http://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=XxSecretCodexXCafe and Diner - User contributions [en]2026-06-08T13:52:53ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.38.2http://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_References_(The_18th_Sphere)&diff=8632File References (The 18th Sphere)2026-05-05T05:30:41Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">REFERENCE INDEX</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">File References</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Cross-file archive directory for Cafe and Diner records</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- CAFE AND DINER --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">The Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><br />
<td>CAD</td><br />
<td>Cafe And Diner</td><br />
<td>Angels and Thieves</td><br />
<td>14 / ?</td><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><br />
<td>MIR</td><br />
<td>Miracle</td><br />
<td>The Cafe and Diner</td><br />
<td>1 / ?</td><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- BLOODGLASS --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Bloodglass</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><br />
<td>-</td><br />
<td>-</td><br />
<td>Oh So Injurious</td><br />
<td>? / ?</td><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- MIDNIGHT --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Midnight</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>POF</td><td>Pieces Of Fate</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>MIL</td><td>Mangrove In Louisiana</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>MID</td><td>Midnight</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>SAF</td><td>Skunk Ape in Florida</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>BAG</td><td>Beelzebub And the Giant</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>ATTE</td><td>A Trip To Esterskald</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TOI</td><td>Thick Of It</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>14 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- REQUIEM --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Requiem</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>VAW</td><td>Vampires And Wisps</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>ATD</td><td>A Teal Door</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TBR</td><td>The Black Roux</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>15 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- SILENUS --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Silenus</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>FOTF</td><td>Feast Of The Flies</td><td>Voracity in Check</td><td>7 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TMH</td><td>The Melon Head</td><td>Voracity in Check</td><td>2 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- TESSERACT --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Tesseract</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>NBY</td><td>Nobody</td><td>Behind Closed Doors</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- TESTAMENT --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Testament</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>INT</td><td>Inventory Night at Testament</td><td>As Human As It Gets</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>DBB</td><td>Da Big Bong</td><td>As Human As It Gets</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- SUNSHINE --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Sunshine</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>CUS</td><td>Climbing Up Splinters</td><td>The Coffee Trade</td><td>6 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_References_(The_18th_Sphere)&diff=8631File References (The 18th Sphere)2026-05-05T05:29:38Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">REFERENCE INDEX</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">File References</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Cross-file archive directory for Cafe and Diner records</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- CAFE AND DINER --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">The Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><br />
<td>CAD</td><br />
<td>Cafe And Diner</td><br />
<td>Angels and Thieves</td><br />
<td>14 / ?</td><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><br />
<td>MIR</td><br />
<td>Miracle</td><br />
<td>The Cafe and Diner</td><br />
<td>1 / ?</td><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- MIDNIGHT --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Midnight</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>POF</td><td>Pieces Of Fate</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>MIL</td><td>Mangrove In Louisiana</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>MID</td><td>Midnight</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>SAF</td><td>Skunk Ape in Florida</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>BAG</td><td>Beelzebub And the Giant</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>ATTE</td><td>A Trip To Esterskald</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TOI</td><td>Thick Of It</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>14 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- REQUIEM --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Requiem</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>VAW</td><td>Vampires And Wisps</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>ATD</td><td>A Teal Door</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TBR</td><td>The Black Roux</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>15 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- SILENUS --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Silenus</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>FOTF</td><td>Feast Of The Flies</td><td>Voracity in Check</td><td>7 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TMH</td><td>The Melon Head</td><td>Voracity in Check</td><td>2 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- TESSERACT --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Tesseract</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>NBY</td><td>Nobody</td><td>Behind Closed Doors</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- TESTAMENT --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Testament</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>INT</td><td>Inventory Night at Testament</td><td>As Human As It Gets</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>DBB</td><td>Da Big Bong</td><td>As Human As It Gets</td><td>1 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<!-- SUNSHINE --><br />
<!-- ========================= --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Sunshine</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<br />
<tr><td>CUS</td><td>Climbing Up Splinters</td><td>The Coffee Trade</td><td>6 / ?</td></tr><br />
<br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_References_(The_18th_Sphere)&diff=8630File References (The 18th Sphere)2026-05-05T05:24:03Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">REFERENCE INDEX</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">File References</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Cross-file archive directory for Cafe and Diner records</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">The Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>CAD</td><td>Cafe And Diner</td><td>Angels and Thieves</td><td>14/?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>MIR</td><td>Miracle</td><td>The Cafe and Diner</td><td>03 Mar 2026</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Bloodglass</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>Oh So Injurious</td><td>—</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Midnight</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>POF</td><td>Pieces Of Fate</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>05 May 2026</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>MIL</td><td>Mangrove In Louisiana</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>08 Aug 2026</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>MID</td><td>Midnight</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>05 May 2026</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>SAF</td><td>Skunk Ape in Florida</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>04 Apr 2026</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>BAG</td><td>Beelzebub And the Giant</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>06 Jun 2026</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>ATTE</td><td>A Trip To Esterskald</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>07 Jul 2026</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TOI</td><td>Thick Of It</td><td>The Mangrove Syndicate</td><td>14/?</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Requiem</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>VAW</td><td>Vampires And Wisps</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>06 Jun 2025</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>ATD</td><td>A Teal Door</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>04 Apr 2025</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TBR</td><td>The Black Roux</td><td>Blue Canary</td><td>15/?</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Silenus</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>FOTF</td><td>Feast Of The Flies</td><td>Voracity in Check</td><td>7/?</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>TMH</td><td>The Melon Head</td><td>Voracity in Check</td><td>2/?</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Tesseract</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>NBY</td><td>Nobody</td><td>Behind Closed Doors</td><td>08 Aug 2025</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Testament</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>INT</td><td>Inventory Night at Testament</td><td>As Human As It Gets</td><td>08 Aug 2026</td></tr><br />
<tr><td>DBB</td><td>Da Big Bong</td><td>As Human As It Gets</td><td>02 Feb 2026</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Sunshine</div><br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><th>Code</th><th>File Name</th><th>Source File</th><th>Progress / Date</th></tr><br />
<tr><td>CUS</td><td>Climbing Up Splinters</td><td>The Coffee Trade</td><td>6/?</td></tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.css&diff=8629MediaWiki:Common.css2026-05-05T05:19:42Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div>/* CSS placed here will be applied to all skins */<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
GLOBAL PAGE / MEDIAWIKI CHROME<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
#content {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
body {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#mw-head-base {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#mw-panel {<br />
background-color: white;<br />
border: 3px solid #556270;<br />
padding-bottom: 10px;<br />
border-top-right-radius: 10px;<br />
border-top-left-radius: 10px;<br />
border-bottom-right-radius: 10px;<br />
border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-privacy {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-about {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-disclaimer {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#ca-talk {<br />
display: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
BASE TEXT / LINK COLORS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.mw-body-content p {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body,<br />
.parsoid-body {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body h1,<br />
.mw-body-content h1 {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body-content h2 {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
h3 {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
h4 {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
p {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
li {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-content-ltr ul,<br />
.mw-content-rtl .mw-content-ltr ul {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
ul li::before {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
a,<br />
a:visited {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.skin-vector-legacy a.new {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output a.extiw,<br />
.mw-parser-output a.external {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output a.extiw:visited,<br />
.mw-parser-output a.external:visited {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-footer li {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
TABLES / TOC / MISC WIKI ELEMENTS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
#filetoc {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw_metadata td,<br />
.mw_metadata th {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.wikitable {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.toc,<br />
.toccolours {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.tocnumber {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-message-box-warning,<br />
.warningbox {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.catlinks {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.thumbcaption {<br />
color: black;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-search-profile-tabs {<br />
background-color: #3a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.search-types .current a {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
SPOILER / SPECIAL TEXT EFFECTS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.spoiler-text {<br />
background: black;<br />
color: black;<br />
cursor: help;<br />
transition: background 0.3s ease 0.2s, color 0.2s ease 0.25s;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.spoiler-text:hover,<br />
.spoiler-text:focus {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.blurry-text {<br />
filter: blur(1.75px);<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
ANIMATED TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
@keyframes blinkAnimation {<br />
0%, 100% {<br />
opacity: 1;<br />
}<br />
<br />
50% {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
.animatedText {<br />
color: green;<br />
animation: blinkAnimation 2s linear infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
DIVINE TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.divine-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text::before {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -1;<br />
filter: blur(8px);<br />
opacity: 0.7;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text::after {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -2;<br />
filter: blur(16px);<br />
opacity: 0.4;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text {<br />
animation: glow 2s ease-in-out infinite alternate;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes glow {<br />
from {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 5px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 10px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 15px #f6ff00,<br />
0 0 20px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 25px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 30px #f6ff00;<br />
}<br />
<br />
to {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 10px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 20px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 30px #f6ff00,<br />
0 0 40px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 50px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 60px #f6ff00;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
FLICKER TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.flicker-text-hidden {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
transition: opacity 0.15s ease-in-out;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text-hidden:hover {<br />
animation: flicker 1s infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text {<br />
opacity: 100;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text:hover {<br />
animation: flicker 1s infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes flicker {<br />
0%, 19.999%, 22%, 62.999%, 64%, 64.999%, 70%, 100% {<br />
opacity: 1;<br />
color: yellow;<br />
}<br />
<br />
20%, 21.999%, 63%, 63.999%, 65%, 69.999% {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
LIGHT TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.light-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
position: relative;<br />
animation: glow 2s ease-in-out infinite alternate;<br />
user-select: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.light-text::before {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -1;<br />
filter: blur(12px);<br />
opacity: 0.8;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.light-text::after {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -2;<br />
filter: blur(24px);<br />
opacity: 0.6;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes glow {<br />
from {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 10px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 20px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 30px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 40px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 50px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 60px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 70px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 80px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 90px #fffff7;<br />
}<br />
<br />
to {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 30px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 60px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 90px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 120px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 150px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 180px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 210px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 240px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 270px #fffff7;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
SINISTER TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.sinister-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
color: #3f4f41;<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 2px #1a1a1a,<br />
0 0 10px #000000,<br />
0 0 2px #4c7550,<br />
0 0 7px #4c7550,<br />
0 0 8px #4c7550;<br />
transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
CASE / REPORT TYPOGRAPHY<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Courier+Prime&display=swap');<br />
<br />
.case,<br />
.case p,<br />
.case li,<br />
.case span,<br />
.case div {<br />
color: black;<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .case,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case b,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case strong {<br />
color: black;<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
STAMP IMAGE OVERLAY<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
/* Stamp wrapper */<br />
figure.stamp-image,<br />
.stamp-image {<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 120px; /* adjust */<br />
right: 80px; /* adjust */<br />
width: 350px;<br />
transform: rotate(-5deg);<br />
opacity: 0.85;<br />
pointer-events: none;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Actual image */<br />
figure.stamp-image img,<br />
.stamp-image img {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
height: auto;<br />
mix-blend-mode: multiply;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Ensure text does NOT reflow */<br />
.mw-parser-output {<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
REPORT BLOCKS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.report-block {<br />
position: relative;<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
padding: 24px;<br />
border-radius: 0.75rem;<br />
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1), 0 2px 4px -2px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1);<br />
margin-bottom: 24px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block b,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block strong {<br />
color: #0f0e05;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block {<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
ADDITIONS: CASE INDEX / DOSSIER / FILE LIST STYLING<br />
Added only; nothing above was removed.<br />
These are for the "Back in Business" / case list style.<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
/* Optional palette variables for easier future editing */<br />
:root {<br />
--cdn-bg-main: #1f1612;<br />
--cdn-bg-panel: #2a1d17;<br />
--cdn-bg-row: #1b120e;<br />
--cdn-bg-row-soft: #241813;<br />
--cdn-brass: #8d6b4f;<br />
--cdn-brass-soft: #a78867;<br />
--cdn-cream: #f3e3cf;<br />
--cdn-cream-muted: #d9c7b1;<br />
--cdn-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Main wrapper for a themed case list page */<br />
.cdn-case-board {<br />
background:<br />
radial-gradient(circle at top, rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.08), transparent 45%),<br />
repeating-linear-gradient(<br />
-45deg,<br />
#201612 0px,<br />
#201612 4px,<br />
#241914 4px,<br />
#241914 8px<br />
);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 18px;<br />
padding: 24px 28px;<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04) inset,<br />
0 10px 30px var(--cdn-shadow);<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
position: relative;<br />
margin: 1.5rem auto;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Section title like [SECTION 1] BACK IN BUSINESS */<br />
.cdn-case-board .cdn-section-title {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
text-align: center;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.18em;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
font-size: 2rem;<br />
margin-bottom: 0.75rem;<br />
border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.7);<br />
padding-bottom: 0.5rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Top-right badge like "BREWED" */<br />
.cdn-case-board .cdn-section-badge {<br />
float: right;<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin-left: 12px;<br />
padding: 0.25rem 1rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.12);<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 0.85rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.15em;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Decorative divider */<br />
.cdn-divider {<br />
border-top: 2px dashed rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.55);<br />
margin: 1.25rem 0 1.5rem;<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-divider::after {<br />
content: "∞";<br />
position: absolute;<br />
left: 50%;<br />
top: -0.8em;<br />
transform: translateX(-50%);<br />
