Krisetchers : Lol you're right! It's as if we were concerting each other before releasing our new chapters. Maybe it's a group effet ? XD Thank you for your nice comment, it really pleased me. ^^ Yeah, this mission was funny to write, especially because for once, the players were all grouped together instead of being on seperate groups, thing which I don't really like (because it's kind of harder to write, I think). I hope you will like this chapter too ! ^^
Vivalahomestar : Thanks for the review ! ^^ But you know my cliffhangers aren't really exciting... XD Yeah, the Mario Party Universes are very creative, so I thought I could use them (plus it's easier to think of challenges (even the minigames alone can give inspiration sometimes ^^)).
Raccoon : Thanks Racooon ! ^^ I'm glad you like it ! Hopefully, this elimination will help you find out who the Mole is. ^^
Ice Empoleon : Don't worry about the lateness of your reviews, I'm not punctual myself, after all... *shot* And don't worry, that's not a rushed review either. You are not even forced to review, so that's already good enough for me. Thank you ! ^^
Previously on The Mole, the seven remaining players, as well as their loved ones, began to elaborate strategies to gain as much information as possible. Using diverse subterfuges to reach their goal, some players succeed while others, less lucky, failed to realize that they would gain nothing. Afterward, Monty Mole and the players headed to Neon Heights to start the last challenge of episode four. Once there, Monty Mole explained that they would have to make a videotape of a song they would have recorded on their own in the studio. Last time we left them, the players had still three hours and a half left on their timer, and were progressing well. Will that go on, or will the Mole thwart their plans?
First name : Birdo
Surname : Ribbon
Birthday : May 15
Job : Fashion Designer
First name : Bootler
Surname : Majordome
Birthday : September 6
Job : Butler
First name : Noki
Surname : Delphis
Birthday : August 7
Job : Air Hostess
First name : Toad
Surname : Phalloïde
Birthday : June 1
Job : Gardener
First name : Jojora
Surname : Teeheena
Birthday : December 27
Job : Sculptor
First name : Pauline
Surname : Celeste
Birthday : June 16
Job : Model
First name : Mario
Surname : Mario
Birthday : January 22
Job : Plumber
15 : The Lights Fade Away
"Oh well," chuckled the Mole to themselves. "The show has only begun..."
And indeed, it had only begun...
Time Left : 02:35:14
"Alright guys! We still have a little more than half of the time we started with!" announced Mario, exercising his role of supervisor. "Noki! Are you done with the costume? We need it to record the videotape, so please finish it as soon as possible!"
"Right on it sir!" laughed Noki heartily.
"Pauline, you're doing pretty good, keep up the good work!" told her Mario.
"What are you talking about? I'm not doing a thing!" pointed out the lady wearing red.
"Exactly!" chuckled Mario.
"Oh you! I'm going to kill you someday, Mario, I swear it!" responded Pauline, shaking her head, amused and grinning as she leaned closer to Toad's computer. "So, how do you do to keep track of everything like that? Must be pretty tough, huh?" she asked, looking pretty interested in Toad's work.
Toad shrugged. "Really, it's easy. Once you understand everything, of course."
Pauline frowned. "What do the dots mean?" She pointed at various spots on the computer.
Toad scratched the back of his head. "Well, since we have many instruments in this remix, each one has a corresponding color. Like, you see the violin here? It's blue. So if you followed the blue dots, you'd have the entire score of the violin. Yellow's for the harp, red dots are for the piano, green dots are for the guitar, etcetera."
"Pretty technical. I'll see if I can help someone else, since Mario doesn't want me to handle the lights..."
"You almost crushed Jojora under one of them earlier, no wonder he doesn't want you up there," muttered Toad to himself. Unfortunately, Pauline heard him.
"What was that, exactly?"
"Errrr... Nothing!" Toad exclaimed defensively, waving his hands frantically.
Pauline : Since Mario didn't want to let me 'play' with the lights, I had a lot of time to spare, so I took this as an opportunity to spy on the others. The way I see it, it's easier to make someone talk when they are completely absorbed by something. That was great, because they told me little details that would possibly help me figuring out what was sabotage and what was not.
