Tales from Nowo's 24 Hour DJ Diner: Project Arrhythmia and Just Shapes and Beats

Ch. 2: The Case of the Exploding Plate

Recording By: Stereo Note Beats

Hi, everybody! 'DJ Bean' Stereo Beats here, and you're listening to, or reading through, Celestia's collection of stories about Nowo's awesome diner! I remember a significant time at that place where not only I had to do a gig, but also I ended up being a detective as well! I love watching movies and tv shows in my spare time, and I had just watched a really good season of Sherlock, (where Holmes is in the twenty-first century instead of typical Victorian England) so I decided to test out my detecting skills myself! And that was a very interesting case, a case I call...

THE CASE OF THE EXPLODING PLATE! [Dun dun duuun!] 

(Author's note: Stereo can get really exuberant when doing a party or thinking about a party lolz.)

Now you may be wondering: An exploding plate?! What the heck happened?  Well, I'm getting to that part, relax... Here goes!

I was setting up my gear for a typical Hau5 Club Saturday (and in case you were wondering, it wasn't the day Lumi and Perry danced together there, that's a different story), people were coming in, chatting, eating, watching me set up. Aura and Nautilus came in, and as usual, Nautilus ordered a steak. I overheard Aura laughing at the fact that "Myst wasn't around to criticize him now!" 

I had wandered into the kitchen to watch as Nowo and Lumi had prepared his steak. Nowo rubbed it down with the typical barbecue grill spice, and Lumi transferred it to the grill. I noticed that there were other steaks set aside, in case Nautilus ordered more, I assumed. Nowo was the one who took the order, but the twins usually help themselves out with different orders. 

Now here's the kicker: Aura's order, a bowl of Southwestern Vegetable Soup, was being watched over by Lumi. I had also ordered something, a plate of spaghetti and meatballs (which I'm sure Papyrus of Undertale would have been proud of), which Nowo was preparing on the stove. Nautilus's steak was already prepared, it sat, untouched. 

Out of the corner of my eyes, a humanoid circle shadow replaced the plate under the steak with a plate of his own.

I slowly looked over so the shadow didn't notice me watching. The plate that was holding the steak before was gently, quietly placed into the rack of dirty dishes on the sink. Then the figure slowly slunk away. 

I didn't get an accurate look at the guy, but I guessed that they were average height, wearing a hoodie, sweatpants and headphones. 

I decided to follow the plate at a distance to see for what purpose the guy switched the plates. Nowo carried out the order of soup and steak, not even noticing that the plate had been switched. 

"Alright, you two! Southwestern Vegetable Soup and BBQ spice-rubbed steak, just the way you like them!"

The couple cheered quietly as the food was served. But as Nautilus began to dig into his steak... 

BANG! 

The plate exploded into shards from underneath the steak! 

"WTF!?" Naut started up in surprise, and Nowo did a sharp gasp. Aura stared at the exploded plate with the steak on it. Nowo began to say apologies, but I walked up and politely interrupted. 

"If you take a look at the plate shards here, there's bits of machinery as well as crockery. This was a toned-down miniature bomb. Whoever the culprit is only wanted to surprise or startle us, i-instead of anything major."

"How do you know there's a culprit?" Nowo asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

I imitated Sherlock Holmes's matter-of-fact tone. "Elementary, my dear Nowo: as you and your sister were looking over Aura's soup and my spaghetti, I-I spotted someone switching out the other plate with this plate underneath the steak. I-I didn't get an accurate look at the figure, but I know that they are still around."