EPISODE 5 (PART 2)
Everyone was in silence at McHallyboo's line.
"And just like that...this building can change the way we see one of you." It was half an hour later, and the players were standing outside the very cabin they had began the episode inside. The now-visible sun shined brightly against the white land that surrounded them for the farthest distance they could see.
"It's been long enough of a time for the Mole, where they want to show you...their power in this very building. How much control they can have over you guys." McHallyboo looked at the players.
"And the Mole did just that." The line sent shivers up the spines of many of the players. Everyone turned to Dashell. "The Mole did just that-"
"...By changing me." Dashell finished, looking down at his own body. As the others took notice of him, they saw the new individual that he had become: he had a head and hair, blonde with tints of pinkish-purple that covered his protruding ears. His shirt had turned into one of human dimensions, fitting almost perfectly well into his outstretched arms and now-existing torso. His legs, now giving him height, made him much taller than he originally was before the transformation. He was still, as they looked back at him. Then he said something.
"This is exactly...what I looked like..." Dashell began, his voice with realization, "before I became a Pixl." Everyone continued to look at him in mystified and unbelieving eyes.
"But...this is still unimaginable," Eclair said the host, as they all turned to him. "How was this possible?" The host paused for a second.
"Did you know that this ground is not really green ground?" McHallyboo began, as everyone turned down to their foot one by one slowly. "In reality, it is hard, cold, stained metal. It just looks like a layered green ground with hints of dirt, but, it's just disguised and contorted into the very image."
"You've told us things like that since Day 1," Piantissimo pointed out to the host in reminder.
"So if it's possible to change an entire atmosphere, just how more difficult do you think it is to change one of you in this room? Visually, at the very least?" Each of them continued to look hard at the ground, then at Dashell.
Tiny: I guess this world really does show us the impossible things that are possible.
"True...I mean, this whole world is fake, we know," Tiny repeated, shaking her head. "But I keep on forgetting that it is..." Everyone nodded. Dashell just looked at McHallyboo, in disbelief of what just happened.
"How long is this going to last?" Dashell asked him.
"Until you leave this building." Dashell nodded, then a little uncomfortably, turned to face his teammates fully. They noticed his blue eyes, and then his face, and then took in his entire image as a whole.
"I hope you like how I look," was all Dashell could say. And everyone looked at him, still in awe and continuing mystification at his true appearance.
"Whoa..." Snifit said, his eyes in shock.
"You look...good actually," Tiny Kong couldn't saying. "Like, really sharp! A sharp kind of guy." Dashell smiled, showing his teeth fully for the very first time. Zess, however, looked at Dashell with a new grin.
Zess: Hooty-nanny. Dashell has a human gives me the heebie-jeebies. Don't care what the people on television are going to say, but phew-ee! He's as hot as a melting bowl of porridge! Ladies, you've just given Eclair some new competition, even if you try not to.
"Nice to meet you, Human Dashell," Snifit said with a greeting voice, going up to him. Everyone laughed.
"Well, heh...hello." Dashell smiled, kneeling down to shake the hand of his companion.
No longer blank emptiness, some of the players walked down a small town, with streets, street corners, and the occasional stores along the way. There were even a good population of civilians that were fictionally roaming the very town they had all synthesized together. Since they had the autonomy to make any land they wanted to make, the players stuck with simplicity. It was a mutual decision between the players, agreeing to make a society that most of them were comfortable with. Well, most of them.
"I'm a little socially awkward," Snifit began, walking down one of the streets. "I would have been fine with just a blank green piece of land."
"You have to get out of your comfort zone in this game, Mr. Bribe," Piantissimo began, looking around the town. "Is that not what this whole game is about?" A little bit, Snifit nodded. Piantissimo paused before speaking to his opponent and teammate.
"Oh and plus, may I ask you, what do you think of Dashell Knot?" Piantissimo wanted to ask, as they both stopped to wait for a passing car.
"Oh, he looks different," Snifit commented. "And he seems much happier now as a human. He's by the track field."
"No, no, no, I mean, character and stance in this game," Piantissimo corrected with a chuckle, waving his hand. "Are you guys close again like you were before you took that bribe?" Silent, Snifit didn't know what to say.
"Is anyone close to you...is the question?" Piantissimo said to him slyly, looking straight at him this time. "Ever since you took the bribe?" Snifit's face looked a bit troubled.
"I wouldn't say I'm the most trusted player at this point," Snifit admitted. "But..." He paused.
