But todays hint leads to an interesting observation also:
If we convert to a 7x7 grid
;-] :*( :^< ;~) ;@] 8-( :=)
8~} :+< :+) 8=} :^( ;*] :~|
:^] :*b :-) ;~] :~< ;-] :@(
:+) 8~I :@( :*I 8*I :-< 8^I
8+( ;-> ;^( 8-b ;^] :+] :@b
:~< :^) :~) :+( 8-I :=( :*<
8*} :=> :*) :@< 8-b ;~( :-(
then reverse the order of the contents of each line
:=) 8-( ;@] ;~) :^< :*( ;-]
:~| ;*] :^( 8=} :+) :+< 8~}
:@( ;-] :~< ;~] :-) :*b :^]
8^I :-< 8*I :*I :@( 8~I :+)
:@b :+] ;^] 8-b ;^( ;-> 8+(
:*< :=( 8-I :+( :~) :^) :~<
:-( ;~( 8-b :@< :*) :=> 8*}
Then the emoticons with '8' for eyes catch my attention in a similar way to the ':)' from yesterday. If we use these as a point to break up the lines into words, we get:
:=) 8-(
;@] ;~) :^< :*( ;-] :~| ;*] :^( 8=}
:+) :+< 8~}
:@( ;-] :~< ;~] :-) :*b :^] 8^I
:-< 8*I
:*I :@( 8~I
:+) :@b :+] ;^] 8-b
;^( ;-> 8+(
:*< :=( 8-I
:+( :~) :^) :~< :-( ;~( 8-b
:@< :*) :=> 8*}
And again, we have a single character at the beginning, and another in the middle which might represent 'A'.
However, this new layout suggests that the noses may be significant, and that hint 3 doesn't indicate that we just throw them away. If we look at this new pattern with the noses removed, we get
:) 8(
;] ;) :< :( ;] :| ;] :( 8}
:) :< 8}
:( ;] :< ;] :) :b :] 8I
:< 8I
:I :( 8I
:) :b :] ;] 8b
;( ;> 8(
:< :( 8I
:( :) :) :< :( ;( 8b
:< :) :> 8}
which would suggest 2 things:
1 - The first word is 'E', which is unlikely
2 - 'A' is :<, which again gives us 'EA' (3rd word) - why does this keep coming up?
So perhaps hint 3 merely says that the nose doesn't matter if the eyes are '8'?
I think I need to look at the hints again (especially 4 and 7) and hope for some inspiration...
|
