cold. Besides, Waitress should be finished and-"
Waitress interrupted Blanche as she arrived in the garden. "I've put our guest's things in her room!" she exclaimed sleepily. "So... If the visit's over, I can take her there. Would you like that?"
"Good," Blanche nodded in her direction. "I was just telling Francesca how you should have been finished by now. Please take care of our guest and show her around if she needs it, I have business to attend to. Francesca, I will see you during dinner, alright?"
"Yes, thank you. I'm quite tired anyway, so I will probably rest a little in my room before doing anything else," Francesca responded with a smile, before walking to Waitress. "If you could show me to my room, I would greatly appreciate it."
...
Chucklehood Manor, Francesca's Room – 18:28
Francesca's room was located on the second floor of the building, like most of the other rooms were. Waitress took out a key from her apron and inserted it into the keyhole. Twisting it allowed her to open the room for Francesca.
"Well, there you go!" Waitress exclaimed cheerfully. "Make yourself comfortable! If you wanna eat something, just go ask Enguarde, he should, like, always be in the kitchen or something. Also you can actually ring a bell and order whatever you want thanks to the phone in your room."
Francesca's eyes scanned the room, pleased with what she was seeing: the walls displayed clouds painted over a light blue sky. "It is wonderful, are all the other rooms like this one?"
Waitress froze suddenly for a second before regaining her composure, but it did not pass unnoticed to the blue Birdo. "Hmm... Well, no, each room has a totally specific theme, you know? It'd be boring otherwise."
Francesca nodded to her and Waitress took this as a dismissal, so she left the guest alone, but not before setting down the key on a small round table in a corner of the room. Once she was gone, Francesca closed the door and began unpacking, a small smile on her lips.
"I don't know what that Monty Mole has in store for me, but so far it looks like he invited me here so I could just relax... Of course, I shouldn't release my guard so soon as some of the 'inhabitants' of this mansion look suspicious," she muttered to herself, plopping down on her bed.
"The way they behave... It's not natural. The maid sounds a little too carefree, that Kolorado looks a little too much like the archaeologist I know, and the relationship between the owner of the mansion and her employees is not what I expected at all..."
The Birdo let out a long sigh and laid down in her bed, staring at the ceiling.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Outside Francesca's Room – 18:51
Knocks on the door snapped Francesca out of her trance as she hastily made her way out of her bed to respond to her visitors. She took a little longer than they apparently expected, because once she opened her door, she realized they were actually knocking on another door. Curious, the blue Birdo stepped outside her room.
"Did you need me for anything?" Francesca inquired as she made her way to the two people that were frowning.
"We wanted to know if you had seen Waitress somewhere," Blanche replied, a worried expression on her face. "She seems to have vanished, and isn't in her room."
"Why do you need her?"
It was Enguarde's turn to answer. "Kolorado ordered a snack ten minutes ago, but she has yet to come to the kitchen and bring it to him. I swear, this girl will be the death of me," he huffed dramatically.
Francesca was intrigued. "Wait a minute. Why didn't you bring Kolorado's snack along with you, if that's so important to you?"
Enguarde waved his fins in front of his face in defense. "Hey, it's not my job, I'm the cook, not the maid or the butler or something!" Blanche glanced at him, amused.
"Besides," the beautiful lady started, "it's not the first time Waitress does as she pleases. We need to set things straight with her, she can't just depend on her colleagues to do her job." She marked a pause before continuing. "Anyway, it seems like she's not here. I might have to bring it to Kolorado myself if she doesn't do it soon..."
The three individuals stayed silent for a minute or two, until Francesca decided her presence was not required there, and left for the library.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Outside the Library – 18:57
Francesca let out a surprised yelp as the door refused to budge from its position. She tried pushing, and when it did not function, she settled for pulling it, but nothing worked. The library was apparently locked, so the Birdo had no way to get in. She groaned with annoyance, realizing she would need to find someone to open the door for her, and headed back to the main room of the mansion.