"That could change." Piantissimo laughed.
"I am just playing with you," Piantissimo said another small chuckle. "Do not take me seriously at all. I am just toying with you all." Stunned, Snifit managed to let off a relieved laugh.
"I just want you to realize that you are still one of the more suspected players at this point. So if you are not the Mole, use it to your advantage. If you are, however..." As the green light flashed, and the car crossed the street, he began to walk ahead.
"...then it would be logical to be a bit more...careful." He let off a little nod.
"Adieu." Before he could follow Piantissimo, Snifit backed away in startled surprise as another car rushed its way across the intersection.
"This tea...marvelous indeed!" Zess voiced with pleasure, lifting her cup again to drink. "I must say, this was a great place for you and Eclair to create." Tiny shrugged with a smile, taking a sip as well.
"Well, I didn't know what other kind of store in a simple town would be relaxing," Tiny said with a small smile, finishing her cup.. "And to take our mind off of this stressful game. It teaches you that the existence of the Mole could strike and make you exhausted...wherever you go."
"Well, isn't that a funny thing to say?" They were both in a cafe, Zess and Tiny, sitting at one of the only taken tables within the tiny cafe's inside. A little girl in a maid outfit served them another glass each, and at the bar stand, a Goomba in a bow tie was preparing their Jesuit pastries.
"And to drink tea as well..." Zess added. "Perfect for clearing our noggins after everything in this game's settled down."
"Yeah," Tiny agreed, nodding her head. "Especially after such a tiring morning...tiring at least thought-provokingly."
"So..." Zess asked Tiny, sipping her coffee. "You're not the Mole, are you?" Tiny shook her head.
"I guess I'll say to you that I'm not," she said to her. "But, I don't want to cause drama or anything or influence your mind." Zess nodded slowly, albeit a little with skeptism.
"Okay...I see," Zess said, shrugging it off. "Well, I'm not sure if you would trust me if I told you I wasn't the Mole, now would you?" Tiny paused for a second before replying.
"I guess I could trust you for the most part...but I can't say I'm sure." Tiny stated. "I just want each other to have a better understanding and stance of each other, you know? " Zess shrugged, finishing her cup.
"I guess it's hard to judge: we haven't really spent much time talking to each other in this game," Zess thought with a wink. "So perhaps if we discussed more...even just about random things in life!... then we'd get a better taste of who each other are. We won't get much from just a simple coffee and tea meeting." Tiny nodded with a bit of agreement.
Tiny: I guess I didn't get all I wanted, but it was still mind-clearing and worth it taking the time to sit down with Zess.
"But my gift to you for letting me have the Plus 1," Zess spoke, with a wink, "if my honesty. And that is: I am not the Mole." Tiny's eyes widened a bit.
"Your desserts, madams," the Goomba said, "Creme Brulees." He bowed before heading back. Tiny took a bite, shrugging.
"Anyways, having this tea meeting was just, really refreshing," Zess said, starting to eat her pastry. Tiny nodded with an agreeing smile, taking another bite from her bread.
"I guess we just have to talk more," Tiny spoke, "to determine what the truth is!" Zess stood up too, grinning.
"Well, let's just see what the rest of this episode has in store," Zess told her.
Zess: I'm still throwing possibilities through my mind. Tiny told me that she isn't the Mole...but I'm not sure if I truly trust her line. You have to be wary with people's statements in the game of the Mole. And that's what counts.
Tiny: I have to see what else Zess does in this episode. I was able to talk to her, but it's the missions where you have to determine if someone is the Mole or not, whether they sabotage or not. I'll look out more.
The sun was still up, even in the farthest outskirts of the town. Someone had created something large on a piece of land, almost as big as the town itself. Its hard, crimson-colored surface was laced with various white lines, creating a beautiful and eye-captivating delineation of rules on the piece of ground.
"Thirteen..." Dashell ran his thirteenth lap on the majestic track field, his legs sprinting still strongly on the track he had created. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, coming to a slow down, breathing heavily. He looked up at the sky, a triumphant look on his face.
"That's it...I'm done." He bent over to catch his breath.
"Hello...Dashell." His eyes moving, Dashell turned to look at the voice. It was Eclair, as she smiled from the sides of the metal gate.
"Eclair...come in." He went over to the metal gate, opening it for her as she stepped into the track's vicinity. Even though the entrance to the track field was now open, they took a second just looking at each other.
"You are...I would never imagine," Eclair said, softly with a smile.