Just as Pauline left to see how Bootler was doing, Birdo, Jojora and Noki all arrived at the same time, Mario closely following afterward.
Toad : I knew the music was the central part of the challenge. Actually, no, I lied. I didn't know it until I saw everyone always coming to me and explaining that they needed my help for a thing or another. Had I known that, I would have probably left this spot to someone else. I couldn't even take a break and look at what the others were doing. Come to think of it, it was pretty unnerving.
"What's happening here, why does everyone want to see Toad? Give the poor boy a break, for once," Mario suggested. Jojora shook her head.
"That's not going to happen. Birdo's singing is good, honestly, but I'm not sure this record will associate well with the remix Toad's making. We're not sure we'll have enough time to do everything by the time you finish it," explained Jojora thoroughly.
Toad nodded. "Go ahead, please your ears." He smiled confidently as the two females listened to the music. While Jojora and Birdo were playing the tune that Toad had prepared, Mario and the said mixer turned their attention to Noki.
"Oh well, I wanted to listen to the music too, even though it wasn't the prime reason for which I came. In fact, I need to make adjustments on the costume, so that it will fit Birdo," Noki smiled politely. Toad raised an eyebrow as he noticed something on the costume. It seemed like Mario had noticed too, because he was looking at the same spot Toad was staring at.
"Excuse me Noki, but what is a hole doing in Birdo's costume?" inquired the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. It was Noki's turn to stare at Mario, as if he had said something stupid.
"It's for her tail... I thought you would have understood..."
"I know she has a tail... Everyone knows that. And I would have understood if you had created a hole in the other side of her dress."
Noki stared blankly at her work. "Oh no... All my hard work going up to smoke... I should have been more careful, sorry guys... What should I do now? I obviously won't have time to make another one." Noki sighed, defeated. Birdo perked up from the computer.
"What's the matter?" she asked, innocently. Mario pointed at the dress. Birdo only laugh."Did you already forget that I'm a fashion designer? I know how to fix stuffs like that, and even if I were not able to do it, Jojora could mask it in the video."
Noki beamed. "Really? Oh, thank goodness!"
Jojora : I've always thought Birdo and Noki were fishy, and for a good reason : their obvious sabotages. Okay, I can accept that Pauline did some seriously strange things, but the problem with those two is that whenever one of them makes a mistake, the other one makes up for it. Which means that whenever one of them is sabotaging, the other one comes to her rescue. In the previous season, Lays, the Mole, was always joining forces with Toadico, a very clumsy competitor, and was subtly putting all the blame on her, without being found out as the Mole because he had gained the trust of everyone on the first episodes. I think Birdo and Noki could be the new Lays and Toadico. And if I'm right about this, they will both stay a while, until one of them is finally eliminated, revealing the one that survived as the Mole.
Mario : Jojora and I have talked about it during the course of the game, but we both think that the two tight girls should be separated, for our sake. We really think that one of them could be the Mole. Birdo is the most suspicious in my book. Just because she is obvious doesn't mean that she isn't the Mole, if you know what I mean. And look, once again she picked an important role - I may be a little be hypocritical, but whatever – while she could have done better as the costume designer.
"Yep," confirmed Birdo, clapping her hands together. "But first, we need to make adjustments. I'll patch it up later." Soon, the quartet dispatched, leaving Toad alone, in peace. Soon, however, a fleeing Bootler settled in near him.
"Please, would you be so kind as to let me stay here with you? Pauline keeps on asking me all kind of meaningless questions. I much as it pains me to say it, she is getting more and more annoying as the time goes. Maybe Mario should have let her do what she wished to do," noted the old butler.
Toad grinned. "I doubt you'd want to be flattened because of her, though. Aren't I correct?"
"Yes you are," nodded Bootler. "However I would still want to work calmly."
Mario went toward the center of the room and gave the others some precision. "Listen everyone, you're all working really well, but I want everyone to be finished with their own duty at least one hour before our time is up. Sorry to rush you like that, but although we're doing great, I think it's necessary to have more than enough time to assemble everything. You have still a little more than one hour left, so use this time wisely," he looked around in order to know if everyone had heard him. Satisfied he went back to his own work.
