- Of Archeology and Picarats -

" There's no reward without risk - and every puzzle has an answer!!" SPECIFICATIONS: Teen!Randall Indie RP account (Will probably contain spoilers for Miracle Mask in-rp! Tread Carefully.) M!A: Currently a five-year old kid for 3 days.

[garounthropy]

Oh yeah, you’re the cutest and toughest archaeologist I’ve ever met! - Seluna keeps teasing with a wide grin on her face, barely hiding how adorable she think he it. She kneels down then, to make it easier to get on her back. -

C’mere darling, you’re gonna ride on the back of a mighty werewolf!

[thegingerpuzzler]

"You're right on the 'tough' part, but no waaay, I'm not cuuute! Shhhh!!" Gesturing with a hand like a librarian would to someone being noisy (which Randall himself frequently WAS), the young lad's pouting expression shifted - as usual - to a more cheery look. Randall never stayed grumpy or in a bad mood long, and the prospect of a piggy-back ride sounded fun.

"Okay, okay!"

The boy scrambles forth and clambers onto his buddy's back easily, giggling as he does so.

"Your hair's so fluffy! Issat because of being a werewolf, Selly?"

He seems quite delighted by all this...perhaps the spell is making him act more kiddy than thought?

[bluesuitpapa]

The Professor was bullied when he was younger? Huh.

"You’re right," Nick agreed, "Professor Layton is very gentlemanly and polite. I don’t think I’ve met a man more refined than him, to be honest." He took his hand back and nodded his head gently.

"It’s nice to get a perspective on him that I probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. It was a… very weird time for the both of us when we met up."

[thegingerpuzzler]

"Yeah, some of my pals say I could stand ta be a bit more 'gentlemanly' myself, but pfft - I'm more of a go getter sorta guy, who sallies forth into adventure after adventure quickly! Ain't got time for stopping and taking things slow like Hersh does: kinda funny how we're complete opposites and still great friends, eh?"

Tilting his head to the side a little bit in amusement after stating that, Randall's eyes widened at the talk of 'weird'. "Did you two go on some kinda grand adventure, too?! That's so cool! Can you tell me more about it, huh?"

Randall...was obviously attracted to tales of grandiose adventuring like a bee was to flowers, that much was obvious.

[thegingerpuzzler]

❞Eighteen, huh? Youse sure about that, mister Randall-Ascot-the-puzzle-enthusiast-and-archeologist? 'Cause I ain't apt ta b'lieve it." The shadow does cease its movements as if it were giving some form of thought. "Ain't no Boogeyman, but youse can figure me out if youse can catch me outta a shadow one'a these days."

"Yeah, I'm sure! I know it must sound crazy, but think about it! If I was a normal kid, wouldn't I be really freaked out by talking to my own shadow and not understand any of it? I'm pretty relaxed right now, so..but if ya don't believe me, wait until three days when it wears off, an' you'll see! I promise!"

Nodding in a confident manner, Randall then blinked about the talk of 'catching the shadow' out of the shadow it was in.

"You mean if you didn't make my hands cold, I could actually grab you? Like Peter Pan caught his own shadow?"

[thegingerpuzzler]

"RANDALL GET OUT HERE SO I CAN KICK YER A-- Why in the Gods' name are you three?"

"Aahhh! Don’t kick my butt! You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses, would yo-" Oh. Wait, he never wore his glasses when he was this young. Uh…

"You wouldn’t hit a kid, would ya? Also, this is because of a dumb grey stranger dumbly makin’ me a kid for three days. Bluuuh."

[wehateourbosses]

"Alia told you, didn’t she?" Caine said, shaking his head with a smirk, "Sometimes I question her innocence… But how about this; We can go to my house, as we can make it together! It’ll be more fun like that anyway, right? And all my ingredients are straight from the farm, so they should taste a lot better."