"I'm what?" Dashell asked, flipping his hair with confusion. Eclair blushed, then paused before speaking.
"You are...taller than me," was all she said, and the two of them laughed. They laughed, the stress of the game off their minds. Eclair then turned to look out at the vast track field of creation.
"Is this what you used to do?" she asked him. Dashell nodded, looking out into the track as well.
"At least in the past," he said, as if in a trance of memory. He smiled, but there was a hint of sadness on his face. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I think I just miss the feeling of being connected to the ground," he realized, looking down at his feet. "I feel grounded. Secure. It's...it's a good feeling." Eclair nodded. The two of them, for a moment, just looked out at the large and immense track field.
"I understand what you are saying," she said softly. Dashell nodded as well, as he just looked out into the track.
"But...you can still be like that. Even as a Pixl." Dashell nodded with a hint of a smile. Even still, he knew that she was right.
"We still haven't gone over the results of the last game," Snifit remembered, as McHallyboo seemed to jump up with realization in his dinner seat. The players were eating in a little restaurant in the little town. It was already nighttime, and the first day of their Episode 5 was going to end. The darkness shined through the large windows.
Dashell: I was a little curious of what everyone did or got in the tent. So it was good that we were going over things. Maybe I could get an insight or two, whatever actually helps me pinpoint the Mole.
"Oh, that's right," McHallyboo realized. "Hmm." He wiped his mouth on a napkin, before turning his direction to Piantissimo.
"Il Piantissimo:you were given the option of either adding ten thousand coins to the pot, or keeping 5,000 coins for yourself," McHallyboo said with hesitation. Piantissimo faced McHallyboo with a bit of disbelief.
"What! You are allowed to say that? Oh, this is ridiculous," Piantissimo groaned, as everyone turned to him with shocked eyes.
"I am," McHallyboo said, taking a sip from his tea.
Zess: Why, he had the opportunity to add money to the pot? Is that the secret he was trying to keep from us?
"You did not have to make the others privy on what I went through in the tent," Piantissimo grumbled a bit more.
"Oh well. Too late." McHallyboo tried to hide his smile. "But would you like to tell them your decision?" As everyone waited, Piantissimo just continued to eat. Then, after a moment, he looked up.
"I took the money. But I do not want to hear complaining." He then continued to eat more without saying anything else.
"Well, there goes ten thousand coins!" Zess chortled, taking a bite of toast with her fork. "We could have been ten thousand coins richer, but..."
"I said absolutely no complaining," Piantissimo snapped under his breath.
"She was merely stating a fact," Eclair spoke calmly. Giving up, Piantissimo scowled, facing down.
Snifit: Piantissimo's path, if you think about it, was pretty ideal for the role of the Mole: putting money into your pocket and at the same hurting and damaging the pot as well. It was indeed suspicious that Piantissimo ended up going down this path.
TENT EARNINGS: 0 coins
"The next pathways were interesting," said McHallyboo, moving over to Zess and Tiny, who were coincidentally sitting next to each other at the table. "After having a run through your own paths, your paths then converged."
"It was...sort of surprising," Tiny began. "I didn't expect it to work that way." Zess noddd.
"And whoever reached the end of the path and exited the tent first was given...a Plus One." At this sentence, Zess held up her token up high with a bit of triumph, grinning at the others.
"And here it is," Zess announced. She put it into her pocket.
"It was very interesting though...," McHallyboo began, looking at Tiny Kong at the host's direction. "Tiny Kong, you seemed to slow down at the end of the tent pathway. Cameras showed that it was almost as if you...let Zess win." Tiny looked back at the host, as everyone seemed surprised at her action.
"Well, I kind of thought over it around in my head," Tiny began, trying to sound truthful in her voice, "and I felt like Zess wanted it more anyway, since she showed initiative before me. I guess I was willing to sacrifice that." The others looked at her.
"Interesting," McHallyboo said. "Very well. Decision made." Everyone looked at her, a little surprised.
Piantissimo: And she was the one fighting heavily for the Plus Ones in the Mario Party minigames? Please.
"That's...brave," Dashell commented, cutting his steak with surprise. "Isn't it risky though for a player to give up a Plus 1?" Tiny nodded slowly.
"Well, I just felt like I didn't need it," Tiny replied to the host. "They're just a point on the quiz, anyway. People get executed by being completely off on the quizzes, not just by small points. So...I was willing to give it away, despite the risks."