"This is just my luck," she whispered to herself, displeased.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Main Hall – 19:08
Francesca had successfully found her way back to the main hall, which was by no mean an exploit considering it was the biggest and centermost room in the mansion. The straw hat-wearing Birdo walked briskly toward the kitchen, remembering Waitress' words, but stopped just as she was about to enter, something having caught her attention on her right. As she began heading that way, the ground started to shake, and she felt a small tremor which destabilized her and sent her toppling to the floor.
Grunting, the Birdo opted to stay down. "Me and my lack of balance..."
Thirty seconds later, the shaking stopped and the young woman was able to get back on her feet, a little dazzled but unharmed. Wondering what had happened, she decided to go outside to talk with Boo.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Garden – 19:21
After a full search of the garden, Francesca had come to the conclusion that Boo had evaporated into thin air. Either that or he was a master of disguise, or even a chameleon. She had checked everywhere – her clothes were even wet from the time she was tilted over the fountain and lost her ground, making a small splash – to no avail.
"Well," she whispered to herself as she shivered, "I should return to my room and get refreshed, it's almost time for my meeting with Kolorado after all."
Hastily, the Birdo made her way back to her room to dry herself so that she would be more presentable.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Outside Kolorado's Room – 19:30
Francesca Von Birdetta arrived right on time for her meeting with Doctor Kolorado, however, as she was going to knock on his door, she realized she was not alone in the corridor: Blanche was also there, and was using one hand to support a tray covered by a lid and another to lift her dress, which extremities seemed to have been pulled up and were now revealing more skin.
"It's good to see you again, Francesca," Blanche smiled to her kindly, "do you need something?"
Francesca acquiesced slightly, explaining the reasons for her coming to Kolorado's room. "Kolorado asked me to come here at seven thirty, he wanted to discuss something with me but didn't elaborate, so I'm here to meet him." Blanche's face change to reflect her worry, she furrowed her brow, thinking.
"That's quite...strange. If you are saying Kolorado asked you to come here at this time, why isn't he answering to my calls? Waitress has apparently vanished from the mansion so I chose to deliver his snack myself but... He isn't responding at all. And I know he's inside, there's no light coming from the keyhole," the lady of the manor elaborated.
Francesca decided to take a look at it herself, and as expected, no light came from the keyhole. "You're right, it does seem unusual. He should be expecting me..."
Blanche put her finger to her mouth, before her visage lighted up. "Well, let's just see for ourselves, shall we?" She grinned mischievously, taking a hair pin from her hairdo and holding it out to Francesca. "How about you pick his lock?
"What?! But that's not legal at all, we could face huge repercussions afterward-"
Blanche waggled a finger in front of Francesca's face. "Of course we wouldn't, you shouldn't forget that it is my mansion, after all. It's actually very legal, and besides, we're just doing it to see if he's inside."
Francesca raised an eyebrow, pointing a contradiction. "But you said moments ago that he had to be inside."
Blanche rolled her eyes. "Okay, I get it. Please move aside, I'll do it instead." Blanche knelt on the floor and settled the tray she was holding next to her. The regal-looking woman inserted her hair pin inside the keyhole and pushed forward, until she saw a light coming her way. "Please stay put, I am going to look for the master key."
The polite Birdo simply stood guard before the door while Blanche hurried to the first floor, going surprisingly fast for a woman wearing high-heels and a dress. It took her no longer than five minutes to return along with the master key.
"I thought you were looking for the key, so why are you chewing on a bubblegum? I don't think you could have had time to go to the kitchen given it took you less than five minutes to come back," Francesca remarked.
"Easy, I found several ones next to where the master key was stored," she waved her off with her hand, more interested in what was located behind the door. Ultimately, though, she hesitated. "Hmm... Shouldn't you open it...? I mean, you have a meeting with him so..."
Francesca shrugged, taking her host on her offer. "Now that we've come this far..." With a firm movement of her hand, Francesca pushed the door open and noticed the key on the floor.