"Well, this is also magic caused by those grey guys, and their power is nearly impossible to even be SWAYED. It’ll take so much power from me, bad shit’ll happen right afterwards. I don’t want you hurt, Randall…" He sighed.

[thegingerpuzzler]

Though Randall himself kept the name of who had blurted that fact out secret, perhaps Caine knew his other chums a bit TOO well - he then correctly guessing that it had been Alia who told him. 

"Bwaaaah - I hope she doesn't think I couldn't keep a secret!"

Frustration aside at that being read so easily, Randall leans on his buddy's head apologetically about the offer. "Angie and Henry have really gotten grumpy about me getting lost in another country, so they're probably not gonna let me sneak out for a while...I didn't expect ta get that lost, honest! But as soon as they let me explore again, I'd be happy to, yay!"

Listening, then, about the dangers of meddling with grey stranger magic, Randall sighed. "Three days isn't long...so I can wait until it wears off. I don't want my chums to freak out more than they already are, yanno?"

[thegingerpuzzler]

Oh, it mimics. It mimics your movement right to the T, until your fingers touch upon the surface of the wall. It's cold to the touch, much like the room is, yet it almost seems as though it is the source of the lack of heat. ❞Youse an archeologist? Now tha's a riot! What're ya? Four? Five? Youse a small fry, ain't no way youse anythin' like that."

The shadow indeed plays a good game of follow the leader, and Randall jerks his hand away and rubs at it with a bit of a shiver - oooh, that's cold! However, at the voice being very amused about him being an archaeologist, he puffs his chest proudly.

"Don't be fooled by how little I look right now! I only look like a kid 'cause'a spell - I'm actually eighteen! My name's Randall!  Randall Ascot, puzzle enthusiast and archeologist! If you're not the boogeyman...who are you? Or is that a secreeet, oooh?"

[thegingerpuzzler]

"RANDALL GET OUT HERE SO I CAN KICK YER A-- Why in the Gods' name are you three?"

"Aahhh! Don’t kick my butt! You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses, would yo-" Oh. Wait, he never wore his glasses when he was this young. Uh…

"You wouldn’t hit a kid, would ya? Also, this is because of a dumb grey stranger dumbly makin’ me a kid for three days. Bluuuh."

[wehateourbosses]

Caine sighed with a small smile, gently ruffling his friend’s hair, getting to his feet again.

"That’s alright, kid; I don’t like sweets anyway." He assured, picking him up from under his arms and raising him high, setting him down on his shoulders, "There ya go. Taller than you usually are up there, but at least you’re not so low anymore. Ye can reach the top shelf now, look at that!"

Sure, Caine was frustrated Randall took off yet again, but he was one of his best friends, and he couldn’t stay mad at him for long. He probably had another excuse for it, but at least he was here now… Even if he was five.

"Time reversal spells aren’t too difficult, but they are hard to break." He admitted, "Besides, for bailing for so damn long, I think being a little guy for three days to actually keep yer ass from running off again sounds pretty good."

[thegingerpuzzler]

"My chum said that you'd say that! But you liiike them, I know, and I wanted ta make up for bein' lost so long by trying to make some..but I can't even REACH the stove like this, aww." His pouting about being this short was disrupted at the piggy-back ride, the ginger lad giggling with glee and wrapping his arms around his pal in a hug as he sat there happily. "I can see for so faaar up here! It's so cooool!"

A pause, there, as his chum mused about time reversal spells. "So, wait...ya know about this sorta thing?" Only, the way his chum mentioned it made it clear he couldn't break the spell early. Aww! "But I got inta just as many adventures when I was legitimately this age and not 'cause'a spell!" A point from the lad, there!

[thegingerpuzzler]

❞Boogeyman?" It echoes almost dumbfounded, and the shadow makes a motion as if it were folding its arms. "No way, kid! Ain't no Boogeyman 'round here! Youse just looked like an easy scare ta me, but ya clearly are a fearless li'l thing, ain't ya?"