"Hmm, well done," Zess said, laughing a bit on her food. "Even if it wasn't me getting the Plus 1, I'd still reward you for your move of rather...strange bravery." Tiny gave an appreciative smile to her partner.
Eclair: It was a strange incentive for Tiny to give up her Plus One. I do not know why, but she has risen in my list of suspects just a little bit for what she did. It was...something odd to me that I don't think a regular player would do at all.
"Snifit!" The player looked up from his dinner plate, alert.
"Snifit, you entered Pathway Four with a clear, humongous disadvantage," McHallyboo began. "Your tent sign immediately started off by saying you would get...a Minus Three." Zess, Piantissimo, and Tiny Kong all looked shocked.
"That's suicide!" Zess exclaimed. "Are you sane, Snifit?
"He already did something," McHallyboo continued, as Snifit immediately looked a bit nervous on the host's statement.
"And that was..." Tiny began, looking at him cautiously.
"You were able to subtract a Minus One each for 5,000 coins..." McHallyboo stared, as everyone looked at Snifit.
"How many...time did you press the button?" Dashell said, eyes wide with caution on Snifit's answer.
"Err...you see..." Snifit looked at the team. "I was going to do it three times...but I only did it twice." Everyone seemed mixed in feelings. Piantissimo made a sound of disapproval. Zess shrugged, laughing.
"Hmm, I guess we're just all losing money left and right," she said with a little laugh. "Thank goodness my prize didn't entail a money lost."
"So that was 10,000 coins lost," McHallyboo concluded. "Snifit, any words?" Snifit didn't have any.
TENT EARNINGS: -10,000 coins
Dashell: I'm always on the fence for trusting Snifit or not. He just...has been doing suspicious things ever since being back from the game. But at the same time, he's almost like a friend. I can't let the Mole trick me like that though. As close as they are to me.
"And finally, Eclair," McHallyboo moved onto next. Eclair faced the others.
"I will speak for myself," she began, turning to face the others. "I saw a number of clues in the tent pathway. They were..." She paused for a second, then looked at Zess.
"They were not just simple player profile. They were framed clues, almost in sentence form on the walls. It is a lie to say that they were not valuable to me. I just... didn't want you to be hurt, Zess, in telling you that I did not want to share the clues with you when I exited out of the tent." Zess, surprised, only shook her head strongly.
Zess: I don't need pity in this game. I really don't! I'm as strong as any other play is, and though I'm old, I can bring myself further than everyone else on my own. Wrinkles and all.
"Pfft, that's all the fairness of the game, that's all," the older lady replied with a wave of her hand. "You keep it! You earned it." As Zess smiled at her, she smiled back.
"Unfortunately, Eclair..." McHallyboo interjected, "There were clues on the right wall as well that you completely missed." At hearing this, Eclair lowered her head in self-disappointment.
Eclair: Mistakes, as simple as that, will cost me greatly. And it is small things, like these, that lead me to think I'm not as strong as the other players in this game.
McHallyboo cleared his throat. "But, we do have a little else left for you. Because you were granted the special pathway in this mini-mission, you were given the awards and images of the clues you had seen. And..." He quickly took out three pieces of paper from his pocket, as her eyes widened with surprise.
"These are yours." Eclair gasped softly as the host handed her three papers, the three framed clues she had come across in her journey through the tent. Some, but not all, of the players eyed her papers with jealousy. With gratefulness, she put them safely into her pocket.
"One more thing..." McHallyboo spoke up. "Eclair, you were given a Minus One for these clues. But you had a chance to eradicate them for the elimination of 10,000 coins from the pot. If she didn't...10,000 coins would be added to the pot. Would you...care to explain to the others what your ultimate choice was?" Everyone looked at Eclair, as she nodded and faced her teammates.
"I did not cost the 10,000 coins," she announced, facing the others. "I took the Minus 1, because it was the least I could pay to the rest of you...for having this clue advantage."
"Eclair, good job!" Tiny shouted. The players, for the first time the entire day, clapped with happiness. It was a win for the day, something that they treasured but always struggled to receive in their game of sabotage and deceit.
TENT EARNINGS: 0 coins
"Well, there you go. 10,000 coins added back. The good thing is, although no money is won, no money is LOST today," McHallyboo announced, smiling at the others.
Snifit: I think maybe we could have gotten more money in this tent game. I guess I would have liked that. But oh well. We should be happy with what we have and what we get.
"Good job. Good work. Perhaps things are finally changing in this game." He turned to Dashell, who folded his arms with a smile.
