twoday

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[S] Twoday: Mini-ARG

(( This case is formatted as an alternate-reality-game (ARG). Use the clues from each page to find the url for the next page! If you’re stuck, feel free to dm lawlietislaw#6024 for hints )) 

(( > Take me to the first clue! ))

> Take me back to the story! 

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(( Inventory: -1 crystal ball )) (( > ))

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(( -1 photo )) (( > )) 

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Beyond knows Anima's bedroom more intimately than his own, from the notches indicating Anima's growth spurt in the door frame, to the photos of pre-greying Wammy rolled inside the sock drawer. No change in the room's scheme will escape his notice. Today, a binder vomits photos of buckteethed children across the rug and a new set of curtains hide the tube running out the window. 

"Nice gerbil cage setup, A. Luke can finally get some fresh air," Beyond commends, even though he couldn't care less for the rodent. Nothing feels more pathetic than having to compete with a rat for someone's affection and losing miserably. 

"What tube?" Fetuao asks and fails to find any evidence of a pet, much to Anima's satisfaction. 

Anima rolls out the drawer from under his bed and opens the wardrobe door with flourish. "The tube in the closet actually goes through the overhead cabinets, out the window, and finally back into his second cage under my bed. Wammy's has a strict no-pet policy, but I've been evasive," Anima boasts, hands on his hips. He speaks in a rush from all the caffeine he consumed, evident from the empty coffee cans marking each hour of his sleepless night. 

 Beyond has told Anima countless times that even if he kept an elephant in the backyard, Quillsh Wammy wouldn't dare take away his favourite student's pets, but he holds his tongue. There are certain anxiety-driven habits that children from unstable homes can't seem to let go of. "Innovative as always. Hey Angel, we wanted to ask your help with something."

"You mean with Sun's black eye? Just because Diana owns your ass doesn't mean you should practice boxing on other kids, B" Anima crosses his arms.

"Please. It's not like a black eye could make Sun's mug any uglier anyway," Beyond sneers. 

"It's okay B, we still love you no matter how wimpy you are," Fetuao giggles. "And I'm fine! We need your computer to open a USB." 

 Anima purses his lips and squints long at Beyond. Suspicion is written all over his face, but he only asks, "what's on it?" 

Fetuao shrugs and doesn't bother hiding the impish smile on their face. "That's what we want to find out!" Their wide grin and puffy eye now remind Beyond of a hungry piranha.

(( +1 glitter )) (( > ))

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Nate River doesn't have the programming background to go beyond simple data encryption. Holly Richards can wait since what they need now is privacy, not a nosy hacker. "I know who can help," Beyond says and beckons Fetuao to follow him into the hallway. Beyond has memorised the floorboards by heart, but Fetuao sounds like they're trying to tiptoe across a piano, which is barely masked by the pattering rain and the tree branches tapping morse on windowpanes. A pinprick of light shines through an eyehole at the end of the hallway like a beacon. If it were brighter, Beyond might be able to find stains from when he rolled blueberries under the door. He taps the USB against the door four times then calls out as loud as he dares, "I know you're awake. Let me in." A lamp clicks off and the eyehole goes dark. "Go away B, I don't want your fortune cookies." Fetuao snickers when Beyond presses his lips against the door crack and meows like a cat until he hears the bolt unlock.

Beyond jumps back just in time for the door to miss decapitating him by centimeters. "La ferme! You're scaring Luke," Anima hisses. The frazzled boy standing before them is a far cry from the composed star student most students know. There is a post-it sticking to his elbow, instant coffee on his breath, and no scarf or collar to hide the nail marks criss-crossed around his neck, which looks like it has an invisible hand squeezing his throat. The door slams back closed and Fetuao stares, stunned. Beyond is still registering the clues of Anima's present anxiety episode when Sun nudges his side. "Now must be a bad time, let's go before the neighbours wake up." They've just turned to leave when light spills out into the hallway and Anima, dressed with a scarf, steps into the open doorway. "Sorry, Sun I didn't know you were there. The printer jammed, and I spilled coffee over my report and ... it's just been a lousy night," he murmurs and forces a smile.

Poor Anima looks hopelessly rattled. Beyond should calm him down with some chatter over the > Binder full of photos > Cans of instant coffee > Gerbil maze tubes

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Beyond leaves the kitchen cradling a jar of jam like a trophy. He can hear someone snoring even before he enters his bedroom, and finds the source nestled in a pile of blankets. Once he's changed into a dry set of clothes, he flicks on the lights and nudges Fetuao awake. "No sleeping on the job, Sunny. I want updates." 

They duck back under the blankets and groan, "Boob is that you? Where the hell have you been?" 

Beyond sits on the edge of the mattress, which creaks loudly under his weight, and says, "I've been staying out of trouble. Now get up and look at what I've got." 

Ghostly letters and numbers materialise as Fetuao emerges from the blankets. "Is that… hey the drive!" they exclaim and throw half the covers off the bed. Fetuao's right eye is open wide, but their left is nearly swollen closed and ringed with splotches of purple. 

