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AUTHOR'S NOTES
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Due to an unwanted Windows 10 update which ultimately caused all my documents to disappear for no reason, I am unable to take in-game pictures from here on out. I will be trying to recycle pictures from previous Episodes if I can (take DRE's for example, I've been reusing the pictures all over the place) so there will be a bit of visual storytelling involved as well. So, the upcoming Episodes will be more text-based and less picture-based, plus, I might pop in some random Youtube videos to also give an image of what's happening. Maybe I'll be able to start with the pictures again, but if writing this way takes much less time, then I may walk this path for the rest of the season. Season 3 will be the old way though.
The group picture's another unique case.
The background and the contestants on my laptop were lost, but I remembered uploading some individual shots here and here. I've got 8 out of 12 safe, so if I make a new final 6 picture, I'd only have to get a new shot of Salma, which shouldn't be too much work. :3 (plus, I got more Photoshop experience now so I can erase the background more quickly :D) Episode 13 and 14 will still be using the old one from Episode 12, but from there on we'll move on.
Also, I'll have to cut out the intro, since it's, alas, lost as well, as well as I'm thinking of cutting out the Previously On sections, due to their depence on picture-heaviness.
So, without further ado, here we go!
20 DAYS, 12 PLAYERS, 1 CRUISE
THIS IS
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Disco
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It's an autrocious sight. All the people residing on the Jetsetter were sleeping on the floor in an at the least unelegant pile of people, bar Diane, who kept at least a bit of dignity by claiming a couch. Someone, although it's impossible to pinpoint who exactly, is snoring slightly.
Lenka yawns out loudly, observes her surroundings and then paces to Odessa, yipping softly to gentle wake her up in order to get some breakfast. The teenaged girl wasn't the only one to slowly awake from the high-pitched barks from the fox, though...
Odessa: "I feel terrible."
Edmund: "I feel horrible.."
Connie: "Pillow hair.."
Min Hee: "Raaaaash..."
Hector, who is lying down on his stomach, crawls up and looks around.
"If anyone could please tell what's happened again?"
Diane replies: "Bwugh... There was chocolate... and music... and now there's migraine. Typical."
"Yes. There's migraine indeed."
"I know of a few remedies against migraine. There's-"
Nobody would ever know of HEALTH-E's tricks against migraine though, thanks to Edmund interrupting with: "Guys, I'm gonna barf," after which he immediately ran off for the bathroom at the other side of the hallway. HEALTH-E followed, mentioning something about the health risks of excessive eating.
"Hey guys, where's Captain Dockhatt left?" The Iberian-rooted blogger shows again a case of pure observant brilliance, or at the least she is the most capable person at the moment, considering the situation.
"The captain?" Connie remarks. "Oh no..."
Odessa, now sitting upright and cuddling Lenka, who jumped on her lap, looks surprised as well.
"He can't be far away though," Min Hee says while scratching the red spots on her face. Diane looks at her in disgust.
"Please do not do that, Min Hee. It's highly nauseating and will only give you facial scars."
"Sorry. Never had rash like this before," Min Hee claims.
Hector replies: "Darn, now I'm really wondering what happened tonight. Can't be good."
Edmund and HEALTH-E come in again, the former still pale which makes his slowly but surely blondening hair roots even more noticable.
"That's better." The haughty furniture designer sighs out in relief, after which Odessa's cellphone alarm rings. She checks it, before proceeding to talk to the Jetsetters.
"Jetsetters, I know you'd like to make yourselves look fruity again, but one of you should first go and chat to Min Hee and me in our bedroom. Volunteers?"
The Jetsetters stare at eachother, some letting out a small sigh.
"My battery is running at a low level at the moment. I suggest I go to charge myself first instead," HEALTH-E states.
Edmund says he'd rather lie down first after being sick, while Diane grumpily mumbles something inaudible.
Salma volunteers: "I believe I'm feeling the brightest at the moment, I'll go with you."
"Well then," Min Hee says, "then please follow us. The others, you can do your thing until further notice."
Salma: "Okay, as much as I enjoy dressing up and helping myself to good food, I still think that was the most awkward dinner I've ever been to in my entire life. Seriously!"
Salma: "Okay, as much as I enjoy dressing up and helping myself to good food, I still think that was the most awkward dinner I've ever been to in my entire life. Seriously!"
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Host Bedroom
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Salma joins Min Hee and Odessa at the table upon arrival. Min Hee opens the word.
"So, how're things doing right now?"
Salma stares at the hosts for a second - was she just called for this for only an occassional talk? - before deciding to play along: "I've made it to the final six, so I suppose I can say that everything's been great. For me, at least.""Oh, that's good to hear," Odessa nods.
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Disco
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Only 3 Jetsetters, Hector, Connie and Diane, are left in the bedroom of past night.
"Why don't these girls try and figure out where the captain is? I'm still worried about him..." Connie sighs after voicing her sorrow.
"We shouldn't worry too much, I think," Hector suggests. "Knowing the hosts they'd take action if there would be something wrong."
"I guess I must agree with you for this time." Diane confesses. Her tone, sounding almost admitting, got Hector curious.
"Well, it's no bad thing to agree with someone, I'd say."
"It just.. depends."
Connie sensed the direction the conversation was going with Diane commenting like that, and she didn't like the outcome it would eventually lead to.
"Err, Diane.. I think I'm getting slightly peckish, shall we.. go for some.. breakfast?"
Diane looks back at Connie: "That sounds fine to me."
Hector looks on as the ladies leave, starting to wonder again, and decides to visit the Diary Room to speak his mind.
Hector: "Maybe I should have tried bonding with some other Jetsetters more. The only person left I really have a bond with is Salma and that bond is also based upon our in-game alliance. I suppose Salma's bonded a bit here and there with everyone for her blog - could that mean she has made more deals as well? ..."
Hector: "... Nah, Hector Dolfinne, you mustn't think like that. You can't let your trust in her down, not right now, in this stage of the game. I'd be all alone if I'd burn bridges with her.... Plus, this is a free world, she's free to talk to whomever she wants!"
Odessa: "She now is, yes. But you aren't anymore."
Hector: "Whoa?"
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Host Bedroom
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Hector replies: "Err... I guess so.."
A couple of minutes later the man with the dolphin tattoo took his seat.
"Hector, how're things doing right now?"
If Odessa wanted to have a casual talk, she could just do that through the intercom instead of calling him up. There's got to be more than just a talk about how well he is.
"I am fine. Why does that matter?" Hector replied.
Min Hee took over: "Well Hector, it's just..."
"Perhaps some omelettes?" Diane asks Connie. The two women are not yet successful to come up with a new breakfast idea which will lift everybody up.
Connie replies: "Err, I'm not really in the mood for something savoury. Maybe something small instead? Something... which we could easily share?"
Diane frowns a second, thinking about Connie's suggestion, before slowly nodding in agreement.
"Well, how about something spicy? Salt? Sweet?"
"Cupcakes. Everyone loves cupcakes," Connie says.
Before Diane replies, she overhears someone descending the stairs up to the Host Bedroom: "Should you or I go next for the host talk?"
"... I'll go, okay?"
"That sounds fine, my dear. I'll meanwhile bake some delicious cupcakes and then go talk to the hosts after you're done, does that sound like a plan?"
Connie nods, and then goes up.
Diane: "Judged. I'm always getting judged, my dears. Wherever I appear, people always start giving me titles as 'the maid', 'the grinch', 'the prude'.. I have gotten used to it throughout the years, but alas, my dears, the scars they give me now still hurt me as much as the scars from when I was young..- younger."
Diane: "That's why I appreciate Connie so much. Our very first start was rough, I must admit, but despite the reasons she had, she chose instead to look behind the surface. I'm-.. Connie, if you ever see this, I'm incredibly grateful for you as a person... . .."
"So, Connie, how're things doing right now?" Min Hee looks at her with a slightly too happy smile; Connie's suspecting something fishy might be going on, but isn't too sure on what exactly and how to reply accordingly...
"I am fine. Why does that matter?" Hector replied.
Min Hee took over: "Well Hector, it's just..."
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Kitchen
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"Perhaps some omelettes?" Diane asks Connie. The two women are not yet successful to come up with a new breakfast idea which will lift everybody up.
Connie replies: "Err, I'm not really in the mood for something savoury. Maybe something small instead? Something... which we could easily share?"
Diane frowns a second, thinking about Connie's suggestion, before slowly nodding in agreement.
"Well, how about something spicy? Salt? Sweet?"
"Cupcakes. Everyone loves cupcakes," Connie says.
Before Diane replies, she overhears someone descending the stairs up to the Host Bedroom: "Should you or I go next for the host talk?"
"... I'll go, okay?"
"That sounds fine, my dear. I'll meanwhile bake some delicious cupcakes and then go talk to the hosts after you're done, does that sound like a plan?"
Connie nods, and then goes up.
Diane: "Judged. I'm always getting judged, my dears. Wherever I appear, people always start giving me titles as 'the maid', 'the grinch', 'the prude'.. I have gotten used to it throughout the years, but alas, my dears, the scars they give me now still hurt me as much as the scars from when I was young..- younger."
Diane: "That's why I appreciate Connie so much. Our very first start was rough, I must admit, but despite the reasons she had, she chose instead to look behind the surface. I'm-.. Connie, if you ever see this, I'm incredibly grateful for you as a person... . .."
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Host Bedroom
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"So, Connie, how're things doing right now?" Min Hee looks at her with a slightly too happy smile; Connie's suspecting something fishy might be going on, but isn't too sure on what exactly and how to reply accordingly...
"Don't be shy Connie. We won't bite." Although Odessa's tone implies an airy conversation, she still feels a little suspicious about the whole current situation. Connie moves a little forward, closer to the hosts to observe them a little better.
"What do you mean by thing's going on? I assume you're talking about my ranking or something that's related to the identification of the assassin?"
"For example," Min Hee replies.
Connie confesses: "I haven't got a clue."
Although she merely put on some fresh clothes and washed her face, Salma feels much better after doing so. Growing peckish yet again, she decides to not stay far away from the kitchen for now.
"Hey Sal, got anything interesting?"
The only person on the Jetsetter who would refer to her as Sal was walking down the stairs.
"You talked to them as well, Hector?"
"Yup. Only about how I was doing though." Hector's eyes just moved a little, so he was staring to her shoulder instead of in her eyes - he's hiding something?
Salma herself claims she had to do the same thing before sitting down on the stairs.
"Fascinating. Then maybe someone else knows more, I guess." Hector was about to join Salma on the stairs, when Connie came down - from the same direction as the host bedroom.
"Oh hi Connie, wanna talk with us a bit?" Hector asks.
"Ehh, no. I'm actually about to wash my hair." Connie quickly finds her way down to pass towards the bedroom corridor.