"No boogeyman? Aw, I couldv'e made a very vital archaeological discovery about a common theme of humans and a figure they get spooked of through time actually being real...but that's okay! Of course I'm not scared! I'm a tough adventurer and archaeologist, so mysterious stuff like this...it's like another adventure to me!"

Leaning down to try and get a better look at the shadow talking to him, he then experimentally attempts to see what extending his hand towards it does. Will his hand just go right through or will the talking shadow copy him as usual?

[thegingerpuzzler]

"RANDALL GET OUT HERE SO I CAN KICK YER A-- Why in the Gods' name are you three?"

"Aahhh! Don’t kick my butt! You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses, would yo-" Oh. Wait, he never wore his glasses when he was this young. Uh…

"You wouldn’t hit a kid, would ya? Also, this is because of a dumb grey stranger dumbly makin’ me a kid for three days. Bluuuh."

[wehateourbosses]

"Nng, I wouldn’t…" Caine sighed, but he did lift him up by the back of his shirt, looking over him with red eyes, "Hm… That’s some pretty tough magic you’ve got on you there, kiddo. I’m not very familiar with it, but…"

He set him down again, sitting in front of him, irritation still in his eyes.

"Three days, huh, tiny? Wooow, that’s a downright shame…" He said, a sly smirk on his face, "That must reeeaaally suck, huh, little man..?"

[thegingerpuzzler]

As Randall had suspected, his chum wouldn't hurt him while he was like this, of course not - but it didn't stop the chum from picking him up by the scruff of his shirt, Randall blinking in surprise at the sheer height - whoaa, this was high. Wow, it was kind of fun, actually! "Hehe! Higher! Higher!"

Wait, no, that sounded kiddy - ack! Kiddy...this spell was evidently a bit stronger than he first guessed. Shaking his head to force that out of his mind, he was then plonked back down.

"Yeah...it must be strong magic to turn back time an' make me a kid again, right?" However, the ginger then huffed at the last statements. "Hey, I know I'm short at the moment, but I'm only five body-wise right now, so I can't exactly HELP that, so  suuuue me!"

Folding his arms, he then grumbled: "I didn't even get to make you a strawberry and chocolate sticky bun...that sucks."

[thegingerpuzzler]

"R-Randall..?" Alia stood rigid in front of the redhead, a few small tears welling up in her eyes. She ran into his arms, holding him tightly, trembling all over. "I m-missed you..!"

Randall gave a surprised look at seeing a familiar face.

"Alia…? Hey, it IS you! Young miss Alia…sorry if I made ya worr-"

Suddenly, the young missy then lunges forwards and grabs him into a tearful hug.

"H-hey, it’s okay…I didn’t mean to get lost for so long. I’m okay, it’s okay!"

[ourstarswillburnon]

"He likes strawberry and chocolate the most!" Alia said with a small nod, "He’ll definitely be happy to see you if you bring him something like that, though! He’s been really forgiving and cheerful lately with Ryan around the house, so I’m sure you don’t have to worry."

Alia tilted her head slightly, a bit confused as well.

"I dunno what a ‘Best Man’ is, but… Caine didn’t tell you he was a Demigod yet..?"

Then again, if Randall knew Caine from before a lot of things with Ryan happened, he was probably a lot more secretive about it. So maybe she shouldn’t have told him? But he would’ve found out eventually anyway, right..?

[thegingerpuzzler]

"Alright, so a strawberry and chocolate sticky bun might be a good bet! Thanks for the info, little missy!" Randall bent over to try and give the girl's hair an affectionate ruffle or two. "I sure hope so - but we were good pals for a long time, and he knows how I get with explorin' and getting in over my head, anyway...so if he forgave me the last time I went and injured myself, he should forgive me this time as well, right? Riight! I'm Randall Ascot, and I'm ALWAYS right!"

