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Chatterbox: Pudding's Place
You're in your
You're in your room, reading your favorite book. It's raining softly; you can hear it tapping gently against your window. You've built a nest of pillows and blankets around you, and you're wearing your thickest, fluffiest pair of socks; you don't believe a rainy day could get much better than this.
Then you're suddenly gripped with a feeling of urgency. You have no idea what it could be about, or where it came from. You read the last line on the page over and over, but it doesn't register in your mind; something else, something important, is demanding your attention.
It's night. You're sitting in your bed, staring out the window, searching for something lost. But you can't remember what it is, or was. All you know is that it's out there...it's important...and it was once yours.
You know these words, but you've forgotten where they're from. But their origin isn't what's concerning you... it's the nagging feeling that whatever this thing is, you still haven't found it.
Dazed and distracted, you turn the page. A note, unmarked and neatly folded, falls from the pages and into your lap.
You pick it up and stare at it with confusion. It this, whatever it is, the thing you've been searching for? You figure there's only one way to find out. Curiously, you open it.
Dear Chatterboxer,
You are being invited to a ski lodge. Yes, an actual ski lodge, not a mansion, or a hotel, or a castle, or a treehouse, or even a train infested with strange men named Larry. No, I am inviting you to a real, honest-to-goodness ski lodge, where you can ski. Fear not, though, this isn't some ordinary ski lodge. No, it's a rather famous one. It's owned by someone named Sakura C. Maybe you've heard of them?
Anyways, you're being invited for a very special reason- there's a mission I'm going to send you on. I can't give you the details yet, but it's important that you come. If you've ever dreamed of being part of some kind of epic adventure, this is your opportunity.
Please do not come if you don't appreciate weirdness. I can guarantee that weird things will happen often.
Enough talking from me! Come to have fun and save the world! Bring the family! Fill out the sheet! (You know how this part works.)
Name:
CBer, AE, CAPTCHA or CAPTCHAE (you can bring 0-3 companions):
Gender/pronouns:
Basic appearance:
Describe yourself in 10 words or less (if you go over the limit, you will be publicly shamed by Gandalf, who will shout "Fool of a Took!" and whack you over the head with a mop that is actually his staff):
Please give your detailed opinion on the color red:
Packing list:
Other:
We look forward to seeing you there! (And yes, the popcorn is free.)
-Mx. Sam Crickett
~~~~~
The Magicae Palace sequel has arrived! CBers, you are on a mission- there is a dark, mysterious force you must work together to destroy. The future of ski lodges depends on it! You can read more about that here: http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/389370
Readers/attendees of Magicae Palace get first dibs on spots. I will tell you when spots are full. I don't care if you guess me since I'm sure everybody knows who I am already XD. Journal entries, comments, and suspicions are welcome and encouraged! Have fun friends! I'm so excited! :D
submitted by Mx. Sam C
(November 27, 2020 - 10:26 am)
(November 27, 2020 - 10:26 am)
Aaah, thank you so much- the next parts might be a bit slower in comparison since I started Day 0 while people were still signing up. Let's keep this alive in the meantime- TOP!
(December 12, 2020 - 9:40 am)
(December 12, 2020 - 1:25 pm)
Day one, part two
Day one, part two
"Whats happe nning?" Qwinn chirped. Nerd shushed him quickly, then considered her CAPTCHA for a moment. This didn't really seem like the conversation for small, trouble-making CAPTCHAs- or their rowdy AE role models. She quickly came up with a plan to rid the two from the living room.
"Hey, Dallas, I heard some of the AEs in the dining room say that Abcde is the best AE," Nerd mentioned to him.
"HOW DARE THEY!" Dallas shouted. "Come on, Qwinn, we've got to show these idiots the truth-" he stormed out with the CAPTCHA in tow. That left all of the CBers and a select few of the more mature AEs- namely Bean, Firefly, and Grace- to talk.
Quill once again explained exactly what had happened to Arya on the ski lift; how her queasy appearance quickly escalated until there was nothing she or Zach could do. They consulted their memories for anything abnormal that may have happened at breakfast, but the only thing they came up with was the fact that Cherry had discovered a bruised orange rolling around under the table and had admitted to really wanting to eat it for some reason. They questioned the likelihood (and irony) of the possibility that Jem Louise Margaret, victim of daily stabbings, would slip a bit of poison into a single pancake.