"She looked hurried, dontcha think?"
Hector takes the spot next to Salma for real this time: "Yup. Should we keep an eye on her?"
Salma thinks for a moment: "Kinda late to follow her now, isn't it?"
"That's true."
The two allied Jetsetters drop a silent moment. Salma breaks it.
"Any idea by the way about the Captain?"
"I've discussed it with Connie and Diane, right after you left the disco. No idea, but I'd assume he's fine."
"Hmm, good.."
"At least Odessa and Min Hee didn't look too panicked, but that's my cup of tea."
Salma nods and replies: "At least it's not bad news." The two keep silence again.
Until...
"Is it just me, or does it smell like something's burning?" Hector utters. Salma smells the air.
"I think so."
Suddenly, Diane, who apparantly took Connie's place in the host bedroom, races down the stairs, straight into the kitchen.
Hector and Salma look at eachother, both wondering if they should help or laugh.
"It's all okay darlings, they'll be no more fire today. Now, where were we?"
Min Hee answers: "Ah, thank you for helping spread the fire prevention protocol, you know. And errr..................... ehhh......... I think we are finished. No word about this whole conversation to the others until after the Challenge, okay?"
"I have nothing to say, and these lips are sealed." Diane slips two fingers over the width of her mouth, imitating a zipper. "Thank you for this... lovely chat, and thank you for allowing me to finish baking. The cupcakes look delicious, darling."
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Stairs to Kitchen/Dining Floor
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Although she merely put on some fresh clothes and washed her face, Salma feels much better after doing so. Growing peckish yet again, she decides to not stay far away from the kitchen for now.
"Hey Sal, got anything interesting?"
The only person on the Jetsetter who would refer to her as Sal was walking down the stairs.
"You talked to them as well, Hector?"
"Yup. Only about how I was doing though." Hector's eyes just moved a little, so he was staring to her shoulder instead of in her eyes - he's hiding something?
Salma herself claims she had to do the same thing before sitting down on the stairs.
"Fascinating. Then maybe someone else knows more, I guess." Hector was about to join Salma on the stairs, when Connie came down - from the same direction as the host bedroom.
"Oh hi Connie, wanna talk with us a bit?" Hector asks.
"Ehh, no. I'm actually about to wash my hair." Connie quickly finds her way down to pass towards the bedroom corridor.
"She looked hurried, dontcha think?"
Hector takes the spot next to Salma for real this time: "Yup. Should we keep an eye on her?"
Salma thinks for a moment: "Kinda late to follow her now, isn't it?"
"That's true."
The two allied Jetsetters drop a silent moment. Salma breaks it.
"Any idea by the way about the Captain?"
"I've discussed it with Connie and Diane, right after you left the disco. No idea, but I'd assume he's fine."
"Hmm, good.."
"At least Odessa and Min Hee didn't look too panicked, but that's my cup of tea."
Salma nods and replies: "At least it's not bad news." The two keep silence again.
Until...
"Is it just me, or does it smell like something's burning?" Hector utters. Salma smells the air.
"I think so."
Suddenly, Diane, who apparantly took Connie's place in the host bedroom, races down the stairs, straight into the kitchen.
Hector and Salma look at eachother, both wondering if they should help or laugh.
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Host Bedroom
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"It's all okay darlings, they'll be no more fire today. Now, where were we?"
Min Hee answers: "Ah, thank you for helping spread the fire prevention protocol, you know. And errr..................... ehhh......... I think we are finished. No word about this whole conversation to the others until after the Challenge, okay?"
"I have nothing to say, and these lips are sealed." Diane slips two fingers over the width of her mouth, imitating a zipper. "Thank you for this... lovely chat, and thank you for allowing me to finish baking. The cupcakes look delicious, darling."
"Hmm, that's good to hear. Good luck and lots of wisdom."After Odessa finished, Diane stands up, briefly shakes hands, and then leaves to go back to her cupcakes.
Edmund turns over to his side. Did he drink too much from the chocolate fountain last night? He can't really tell. Last night's just a blur and he doesn't even know why it's like that. It can't be his age though, others had similar memory gaps. Edmund knows that others may think he's too self-centered to be considered a real threat, but, Edmund whispers to himself, he might be the biggest threat, thanks to others underestimating him.
His's stomach guggles again.
If only reaching the final six would feel like euphoria, instead of these horrid cramps.
"Edmund, please come to the Host Bedroom, " the intercom suddenly utters. Ugh. Fucking cramps. They won't really help out facing the hosts.
Connie: "How I feel about making it to the final 6... Kinda good. How I feel about making it to the final 6 with Diane.."
*Connie smiles to the camera*
Connie: "It's.. awesome. Every round we make it is one step closer to the finale together..."
*Connie's face clouds*
Connie: "But... the chances of leaving are.. er, growing per round too.. Oop...."
*Connie nervously fidgets her feet*
Odessa kicks in: "Edmund? Still alive?"
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Modern Room
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Edmund turns over to his side. Did he drink too much from the chocolate fountain last night? He can't really tell. Last night's just a blur and he doesn't even know why it's like that. It can't be his age though, others had similar memory gaps. Edmund knows that others may think he's too self-centered to be considered a real threat, but, Edmund whispers to himself, he might be the biggest threat, thanks to others underestimating him.
His's stomach guggles again.
If only reaching the final six would feel like euphoria, instead of these horrid cramps.
"Edmund, please come to the Host Bedroom, " the intercom suddenly utters. Ugh. Fucking cramps. They won't really help out facing the hosts.
Connie: "How I feel about making it to the final 6... Kinda good. How I feel about making it to the final 6 with Diane.."
*Connie smiles to the camera*
Connie: "It's.. awesome. Every round we make it is one step closer to the finale together..."
*Connie's face clouds*
Connie: "But... the chances of leaving are.. er, growing per round too.. Oop...."
*Connie nervously fidgets her feet*
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Host Bedroom
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"So, how're things doing right now?" Min Hee watches Edmund with a smile. The smile of an imminent plottwist. That, and these cramps... ugh.
Edmund doesn't want to even think about his stomach: "Things are doing... Quite... Odd I suppose."
He looks deadpan at Odessa and Min Hee.
"Lets cut to the chase. Why have you called me in here?" There's got to be a snag.
"Oh, just for a fun talk," Odessa lightly states. There definitely's got to be a snag.
"Really.... I find that difficult to believe." Edmund turns his sarcasm mode on: "If this talk was fun, you'd both have complimented me by now on my design prowess by now... That or there would be some sort of witty joke being made."
"Well, Eddy-Teddy, if you don't want to talk, then you're free to go." What?!
Min Hee's startled as well: "I can't believe you just called him Eddy-Teddy for real.."
He looks deadpan at Odessa and Min Hee.
"Lets cut to the chase. Why have you called me in here?" There's got to be a snag.
"Oh, just for a fun talk," Odessa lightly states. There definitely's got to be a snag.
"Really.... I find that difficult to believe." Edmund turns his sarcasm mode on: "If this talk was fun, you'd both have complimented me by now on my design prowess by now... That or there would be some sort of witty joke being made."
"Well, Eddy-Teddy, if you don't want to talk, then you're free to go." What?!
Min Hee's startled as well: "I can't believe you just called him Eddy-Teddy for real.."
"I can't believe you just called me Eddy-Teddy either... Please refrain from doing this in the future. I prefer something a bit better, like Edmund the World's Greatest Design Mind of this Generation and from every generation from here!"
Edmund catches his breath.
"Anyway... I would like to talk. I have a LOT to say Firstly-"
Odessa says: "I forgot half of the name already, could you please repeat it?"
"Why of course! It was Sir Edmund the Amazing, The Greatest Entrepreneurial Mind in the Field of Design Who is The Greatest Creator To Have Ever Lived!... Got it?"
"Sir Edmund the Amazing, The Greatest Entrepeneurial Mind in the Field of Design and I couldn't get the rest," Odessa replies. "Sorry."
Min Hee adds: "Unfortunately we don't have any paper in here, so we can't write it down."
"These cupcakes taste good! Who made them?" Salma curiously looks in the direction of Connie and Diane. The latter raises her finger.
"I did, although it was Connie's idea."
"Great thinking, Connie. They're perfect!" Diane sighs unnoticably.
"They're actually slightly burned, my dear. I was called up while in the oven."
"Oh sorry. They don't taste like burned though." Salma tried to keep the conversation rolling while trying not to think about the fact that Diane technically said she herself was in the oven.
"I can taste it a little..." Connie mumbles. "But it's still good."
"I pick Connie's side too." Hector smiles briefly before setting his teeth in his cupcake.
Another face sets down the stairs.
"I hear chatter. What's going on in here?"
Salma goes playfully enthusiastic: "Wanna eat a cupcake?"
Edmund thinks about the offer for a moment. "I'd rather not, sorry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, and stop teasing please." Edmund wasn't very amused.
"Alas, no cupcake for you then."
Min Hee interrupts: "Jetsetters, we need one of you to go and get HEALTH-E here. He's the only one left for a talk." Connie, Diane, Hector and Salma all look at Edmund, who rolls his eyes for a reply.
"Okay okay, I'm going. What talk do they need by now anyway, they've had 5 conversation buddies already..." At the moment Edmund's out of their hearing range, the others sigh out in relief, all at once.
"Well, what would the Challenge of today be about," Hector wonders aloud.
Diane rubs her fingers together: "Perhaps they'll try to do something like a classic game for once. Perhaps the typical 'try-to-stay-on-a-2x2-platform-for-as-long-as-possible' one, my dears?"
Connie shakes her head: "Hmm, that sounds too simplistic, I reckon. I think something more layered again."
"Yes. I think there's something with these talks up there." Hector points to the host bedroom while talking. "Perhaps we'll have to guess quotes, a who-said-what thing."
Salma says: "That happened on The Mole before, yup. Which would be a classic."
"Speaking of The Mole", Diane commences, "why were we never given journals in this place? We have to tell everything from memory, while they can simply note everything down at once."
"But we don't have to face a Quiz with questions about possibly.. well, anything," Hector objects.
"My dear, it would still be nice to be able to write down things," Diane defends. "Ever heard of the follow the money theory?"
Salma: "There are pencils and some paper in a drawer in the library."
"Look!" Connie points to the indoors. HEALTH-E's going to the host room. "I believe we'll soon find out the point of these talks either way."
After a silent moment, Diane snaps her fingers and asks: "Well, does anyone want another cupcake?"
"Oh, me! I love having a stash to snack on when I'm nibbly." Salma tries to pull off a cute face.
Min Hee scratches her chin, still itchy from the rash: "So, errr, what do you think of the Final 6 Party?"
HEALTH-E: "Oh, I felt a little awkward. That was kinda the first time I was dancing."