And her eyes immediately widened afterward: Kolorado's body was sprawled on the floor, blood flowing from under his belly. Blanche let out a shriek from behind Francesca, while the Birdo simply stared, shell-shocked at what she was gazing at.
"Oh my god, is he dead?!" Blanche whimpered, shielding her eyes from the scene. Two minutes were needed for Francesca to regain her composure, and when she did, she pushed Blanche lightly outside.
"I'll stand guard here, you go call for help," Francesca instructed.
"That won't be necessary," a voice she knew all too well claimed from behind. She turned in direction of that voice and her face softened as she saw Monty Mole, as well as a blonde ghost wearing a burgundy-colored dress. "Why, it's been a while Francesca, but I'm glad to meet you again! This is Melody Pianissimo, our prosecutor for this case, I ask that you please let her investigate the premise of this crime. Also, please head for the main hall, I'm asking everyone who was here tonight to go there so we can solve this mystery."
Monty Mole : A good friend of mine, who once hosted a game show entitled The Mole : Perfect Camouflage. Somehow, his presence at the scene of the crime puts me at ease. It's probably because I now realize that it might just be another one of his silly missions.
"Okay then, but could you please throw away this trash then? Kolorado won't be eating it anytime soon," Blanche asked, giving the tray she had been holding to the brown mole who nodded in response.
Francesca wanted to object and ask a question, but realized it was useless. Whenever Monty Mole was that mysterious, it usually meant that there was more than met the eyes, so she decided to trust in him and accompany Blanche downstairs.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Main Hall – 19:45
Upon stepping downstairs, Francesca realized that both Enguarde and Boo were already there, discussing among themselves, and that only Waitress was missing from the little crowd that had assembled there. As if to answer her questions, Waitress arrived a few minutes after the rest of her comrades, followed by Monty Mole.
The brown literal mole advanced toward the group and used his grand voice to silence them all. "Everyone, a murder has occurred in this mansion. The good doctor, Kolorado himself, has been robbed of his life, and the perpetrator is someone that is present in this very room."
"No way!" "I can't believe it!" "Like, you're for real?"
"As per procedure, I must thoroughly search every suspect, so please bear with me as I perform this task."
One after another, Blanche, Boo, Enguarde, Francesca and Waitress were searched, but nothing suspicious was found on them. Monty Mole cleared his throat once he was done with Waitress and made his next announcement, scanning the crowd with his piercing little eyes.
"Our best prosecutor herself is heading the case, so you shouldn't fear any wrong accusations, but until she's back, I ask everyone to remain where they are."
Francesca sighed, looking at the others who were as perplexed as her. "What exactly is going on, here?"
Fifteen Minutes Later...
"I have conclusive evidence as to who committed this crime!" Melody Pianissimo, the prosecutor of the case, boasted as she returned downstairs, a triumphant smirk etched onto her face.
Melody Pianissimo : She's the prosecutor of this case, and certainly doesn't lack self-confidence or pride, to say the least. I would even go as far as to say she's a rude jerk, not that I'm not already accustomed to such standards on the accusation's part.
"Oh, do you really?" Francesca asked, clearly suspicious of the short investigation.
"What do you think?" Melody rolled her eyes at her before looking for her prey. Her eyes settled on a small Toadette with two purple pigtails. "You! Come with me, you're the only one who could have done it!"
"What?! You're totally off your rocker, girl! I've been sleeping in my room all along! Like, you can't get a better alibi than that!" Waitress retorted with a smug smile, clearly not realizing how wrong she was.
Melody scoffed, crossing her arms as she stared brazenly at the airhead. "Even your own personality seems to indicate that you're the murderer. Only an idiotic fool would have left so many clues behind them! Now, you come with me!" Melody grabbed a struggling Waitress forcefully and dragged her outside the room.
