Chatterbox: Pudding's Place

**********************************************

You flop down onto your bed and stare into space. You needed to do your homework, but you decide to put it off. Grabbing the Rubik’s Cube from beside your bed, you start to solve it.

Sliding the rows and columns around, you fiddle with it for a minute before finishing the top. 

Suddenly, as you are about to start solving the sides, the cube floats up and starts solving itself. What the...you think. In just a few seconds, the Rubik’s Cube is solved. It hovers in the air for a moment but drops down suddenly. You hear it crash, and as you peer over the side of the bed, you see the tiles have broken off. Oh, well, you think. There goes my Rubik’s Cube.

But as you are trying to see if the cube can be repaired, your hand flutters across a piece of paper. You unfold it, trying to make sense of anything that just happened.

Dear Recipient,

I would like to invite you and 14 others to Codetwist Castle.

You are a handpicked group of highly gifted people. This trip will not only be a vacation but a test. A test of your abilities. I, unfortunately, cannot tell you what will happen if you pass, as the answer will only be revealed if you make it to the end. The trip will last two weeks. If you are a CBer, you will have a limit of one AE and one CAPTCHA. No more. If you wish to come and test your abilities, please fill out the included form. Fold it up and draw a cube on the front. Then we will receive it. We will leave on December 15th.

Sincerely, your hostess, The Codemaster.

~~~~~~~~~~

CBer, AE, or CAPTCHA:

Name:

Pronouns:

Personality:

Appearance:

Luggage:

Do you like puzzles?:

Are you afraid of the dark?:

~~~~~~~~~~

Can you think fast?:

You quickly fill out the form, fold it up, and give your best attempt at drawing a cube. The piece of paper floats in the air, then just vanishes. You hope that this will give you a good break from school. Well. That was weird.

***************************************************

Yep, it’s a Ski Lodge! The start date is December 15th. Feel free to guess me, I am female. This is my first Ski Lodge.


submitted by The Codemaster, age Ski Lodge
(November 23, 2020 - 8:50 am)

SPOTS ARE CLOSED! We technically have 16, but i will make the exception. Although, Sterling, you're the only one without a sheet, but if you really want to, you can join. But, i think we technically have 16. 

submitted by The Codemaster
(November 25, 2020 - 8:03 am)

top

submitted by top
(November 27, 2020 - 7:27 am)
submitted by TOPhat, age Top, Top
(November 30, 2020 - 2:18 pm)
submitted by top, age toppp, topofmteverest
(November 30, 2020 - 2:36 pm)

Sterling, please submit your sheet if you still wish to join!

submitted by @Sterling
(November 30, 2020 - 4:12 pm)
submitted by top, age toppp, topofmteverest
(November 30, 2020 - 11:05 pm)

@Admin, I posted something here 2 days ago and yesterday Tealeaf did, but I don't see the comments. Did you forget to post them?

No, they might be on a back page. Look there or try a search for     

site:cricketmagkids.com text you want to find

 Be sure to leave a space after the .com

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Or feel free to resubmit.

Admin

submitted by The Codemaster
(December 3, 2020 - 12:42 pm)

6 days until starting! Sterling, please submit your sheet if you still wish to join, and feel free to guess me.

submitted by The Codemaster
(December 4, 2020 - 4:42 pm)

Codemaster, are you... Honeybee? Or maybe Chickadee?

submitted by Wreeboo, age Immortal, Nowhere and Everywhere
(December 6, 2020 - 7:46 pm)

I am not either of those people.

submitted by The Codemaster
(December 7, 2020 - 7:37 am)

@Codemaster, are you Nerdface?

submitted by Quill
(December 7, 2020 - 3:41 pm)

No I am not.

submitted by The Codemaster
(December 10, 2020 - 4:28 pm)

Day 0, Part 1

Nightfall stood by their bed, putting the last of their things into the suitcase. “There,” they said. Timeshifter poked their head into the room. “Is it nearly time?” They asked. 

Nightfall shook their head. “No. When I got the confirmation letter after I said I would go, they said we would leave at 5:00.” 

Timeshifter grabbed something, then stepped back into Nightfall’s room. “Well, I’m all packed!” They said.

 Nightfall picked up their suitcase, and walked down to the hall with Timeshifter. “Strange…” they said. “Do you feel that?” They asked Timeshifter. The floor was rumbling. 

“Yeah…” Timeshifter replied. Nightfall stepped outside. Right before their eyes, lines of code swirled into each other, creating a portal. Timeshifter stood next to Nightfall. “Do we...go in?” They asked. 

Nightfall shook their head. “Let’s wait. I have a feeling that something will come for us.” 