"Try before you die! ;)"
"I cannot actually die you know." HEALTH-E goes against Odessa's shoutout "My creator is able to build back-ups for me if I do "die"."
Odessa: "Oh. Before we go way off-topic like Edmund managed to pull off, just lets get back too, well.. Suspicions! Are you confident?"
"No not really."
Min Hee looks surprised: "Oh, why?" HEALTH-E softly bleeps.
"Because of reasons that has to deal with some guy named Jake"
Jake: "Hey, don't pull me into this!"
Vul: "Oh hey Jake."
"Okay, enough screen time for you!" Odessa interrupts the Real-life players. Min Hee takes the word to try continue the conversation on the Jetsetter: "Back to you, HEALTH-E: what do you expect of the next Challenge?"
The intercom speaks to the Jetsetters again: "Please gather in the Bedroom Corridor. Just like we used to do before."
Min Hee and Odessa are overlooking on the Jetsetters left again. The losses of Jetsetters throughout the past few days is very noticable: for the first time ever the players are able to stand in 1 line instead of the usual crowd.
Min Hee starts off: "Jetsetters. We have both good and bad news."
Salma claps her hands: "Lets start with bad news. Then that's over first."
Odessa: "Sorry, good new first, ha!" Salma rolls her eyes while Odessa continues. "Well, the good news is that with the Elimination of Jason, you have earned 100.000 Simoleons in your pocket."
Jetsetters: "Wooo!"
Odessa: "Remember the top 3 from your very first Challenge?"
Min Hee: "Jason Blackland, with his pictural omen of the "Grim Reaper", which has earned him a whopping 43 points!"
Jason: "Woo, I did it! Now that are the fruits of hard labour!"
*Everybody applauds for the top 3*
Odessa: "Now remember, if the Assassin is one of these three, $100.000 and a Clue will safely go down straight into their pocket..."
Min Hee: "However, since we don't know the Assassin's identity for sure, we'll just have to speculate for a while. Got your crazy complot theories ready?"
Odessa continues: "We now know for sure that Jason, Blane and Roxanne are in fact not the Assassin."
"The bad news though," Min Hee again, "is that some of you managed to throw that all away again. The $100.000 is now being transferred to the Assassin's wallet instead."
The Jetsetters start looking at eachother. Some are confused. Some appear to be annoyed in disbelief. And some look away, like they're trying to hide something... The hosts go on.
Min Hee: "Don't bother asking though, we've told the people responsible to stay silent until it's openly known they did it."
Odessa: "Then again, the good news is that there's the chance to win back $150.000! An extra bonus!" Intriqued sounds come from thecrowd line of Jetsetters.
Min Hee: "And yet again, the bad news is-" Min Hee gets interrupted.
A squad from the Appaloosa Plains Police Department storms in. They run down the stairs, some even don't bother and just jump down over the railing, and immediately surround the Jetsetters and put them under gunpoint.
Officer Felipe Marshall shouts: "All 6 of you are under arrest! Put your hands up and follow us to the police car right now!"
"I object!" Diane yells. "I have done nothing to be arrested."
"You have the right to remain silent." Officer Marshall rebounds.
"I have done nothing! Only that robot and the ghastly dolphin-man have done attempts to murder people, not me!" Diane points to HEALTH-E and Hector, the gaze of the police officers following her direction and looking straight into the eyes of the couple.
"I am not a murderer. I am a personal healthcare companion."
"And I am a respecta- Mi- Michael!?" Hector gasps and then quickly covers his mouth.
Salma repeats: "Michael?" She, like everyone else in the room, stares at Hector with surprise.
"W- who's Michael?" The officer stares at Hector, who looks back straight into his eyes, the fear beaming out of it.
Connie watches the officer, then looks back at Hector, after which her gaze turns to the officer again. The two, despite their obvious difference in clothing, bear a great physical resemblance.
Felipe Marshall shouts again: "No time for coffee breaks. Put your hands up and follow us to the police car right now! Or else..." The Jetsetters follow his orders, although some still grumble while being deported away to who-knows-where...
"We'll bring you to the place you need to be, do not try anything stupid, or else..." The escorted Jetsetters reach a T-junction; a direction sign showed: Prison Department: to the right and CIS Department: to the left. It feels like ages before the sign is reached. And please, not to the right, not to the right, not right...
They are directed to the left. A sigh of relief strikes the Jetsetters before their minds start wandering and wondering: what is the CIS Department then? They reached a glass door with 3 words on them, written in white:
Criminal
Investigative
Service
A man with, it can't be denied, really charming looks who was waiting behind the doors comes in.
"I'll take them over from here on, Felipe." Officer Marshall nods before going away with the other agents, leaving the Jetsetters under the eye of the man with the name: "Anthon Dunez, special agent."
Special agent Anthon Dunez escorts the Jetsetters through the doors and goes left again, entering another room with the Jetsetters sticking behind him. The room looks like a small laboratorium, with all kinds of apparature filling the place, plus yet another blanket-covered object and two other people.
"First things first: this is all part of the Jetset show you're playing in, so do NOT panic." Anthon Dunez gives Connie, who looked petrified for the whole chain of unexpected events, a small wink. Diane frowns at him, while a gothic girl, who introduces herself as Ellie Tamari, takes over the word.
Ellie: "The 6 of you ARE the suspects in this little case we have though."
The 6 flabbergasted players exchange looks again, before Ellie continues enthusiastically. "One of you knocked out your dear Captain, Mr Dockhatt, out with a bottle of ketchup. I got a small drawing of the crime scene here..."
She steps towards an object covered with a large blanket and reveals it. It's a pin-up board with some pictures...
Tybalt Poysen, who once helped out stopping the notorious Train Massacre from a few years ago: "I'll give you a set of clues, two for you each, which will help you to solve the mystery. Every room has got space for a maximum of 2 suspects, including Dockhatt. The Jetsetter who is in the same room as the body is the culprit. If you team up well and get the right culprit, you earn $150.000. If you manage to get a 100% correct solution, you earn another Clue towards the Assassin's identity. Is that all clear?"
"Good luck and lots of wisdom," Anthon Dunez gabs, after the newly recruited crime-solvers nod. Tybalt enters an adjacent storage room while the Jetsetters crowd around the pin-up board.
"Anyway... I would like to talk. I have a LOT to say Firstly-"
Odessa says: "I forgot half of the name already, could you please repeat it?"
"Why of course! It was Sir Edmund the Amazing, The Greatest Entrepreneurial Mind in the Field of Design Who is The Greatest Creator To Have Ever Lived!... Got it?"
"Sir Edmund the Amazing, The Greatest Entrepeneurial Mind in the Field of Design and I couldn't get the rest," Odessa replies. "Sorry."
Min Hee adds: "Unfortunately we don't have any paper in here, so we can't write it down."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dining Area
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"These cupcakes taste good! Who made them?" Salma curiously looks in the direction of Connie and Diane. The latter raises her finger.
"I did, although it was Connie's idea."
"Great thinking, Connie. They're perfect!" Diane sighs unnoticably.
"They're actually slightly burned, my dear. I was called up while in the oven."
"Oh sorry. They don't taste like burned though." Salma tried to keep the conversation rolling while trying not to think about the fact that Diane technically said she herself was in the oven.
"I can taste it a little..." Connie mumbles. "But it's still good."
"I pick Connie's side too." Hector smiles briefly before setting his teeth in his cupcake.
Another face sets down the stairs.
"I hear chatter. What's going on in here?"
Salma goes playfully enthusiastic: "Wanna eat a cupcake?"
Edmund thinks about the offer for a moment. "I'd rather not, sorry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, and stop teasing please." Edmund wasn't very amused.
"Alas, no cupcake for you then."
Min Hee interrupts: "Jetsetters, we need one of you to go and get HEALTH-E here. He's the only one left for a talk." Connie, Diane, Hector and Salma all look at Edmund, who rolls his eyes for a reply.
"Okay okay, I'm going. What talk do they need by now anyway, they've had 5 conversation buddies already..." At the moment Edmund's out of their hearing range, the others sigh out in relief, all at once.
"Well, what would the Challenge of today be about," Hector wonders aloud.
Diane rubs her fingers together: "Perhaps they'll try to do something like a classic game for once. Perhaps the typical 'try-to-stay-on-a-2x2-platform-for-as-long-as-possible' one, my dears?"
Connie shakes her head: "Hmm, that sounds too simplistic, I reckon. I think something more layered again."
"Yes. I think there's something with these talks up there." Hector points to the host bedroom while talking. "Perhaps we'll have to guess quotes, a who-said-what thing."
Salma says: "That happened on The Mole before, yup. Which would be a classic."
"Speaking of The Mole", Diane commences, "why were we never given journals in this place? We have to tell everything from memory, while they can simply note everything down at once."
"But we don't have to face a Quiz with questions about possibly.. well, anything," Hector objects.
"My dear, it would still be nice to be able to write down things," Diane defends. "Ever heard of the follow the money theory?"
Salma: "There are pencils and some paper in a drawer in the library."
"Look!" Connie points to the indoors. HEALTH-E's going to the host room. "I believe we'll soon find out the point of these talks either way."
After a silent moment, Diane snaps her fingers and asks: "Well, does anyone want another cupcake?"
"Oh, me! I love having a stash to snack on when I'm nibbly." Salma tries to pull off a cute face.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Host Bedroom
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Min Hee scratches her chin, still itchy from the rash: "So, errr, what do you think of the Final 6 Party?"
HEALTH-E: "Oh, I felt a little awkward. That was kinda the first time I was dancing."
"Try before you die! ;)"
"I cannot actually die you know." HEALTH-E goes against Odessa's shoutout "My creator is able to build back-ups for me if I do "die"."
Odessa: "Oh. Before we go way off-topic like Edmund managed to pull off, just lets get back too, well.. Suspicions! Are you confident?"
"No not really."
Min Hee looks surprised: "Oh, why?" HEALTH-E softly bleeps.
"Because of reasons that has to deal with some guy named Jake"
Jake: "Hey, don't pull me into this!"
Vul: "Oh hey Jake."
"Okay, enough screen time for you!" Odessa interrupts the Real-life players. Min Hee takes the word to try continue the conversation on the Jetsetter: "Back to you, HEALTH-E: what do you expect of the next Challenge?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
An hour later
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The intercom speaks to the Jetsetters again: "Please gather in the Bedroom Corridor. Just like we used to do before."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Bedroom Corridor
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Min Hee starts off: "Jetsetters. We have both good and bad news."
Salma claps her hands: "Lets start with bad news. Then that's over first."
Odessa: "Sorry, good new first, ha!" Salma rolls her eyes while Odessa continues. "Well, the good news is that with the Elimination of Jason, you have earned 100.000 Simoleons in your pocket."