"I didn't do nothing!" Waitress objected, trashing about, but the prosecutor was unmoved by her performance and the two of them disappeared in another room.
"Looks like the bad guy was caught after all," Boo commented, a content expression on his face.
"I'm actually glad it was her and not anyone else," Enguarde confessed with a sigh of relief. "She was more trouble than help here, and she didn't even do her freaking job correctly!"
"Now, now, is it really the time for such pettiness?" Monty Mole questioned them rhetorically. "After all, while it does look like the prosecutor has found the perpetrator, she will only be recognized as a criminal when a judge bangs their gavel and indicts her as the true murderer."
"So that's where this is going," Francesca chuckled lightly, shaking her head to herself. "I cannot believe how blind I was. You want me to take her defense, don't you?"
Monty Mole gave her a sly grin. "Welcome back to The Mole, Francesca, I have a challenge for you!"
Francesca : It turns out this whole thing was a simple masquerade. Each and every individual in this house is a contestant in this fourth season of The Mole. They are all players, and their goal was to create the most tortuous case so that I would have difficulty in pinpointing the true murderer. If I fail, they win the challenge. If I win, I win it instead! The only weird thing is, the victim in this case, has the right to observe my investigation as if he is my shadow. I have never tackled a murder case where the victim resurrected before, haha!
...
Chucklehood Mansion, Main Hall – 20:05
"Monty Mole has explained all the details of the mission to me," Francesca decided to voice her reflexions so that Kolorado could benefit from her train of thought, "so now I know the case is a farce. However, I also know that the crime has been 'committed', which means a complete investigation of the crime scene is in order."
"Additionally, I should also review what I know from the case from my own experience, I was there after all. Since Waitress was taken away by Melody, and since she was supposedly in her room this whole time, I might also find incriminating evidence pointing to the culprit in her room. Lastly, if I have time to do so, since I only have one hour to investigate, I could also check out the other relevant places of this manor. Namely, the garden and the kitchen, where Boo and Enguarde must have been at at the time of the crime," she finished her long explanation of what she wanted to do.
Behind her, Kolorado nodded and took note of her observations, staying silent as he knew who had done it and did not want to jeopardize the mission. Francesca sat down on a chair and pulled out a small notepad, ready to start her investigation.
"I usually write down all the relevant information in my trusty notepad, but sometimes, there are things that I simply dismiss as uninteresting. Thankfully, I also have a great memory," Francesca told the explorer, "so even if I were to miss something, there is a good chance that I might remember it when it becomes crucial to our case."
"First of all, I suppose we could already deduce when Kolorado was killed." Francesca paused for a moment, staring at the explorer. "This is awkward," she laughed earnestly. "Anyway, it took place before seven thirty, but probably after six thirty, since you- I mean the victim was still in the library when I departed. And all of this means that anyone had the opportunity to do it."
"On the subject of the rooms, it seems Kolorado's room was locked from the inside, but we saw no one else when we entered, which signifies that we are confronted to a locked room mystery," Francesca deduced smartly. "I should ask more about the rooms to someone who knows about the place."
Francesca stood up from her chair and walked towards Boo, Enguarde and Blanche with confident strides. "May I interrupt your conversation?"
Enguarde shrugged, apparently not terribly bothered by her appearance. "Whatever you want. So, what's the matter?" Blanche shot him a critical glare.
"Could anyone enlighten me concerning the sleeping room? For example, are there duplicate keys stored somewhere?"
Boo shook his head and smirked a little. "No, we all have our own key leading to our room, so we don't need spares. But in case someone loses their key, they can always borrow the master key which is located on the first floor."
The pink-haired woman pulled said master key out of her dress pocket and showed it to Francesca. "This is the master key he is referring to, as he also explained, it is located on the first floor. When we pushed Kolorado's key out of its lock, I ran downstairs to get it and it was exactly where I had left it, so I'm positive the master key wasn't used before we discovered Kolorado's body."
New Evidence : Keys : They are all unique. The only way to open a door if you do not have a key would be to use the master key.
