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The text seemed
Chatterbox: Pudding's Place
The text seemed
The text seemed relatively valid. Intrigued, you read the text again:
Dear CBer,
You have been selected for a free trial at the High Hopes Academy! If you choose to accept this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you will receive an all-expenses-paid* overnight trip to the High Hopes Academy. There, you will learn all about the many aerial sports, such as hangliding and skydiving.
You've heard of these before, and have read about your friends that never came back- are you courageous enough to accept?
*The High Hopes Academy is not responsible for payments due to deaths (of any kind), injuries, etc.
Please enjoy your stay!
Sincerely,
The Director of Activities
NOTE: I've never written a "ski lodge mystery" before, (but this one doesn't take place in a ski lodge) so I apologize if someone has. If they have, I was not aware of that. Also, I may not be able to post more than once a day, because I know how long these posts can get and I'm not sure I have that kind of time for more than once a day. I hope this is fun!! If you wish to join, please bring some things you think you might need, and once we gather some people we can start. Enjoy!!
submitted by Activities Director, High Hopes Academy
(December 11, 2015 - 9:33 pm)
(December 11, 2015 - 9:33 pm)
Glad you're all coming! @Leafmist, you can certainly call me A.D.! It makes me sound like I have a college degree. :) (No rhyme intended)
So, here's who I have coming, and let me know if I forgot anyone, please!
-Leafmist
-Leafmist's CAPTCHA Misty
-Leafmist's AE Sweet Tea
-Leafmist's other AE Cloudfire
-Sweet Tea's CAPTCHA Biscuit
-Aquina W.
-Aquina's CAPTCHA Wingnut
-Poetic Panda
-Booksy Owly
-Sydney C.
-Joan B. of Arc
-Joan's AE Puck
-Joan's CAPTCHA Sir Galahad
-Shadow Dragon
-Will T.
If anyone else wants to join I will close the enterings after five more people join. Notice that this is five more people than the earlier mentioned maximum. Now I'm thinking 20 is a better number because it's even. :)
Activities Director
P.S. Don't forget, you can start guessing me if you want! ;)
(December 13, 2015 - 1:18 pm)
[Rufus! Give me back my microphone!]
Oh, hello, Rufus here. My scaly self seems to have been left out of the list of attendants! [Rufus!]
Would it be a problem if-[Gotccha!(snatches away microphone)]
I do apologize for my alter ego. He's had a little too much hot cocoa. So he's a bit energetic. Carry on!
(December 13, 2015 - 7:28 pm)
I might join. I will let you know before I drop out if I do. I am bringing
-Legolas
-Spare clothes
-Books( 15)
-Pocket knife
-Matches and food
-Tent and sleeping bag
-Can't think of anything else now. See you there. Legolas says wuih. If you prouncice it right it almost sounds like why.
(December 14, 2015 - 12:07 am)
I would love to come! I'll pack later, though.
~Starseeker
(December 14, 2015 - 12:42 pm)
Joining! Will pack later.
(December 15, 2015 - 2:25 pm)
This is 19! One more person may join! And then we can start...tee hee hee...
Activities Director
P.S. Don't forget, you can begin to guess me. ;)
(December 15, 2015 - 4:51 pm)
@A.D.- Are you Scylla? Joan B.? Chinchilla? Joss? Will T.?
(December 17, 2015 - 9:09 am)
Nope, none of those! Tee hee hee...
Activities Director
(December 17, 2015 - 3:45 pm)
Alright, I'll wait one more day before starting, and if anyone (only ONE person/AE/CAPTCHA/etc.) wants to join but didn't know about the one-more-day-before-cutoff date, assuming no one else joined, I can attempt to squeeze them in.
Activities Director
P.S. Please pack soon if you haven't already!
(December 17, 2015 - 7:14 pm)
TOP! And please pack if you haven't done so yet! I want to make sure everyone's fully prepared for their adventure before it begins.... ;)
Activities Director
(December 19, 2015 - 5:13 pm)
TOP! And let's get this show on the road! (Or CB'ers in the air.)