Jetsetters: "Wooo!"
Odessa: "Remember the top 3 from your very first Challenge?"
Min Hee: "Jason Blackland, with his pictural omen of the "Grim Reaper", which has earned him a whopping 43 points!"
Jason: "Woo, I did it! Now that are the fruits of hard labour!"
*Everybody applauds for the top 3*
Odessa: "Now remember, if the Assassin is one of these three, $100.000 and a Clue will safely go down straight into their pocket..."
Min Hee: "However, since we don't know the Assassin's identity for sure, we'll just have to speculate for a while. Got your crazy complot theories ready?"
Odessa continues: "We now know for sure that Jason, Blane and Roxanne are in fact not the Assassin."
"The bad news though," Min Hee again, "is that some of you managed to throw that all away again. The $100.000 is now being transferred to the Assassin's wallet instead."
The Jetsetters start looking at eachother. Some are confused. Some appear to be annoyed in disbelief. And some look away, like they're trying to hide something... The hosts go on.
Min Hee: "Don't bother asking though, we've told the people responsible to stay silent until it's openly known they did it."
Odessa: "Then again, the good news is that there's the chance to win back $150.000! An extra bonus!" Intriqued sounds come from the
Min Hee: "And yet again, the bad news is-" Min Hee gets interrupted.
A squad from the Appaloosa Plains Police Department storms in. They run down the stairs, some even don't bother and just jump down over the railing, and immediately surround the Jetsetters and put them under gunpoint.
Officer Felipe Marshall shouts: "All 6 of you are under arrest! Put your hands up and follow us to the police car right now!"
"I object!" Diane yells. "I have done nothing to be arrested."
"You have the right to remain silent." Officer Marshall rebounds.
"I have done nothing! Only that robot and the ghastly dolphin-man have done attempts to murder people, not me!" Diane points to HEALTH-E and Hector, the gaze of the police officers following her direction and looking straight into the eyes of the couple.
"I am not a murderer. I am a personal healthcare companion."
"And I am a respecta- Mi- Michael!?" Hector gasps and then quickly covers his mouth.
Salma repeats: "Michael?" She, like everyone else in the room, stares at Hector with surprise.
"W- who's Michael?" The officer stares at Hector, who looks back straight into his eyes, the fear beaming out of it.
Connie watches the officer, then looks back at Hector, after which her gaze turns to the officer again. The two, despite their obvious difference in clothing, bear a great physical resemblance.
Felipe Marshall shouts again: "No time for coffee breaks. Put your hands up and follow us to the police car right now! Or else..." The Jetsetters follow his orders, although some still grumble while being deported away to who-knows-where...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Appaloosa Plains Police Department
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"We'll bring you to the place you need to be, do not try anything stupid, or else..." The escorted Jetsetters reach a T-junction; a direction sign showed: Prison Department: to the right and CIS Department: to the left. It feels like ages before the sign is reached. And please, not to the right, not to the right, not right...
They are directed to the left. A sigh of relief strikes the Jetsetters before their minds start wandering and wondering: what is the CIS Department then? They reached a glass door with 3 words on them, written in white:
Criminal
Investigative
Service
A man with, it can't be denied, really charming looks who was waiting behind the doors comes in.
"I'll take them over from here on, Felipe." Officer Marshall nods before going away with the other agents, leaving the Jetsetters under the eye of the man with the name: "Anthon Dunez, special agent."
Special agent Anthon Dunez escorts the Jetsetters through the doors and goes left again, entering another room with the Jetsetters sticking behind him. The room looks like a small laboratorium, with all kinds of apparature filling the place, plus yet another blanket-covered object and two other people.
"First things first: this is all part of the Jetset show you're playing in, so do NOT panic." Anthon Dunez gives Connie, who looked petrified for the whole chain of unexpected events, a small wink. Diane frowns at him, while a gothic girl, who introduces herself as Ellie Tamari, takes over the word.
Ellie: "The 6 of you ARE the suspects in this little case we have though."
The 6 flabbergasted players exchange looks again, before Ellie continues enthusiastically. "One of you knocked out your dear Captain, Mr Dockhatt, out with a bottle of ketchup. I got a small drawing of the crime scene here..."
She steps towards an object covered with a large blanket and reveals it. It's a pin-up board with some pictures...
"I believe you are familiar with these six locations, right?" The Jetsetters slowly nod before Ellie shouts out a "Gotcha!" She then blinks a few times before telling a.. familiar face she affectionally names 'Tybs' to continue.
Tybalt Poysen, who once helped out stopping the notorious Train Massacre from a few years ago: "I'll give you a set of clues, two for you each, which will help you to solve the mystery. Every room has got space for a maximum of 2 suspects, including Dockhatt. The Jetsetter who is in the same room as the body is the culprit. If you team up well and get the right culprit, you earn $150.000. If you manage to get a 100% correct solution, you earn another Clue towards the Assassin's identity. Is that all clear?"
"Good luck and lots of wisdom," Anthon Dunez gabs, after the newly recruited crime-solvers nod. Tybalt enters an adjacent storage room while the Jetsetters crowd around the pin-up board.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Captain's Hut
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Seriously," Captain Dockhatt mumbles in bewilderment. "Those landlubbers didn' even think of looking IN ME OWN HUT?!"
Min Hee: "Well, it would fit into the storyline for the Challenge."
"Me guess so, me guess."
Odessa smirks: "Well, me guess it's time to... well, wait out on them."
"Me- er I guess so." Min Hee says. "Lets get up there." She moves towards the stairs, followed by the captain and her adoptive daughter, and when her sight reaches the front deck, a humanoid figure immediately catches her attention.
"Hello madam. Is there something we can help you with?"
The familiar woman replies, but Min Hee got distrated by something tugging on her foot - Odessa trying to get up too - and had no choice but to approach her and ask for a repeat.
"I'd like to have a talk with you." the woman states. Min Hee nods with Captain Dockhatt and Odessa standing right behind her, when the latter suddenly has a bright moment.
"Hey, you were at the restaurant 2 days ago!"
"Yes," she replies, "and I was also in the town library when an obnoxious man and his pet robot terrorized the place over a week ago."
Odessa: "That's Hector and HEALTH-E, alright."
"Yes, I believe those were their names, yes." The librarian nods once before adjusting her glasses, correcting her sleeve and looking at Min Hee again. "Anyway, to come back to the subject: I'd like to have a talk with the two of you."
"Well," Min Hee allows, "It can't hurt, now can it? Follow us please."
Captain Dockhatt grumbles while being left behind again.
Min Hee: "Well, it would fit into the storyline for the Challenge."
"Me guess so, me guess."
Odessa smirks: "Well, me guess it's time to... well, wait out on them."
"Me- er I guess so." Min Hee says. "Lets get up there." She moves towards the stairs, followed by the captain and her adoptive daughter, and when her sight reaches the front deck, a humanoid figure immediately catches her attention.
"Hello madam. Is there something we can help you with?"
The familiar woman replies, but Min Hee got distrated by something tugging on her foot - Odessa trying to get up too - and had no choice but to approach her and ask for a repeat.
"I'd like to have a talk with you." the woman states. Min Hee nods with Captain Dockhatt and Odessa standing right behind her, when the latter suddenly has a bright moment.
"Hey, you were at the restaurant 2 days ago!"
"Yes," she replies, "and I was also in the town library when an obnoxious man and his pet robot terrorized the place over a week ago."
Odessa: "That's Hector and HEALTH-E, alright."
"Yes, I believe those were their names, yes." The librarian nods once before adjusting her glasses, correcting her sleeve and looking at Min Hee again. "Anyway, to come back to the subject: I'd like to have a talk with the two of you."
"Well," Min Hee allows, "It can't hurt, now can it? Follow us please."
Captain Dockhatt grumbles while being left behind again.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CIS Department
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I wonder what Tyb's taking so long," Ellie mumbles to Anthon. "I mean, it can't be that hard to find 6 envelopes in plain sight, hm?"
"Pas de l'idée, as they say in France."
"No, I'm not going on a date with you, and yes, I'm gonna take a look, this is not like him." Ellie paces to the storage room while Anthon looks at what the Jetsetters are up to.
"Well, I'm not always thinking about dating," he says to himself right when the orange-blonde-haired man and the black-haired woman start arguing about whether the East and the West are either left and right or right and left.
"Look, Edmund, it's straight right there. It says the East is right and the West is left."
"I'm really sure I was tought the other way around when I was in school."
"Then your school better gets their facts straight."
"The nerve of the youth of these days, implying an older and wiser man's words are false."
"Hmm..."
"Like," Edmund raises his right hand, "left is where the thumb is on the right, if I'm not mistaken?"
She rolls her eyes"... Oh for fuck's sake..."
The other 4 Jetsetters stare at Edmund. "Err... a cousin of mine also has a hard time telling left and right apart.. Maybe you could write an L on your left and an R on your right hand?"
Before Edmund could voice his thoughts about that idea, Ellie comes in, carrying 6 envelopes.
"I dunno where Tybs went, but he's not in there. I guess I'll take care of these then." She tries to act energetic as she did before, but Ellie can't find the inner spark anymore. "Salma, was it? The first one is for you." Salma comes and gets her envelope, after which the others get theirs soon as well.
Connie: "Interesting. Ellie reached us specific envelopes in exactly the same order as we talked to the hosts. I should keep my eyes open then."
Salma quickly takes apart Diane: "Want to team up for this challenge? I was given a very essential clue that proves that neither you, me, or Connie are guilty of knocking out Dockhatt. This clue was that the culprit is male. The other clue I got was that Dockhatt was found in the dining area." Diane plants her hand in her side and nods. Salma has an addition: "Oh, and should we ask Connie if she wants to team up, too? Since this also proves that she's innocent?"
Diane: "Okay, those clues are quite essential really. These are mine: 'Salma Guerrero was on the same floor as HEALTH-E, but in a room more to the west'; 'Diane White was on the same floor as Salma Guerrero, but in a room more to the west'." Diane looks up to the other Jetsetters and notices some are staring at their sudden dealing.
Edmund: "Funny how these girls are suddenly up to something..."
*Thanks, kudos and credit to Tiger for helping me out creating this picture*
Salma adds: "Hmm, with the wording of your first clue, HEALTH-E could not have possibly been in the dining room or pool. Those rooms are both the furthest west. There are no other rooms to the west. This eliminates the possibility of him as a suspect. So that means our culprit is Edmund of Hector."
"Your clue sure does help out a lot, but I'm glad we could eliminate HEALTH-E from mine."
Salma plans ahead: "You'll go and talk to Connie, I'll talk to HEALTH-E, okay?" Diane nods and heads for her close friend, while Salma gets a reply before she could even ask.