color: var(--cdn-brass-soft);<br />
background: transparent;<br />
padding: 0 0.5rem;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Table wrapper for case rows */<br />
.cdn-case-table {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
border-collapse: separate;<br />
border-spacing: 0 12px;<br />
margin: 0 auto;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Make wikitable variants not fight the card styling */<br />
.mw-parser-output table.cdn-case-table,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-table td,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-table th {<br />
background: transparent;<br />
border: 0;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Single row / card */<br />
.cdn-case-row {<br />
background:<br />
linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02), rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.10)),<br />
repeating-linear-gradient(<br />
-45deg,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row) 0px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row) 6px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row-soft) 6px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row-soft) 12px<br />
);<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.8);<br />
border-left: 4px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 6px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.22);<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Inner spacing for row contents */<br />
.cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
display: flex;<br />
align-items: center;<br />
gap: 16px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Label pill: "Case No. X" */<br />
.cdn-case-number {<br />
flex: 0 0 auto;<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
min-width: 110px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
padding: 0.35rem 0.8rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.08);<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
font-size: 0.95rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.04em;<br />
white-space: nowrap;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Title/link area */<br />
.cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.85rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional subtitle / description under title */<br />
.cdn-case-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-desc p {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
font-size: 0.98rem;<br />
margin-top: 0.4rem;<br />
line-height: 1.45;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Footer badge like "10 FULLY BREWED CASES" */<br />
.cdn-case-count {<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin: 1rem auto 0;<br />
padding: 0.35rem 1rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.1);<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.14em;<br />
font-size: 0.85rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Small signature / flavor text */<br />
.cdn-signoff {<br />
text-align: right;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
font-style: italic;<br />
margin-top: 1rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.06em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Simple two-column case card layout for overview pages */<br />
.cdn-case-grid {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
border-collapse: separate;<br />
border-spacing: 14px 14px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output table.cdn-case-grid,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-grid td {<br />
background: transparent;<br />
border: 0;<br />
vertical-align: top;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Card block for your existing case overview style */<br />
.cdn-case-card {<br />
background:<br />
linear-gradient(180deg, #332922 0%, #211914 100%);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);<br />
min-height: 150px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.45rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-number,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number a:visited {<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
margin: 0.25rem 0 0.75rem;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
display: block;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-desc p {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
line-height: 1.45;<br />
font-size: 0.98rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Wide feature card for section headers / file reference blocks */<br />
.cdn-feature-card {<br />
margin: 0 auto 20px auto;<br />
max-width: 1100px;<br />
background: var(--cdn-bg-panel);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 12px 18px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.22);<br />
text-align: center;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-feature-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.7rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-feature-card-link,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link a:visited {<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Case titles that need a slightly more display-like look */<br />
.cdn-display-title {<br />
font-family: 'Georgia', 'Times New Roman', serif;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.03em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional subtle hover, if your wiki allows it */<br />
.cdn-case-row:hover,<br />
.cdn-case-card:hover,<br />
.cdn-feature-card:hover {<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.03) inset,<br />
0 8px 22px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.30);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional compact version for tighter rows */<br />
.cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
padding: 10px 14px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
font-size: 1.5rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Mobile-ish fallback for narrower layouts */<br />
@media screen and (max-width: 900px) {<br />
.cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
display: block;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-number {<br />
margin-bottom: 10px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
font-size: 1.4rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-grid {<br />
border-spacing: 0 12px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-grid td {<br />
display: block;<br />
width: 100% !important;<br />
padding: 0 0 12px 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* MediaWiki-safe clickable card */<br />
.cdn-case-card {<br />
position: relative;<br />
background: linear-gradient(180deg, #332922 0%, #211914 100%);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
min-height: 110px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);<br />
transition:<br />
transform 0.18s ease,<br />
box-shadow 0.18s ease,<br />
border-color 0.18s ease;<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card:hover {<br />
transform: translateY(-4px) scale(1.01);<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255,255,255,0.04) inset,<br />
0 10px 22px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34);<br />
border-color: var(--cdn-brass-soft);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-title {<br />
display: block;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.45rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-number {<br />
display: block;<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
margin: 0.35rem 0 0.75rem;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc {<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin-top: 0.15rem;<br />
padding: 0.28rem 0.85rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.12);<br />
color: #d8b790;<br />
font-size: 0.82rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.08em;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-royal {<br />
border-color: #b88a63;<br />
color: #f0c9a3;<br />
background: rgba(184, 138, 99, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-fate {<br />
border-color: #8ea7c9;<br />
color: #d8e5ff;<br />
background: rgba(142, 167, 201, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-testament {<br />
border-color: #7aa388;<br />
color: #d7f0dc;<br />
background: rgba(122, 163, 136, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-encore {<br />
border-color: #c5a35a;<br />
color: #ffe9b0;<br />
background: rgba(197, 163, 90, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-side {<br />
border-color: #9f8db8;<br />
color: #e6dcff;<br />
background: rgba(159, 141, 184, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-main {<br />
border-color: #b76f6f;<br />
color: #ffd9d9;<br />
background: rgba(183, 111, 111, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink {<br />
position: absolute;<br />
inset: 0;<br />
z-index: 1;<br />
font-size: 0 !important;<br />
line-height: 0 !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited {<br />
display: block;<br />
position: absolute;<br />
inset: 0;<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
width: 100%;<br />
height: 100%;<br />
font-size: 0 !important;<br />
line-height: 0 !important;<br />
text-indent: -9999px !important;<br />
white-space: nowrap !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
color: transparent !important;<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* keep visible content above the invisible link */<br />
.cdn-case-card > *:not(.cdn-card-stretchlink) {<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* kill parser paragraphs inside cards */<br />
.cdn-case-card p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card p {<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* kill parser-added white blocks inside cards */<br />
.cdn-case-card p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card p {<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* keep every child inside the card transparent unless explicitly styled */<br />
.cdn-case-card div,<br />
.cdn-case-card span,<br />
.cdn-case-card a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card div,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card span,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card a {<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* stretch link must stay invisible */<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited {<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
color: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* badge should sit cleanly on its own */<br />
.cdn-case-arc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-arc {<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
background-clip: padding-box;<br />
}<br />
<br />
pre, code, .mw-code {<br />
background: #1e1e1e;<br />
color: #f3e3cf;<br />
border: 1px solid #8d6b4f;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* CORE */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-core {<br />
border-color: #353935;<br />
color: #e6e6e6;<br />
background: rgba(53, 57, 53, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* BLOODGLASS */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-bloodglass {<br />
border-color: #960320;<br />
color: #ffd6dc;<br />
background: rgba(150, 3, 32, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* MIDNIGHT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-midnight {<br />
border-color: #3a0c57;<br />
color: #e4d6ff;<br />
background: rgba(58, 12, 87, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* REQUIEM */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-requiem {<br />
border-color: #ffc87c;<br />
color: #fff3dc;<br />
background: rgba(255, 200, 124, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* SILENUS */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-silenus {<br />
border-color: #e0b4db;<br />
color: #fff0fc;<br />
background: rgba(224, 180, 219, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* TESSERACT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-tesseract {<br />
border-color: #082567;<br />
color: #d6e4ff;<br />
background: rgba(8, 37, 103, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* SUNSHINE */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-sunshine {<br />
border-color: #692a1a;<br />
color: #ffdcd4;<br />
background: rgba(105, 42, 26, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* TESTAMENT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-testament {<br />
border-color: #226C3B;<br />
color: #d7f5e3;<br />
background: rgba(34, 108, 59, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* ===== ARCHIVAL RECEIPT PAGE ===== */<br />
<br />
/* ===== ARCHIVAL CASE PAGE ===== */<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-page {<br />
max-width: 1100px !important;<br />
margin: 2rem auto !important;<br />
padding: 30px !important;<br />
background: linear-gradient(180deg, #2b1b17 0%, #170f0d 100%) !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #8d6b4f !important;<br />
border-radius: 22px !important;<br />
color: #f3e3cf !important;<br />
box-shadow: 0 20px 45px rgba(0,0,0,0.45) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-hero {<br />
text-align: center !important;<br />
padding: 24px 20px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.65) !important;<br />
border-radius: 18px !important;<br />
background: rgba(0,0,0,0.18) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-label {<br />
color: #d7b38c !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.22em !important;<br />
font-size: 0.8rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 800 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-title {<br />
margin-top: 8px !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 2.1rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-subtitle {<br />
color: #d9c7b1 !important;<br />
font-style: italic !important;<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-objective {<br />
margin: 20px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 14px 18px !important;<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.08) !important;<br />
border-left: 4px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 10px !important;<br />
color: #f3e3cf !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-section-heading {<br />
margin: 26px 0 14px !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.4rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.6) !important;<br />
padding-bottom: 8px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-card {<br />
display: block !important;<br />
margin: 28px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 24px !important;<br />
background: #241915 !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.85) !important;<br />
border-radius: 18px !important;<br />
box-shadow: 0 12px 28px rgba(0,0,0,0.35) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-header {<br />
display: flex !important;<br />
justify-content: space-between !important;<br />
align-items: center !important;<br />
border-bottom: 1px dashed rgba(167,136,103,0.5) !important;<br />
padding-bottom: 10px !important;<br />
margin-bottom: 14px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-id {<br />
font-size: 1.1rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.18em !important;<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-stamp {<br />
padding: 5px 11px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 999px !important;<br />
color: #ffe1ad !important;<br />
font-size: 0.72rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.12em !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-body {<br />
margin-top: 16px !important;<br />
padding: 20px 22px !important;<br />
background: rgba(0,0,0,0.22) !important;<br />
border-radius: 12px !important;<br />
color: #f3e3cf !important;<br />
line-height: 1.7 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-panel,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-hint-panel,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-answer-panel {<br />
margin: 14px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 14px 16px !important;<br />
border-radius: 12px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.6) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-panel {<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.06) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-hint-panel {<br />
background: rgba(0,0,0,0.18) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-answer-panel {<br />
background: rgba(34,108,59,0.18) !important;<br />
border-color: rgba(34,108,59,0.75) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-panel-label {<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
font-size: 0.75rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.16em !important;<br />
text-transform: uppercase !important;<br />
margin-bottom: 8px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-clue {<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.1rem !important;<br />
font-style: italic !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-type,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-hint,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-explanation {<br />
color: #d9c7b1 !important;<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-answer {<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.15rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent {<br />
position: relative !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent .stamp-image {<br />
position: absolute !important;<br />
top: 92px !important;<br />
right: 38px !important;<br />
width: 250px !important;<br />
transform: rotate(-6deg) !important;<br />
opacity: 0.82 !important;<br />
pointer-events: none !important;<br />
z-index: 3 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent .stamp-image img {<br />
width: 100% !important;<br />
height: auto !important;<br />
mix-blend-mode: multiply !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent .cdn-receipt-body {<br />
padding-right: 320px !important;<br />
min-height: 300px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* ===== TRANSCRIPT STYLE ===== */<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-transcript {<br />
margin-top: 12px;<br />
padding: 18px 20px;<br />
background:<br />
radial-gradient(rgba(255,255,255,0.02), transparent),<br />
#1a1411;<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.45);<br />
font-family: "Courier New", monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Speaker name */<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-speaker {<br />
margin-top: 18px;<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
font-weight: 900;<br />
font-size: 1.05rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.03em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Dialogue line */<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-line {<br />
margin-top: 6px;<br />
color: #e8e0d6;<br />
line-height: 1.6;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Stage direction */<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-stage {<br />
margin-top: 18px;<br />
font-style: italic;<br />
color: #caa6b8;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-card {<br />
display: flex !important;<br />
justify-content: space-between !important;<br />
align-items: center !important;<br />
gap: 18px !important;<br />
margin: 18px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 20px 24px !important;<br />
background: #241915 !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(255,200,124,0.55) !important;<br />
border-radius: 16px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-id {<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
font-size: 0.9rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.22em !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-title {<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.25rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-desc {<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
color: #d9c7b1 !important;<br />
font-size: 0.9rem !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-button {<br />
display: inline-block !important;<br />
padding: 9px 14px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 999px !important;<br />
color: #ffe1ad !important;<br />
font-size: 0.75rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.12em !important;<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-card a {<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-button:hover {<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.16) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-back-nav {<br />
margin-top: 30px !important;<br />
text-align: center !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-back-button {<br />
display: inline-block !important;<br />
padding: 10px 18px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 999px !important;<br />
color: #ffe1ad !important;<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
font-size: 0.75rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.14em !important;<br />
transition: all 0.2s ease !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-back-button:hover {<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.18) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* =========================<br />
FILE REFERENCES TABLE<br />
========================= */<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-section {<br />
margin: 28px 0 38px 0 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-heading {<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
font-size: 1.65rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
margin-bottom: 12px !important;<br />
padding-bottom: 8px !important;<br />
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255,200,124,0.35) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-table {<br />
width: 100% !important;<br />
border-collapse: separate !important;<br />
border-spacing: 0 !important;<br />
background: #1c1310 !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(255,200,124,0.5) !important;<br />
border-radius: 14px !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-table th {<br />
background: #2a1c17 !important;<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
text-transform: uppercase !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.14em !important;<br />
font-size: 0.75rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
padding: 12px 14px !important;<br />
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255,200,124,0.35) !important;<br />
text-align: left !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-table td {<br />
color: #f5ead8 !important;<br />
padding: 13px 14px !important;<br />
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255,200,124,0.16) !important;<br />
vertical-align: top !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-table tr:last-child td {<br />
border-bottom: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-table td:first-child {<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.18em !important;<br />