Grinning and puffing his chest out a bit after that bit of harmless boasting, he then remembered. Yeah, his chum HAD said something like that! "Yeah, actually, he did...he said about having powers an' being a demigod, it was just so long ago I forgot for a sec...oops!"

[thegingerpuzzler]

The shadow upon the wall mimics your movement for a moment more before it seems to give into the laughter that had filled the room. It even doubles over and holds its sides as it makes some attempt to contain its amused howls. The laughter subsides and the shadow marks its own pose before the voice proclaims; "Youse a sharp kid for findin' me! But I ain't givin' in that easily, kiddo!"

Even though this is...really increasing with confusion the longer it goes on, it seems, his suspicion that his 'shadow' is the 'hide and go seeker' here was proved correct - it then moving on it's own to laugh in bemusement, Randall unable to hold back a few amused giggles himself, before the shadow talks.

It complimented him on his sharp eye, but it wasn't going to give in.

"A talking shadow...are you like the boogeyman or something? That's so cool!"

The child rocks back and forth on his heels in further amusement, before talking.

"Why'd ya decide to play hide and seek with ME, of all people, anyways?"

[thegingerpuzzler]

"RANDALL GET OUT HERE SO I CAN KICK YER A-- Why in the Gods' name are you three?"

"Aahhh! Don't kick my butt! You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would yo-" Oh. Wait, he never wore his glasses when he was this young. Uh...

"You wouldn't hit a kid, would ya? Also, this is because of a dumb grey stranger dumbly makin' me a kid for three days. Bluuuh."

[thegingerpuzzler]

"R-Randall..?" Alia stood rigid in front of the redhead, a few small tears welling up in her eyes. She ran into his arms, holding him tightly, trembling all over. "I m-missed you..!"

Randall gave a surprised look at seeing a familiar face.

"Alia…? Hey, it IS you! Young miss Alia…sorry if I made ya worr-"

Suddenly, the young missy then lunges forwards and grabs him into a tearful hug.

"H-hey, it’s okay…I didn’t mean to get lost for so long. I’m okay, it’s okay!"

[ourstarswillburnon]

"He always says he doesn’t like candies." Alia said with a smile, "But I know he likes cake and cupcakes and stuff like that. He likes hot chocolate too! Sometimes he’ll make the forest snow just so he has an excuse to make it. He’s silly like that sometimes~."

The little girl nodded along with him saying Caine deserved to be happy, giving her throat a gentle rub in a vague, dark memory.

"Even if he’ll act kinda mad and mean at first, I’m sure Caine would be really happy to see you!" Alia said cheerfully, "He said that if you showed up, you could be one of his best men! I dunno who they are, but I think that’s something important. He said he’d decide that if you ever got to explore the stronghold with him and he’d get to tell you about his powers and stuff!"

[thegingerpuzzler]

"Heh - so my chum has a sweet tooth. Good ta know...I'm probably gonna need ta give him a big apology ta get back in his good books, so a bit of sweet stuff might prevent me gettin' my block knocked off, as it were. I kiiinda doubt it, but worth a try...ahaha." Sheepish laughter aside, he shrugged.

"Hey, when I first met the guy, he acted grumpy like that, too. That ain't gonna be anything too surprising. But...powers? Best man...? I dunno what either of those are...maybe it's secret adventurer's code?"

Oh dear. Randall was a bit...oblivious when it came to romantic terms.

[thegingerpuzzler]

As you whirl around, you only catch your shadow along the wall. It does nothing but mock your movement just as any shadow should. Look, it's even holding out the shadow of your lantern! --Wait...

Okay, Randall might be a little kid right now in looks, but even if the spell affects his mind, he's still SMART. He KNOWS that's not possible, even if it is really weird to see and he doesn't kinda know what is going on oh my gosh - and he puts the lantern down beside him with a grin.

"I found you, hide-and-go-seeker! Come on out, because I know you're theeere!"