When they had exhausted their conversations about how such a thing would happen, they turned to the question of why. It seemed they were all a bit confused. When they started to question the possible motives of the possible murderer, odd thoughts came to their heads. Many of them were experiencing an odd sense of déjà vu. Like they had known this before. Like it wasn't really a question if there was a murderer in their midst. Almost like... they had expected this.
Spellbound was the one to point it out. There was a nagging feeling somewhere inside of her, like the sadness she felt for Arya was far too familiar. It had happened before, she was sure of it. That's why they all came together and discussed so efficiently, because they knew what to do in a situation where one of their own was murdered. They had dealt with it before.
Little did they know, Sam was listening to their conversation with growing fear.
~~~~~
Back in the dining room, Zach and Remi were entertaining the AEs and CAPTCHAs. Zach was telling Liddy, Tumble, Cherry, Faith, and Kali all about his plastic sword.
"His name is Jack because it rhymes with Zach," he explained. "Jack has seen many fierce battles. Or at least I assume so. I found him in one of the rooms when we were getting the cabin ready for all of you. But anyways, he is glorious and he's mine now." Faith blinked and wondered a little bit about Zach's sanity. Over in the corner, Qwinn and Lucinda were playing tag- which wasn't working out very well, the two CAPTCHAs being a dust bunny and a shapeshifter. Starlight was in the other corner under a purple blanket, wondering why more people weren't more terrified about Arya being poisoned. Abcde and Dallas were causing a bit of a ruckus asking Remi who truly was the best AE ("Since you know everything, you'll obviously know I'm the superior one!").
Then the CBers came back into the dining room. "Whats going oonnn?" Tumble asked innocently.
"Well... that's a bit more complicated than we thought," Moondrop admitted. "Don't worry, we'll tell you all about it."
Just then, Sam entered the room. "Hey, everybody," they said. "This is a shock, I know. I'm really sorry this had to happen. We're going to hold a ceremony for Arya out in the backyard, okay?"
So the group, now with no choice, came with their confused thoughts to the backyard. It started to snow on them, but it wasn't cold. Kali started to catch snowflakes on her tongue before Azalea whispered that it was disrespectful.
Though the CBers still had nagging thoughts about how this experience wasn't new, the rest of the day was decidedly quiet for most everyone. Olive painted their nails. Honeybee read a book. Orson sulked. Leafy made popcorn in the microwave and made the mistake of bringing it into the living room, where a flock of guests swiped handfuls from her bag. Morning read an Agatha Christie E-book "for research purposes". Nightfall scribbled in a notebook and glared at people fiercely if they asked what they were writing. Moondrop entertained the CAPTCHAs with her moon powers once it got late enough. Bean played the guitar. dreamii made some digital art. Jem Louise Margaret was stabbed.
Sam was the busiest. Now that the guests were beginning to discover the Mystery, Sam's initiative was becoming more important. They knew the guests would get impatient about the truth of the "mission"; they would of course want to know what they were fighting, and what they were fighting for. There had to be a loophole somewhere... a way to save the Mystery without breaking it first.
~~~~~
Dead: 1. Arya, poisoned.
Suspects: what do you guys think?
Stabbings of Jem Louise Margaret: 2
References during this day:
Ryokan Suzuran
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/369554
The Quendor Express
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/439713
Galaxy Ski lodge
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/368657
Hotel Le'Faye
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/240599
(December 13, 2020 - 11:34 am)
*nervously hugs popcorn*
(December 13, 2020 - 1:33 pm)
It's so good! Jem Louise Margaret is the highlight of the day. Also, was Jack the plastic sword a reference to Jack the sword from the Farm Story??
(December 13, 2020 - 3:11 pm)
Or Jack from Magnus Chase? (Apparently there are a lot of swords named Jack?)
Sam clealry knows something about this . . . hmm.
(December 13, 2020 - 8:33 pm)
I also thought of Jack the Sword from Magnus Chase lol. Anyway, this was really good, keep it up!
(December 13, 2020 - 11:42 pm)
Yes, actually, I just forgot to list it! :)
Feli- the Jack sword in the Farm Story was named after the Magnus Chase Jack, so I guess it's technically after him too?!
(December 13, 2020 - 10:28 pm)
I was reading one of TON's ski lodges yesterday and I stumbled upon something so hilarious it made my day. Since my entire word count yesterday was from taking "notes" (quoting random things and typing out an overly long plot summary) on said ski lodge, I feel I should share it with you. :)
At the moment, the CBers are seraching for Charlie, a CBer who went missing.