width: 90px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-table td:nth-child(2) {<br />
font-weight: 800 !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-ref-table tr:hover td {<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.06) !important;<br />
}</div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_References_(The_18th_Sphere)&diff=8628File References (The 18th Sphere)2026-05-05T05:19:25Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">REFERENCE INDEX</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">File References</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Cross-file archive directory for Cafe and Diner records</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">The Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<tr><br />
<td>CAD</td><br />
<td>Cafe And Diner</td><br />
<td>Angels and Thieves</td><br />
<td>14/?</td><br />
</tr><br />
<tr><br />
<td>MIR</td><br />
<td>Miracle</td><br />
<td>The Cafe and Diner</td><br />
<td>—</td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-ref-section"><br />
<div class="cdn-ref-heading">Requiem</div><br />
<br />
<table class="cdn-ref-table"><br />
<tr><br />
<th>Code</th><br />
<th>File Name</th><br />
<th>Source File</th><br />
<th>Progress</th><br />
</tr><br />
<tr><br />
<td>VAW</td><br />
<td>Vampires And Wisps</td><br />
<td>Blue Canary</td><br />
<td>—</td><br />
</tr><br />
<tr><br />
<td>ATD</td><br />
<td>A Teal Door</td><br />
<td>Blue Canary</td><br />
<td>—</td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_References_(The_18th_Sphere)&diff=8627File References (The 18th Sphere)2026-05-05T05:16:19Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">REFERENCE INDEX</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">File References</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Cross-file archive directory for Cafe and Diner records</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">The Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-file-card"> <div class="cdn-file-card-main"> <div class="cdn-file-id">CAD</div> <div class="cd..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">REFERENCE INDEX</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">File References</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Cross-file archive directory for Cafe and Diner records</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">The Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">CAD</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Cafe And Diner</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Source file: Angels and Thieves · Progress: 14/?</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Cafe And Diner|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN FILE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">MIR</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Miracle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Source file: The Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Miracle|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN FILE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Requiem</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">VAW</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Vampires And Wisps</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Source file: Blue Canary</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Vampires And Wisps|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN FILE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">ATD</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">A Teal Door</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Source file: Blue Canary</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[A Teal Door|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN FILE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.css&diff=8626MediaWiki:Common.css2026-05-05T05:09:20Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div>/* CSS placed here will be applied to all skins */<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
GLOBAL PAGE / MEDIAWIKI CHROME<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
#content {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
body {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#mw-head-base {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#mw-panel {<br />
background-color: white;<br />
border: 3px solid #556270;<br />
padding-bottom: 10px;<br />
border-top-right-radius: 10px;<br />
border-top-left-radius: 10px;<br />
border-bottom-right-radius: 10px;<br />
border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-privacy {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-about {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-disclaimer {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#ca-talk {<br />
display: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
BASE TEXT / LINK COLORS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.mw-body-content p {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body,<br />
.parsoid-body {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body h1,<br />
.mw-body-content h1 {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body-content h2 {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
h3 {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
h4 {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
p {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
li {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-content-ltr ul,<br />
.mw-content-rtl .mw-content-ltr ul {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
ul li::before {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
a,<br />
a:visited {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.skin-vector-legacy a.new {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output a.extiw,<br />
.mw-parser-output a.external {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output a.extiw:visited,<br />
.mw-parser-output a.external:visited {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-footer li {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
TABLES / TOC / MISC WIKI ELEMENTS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
#filetoc {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw_metadata td,<br />
.mw_metadata th {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.wikitable {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.toc,<br />
.toccolours {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.tocnumber {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-message-box-warning,<br />
.warningbox {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.catlinks {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.thumbcaption {<br />
color: black;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-search-profile-tabs {<br />
background-color: #3a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.search-types .current a {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
SPOILER / SPECIAL TEXT EFFECTS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.spoiler-text {<br />
background: black;<br />
color: black;<br />
cursor: help;<br />
transition: background 0.3s ease 0.2s, color 0.2s ease 0.25s;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.spoiler-text:hover,<br />
.spoiler-text:focus {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.blurry-text {<br />
filter: blur(1.75px);<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
ANIMATED TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
@keyframes blinkAnimation {<br />
0%, 100% {<br />
opacity: 1;<br />
}<br />
<br />
50% {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
.animatedText {<br />
color: green;<br />
animation: blinkAnimation 2s linear infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
DIVINE TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.divine-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text::before {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -1;<br />
filter: blur(8px);<br />
opacity: 0.7;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text::after {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -2;<br />
filter: blur(16px);<br />
opacity: 0.4;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text {<br />
animation: glow 2s ease-in-out infinite alternate;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes glow {<br />
from {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 5px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 10px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 15px #f6ff00,<br />
0 0 20px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 25px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 30px #f6ff00;<br />
}<br />
<br />
to {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 10px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 20px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 30px #f6ff00,<br />
0 0 40px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 50px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 60px #f6ff00;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
FLICKER TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.flicker-text-hidden {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
transition: opacity 0.15s ease-in-out;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text-hidden:hover {<br />
animation: flicker 1s infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text {<br />
opacity: 100;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text:hover {<br />
animation: flicker 1s infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes flicker {<br />
0%, 19.999%, 22%, 62.999%, 64%, 64.999%, 70%, 100% {<br />
opacity: 1;<br />
color: yellow;<br />
}<br />
<br />
20%, 21.999%, 63%, 63.999%, 65%, 69.999% {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
LIGHT TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.light-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
position: relative;<br />
animation: glow 2s ease-in-out infinite alternate;<br />
user-select: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.light-text::before {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -1;<br />
filter: blur(12px);<br />
opacity: 0.8;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.light-text::after {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -2;<br />
filter: blur(24px);<br />
opacity: 0.6;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes glow {<br />
from {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 10px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 20px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 30px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 40px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 50px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 60px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 70px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 80px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 90px #fffff7;<br />
}<br />
<br />
to {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 30px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 60px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 90px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 120px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 150px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 180px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 210px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 240px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 270px #fffff7;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
SINISTER TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.sinister-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
color: #3f4f41;<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 2px #1a1a1a,<br />
0 0 10px #000000,<br />
0 0 2px #4c7550,<br />
0 0 7px #4c7550,<br />
0 0 8px #4c7550;<br />
transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
CASE / REPORT TYPOGRAPHY<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Courier+Prime&display=swap');<br />
<br />
.case,<br />
.case p,<br />
.case li,<br />
.case span,<br />
.case div {<br />
color: black;<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .case,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case b,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case strong {<br />
color: black;<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
STAMP IMAGE OVERLAY<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
/* Stamp wrapper */<br />
figure.stamp-image,<br />
.stamp-image {<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 120px; /* adjust */<br />
right: 80px; /* adjust */<br />
width: 350px;<br />
transform: rotate(-5deg);<br />
opacity: 0.85;<br />
pointer-events: none;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Actual image */<br />
figure.stamp-image img,<br />
.stamp-image img {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
height: auto;<br />
mix-blend-mode: multiply;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Ensure text does NOT reflow */<br />
.mw-parser-output {<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
REPORT BLOCKS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.report-block {<br />
position: relative;<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
padding: 24px;<br />
border-radius: 0.75rem;<br />
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1), 0 2px 4px -2px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1);<br />
margin-bottom: 24px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block b,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block strong {<br />
color: #0f0e05;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block {<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
ADDITIONS: CASE INDEX / DOSSIER / FILE LIST STYLING<br />
Added only; nothing above was removed.<br />
These are for the "Back in Business" / case list style.<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
/* Optional palette variables for easier future editing */<br />
:root {<br />
--cdn-bg-main: #1f1612;<br />
--cdn-bg-panel: #2a1d17;<br />
--cdn-bg-row: #1b120e;<br />
--cdn-bg-row-soft: #241813;<br />
--cdn-brass: #8d6b4f;<br />
--cdn-brass-soft: #a78867;<br />
--cdn-cream: #f3e3cf;<br />
--cdn-cream-muted: #d9c7b1;<br />
--cdn-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Main wrapper for a themed case list page */<br />
.cdn-case-board {<br />
background:<br />
radial-gradient(circle at top, rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.08), transparent 45%),<br />
repeating-linear-gradient(<br />
-45deg,<br />
#201612 0px,<br />
#201612 4px,<br />
#241914 4px,<br />
#241914 8px<br />
);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 18px;<br />
padding: 24px 28px;<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04) inset,<br />
0 10px 30px var(--cdn-shadow);<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
position: relative;<br />
margin: 1.5rem auto;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Section title like [SECTION 1] BACK IN BUSINESS */<br />
.cdn-case-board .cdn-section-title {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
text-align: center;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.18em;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
font-size: 2rem;<br />
margin-bottom: 0.75rem;<br />
border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.7);<br />
padding-bottom: 0.5rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Top-right badge like "BREWED" */<br />
.cdn-case-board .cdn-section-badge {<br />
float: right;<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin-left: 12px;<br />
padding: 0.25rem 1rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.12);<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 0.85rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.15em;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Decorative divider */<br />
.cdn-divider {<br />
border-top: 2px dashed rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.55);<br />
margin: 1.25rem 0 1.5rem;<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-divider::after {<br />
content: "∞";<br />
position: absolute;<br />
left: 50%;<br />
top: -0.8em;<br />
transform: translateX(-50%);<br />
color: var(--cdn-brass-soft);<br />
background: transparent;<br />
padding: 0 0.5rem;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Table wrapper for case rows */<br />
.cdn-case-table {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
border-collapse: separate;<br />
border-spacing: 0 12px;<br />
margin: 0 auto;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Make wikitable variants not fight the card styling */<br />
.mw-parser-output table.cdn-case-table,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-table td,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-table th {<br />
background: transparent;<br />
border: 0;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Single row / card */<br />
.cdn-case-row {<br />
background:<br />
linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02), rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.10)),<br />
repeating-linear-gradient(<br />
-45deg,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row) 0px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row) 6px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row-soft) 6px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row-soft) 12px<br />
);<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.8);<br />
border-left: 4px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 6px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.22);<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Inner spacing for row contents */<br />
.cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
display: flex;<br />
align-items: center;<br />
gap: 16px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Label pill: "Case No. X" */<br />
.cdn-case-number {<br />
flex: 0 0 auto;<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
min-width: 110px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
padding: 0.35rem 0.8rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.08);<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
font-size: 0.95rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.04em;<br />
white-space: nowrap;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Title/link area */<br />
.cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.85rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional subtitle / description under title */<br />
.cdn-case-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-desc p {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
font-size: 0.98rem;<br />
margin-top: 0.4rem;<br />
line-height: 1.45;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Footer badge like "10 FULLY BREWED CASES" */<br />
.cdn-case-count {<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin: 1rem auto 0;<br />
padding: 0.35rem 1rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.1);<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.14em;<br />
font-size: 0.85rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Small signature / flavor text */<br />
.cdn-signoff {<br />
text-align: right;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
font-style: italic;<br />
margin-top: 1rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.06em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Simple two-column case card layout for overview pages */<br />
.cdn-case-grid {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
border-collapse: separate;<br />
border-spacing: 14px 14px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output table.cdn-case-grid,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-grid td {<br />
background: transparent;<br />
border: 0;<br />
vertical-align: top;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Card block for your existing case overview style */<br />
.cdn-case-card {<br />
background:<br />
linear-gradient(180deg, #332922 0%, #211914 100%);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);<br />
min-height: 150px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.45rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-number,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number a:visited {<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
margin: 0.25rem 0 0.75rem;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
display: block;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-desc p {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
line-height: 1.45;<br />
font-size: 0.98rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Wide feature card for section headers / file reference blocks */<br />
.cdn-feature-card {<br />
margin: 0 auto 20px auto;<br />
max-width: 1100px;<br />
background: var(--cdn-bg-panel);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 12px 18px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.22);<br />
text-align: center;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-feature-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.7rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-feature-card-link,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link a:visited {<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Case titles that need a slightly more display-like look */<br />
.cdn-display-title {<br />
font-family: 'Georgia', 'Times New Roman', serif;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.03em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional subtle hover, if your wiki allows it */<br />
.cdn-case-row:hover,<br />
.cdn-case-card:hover,<br />
.cdn-feature-card:hover {<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.03) inset,<br />
0 8px 22px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.30);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional compact version for tighter rows */<br />
.cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
padding: 10px 14px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
font-size: 1.5rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Mobile-ish fallback for narrower layouts */<br />
@media screen and (max-width: 900px) {<br />
.cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
display: block;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-number {<br />
margin-bottom: 10px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
font-size: 1.4rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-grid {<br />
border-spacing: 0 12px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-grid td {<br />
display: block;<br />
width: 100% !important;<br />
padding: 0 0 12px 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* MediaWiki-safe clickable card */<br />
.cdn-case-card {<br />
position: relative;<br />
background: linear-gradient(180deg, #332922 0%, #211914 100%);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