"For the better," Dashell voiced, his blue eyes shining at the host.
"So why don't we change things a little more?" All of a sudden, McHallyboo reached down under the table to grab something, and without warning, plopped a large binder in front of him at the table. Everyone looked at him with perplexed faces, the players in the seats beside him jumping up in surprise.
Tiny: What...were we going to do next in this game? We didn't know what was in McHallyboo's mind.
"I'll give you guys a chance to earn 15,000 coins to the pot...or nothing at all," McHallyboo began, and he looked at each of the players with a look of excitement.
"I always wanted to play this game!" he added. "Many other interesting hosts in other worlds...have hosted this game." He smiled at the binder in front of him.
"What exactly is the game?" Eclair asked, as McHallyboo opened the thick, multi-paged binder before him on the table.
"This game is called, 'Who Said That?'" the host said in an introductory voice. "In this binder...are manuscripts...manuscripts of your entire dialogues, sentences, and secret conversations from this game." The players suddenly all had a deep-pitted feeling, one rooted in both of amazement and apprehension.
"Oh..." Dashell whispered under his breath.
"I will deliver a line from this book...spoken by a person in this game," McHallyboo began. "These are actual lines that were spoken in this game. And you must then identify, one by one, who spoke each line when it is your turn." An enthusiastic laughter, albeit nervous, rang through the six players at the table. They seemed ready for the game.
"If you get at least five of these eight quotes correct...you will be awarded 10,000 additional coins to the pot. Oh, and no face hints or signaling. I won't penalize nicely for any of that." The players nodded, understanding.
"I'm ready to tackle this trivia of quotes," Zess spoke with a chuckle. The game had begun.
"Then we'll start with you, Zess..." the host began,. As McHallyboo flipped through the pages one by one, his eyes scanned each of the lines one by one. Then he paused.
"All right, Zess Toad, Quote Number 1," McHallyboo began.
"Well, I'll give it all I got!" McHallyboo got ready to speak.
"Who said this: 'I'm not the Mole. Don't vote for me on the quizzes.'" Zess immediately began thinking, as he eyed each player at the table one by one.
"That is...such a distinctive-sounding line," she began, thinking hard and looking at the host, then at the round of players once again. They all held still faces, some of them trying to hide their faces of realization and smile.
"But I remember someone shouting this all over the beginning of the game...and I couldn't get it out of my head..." Everyone held their breaths.
"I will say...Dashell?" McHallyboo looked at the page within his binder.
"Dashell?" conformed the host. Zess nodded, a little sure yet unsure. Dashell grinned at the host, then at Zess.
"That's correct!" the host confirmed, as everyone clapped with a smile. Dashell scratched his head, a little bit embarrassed.
"Yeah, that was me," he admitted. "I still hold true to those words." The first quote was a success.
"I'll try," began Tiny, volunteering for the next quote. "If I can remember as well as Zess." McHallyboo began flipping through his large book of quotes, and then flipped to a page near the front of the book as well. He cleared his throat, as Tiny Kong listened with uncertain ears.
"Who said this: 'It is respectful to be accepting of your dismissal. It is of fate'". Tiny Kong's face turned to one of sudden realization as she gasped.
"Oh...," she began, face in struggling memory. "I know this one. I think I remember it...before the very first execution of the game. It was..." Her face was one of panic and frustration.
"I...would have to guess...my final guess would have to be between Flurrie...or Eclair," she decided, with a bit of a sigh. "I just can't remember who exactly said it. But I choose..." She stood still for a second.
"Flurrie," she guessed. As McHallyboo shook his head, the rest of the players let out sounds of defeat.
"I'm sorry, but it was spoken by Eclair," the host corrected. "I'm sorry Tiny Kong, your quote identification was incorrect." The players nodded with unanimous defeat. Tiny Kong's eyes looked sorry.
"Oh, well,I can at least say that I was close," Tiny sighed, shrugging to the others.
"One for two," McHallyboo announced, as the players got ready for the next statement. "The next quote...I would like to give it to..." He faced Piantissimo.
"Well, let me try," Piantissimo said with a hint of uncertainty. "I don't quite pay attention to the quotes of people around me, except my own quotes, so this may pretense a challenge for me." As the host flipped through the pages of quotes, the player himself looked at the host with a ready and poised look.
"Who Said This: 'I just want to say that I'm sorry for what I did. It was all in the heat of the moment.'" Piantissimo immediately had a thinking face as soon as he heard the sentence, as he thought heavily.