"Oh well, sorry Bootler, but I'll take a break," excused himself Toad. Bootler had his mouth agape.
"A break at such a time? You must be mad!"
"No. Besides, I'm almost finished. And natural needs do not wait Bootler!" Toad exclaimed dramatically. "Would you happen to know where the restroom is?"
Bootler looked embarrassed. "Sorry Toad, but as you may already know, this building is not my abode. However, you may want to look at the back of the room, sometimes panels show the way." Toad nodded and left his computer urgently.
…
Time Left : 2:00:31
"What have you done?"
"Not to sound obvious or anything, but she simply tripped," informed her Birdo. Jojora was growing more and more impatient by the minute.
"I know that, genius!" she spat venomously. "I know what she did, she screwed us up!"
"Thank you so much for worrying about me, Jojora, it's really nice of you." Birdo helped Noki to stand up. "It's not my fault that I tripped!"
"Of course it's not your fault. Is it mine, perhaps?" questioned the blue fairy. "Or maybe it was the work of an invisible force?" She looked at the damages. "Here's to hope that you didn't destroy Toad's work."
Bootler : For Noki to fall right on Toad's computer was odd, if you want my point of view. She had one chance in a million to trip on that exact spot when Toad was away, so I would hardly call that a coincidence, but rather a deliberate act of sabotage. The truth is that everyone seems to sabotage, whether they are a genuine player or the Mole, so it is hard to determine what looks like a sabotage and what does not look like a sabotage.
At that very moment, Toad opened the back door and hurried toward his computer, only to find a little group of shouting people. Bootler noticed him, and explained him what the problem was. "Oh, by the way, where were you gone? I was beginning to think that you had been abducted by someone," continued Bootler, smiling slyly.
Toad smiled back, embarrassed. "I kind of lost my way... And I wasted a lot of time searching for the bathroom. Thankfully a kind lady helped me to find my way in this maze."
Bootler : As I said earlier, many people sabotage, but others do suspicious things, just like Toad did. Wasting thirty minutes in a challenge is hardly something that one should disregard.
Toad frowned. Since everyone was currently doing nothing else but arguing, they were close enough to notice that something was wrong. Pauline raised an eyebrow. "Something's wrong?"
"You can say that again," replied Toad, rolling his eyes. "I can't find the stupid remix I was working on!"
"What?" stressed Jojora. "I think I heard wrong, what did you say exactly?"
Toad ignored her. "Who tampered with my work? Oh yeah, I forgot something. Nobody will say that they did, because it's obviously the Mole's work! My freaking remix disappeared from the computer!"
"WHAT?" shouted everyone in the room, but Toad.
Birdo : That must be the most important sabotage yet! No way I was going to forget it. This was obviously the work of the Mole!
"Well, huh... Maybe that's not the Mole? Maybe it's because I fell and dragged the computer down with me," tried Noki, very quietly.
Noki: I knew everyone was likely to put all the blame on me, so I thought that maybe I would be less 'lynched' if I admitted my mistake.
"Yeah, that's probably you, Mole!" Jojora barked accusingly. Mario shook his head angrily.
"Come on Jojora, don't lash out at her!" reprimanded her the hero. "We've got no proof it's her fault."
"I'm an eyewitness!" roared back the blue fairy.
Pauline : That was utter chaos. Everyone was accusing everyone, and in the end, we were wasting time. Of course, I said nothing. Had I done it, things wouldn't have changed anyway, because of the little light incident... I preferred to stay quiet and avoid an argument.
"I sincerely doubt it's because of Noki's fall that my music vanished. Guys, you know how to use a computer, and you know how it works, right? Then, you must understand that someone erased the remix from the computer, and then emptied the trash can to get rid of it. I'm sure that even Bootler knows that, meaning that everyone could be the culprit. You would only need to act quickly while nobody looks at you to get away with it," justified Toad.
Toad : To be honest, at that point of the game I had one suspect : Pauline. She asked me plenty of things about what I was doing, and I suspect that she actually wanted to know where I was saving the remix to get rid of it easily.
Pauline tossed her head. "So much for holding someone responsible. Right, Jojora?" Jojora glared at her.