"'Connie Mouskouri was on the same floor as Edmund van Allen, but in a room more to the west'. That is my clue." HEALTH-E's words make Salma glimmer: "THAT'S IT!"
Everybody looks at Salma.
"We have our culprit! With that wording, Edmund could not have been in the dining room where Dockhatt was found. The dining room is one of the westernmost rooms, and this means he would have had to be in one of the middle or eastern rooms. IT'S HECTOR!"
Hector panics: "Wowowowowow, wait a sec? Can we slow down for a moment?"
Salma, probably in the most fanatical mood ever since Jetset started, denies: "No, here's a summary of what we know:
- My clues confirm that the culprit is male and that Dockhatt was found in the dining room. This immediately eliminates Salma, Connie, and Diane.
- One of Diane's clues was also very significant. According to the clue, Salma was in a room to the west of HEALTH-E. This means that HEALTH-E could not have been in the dining room, seeing as the dining room is one of the westernmost rooms. This eliminates HEALTH-E, leaving us with either Hector or Edmund as the culprit.
- HEALTH-E's clue tells us that Connie was in a room to the west of Edmund. This confirms that Edmund also could not have been in the dining room, seeing as it is one of the westernmost rooms.
- This leaves us with Hector as the culprit!"
HEALTH-E: "Salma was very driven during this Challenge. She basically solved the riddle all on her own, with a little insight into other people thei clues. I think Salma would never do that as Assassin."
Hector, still looking panicked, hangs down: "O crap crap crap crap crap...."
Salma paces to the board, grabs a marker and writes down her final conclusion.
Anthon Dunez beholds Salma's answer: "I can tell that Hector and Dockhatt in the Dining Area is in fact..."
Min Hee seats her guest and Odessa at the same table she was conversing with the Jetsetters earlier the day: "Would you like a drink, miss..?"
"Hitman, Sharon Hitman is my name, and no thank you, I do not need a drink right now."
"How can we help you out, miss Hitman?"
Sharon closes her eyes for a second and then vocies her request: "I want you to cancel this loathsome show at once."
"WHAT?!" A mix of bewilderment and shock spat off of Odessa's face, and spread itself to her verbality. "Are you NUTS?!" "Odessa!" Min Hee tried to exhort Odessa to tone her volume down.
Sharon answered Odessa's question though, albeit with a bit of a frown: "I'm very serious, young lady."
"Well, how to put it... NO, we are NOT cancelling the show! Hosting's awesome! We get to tour the world on a boat, secretly chuckle in a corner when they're squirming, get to live with them through their prime moments and get paid for it as a bonus as well! It's fucking brilliant!"
"I think the base of this show's immoral! And please, watch your language!" Sharon stands up, gaining more impact on the hosts.
Min Hee, feeling very overshadowed at the moment, tries: "Okay people, can we pleeeaaase calm down and discuss things in a civilized way?"
"Pretending the fucking Train Massacre was a Reality Show is immoral, but THIS fucking isn't! The Eliminated people are not getting fucking killed off!"
"Watch! Your! Language! And I'd actually like to refer to the massacre on that boat, the Luxury's Lap!"
"That! Is! Not! A! Fucking! Reality! Show!" Odessa clearly used F-bombs on purpose by now. "What's fucking WRONG with you!? Seriously?!"
"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you?! Cashing in on mostly innocent deaths like that!"
"It's to fucking keep their memories to them alive, yo!"
Min Hee just sat between the two roaring lions, knowing she would simply not be heard. And, despite being expected to take Odessa's side, she couldn't deny the feeling that Sharon did have a point somewhere...
"Why don't you leave that up to their beloved ones themselves then?!"
"I fucking DO! My fucking father, uncle and.." Odessa paused for a second. Babysitter actually sounds like she was, well, a baby. "Mainstay slash caretaker were all fucking slaughtered!"
"Well, remember dear old Janett Dean?! She. Is. My. Sister!!"
Wham
Min Hee and Odessa are like bunnies hit by a huge pick-up truck. Sharon leans over the table and uses their dumbstruck to get her point clear again: "So, are you going to cancel Jetset?"
This is best left up to Odessa, Min Hee thinks. She'd take ages just trying to find out the balance, pros and cons between the two options and by the time she'd have finally made up her mind Edmund would probably be stuck to a wheelchair or something. And, even more relevant: Min Hee surely lost her coworkers on the Luxury's Lap, but she still has her family living in Shang Simla. She could just take a plane, or maybe try and plan a season there in case the show would go on. Odessa, on the other hand, lost all her close relatives back a year ago. Her mother's still alive, but considering she's volunteered to be stored somewhere in a frozen block for 100 year, 'for science', it would barely count. Uncle Vincent never had children and Odessa's grandparents were all only child. Odessa then got up from her musings.
Odessa: "No. We will not cancel Jetset."
Sharon nods: "Very well then." She walks to the staircase and walks it down. "Well, it looks like sabotaging some of the equipment you have here turned out to be worth it then."
Just one second later, that message alerts Odessa: "Hey, WHAT?!" She jumps off her chair, flies to the staircase, almostly tripping over the chair Sharon left behind empty and then loses some time trying not to fall off the steps.
Min Hee yells out Odessa's name before approaching her to make sure she's not hurt.
But the librarian was gone.
"CORRECT!!" Anthon and Ellie say out loudly together. "$150.000 in the pocket thanks to some good teamwork and pure trust into eachother's true words. Plus..."
The two pause a bit, for some extra anticipation effect...
Anthon: "Hector is one of the people responsible for the loss of money at the start of the Challenge. In fact, he has spent $50.000 for Immunity for the upcoming Ranking during his talk with the hosts."
Another Jetsetter yells out a "What?" before they all look at Hector. The latter stares back, disappointed in his fellow players: "Thank you all..", he mumbles.
Ellie continues: "Because of this deed, he was assigned the role of culprit in this Challenge. Hector was assigned the job of trying to frame someone else to defend his Immunity. Since he has failed however, he has lost the Immunity."
Anthon: "This Immunity however, is not fully out of the game. It is now up for grabs, for any of you, but Hector." The ears of the other Jetsetter turn sharp after hearing those words. "It comes with a price though. $100.000 from the group's safe to the Assassin's. First come, first serve..."
"I would like to purchase the immunity!"
One person was as fast as lightning, before the group could even discuss the chance together.
And that person, was Salma.
"Hey!"
"Whoa?"
"Shouldn't we talk about it as a group?"
The other Jetsetters are objecting, but alas for them, Anthon concluded: "Salma was first, the Immunity goes to Salma."
Salma: "I get the feeling that I'm not going to be in very good standing with the other players buying immunity from the Assassin like that, but I'm hoping that makes me less of a target for whoever the Assassin is. I've scratched your back, Assassin. Now I hope you'll scratch mine."
Ellie brings a final note out to the group: "But since you were NOT able to solve the whole case, you didn't earn a Clue... Challenge's over!"
HEALTH-E: "The numbers do not add up if I am not mistaken. Since I need it for dosing out medicine, I was built with a calculating device, and according to it, the $100.000 Salma paid and the $50.000 Hector paid for the Immunity cancel out the $150.000 we earned, yet we still lost $50.000 to the Assassin.
Odessa's really frustrated: "I can't believe she trashed the camera's! Now we don't have any visuals!"
"It's okay, we'll find a way against it, eventually." 'I hope so', Min Hee thinks right after, but she didn't dare to say that out.
"Any ideas?"
Min Hee thinkst for a second. "Maybe we could..... you know.."
"Ugh, you have no ideas, right?"
"Err.."
"I'm not stupid like that!" Odessa shouts out.
"Oh, sorry, but."
"Never mind, there they come." And indeed they are coming. The hosts come down the quay to land to meet them right there. The Jetsetters are talking about how Ellie suddenly speeded away after some kind of local bank robbery made it on the news before being silenced by them.
"Jetsetters, we were informed by the hosts of the Challenge."
Odessa: "You LOST $50.000 to the Assassin, plus they won another $150.000! Plus, Salma now has Immunity."
"Good job for Salma, the others... well,-"
Odessa interrupts Min Hee: "Ugh, you just fucked it up big time, no doubt."
"Excuse me?!" Diane shouts out, feeling insulted by Odessa's choice of words.
Min Hee: "Odessa, calm down please."
Odessa: "You now have $222.000 left in your vault, Assassin has $648.000, no Clue this round. Voila, we got it all done."
Min Hee: "Odessa.. I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to go inside, you're acting too angry."
"Hey!" Odessa sighs out loud, but then obeys and goes up, not resisting the urge to pound the stair steps.
"Well," Min Hee continues, "There's one more thing to do. You spent a total of $200.000 on things, but as far as you know Salma spent $100.000 on Immunity and Hector $50.000. So, what's up with the leftover $50.000?"
A small pause. The Jetsetters scan the people around them, looking for an eventual clue.
"Time for you to know: one of you," Min Hee continues, "has bought another prize. One exclusive night on the Jetsetter without the other players." The Jetsetters stare at Min Hee, not yet fully aware of the meaning of it. "One of you has kicked out the others for the night." Instant commotion among the players:
"No way!"
"Ouch!"
"Screw the person who did that!"
"All this," Min Hee finishes, "with courtesy of..."
Salma: "I don't think my decision is going to sit well with the other players, but I'm playing to win. One of them has to be the assassin. 50.000 dollars into his or her winnings? That's gotta put me in good standing with them, right? I really hope so! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this really does end up helping my game."
Salma steps to Min Hee's side. "Sorry."
"No, not my room!" Edmund yelled out.
Diane added to that an ominous "You touched my clouds, my dear. you touched my clouds...."
Connie tries to "Er, Guys...", but isn't noticed by others. Min Hee does notice her though.
"You'll get 100 Simoleons to spend for the night." She gives Connie 5 billls of $20. "Good luck and lots of wisdom. See you tomorrow!"
She takes Salma up the stairs on board an disappears inside.
"Well played, Salma Guerrero.." Diane mumbles.
"Okay guys, I guess I'll have to give each of you 20?" Connie hands out the money.
Hector throws his suggestion into the group: "I say we go downtown and look at our options there."
"Whatever you do, I am not going to stay in a barn down the hill." The 5 Jetsetters are standing in a circle, Diane starting the discussion.
"I think that is a wise decision," HEALTH-E states. "You have to consider the high amount of horses in that area of the town, and since you are allergic to-"
"We know that, lets move on." Diane again.
Edmund suggests his take on the problem: "If we could sleep in an upper-class neighborhood in the town, I'd be pleased. More people of my sorts to mingle among, and you, dear people, have bigger odds of finally beholding, touching, feeling and.. adoring my-"
Someone coughs. Edmund looks around, but can't figure out who coughed.
Hector takes his chance to say something in the silence: "I suggest we try and find a town map."
Diane: "Now that would be a nice start of business, my dear."
