[Puzzle 014]

[hisapprentice]

[Sometimes, in the wake of a foundation-shattering event, all anyone can do is stare at what remains.

That is not true for Luke this time, and hasn't been in the entire two weeks since all of himself came rushing back. All things considered, he's been as upbeat and energetic as ever. Helpful, too - so many others seemed devastated in the aftermath, he felt and still feels like he ought to make up for it somehow.

The first thing he does with the free time in his Monday is go to the bakery and get a dozen of something. Donuts or cupcakes or similar things, anything sweet and delicious. Those treats are going to people he knows, if he can find them, especially the ones that haven't shown their faces of late.

Then it's time for the real substance of his day.

A puzzle.

He handwrites it out first, then reads it out for the benefit of anyone stymied on the writing front.]

A family gathers in a room for a party. In this family, there is a mother, a father, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, an auntie, an uncle, a niece, a nephew, and 2 cousins. However, there are only 4 people in the room. What are their relations to each other?

Comments

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

[Ooh, a puzzle! And this one's a thinker. Aang turns on his thinking arrow.]

So... do any of these people also have spirits of their past lives?

[Voice]

[hisapprentice]

Ah...no.

Well, even if they do, they're not in the room with them.

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

Oh? Then... Huh. This puzzle is tough...

[Audio]

[tearmeanewone]

[AFTER SOME DELIBERATING...]

Oh! I think I've got it!

There's... a man and woman, and a boy and a girl. The man and the woman are siblings, and the girl is the man's daughter and the boy is the woman's son. So the man is a brother, a father, and an uncle, the woman is a sister, a mother, and an aunt, the boy is a son, a nephew, and a cousin, and the girl is a daughter, a niece, and a cousin as well. Is that right?

[Audio]

[hisapprentice]

[After a quick double-check of his facts:]

Wow. You got it already. Do you do a lot of puzzles then?

voice;

[menial]

Uhhm.

"Creepy"?

voice;

[hisapprentice]

Not really, once you know a little bit more about the family.

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

[A mother, a father...]

No, there are twelve people in the room. You miscounted. [Or, is she misunderstanding human again? She thinks that's right.]

[Voice]

[hisapprentice]

Nope! That's all a part of the puzzle. The conditions say there are four people, so you have to tell me which four people they are in order to meet all the other requirements.

[Voice]

[selphie_t]

[Selphie likes a good distraction even if it is from the book she's reading on this hot summer day. She puzzles over the question, at first thinking that there's too many people in the room before she starts to figure it out. She shoots out an answer as soon as she's got a solution.]

I think I've got it!

The mother and father are the auntie and uncle and the parents of the son and daughter. The son and daughter are the neice, nephew and the two cousins.

[Voice]

[hisapprentice]

I'm not sure I follow you. They're the mother and father of both children but also their aunts and uncles?

[Maybe this is a worlds-based difference; Luke tries not to make a face.]

Generally things of that sort are frowned upon in London, but, er...

voice;

[believeit]

....Are some of 'em dead? [It's all he can think of so far.]

voice;

[hisapprentice]

What? No! What sort of puzzle would that be?

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

[Emil thinks about this for several moments. And thinks. And keeps on thinking. He can get the mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister part down, but he's stumped on the rest of it.]

... is this some kind of trick question?

[Voice]

[hisapprentice]

Not at all! It is a puzzle though, so you have to do a little thinking.

[written]

[skysung]

The four people in the room include a man and woman and a boy and girl. If the adults are brother and sister and each of them is parent to one of the children, that would leave all of the roles fulfilled.

There is not enough information to tell which child is the man's and which is the woman's, though, so I cannot tell you the full set of relationships.

[written]

[hisapprentice]

There isn't? [Luke runs through his puzzle again with a frown.] Hmm, it looks like you're right. I had the girl as the man's daughter, though.

voice;

[ex_tessen852]

I, um, I don't understand. Is that even possible? It sounds like there are 12 people in the room.

[...]

Well, I guess a mother and father could have siblings on their own. So that'd make it 10. Wait, no. A mother and father are the daughter and son to someone, so 8?

Wait! If they're a brother and a sister, then they might have nieces and nephews on their own. So maybe 6?

You're going to tell me there was only 2, aren't you?

voice;

[hisapprentice]

No, there are still four, or the puzzle would be lying to you. You've got to use only the people in the room though, you can't count any of their other relatives.

[voice]

[zeropoints]

[Geh, a puzzle... But wait...! HE KNOWS THIS

Well, not really.]

Uh, I hear that in America, it's pretty common for people to be related like that. I think they're called... Billhillies?? Because they're so related, they're named after each other... so they're all Bills!

[How many points for getting that puzzle right]

[voice]

[hisapprentice]

[What?

What is he...what?]

I really, um- I don't think that has very much to do with this puzzle. [Is moving to the States really going to be that bad?]

[action]

[ofwesternwinds]

[Perhaps if Luke finds himself wandering about the village today, he might encounter a familiar face sitting on one of the benches. Someone who hasn't been showing up for stable duties, in fact.]

Let's see. If there's a mother and a father, then couldn't they be someone else's son and daughter too... [Beat.] Wait, that can't be right.

[His journal is right beside him. Wouldn't you know it, he's trying to solve your puzzle right now.]

[action]

[hisapprentice]

[Shirking his duties! Luke's actually excited to see Rudy (he usually is), but he stops a few paces out when he hears the words.]

Trying to solve my puzzle, are you?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[Well it just so happens the Bakery is outside of the flower shop, so whenever Luke moseys on out of there he will pass right by Raine, who is watering the plants outside of the shop. They've needed extra attention with the drought and invasion-related neglect, but it's looking a lot better than it did even a week ago. The wonders of magic.]

Oh, hello there Luke.

[It's been a while since she's seen him - there had been some vague checking up on him and Layton after the dust had settled, and seeing him around in the time after, but never a real conversation of too much substance. Considering their odd relationship while brainwashed, it probably made sense...]

[action]

[hisapprentice]

[And the last time they saw each other things were so tense and he was only sort of aware for part of it.]

Ah, hello Professor Sage. [Luke looks right down at the bakery box in his hands.] Would you like a tart?