min-height: 110px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);<br />
transition:<br />
transform 0.18s ease,<br />
box-shadow 0.18s ease,<br />
border-color 0.18s ease;<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card:hover {<br />
transform: translateY(-4px) scale(1.01);<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255,255,255,0.04) inset,<br />
0 10px 22px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34);<br />
border-color: var(--cdn-brass-soft);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-title {<br />
display: block;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.45rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-number {<br />
display: block;<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
margin: 0.35rem 0 0.75rem;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc {<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin-top: 0.15rem;<br />
padding: 0.28rem 0.85rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.12);<br />
color: #d8b790;<br />
font-size: 0.82rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.08em;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-royal {<br />
border-color: #b88a63;<br />
color: #f0c9a3;<br />
background: rgba(184, 138, 99, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-fate {<br />
border-color: #8ea7c9;<br />
color: #d8e5ff;<br />
background: rgba(142, 167, 201, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-testament {<br />
border-color: #7aa388;<br />
color: #d7f0dc;<br />
background: rgba(122, 163, 136, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-encore {<br />
border-color: #c5a35a;<br />
color: #ffe9b0;<br />
background: rgba(197, 163, 90, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-side {<br />
border-color: #9f8db8;<br />
color: #e6dcff;<br />
background: rgba(159, 141, 184, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-main {<br />
border-color: #b76f6f;<br />
color: #ffd9d9;<br />
background: rgba(183, 111, 111, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink {<br />
position: absolute;<br />
inset: 0;<br />
z-index: 1;<br />
font-size: 0 !important;<br />
line-height: 0 !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited {<br />
display: block;<br />
position: absolute;<br />
inset: 0;<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
width: 100%;<br />
height: 100%;<br />
font-size: 0 !important;<br />
line-height: 0 !important;<br />
text-indent: -9999px !important;<br />
white-space: nowrap !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
color: transparent !important;<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* keep visible content above the invisible link */<br />
.cdn-case-card > *:not(.cdn-card-stretchlink) {<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* kill parser paragraphs inside cards */<br />
.cdn-case-card p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card p {<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* kill parser-added white blocks inside cards */<br />
.cdn-case-card p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card p {<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* keep every child inside the card transparent unless explicitly styled */<br />
.cdn-case-card div,<br />
.cdn-case-card span,<br />
.cdn-case-card a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card div,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card span,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card a {<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* stretch link must stay invisible */<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited {<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
color: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* badge should sit cleanly on its own */<br />
.cdn-case-arc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-arc {<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
background-clip: padding-box;<br />
}<br />
<br />
pre, code, .mw-code {<br />
background: #1e1e1e;<br />
color: #f3e3cf;<br />
border: 1px solid #8d6b4f;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* CORE */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-core {<br />
border-color: #353935;<br />
color: #e6e6e6;<br />
background: rgba(53, 57, 53, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* BLOODGLASS */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-bloodglass {<br />
border-color: #960320;<br />
color: #ffd6dc;<br />
background: rgba(150, 3, 32, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* MIDNIGHT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-midnight {<br />
border-color: #3a0c57;<br />
color: #e4d6ff;<br />
background: rgba(58, 12, 87, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* REQUIEM */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-requiem {<br />
border-color: #ffc87c;<br />
color: #fff3dc;<br />
background: rgba(255, 200, 124, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* SILENUS */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-silenus {<br />
border-color: #e0b4db;<br />
color: #fff0fc;<br />
background: rgba(224, 180, 219, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* TESSERACT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-tesseract {<br />
border-color: #082567;<br />
color: #d6e4ff;<br />
background: rgba(8, 37, 103, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* SUNSHINE */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-sunshine {<br />
border-color: #692a1a;<br />
color: #ffdcd4;<br />
background: rgba(105, 42, 26, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* TESTAMENT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-testament {<br />
border-color: #226C3B;<br />
color: #d7f5e3;<br />
background: rgba(34, 108, 59, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* ===== ARCHIVAL RECEIPT PAGE ===== */<br />
<br />
/* ===== ARCHIVAL CASE PAGE ===== */<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-page {<br />
max-width: 1100px !important;<br />
margin: 2rem auto !important;<br />
padding: 30px !important;<br />
background: linear-gradient(180deg, #2b1b17 0%, #170f0d 100%) !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #8d6b4f !important;<br />
border-radius: 22px !important;<br />
color: #f3e3cf !important;<br />
box-shadow: 0 20px 45px rgba(0,0,0,0.45) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-hero {<br />
text-align: center !important;<br />
padding: 24px 20px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.65) !important;<br />
border-radius: 18px !important;<br />
background: rgba(0,0,0,0.18) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-label {<br />
color: #d7b38c !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.22em !important;<br />
font-size: 0.8rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 800 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-title {<br />
margin-top: 8px !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 2.1rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-subtitle {<br />
color: #d9c7b1 !important;<br />
font-style: italic !important;<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-objective {<br />
margin: 20px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 14px 18px !important;<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.08) !important;<br />
border-left: 4px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 10px !important;<br />
color: #f3e3cf !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-section-heading {<br />
margin: 26px 0 14px !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.4rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.6) !important;<br />
padding-bottom: 8px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-card {<br />
display: block !important;<br />
margin: 28px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 24px !important;<br />
background: #241915 !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.85) !important;<br />
border-radius: 18px !important;<br />
box-shadow: 0 12px 28px rgba(0,0,0,0.35) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-header {<br />
display: flex !important;<br />
justify-content: space-between !important;<br />
align-items: center !important;<br />
border-bottom: 1px dashed rgba(167,136,103,0.5) !important;<br />
padding-bottom: 10px !important;<br />
margin-bottom: 14px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-id {<br />
font-size: 1.1rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.18em !important;<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-stamp {<br />
padding: 5px 11px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 999px !important;<br />
color: #ffe1ad !important;<br />
font-size: 0.72rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.12em !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-receipt-body {<br />
margin-top: 16px !important;<br />
padding: 20px 22px !important;<br />
background: rgba(0,0,0,0.22) !important;<br />
border-radius: 12px !important;<br />
color: #f3e3cf !important;<br />
line-height: 1.7 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-panel,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-hint-panel,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-answer-panel {<br />
margin: 14px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 14px 16px !important;<br />
border-radius: 12px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.6) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-panel {<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.06) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-hint-panel {<br />
background: rgba(0,0,0,0.18) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-answer-panel {<br />
background: rgba(34,108,59,0.18) !important;<br />
border-color: rgba(34,108,59,0.75) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-panel-label {<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
font-size: 0.75rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.16em !important;<br />
text-transform: uppercase !important;<br />
margin-bottom: 8px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-clue {<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.1rem !important;<br />
font-style: italic !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-puzzle-type,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-hint,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-explanation {<br />
color: #d9c7b1 !important;<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-answer {<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.15rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent {<br />
position: relative !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent .stamp-image {<br />
position: absolute !important;<br />
top: 92px !important;<br />
right: 38px !important;<br />
width: 250px !important;<br />
transform: rotate(-6deg) !important;<br />
opacity: 0.82 !important;<br />
pointer-events: none !important;<br />
z-index: 3 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent .stamp-image img {<br />
width: 100% !important;<br />
height: auto !important;<br />
mix-blend-mode: multiply !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .stamp-parent .cdn-receipt-body {<br />
padding-right: 320px !important;<br />
min-height: 300px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* ===== TRANSCRIPT STYLE ===== */<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-transcript {<br />
margin-top: 12px;<br />
padding: 18px 20px;<br />
background:<br />
radial-gradient(rgba(255,255,255,0.02), transparent),<br />
#1a1411;<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.45);<br />
font-family: "Courier New", monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Speaker name */<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-speaker {<br />
margin-top: 18px;<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
font-weight: 900;<br />
font-size: 1.05rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.03em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Dialogue line */<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-line {<br />
margin-top: 6px;<br />
color: #e8e0d6;<br />
line-height: 1.6;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Stage direction */<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-stage {<br />
margin-top: 18px;<br />
font-style: italic;<br />
color: #caa6b8;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-card {<br />
display: flex !important;<br />
justify-content: space-between !important;<br />
align-items: center !important;<br />
gap: 18px !important;<br />
margin: 18px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 20px 24px !important;<br />
background: #241915 !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(255,200,124,0.55) !important;<br />
border-radius: 16px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-id {<br />
color: #ffc87c !important;<br />
font-size: 0.9rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.22em !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-title {<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 1.25rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-desc {<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
color: #d9c7b1 !important;<br />
font-size: 0.9rem !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-button {<br />
display: inline-block !important;<br />
padding: 9px 14px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 999px !important;<br />
color: #ffe1ad !important;<br />
font-size: 0.75rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.12em !important;<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-card a {<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-file-button:hover {<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.16) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-back-nav {<br />
margin-top: 30px !important;<br />
text-align: center !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-back-button {<br />
display: inline-block !important;<br />
padding: 10px 18px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #ffc87c !important;<br />
border-radius: 999px !important;<br />
color: #ffe1ad !important;<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
font-size: 0.75rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.14em !important;<br />
transition: all 0.2s ease !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-back-button:hover {<br />
background: rgba(255,200,124,0.18) !important;<br />
}</div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_VII)&diff=8625OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VII)2026-05-05T05:07:43Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Part VII: The Final Folie of the Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">61 archived receipts</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-216"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part VII: The Final Folie of the Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">61 archived receipts</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-216"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-216</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-216</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Is it just a trauma response that I have an unquenchable urge to keep writing receipts? You know, my new organization is sort of categorially against writing things down. But if it wasn’t for 8’s “meticulous note-keeping and journaling,” we’d be screwed eight ways to Sunday. So maybe there’s something in being meticulous in our note-keeping. But really, I think it’s just the trauma response. Regardless, it does help me get my thoughts in order, and boy, being a leader is not easy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, yeah. Also, we won’t be using the spooky royal “we” in these knock-off receipts. Too much work, and honestly? We’re both sick of it, and it’s only been like two weeks of doing it. Thankfully neither of us has to be “leader-leaders,” just quasi-semi-sorta leaders, at least for the time being. I think we both got so used to receiving orders that we didn’t know how to dish them out ourselves. But, speaking of receiving orders, we have two main cases of concern at the moment. Retrieve The Main Man’s final secret hidden somewhere in the giant mess of CaDCom Receipts from 1988 to 2023. Fun. And there’s a cult we need to look into… The Sacred Hall of Bingo.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for the CaDCom receipts, hey, you’re looking at them. We pulled some strings and got the old domain transferred to our control, and now we’re rebuilding the Archives the best we can. Of course, there are only two of us, and we’re busy with so many other things, but at least the former Long Island crew got us an 850 receipt head start. Also, technically, we’ll be delegating the bulk of this work to our many eager underlings. Oh boy, if they hated us before, they will really hate us now. As for the Bingo Cult, Twain and I need to pay their leader a respectful visit and see what’s up with them. On a technical level, cult affairs are actually our job, but I have a sneaking suspicion I know why she’s marked this one as “urgent.”</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-217"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-217</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-217</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, thank God, or Bird, or whatever, we have receipts again! I was going CRAZY not being able to just ramble on and on about my sexy, dangerous, and fun life. It has been HELL ON EARTH the past two weeks trying to be all stoic. It is not my vibe, babes. My vibes are hiding my true feelings behind obnoxious internet culture. Speaking of… yes, it’s not just being a stoic so-and-so that’s really been on my mind with this whole… “shift” in the way things are.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle. I miss them. A lot. I knew it would hurt to leave them. And, I mean, well, I chose this. I wanted this. But… still… I hope they’re doing okay. I know it must suck that I just left them without even saying goodbye. Maybe it was better that way? Well, I know for CERTAIN that they’d KILL ME if I actually told them why I had to leave and what I’ve been up to the past year. Not that they probably didn’t already have some suspicions. They’re a smart, SMART, cookie. I just know they wouldn’t like all of, well, “this.” I’ve had to listen to them rant and rave about how much they hate the original owner and his Last Cafe so many times I could probably give you the whole speech on how he basically became a worse fate than Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Whew, it feels good to get things out again. While I did want this, I guess I underestimated how much I needed to talk and how in conflict that is with a whole “sew your lips shut for months on end” lifestyle. I suppose we have the power to change that now, though. But, like, the little lip marks are kind of sexy in their own twisted way, so we’ll probably keep it. Plus, tradition and blah, blah, blah. And the big boss probably wouldn’t like us getting rid of that. But, boy, I would not want to do that again. Also? It’s so freaky. Like if you have to throw up or something, you gotta yank that thread out and FAST.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I wonder what ended up happening to Kyle. And Trav, Zack, and the others. Maybe once the dust actually settles a bit, me and Capgras can see if we can find them.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-218"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-218</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-218</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>While Twain is keeping busy trying to get the Archives 2.0 up and running, I’ve been busy doing our ACTUAL job. Cult and Esoteric Affairs. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but the Big A wants us lowly little Zs to look into this Sacred Hall of Bingo cult that sprung up a week or so ago. You’d think a cult that just started forming and has less than five confirmed members shouldn’t really be at the top of our priorities, but then you haven’t heard the member list yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hell, I don’t even think I can say who the leader is. It’s all fun and games to put all of the Cafe and Diner’s secrets in an easily read HTML file, but this is our actual “job-job.” We can’t go putting Indigo secrets here. But our rank does give us a little leeway. So, who are the Bingo five?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, every cult has a leader, and while I’m not at liberty to name names, we’ll call him, well, Bingo. The reason Bingo is the head of a cult is, well, concerning, to say the least, is he’s what we call a “greater cosmic force.” While he’s certainly fallen in the cosmic ranks as of late, he’s still a very dangerous player who has taken on a very dangerous ideology. Now, his right-hand man is unconfirmed, but I think we all see the writing on the wall. We’ll call them The Fat Lady. The Fat Lady, like Bingo, is a “greater cosmic force.” They are joined by… I don’t know, we’ll go with the Dancing Queen. The Queen is not a greater cosmic force, but he’s a scary guy nonetheless. At least when it comes to him, we can kind of hope time just takes him out. As for the last two members, I’ll just come out and say it: Umbra and Complexico. Well, Umbra, for sure. Complexico is a maybe still. Real boys club as it currently is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, I’m going to be paying “Bingo” an in-person visit. It’s a fun little game us greater cosmic forces play. See if we can't keep innocents out of Bingo's little nihilism crusade.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-219"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-219</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, I managed to find the Sacred Hall of Bingo, and I had a friendly conversation with their leader. He’s a lot more perceptive than anyone else we’ve dealt with so far. He didn’t buy our act for one second, though I guess he’d know if we were truly different better than anyone else. It’s tenuous how much of a “cult” they really are at this point, but I think Alfa wanted to curtail it before it got to that point. He’s definitely dangerous—he almost had me believing his lies.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Well, if it isn’t the new Shaka. Or, ya’ know, half-there-of. What do I owe the pleasure?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Thought I’d visit an old friend.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Is that right? It’s funny. I can’t say I feel the same way if you catch my drift.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Come now, Jack do you really think I’ve been replaced?