New Evidence : Blanche's Statement : She is positive that no one has used the master key before the time of the murder.
Francesca nodded to herself, still in deep reflection. "Is there anything I need to know about the locks? I believe it might be connected to the case."
"The locks in the sleeping quarters can be locked from the inside or the outside," Enguarde claimed, stifling a yawn.
"However, the door we found was locked and the keyhole was obstructed, which leads me to believe that the key was still inside his door," Francesca whispered to herself. Blanche tilted her head to the side, also thinking.
"I also doubt the door was locked from the outside. Remember what happened before we entered: we had to push out the key from the keyhole," Blanche reminded her. "And we found it in his room as well, so there is really no other way: the door was locked from the inside."
New Evidence : Key Locks : Can be locked from the inside and the outside.
New Evidence : Kolorado's Lock : From the look of things, it seems the door was locked from the inside.
New Evidence : Kolorado's Key : Was found inside Kolorado's room.
"What about the rooms themselves?" Francesca inquired, eager for more information. "I find it hard to believe that no one heard Kolorado yelling or anything."
"Not that unbelievable if you want my opinion," Boo replied, scratching his chin. "The rooms are soundproof. I guess I could have heard him yelling from the outside if the window had been opened, though, since the glass is really thick."
"That's it!" Francesca pounded the palm of her hand with her fist as realization hit her. "The windows! The criminal must have used the windows to get out of the crime scene."
Blanche looked somewhat worried. "I...don't think it's very likely. The window was closed when we found his body."
"Let me make it clearer for you," Enguarde pursued Blanche's train of thought. "While the windows are pretty easy to open and close, you can only do so from the inside. It is impossible to close the window from the balcony, for obvious reasons."
New Evidence : Rooms : They are soundproof.
New Evidence : Window & Balcony : Each room has a window and a balcony. The window can only be opened and closed from the inside, and it is made of thick glass.
"I have one last question. Enguarde, when did Kolorado ask for a snack and what was it exactly?" Francesca questioned him, her interest sparked.
"He called at around six forty and asked for a sandwich," Enguarde responded very quickly.
"That's what you saw me holding when we found him dead," Blanche added in an afterthought.
New Evidence : Special Delivery : A request of Kolorado. Was ordered at 6:40 P.M. and was actually served at 7:30 P.M.
"A whole fifty minutes for a measly sandwich? Wow," Boo muttered, astonished by the low quality of the service.
"Well, I was quite busy," Blanche defended herself. Boo raised an eyebrow, not understanding why his employer was so irritated.
"What does it have to do with you?"
"Waitress didn't answer to any of our calls, so I had to deliver it myself," she explained, agitated. As they started to talk about Waitress' incompetence, Francesca decided it was wise to leave them alone and reach the second floor for a thorough examination of the crime scene.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Kolorado's Room – 20:20
Upon arriving at the crime scene, Francesca decided to inspect the door, noting that it showed no sign of having been forced. "Well then, I can assume there's a trick behind this locked room," she smiled assuredly. "You sure created something elaborated," she spoke up.
"Thanks!" Kolorado responded with a grin.
Francesca entered and immediately realized that something was off with the room. "The decoration is...odd. Something feels out of place..."
She shrugged it off and decided to check Kolorado's belongings, in case the prosecution had forgotten to look at it for clues. "Clothes... Perfume... Notes about patients... There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary."
She moved on to the window and realized it was a little dusty. Testing what had been told to her by the other inhabitants of the mansion, she opened the window and tried to shut it from the outside, to no avail. "It appears the window has absolutely nothing to do with the case after all..." She frowned to herself, wondering what could have possibly happened.
Next, she walked looked at the floor, specifically at the bloody pool located in the center of the room. "I was hoping to find something here but... I don't even know what's the murder weapon."
