Puzzling Puzzles

OOC: JP With: littlered222, LaserSexPanther, Jaxx

Before ascending the steps Jai turned back to Ryker, giving him a short list of orders through hand signs. Ryker nodded and confirmed he understood. As Jai, Eryka and Dominic headed upstairs towards the top floor, Ryker and Collette when outside to greet The Prince, once everyone was inside and while they waited for the Giovanni to arrive Ryker placed a file cabinet in the way of the door. Easy for a vampire to move but they'd have to pause for a moment to do so. Once the Giovanni arrived Ryker was told to bar the door more. While Jai attempted to smoke the kidnappers out. The plan was to prevent them roof access and only give them one exit. Pushing them into an ambush like an animal. As they climbed the stairs Jai was on the look out for physical trappings, having the other two scan for wards.

It was difficult to tell what the top floor was, exactly, used for. The coordinator was a beige brick, the floor Grey steel with faded blue and yellow lines.

There was no electricity on this floor, which made it pretty dark, save for the flashlights. Peering into the rooms, there were a few desks, some tables. Nothing of much note.

That was until the group came to end of a long corridor. In there was a room, a bit bigger than the others. As the group entered the room, there was a round table and in the center of the table a crystal vase filled with black roses. The roses were alive, fairly fresh as if left in the past day or so.

If Jai moves towards the table a slight jolt goes through him. Anyone else can get close to the table. It's clearly been warded against Jai getting close to it.

Erykah spoke up, “Dis is clearly a trap. Please keep a watch while we do our thing.” Then Erykah and Dominic began pulling out some tools and setting up to analyze the room. Erykah seemed very serious as she chanted and moving her tools around. Dominic on the seemed like he was nervous as he was trying to keep up with Erykah.

Jai nodded. "Got it." he said as he pulled a knife free from the sheath on his chest rig. Though it wasn't all the 'effective' at taking down a vampire it added a good six inches to his reach. He stood ready, just in case something went south, hoping that a homeless human squatting here wouldn't come running from the dark. With his nerves standing on end it wouldn't end well. "Alex better keep a better handle on her after this, airheads aren't worth me sticking my neck to the thresher for." he thought.

Even with both Erykah and Dominic working on it, it took them almost twenty minutes to unward all the wards on the table.

Finally, Jai could get close to the table. Scrawled on the table was:

"Look for the "anymouse." Before the civilian-enemy needs a "band-aid". She must be willing to give up by now. The hospital has been "demilitarized" except for her. Find her- help the Prince's princess."

While the military speech, interdispersed might be another annoyance, it did give some information. Then under the words were coordinates. That was it, all those wards just for that.

Erykah and Dominic looked at each other as they heard the odd words that Jai read out. Dominic wondered if Erykah knew the meaning and she simply shook her head no and shrugged her shoulders to show she was clueless on the topic.
LaserSexPanther — 03/22/2023 12:32 AM
Jai scratched his chin. "I know the words, but making them make sense is the tricky part. "Anymouse is a box used on Navy ships, it locks and has a slot on top. Its used similar to a suggestion box. Bandaid is medical staff. and demilitarized should explain itself but they didn't use it right, but I guess we should imply if there were people here before they are gone now and we won't be running into civilians, or at least 'normal' civilians. That bit implies there's somebody here. Could be a werewolf or a hunter." Jai said. "That enough for use to get some kind of picture of what we need to be looking for?"

Dominic looked confused by what Jai said and replied, "I don't see the connection, but puzzles are not my bag. Then Erykah tilted her head to the side as she suggested, "Perhaps et iz a play on wurds. Try to substatute tha words for a nudder wurd wit da same meanin. Then see which one fits betta." Dominic shrugged as he replied, "Its worth a try." Dominic pulled out a pen and note pad and began writing the words Jai chose in columns and then listed other words with similar meanings before showing it to Jai.

Jai ran his hand down his face..."I hate riddles." he said through clinched teeth. "If the prince doesn't rip who ever we find limp from limp I'm going to do it myself." Jai commented, but was cut off before he could say anything else. Talking to Colette and told the others the Prince was on his way up. "Let's figure this out before he gets here." he said. "Ok...lets break it down to a crazy person understanding." Jai leaned over reading it again. "Band-aid." he said again. "Could just mean just that. A band-aid. Like a kid with a..." Jai stopped talking. "Princes and princess are kids stories. Band-aids for hurt." Jai looked to see if they were following. "Who ever we are going to find might be in the children's wing in a box with a hole cut for air." Jai said, indicating he expected it to not be a vampire, and be a human.

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