"Woah, you look like a fish," Beyond snorts, which earns him a meaty punch to the arm. 

"Shut up dude, I'm glad it wasn't all for nothing. Maybe I'll get an eyepatch so I can look like a pirate! That's what I put down for career on my personality quiz," they grin and take the thumb drive to inspect it. 

"I probably put con man. Want to look at the files before we give it back?" 

Fetuao glances at the radio on their pillow, then turns back to B with a devilish grin. "Hell yeah."

To access the files, they'll need a computer. Mail's desktop is out of the question, but there are a few others they could borrow. > Library- Small risk of someone walking in on them > A- He might stop them if he finds out what they're up to, but won't turn them in > Janus- Won't stop them, but will want a look herself

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The second he shuts the door, he slumps over in heaving, but silent laughter. His mouth yawns open in silent screams and convulses for a full minute until there are tears in his eyes. It's the first time he's successfully dodged her wolf-like nose, but he whispers as loud as he dares to gloat, "I'd have more of a challenge playing solitaire. You'll have the rest of your entire life to brood over this defeat!" This sort of victory can only be toasted with jam, and he kicks off his waterlogged boots to dance the jarabe tapatío towards the kitchen.

️> Return to the room for a fresh change of clothes and talk with Sun > Exchange USB for ticket and talk with Near > Wait for Zeffera to leave to explore Roger’s office

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If Wren fed them any information, he would have signaled a warning to Beyond before he was wheeled off. There's a chance this never crossed the eight year-old's mind, but it's still safer to insist on his version. "That's what happened. I found him after he fell and carried him inside," Beyond asserts and waits for Zeffera to object. 

If she's telling the truth, now would be the time to threaten him with detention and offer a deal to cut back his sentence like a real cop. She'd fit the role of a noir detective well, complete with a reckless smoking habit and a faith in following your hunch. Instead, Zeffera laughs softly and slides off the desk. "Alright, kid that's all for now. Dry yourself up before you grow mold in your hair." 

Beyond winks, bows so low his hair brushes the floor, then shuffles backwards like exiting a stage. 

>

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Beyond pulls back his sleeve to show her a silicone wristband, spelling out 'WWJD' with the J crossed out and marked over with an A. "See? What Would A Do?" Zeffera's tough-n-gruff demeanour finally cracks and she breaks into laughter. Mission success. Beyond exhales and turns around to leave but Zeffera stops him dead in his tracks. "Really? Cause that's not what Ducky said."

> She's bluffing > Fess Up    

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"I'm not paid enough for this," Z blows a raspberry after the door shuts. She clears manila folders from Roger's desk then seats herself. Her undone shoelaces haven't even stopped swinging before she cuts straight to business: "Why were you outdoors?" 

If she's interrogating him, that must mean they suspect a connection between the toilet explosions and Wren's accident. Beyond deliberately scratches his chin and glances away when he says, "to throw Ducky off the roof just to carry him back, of course. Tch, are you mad? Shouldn't you thank me for finding Ducky instead of questioning me?" 

Zeffera raises two fingers. "Objection! First, I never said I suspect you, but you're awfully defensive. Second- it is not unheard of for a criminal to get involved with their own case. Either to mislead the police with forged testimonies or to see how much they know. Now quit joking around and answer the question." As usual, she's as quick as a whip, but it's nothing Beyond didn't foresee.

"Fine, I was cleaning and taking out the trash," Beyond grumbles, making sure to maintain eye contact and keep his hands away from his face.  "So late at night?" "…I had to wait until Sun was asleep." "So you threw out something you wanted to hide from Sun. What was it?"  “...Magazines." It's normal for a seventeen year-old. He's not sure if Zeffera believes him, but it has the effect he wants. "Fine, moving on to Ducky. How did he break his ankle?"  "He was practicing outdoors and must have slipped."  "Did you find him before he fell, during, or after?" "After." "Why'd you stop and help him?" "Roger's lectured me so much on how I should be more like A that I've made a bracelet."

>

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(( -1 crystal ball ))  (( > resume story ))

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He can afford a visit to Roger's office since the ticket Sun rolled into an emptied pen is essentially still his own. Beyond routinely wipes down his windows, doorknobs, and lightbulbs free of fingerprints - Sun was foolish to think he would miss a single detail about his own room.

Beyond probes the boy's ankle, which radiates heat and forebodes the swelling to come. "I want my mom," Wren sniffles and disintegrates into shrieking altogether when Beyond scoops him out of the mud. "Quiet," Beyond shushes, but every step jostles another ear-piercing wail, and wets his shoulder with a icky mixture of mud, tears, sweat, and mucus. "Mommy," the boy continues to sob, despite several threats to drop him. He's never understood why mothers are high in demand, but if it's a mother's touch Wren wants, perhaps a lullaby will soothe him. He clears his throat then starts off in quiet notes so that the heads peeking out their windows won't overhear. "Luna lunera, cascabelera, ve y dile a mi amorcito por Dios que me quiera…" The tune recalls the pleasant crinkle of freshly dried sheets and the static electricity gathering in his fingers from 'helping' his mother with the laundry, one of the very few memories that have lingered on. By the time they make it indoors and weave through a flock of nosy preteens, Wren's whimpers subside to laboured breathing.