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Strong hunch. Anyway, man, you can drop the act around me. I don’t see a point to it. So, tell me, who is scared of me? The big boss or the bigger boss?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: What’s with the wig?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Wig?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: You told me to drop the act. I want to know why you’re wearing a bright orange wig.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: It’s not a wig. It’s my hair.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: No way. No way, that’s your real hair. You were BALD like two weeks ago.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: It grew back. Now, mind answering my question?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Lex Luther hair… Uh, just the big boss. I don’t think you’re even on the bigger boss’s radar.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Really? I’m wounded, for sure. You’d think after all these years he’d consider me more of a threat.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Well, it is a bit of a sorry cult, isn’t it? Just the five of you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Hey now, “cult” is a strong word. We’re a group of like-minded colleagues. Pretty sure you need followers to be a cult.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: From where I’m standing, you already have four.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: That was always your problem, Shaka. Always thinking in terms of some great and grand cosmic chess board. News flash—that chessboard has become nothing more than a glorified bingo card. I didn’t coerce anyone to join my little social club. They came because they cared about me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: I don’t buy Umbra caring about anyone but himself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Oh, you’d be surprised.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: So, this “social club,” what are you guys up to? I assume it’s not just playing bingo.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Like I said, we are, in a way. Come on, Shaka, lighten up. Turn that frown upside down, man. Fate’s dead. Nothing matters. We’re free.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Maybe you are.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Ah, right. You’re still a slave to Grand Schemer. Well, if you ever want to stop caring about its aimless goals, you know we’d love one more for our bingo games.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: I see your logic, but do you really believe that Jack? That nothing matters? I don’t buy it. I think your bingo club—no cult—still has some sort of goal beyond just poetic nihilism.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: You’re free to feel that way, man. I hope that sooner or later, you come around to the idea that we’re no longer important, you and me. We’re relics of a past formed by a Fate no longer living.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: I’ll keep that in mind. Anyway, I’ll be seeing you around, Jack. You can be sure of that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Like I’ve been saying, man, you’re free to exchange ideas with us. We’d love to get the whole gang back together.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-220"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-220</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-220</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Looks like we’ve got another cult on our plates. The “Kings of Roses.” They operate out of Vile but also in Hollywood, California. And, yes, you guessed it—Vile as in Vile. They’re not so much human as they are, well, you know, residents of Vile. Demons. We really need to think up our own code words. I mean, I’m used to the old Cafe ones, but they don’t really fit the vibe we’re going for here. Then again, these “receipts” are all of the books and are just for Alex and me. Oh! And Salenna. Considering all three of us are familiar with Cafe Speak, we might as well just keep it, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, these Kings of Roses enjoy a nice cold glass of OJ—crap. Salenna doesn’t know the newer Cafe speak, huh? There goes that plan. Well, she’s a smart girlboss, gatekeeper, and gaslighter. I’m sure she can just take a quick look at the Zodiac Files and the previously uploaded receipts to get the hang of things again. So, yeah, OJ drinkers. Hauntaurskaldians. But not just the Hauntaurskald, the Hauntaurskald-Infernus Cusp. Fancy, I know. While they are based out of Vile/Hollywood, they also have a little spot right between OJ and Hot Choccy, which puts them out of… I don’t actually know any more. Cain? Again? Whoever the hell is in charge of, well, hell. It puts them out of that person’s jurisdiction.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Actually, there’s a chance these Kings could make a play for the seat of power in Vile. I don’t know if that’s what they want or not. We know very little about the Kings of Roses as they’ve been pretty lowkey up until recently. I guess a cosmic shakeup will do that, though. As much as I’d love to go to Vile, and I would, really, it doesn’t smell like rotten eggs and ass, I swear, unfortunately, I think I’ll have to leave that task to my better half—Cappy. Age before beauty and all that.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-221"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-221</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-221</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Another day, another cult. This time it’s at least actually a cult and not just a group of people who make Alfa nervous. Actually, it’s almost the opposite. The Kings of Roses pose a direct threat to our leadership. I know, right? How dare they. They’re a blood cult or something like that, formerly run by the High Demon, Bloody Mary. Under Mary, the cult was considered by our predecessor as “benign at best—more of a threat in another time and place.” …And that’s it. Thanks, Aayush. Really helpful stuff.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, why has this benign blood cult suddenly become a threat? Well, Mary was ousted, and the new head of the Kings is some guy named “Rune.” Rune claims to have super special Zulu-Knowledge, especially relating to Project Lazarus and Project Netzach. Project Lazarus, we could care less about. It’s something of an open secret at this point. But Netzach? Oh boy. Oh boy, boy, boy. That is not something anyone should be talking about, especially not some mutinous cult leader. Also, assuming you who are reading this are not a Zulu yourself, don’t look into anything Netzach related. It’s for your own good. Seriously.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The plan of attack is probably the same as the Bingo Cult. While I’d love to go in magic-blazing and just wipe this cult off the map… that’s not exactly an option for either myself or Twain. At best, I can go in as a greater cosmic force and see if I can reason with this Rune guy to drop the Netzach stuff. And if he refuses? Well, that definitely makes things… sticky. I guess it is also possible this Rune guy doesn’t actually know anything about Netzach beyond the name of the project, which, to be fair, is “publicly” available in the Astoria database.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-222"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-222</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-222</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I don’t know what I was expecting when I heard that you had become Shaka, Alex. Though, this is about what I imagined. The good news is that while the Zulu Division may hate your guts, the other 23 Divisions are actually pretty excited to have some new Shaka leadership. Hell, all of the Indigos seem to be on board with a less threatening, less effective, less dangerous, potentially less-evil head of Shaka. I still get reports from the Ozhog Sluzhbas, and they are all very excited to work with the new Shaka. Well, I think they’re more-so excited to have a new Shaka to dump their problems on.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of… bad news from the 100th, 200th, and 3rd Sluzhbas. Someone stole an Elder from the Freezer. Gamayun from the 3rd wants you guys to look into it because Rusalka of the 100th found a tenuous connection suggesting that the Elder was stolen by a group known as the “Hyperion Cult.” And that tenuous connection is more than enough for Gamayun to put this entirely on your heads. Congrats on the promotion, by the way. I’m sure it’s super fun.</p><br />
<br />
<p>How either of you plans on tracking, containing, and returning an Elder is beyond me. But I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Ah, who am I kidding? You’ll both be killed. I suppose I can help you out on this one was a 20th Sluzhba rep. Though I haven’t exactly gone after Elders directly in a while, I’m sure I can figure it out. We could also probably get some help from November too. I’m sure everyone in the Agency is on your side… except your own Division. I’ll get some more concrete details from Gamayun so I can let you know how dead you both are tomorrow.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-223"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-223</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-223</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>My condolences, Alex &amp; Amber. The Hyperion Cult broke one of the Sebitti out. Woof. Looking on the bright side, we only ever had one of the seven in the Freezer. I guess on the not-so-bright side we have no idea how many other Sebitti the Hyperions have. If this one was the last one they needed? Well, you might as well hang up your masks now. Though I doubt, it’s that serious yet. Zver would’ve stepped in if that was the case. To be honest? The fact that Zver hasn’t said anything yet is probably a good sign. I mean, he’s probably testing you, but this is a great chance to show him you guys aren’t exactly as competent as the prior Shaka, and then you’ll get a lot less of this kind of work to deal with.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, who/what are the Sebitti? Well, they’re a group of seven Elders who used to bring war, death, and illness to the world. Fun, I know. I’m almost certain they’re the offspring, or at the very least, were followers of the Pale. Individually they are pretty weak as far as Elders go. That’s why we were keeping our Sebitti in the lower-security part of the Freezer in the first place. Even a 100th could put him back in his place. However, together they grow exponentially stronger. If all seven get together? They could easily wipe out the sun or moon. Or worse. I imagine they would have the power to tap into the Black Eden and free any number of nasty Elders and Protodemons.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though considering the cult we’re dealing with is called the “Hyperion” cult, they’re probably going with the blot-out-the-sun route. Why? I don’t know. Doomsday prophecies or whatever. I’m not supposed to be the cult experts; you two are. I’ve got a handful of Novembers together to help me in tracking down and containing the Sebitti, so if you two could just look into the Hyperion Cult, that’d be great. Thanks.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-224</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Thanks to Blackwood’s detective skills, I was able to find my way to the Valley of Gilded Thorns, where the Kings of Roses are set up. I also had a conversation with… Rune. I think she’s going to be a major thorn in our side after all. She knows secrets she really shouldn’t, and even if we could kill her… we can’t. Not easily.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: I’ve come to speak to Rune.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kings Cultist: And who might you be?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Shaka of Zulu.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kings Cultist: You aren’t Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Didn’t you hear? He was replaced. I’m the new Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kings Cultist: New Shaka? I highly doubt—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: That’s alright. I know him. He is, indeed, Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Katherine? What are you doing here?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Give us some privacy, would you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Kings Cultist left the CaDCom transcription range.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Hi Alex! It’s so good to see you again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Hi… wait, wait, wait. Are you Rune?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Yep! And you got promoted to Shaka. Congrats! That’s a huge promotion.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: How… when… what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Ah. I see you didn’t inherit Shaka’s annoying knowledge of nearly everything. That’s good. I’m guessing you didn’t inherit much from Shaka besides the title, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Uh…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Don’t worry, I won’t tell. You’ve got quite the title to uphold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: I… wait. How do you know so much?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Well… you weren’t the only replacement Shaka considered. I figured it wasn’t really the right fit for me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: …and leader of a blood Cult was?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Rune shrugged.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: I’m doing what needs to be done. Same as you. Same as everyone else who burnt their tongues on the coffee. Anyway, I assume you’re here because it’s Shaka’s job to check up on cults, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: I… well, yes. Though, I’m here because of Netzach.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Oh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: So, Shaka considered you as a possible replacement, and in doing so, he told you about Netzach? That seems…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Highly unlikely? Yep. Because he didn’t tell me about Netzach.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: So then—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Randall Rune. He knew about the Netzach project. Well, he knew at least as much as it pertained to the Lazarus project.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Randall Rune…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Dingane.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: A Zulu?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Oh! I forgot you weren’t with the Cafe then, were you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: No… I wasn’t. Though I think I get it. More or less. You were turned into a zombie—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: More of a ghoul, technically.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Ghoul. Sure. An undead half-demon of some sort.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Yep!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Okay, and you were turned into that because of Project Lazarus. You were injected with Asmodeus’ blood… and Dingane was the Zulu in charge of Project Lazarus. You ate him, and due to your powers, you were able to momentarily retain his knowledge. But how did you keep all of this in your head for the past 3 years? I thought you only gained memories and feelings for a few hours at most.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Sure, when I eat someone’s flesh. I didn’t just eat Randall’s flesh.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: You ate his soul? You’ve been Randall this whole time?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: I wouldn’t say that. I’m still me! I just retained Randall’s memories, knowledge and—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Ambitions.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Yep!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: So, you taking over the Kings of Roses, that was to further Randall’s Lazarus research?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: You’ve got it!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Great! You can come back to the Zulus then—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: Oh no. No, I don’t think I will. I don’t have to, Shaka. Dingane made a pact with Secret, not me. And I don’t really want Secret to benefit from my research.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: But… Fine. I see how it is. But you realize in the Zulu’s eyes, in Secret’s eyes, you’re a traitor of the Silence. We can’t let you just use Randall’s knowledge of our secrets for your own gain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rune: That does seem fair… but then again, you can’t kill me. So, if we’re done, Shaka. It’s been nice catching up.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-225"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-225</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NANCY LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-225</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>My, my. And here I thought I was done writing "receipts." Then again, I suppose I thought I was done writing receipts many years ago, and yet… somehow, coffee keeps staining my teeth. Call it whatever you want, children; this is a Cafe. If not in name and without the 8 to back it up, you're trying to make a new Cafe. But why? Wouldn't you think your little Zulu Cult was enough? Or could it be you don't know how to actually play with the big boys, so you have fallen back on what's comfortable and familiar? Hm?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh well, I suppose it's better than the alternative though I was hoping with Aayush dead, my debt to Secret would go uncollected for a bit longer. Still, my terms with Secret were clear—three years of service, one of which was already paid. So, I suggest you make the most of my two years in your service. I would say that after that, I am done with coffee entirely, but we all know it's next to impossible to curve a caffeine addiction, especially one that's gone on this long. Though, considering what I got, the price is worth it…</p><br />
<br />
<p>However…</p><br />
<br />
<p>I might not have taken your little Oath of Zilence, but I still know exactly what you two are up to. Perhaps not entirely, but I was still close enough to Aayush to learn quite a bit of what he and his father had planned. I may be yours to use as you see fit, but I will not help either of you resurrect that shambling façade of a God. Even if it means my terms are broken—I'd rather that than help Secret find his last secret. If you two could do me just one favor, it would be to let my terms run out before you make any attempts on the corpse. At least let my hands be clean of this mess and my contract completed.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-226"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-226</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-226</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I was able to retrieve the Sebitti… or… what’s left of it. It would seem that Fenrir, the leader of the Hyperion Cult, is able to kill and absorb the powers of Elders. Based on what Fenrir said, I believe his plan is to hunt down the remaining six Sebitti, kill them, and use their powers to bring about an end to the world. What Fenrir didn’t know is that I’m not entirely working with the Freezer at the moment. We need to be careful about how we proceed. If the Freezer finds out about all of this, they’ll prioritize finding and securing the other Sebitti… which would make Fenrir’s task easier.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: You’re late.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: Late?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: I was expecting the Freezer to have found and retrieved the stolen Sebitti sooner.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: The war doesn’t help…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: No, I suppose it doesn’t. You want it back, right? Agent…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: Kikimora. We can’t just let a crazed cult leader hold on to a doomsday Elder, can we?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fenrir. No. I suppose you can’t. Here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Fenrir tossed a strange husk to Salenna's feet.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: What is—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: The Sebitti’s corpse. We’re done with it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: Corpse?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Yes, a corpse. Take it back to your superiors and show them. Show Zver. Show them the power of a dying sun.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: But the Sebitti are Elders, immortals, they can’t— you’ve killed its body, but its soul…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Ah. Clever, Agent Kikimora. Yes, it’s true that Elders’ bodies were once their only weakness. Though, you won’t find any traces of its soul either. It is dead. Its soul has been destroyed. And in me lies its power.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: How?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Haven’t you heard? Pandora’s Box has been opened, Agent Kikimora. In their foolish pursuit to kill Fate, the Cafe and Diner found a way to kill Elders. It isn’t an easy process. But… once you’ve done it before, it certainly becomes easier.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: Wait. You’re— Julius Mendoza. <em>You</em> killed the Wicked.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: And that was only the first fire I plan to put out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: <em>Why?</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Why not? God and the Devil are once again locked in their eternal struggle—but we don’t have to wait for the bell to ring anymore. We can ring it ourselves. I can ring it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: We’ll put a stop to—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: That isn’t your job, is it? Your job is to catch and contain. You can either round up the rest of the Sebitti for me, or you can do nothing. Isn’t it great? Even with Fate dead, the illusion of choice persists.