[thegingerpuzzler]

"R-Randall..?" Alia stood rigid in front of the redhead, a few small tears welling up in her eyes. She ran into his arms, holding him tightly, trembling all over. "I m-missed you..!"

Randall gave a surprised look at seeing a familiar face.

"Alia…? Hey, it IS you! Young miss Alia…sorry if I made ya worr-"

Suddenly, the young missy then lunges forwards and grabs him into a tearful hug.

"H-hey, it’s okay…I didn’t mean to get lost for so long. I’m okay, it’s okay!"

[ourstarswillburnon]

Alia tried to force another smile, rocking on her heels a bit.

"He said he’d met a girl named Ryan a while ago, and she left for a while." She explained, "But she came back, and she managed to wiggle into his life through giving Kin gummy bears."

Alia giggled again, hugging herself gently.

"Caine was always so mad when she did! But he said that when she wasn’t, she was always making him smile, getting him to be less serious and upset. He said she made the drums go away…"

[thegingerpuzzler]

"Huh, okay - didn't know that Caine liked sweet things, given how serious he tends ta be most the time, I didn't think he'd like 'em! The more ya know, I guess...but I'm glad. He totally deserves someone who can make him happy, ya know? Someone who can get him ta have fun once in a while and not focus on that sorta negative stuff - I just wish I hadn't been gone so long to see him getting happier myself. Ah, I guess I get too lost for my own good!"

[thegingerpuzzler]

It may of not been the most effective source of lightning, but it served its purpose quite well as you tried to pin that laughter. It eluded you so, no matter how you worked your way though the room, you could not find the laughter that grew in volume now that you had started your search. It was amused, whatever it was that had been laughing at you.

Though his observations were indeed thorough and observant - he cannot see a thing in the room, despite the lantern's valiant attempts at providing light. However, the laughter is getting more amused and louder, so he's on the right track, at least. Wait! Could the hider be...behind him?

The young lad whirls around, attempting to see if there's someone behind him!

"Ah-haaaa!"

Even if there's no-one behind him, 'ah-ha' is fun to say out loud.

[garounthropy]

Shut up, you’re adorable! You’re so cute I’d squeeze you like a doll.

If you wanna be taller I can scoop you up.

[thegingerpuzzler]

"Noooooooo, nu-uuuuhhh. I'm a tough archaeologist! Not cuuute!" He still has no idea his pouting and drawing out his words in childish objection is only making things worse here, but his grumpy expression flickers away at the prospect of a piggy-back ride.

"That'd...that'd be cool! I bet because you're tall I'd see a lotta stuff from up there!"

[thegingerpuzzler]

"R-Randall..?" Alia stood rigid in front of the redhead, a few small tears welling up in her eyes. She ran into his arms, holding him tightly, trembling all over. "I m-missed you..!"

Randall gave a surprised look at seeing a familiar face.

"Alia…? Hey, it IS you! Young miss Alia…sorry if I made ya worr-"

Suddenly, the young missy then lunges forwards and grabs him into a tearful hug.

"H-hey, it’s okay…I didn’t mean to get lost for so long. I’m okay, it’s okay!"

[ourstarswillburnon]

Alia’s giggle became more genuine as Randall tried to make himself look tougher, letting one hand slide down his arm until their hands met, the little girl twining their fingers together as she began swinging their arms back and forth playfully.

"It’s okay. I’m just glad you got back alright." She said with a small smile, "The cats definitely missed you bringing them fish and the container they came in."

Her smile faded a bit, though a weak one was still there.

"Caine said he was going to get married." She said, "He was a little upset because he thought you wouldn’t be able to come. But… he a-also said…"

She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm.

"He said his f-father said he wasn’t g-going to live for much longer either…"

[thegingerpuzzler]

Some good news, and bad news, was what he missed - and Randall folds his arms at listening carefully to it all.

"Oh...it's bad his dad is so sick, but wow, didn't expect him ta get married! Who's the lucky person gettin' hitched, eeeh?"

Focusing on the positives, here!