"Oh come on," Dashell murmured from his side of the table. "This one's easy."
"Silence," McHallyboo hissed. After some time, Piantissimo threw his hands up into the air nonchalantly.
"I do not know. But I will guess either Dashell or Snifit. Dashell?" The host shook his head.
"That was Bowser Jr...after being revealed cheating at the end of the Dining mission of Episode 2." Piantissimo immediately bowed his head in heavy regret.
"For all I know, it could have been me who said that," he said with a shake of his head. "I don't remember such obscure lines!"
Eclair: Bowser Jr. was basically his best friend in this game. How did he get that quote wrong?
"That is one for three, and unfortunately, you are losing," McHallyboo spoke up to the group. "Care to try to equalize the score? Anyone?"
"I will," Eclair spoke, as the host began to go through the large binder, looking through quote after quote. Then, he stopped, eyeing a quote and giving it out to Eclair to listen to.
"This is your quote Eclair...ready?"
"Yes." The host cleared his throat.
"Who Said This: 'You guys will all miss me'." It was a short quote, but even with just those few words, Eclair suddenly smiled with remembering it.
"I...know who this player is," she began, looking down and closing her eyes. "I cannot be mistaken. It was..." She paused.
"Mimi Shipeshafter, was it not?"
"That is correct," the host spoke, and everyone cheered for their victory for the second time. Eclair smiled, as the applause went on.
"Now if I got that line, I would have gotten in," Piantissimo said with a little laugh. "Who would have forgotten the words of that little sneaky girl?" They all seemed to reminisce for a second, all smiling at the remembering line by their long-gone player.
"Those were Mimi's last lines, and...it is funny," Eclair said, getting a little emotional with a smile. "We indeed do miss her, don't we? She was right all along."
Tiny: I shared happy memories with Mimi. You miss people who are gone. She was here to keep the levity up with her care-free nature. I could totally use that at this stage. They, in a way, are the lucky ones, to be away from all this stress.
Zess: We remember fallen players and let them continue pushing us on. Flurrie was one of my best friends in the first episode. It was even tough, the first execution of this game on me!
"Is that why you're back, huh?" Dashell said, poking and laughing lightly to Snifit. "You didn't want us to miss you, right?" Snifit, with the smallest grin, shook his head.
"Okay...who wants to go next?" Turning to the host, Snifit meekly raised his hand.
"Snifit...perfect," McHallyboo said with a grin, as he flipped through the binder. Snifit nervously watched McHallyboo look through each line, until he stopped at one. McHallyboo got ready to read.
"Who Said This: 'It appears I simply could not click the camera!'" Snifit's eyes immediately lit up, though his expression stayed mostly reserved.
"It was one of three people, so I will guess completely and arbitrarily," Snifit decided. "I guess Zess." Everyone turned to the host.
"That is...correct." Everyone gasped, and then started to clap.
"How did you know?" Zess said with amazement.
"I remember you saying that you couldn't click the camera. And Mimi had her photo. And Tiny...didn't even have a photo." Tiny laughed a little.
"Well, someone else deleted my photo during the game, so it wasn't really me sabotaging," she reminded the group. McHallyboo coughed.
"Anyways, that gives you guys three correct quotes out of five," McHallyboo said, as the players felt a little bit of hope.. "You just need two more correctly identified quotes to win this game." He turned to Dashell.
"Mr. Human," McHallyboo spoke, as Dashell shook his head with a grin. "Are you ready for your quote?"
"Haha...bring it," he replied, holding his glass up. McHallyboo took a flip through the book, and then paused at a certain page.
"Who Said This: 'So if I were to cut myself on a rock, in this say, virtual world, of fake objects and projections, I wouldn't really get cut, would I?' Dashell's started to think, his finger to his forehead in trying to remember.
"I...think..." Everyone turned to him, as he looked up.
"That actually sounds like something I would say," he realized, as he turned to the host. "Like my kind of line. Because I honestly don't remember anyone at all speaking that line." Everyone turned to him in surprise. "So I guess myself...I guess."
"Are you sure?" McHallyboo asked him. "Final answer?"
"Yep." McHallyboo looked through the book.
"Wrong. That was Dry Bones, very first day in this game." Everyone, though disappointed, still managed to laugh a bit. Dashell chuckled with humiliation, while some of the players looked at him.
Zess: It was Dry Bones! And Dashell guessed himself? This was sillier than it seemed.