Red: Gentlewomen! We do not stop till' nightfall. Or until we find Charlie. Either one.
Bounty: But what about breakfast?
Red: You've already had it.
Bounty: We've had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?
Watermelon: I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Bounty.
Bounty: What about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?
Watermelon: I wouldn't count on it.
They then find a note that says that Charlie has been taken by aliens. They go back to the cabin.
Red: Hey, Blackberry. Guess who imitated Aragorn out there in the search party?
Blackberry: Red, on the scale of things I want to date, with 100 being Viggo Mortensen and 0 being my shoe, you're somewhere around -50.
(Viggo Mortensen is Aragorn's actor, for reference XD)
Top! :D
(December 16, 2020 - 10:08 am)
Haha, those are funny! I reallylove this ski lodge, although I have no suspects yet...hrmm...
(December 17, 2020 - 10:52 am)
Day 2, part 1
"And so it begins..."
~Théoden, The Two Towers
~~~~~
Jem Louise Margaret once again made breakfast after being stabbed the previous night, but that wasn't the only disconcerting thing about her cooking for them. One of her own pancakes was poisoned; would today's doughnuts be hiding something sinister?
Dallas, unconcerned by the threat, took a doughnut and ate it in less than 30 seconds, then burped noisily. "Wow, that was good. I'll need twenty more of those."
Quill cautiously took a doughnut of her own and nibbled at it. "I think they're fine," she declared.
By the end of breakfast, nobody was poisoned, but everyone was thinking about where they knew a murder mystery in the past. Even the AEs agreed, after some thought, that the situation was familiar. But they also generally agreed they could sort it out later; right now, they wanted to explore more.
Since every single one of them agreed to go out exploring, Zach, Abie and Remi were all going to be chaperoning them, with Jem Louise Margaret staying behind in the cabin. Sam announced that they would unfortunately be busy that day, and any questions should go to one of the other staff members.
As everyone was preparing for the day, the murderer casually entered the room that belonged to NerdFace and Cherry. Nerd was in the bathroom at the time.
"Oh, hey!" Cherry said cheerfully. "Do you need something?"
"Yes, I do," the murderer replied, closing the door behind them. "If you could give it to me quietly, I would appreciate it."
Cherry's confusion turned to horror as she realized, too late, that the murderer was holding a knife.
The murderer made short work of her, concealed their weapon, and quickly darted back out into the fray of scrambling guests. Nerd discovered her just a few minutes later and screamed to alert everyone. They all halted their preparations and held a quick ceremony where they had held Arya's last night. Sterling cried softly, but she experienced the same disconcerting feeling Spellbound had the previous day- like she had somehow known this would happen.
Their day beyond Cherry's death started slowly, now with less people in the mood to go exploring. dreamii was surprised to hear that Faith would stay behind with her and the rest of her crew, but questions were brewing in Faith's mind.
She wasn't alone with her new- or maybe not new, but more prominent- questions. Many CBers weren't focused on their tour of various things surrounding the cabin. They were wondering about why their situation was familiar; why the roller coaster over there was so horrifyingly tall; what Sam was busy with that they couldn't even be bothered with questions; and what the deal was with Jem Louise Margaret was anyways. (Maybe not in that particular order.)
Abie had stayed behind in the cabin- Jem Louise Margaret was there, but since she could be stabbed at any moment, it would be better for someone else to stay behind as well to take care of the guests in her stead. Zach and Remi split the explorers into two groups. Zach was showing Abcde, Liddy, Nerd, Moondrop, and Kali a beautiful golden palace with a miraculously clear and sparkling pond in the surrounding area. Remi was with Leafy, Quill, Dallas, Qwinn, Feline Fantasy, and Tumble in a path winding through a wooded area that came out to the base of a hill. On top of it was a large stone castle.
"Whooa!" Tumble squealed.
Remi grinned. "This is a pretty mysterious castle. No-one knows how many rooms are in it, not even the person who built it. It does include a dungeon, a popcorn room..."
As she rambled on, Remi led the ski lodgers up the steep hill and into a grand entrance hall. Dallas and Qwinn started playing with a suit of armor, Tumble pawed at the elaborate rug, and Feli admired a painting on the wall. Quill and Leafy stood in the middle of the room.