The blue Birdo was going to exit a room when something caught her attention: the fireplace. Curious, she pressed on and knelt besides it, looking for potential clues. "I knew something was weird. There are electric heaters in the room, so the fireplace is probably just for show. And if that's the case... Then why are there so many ashes in here?"
New Evidence : Kolorado's Fireplace : There is a lot of ashes which should not be here. It looks like somebody burned something recently.
"Huh?" Francesca found a small piece of paper which seemed to have been burned. Only a few words were eligible on it. "'~e, I know your secret.' Well that doesn't help me much."
New Evidence : Burnt Piece of Paper : Part of a sheet of paper. Only a few eligible words are on it: '~e, I know your secret.' The paper seems rather thick. Found in Kolorado's Fireplace.
"Mmmh... I still have no clue as to how the perpetrator managed to flee but... I can't waste all of my time here!"
...
Chucklehood Manor, Waitress' Room – 20:38
"Its...very pink," Francesca flinched as she entered inside her client's room. "Well, except for that one part of the wall. I much prefer my blue room," she declared, smiling from ear to ear. "No time to waste! I would like to ask some people a few questions if I have time afterward."
Immediately, the blue Birdo darted for Waitress' belongings and started to rummage through her clothes. "Dresses... Aprons... Many...girl things," she was careful of her wording since Kolorado was basically listening to her rambling. "A lighter... And... What's that?" In her hand was a silver cup. "That's...unusual."
New Evidence : Waitress' Belongings : Other than a few usual clothes, and a lighter, there was also a silver cup.
Francesca inspected once again the window, making sure it was the same as Kolorado's, she also took time to search every nook and cranny of Waitress' sleeping place, thinking Melody must have had some sort of basis for her arrest, but she unfortunately came up empty-handed. Finally, she verified the fireplace and almost overlooked something. Carefully, she picked it up and held it high, as if it would give her a better view.
"Just... What is this thing?"
New Evidence : Burnt Wire : A strange burnt-looking wire thing. Found in Waitress' fireplace, underneath a small log.
Francesca stood there for five minutes before realizing she was almost out of time, her search of the room having taken almost twenty minutes. She cursed her lack of attention and headed back downstairs, hoping luck would be on her side for this trial.
Francesca : I had reunited plenty of pieces of information, and I also had knowledge from my own experience in the mansion, but the players had crafted a seemingly perfect plan, so I was not sure I would succeed in pinpointing the murderer. Of course, I had already a few suspicions, but I would need proof to back them up.
...
Chucklehood Manor, Study – 21:00
Everyone had been called to the study for the second part of the challenge. Some had complained, claiming they wanted to eat, but by then they knew Monty Mole would not change his agenda to satisfy them. However, he had guaranteed to treat them to succulent food when the challenge would be over, so that helped alleviate some of their concerns.
Since the second part of the challenge involved a fair trial, the study had been fixed to resemble a courtroom: one desk was situated on a stage, which was where the judge would sit. In front of him was the stand which looks more like a small wooden fence than anything else. On each side of the stand was one desk, one of the accusation and the other one for the defense. The witnesses, Kolorado and Monty Mole were all behind the stand from the judge's perspective, most of them waiting to be called to testify.
Melody took her place and so did Francesca, only the judge was absent. "Where is he?" Melody huffed. "I want to win this challenge asap so I can eat!"
Enguarde snickered. "I hope you won't stuff yourself too much, it would be O so terrible if your beautiful figure was ruined." Melody sent a death glare in his direction. "Relax, I'm just joking." Blanche elbowed him slightly, wanting him to shut up at once.
"Geez, sorry I'm so late!" the judge apologized, hurrying to his bench. "I had troubles with the moronic robe," he stated, pointing to his clothes. Francesca's eyes widened as she realized who the judge was.
Kooper Shelic : All rise for the honorable judge! Although nice and funny, he seems inexperienced. I suppose it is to be expected from a beginner, not that it will change that much from the judges I'm used to work with.