"You couldn't even identify whether you had said something or not?" Piantissimo asked with disbelief. Everyone looked at him in disbelief.
"I had no idea," Dashell said honestly, laughing and shaking his head.
"You may look different, but your intelligence hasn't increased," McHallyboo said, as Dashell expressed a look of feigned offense. "Anyways, that's three wrong and three right. You need the next two to be correct to win the game." The players were in a moment of silence. Their victory depended on two crucial rounds of identification.
"Who wants the next quote?" All players turned to each other with determination.
"We should pick people who identified the first quotes correct," Dashell said with a nod. "You guys are probably the best. Zess, Eclair, and Snifit?" Snifit gave an unsure look.
"I don't know..." Zess butted in, laughing. "I almost guessed on mine."
"I cannot be certain either," Eclair decided with a shake of her head. "It is of chance." Dashell thought for a second.
"Okay, I guess anyone can go." Tiny volunteered herself, raising her hand with a little bit of confidence but hesitation. "I think...I can give this next one a try. Since I failed my first one."
"Whoever loses will be the cause of 15,000 coins lost," Piantissimo couldn't help saying. "Nothing personal. Just to anyone who takes the last one." Tiny Kong nodded with a breath, at the same time that McHallyboo began his search within the master book of quotes from their game.
"I'll go anyway." McHallyboo found the certain quote, and spoke it out to the players.
"Who Said That: 'Okay okay! I get it. I'll walk across...and not grab the exemption. Just stop spending our pot on useless things. You players are tricky.'"Everyone was silent for a second. Eclair nodded silently, as Dashell almost covered his mouth. Piantissimo just looked down at the table.
"Umm...oh gosh," Tiny said, thinking and trying to remember with a troubled face.
"She wasn't there," Dashell whispered to Eclair, who nodded. McHallyboo gave out a sharp whisper to Dashell. Tiny just sat there, thinking, then finally looked up.
"I think this was in the cave after I left. It just doesn't seem like anything Eclair would say...and Dashell seems to calm to be that angry. Umm...I don't think Zess or Dry Bones said it either. Is it..." She looked up at McHallyboo.
"Piantissimo?" she guessed.
"That is...correct!" McHallyboo announced, as Tiny's face had a smile on it. Even clapped with relief, as the round before the final had been won.
"Lucky guess..." Snifit said, eyes with surprise. Now, only one quote remained to secure their win. Their confidence, overall as a team, was shaky.
"Final quote?" the host began, as everyone turned to each other. It was the last question of the game.
"You know what: I have to redeem myself too," Dashell quickly spoke up before anyone else could volunteer, "for that past foolish answer." He laughed, remembering.
"This time, I'll make sure that I remember if I've said the quote or not."
"No hard pressure," Piantissimo said with a laugh. McHallyboo, then suddenly, flipped through the binder. But it wasn't a random search like most of his other quote searches had been. He flipped to a distinct page, saved all the way at the back of the binder as the players looked at him curiously. He found the final line fast, then paused before reading it out to the players.
"Final quote," the host announced, as everyone, especially Dashell, listened carefully to the line that was about to be emitted from his mouth. And when they heard it, the players almost instantly gasped in a silenced shock.
"Who Said This: 'Yes, McHallyboo...for I am your humble servant until the end of this game'".
Aiyeeee! Hahaha.
What now? How will this mission end? What might be revealed in next episode? The possible identity of the Mole?! Also, this episode will be known as the chapters of Cliffhangers. Hehe. Good stuff. I also have a cliffhanger in store for next chapter. So let's see just what happens next.
Also, I LIED. Sorry. I couldn't fit all of Episode 5 into just only 3 parts, so it's butting out into 4 parts. Though: I plan to finish ALL of Episode 5 though before the end of next week, so stay tuned for fast updates! : )
Dark Punxysaur: Indeed he is! And hmm, I would say a very cool theory indeed on someone leaving or not winning, due to the fact that they received personal money. It could also mean that they are the Mole and are trying to make up for the fact that they can never win anything? ; ) Hmm, the only other time I remember someone cashing real money before the end of the game was Goombella in the Cash It or Sink It game, and that was cool twist. Perhaps I shall add more opportunities, hehe.