(December 20, 2015 - 12:32 pm)
I'm packing-
pixie dust (I will be high up, I will need it sometime)
Kite
Grimm fairy tale treasury
A good amount of bravery (I really didn't think this through-I'm afraid of heights. Oh well.)
(December 20, 2015 - 12:53 pm)
So sorry, everyone! I know I meant to start a few days ago but I've been sick since the 18th! However, I'm better now, so I will start as soon as I write the beginning. ;)
Activities Director
(December 22, 2015 - 5:38 pm)
A.D. are you Somebody? Or Shadow Dragon?
(December 23, 2015 - 11:18 am)
@Joan, nope and nope!
Day Zero, Part One - The Airport
Leafmist stood anxiously at Terminal F. “I wonder when all the other CBers are going to get here,” she mused. Her CAPTCHA, Misty, was next to her, eagerly awaiting the other CBers. Leafmist grabbed ahold of her Sweet Tea’s shirt. “Ah-ah-ah!” Leafmist said, pulling her AE back towards her. “We don’t want you leaving before the journey hasn’t even begun!”
Sweet Tea was persistent. “But I only wanted to see the other CBers!” she complained. (Sorry if Sweet Tea’s a he!)
“The other CBers should be here any moment,” Leafmist promised her AE. As if on cue, a group of CBers approached.
“Hey, Leafmist!” exclaimed Aquina. “How’ve you been?”
“Great!” Leafmist replied. “Do you know where the other CBers are? I’ve been waiting here for, like, ever.”
“Yes--well, no. I have a general idea. Apparently, their flight was late, and so was the train. It’s going to be end up totaling to about an extra ten-minute delay.”
Leafmist groaned. “Ugggh! My luggage is heavy! I don’t want to have to carry it around for another ten minutes!”
“How about we grab a table and set our stuff down there? We can get all of us some hot chocolate and candy canes for them and have a nice chat while we wait,” Aquina suggested.
Sweet Tea protested, “But I want sweet tea, obviously! I don’t want hot chocolate! It’s an icky brown!”
“Fine, fine,” Leafmist said, brushing off Sweet Tea’s protests, “you can have your sweet tea.”
“Sweet tea?” Poetic Panda inquired, holding her luggage. “I love sweet tea!”
“Poetic Panda?!” asked Leafmist and Aquina in unison. “How did you get here so fast?!”
“Um...I walked,” Poetic Panda said slowly.
Leafmist laughed. “No, silly! We meant how you got here before the ten minutes was up! We heard that everyone else’s flight was late.”
“Oh, really?” Poetic Panda asked. “Huh! I didn’t know that their flights were going to be late. Too bad about that, but you know, more time with my good ol’ hot cocoa!”
“You heard that conversation, too?” Aquina asked, surprised.
“Um, yeah, you guys are kinda hard to miss. I heard you from halfway down the hallway,” Poetic Panda joked.
Leafmist and Aquina laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Aquina said.
“Uh-huh,” Leafmist agreed. “We’re loud CBers.” She smiled, and turned to receive their order from the counter, and motioned for the two other CBers to follow her to a small table. As there were only two chairs at the dainty table, Poetic Panda pulled up a chair for herself and sat down with Leafmist and Aquina. Meanwhile, Biscuit, Sweet Tea, Cloudfire, Misty, and Wingnut were all frolicking (aka creating small chaos) over by the luggage carousel. Sweet Tea had thought it was a good idea to ride the luggage carousel, and apparently Cloudfire, Biscuit, Misty, and Wingnut thought the temptation was too great to refuse.
“Ooh! Hot chocolate!” Poetic Panda exclaimed, bringing everyone’s thoughts back to the hot chocolate as she picked up a warm mug of steaming cocoa and began to lick off the whipped cream.
“This is some of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had!” Remarked Leafmist.
“Definitely,” Aquina agreed, taking a sip of hot chocolate and ending up with a hot cocoa moustache.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, on the plane….