Connie's worried: "We only have 100 Simoleons, shouldn't we check the prices first?"
"There is no need for a map." HEALTH-E shows his more useful side. "As a healthcare companion, I have built-in GPS-access to digital maps so I can easily locate the whereabouts of a person in need of urgent healthcare. I can easily find out what places should be suitable for us to stay for a night."
"Woo, that's handy! Let's see then...." HEALTH-E turns his back to Connie. A metal plate fluidly slides away, revealing a touchscreen in his back, while HEALTH-E aims his head at the sky.
"I am now aiming for a signal. Please be patient."
The other Jetsetters gather behind Connie in order to peek at the screen as well.
Hector: "Wait a second!... If really can read any medical and personal records on any person... Eeehh"
*Hector shivers*
"Plain creepy thought. What if they.... Ugh, I think I now know how The Sims Wiki got their stuff.."
"Connection established. You can use the map now."
"Let's see..." Connie quickly scans the map. "Well, we got our old friends, Tate and Esme Curley, living down the street.."
Hector objects: "No, we brought them enough trouble already. Next!" Edmund and Diane both nod in agreement, believe it or not.
"Okay then.." Connie scrolls through the street. "The street we're currently in only has community locations, besides the Curley residence.."
"Wait a second, Connie" HEALTH-E freezes his screen. "I am now downloading the relevant information about the local hospital. I think it would be the best idea if I would spend the night there, that way I will be in the hands of experienced people."
Connie: "That's good. Wait a sec.."
HEALTH-E's download process bar freezes for exactly 1000 milliseconds before asking "What are you waiting on?"
Connie: "There, in the corner.. Honey Darnell's residence."
"Honey Darnell, that was that famous blonde model living here, right?," Edmund asks.
Hector corrects him: "The country singer. She is a country singer."
Edmund: "Well, if she is famous, then she's likely living in the lap of luxury and that's good enough for me."
"She's only living across this park," Diane points out.
Connie concludes: "Then we should go there and talk to her." She exits HEALTH-E's map program, after which he restores himself to his usual state. "Honey was so nice to me after Blane fell out of that tree.."
"If you are going to the Darnell residence, is it fine if I go to the hospital?" HEALTH-E asks.
Hector: "Sure, why not?"
Salma: "Now that I'm in the safe zone for at least a couple of days, I could spend my time figuring out what's all going on with the others. What happened to Odessa? Why did she act out all of a sudden? And let's not forget the Michael-incident of Hector's either.. Given Hector's reaction, he was hiding something. And I think it might be better if I could try and figure out what once he's back tomorrow- it could be crucial information in this game..."
The shadow of the sunset gives Salma's silhouette a mysterious, yet elegant look, even when she is just skyping again with Shay. She turns her laptop around, to give her lover a view on the pool deck, the water sparkling like a golden diamond.
Shay's impressed: "Ooh, that looks great! Really wish I was there now."
"You can't complain, you were on Castaway. Basically the same view, in the heart of Mother Nature."
Shay views her situation back then differently though: "I didn't have a proper roof over my head, silly Sallie."
"... Touché. At least you were in Isla Paradiso." Salma again.
Shay has an idea: "You know, maybe I should sign up next season and hope they'll go to Isla Paradiso in Season 3."
"Yeah, that sounds good. If you go and buy a bigger suitcase, I'll try yoga. Maybe I'll fit in it."
Shay laughs. "Maybe you will. How are things doing with the other people?"
"Well.." Salma pauses for drama effect. "I kicked them out for the night! This whole boat's mine exclusive!"
"I'd almost feel sorry for the others," Shay says.
"Almost?"
"Almost, yes. Good job hey. See ya later!"
"Later." Salma replies, before the Skype connection is broken. Salma closes her laptop, turns around, and sees Min Hee walking towards her.
"Oh, hi Min Hee."
"Hi there. Sorry to interrupt your peace and quiet, here." Min Hee points to the pool. "But I just wanted someone to talk with."
"Oh, no problem. ... But how about Odessa?"
Min Hee: "Well, she's feeling a bit... how should I say that.. unamused right now."
"Hmm, what has happened then?" Salma asks.
"Hm?"
"Well," Salma clarifies, "I'm not an expert on her, but she doesn't seem like the kind who would acct like that for no reason."
"I guess," Min Hee starts off, "we should tell you earlier or later anyway so.. We had a visitor today."
Salma: "Oh."
"The visitor wanted us to cancel Jetset and has sabotaged the cameras, but Odessa didn't agree with it and now is mad for the sabotage. We don't know yet when we can replace the camera's."
"Wait, so there's no picture? How are you solving that?"
A voice from the sky starts speaking: "I can do the storytelling."
Surprised Salma quickly watches the surroundings: "What was that?!"
Vul: "It's me again, Vul, the one who is responsible for all the show."
"Okay.." Min Hee utters softly, slightly unsure
Vul: "I'll give you a clue: the camera in the Diary Room's still working."
Salma brightly calls out: "Oh, great! I did a few confessionals just after the Challenge! Great."
Min Hee: "Well, that's something.."
Vul: "Can't do too much else for you though. Sorry girls. Bye!"
Connie rings the doorbell of the big, Victorian craftsman. Hector and Edmund are silently waiting behind her, while Diane can't help but look worried at the stable right next to the villa.
"Oh no, I hope she is not on a tour or something.." Connie mumbles to herself.
"Wait," Hector shouts, "she might not be here at all?" Luckily, the door opens right after, revealing a country star who looks pleasantly surprised to see a familiar kind face again. "Never mind."
"Oh, looky here, it's Connie!" Honey immediately gives the others a warm welcome as well.
"Hey.." Connie tries to come to the point as direct as possible. "Er, well, can we ask you another favour?"
"Sure."
"Okay, err, you do remember that show we were on right? Well, we're kicked out of the boat for the night, er.. so I was wondering.. can we, er, stay the night at your place?"
Honey laughs warmly. "No problem, I still have a few spots left."
"Great!" Edmund exclaims. "Your home looks.. lovely enough for a man of my tastes."
"Just don't mind the horse smell in here." Diane backs off after that comment of Honey's.
"I'm sorry, but I think I shouldn't stay here. I'm allergic."
"Oh..." Honey looks a little disappointed in this turn of events. "I guess we can't change something about it then. Good luck!"
"Wait!" Connie sprints back to Diane. "I- I'll go with you then."
"No, you shouldn't. I'll be fine, I promise.. You can't let Honey behind, can you?"
Connie nervously sighs and rubs her fingers. "... You're right..."
Diane turns around and leaves the lot. Connie watches her leave and then closes the door. Twice.
Edmund: "Ugh. Her house was horrible. Only outdated Victorian trinkets. No no no, what Honey Darnell needs for her home is a facelift. First of all, Victorian's unfashionable since the early 20's. She should aim for a modern wave in her life instead. A flair which can best be brought to be by, of course.."
*Edmund pats his chest*
Edmund: "Me!"
*Picture Odessa and Lenka*
Odessa: "Well, here goes.. thank goodness this camera's still working.. it's still something we have..."
*Odessa sighs*
Odessa: "How DARES she fuck up the camera's, what the HELL is wrong with her?! I'm so pissed off at the moment, still pissed off, even, and believe me, she's not gonna get away with it!"
Lenka: "Yip!"
Odessa: "I know, Lenka, we will get her one day, no doubt for that.. Ugh... First trying to get the fucking camera's right again.."
Diane's lying down on a sofa in the big hall. At least she now found a place which one could say would fit with her own wishes. A soft place to sleep on, a bathroom not too far away and books in her near surroundings. What could one dream more of? Maybe a glass of wine, or a pillow and some blankets.. But she shouldn't complain, if Diane had to choose between this and a bench in the park, she'd pick the Library. If it weren't for..
"Madam, could you please leave for the day? I'm about to close the library for the night." The local librarian tries to shoo her out.
"Oh, hello, my dear. Look, can I ask you for a favour?"
"Eh-"
Diane continues her plea. "I'm playing on this game show in this town-" Now it's the librarian's turn to stop Diane's talk.
"Are you referring to 'Jetset', by any chance?"
"Oh.. Yes, I am. How do you know?"
The Librarian continues: "I'm sorry, but then I must ask you to leave this place at once.."
"Hey, now that's nonsense, dear.hard Perhaps we can make a deal of some kind?"
She looks interested all of a sudden. "Hmm, you know what? Maybe we can..."
"I have 20 Simoleons with me. It's not much, but-"
"I'm not interested in affairs like money. I'd like you to sabotage the production of the show."
".. Like games?"
"No, not these little Challenges.. You can spend the night in the library in exhange for your promise to sabotage the production of the show itself, like the technical stuff. The show must be cancelled, for morality's sake!"
Diane looks at her 20 Simoleon bill and then back at the librarian. What is wrong with her, Diane thought. Why would someone ask a random stranger to sabotage a tv show for no good reason? And why in the world did she start believing it's morally right to sabotage a - relatively- innocent show? She clenches her first, crumpling the money in it.
"No. I'm playing for my own goals there. And sabotaging the show would hinder these goals."
The rock-solid sidewalk hurts under Diane's bottom.
"AND STAY OUT!!!" The librarian yells at her.
"Pas de l'idée, as they say in France."
"No, I'm not going on a date with you, and yes, I'm gonna take a look, this is not like him." Ellie paces to the storage room while Anthon looks at what the Jetsetters are up to.
"Well, I'm not always thinking about dating," he says to himself right when the orange-blonde-haired man and the black-haired woman start arguing about whether the East and the West are either left and right or right and left.
"Look, Edmund, it's straight right there. It says the East is right and the West is left."
"I'm really sure I was tought the other way around when I was in school."
"Then your school better gets their facts straight."
"The nerve of the youth of these days, implying an older and wiser man's words are false."
"Hmm..."
"Like," Edmund raises his right hand, "left is where the thumb is on the right, if I'm not mistaken?"
She rolls her eyes"... Oh for fuck's sake..."
The other 4 Jetsetters stare at Edmund. "Err... a cousin of mine also has a hard time telling left and right apart.. Maybe you could write an L on your left and an R on your right hand?"
Before Edmund could voice his thoughts about that idea, Ellie comes in, carrying 6 envelopes.
"I dunno where Tybs went, but he's not in there. I guess I'll take care of these then." She tries to act energetic as she did before, but Ellie can't find the inner spark anymore. "Salma, was it? The first one is for you." Salma comes and gets her envelope, after which the others get theirs soon as well.
Connie: "Interesting. Ellie reached us specific envelopes in exactly the same order as we talked to the hosts. I should keep my eyes open then."