Roger's door opens before Beyond can even reach for the handle. He finds himself face-to-face with > Mara > Zeff

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Cut, cut! Beyond wants to shout at the unruly actors who refuse to follow his script. The children trip over themselves entirely off-stage, presumably scratching and hissing from the way Linda flits frantically in and out of view. One photo frame is knocked clean off its hinge when Mihael finally pins Wren into a wall in full primal rage, long enough for Beyond to refocus on his crosshairs on the Mihael.

If he fires the laser on Mihael wrist, he could bluff him into backing off. The entire house heard how Beyond nearly shot Fetuao's arm off this afternoon, so there's a sixty percent chance they would fold. However, he'd immediately reveal his location and his personal involvement, which would mean losing Mihael as a puppet. On the other hand, Beyond could radio for help, but in the time it takes for Fetuao to cross the hallway, Mail could wring the USB, or worse Beyond's ticket, out of Wren's hands.

Beyond releases the trigger and switches to the radio. "Backup stat. Sunny, it's your time to shine," Beyond reports. "Don't call me that." The seconds tick by while the redhead pats Wren's hips for pockets and the blond successfully wrestles something out of Wren's hands. The commotion only breaks apart where Fetuao enters the ring and the two boys hesitate with what almost looks like… fear? The brief distraction is enough for Wren to break free and jump out the window, but his landing is not quite as successful.

Beyond peels himself from the tree, cracking his spine one vertebrae at a time to unfurl into a sitting position. Contortion art places acute tension on his abdomen muscles when he practices backbends, but lying prone on a bumpy branch was surprisingly strenuous. Limping towards the source of loud wailing, Beyond finally reaches Wren sniffling in a puddle of mud and lying next to a water-filled trench. His ankle must have sank into the softer mud and slipped mid-land. He yanks the USB free from Wren's hand, which has gone white at the knuckles from how tightly the boy's fists are clenched, but finds nothing else on his person. 

> Leave. There's nothing to gain from this situation except an interrogation and a sleepless night > Hide the USB before getting help. If Roger gets his hands on this USB, your ticket is lost for good > Carry Wren back inside and get him some medical attention. Hold onto the USB and barter it for a ticket later

[twonight]

The sooner this mission ends, the sooner he can reapply his mask of makeup and return to looking like 'le raton-laveur mort' ,the dead racoon, as Agreste described. It will take another bottle of wine to pry critical details about L like his shampoo brand and nail length, but in time, his costume will reach perfection. For now, Beyond must secure the train ticket from Wren before he can move onto the next step of his plan to win A's attention.

Thin, but callused fingers that know the grip of a chalked gymnastics bar slowly curl over the bottom window frame. A mop of stiff, straw-coloured hair springs up afterward, and Wren hoists his knees up over the ledge at an angle. Before he can propel himself into a jump, something causes Wren to freeze and look behind him.

A blur of black and yellow smashes into Wren's waist, hard enough to knock his Olympian hold off the ledge. "Mierda!" Beyond grits through his teeth as both boys slam into the wall and crumple down in a flurry of kicks and elbowing.

> gun > radio

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“T'was I that set the house ablaze," B purrs contently to himself. Humans are merely marionettes dancing on invisible strings, unaware that their fates have already been written by a cruel author. Only Beyond is free to write his own story, and in time, he will manipulate the theatric play until he owns all the tickets, including Fetuao's. "Hoooo hoo hooooo ho!" he cackles cruelly, wishing lightning would flash behind him on cue.

Once he collects all the tickets he can prove himself worthy of > A’s attention > L’s attention

[twonight]

Beyond's bones creak like the rain-laden branches above him, but he doesn't dare look away from the scope. He watches the windows with the same intensity he watches television, eyelashes whisking the glass, nose leaving oil slicks on the screen. "Knock knock, Matt, knock, wake up it's me! Knock," Beyond narrates in falsetto what he imagines Mail hears when the boy jumps, jerking his head at the door. As soon as he lets her in, Lindsay latches to his elbows so he can't turn around and bombards a million questions a minute. "What do you mean it wasn't Mello? Then who?" Beyond chronicles the story live as he watches Wren crawl behind them on all fours like a lizard.

Poor Mail doesn't suspect a thing. It was Beyond who started the rumour that Nate’s USB contained a message from L, and jealousy seized Mihael like a fire consumes a forest. It was B who then stamped L's insignia on Nate’s discarded envelopes. When Mihael spotted it, he tore through the rubbish like a starved dog and pressed the paper to his heart in such reverence Beyond nearly gave away his hiding spot from laughing. Mihael’s own selfishness proved his downfall- he discarded the envelope, the only evidence that could incriminate Beyond, so nobody else could find 'L's message' and rejected all of Near’s urgent offers to negotiate. Beyond didn’t intervene of course, even if it meant stalling Near's kidnap victim case. The family can wait, he has tickets to collect!

>

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(( > resume story ))