"Shut up you, I'm pretty sure it could have been your doing. Heck, I'd even say that you could have done it unknowingly," she mocked.
"Yikes, catfight!" commented Toad. "Where's the popcorn?" he asked sarcastically. Bootler put a hand to his forehead.
"We need to focus!" he ordered, louder than usual.
Mario gave him a thumb up and yelled. "Shut up! We'll discuss who's the culprit after we're done with this challenge! For now, we'll just have to work harder than before. Toad! Can you do it again?"
"I'm afraid I can't... There's no way it will be finished in an hour, I'm sorry," apologized the boy.
Mario mused. "Well, you don't have to redo it the same way. You can always simplify the music. Do you think it could be doable?"
Toad put his hand to his chin. "Yes but... That will be really simple, with like, only one instrument."
"Well... I'm not saying that this is perfect, but we'll have to work with that. Go everyone, we wasted a lot of time!"
Mario : At this point of the challenge, I knew that we wouldn't earn many coins. We were all solely focused on the sabotage that had just happened.
…
Time Left : 00:58:41
As the supervisor, Mario went at the center of the room and told everyone to stop what they were doing. They all complied. "Okay guys, we have an hour left, it's time to assemble everything. Toad, I hope that you managed to recreate the music?" Toad's head movement was not energetic.
"Yep, with only one instrument, though..."
"Good. Birdo, go record your song. Oh, and I see that the costume is perfect, nice work, Birdo." Birdo winked and went with Toad, to record the song. During that time, Bootler placed the three background he had painted on the scene where Birdo would perform. Pauline also made some last minute changes while Jojora stood up beside her, ready to give some directives when the time would arrive. As to Mario, he went to the upper level to take care of the lights.
Five minutes after that, Birdo and Toad went out of the room, wearing content smiles on their face. "It went really good," related Birdo.
"Yup," agreed Toad. "Despite our mishaps, I think we'll win a fair amount of money."
"What do we do now?" asked Pauline. "I've waited so long to actually do something..."
"The song sounds like it's very classic," noted Jojora. "So I think we shouldn't do a videotape that is very elaborated. I won't use many effects and I suppose we could film simply."
Everyone got to work : Pauline was rotating around the scene to take different angles of Birdo with the camera, Mario was playing around with the lights and Jojora was giving orders to everyone. Toad, Pauline, Noki and Bootler all moved around so that Birdo would be able to look at the lyrics while lip-synching.
"Everything is going great! We might end this challenge on a positive note, after all," sang Birdo.
"Jojora, we're counting on you!" encouraged her Mario.
"Yeah, as much as I hate it," whispered Pauline to Noki, who giggled in response.
"Well, if that Beaver crap managed to be a hit, then we should be able to score some points too," pointed out Toad, smartly. Everyone groaned at the mention of the Beaver.
"Toad, you could have shut up, seriously. Don't mention that name in public, it's disgusting."
"Sorry," whimpered the mushroom.
…
Time Left : 00:03:16
"Well, I believe we are done here. Shall we inform Monty Mole that we are finished?" inquired Bootler, moving closer to the door they had used to enter the room, almost five hours ago.
"We can use a short break," told him Toad. "I'm totally washed out!"
"Yes a break can't hurt us," agreed Noki. "This challenge was particularly difficult."
"Yeah, and apparently it will be harder from here on," informed them Mario.
Noki sighed. "One of us won't be lucky enough to make it to the next round, though... I don't look forward the execution..."
"Well, I am," retorted Jojora. "I'd rather think about it right now. That way, I'll have more time to recollect my thoughts on who's possibly the Mole."
"Easy for you to say, especially if you're the Mole," accused her Birdo. "But I don't want to start another argument."
"Why are we talking about the quiz at such a time? The challenge isn't over yet, everything could happen," mused Mario.
All of a sudden, the door opened and Monty Mole walked in, grinning from ear to ear. A few second later, the speedy mole made it to where the others were standing. "Good, you managed to create your own song!" smiled Monty Mole with glee. "Then, we shall proceed to the next part of the challenge, let's go!"