Some of the other CBers, AEs, and CAPTCHAs had managed to nab seats together. Joan sat with Sir Galahad and Puck, Booksy Owly sat with Will T. and Rufus, and Shadow Dragon sat with Sydney and Elvina.
“Man, I can’t believe it’s already 3:15,” Booksy Owly remarked.
“Yeah,” Joan agreed. “It’s super annoying! We were supposed to be landing at 3:00 so we could meet the other CBers at 3:10.”
“But no-oooo,” Puck complained, “we just haaad to get stuck in air traffic.”
“Apparently so,” Joan agreed.
“Hfft,” Sir Galahad said.
“It’s a real shame we’re going to be late,” Shadow Dragon remarked. “I was hoping to be the first CBer there.”
“Everybody else is probably waiting for us,” Will T. said.
“Yeah,” Shadow Dragon agreed. “I hope they haven’t been waiting long.”
“So,” Sydney said, changing the subject, “where do you guys think we’re headed?”
“Um….the High Hopes Academy,” Rufus said sarcastically.
“No, silly!” Sydney chastised. “I meant, where is the High Hopes Academy?”
“Oh,” Elvina understood. “I have no idea.”
Everyone broke into laughter as the pilot announced to please buckle your seat belts as the plane would begin its descent momentarily.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the same time, on the train….
Starseeker and Cho Chang were seated together on the tram. They had all ridden the train to the station but needed a lift to the airport.
“I wonder what we’re going to be doing at High Hopes Academy,” Starseeker thought aloud.
“Well, considering it’s called High Hopes Academy, I’m thinking it’s going to be teaching us aerial sports,” Cho answered.
“Yeah, I know, but I mean, like, what kind of aerial sports? They’ve certainly got a lot to pick from,” Starseeker remarked.
“Definitely,” Cho agreed. “Here, let me pull up the email,” she said, taking her device out of her pocket. “You have been selected-blah, blah, blah,” Cho began, scanning the email for details. “Um...ah-ha!” She had found the part where the email explained what the CBers would be doing at High Hopes academy. “There, you will learn all about the many aerial sports, such as hangliding and skydiving.” Cho looked up from her device. “Huh. That was completely unhelpful,” she concluded, locking the device and slipping it back into her pocket.
“Darn! I thought by reading that email again it would make more sense,” Cho admitted.
“Yeah,” Starseeker agreed.
Just then, the tram pulled into the airport and Cho and Starseeker ran into Poetic Panda, Aquina, Leafmist, Biscuit, Sweet Tea, Cloudfire, and Wingnut, who were finishing off their not-as-hot chocolate.
“Hey guys!” Aquina said.
“Wlcm,” Wingnut agreed.
“Wait, where’s everyone else?” Leafmist asked, confused.
“What? There’s more CBers coming?” Starseeker asked, even more confused.
“Oh yeah, I think so,” Poetic Panda confirmed. “Apparently, their flights were late.”
“Huh,” Cho said. “Well, it looks like you have some extra hot chocolate,” she winked.
Leafmist nodded. “Yeah! We ordered those for the coming CBers.”
“Cool!” Cho agreed, taking her first sip of cocoa.
Suddenly, the airport was filled with the sound of a group of friends laughing as some CBers came walking down the hall.
“What’s up?” Asked Booksy Owly.
“Nothing much,” Joan admitted. “Just keeping these two in line,” she said, pulling a prank out of Puck’s hand. “We got lucky that time,” she whispered to Booksy Owly. “That was his whoopee cushion!”
Booksy Owly’s face went slightly pale, and Will T. yanked a pie blaster out of Rufus’s hand. “Hey!” he yelped. “Not another one! I’ve already got three pies in the face today and I don’t need another one!”
Rufus sighed. “Hey, is that hot chocolate?”
“Yeah!” Aquina exclaimed. “We got enough for all of you.”
And with that, the CBers settled down for their first taste of their trip.
-------------------------------
Well, I hope you all liked it! I certainly had fun writing the first part of my "ski lodge" mystery.
Activities Director
(December 23, 2015 - 3:48 pm)