Battle of Genre

Round Five - Mystery

Oh good, you've solved the first mystery that has fallen in R5: its theme. Welcome one and all to Round 5 of the Battle of Genre! With the rise of Mystery comes the curiosity to solve it. You must pique the interest of your reader, drive him to the need to know and throw clues to help him along the path... or throw fishes at him and send him slipping towards the wrong conclusion, turning your most climactic end into one of the grandest of surprises.

Mystery can run with any other genre, it is as malleable as Science-fiction or Fantasy but requires a bit more future sight than either. Everything must piece together right, no lose ends [or a couple is fine] and some small things may actually be important to verify suspicions. You play a game with your reader, one that is of keen observation, logical thinking and painstaking theory making.

All in all, Mystery is a puzzle, so make it the one of your best conceived puzzles. Good luck.
Tournament Mechanics
As to remind you guys of the rules:

Rounds last for at least 3 weeks. 2 weeks for the actual writing process and then a week for the polls.

The Polls
Upon the end of the poll, I will award 5 points to its winner and 2 points for its loser.

The Challenges
Challenges award the writer an additional 2 points if he gets it right but loses 2 points if he fails to meet it.

Comment and Critique
We are here not only for friendly competition but for the learning experience. Who better to help than our fellow writers? As opposed to Hewitt's version I will separate its scores. For each CnC and for a maximum of 3, I will award 1 point to that participant. Saying its good in this part, or you liked that but disliked this is Comment on its own and awardable but those with substance, those that deliver points that that writer can reflect on will be awarded an additional point for that CnC. At the end of the tournament, I will tally everyone's CnC Score and the participant with the highest score will claim an additional Steam Key courtesy of Xate and Hewitt.

Late Entries
Updated from the last round, I will be implementing a 2 point deduction for those that will pass a late entry. This will only affect the vote/challenge pool, leaving the CnC pool untarnished.



The Dos for each Round
1. When the round is up, POST. Acknowledge your participation by saying who you'd be fighting against and post if you'd like a challenge to go with it.
2. When you've finished your entry, post it in the ROUND thread in spoilers. Not here. To remove all errors in spacing, I'd like you all to simply post it here, prim and proper already. No GDocs or any other of its ilk.
3. Once both participants have submitted their stories, I will create the thread. A week of voting will come by with it. Be sure to vote and CnC!

Story Requirements
1. Be sure it ain't flash fiction. Words must not be below one thousand but cannot exceed twelve thousand.
2. Adhere to the round's theme and if you administered a challenge, do it.

The Bracket
[spoiler=]
[/spoiler]

The Leaderboards
[spoiler=]

Participants	R1 - SciFi	R2 - Action/Adventure	R3 - Horror	R4 - Tragedy	R5 - Mystery	R6 - ???	R7 - ???	R8 - ???	Grand Total
Richard Longflop	7	2	2	2					13
Kamiroo Wolf	5	2	2	0					9
devi	2	2	2	2					8
EquinoxFox [previously roBEAT]	2	0	5	0					7
Chromium7 [WILL PROD FOR ONE FINAL TIME =.=]	0	0	2	0					2
buckethead]	4	0	0	0					4
SpacePunk	5	-2	7	7					17
Devour	7	7	5	4					23
TheOrganization	7	2	5	5					19
Mantha [previously Cruel]	4	7	0	0					11
Arch-Angel	6	0	3	0					9
_Ai_	0	0	4	4					8
Rokon	4	0	0	0					4
Xate	4	-2	0	0					2
Boomerang	2	7	7	7					23
Tsar Bomba	5	7	7	7					26

[/spoiler]


Mystery examples if you needed the inspiration:
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I can't really link you to DL links of the novels there, so Wikipages will be the only way.


Now remember, for the second time:
1. Post here, acknowledging your participation by stating that you will write against your opponent AND if you would take a challenge.
2. Once you've done the above, you may begin writing!
3. After 2 weeks (DEADLINE -- February 13, 2016), you may submit your work in this thread in spoilers.
4. Only I will make the battle thread :D
5. Go have fun. :D

NOTICE:
If EquinoxFox is not available I will have to reshuffle the bracket. It will be unfair for Arch-Angel if his opponent goes missing again.

Confirmed against Kamooreroron


GIVE ME A CHALLENGE MOTHERFUCKER

Confirmed. I'd like a challenge.

Confirming my matchup against Devour. It will be very MYSTERIOUS.

Also a challenge pls

OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!

-Recedes back into forum persona-

Interesting, the trash talk has already commenced ha ha.

I have no fucking clue how to approach this.

Target (Mantha) verified. Commencing hostilities...reluctantly...

Will I win? It is a mystery.

OOOOOOOO

I've sent challenges to those who wanted. Mantha also PMed me she wanted one so, she gets one too.

Accpeting my challenge against EquinoxFoxxy and I would like you to challenge my wit.

I'm confirming! Also, I'll take challenge.

Confirming I guess. Challenge!

Mystery? Errrrrrr. Looks like I'm takin' blow after blow. I'll do my best.

Confirmed against Devi.

Quote from Arch-Angel

Accpeting my challenge against EquinoxFoxxy and I would like you to challenge my wit.

Hewitt dragged me here, I'm down.

ding dong I am here do not fret about me