And sure enough, in just a moment, a peculiar minivan came out of the portal.

 “Sorry,” Faith called from the window.  “I think we took a detour!” 

When Nightfall stepped onto the minivan, she saw there was no driver. 

Huh, she thought. The minivan was much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. 

“Hey, Nightfall!” Freak waved to them. Nightfall smiled, and made their way over to where Freak and Wreeboo were sitting. “Excited?” Wreeboo asked. 

Nightfall nodded. “Very!” 

Tealeaf was looking out the window, she noticed Morning and Honeybee were doing the same. “Strange,” she remarked. “It seems to be the same landscape wherever we go, except for the houses.” 

Summer and Darkling looked over. “We were just discussing that,” Summer said. “I think it could be that they don’t want us to know where Codetwist Castle is.”

 Darkling nodded. “It would make sense to keep the location secret.” Morning and Honeybee agreed. 

Silver Crystal, Miss Autumn, and Bakerloo were all sitting in the back. Silver Crystal was sketching her view of the minivan, and Miss Autumn was sketching hers.

 “Would you look at that,” Miss Autumn noticed. “We drew almost the exact same thing!” 

Silver Crystal laughed. “You’re right!” 

Bakerloo peered at the drawings. “You guys are great artists,” he said. “Those are impressive sketches!” Miss Autumn smiled. 

“Thank you,” she said. Bakerloo took out his tin of caramels. “Would you like one?” He asked them. 

“Sure!” Silver Crystal replied, taking one out of the tin. Miss Autumn took one as well. Faith rushed over. 

“Can we have some caramels?” She asked, motioning to the group of AEs. 

Bakerloo smiled. “Why not? Sure, take some!” He replied, putting some into Faith’s hand. 

Faith scooched back over to the group of AEs near the front row. “I got some!” She declared triumphantly. 

“Nice,” Niko said, taking one. Timeshifter, Rory, and Giselle all took some as well. 

Liddy flew up as a yellow pocket dragon, circling Faith. “mewan tcaram elsss!” (Me want caramels!) 

“Uh, Morning, can Liddy eat caramels?” Faith asked. 

Morning looked up. “Oh...sure, just don’t give her too many.” 

Faith unwrapped a caramel and fed it to Liddy, who was now very content with her caramel. 

Across from the AEs, Quill, Nyx, and dreamiing were supervising. “I think Nightfall and Timeshifter were the last stop, so we should be arriving soon,” Quill said. 

Nyx nodded. “I wonder what this vacation will be like,” she wondered. 

dreamiing tilted her head. “I hope it’ll be a good break from school,” she said. 

“Yeah,” Nyx agreed. “It’s been so stressful lately...this will get us nice and relaxed.” Just then, the minivan lurched to a stop. 

“We’re here!” Someone called out. Everyone stood up. 

First the AEs were off, Faith leading them. 

“Wait, Faith!” dreamiing called after her AE. Faith reluctantly slowed, waiting for the rest of the group. 

Quill, Nyx, and dreamiing stepped out next. Then Wreeboo, Freak, and Nightfall got out, followed by Tealeaf, Morning, Honeybee, Summer, and Darkling. Silver Crystal, Miss Autumn, and Bakerloo got out last.

 “Wow,” Honeybee marveled out loud. “It’s such a beautiful castle.” They were all staring up at a light gray/white building, looking like a modern yet medieval castle.

“There doesn’t seem to be a door,” Miss Autumn remarked. There were murmurs of agreement. 

Suddenly, the walls unfolded, not unlike the way Diagon Alley is revealed in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. 

A person stepped out. She had medium skin, with long dark hair. She wore a dark purple hat, covering her eyes. She had a dark purple cloak, over a black shirt and leggings. she said in a slight accent. She lifted her hat, revealing her gentle dark brown eyes. 

“Welcome everyone, to Codetwist Castle,” she said with a slight accent. This was The Codemaster.

**************************************
Alive: 21
Dead: 0
Suspects: 0
So, what did you think? Feel free to guess the murderer, although I suppose that you don't have any clues yet. Sorry, Admins, for it being so long. 

submitted by The Codemaster, age , Day 0, Part 1
(December 10, 2020 - 4:30 pm)

*unwraps caramel and eats it* Thanks for the caramel, Bakerloo! This is so good @Codemaster! I can't wait to see what happens next. You may have overestimated my drawing skills (the only thing I can draw decently are dragons XD) but you got my character spot on! Keep up the good work :)

submitted by Silver Crystal, age Infinity, Milky Way
(December 11, 2020 - 1:04 pm)
submitted by day 0, part 1!!!
(December 11, 2020 - 11:29 am)