The players followed the host through the numerous corridors, sometimes waiting for a player who was lagging behind, and eventually reached a room where many people were waiting, seated. Monty Mole turned to the players, feeling rather excited. "Well, in a few minutes, you will know how much money you won. The people seated in this room have already seen the original videotape, so it's your time to impress them. I heard that your singer was Birdo-"
"Were you spying on us this whole time?" joked Pauline heartily. Jojora rolled her eyes.
"So maybe she will agree to sing in live, to score extra points," Monty Mole carried on. Birdo was stunned.
"The thing is that I don't know the lyrics of the song, someone told me that I wasn't forced to learn them, so I kind of never really paid attention to them."
"My, that is quite embarrassing," commented Bootler. "May we have the pleasure to know who told you that?"
"Yeah, it was her," Birdo pointed her finger toward Jojora, putting all the blame on her. Needless to say that Jojora was flabbergasted. She received strange stares.
Jojora : I know for a fact that I never said such foolish things, meaning that Birdo lied. She could have lied to protect someone or maybe she lied to make me look suspicious because she's the Mole.
Birdo: Revenge is a dish best served cold!
"Oh well, that's a shame," Monty Mole shook his head. "I really think it could have increased your gains."
Mario buried his head into his heads. "Looks like we're not really good as a team..." The players showed various forms of agreeing and sat down in defeat. They waited almost five long minutes before seeing a level stand up. Monty Mole looked up from his position and nodded. "Out of thirty thousand coins, you won six thousand, which isn't really good."
Challenge's Results :
Money Won : 30 000 – 24 000 = 6 000
Team Pot : 99 000 coins
"It would have been perfect without that stupid Mole," complained Toad. "They totally destroyed all of our efforts!"
"Well, from what I've seen, more than one person screwed up during that challenge, so...who's the Mole? Or maybe the Mole didn't even strike during that challenge. I'll leave you at your reflections. We brought back all of your loved ones here, so feel free to hang out with them. Just so you know, there was a change of plan. We will meet back at this hotel at nine o' clock sharp. Don't be late, consequences could be disastrous..." Monty Mole winked at them and vanished at the corner of a corridor.
Noki and Birdo were the first ones to go after him. They joined Pianta and Yoshi and quickly escaped the futuristic building, in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming quiz. Soon, the others followed.
Bootler : At this stage of the game, it has become clear that some people are working with others to discover the identity of the Mole. We are all quite sure that Noki and Birdo are in a coalition, and we think that Mario and Jojora also work together, although we are not one hundred percent sure they form a coalition, which leaves Pauline, Toad and I to fend off for ourselves. The three of us do not form a coalition, but we do not mind helping each other, knowing that one of us could very well be the Mole.
…
"Oh gosh, I'm starving!" exclaimed Birdo suddenly, patting her stomach. "It's a little early, but maybe we could all go eat together? What do you think guys?" Yoshi gave her a kiss on the cheek and said that he was okay. Noki and Pianta were also a little hungry, so they did not object.
"I know a famous restaurant," informed them Pianta. "I've only eaten there once in my whole life, but the food was exquisite. Would you mind if I led the way?"
"Of course not!" responded Birdo quickly. "We'd be happy to follow you!"
"It's not too far away, so we can talk business there."
"Sure, I don't mind!" replied Birdo excitedly, walking besides Pianta. Noki and Yoshi looked at each other for a moment.
"Is she always like that?" asked Noki. Yoshi laughed.
"Yeah, and that's why I love her. She's really something, you know?"
"Yes, I would know," giggled Noki in return. "Birdo is... Well, Birdo is Birdo, to put it simply." After that, the pair hurried up and caught up with Birdo and Pianta who were so deep in conversation that they had totally forgotten about Yoshi and Noki.
Soon, the quartet found the restaurant Pianta had been talking about. They went inside, and to their delight a waitress came to them. She had heart-shaped spots on her head. "Hi, can I help you?" she smiled cutely.
"Yeah, we'd like a table for four. Is that possible?" besought Yoshi.
"Sure!" exclaimed the daydreaming waitress, not totally hearing what Yoshi had asked her. "I'll get the menus for you!"
"So... What did you find?" asked Noki.
"Could you be a little more precise? Because we learned many things about the players thanks to the other loved ones."