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-227"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-227</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-227</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Another Archive section gunked up by the Other-Other(Other?) Man? Seriously what the heck! In the interim, Bingo Bitch didn’t do much as God’s Otherman the second time around. Well—we did kill Fate, one of God’s biggest threats—so… He did do something. But he definitely took a back seat to the whole correcting time and space. Though I’ve never been entirely clear on why he quit? I didn’t know that was something an Otherman could do? Let me rewind like the Otherman for a second and see if I can figure out what’s going on.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, jump back an entire Universe ago to the 15th Canonical Sphere… the original owner was a happy little French boy born in Baltimore, Maryland. Then his parents moved to Detroit, Michigan, and then died in a mysterious fire set by the Nain Rouge, the Demon of the Strait, a fiendish entity of misfortune and mishap. Well, sort of. He’s less a “Demon” of the Strait as he is more so the Angel of the Strait. A puppet of sorts used by God to enact certain events to occur… yes, by the way, that does sound a lot like Fate, doesn’t it? The pot really loves to call the kettle black. Anyway, with 8's parents dead, he was set on a path toward the supernatural world. He then hooked up with Lucifer (the absolute Rizzard of Oz that he is), got Blighted out by the Wicked, started the Cafe and Diner, and then the Nain Rouge came a callin’ once again and burnt his whole world down. However, the Nain Rouge (by proxy God) made a deal with the poor French boy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>See, that whole “Blighted by the Wicked” business was no joke, and he was set to, more or less, explode in a funk-tastic haze of fire, guts, and Blight. God said, hey, don’t worry about that, I’ll cure you of this Blight… but… I’m going to need you to become my right-hand man. Pop up to the Topside with me, and I’ll give you all the power and knowledge of the universe so you can fix it and keep it running and in order. And, yeah, he accepted, and boom—Otherman. Though it begs the question: why, oh, why, sweet, sexy, French boy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I don’t know. I’ll look into it. I could also ask him, I guess. He is back to living among us lowly mortals again. Anyway, blah, blah, blah, 16th Sphere stuff happened (read all about it in the Archives), God came back, Nikki and Seth vanished, Rico and Nick went to save them, God said: “Hey, bud, good to see you again. Can you please come back to your old job? Things aren’t going well.” the bud said, “Yeah, sure.” He became the Otherman again for a few years, ended up orchestrating the death of Fate, Wicked, and Phantom, then… quit? I guess? Or… maybe he was no longer suitable for the position? Hm…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, we have a new non-French-y Otherman who is smoothing out space-time wrinkles. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, though it might ultimately just be… a thing. I’ll see about considering speaking to 8, though Alfa wants us to have minimal contact with the Daubers for now.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-228"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-228</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NANCY LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-228</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine became a cult leader? Good for her. I always knew she had potential. Well, you’d have to do something interesting with your life when you are unable to die. Though I was convinced, she’d end up among your ranks as Dingane after the Cafe fell apart. I had known for quite some time that Katherine wasn’t entirely herself… or, I suppose I should say, she isn’t entirely the person she was before she died. She is still the very same girl rescued by the Cafe three years ago. The only difference is she is no longer hiding her true motives. And why would she? She no longer has to keep up appearances for the Cafe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I would say the easiest way to take her down would be to find a way to “cleanse” her of Dingane’s ambitions. Though… I don’t know how we would go about doing that. But that solution would satisfy Secret, would it not? The issue with Katherine is that she knows some of Secret’s secrets, and by removing the parts of her that are Dingane, it would clear the issue. Though any attempt to cleanse her soul would require Soul Magic, of which I have no expertise or desire to mess with. Lucky for you, you have the Pathologist on your side.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though… there is another solution. Perhaps one that would be more beneficial in the long run. Convert her to your cult. Have Katherine officially take the Oath of Zilence and have her join the Zulu Division as Dingane. Of course, that is easier said than done. I can’t say that I knew Dingane all that well, but I knew how driven… and utterly mad… he was, and if that drive and madness are what has been controlling Katherine, I doubt we can shake them. Dingane, in death, got what he never could have in life—and out from the Oath.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-229"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-229</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NANCY LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-229</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>My, it seems like everyone is running a cult these days. I wonder if I should make one, too? Though I suppose “Bingo” already has plenty of cult-leader experience. Well, I suppose with his newfound freedom, what else is poor Jack to do? Though I am still struggling to consider the Sacred Hall of Bingo a cult… Jack, 8, Felix, Complexico, and Umbra hardly make a cult. If anything, it’s a Last Cafe meets Sons of Ill-Intent crossover, with special guest star Felix Blackwood.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ah, Felix. I had truly hoped he would take his retirement seriously. He is not a young man anymore. Worse, he has let himself go completely unassisted by magic, meaning his days are numbered regardless. But I can only assume that Felix is why Alfa is treating Jack’s gentlemen's club as a cult, correct? Like Rune, he holds Zulu secrets. Possibly dangerous Zulu secrets. I feel that there is something I have not been told either by you two or Alfa, but I feel like Jack is merely a cover for Alfa’s interest in this Bingo Cult, and the true target is Felix.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, Jack is dangerous too. Same as 8, Complexico, and Umbra. I wouldn’t want to have to deal with any of them solo, let alone as a united force. And Jack… oh, Jack. I can’t imagine he came out of that whole ordeal entirely… sane. I suppose the most dangerous aspect of their cult is their goal, which appears to be none. Nihilism is a paradox, both very dangerous and extremely harmless. When nothing is all that matters, what matters is nothing. Though… I don’t believe 8 could ever truly be a Nihilist, even with Jack serving it to him on a silver platter. It’s not like him to believe in nothing… at the very least, he must still believe that somewhere, somehow, his Morning Star can return.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-230"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-230</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-230</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>A rather unexpected guest came into the Ca— ah, my apologies. Hard habit to break. Our friend, Bingo, leader of the Sacred Hall of Bingo, stopped by the Zulu Suite. He claims to have brought a proposition for Capgras and Twain when they get back. How he managed to get into the Zulu Suite… well, that is beyond me. Though having seen what he was once capable of in his prior life, I would hardly put much past him even.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Can I help you…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: I don’t know, man. Can you? I was looking for Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Which one?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Right. There are two of them now. Uh… whoever. It’s not that important which one of them I talk to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Well, Twain—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Twain?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Like, to be cut in two. Twain. Amber. She’s in England right now looking into a cult and Capgras—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Capgras? They chose non-Shaka names?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: It makes them easier to tell apart.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Ah… I see. Well, where is “Capgras”? Also out?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Yes… though… well, he’s out-out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Out-out? Out of town, out of state, out of country…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Out of cycle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Far out. Far… out. Great. So, no Shakas here? Just my luck. Guess I’ll have to come back around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: I could take a message for them, Mr…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: According to their records, I’m “Bingo,” right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Jack? You don’t look—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Yeah, yeah. I know. It grew back. Wait… I recognize you now. Number… 1223. Right? Man… I can’t believe you got suckered into another Cafe and Diner.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: We’re not—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Oh. No, of course not. Silly me. Well, don’t worry about taking a note, man, the CaDCom Device, short for Cafe and Diner Communication Device, I’m sure you’re aware, does a real good job at transcribing things. I’d know. So, Capgras, Twain, I come with a, well, I suppose it’d be a proposal of sorts. A proposition. Something you guys would really dig. You know where to find me.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-231"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-231</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-231</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>If the IRIS reports are to be believed, it would seem that Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4 is attempting to recreate the Miracle of Eight. I don’t believe I need to explain how dangerous that could be if it were to succeed, though I will at least remind everyone that Eight almost destroyed the Universe on numerous occasions, ultimately leading to the Universe’s Darkest Hour. I was there, and it wasn’t pretty. You were there too, Shaka, so you should know better than anyone how dangerous the Eight is. Even in the best possible hands, look at the mess it created.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And while it is true that Fate is no more, there are others who would covet the power of Eight. Pale, Eve, the Devil… You. I do not mean any offense, of course, but when I think about existential threats to the stability of the Universe, I can’t help but think about you two. Well, not you two specifically, but the corpse you’ve been holding onto. Netzach. If Netzach was able to get a hold of the Eight… Well, that would be… bad. I assume, of course. I have no idea what exactly the Eight does. Nor does anyone, not anymore, for that matter.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In my prior receipt (we are still calling these receipts, no?) I mentioned that Miracles were gifts from the Universe—thus not dangerous to the stability of the Universe itself. That’s a rather naïve perspective, isn’t it? These Miracles, to me, seem more like tumors or aberrations. I doubt the Universe has any form of consciousness with which to bestow Miracles to mere mortals. Especially Miracles, like the Eight, that can cause such bloody, senseless conflicts for generations. Though while we are unable to ask any previous holders what exactly the Eight were or how dangerous they might be with Fate out of the picture… I suppose we could ask Jack about it, as it was his Miracle, to begin with.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And he does want to talk, it seems.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-232"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-232</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-232</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, I was able to meet up with Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4. I had a hunch who he was pretty early on. To be fair, he might be the only British guy I know, but also, there's no other reason Death, Jordan, would care about some no-name cult preaching peace, love, and joy. I met quite a few of his other cult members, though, at this point, it's more or less his regular crew. We had a much longer conversation, though I've cut it as it's all stuff you should all know by now. In any case, I'm not particularly worried about No. 4 or his Cult of Personality.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Well, well, well, if it isn't Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: What? Who are— Oh, for fu— Shaka. I knew you weren't actually dead. Look, I haven't— Hold on a tick. You aren't Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: I'm the new Shaka. Or one-half of the new Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: New Shaka? They do that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Someone's gotta be Shaka. But no one needs to be a creepy love cult leader—Jericho.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oi… it's not like that. And you know my name? I thought I was "Unidentified-Something-Or-Other."</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: …Cult Leader No. 4. We're not going to just put you in the books as Jericho. What's your cult leader name?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …Jericho?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Everyone else has a cool name, like Rune, Fenrir, Bingo… You need a cool name. Though, I will say Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4 is growing on me. Pretty close to your old number, anyway. It's like a promotion.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Well, hang on now, give me a chance to think something up, choice? And what're you doing here anyway? I haven't done anything to provoke any sort of Shaka investigation. Unless…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Jordan. He's worried about you. Also, one of our associates believes you might be trying to manifest a Miracle…? Again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Well… Well, that might be. Though only for good reasons!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Weren't you the one who destroyed it the first time?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …Yes. Well, that was different then, wasn't it? But now that Fate is gone, I'm worried what if some other bloke tries and grabs it again, yeah? So, I figured I'd get it first.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: And your followers?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: They've all got a bit of it, don't they? I've been a very benevolent leader to them. I'm not trying to use them like <em>he</em> used me. I don't see what the problem here is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Look, No. 4, I'll level with you. I don't care what you're up to with your weird love cult. I don't even necessarily disagree with what you're trying to do. I also don't think it'll work. But your brother is technically like one of our bosses.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: When did Amber get here?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Amber?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Really, Rico? It’sss Amber in a Zulu masssk.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I—well, to be fair, we never worked together all that close.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Obliviousss. Amber, or, Ssshaka, I ssshould sssay, I wanted to asssk you about Fenrir.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: We're doing what we can—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Are you going to kill him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: …Not if we can help it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: What if you can't? He'sss… he'sss not himssself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: We'll do what we need to do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Fenrir? One of your cult blokes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Juliusss, try to keep up Rico.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ranoma: JULIUS!! IS JULIUS HERE?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Oh great… you woke up the boy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ranoma: Julius, it is so very good to— AMBER!! It is so very good to see you! Have you come to spread love for everyone and everything?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: You made Loveland join your cult, Rico?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I assure you I could not have stopped him if I wanted to. Now, what's all this about Julius?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Amber sighed and began speaking in a very poor British accent]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: We're going to need to put the kettle on.</p><br />
<br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-233"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-233</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-233</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Now that we’re both back, we were able to meet up with Bingo face-to-face. His “proposal” seems to have been the same as his initial offer—he wants us to join him and his Sacred Bingo Hall for a game. To that end, Bingo gifted us the 8-Ball of Indrid Cold, an inert artifact that allegedly No. 4 is after. We’re still debating on whether or not we should give it to the Cult of Personality or hang onto it for our own leverage later. Though Bingo seems to believe that the 8-Ball is all but useless now, we’re still going to have our Zs actually run it through its paces and whatnot.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: I heard you were looking for us?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Well, if it isn’t Shaka, in the full! Glad ya’ got my message. How was… mm… let me guess… Dive Prime?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: How’d you—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Lucky guess? There are only so many prime cycles.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Wouldn’t there be an infinite number of prime cycles?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Well, yeah, semantics. Fine. There are only so many prime cycles you two would know or care about right now. Hell, the old Shaka only ever bothered with about 168 of them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: 168?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: You picked a busy job, man. Now, how was Dive? I assume you went there to chat up your little greater cosmic entity.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Dive was fine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: And Dover?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: …fine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: You don’t have to be so withholding with me, you know? Me and the old Shaka, we were—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: <em>Were.</em> He’s dead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: You don’t die when you pick successors. But, hey, fair enough. I need to put in some work first. I get it. Relationships don’t just blossom outta thin air, yeah? Here my proposal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jack threw an 8-Ball at Alex]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Well, maybe it’s more of a present.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: An 8-Ball? A little on the nose, isn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Hey, wait, is that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: <em>The</em> 8-Ball? Yeah.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: What is <em>the</em> 8-Ball?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: A piece of Indrid Cold’s consciousness.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: But—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Well, yeah, I suppose it’s just an 8-Ball now, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: So, how is this a gift? Or a proposal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4’s looking for it. Your choice of what you want to do with it. It might be good, what’s the word, leverage? Or you could just re-gift it. It wouldn’t bug me. But—consider it an olive branch, yeah?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Why does Rico want a useless 8-Ball?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: It beats me, man. Maybe he just wants some additional outlook on life. Or, you know, maybe he’s hoping it’ll get the 8 back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: He’s worried you’re going to try and get the 8 back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Not interested. Not even sure it’s possible.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: So, what <em>are</em> you trying to… do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Fenrir is trying to… eat the sun, I guess? Rune is trying to finish Project Lazarus. No. 4 is trying to reconstruct the 8… and you are…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Oh. Nothing, really. Just existing in this great big meaningless corpse. The usual.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: So why the Bingo Hall?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: You’d have to play the game to get it, man. Offer is, as always, on the table. We’d love a few more for our games. But, you know, sleep on it.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-234"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-234</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: BRENT HEARSE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-234</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ve been examining the 8-Ball alongside other Zulu members, specifically Yeye, Mnguni, and Ntombela. The good news is that it seems that 8-Ball is, as Jack suggests, fully inert. Now, it has been a few years since I last studied the Totem, but when it was “active,” the die within the 8-Ball would often spin on its own and display an impossible number of potential responses. Of course, the responses were coming from a piece of Indrid Cold’s consciousness which itself was tied into the threads of Fate and the CaDCom Database.