"This seems oddly familiar," Quill commented.
"I was totally thinking the same thing!" Leafy agreed.
And as they continued to look around, they wondered why it was so familiar to them... almost like how the murder of two AEs was familiar to them... and it clicked for both of the CBers at the same moment.
They had been here before. They had dealt with murders before. And those two things had happened at the same time.
~~~~~
RIP, Cherry, rest in peace. (There's nothing funny to do here, and besides, I think she deserves it.)
(December 17, 2020 - 3:28 pm)
*reloads every three minutes until it appears*
AHH this is so good, can't wait for more!
(December 17, 2020 - 6:11 pm)
Thank you! :D
(December 19, 2020 - 12:45 pm)
Day 2, part 2
"It's so interesting. When poets and writers talk about discoveries, usually they talk about the greatest discovery being that of yourself, or that of love. So what about when you discover how you will be able to fight and overcome a certain darkness? Or when a scientist discovers how to cure a disease? These kind of discoveries get left behind in the wake of what is "truly" great, but when your findings change your life, they aren't to be forgotten."
- - -
~~~~~
Sam cursed loudly, and they were grateful none of the guests were around to hear them do so. It's only day two and they're already remembered being in Magicae Palace? This was looking far more dangerous, and Sam was running out of time already. They paced around and whispered aloud to themselves, hoping it would inspire some great idea that would magically fix all their problems.
They sighed and decided they should go back to the cabin. Maybe they could find a solution if they locked themselves in their room for several hours...
Meanwhile, Remi was steering her group away from Magicae Palace, but it was no good; the damage was done, and all of the CBers- not just Leafy and Quill- were starting to remember the places around them. And she couldn't very well drag them all back to the cabin without arousing suspicion...
Oh well. What was done was done, and it was bound to happen anyways. By letting the guests explore all the sites of the ski lodges- which they would inevitably want to do anyways- was like baiting a 3-year-old with candy and expecting them not to eat it. The obvious had been waiting for the CBers, and they'd snatched it up quickly. Remi did find some time to catch a breath and readjust as her group entered Diagon Alley- they were disappointed to find that there wasn't anybody to run the shops, but they still enjoyed looking around at everything.
Zach and Remi's groups converged at the base of the hill, both staff members glancing around uncomfortably. They entered the cabin to find that Jem Louise Margaret had been stabbed by a broken ruler and Firefly and Bean had made cookies for everyone. Bakerloo was trying to watch Monty Python while Spellbound sketched in a corner, Lucinda played with Honeybee, and Kali loudly tried to fly around the room (she kept crashing into things, namely Bakerloo). Almost everyone else was in their rooms reading, doing art, pondering human existence, or being fiercely angsty. Except for Faith. She was plotting some very important things. (Well, not plotting. She liked to think it was, but it was more just scribbling things between making odd sounds with her mouth.)
The day felt transitional, but nobody knew what they could be transitioning to. It felt a bit murky, a bit disjointed; Sam in the floor above, fingers in their hair, searching for the solution; Zach, Remi, and Abie whispering at a table in the library; Faith curious about something that was beyond everything she knew then; and the CBers chatting nervously about places like Camp Juniper, the Zeravinca Hotel, and The Cosmic Pioneer. Short, long, uneasy- the day was all those things with a heavy dose of mystery, and its end wasn't anything special- a blend of hours, dull and thoughtful, with... {you know what? This sentence is way too long and I'm bored with writing this day. It's over. It was boring. Thoughts were thunk'd. Let's move on and pretend this didn't happen.}
...And the next day was sure to bring more suspense.
~~~~~
Dead: 2. Arya, Poisoned; Cherry, stabbed.
Suspects: ?
Stabbings of Jem Louise Margaret: 3
References in this day:
Magicae Palace
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/389370
Golden Palace Hotel
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/431629
Camp Juniper
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/458929
Zeravinca Hotel (don't know if it has any other name?)
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/448462
Cosmic Pioneer
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/450605
Diagon Alley ski lodge
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/406047
I obviously can't pretend I had any idea how to end this day. XD I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to mentioning anyone a whole lot, it's still pretty early on.
(December 20, 2020 - 4:49 pm)
Ahhhhhh Luna! This is amazing. I love it and can't wait for the next part!
(December 21, 2020 - 12:42 pm)