"Yeah," confirmed Yoshi, laughing. "Pianta totally sweet-talked Chucklissa, it was funny to watch. Of course, there was someone who wasn't very talkative..."
"Who was that?"
"The Boo princess. She wouldn't say a thing about Bootler, so we gave up after a few tries. She was very clever and allusive when she answered our questions, so we basically have nothing on Bootler," explained a pained Yoshi.
"We should have seen it coming, we weren't really inconspicuous ourselves. But still, she saw right through us," sighed Pianta.
Noki : Maybe Lady Bow was informed that Bootler was the Mole, thus she would keep her mouth shut.
…
Luigi, Mario, followed by Jojora and Chucklissa, were heading to a souvenir shop, discussing the recent events of the day. Luigi was particularly interested in what his brother was telling him. "Why do you mean by 'Today the Mole struck hard'?"
"Well," Mario started, looking at a little figurine representing Neon Heights, "We won six thousand coins out of thirty thousand coins, so that's explicit."
"The worst part being that we don't know who could have done it," Jojora commented, rolling her eyes as she remembered the scene.
"We know that everyone could have potentially erased the data from Toad's computer, but we still need to determine who did it," corrected Mario.
Chucklissa joined the conversation. "Maybe you should review your journal before the quiz, we still have time."
Jojora shook her head. "Nah, I don't want to think about the upcoming execution right now. I'd rather relax a little..." She started to take a few steps forward, to leave the shop they were in, but suddenly turned around. "You're right Mario, everyone could have done it, included Toad," she realized.
Mario raised an eyebrow. "I sincerely doubt that Toad would destroy his own work, he seemed pretty perturbed too. However I could see him sneaking to a computer to erase the music someone else created."
Jojora : It's very unlikely that Toad did that, but there's still a very remote chance that he is the culprit responsible for this sabotage.
"So," started an hesitating Luigi. "On whom will you base the answers of your quiz?"
Mario looked uneasy, and so did Jojora. "We don't have a real plan right now," answered Mario, touching the tip of his cap. "We're thinking about basing our answers on several persons, like..."
"Like Birdo and Noki, for example. Especially Birdo. I'm one hundred percent sure that I did not tell Noki not to learn her song," finished Jojora.
Mario : Am I in a coalition with the Mole? I don't know... I truly hope I'm not, otherwise I'm pretty much a goner...
…
Bootler, Pauline, Toad and their loved ones were roaming in the busy streets of Neon Heights, when they realized that they were situated before a movie theater that proposed them to see a new horror movie. Toad looked at the movie's title.
"Resident Koopa, that seems fun! Do you guys want to see it?" asked Toad eagerly.
Pauline made a face. "Mmmh Toad, I'd rather not watch that kind of thing before we go to our fourth execution, if you know what I mean. I think we should recollect our thoughts on who the Mole is."
"Yeah but... Look, Toadette, Grace and Lady Bow will probably be bored while we discuss that kind of thing. Also, we've got a lot of time before us, so we could watch the film, and then talk about our suspicions," retorted the mushroom.
Toad : Pauline is my suspect and I'm pretty confident that she's the Mole, so why would I bother talking to her about my suspicions when I know that I'm voting for her anyway? That would be a waste of time!
"Toad," started Bootler, "I doubt that everyone here wants to watch this movie which is kind of violent. Or do they?" he added, raising an eyebrow.
"If I were to watch a movie it would most certainly not be this one," confirmed Lady Bow. "Why would you want to go to a movie theater of all place anyway? There are plenty of things to see here. Things which are definitely better than a gory film..."
Grace shook her head. "Yeah, I'm not in that kind of stuff myself..."
"Okay, fine, we won't go," sighed Toad, exasperated. "Where do we go then? I assume you guys have some kind of idea, right?"
Toadette nodded. "I say we just wander around town. I mean, we'll certainly need to eat before we meet up with Monty Mole, so we won't have much more time for sightseeing." She paused a moment. "You know, that's strange!"
"What's strange?" inquired Pauline.
"Well, this feeling... I feel like I've already wandered around a town like this, with people that I didn't know, in an alternate life. Like, a feeling of deja-vu."