Moley Koopa: Koopa Moley! Hehe, I mean, Moley Koopa! How do you do? I see you on skype but I don't even skype much either, lol. Anyways yeah, I was so proud of Dry Bones too! And I'm also bittersweet sad that you're Favorite 3 were eliminated from the game ; ( cause truthfully, I actually really appreciated the trio of Bowser Jr, Mimi, and Dry Bones too! Isn't it funny that they're stereotypically known to be villains in the Mario series? Maybe that's why they are so awesome as a group. And awesome Mole suspecting! Nothing wrong with mind changing cause you might end up right, hehe. Oh, and I think I subconsciously write "Moley" just knowing your name so much, hehe.
sixthsense6: Dashell is reborn! Hehe, sorta. No matter how different one's appearance turns, they are truly going to be the same person in the inside. And isn't that true in real life too? (in an awesome way :). Dashell is the story example. Ooh, I'm intrigued by the thing that made your Suspect Number 2 rise! Every little line is so important to me so hehe, it is just intriguing. And who knows, perhaps your Number One suspect will last until the end! I'm happy you have a solid suspect actually, hehe, cause most people don't. And your comment...about a chapter being a favorite part of your day...I just teared a bit :' ) hehe. I can'tt. Sank you.
Fanfict1315125: Yes indeed! Not a permanent change, Dashell's transformation, though the funny thing is that: for you guys it will be a permanent change. Because he'll be like that until he leaves the game or till the end of the game. In the finale though, he most def. won't be human...I think x) I have to get back to that, hehe. And the journals! Yes, they are important, and clues amuck within them. I wonder just how many will be found before the game ends.
NintendoMLP: Hehe, do not worry! Because I cannot multi-task well, I'll reply to your PM right here. The world of Dashell turning virtually into a human in Episode 5 was planned from the very start : ) It was foreshadowed a few times in the past of Dashell reminiscing on his human life, so I guess you could say there was a bit of true foreshadowing. Anyways, I appreciated your PM and feel free to ask as many questions as possible : )
FredtheMontyMole: Har, actually I probably have been writing Dashell in humanoid characteristics up until this point (hashtag guilty). So there really has been no advantage/easier benefit in writing him in human form. I just wanted him to change! : D Also, his head is quite normal, I would assume, just like any other human! ...unless he was born with a hexagonal head : o must have been a difficult baby, yikessouch. LOL. What am I saying? Hmm, and that line spoken by person in red Snifit. They all have their sentences for a reason, I must say. Yep, almost everything has a reason to it. I won't start a creepypasta here, for both of our sakes, ahaha.
Guest: Stomach churns! : 3. And oh, wow that's so insightful. You're saying about readers having such advantages over players. It's like a mystical, breaking-the-4th-wall kind of concept. Inception-like...or should I say, Mole-ception? Hehe...please don't face palm, I beg you. Great clue theorizing! I see you getting places. Pink mushrooms ahoy: just what could that clue mean? And when is McHallyboo not suspicious? I'm surprised the players have not been suspecting him in this game. (I'm getting memories of the "alternate" ending to Saboteur's Island when McHallyboo was indeed the Mole). And triple fudge sundae? Three bean salad? Hehe oh gosh, you're making me hungry!
Luigenius: Yes correcto! You're spot on : ] if Snifit did not exist, then the episode would have been voided and they would simply elevated to the next floor. But fate (or him being the Mole) made him exist. And thus, this mysterious episode level of different feel came to be. Your clue analyzing! Such greatness in it! I can say that you've discovered some things that not a lot of other readers have stumbled across themselves. Great work, if I must say. I really appreciate your suspect list AND your winning list of players, pretty well-respected with me! And for some reason I cheer you on for some parts of it, hehe. And nooo, I love your reviews and their length! They make me so happy! : D ah, there is nothing more I appreciate than them after a long day. Thanks so much to you for making me happy!
PaloozaChu: -spittakes as well- Hehe! A change indeed! And right? I intentionally tried to put a trick into all of us misunderstanding the "change" concept's true meaning. Dashell says after reading his clue, "Oh hmm, let's see if they can persuade my mind." Well, it's all in the trick of the dialogue ; )
Thanks guys! Also some last updates.
My friend, who's a drawer artist, was having an all-art day with me and decided to draw some random fanart for...this story! Yep! I was so flattered xD
So I assigned her on the project of a Human Dashell. Yep. Hopefully sometime soon, I will be able to provide a visual for you guys of the newly-human Dashell Knot for you all!
Also, I want to get some Execution videos up for you guys. I think I'll make one by tomorrow day on the website. It should be fun stuff watching Executions happen in real-life video form : )
Thanks guys!