Salma quickly takes apart Diane: "Want to team up for this challenge? I was given a very essential clue that proves that neither you, me, or Connie are guilty of knocking out Dockhatt. This clue was that the culprit is male. The other clue I got was that Dockhatt was found in the dining area." Diane plants her hand in her side and nods. Salma has an addition: "Oh, and should we ask Connie if she wants to team up, too? Since this also proves that she's innocent?"
Diane: "Okay, those clues are quite essential really. These are mine: 'Salma Guerrero was on the same floor as HEALTH-E, but in a room more to the west'; 'Diane White was on the same floor as Salma Guerrero, but in a room more to the west'." Diane looks up to the other Jetsetters and notices some are staring at their sudden dealing.
Edmund: "Funny how these girls are suddenly up to something..."
*Thanks, kudos and credit to Tiger for helping me out creating this picture*
Salma adds: "Hmm, with the wording of your first clue, HEALTH-E could not have possibly been in the dining room or pool. Those rooms are both the furthest west. There are no other rooms to the west. This eliminates the possibility of him as a suspect. So that means our culprit is Edmund of Hector."
"Your clue sure does help out a lot, but I'm glad we could eliminate HEALTH-E from mine."
Salma plans ahead: "You'll go and talk to Connie, I'll talk to HEALTH-E, okay?" Diane nods and heads for her close friend, while Salma gets a reply before she could even ask.
"'Connie Mouskouri was on the same floor as Edmund van Allen, but in a room more to the west'. That is my clue." HEALTH-E's words make Salma glimmer: "THAT'S IT!"
Everybody looks at Salma.
"We have our culprit! With that wording, Edmund could not have been in the dining room where Dockhatt was found. The dining room is one of the westernmost rooms, and this means he would have had to be in one of the middle or eastern rooms. IT'S HECTOR!"
Hector panics: "Wowowowowow, wait a sec? Can we slow down for a moment?"
Salma, probably in the most fanatical mood ever since Jetset started, denies: "No, here's a summary of what we know:
- My clues confirm that the culprit is male and that Dockhatt was found in the dining room. This immediately eliminates Salma, Connie, and Diane.
- One of Diane's clues was also very significant. According to the clue, Salma was in a room to the west of HEALTH-E. This means that HEALTH-E could not have been in the dining room, seeing as the dining room is one of the westernmost rooms. This eliminates HEALTH-E, leaving us with either Hector or Edmund as the culprit.
- HEALTH-E's clue tells us that Connie was in a room to the west of Edmund. This confirms that Edmund also could not have been in the dining room, seeing as it is one of the westernmost rooms.
- This leaves us with Hector as the culprit!"
HEALTH-E: "Salma was very driven during this Challenge. She basically solved the riddle all on her own, with a little insight into other people thei clues. I think Salma would never do that as Assassin."
Hector, still looking panicked, hangs down: "O crap crap crap crap crap...."
Salma paces to the board, grabs a marker and writes down her final conclusion.
Anthon Dunez beholds Salma's answer: "I can tell that Hector and Dockhatt in the Dining Area is in fact..."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Host Bedroom
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Min Hee seats her guest and Odessa at the same table she was conversing with the Jetsetters earlier the day: "Would you like a drink, miss..?"
"Hitman, Sharon Hitman is my name, and no thank you, I do not need a drink right now."
"How can we help you out, miss Hitman?"
Sharon closes her eyes for a second and then vocies her request: "I want you to cancel this loathsome show at once."
"WHAT?!" A mix of bewilderment and shock spat off of Odessa's face, and spread itself to her verbality. "Are you NUTS?!" "Odessa!" Min Hee tried to exhort Odessa to tone her volume down.
Sharon answered Odessa's question though, albeit with a bit of a frown: "I'm very serious, young lady."
"Well, how to put it... NO, we are NOT cancelling the show! Hosting's awesome! We get to tour the world on a boat, secretly chuckle in a corner when they're squirming, get to live with them through their prime moments and get paid for it as a bonus as well! It's fucking brilliant!"
"I think the base of this show's immoral! And please, watch your language!" Sharon stands up, gaining more impact on the hosts.
Min Hee, feeling very overshadowed at the moment, tries: "Okay people, can we pleeeaaase calm down and discuss things in a civilized way?"
"Pretending the fucking Train Massacre was a Reality Show is immoral, but THIS fucking isn't! The Eliminated people are not getting fucking killed off!"
"Watch! Your! Language! And I'd actually like to refer to the massacre on that boat, the Luxury's Lap!"
"That! Is! Not! A! Fucking! Reality! Show!" Odessa clearly used F-bombs on purpose by now. "What's fucking WRONG with you!? Seriously?!"
"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you?! Cashing in on mostly innocent deaths like that!"
"It's to fucking keep their memories to them alive, yo!"
Min Hee just sat between the two roaring lions, knowing she would simply not be heard. And, despite being expected to take Odessa's side, she couldn't deny the feeling that Sharon did have a point somewhere...
"Why don't you leave that up to their beloved ones themselves then?!"
"I fucking DO! My fucking father, uncle and.." Odessa paused for a second. Babysitter actually sounds like she was, well, a baby. "Mainstay slash caretaker were all fucking slaughtered!"
"Well, remember dear old Janett Dean?! She. Is. My. Sister!!"
Wham
Min Hee and Odessa are like bunnies hit by a huge pick-up truck. Sharon leans over the table and uses their dumbstruck to get her point clear again: "So, are you going to cancel Jetset?"
This is best left up to Odessa, Min Hee thinks. She'd take ages just trying to find out the balance, pros and cons between the two options and by the time she'd have finally made up her mind Edmund would probably be stuck to a wheelchair or something. And, even more relevant: Min Hee surely lost her coworkers on the Luxury's Lap, but she still has her family living in Shang Simla. She could just take a plane, or maybe try and plan a season there in case the show would go on. Odessa, on the other hand, lost all her close relatives back a year ago. Her mother's still alive, but considering she's volunteered to be stored somewhere in a frozen block for 100 year, 'for science', it would barely count. Uncle Vincent never had children and Odessa's grandparents were all only child. Odessa then got up from her musings.
Odessa: "No. We will not cancel Jetset."
Sharon nods: "Very well then." She walks to the staircase and walks it down. "Well, it looks like sabotaging some of the equipment you have here turned out to be worth it then."
Just one second later, that message alerts Odessa: "Hey, WHAT?!" She jumps off her chair, flies to the staircase, almostly tripping over the chair Sharon left behind empty and then loses some time trying not to fall off the steps.
Min Hee yells out Odessa's name before approaching her to make sure she's not hurt.
But the librarian was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CIS Department
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"CORRECT!!" Anthon and Ellie say out loudly together. "$150.000 in the pocket thanks to some good teamwork and pure trust into eachother's true words. Plus..."
The two pause a bit, for some extra anticipation effect...
Anthon: "Hector is one of the people responsible for the loss of money at the start of the Challenge. In fact, he has spent $50.000 for Immunity for the upcoming Ranking during his talk with the hosts."
Another Jetsetter yells out a "What?" before they all look at Hector. The latter stares back, disappointed in his fellow players: "Thank you all..", he mumbles.
Ellie continues: "Because of this deed, he was assigned the role of culprit in this Challenge. Hector was assigned the job of trying to frame someone else to defend his Immunity. Since he has failed however, he has lost the Immunity."
Anthon: "This Immunity however, is not fully out of the game. It is now up for grabs, for any of you, but Hector." The ears of the other Jetsetter turn sharp after hearing those words. "It comes with a price though. $100.000 from the group's safe to the Assassin's. First come, first serve..."
"I would like to purchase the immunity!"
One person was as fast as lightning, before the group could even discuss the chance together.
And that person, was Salma.
"Hey!"
"Whoa?"
"Shouldn't we talk about it as a group?"
The other Jetsetters are objecting, but alas for them, Anthon concluded: "Salma was first, the Immunity goes to Salma."
Salma: "I get the feeling that I'm not going to be in very good standing with the other players buying immunity from the Assassin like that, but I'm hoping that makes me less of a target for whoever the Assassin is. I've scratched your back, Assassin. Now I hope you'll scratch mine."
Ellie brings a final note out to the group: "But since you were NOT able to solve the whole case, you didn't earn a Clue... Challenge's over!"
HEALTH-E: "The numbers do not add up if I am not mistaken. Since I need it for dosing out medicine, I was built with a calculating device, and according to it, the $100.000 Salma paid and the $50.000 Hector paid for the Immunity cancel out the $150.000 we earned, yet we still lost $50.000 to the Assassin.
Diane: "I think Salma played the game a little too.. impulsive. She cost us a clue."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Front Deck
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Odessa's really frustrated: "I can't believe she trashed the camera's! Now we don't have any visuals!"
"It's okay, we'll find a way against it, eventually." 'I hope so', Min Hee thinks right after, but she didn't dare to say that out.
"Any ideas?"
Min Hee thinkst for a second. "Maybe we could..... you know.."
"Ugh, you have no ideas, right?"
"Err.."
"I'm not stupid like that!" Odessa shouts out.
"Oh, sorry, but."
"Never mind, there they come." And indeed they are coming. The hosts come down the quay to land to meet them right there. The Jetsetters are talking about how Ellie suddenly speeded away after some kind of local bank robbery made it on the news before being silenced by them.
"Jetsetters, we were informed by the hosts of the Challenge."
Odessa: "You LOST $50.000 to the Assassin, plus they won another $150.000! Plus, Salma now has Immunity."
"Good job for Salma, the others... well,-"
Odessa interrupts Min Hee: "Ugh, you just fucked it up big time, no doubt."
"Excuse me?!" Diane shouts out, feeling insulted by Odessa's choice of words.
Min Hee: "Odessa, calm down please."
Odessa: "You now have $222.000 left in your vault, Assassin has $648.000, no Clue this round. Voila, we got it all done."
Min Hee: "Odessa.. I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to go inside, you're acting too angry."
"Hey!" Odessa sighs out loud, but then obeys and goes up, not resisting the urge to pound the stair steps.
"Well," Min Hee continues, "There's one more thing to do. You spent a total of $200.000 on things, but as far as you know Salma spent $100.000 on Immunity and Hector $50.000. So, what's up with the leftover $50.000?"
A small pause. The Jetsetters scan the people around them, looking for an eventual clue.
"Time for you to know: one of you," Min Hee continues, "has bought another prize. One exclusive night on the Jetsetter without the other players." The Jetsetters stare at Min Hee, not yet fully aware of the meaning of it. "One of you has kicked out the others for the night." Instant commotion among the players:
"No way!"
"Ouch!"
"Screw the person who did that!"
"All this," Min Hee finishes, "with courtesy of..."
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Sometime before the Challenge
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Salma: "I don't think my decision is going to sit well with the other players, but I'm playing to win. One of them has to be the assassin. 50.000 dollars into his or her winnings? That's gotta put me in good standing with them, right? I really hope so! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this really does end up helping my game."