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose the main concern, or potential boon for Shaka, would be that the 8-Ball might have still held a few secrets of the CaDCom Database. Perhaps even “the” secret that the two of them have been tasked with uncovering. The last secret of Eight. Sad to say, it seems there is no residual CaDCom Data within the 8-Ball or any tangible link to the CaDCom Database. Assuming such a Database even exists. I am, of course, not talking about the Cafe and Diner Archive websites, the many failed attempts at a social media presence, or any such publicly accessible nonsense. No—there is, or there is theorized to be, a unified, asynchronous, and independently conscious entity of sorts that holds all knowledge of the Cafe and Diner. Well, the Cafe and Diners plus the “Folie à Deux.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anything that goes through a CaDCom System, from the CaDCom88 to the CaDCom-Z, is theoretically stored in this… unknowable entity. More than that, this entity isn’t restricted to our own cycle either. It is connected to all Cycles, and some have theorized all Spheres as well. An Akashic Record of the Cafe and Diner, if you will. The only reason anyone knows it exists is that it is what Fate used to make Indrid into the strange amalgamation he was. And while it is “so fun” to idealize the old Otherman as a genius demi-God seated at the right hand of the Father—this CaDCom Database was a distinctly Luciferian construction. And with Lucifer dead, we have no way of knowing where or what the Database is… though I feel confident in saying the 8-Ball is no longer connected to whatever it is. Which probably indicates Jack is no longer connected to it either.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-235</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-235</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Has it really been another month already? All signs point to… yes. Wow, time sure flies when you're spreading yourself as thin as possible throughout a myriad of cycles, planes, and continents. So, here is the month's recap: We met with Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4, continued our wild hunt for the Sebitti, made some solid progress into a way to deal with Rune, and got in touch with some old friends. Or allies, I suppose. Not everyone has to be our friend. Oh—and we got this stupid 8-Ball tchotchke from Bingo. Doesn't do anything, but it's still fun to shake around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It's also been brought to my attention by the ever-normal Brent that John Doe has been collecting some troubling data regarding the seven Planes. Something to do with Blood, which is something to maybe do with the Blood Cult known as the Kings of Roses. Maybe. We'll have to look into that more in the coming month of June. Though, on the subject of the Kings and June, we're also planning a trip to Black Eden to grab some difficult-to-source ingredients for some potential Soulful fixes for Rune.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I'm also hoping that Dover shows up next month, but he did not commit to a specific time or place, so all we can do is wait. Though, Brent is getting pretty antsy, and after our Black Eden trip, we would—theoretically—have all the necessary ingredients to start replicating the little orange menace's work. He did want us to wait for him, but I'm sure he'd understand if we got started without him too. I think that about covers it. Bingo Cult still wants to indoctrinate us, Kings Cult is doing some weird, potentially dangerous Blood stuff, Hyperion Cult is presumably still looking for the Sebitti alongside us, and the Personality Cult probably wants the 8-Ball. Should we give it to them?</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>…Ask again later.</em> Figures.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-236</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-236</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Wow. I mean, I kind of figured it would work, but I’m surprised that it did. Boom! Slipped right into the Ouroboros, just like that. No signs of Belphegor, but plenty of her weird snake kids are slithering around—plus, I ran into the weird tiny Langley, Malachi. His whole deal is that he can use the Ouroboros as an Augur focus or whatever, but his main thing is he’s always seeing doomsdays, and it seems like if we don’t stop Fenrir, we’re headed for one such doomsday. I think. It’s really hard to figure out what he’s saying.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Bad sky… ugly sky… UGLY sky. No good, no good. Needs to burn. Needs to rot. Needs to fall apart.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Hey… buddy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Bad, bad sky. It’s staring at us. Do you see it too?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Uh… no. It looks… well, it looks weird. To be fair, I’ve never really seen the sky in the Ouroboros before. But it seems… fine? A little… empty? Maybe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: No. No, no, no, no. The sky is ugly. It’s disgusting. It’s rotting. Can’t you see it? It’s staring at us.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Uh… hey, is Belphegor around?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Died. Died. Died. Seven Keys, seven Locks. When they croaked, the Gate broke. Dead. Dead. Dead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Do you know when she’ll be back?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Dead. Dead, dead, dead. She will only return when Thanatos rolls the stone. Up and down, up and down, over and over and over again. YOU! YOU! YOU’LL BE THE ONE TO TRAP HIM IN HIS CHAINS! One half cut in twain, and the other uses a false name. Replaced. Replaced. Replaced.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Uh… sure. Are we talking like actual Thanatos from Olympus, or is it metaphorical…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Bad, bad sky. Ugly sky. Starless, sleepless, stoneless sky. Broken, broken, everything is broken. Dead, dead, everyone will die.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Well, it wouldn’t be a prophecy from the Doomsday Dog without everyone dying, would it? Malachi, do you remember me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: John Doe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Precisely so. Say, Malachi, how long has the sky been watching you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Four months.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Four months exactly?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: 17 Weeks. 121 Days. 2,880 Hours. 172,800—no 172,801 minutes. 10,368,061, 10,368,062, 10,368,063, 10,368,064…</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Understood. Thank you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: What is it, Doe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Four months ago today, apparently, to the near minute, the Wicked was killed. I believe that Malachi is seeing the… perhaps the remnants of the Wicked’s flames.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Bad, ugly, wicked sky.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Bad, ugly, wicked sky indeed. Say, Malachi, have you noticed a disturbance in your premonitions since Fate was slain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Dead, dead, dead, death cannot stop the threads of Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Ah—I see. Likewise, Edgar Lane’s powers and the madness that has overcome Julius persist. Even without the ego to drive them, there are still forces in this world of Fate, Phantoms, and the Wicked.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: What the heck is a Phantom force?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Opening of doors, crossing boundaries, did you really not pay any attention when defeating the Phantom?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: No, no, I did. Why is it called Phantom, though? Shouldn’t it have been called like… Transience? Or… uh, Traversal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: The proper word doesn’t exist in English. I assume Phantom is the closest translation to the idea that the Phantom embodied. In any case, I’ve gotten the readings I needed. Farewell, Malachi.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Malachi: Good… goodbye. John. Goodbye… Replacement.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Weird, weird kid.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: He’s over 275 years old, you know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Yeah, but I don’t think he’s aged all that much in the Ouroboros.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Ah, fair enough, I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-237"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-237</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-237</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas, and Rubedo. Black, White, Yellow, and Crimson. And, later, in more modern magical practice and alchemy, Red and Ruby as well. These are the six states of liquid Blood. Black Blood, belonging to Demon and Cryptids. White Blood (more often referred to as Silver or Bright Blood) belongs to the Angels. Yellow Blood (sometimes referred to as Golden or Xanthic Blood) belongs to the Planes of Reality, and Crimson Blood belongs to God. You might notice that the original four do not include humans. In older Alchemical practices, it was believed humans did not have SERUM/Blood, but we do, and thus “Red” was added and typically said before Black.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So then, what of “Ruby” Blood? Well, for many years, Rubedo/Crimson Blood was considered to be a mythical, perhaps improbable Blood—then, if my research is correct, the Elder Secret shared the, well, secret, of Rubedo Blood, it is Blood of the Archons, Demiurges, and Cold Elders. So, of course, a new, even more, mythical Blood needed to be created to prop up theories of immortality, Godhood, and the creation of a Magnum Opus, so “Ruby Blood” was introduced and put after Crimson. To my knowledge, no one has ever proved Ruby Blood’s existence, but then what other secrets would you two be looking for? Ah, perhaps I’ve said too much.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for the Kings of Roses, they’ve been amassing Golden Blood, Blood of the Planes themselves, which is troubling, yes. Especially if Rune has truly perfected a method of converting that Golden Blood into Crimson Blood. When Randall Rune was last alive, he had just perfected (or at least had some degree of success) in transmuting Red Blood into Black. So, to say this is an escalation would be an understatement, but we are also living in a post-Fate world where Elders have been killed, and the Devil runs free. Still—the implication is clear. The Kings of Roses don’t simply wish to become the new Princes of Hell. They wish to become the new Planes of Reality or, perhaps, even new Gods.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-238"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-238</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-238</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>So, I guess we’re really doing this thing, huh? Literally stabbing Katherine in the back. LITERALLY. Well, semi-literally. I believe the Shakas plan is to stab her in the HEART. WHICH IS WORSE. But… I suppose that wouldn’t kill her under normal circumstances. Still, we have no idea what this will do to her soul. I guess… all we can do is hope it works out. If not, Salenna had me augment my Replacement Juice slightly to add a little sedative. If the Soul Replacement doesn’t work, the Vecuronium Bromide, 40 crushed-up Benadryls, and splash of Purple Drank, I put in there should do the trick. She’s like four-foot-eleven. This will absolutely do the trick.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And if the questionable cocktail of whatever I could get together doesn’t knock her out, the Replacement process should at least knock the wind out of her. Then the question becomes… what to do with her body? Salenna wants to bring it to the Freezer, of course. But Alex thinks it’d be safer in the Tides of the Black Thorn. Amber, however, thinks we should keep her HERE in the Astoria 23rd Seabase. I think… it might be a good idea to put her into a safe and distant alternate Cycle. Somewhere where she won’t be poked and prodded for the rest of her semi-unending life. Of course, that won’t fly with the Shakas cuz of the secrets rattling around in her head.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well… hopefully, we won’t need to figure out what to do with her body because my research will work. Positive affirmations. I’m trying them out. In any case, this section for the Archives is just about done anyhow. Win or lose, we’re creeping up on that lucrative 3-month mark, where one section seems to end, and another begins. I’m sure the next one will be all about Fenrir and his desire to eat the sun or whatever. Two villain arcs in a row seems a bit… cynical, but I guess, as Warden would probably like to say if they could remember, this might just be our darkest timeline yet.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-239"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-239</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-239</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I… I really can't believe that worked? I mean, we almost died. Sure, but it certainly worked. I'm guessing one of the Miracles kept us safe through that whole ordeal. Alex was able to strike Rune with the Soul-Replacing Poisoned Dagger, and it seemed to have replaced Rune's ambition-corrupted soul with a near copy of Katherine's original soul. Thankfully memories aren't stored in the soul (they're stored in the balls, I believe), and Rune—or, sorry, Katherine, or—eh, whatever. She kept her memories of the past 3 years; she was just a bit groggy from the replacement itself. But… uh… that's not all. Not sure what I'd be allowed to say about the rest, so… whoops, it looks like my CaDCom-Z was taking a transcript.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Well done. A soul replacement. How interesting.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Secret?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: What are you— <em><strong>How</strong></em> are you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: I must finish what I started, Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: What… is…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: I am giving you a choice. A second chance. Dingane is no more. As such, there is an opening. The secrets Dingane held, they are still deep within you. I feel them. I can remove them, though it will be unpleasant. Or… I can resurface them, at the cost of your eternal silence.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: …I… what… is…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Katherine, you don't have to do this.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: A-amber? Wha—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Let us speed this process up. Ws'pakawme zlrylavqu'evuzizkrkrae. Viwxev'usme Mze'elel'cia Ob'son'sr ab-ix animo.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: AGHHH!!!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Secret!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: This process is not without some pain. She will be fine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Agh…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Katherine, are you okay?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: …Yes. Secret… did something to… "refresh" my memory. I'm… I'm caught up. I know what I did. I know who I was. And—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: And informed of your choice.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Answer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Katherine, you don't have to—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: This does not concern you, Shaka. Answer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Suppose I accept. Would I keep the secrets I already know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: You would become Dingane. All secrets, rights, and statuses transferred.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Without his ambitions controlling me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: You would remain yourself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: I want a better deal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: No.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: But my circumstances are unique.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Thus, my generous offer to remove the secrets from you. There is no better deal. Answer.</p><br />
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<p>Katherine: I will take the oath <em>IF</em> I can choose who I am bound to.</p><br />
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<p>Secret: Perhaps. Who would you rather be bound to if not me?</p><br />
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<p>Katherine: Shaka. Both of them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Acceptable. Now, in death, and beyond, with words unsaid, your lips are sealed by this invocation of the ancient and untold Secret. Welcome back, Dingane of Division Zulu.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-240</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, that could have gone better, eh? Though I suppose, all things considered, it could have been so much worse. The Great Ape is not one to mess with, but at least John Doe seems to have a cordial enough relationship with him. They may be mortal foes, but I suppose it's more about books than all-out fights, especially in Doe's line of work. Usually. Anyway, the Great Ape surprisingly did not have any of the Sebitti in his possession… but he did have an interesting artifact that could lead us to them for a price.</p><br />
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<p><br></p><br />
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<p><em><strong>A steep price.</strong></em></p><br />
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<p>John: Dilly, my dear friend, it has been a while, hasn't it!</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: You just left.</p><br />
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<p>John: I just… ah. We had a good conversation, I hope?</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: …</p><br />
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<p>John: Well, don't hold me accountable for my future. Anyway—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: You've brought Shaka to seek the Sebitti in my Congeries.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Ah, good, I already caught you up to speed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: Hardly. What do you want with the Sebitti?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: There's a group known as the Hyperion Cult led by a man calling himself Fenrir. He is killing and absorbing the Sebitti to gain their powers to bring about the end of the world.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: You dare waste my time, Shaka? Hmph. You are exactly like the old one. The Sebitti are Elders. Unkillable.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Ah, they <em>were</em> unkillable. Times are changing. Elders can be killed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: Doe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: He is correct.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: How?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: It is complicated, Dilly—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: Don't belittle me. How?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Well, it has to do with sharing power with mortal vessels and utilizing the inequality of the connection to—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: Hmph. I do not pact with humans. It is of no concern, then.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Well… yes and no. You're definitely more vulnerable if you bind your powers to a human… but Fate wasn't bound to anyone when it was killed.</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: Fate? Killed?</p><br />
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<p>John: Again, she speaks the truth, Zeh. Dangerous stuff.</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: …well… I would help, but I do not possess any Sebitti.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Alright then. Well, Shaka, Ichabod, shall we be off? I do hope you aren't targeted by Fenrir, Dilly. I fear if he were to kill you for your mastery over time and space, it would make him a much more difficult adversary to deal with.</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: Hmph. Fine. The Sun of Babylon.</p><br />
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<p>John: The Sun of Babylon?</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: An artifact which is said to refract the light of heaven toward the Sebitti.</p><br />
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<p>Amber: That'd be perfect!</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: The price?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Price?</p><br />
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<p>Ichabod: The Great Ape does not give away his treasures for free, Twain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: I want the Heart of Netzach.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: The—wait… what? The Heart of Netzach? There's no way! For a little glass disc? That is entirely unfair.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: I never said it would be an equal trade. If you want me to part with one of my treasures, I expect a much greater treasure in return.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Could we return the Sun of Babylon once we are done with it? You could hold the Heart as collateral.</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: My Congeries are not a lending library. John Doe should know that by now. That is my offer. Take it or leave it.</p><br />
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<p>Amber: You'd rather risk dying than give us a piece of junk?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeh: I'd rather risk Fenrir finding another few Sebitti, so my offer can go up. Until then, Shaka, the offer stands. And, Doe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Hm?</p><br />