So, it might be a strange place to cut the chapter, but I wanted to end up with the reveal of who the judge was. Yep, the one and only Kooper ! I hope you will like this challenge, I wrote it a few months ago and I had a lot of fun imagining the contradictions and everything else. So, do you have a suspect ? Do you think Waitress truly committed the murder, or do you believe it might be one of the other three ?Tell me in a comment.
The next chapter will arrive very soon, two days at the most, because I feel like it would be better for you readers to have the investigation fresh in mind when reading the trial. As I said, I wanted to emulate the Phoenix Wright formula, so you got clues, profiles and a little bit of humor, I guess. But the real fight will begin next chapter.
A little tidbit : Francesca Von Birdetta is one of my OCs (trust me, I have a lot of them). She is a prominent figure of the law, an ace attorney. She was also a participant in the first season of the Mole and was executed fifth (there were only nine players). Francesca is a character that is calm, cool and collected. She is very smart and quick to locate contradictions that most people would not even realize were there. Throughout her journey in The Mole, it became clear that she lacked balance and had a case of vertigo, not to mention that she didn't shine in physical challenges. So if you read this note after the chapter, you will realize that even though you don't know her, I respected her character faithfully. And fun fact : in the whoddunit challenge of Season 1, Francesca was the culprit and managed to get away with it, so I found it fun to bring her back but this time in pursuit of the truth.
Now, let's speak of the lastest victim of the Mole.
Shokora : Shokora was an interesting character. I first cast her in this game because there was literally no other fiction where she was present in the Mario category, and because I liked the game Wario Land 4. Her last name, Enekora, sounds a little like her first name which I'm assume means 'Chocolate' as it sounds exactly as we would pronounce it in French (Chocolat), but the word 'Neko' means cat in Japanese. Throughout the game she assists Wario in her cursed form : a cat.
Personality-wise, Shokora does not have much. However I really liked her mature appearance, which is the true one in my opinion given that you see it when you beat the final boss and earn all the treasure chests. I thought of making her a princess before remembering that the Golden Pyramid disappears at the end of the game, so instead I made her a politician, which was very fitting anyways. She was a strict and stern player at times, but I think it was easy to see that there was absolutely no malice seeping from her very being. She was also portrayed as a fair player who wanted everyone to be able to voice their opinion and be equal, which is why she never hesitated in 'saving' Dixie and Boo who had a minus one during episode one, and also shut up some players who were picking on the weakest links of the team.
Throughout her stay, I wanted her to be the perfect leader, but not the leader at the same time. I thought the dynamics of her character were interesting, especially with Melody and Enguarde around. Kolorado and Shokora were also an interesting pair, but they never made a coalition because I wanted Shokora to be able to stand on her own as an independant leader (and besides, the archaeologist's a little out of it, so he wouldn't have been the one to propose an alliance). Some people thought that Shokora and Blanche were similar, and I suppose they might have been very slightly at first (well, they were the two human girls so...), but honestly I think except for their intelligence, Shokora and Blanche have nothing in common. Also I had fun with Shokora and Waitress, because she wanted to protect the small Toadette but at the same time she was pretty annoyed about her performance. And the scene between her and Boo on Oho Oasis was simply priceless. It just reeked of awkwardness. XD
Shokora was the Mario of this edition, I never thought I could use her as a Mole...and I was definitely wrong. I regret not having thought more about it, because it could have worked splendidly. After all, she made costing mistakes for the team on several occasions... At first, no one seemed to like her, so I almost thought about switching her placement with Dixie, until I realized something : what was the point of including such an obscure character if I was to execute her first ? So I kept her, and I'm not disappointed at all. Actually, if I could, I would have kept her until the finale since she's such an easy character to write for. However, even though people liked her, she was not a favorite. And even if she had suddenly been, I wouldn't have been able to keep her since I had written the first challenge of this episode, lol.
Anyway, that's about it for this character. A lengthy explanation, I admit. *shot*
Thanks for reading, and until next time !