Salma steps to Min Hee's side. "Sorry."
"No, not my room!" Edmund yelled out.
Diane added to that an ominous "You touched my clouds, my dear. you touched my clouds...."
Connie tries to "Er, Guys...", but isn't noticed by others. Min Hee does notice her though.
"You'll get 100 Simoleons to spend for the night." She gives Connie 5 billls of $20. "Good luck and lots of wisdom. See you tomorrow!"
She takes Salma up the stairs on board an disappears inside.
"Well played, Salma Guerrero.." Diane mumbles.
"Okay guys, I guess I'll have to give each of you 20?" Connie hands out the money.
Hector throws his suggestion into the group: "I say we go downtown and look at our options there."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dog Park
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Whatever you do, I am not going to stay in a barn down the hill." The 5 Jetsetters are standing in a circle, Diane starting the discussion.
"I think that is a wise decision," HEALTH-E states. "You have to consider the high amount of horses in that area of the town, and since you are allergic to-"
"We know that, lets move on." Diane again.
Edmund suggests his take on the problem: "If we could sleep in an upper-class neighborhood in the town, I'd be pleased. More people of my sorts to mingle among, and you, dear people, have bigger odds of finally beholding, touching, feeling and.. adoring my-"
Someone coughs. Edmund looks around, but can't figure out who coughed.
Hector takes his chance to say something in the silence: "I suggest we try and find a town map."
Diane: "Now that would be a nice start of business, my dear."
Connie's worried: "We only have 100 Simoleons, shouldn't we check the prices first?"
"There is no need for a map." HEALTH-E shows his more useful side. "As a healthcare companion, I have built-in GPS-access to digital maps so I can easily locate the whereabouts of a person in need of urgent healthcare. I can easily find out what places should be suitable for us to stay for a night."
"Woo, that's handy! Let's see then...." HEALTH-E turns his back to Connie. A metal plate fluidly slides away, revealing a touchscreen in his back, while HEALTH-E aims his head at the sky.
"I am now aiming for a signal. Please be patient."
The other Jetsetters gather behind Connie in order to peek at the screen as well.
Hector: "Wait a second!... If really can read any medical and personal records on any person... Eeehh"
*Hector shivers*
"Plain creepy thought. What if they.... Ugh, I think I now know how The Sims Wiki got their stuff.."
"Connection established. You can use the map now."
"Let's see..." Connie quickly scans the map. "Well, we got our old friends, Tate and Esme Curley, living down the street.."
Hector objects: "No, we brought them enough trouble already. Next!" Edmund and Diane both nod in agreement, believe it or not.
"Okay then.." Connie scrolls through the street. "The street we're currently in only has community locations, besides the Curley residence.."
"Wait a second, Connie" HEALTH-E freezes his screen. "I am now downloading the relevant information about the local hospital. I think it would be the best idea if I would spend the night there, that way I will be in the hands of experienced people."
Connie: "That's good. Wait a sec.."
HEALTH-E's download process bar freezes for exactly 1000 milliseconds before asking "What are you waiting on?"
Connie: "There, in the corner.. Honey Darnell's residence."
"Honey Darnell, that was that famous blonde model living here, right?," Edmund asks.
Hector corrects him: "The country singer. She is a country singer."
Edmund: "Well, if she is famous, then she's likely living in the lap of luxury and that's good enough for me."
"She's only living across this park," Diane points out.
Connie concludes: "Then we should go there and talk to her." She exits HEALTH-E's map program, after which he restores himself to his usual state. "Honey was so nice to me after Blane fell out of that tree.."
"If you are going to the Darnell residence, is it fine if I go to the hospital?" HEALTH-E asks.
Hector: "Sure, why not?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Front Deck
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Salma: "Now that I'm in the safe zone for at least a couple of days, I could spend my time figuring out what's all going on with the others. What happened to Odessa? Why did she act out all of a sudden? And let's not forget the Michael-incident of Hector's either.. Given Hector's reaction, he was hiding something. And I think it might be better if I could try and figure out what once he's back tomorrow- it could be crucial information in this game..."
The shadow of the sunset gives Salma's silhouette a mysterious, yet elegant look, even when she is just skyping again with Shay. She turns her laptop around, to give her lover a view on the pool deck, the water sparkling like a golden diamond.
Shay's impressed: "Ooh, that looks great! Really wish I was there now."
"You can't complain, you were on Castaway. Basically the same view, in the heart of Mother Nature."
Shay views her situation back then differently though: "I didn't have a proper roof over my head, silly Sallie."
"... Touché. At least you were in Isla Paradiso." Salma again.
Shay has an idea: "You know, maybe I should sign up next season and hope they'll go to Isla Paradiso in Season 3."
"Yeah, that sounds good. If you go and buy a bigger suitcase, I'll try yoga. Maybe I'll fit in it."
Shay laughs. "Maybe you will. How are things doing with the other people?"
"Well.." Salma pauses for drama effect. "I kicked them out for the night! This whole boat's mine exclusive!"
"I'd almost feel sorry for the others," Shay says.
"Almost?"
"Almost, yes. Good job hey. See ya later!"
"Later." Salma replies, before the Skype connection is broken. Salma closes her laptop, turns around, and sees Min Hee walking towards her.
"Oh, hi Min Hee."
"Hi there. Sorry to interrupt your peace and quiet, here." Min Hee points to the pool. "But I just wanted someone to talk with."
"Oh, no problem. ... But how about Odessa?"
Min Hee: "Well, she's feeling a bit... how should I say that.. unamused right now."
"Hmm, what has happened then?" Salma asks.
"Hm?"
"Well," Salma clarifies, "I'm not an expert on her, but she doesn't seem like the kind who would acct like that for no reason."
"I guess," Min Hee starts off, "we should tell you earlier or later anyway so.. We had a visitor today."
Salma: "Oh."
"The visitor wanted us to cancel Jetset and has sabotaged the cameras, but Odessa didn't agree with it and now is mad for the sabotage. We don't know yet when we can replace the camera's."
"Wait, so there's no picture? How are you solving that?"
A voice from the sky starts speaking: "I can do the storytelling."
Surprised Salma quickly watches the surroundings: "What was that?!"
Vul: "It's me again, Vul, the one who is responsible for all the show."
"Okay.." Min Hee utters softly, slightly unsure
Vul: "I'll give you a clue: the camera in the Diary Room's still working."
Salma brightly calls out: "Oh, great! I did a few confessionals just after the Challenge! Great."
Min Hee: "Well, that's something.."
Vul: "Can't do too much else for you though. Sorry girls. Bye!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Darnell Residence
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Connie rings the doorbell of the big, Victorian craftsman. Hector and Edmund are silently waiting behind her, while Diane can't help but look worried at the stable right next to the villa.
"Oh no, I hope she is not on a tour or something.." Connie mumbles to herself.
"Wait," Hector shouts, "she might not be here at all?" Luckily, the door opens right after, revealing a country star who looks pleasantly surprised to see a familiar kind face again. "Never mind."
"Oh, looky here, it's Connie!" Honey immediately gives the others a warm welcome as well.
"Hey.." Connie tries to come to the point as direct as possible. "Er, well, can we ask you another favour?"
"Sure."
"Okay, err, you do remember that show we were on right? Well, we're kicked out of the boat for the night, er.. so I was wondering.. can we, er, stay the night at your place?"
Honey laughs warmly. "No problem, I still have a few spots left."
"Great!" Edmund exclaims. "Your home looks.. lovely enough for a man of my tastes."
"Just don't mind the horse smell in here." Diane backs off after that comment of Honey's.
"I'm sorry, but I think I shouldn't stay here. I'm allergic."
"Oh..." Honey looks a little disappointed in this turn of events. "I guess we can't change something about it then. Good luck!"
"Wait!" Connie sprints back to Diane. "I- I'll go with you then."
"No, you shouldn't. I'll be fine, I promise.. You can't let Honey behind, can you?"
Connie nervously sighs and rubs her fingers. "... You're right..."
Diane turns around and leaves the lot. Connie watches her leave and then closes the door. Twice.
Edmund: "Ugh. Her house was horrible. Only outdated Victorian trinkets. No no no, what Honey Darnell needs for her home is a facelift. First of all, Victorian's unfashionable since the early 20's. She should aim for a modern wave in her life instead. A flair which can best be brought to be by, of course.."
*Edmund pats his chest*
Edmund: "Me!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diary Room
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Odessa: "Well, here goes.. thank goodness this camera's still working.. it's still something we have..."
*Odessa sighs*
Odessa: "How DARES she fuck up the camera's, what the HELL is wrong with her?! I'm so pissed off at the moment, still pissed off, even, and believe me, she's not gonna get away with it!"
Lenka: "Yip!"
Odessa: "I know, Lenka, we will get her one day, no doubt for that.. Ugh... First trying to get the fucking camera's right again.."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Appaloosa Plains Library
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diane's lying down on a sofa in the big hall. At least she now found a place which one could say would fit with her own wishes. A soft place to sleep on, a bathroom not too far away and books in her near surroundings. What could one dream more of? Maybe a glass of wine, or a pillow and some blankets.. But she shouldn't complain, if Diane had to choose between this and a bench in the park, she'd pick the Library. If it weren't for..
"Madam, could you please leave for the day? I'm about to close the library for the night." The local librarian tries to shoo her out.
"Oh, hello, my dear. Look, can I ask you for a favour?"
"Eh-"
Diane continues her plea. "I'm playing on this game show in this town-" Now it's the librarian's turn to stop Diane's talk.
"Are you referring to 'Jetset', by any chance?"
"Oh.. Yes, I am. How do you know?"
The Librarian continues: "I'm sorry, but then I must ask you to leave this place at once.."
"Hey, now that's nonsense, dear.hard Perhaps we can make a deal of some kind?"
She looks interested all of a sudden. "Hmm, you know what? Maybe we can..."
"I have 20 Simoleons with me. It's not much, but-"
"I'm not interested in affairs like money. I'd like you to sabotage the production of the show."
".. Like games?"
"No, not these little Challenges.. You can spend the night in the library in exhange for your promise to sabotage the production of the show itself, like the technical stuff. The show must be cancelled, for morality's sake!"
Diane looks at her 20 Simoleon bill and then back at the librarian. What is wrong with her, Diane thought. Why would someone ask a random stranger to sabotage a tv show for no good reason? And why in the world did she start believing it's morally right to sabotage a - relatively- innocent show? She clenches her first, crumpling the money in it.
"No. I'm playing for my own goals there. And sabotaging the show would hinder these goals."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
3 seconds later
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The rock-solid sidewalk hurts under Diane's bottom.
"AND STAY OUT!!!" The librarian yells at her.
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End of Episode 13
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