Twelfth Report; Father's Day

[abstruse]

((Audio;))
Father's day! Ah, a lovely day, I will say; remembering the male who, hopefully, raised us all with love and care. No, I'm not about to ask all of you about your fathers--I'm not really the intrusive sort, though...! I do have a sort of puzzle for all of you. It's one that I would love to tell my own father.


PUZZLE 011: Two masked men

The puzzle works like this. I'm going to tell you a scenario, and using yes or no questions you must deduce exactly what is happening in this situation. I can only answer yes or no--or other variants of those two answers--so make sure to ask the right questions! No limit to how many you ask, of course... Here's your scenario:

A man leaves home and, after making three left turns, he ends up back at home, and finds two masked men waiting for him.

So, can you deduce what's happening here?

((ooc; wow i forgot to add that this is audio. Okay whatever i just like my htmls.))

Comments

[abstruse]

((A chuckle.)) No, not confronted. The masks are protectve gear so the ball doesn't hurt them. A baseball to the face would put any ninja out of a job.

[eyeforaneye]

A "baseball"... Then it is not a normal ball?

[abstruse]

Not as I would describe it. Perhaps, I can find you one and show you? Or something close to it.

[eyeforaneye]

You said it could kill a shinobi. [ This is his interpretation. ]

[abstruse]

...((Chuckles.)) I said put him out of a job... I'm not very well out to kill you, Sasuke.

((Like seriously, Sasuke, is this the man you expect to be over you with a blood knife one day? I mean sure he might... do it to other people perhaps...!!! But no, Sasuke would not be one of them. Unless there was a corpse already at his feet.))

[eyeforaneye]

[ So very good to know! ]

I did not say you would do it, or to me. I want to know what kind of sport could be that deadly, that is all. [ And this is why you shouldn't make any kind of joke with him. ]

[abstruse]

Consider they're throwing a ball about... Ah, this large. ((If the video isn't on, he turns it on to show Sasuke; unless this is actually action pft.)) And it's getting thrown at up to 90 miles per hour, often times directly at your face. The sport isn't so much deadly as it has deadly aspects.

[eyeforaneye]

And you are meant to dodge this? Why are there masks, and why does it involve leaving home?

[abstruse]

No, you hit it with a bat.

It's a simple game, I wouldn't honestly be surprised if something similar existed in your world, there are quite a few bat-and-ball games out there. I'm no sports expert, but more or less two teams go up against each other. To score points you have to hit a baseball as far as it can go and run to three different spots before reaching home. If you reach home, that gets your team a point. The other team has to catch the ball you hit, and "tag" you with it--or, otherwise, tap you with it.

It's rather non-violent, and can be quite exhilarating.

[eyeforaneye]

How far away is it played from a person's home? [ This is really not making much sense to him, let me just say. ]

It is not as violent as I thought, no.

[abstruse]

Home in this game is just what you call your starting point.

[eyeforaneye]

[ Darn it, Clive, why didn't you say so from the start? ]

"Home". I understand now. And you run around it?

[abstruse]

Sort of. You run to three "bases" that circle the pitcher's mound. That's where one of your foes stands and whirls the ball at you; from home plate you hit the ball, and if you're successful, try to run to each base in turn, and after the third, return to home for a point.

[eyeforaneye]

So you hit the ball back at your opponent to strike him down? That does not sound so bad, as a game.

[abstruse]

Haha, no, Sasuke, you're forgetting that it isn't a violent game. You have to hit it as far as you can into the outfield, beyond the bases.

I sincerely doubt, though, that it would be your kind of sport.

[eyeforaneye]

As far as you can... as hard as you can? [ They would have to have a lot of those balls on hand, then. ]

It sounds too easy.

[abstruse]

Perhaps, though you haven't played the game. I could see you having difficulties. ((a teasing chuckle.))

[eyeforaneye]

What sort of difficulties? [ He's insulted. ]

[abstruse]

Technical difficulties.

[eyeforaneye]

That doesn't tell me very much.

[abstruse]

I'm not a baseball player. I can't be more detailed than that.

[eyeforaneye]

Then it does not seem like a good puzzle for you.

[abstruse]

((smirks.)) No, you're right. I prefer hands on puzzles. Puzzles with real application.

[eyeforaneye]

I would prefer that also. Sitting and thinking is pointless if you do not take action.

[abstruse]

Pre-emptively is fine.... and honestly, puzzles like these are just like exercise for the mind. I work my brain as much s you work your body.