Bootler chuckled. "It happens to me all the time. Of course, maybe those are not feelings..." Grace stared at him for a moment and put her hand on her forehead when she realized what he meant. Then, she laughed.
"Well then, where shall we go?" questioned Lady Bow.
…
Monty Mole was waiting for the players and their loved ones to arrive in the porch of the building the players had left only hours ago. A satisfied smile graced his lips as he greeted them another time. "Welcome back, players! I hope that you had a lot of fun! However, now comes the less funny part of the day. You guys will take your fourth quiz in a few minutes and I truly hope that you are all prepared for what will come as you could seal your fate tonight. Birdo, who won a plus one during the relatives challenge, will have an edge. I just wanted you all to remember that." He waited a minute and looked at the relatives. "Well, I'm sorry, but you can't help your loved one, so feel free to relax on those soft couches fr the time being."
The players wished each other luck.
"Birdo, since you're the only one who has an advantage, shall you begin?" Birdo nodded and followed the host to a dark room, on the right.
…
1. Did the Mole obtain an advantage during this episode?
-Yes
-No
2. During the challenge Family Problems, did the Mole break the rules?
-Yes
-No
-The Mole did not partake in this challenge
Birdo : I'm confident that I'm staying for another round, especially if the questions are all as easy as this one, I obviously know that I'm not the Mole, so the Mole did not win an advantage. I'm a bit worried about Noki, since she doesn't have a plus one, but all in all, I think she will pull through. I'm more and more anxious as the time goes because I still have no idea as to who the Mole is...
3. During the challenge Family Problems, did the Mole manage to win against the loved one he had to beat to win money?
-Yes
-No
-The Mole did not partake in this challenge
Mario : Well, the Mole didn't necessarily have to lose this challenge, but then again, losing it wouldn't have prevented the loved one they had to beat to see their relative. The Mole knows everything, so they could have sabotaged without feeling guilty at all.
4. During the challenge Family Problems, who was the Mole up against?
-Luigi
-Lady Bow
-Grace
-Toadette
-Pianta
-Chucklissa
-The Mole did not partake in this challenge
Jojora : It was very strange of Bootler to just say nothing during his part of the challenge. Lady Bow even said that only someone who knew how to sweet talk people could win it... Wasn't it, obvious?
5. Which relation does the Mole have with their loved one?
-Engaged
-Butler/Mistress
-Best Friends
-Brothers
-Dating
-Friends and Associates
-Models and Friends
Noki : Jojora entered the game to win it. She fooled us since day one, making us think she was nothing but a selfish and overall disgusting person. But Chucklissa told us that it was all a facade...
6. Do the Mole's relative think their loved one is the Mole?
-Yes
-No
7. During the challenge Under the Spotlight, to which task the Mole was originally assigned?
-Singing
-Creating a videotape
-Creating decors
-Creating a musical arrangement
-Directing everyone
-Taking care of the lights
-Sewing a costume
Bootler : Luigi said that Mario could be the Mole. That struck me as odd, because Mario's path into the game has been quite smooth, so far. Maybe the Mole held back for a while? In that case, Mario could be the Mole...
8. What is the Mole's Journal Number?
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-8
Toad : Oh my god, that really sucks! I didn't think they would be tricky enough to use questions that they already asked in previous episodes, except for the last one which is always the same!
9. What is the Mole's gender?
-Male
-Female
Pauline : Everyone tends to forget Toad because of his natural ability to befriend people and to make them feel at ease. While I do feel the same as everyone about him, I'm still a bit cautious... I wouldn't want to be eliminated so soon now, would I?
10. Who is the Mole?
-Mario
-Bootler
-Toad
-Jojora
-Pauline
-Noki
-Birdo
…
The players and Monty Mole made their way to the very top of the building they were in, where an extra seven chairs had been added for the comfort of the relatives who would return to their home after that execution.
Arriving on the roof, the players heard the sound of a piano, which was playing the Mole's theme. It produced a strange music and the players could not help but notice this change.
"Well, that's a nice change, music always ease one's emotions," noted Noki, smiling.
"Mmmh, that sounds like polka," pointed out Mario. Jojora scoffed.
"Bah, I don't like it."
Monty Mole finished to settle the installation and waddled toward his chair. From behind the computer he had always used. "I assume that you all know what is going to happen tonight. Tonight, one of you will be executed. Nobody has an exemption, so everyone is at risk. I hope you are all prepared for what is to come. Now, will I have some volunteers? Who wants to go first?"
A tiny hand rose up from the crowd and Toad walked briskly toward the screen. He faced it with anticipation.
"Toad."
T-O-A-D
…
…
…
…
…
GREEN
Toadette smiled to him and he returned the gesture. Right after he sat back at his place, another hand shot up.
"Bootler," announced the host in a dramatic way.
Bootler floated calmly to the screen, feeling confident.
B-O-O-T-L-E-R
…
…
…
…
…
GREEN
"I'll go next," told Jojora to Monty Mole. She clenched her fists as she went to where she was supposed to go.
"Jojora."
J-O-J-O-R-A
…
…
…
…
…
GREEN
Nobody else volunteered, Monty Mole decided to call them randomly. "Pauline."
The young woman made her way to the screen and awaited her results with a certain anxiety.
P-A-U-L-I-N-E
…
…
…
…
…
RED
"Darn!" mumbled Pauline, under her breath. Grace looked really sorry for her friend and did not know what to tell her. "Oh well, I had a good time, good luck everyone, find the Mole for me!"
The two models went toward Monty Mole, who was carrying Pauline's luggage and waved a last time at the other ten persons who were still in the room. Some players were baffled, especially Toad. "Wow... I can't believe she wasn't the Mole... I think I'm very fortunate to remain here, with you all... I definitely need to change my plans, now that she's gone..."
Noki shook her head strongly. "I thought that with her natural nonchalance she could be the Mole, but now I'm afraid that I was wrong. It's too bad that she had to go tonight, though, she was very entertaining."
"Not to be blunt or anything but I'm glad that she's gone, since she was always sabotaging – or rather screwing up – during every challenge. What I mean, is that her departure will do me good because I can cross off her name of my Mole list," commented Jojora smartly.
"I refused to make an alliance with her because I thought she could be the Mole!" laughed Mario. "But you know, that's strange... How did she get eliminated? Usually, the suspected ones stay a while, so I can't shake the feeling that somehow, the Mole was involved in her execution. More involved than the other times..."
"It may be a possibility," concluded Bootler. "A very likely possibility..."
…
Monty Mole and the two girls did not have to go that far to find the vehicle that would let them go back to their home, in the Mushroom Kingdom. The rocket situated on top of the purple building would serve that purpose. Pauline and Grace looked at their ride, astonishment readable on their faces, and stared at Monty Mole as if he was crazy, but the host assured them it was safe.
"Well Pauline, it's too bad that a great player like you met her demise so soon... I can only hope that you're not disappointed about your experience," Monty Mole smiled politely.
"Are you kidding me? It was awesome! Really, every second of it was enjoyable! I really liked it and yeah, I really hoped I could have made it further into the game but I already beat three other people, so that's not that bad if you want my opinion," replied Pauline, grinning from ear to ear.
"Which moment of the game will you engrave in your memory?"
"Oh, you know which one, don't you?" she answered slyly, giving him a mischievous smile. "I'll give you a clue, it happened yesterday. As for the challenges... The last one seemed cool but I couldn't really do a thing, so I'll say the second one, even though we lost it, because I found the solution before the others."
"Well it's time to say goodbye. We'll miss you Pauline. Take care!"
"You too!" smiled the fallen player. Grace nodded politely to Monty Mole and went inside the rocket, Pauline following suit immediately. Both females waved to the host as their strange vehicle took off.
The six remaining players had made it to the halfway point of the game. One of them having not as much difficulties as the other ones. This one was the Mole. As they watched the rocket depart, they could not help but put on a wistful face, thinking deeply about the next part of "The Mole : Festive Saboteur!".
Halfway point ! Yay ! If only my French Mole fiction could progress that way... DX
Well, not much to say... There was only two votes in the poll, so errr... That's not much of a poll, but whatever XD. Here are the results :
With 50% of votes against them... Pauline and Noki are the ones you thought were the Mole.
Until next time, and thank you for your time ! ^^