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<p>Zeh: Oxblood wants to see you.</p><br />
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<p>John: <em>Wonderful.</em></p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-241</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>THE HEART OF NETZACH? There is no way, NO WAY, we can give Vandal Savage and Gorilla Grodd’s baby meets the Collector the HEART of NETZACH. No. That is beyond a horrible idea. In fact, I think it might be the worst idea ever thought up. That primordial soup or whatever stupid comic book origin story he has must have really done a number on his mind. Why would we give him the heart of the most dangerous object in the entire UNIVERSE? I don’t even fully know how the Netzach works, but I’m taking a shot in the dark to say that the heart is probably an important piece of it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No.</p><br />
<br />
<p>We’re going to need to figure out another way to find the remaining six Sebitti. Or, maybe we can try and steal the Sun of Babylon from Zeh’s Congeries. I mean, I’m sure Merc would be quick to point out how dangerous that is, but it’s an order of magnitude less dangerous than giving Zehhurozzm—a literal walking talking comic book villain—the HEART OF NETZACH. We almost had to KILL Dingane (or, you know, chop her up and spread around the farthest corners of the Universe) because she had a small fraction of knowledge on the Netzach’s design.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So. Plans for stealing the Sun… Uh, John Doe could maybe help us out. He seems to know the place, and he’s fought Zeh head-on a few times. Though, John did say he was busy with something else that just came up… We could make Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4 steal it for us. He loves that kinda stuff, and maybe we could give him the 8-Ball in return? Or we could just find the Sebitti the old-fashioned way. Admittedly no one has found any of them in… ever, but that shouldn’t stop us. We’re miracle workers. We’re mad. We’re folistes!</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-242</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Sorry for the tough password, gang… Though it is solvable thanks to the very ironic name of 8'Ball's former primary antagonist. Normally I would stay within the information that is currently available in the Archives 2.0. Originally, I was going to make it something to do with the first mention of Netzach, but that's currently stuck in Sinnerman limbo. When I told Alex what I was working on, he was all, "Woah, Dover, that's some super secret stuff. You gotta put a good password on that one." But, like, what's the big deal anyway? It's just Netzach. Or, well, the corpse of Netzach, anyway.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I guess not everyone has spent as much time as I have in the Dive Prime Cycle, so let me explain. Netzach is basically the big Cafe and Diner/Dive City crossover we've all been hoping for. Sure, there was Dive Fall, but that was CaD going to Dive, not Dive coming to CaD! You see, Netzach was sort of the big final antagonist for the folks over in Dive, at least before the Princes of Hell came back to life and Scene Queen went regicidal. Of course, Netzach wasn't actually the "big bad," but more so the big bad weapon. Netzach is sort of like a robot, or maybe it's closer to a golem. It was created by Cue to… well, actually, I don't know why Cue made it. No one does besides 8-Ball, and 8-Ball has only ever said 3 words to me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, most of what I know about the Netzach comes from this guy named Ryce. He runs the Kronos Cafes in Dive. Anyway! Netzach is this robot/golem thing, right? So, what's so special about it? Well, it was made using every type of Blood. Red Blood, Black Blood, Silver Blood, Yellow Blood, and Crimson Blood. And, if the rumors are to be believed, once Cue awakened Netzach, the Bloods combined into RUBY Blood. Netzach became a man-made GOD! Of course, 8-Ball sacrificed himself to destroy it, and that caused the Ruby Blood to bring the Princes back to life somehow. Then Lucifer saved 8-Ball from bleeding to death, etc., etc. And then the corpse of Netzach was just sort of hanging around until Duplicity pulled his whole working with the Dark thing. CaD got sucked into Dive, and then Alfa had the corpse moved to its current location: somewhere in the Astoria 23rd Agency Seabase! I assume it's in the Zulu Vaults, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The point is that crazy construction probably holds some secret to achieving Godhood. OR. It's a heap of junk that worked on a fluke. But I could see why Zeh wants the Heart of Netzach. Super cool collectible, and there is only one Netzach in all of the many Cycles. That's like his main jam, collecting things that only exist once.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-243</strong></p><br />
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<p><em>Why not?</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Seriously, why not? Why can't we give Zeh the Heart of Netzach? I mean, come on, Alex, think about it. Really think about it. Think about it like Shaka. Not just one step ahead, not eight steps ahead, but twenty-six steps ahead. Without actually saying it… if we give Zeh the Heart of Netzach, I don't know, wouldn't that be more useful to us than not? Worst case, we need the Heart back, so we take it back. If you're suggesting we steal the Sun of Babylon from Zeh, what significant difference would stealing the Heart of Netzach make? We need the Sun right now, not the Heart.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I swear, sometimes it feels like we're two bodies with one mind but other times… you just don't get it. You're too "First Cafe." You're too safe. The Third Cafe would do things fast and loose. We would make a mess and then clean it up later. If we're going to even think about saving Fenrir, we need that Sun. We need the Sebitti. And, admittedly, we need a plan to actually save him. But what good is the Heart going to do for that? Besides, Zeh made the offer to me, not you, if you think about it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize what we're working towards. You know that. And, obviously, the Secret is pretty invested in getting the Netzach working again. So, maybe giving away a core component of it would be ill-advised. Sure. Though, Secret has other secrets he's secreting. Again, Capgras, twenty-six steps ahead. Though one more secret step couldn't hurt, could it?</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SARAH BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-244</strong></p><br />
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<p>Did uh… did Amber actually give Zeh the Heart? Can she do that? Or did Zeh’s own heart suddenly grow three sizes? Because we just got a package from Jabal Al Lith—the Sun of Babylon. Plus, it came with a note, “Per our agreement. -The Great Ape.” I don’t know if the clues get any clearer than that. I think Amber must’ve made the trade. Uh… Okay. I don’t know if that was a good idea or… well, that’s all above my head, to be honest. I’m just here to solve some mysteries and make some tech.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of mysteries! How the heck does this thing work? According to the transcript with Zeh, he said it refracts light to point toward the Sebitti, right? Well, Dover and I have been trying to get that to work. So far, it’s just like a big magnifying glass. Side note, Dover really likes lighting things on fire with it, so keep an eye out for that. I think we almost started a forest fire in Canada. Real, normal Canada, by the way. We took a little trip up there to see if we could make it work because the Seabase sure doesn’t get a lot of natural light, does it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I guess the only other clue we have is that Zeh specifically said “Heaven’s Light,” right? That might be… a bit harder to, uh, get to. Or another possibility is that there aren’t any Sebitti left in the States. The, uh, “States.” I guess we could go check in Canada. The fake, not real, Canada that is. Of course, we’ve just been sort of playing with this thing, but we haven’t yet heard how Alex has taken the news or if Amber actually made that trade. So… Yikes.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-245</strong></p><br />
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<p>I can’t believe Amber would do that. What is she thinking!? Giving the Heart of Netzach, possibly the secret to manufacturing GODHOOD, to the Great Ape? What if he attempts to use it? What if it destroys him? What if it makes him into something worse than he already is? Sure, more than likely, he’ll just put it in a glass case somewhere in his lair to be looked at and admired. But it’s not like he doesn’t use some of his magical artifacts. He’s got the Monas Hieroglyphica plate strapped to his arm and the Black Athame of Aleister Crowley on his belt. So, what is stopping him from putting the Heart into some sort of armor or machine? Huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>And what the hell are we supposed to tell the Secret? News flash Amber, we only have any scrap of power because Secret gives it to us. We aren’t actually greater cosmic entities, and no amount of lying to ourselves will make it so. We’re not even witches, practitioners, or augurs… we’re hardly even warlocks without a formal pact with Secret. What happens if Secret takes back the Miracles? And why wouldn’t he? You just jeopardized the one thing, the ONE THING, Secret wants us to do. Secret lets us get away with so much on the condition that we’ll eventually find 8’s last secret and turn the Netzach back on.</p><br />
<br />
<p>You had better hope that when we find that last secret, it says, “Throw out the Heart, and ta-da, you’ve just become the next God.” Stop trying to think “twenty-six steps ahead,” and start just looking at your own two feet, Amber! We’re humans playing with Demons, Angels, Immortals, and <em><strong>Gods.</strong></em> One wrong move, one wrong step, and it’s all over. Not just for you. Not just for me. <em><strong>For everyone.</strong></em></p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-246</strong></p><br />
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<p>Great, now Twain is deciding that Zver can be in charge of keeping the Sebitti safe. How’d that work out for the first Sebitti? Dead, you say? Wow! A Blight-brained behemoth has absorbed its apocalyptic powers, you say? Great! Everything is going so damn well! So glad three finally became one. It’s been working out so well for the stability of the Universe. However, that’s less Twain’s fault than it was Rico’s. Maybe it was our fault. We could’ve—well, no, we couldn’t have. We weren’t Shaka yet. We weren’t supposed to interfere. But, damn, I wish the original Shaka was still around so I could double-check that this is actually what he wanted.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, Dover and Amber took a trip to Dive Prime and got some information about the Netzach. You will never guess what the most important part of it was. What’s that? The Heart? DING DING DING! You won! What’s your prize? Everyone dies. According to Dover’s pal Ryce, the entire body of the Netzach, all the muscle and sinew of it, formed up around the Heart after Cue activated it. So, we now effectively have NOTHING! No Netzach! Just a pile of weird alchemical viscera. Whoops, we just fell twenty-six steps back, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, also, I was paid a visit by a certain capernoited ophidian. Things might be worse than we originally thought. Isn’t that always fun? Daichi warned me that Julius isn’t working alone. He’s being manipulated by some greater power to bring about the end of the world. Apparently, the world being around is preventing this shadowy puppet master from achieving their goals. What goals can be achieved in a dead Cycle? Potentially a dead Universe? Not a clue. Daichi wasn’t sure either. Despite preventing the TriCaD from dooming the Universe multiple times now, this is a new Sword of Damocles altogether. I guess even killing Fate wasn’t enough to lift their curse… or maybe it was the cost to do so.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-247</strong></p><br />
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<p>A day late for the monthly recap. Oh, well. I planned on writing the recap once Brent, Ichabod, and Katherine returned with the fourth Sebitti… but, well, that isn’t what happened, was it? Ichabod is doing alright, thankfully. A little sore, but it seems like without the Wicked actually around, it’s more like a smoldering pain than a sharp nagging one. It’s a shame that we lost another Sebitti, but it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. If we can disrupt at least one of them, we can probably stop the Hyperions for good.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Besides, we were able to secure the golden harp Sebitti from the Mammonsoleum and the gargoyle Sebitti from the Manor of the Black-Veins. Two is certainly better than none. I believe Nancy has also tracked down the fifth Sebitti, but I’ll leave that to an encrypted report in case Fenrir is listening in. In non-Sebitti news (though it certainly feels like that’s all that’s been on our minds lately), Katherine took out one of the two major remaining Kings of Roses. And Brent cleared the Cold’s 8-Ball.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>Or so he thought.</em></div><br />
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<p>Call me crazy. Call me deranged. Call me delusional. But I swear the 8-Ball had another message today when I shook it. “Doris O’Neal.” Now, that is hardly a standard 8-Ball answer. Not only that, but it also appears that Doris O’Neal is a SoCal octogenarian who has been predicting future events with uncanny accuracy. Foxtrot and Uniform had already wiped the story from news cycles, but in her big talk piece, she mentioned that these premonitions started after she started going to a new bingo hall. I’ll say this: could I have read about the Doris O’Neal case and then, due to my lack of sleep, imagined the 8-Ball told me to look into her case? Maybe. I should really try and get some sleep. I’ll see if Division Oscar has some kind of sleeping pill or something.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway… Uh… 4 Sebitti found, 2 in our favor, 3 to go. We’ve got this, Folistes.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: BRENT HEARSE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-248</strong></p><br />
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<p>I don't think giving Jericho the 8-Ball is a good idea. Not that I don't trust Jericho—well, I don't. I've never worked with him all that closely, but he has been known to be… how to put this… easily manipulated? He was constantly playing right into the original owner's games, wasn't he? And the original owner, well, he plays Bingo now, correct? We got the 8-Ball from Bingo himself. I just worry that this could be a trap. If I had to make a wild hypothesis, I would guess the original owner would somehow have Jericho call back the Mantle of Eight for him to snatch back up.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though, as Ichabod also pointed out, the 8-Ball has only ever brought trouble with it. It single-handedly trapped Dan in the Phantom Lane (the place, not the person) for years. On the one hand, yes, Dan should have been the Master of the House, and it also took away one of Al Crow's greatest weapons. On the other hand, the only reason the 8-Ball led Dan to do that was because it was Fated to be. The Phantom needed a door to our Cycle, and Dan gave it to them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And now Alex has been seeing strange messages in the 8-Ball, one of which has led him to finally attend a meeting of the Sacred Hall of Bingo. I can't be the only one thinking that Bingo is somehow controlling the 8-Ball again with the help of the original owner to further play out his own twisted threads of Fate. What is the original owner's aim these days anyway? Surely, he doesn't truly believe nihilism is the only answer? I would have thought he'd be doing whatever he could to bring his beloved Lucifer back to life. I suppose that is a concern for a later date—for now, the best thing we can do is lock the 8-Ball into the Zulu Vaults and stop messing with it. That's what Dan should've done. That's what we can still do.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-249</strong></p><br />
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<p>I’m with Brent 100%. The 8-Ball is dangerous, and this is the EXACT kind of thing it does. It lures you in with its cryptic little answers, a “Bingo” here, a “Doris O’Neal” there, and then suddenly you’ve just done every single thing Fate wanted you to do. While Fate might be dead—Frenchy is still alive. And as long he’s out there playing his little Bingo games with Jack, Felix, Umbra, and Complexico, there’s no telling what those five will try to do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Brent’s probably right about Baguette. He’s probably trying to bring Lucy back. In fact, I think they’ve all lost someone important to them. 8 and Felix lost Lucy. Umbra lost his daughter (and his mind, tbh.) Complexico, I think, lost some of his contestants, which he’s never gotten over. And… Jack… uh… I don’t know. I don’t know jack about Jack. I guess he lost Fate? But I don’t think he ever liked Fate. Pretty sure he hated Fate to the point he’s now a weird hardcore nihilist.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, there’s literally no saying what those five have actually been up to. Sure, the 8-Ball might just be an 8-Ball now. But Umbra could be playing tricks on Alex. He hasn’t been sleeping well lately, right? Doesn’t that scream Umbra?? I don’t want another “magic 8-Ball leads my coworker on some wacky chase that ends up with them GONE from the universe.” Not again. I don’t think I really need to remind anyone how ruthless Mr. Slippers can be when he’s trying to get what he wants. He didn’t just let Victoria die. He <em><strong>destroyed</strong></em> every last thing about her just to create his perfect weapon against Fate. What would he do to us? We aren’t even on the same side as him anymore! And that’s what he did to those who looked up to him and sought him out for protection. So what would he do to us?</p><br />
<br />
<p>We cannot trust anything from them. We need to lock that 8-Ball up or destroy it before it destroys us.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-250"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-250</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-250</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ve slept on it—though I’m using that more as an expression than a statement of fact—and I’ve decided that the 8-Ball would be better off in the hands of the Cult of Personality and our Unidentified Cult Leader No. 4. For one thing they’d actually find some use for it, probably. Also, everyone keeps telling me that it isn’t saying things like “Bingo,” “Doris O’Neal,” “The Sky is Rotting,” or weird frowny faces, and they’re probably right. Right? Right. Right!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Clearly, having it around isn’t great for my mental state. Sure, we could lock it up in the Zulu Vaults. Set it and forget it. But that doesn’t really move things forward, does it? That’d be like standing still. No. We need to start taking some steps forward, isn’t that right? And why take a few measly baby steps when we can take leaps and bounds toward our clandestine end game! Let’s see what Jericho and his kitschy-whatever can really do. Peace, Love, and… of course, Joy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It wouldn’t hurt to have some friends in our corner either, would it? Out of the four (sort of three) cults we’ve been up against, the Cult of Personality is about as harmless as it gets. They have Loveland. <em><strong>Loveland!</strong></em> What’re they gonna do with the 8-Ball that is so horrific when they have Loveland on their side. And we’ve got Dingane working for us now. Let’s flip all the cults in our favor! Hell—one by one, let’s just rebuild the fourth Cafe from the bloody scraps and pieces that were left over. Though, for the sake of civility and equality in our two-faced partnership, I should leave it up for a vote.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hey! Look at that! <em>Signs point to yes.</em></p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-251"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-251</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-251</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ugh! Is he serious right now? I get it. I messed up giving Zeh the Heart of Netzach. But how does giving Jericho and his weird love cult the 8-Ball fix that? How does it fix anything?! We don’t know what the 8-Ball is capable of, if it’s still active somehow if it’s being used by the Bingo Cult to manipulate us—manipulate <strong><em>YOU</em></strong>—there’s so much we don’t know about it. I believed you, you know. That you were actually seeing the 8-Ball say things outside of its predetermined 20 answers. I know no one else did, but I trusted you. And now? You’ve handed over a clearly active 8-Ball to Jericho. JERICHO.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ugh… Ugh. Ugh! Don’t get me wrong. I don’t distrust Jericho. I don’t dislike Jericho. But you have to agree he’s never been very… stable. Between his binge drinking days, post-break-up days, savior complex, and the fact he’s never used his real name around any of us. I guess, on the bright side, he at least doesn’t have the Blight in him anymore. Though, vis-à-vis, all that Blight is now burning up Julius’ insides, making him want to rip the sun out of the sky. And whose fault was that? Jericho’s. Joy is gone. Whose fault is that? Jericho’s!</p><br />
<br />
<p>And what if you’ve now put the Cult of Personality in danger, huh? It’s not just Jericho. You might have jeopardized Ranoma and Daichi’s safety as well. If ANYTHING happens to Ranoma, it won’t just be me coming after you, Alex; it’d be every single former Cafe and Diner employee out there. And what are you even talking about, rebuilding the Cafe and Diner? What, do you want Jericho to somehow succeed, bring the 8 back, and then make some sort of Fifth Cafe and Diner we can all cozy up in? We knew the Cafe was coming to an end. We did what we had to keep our skin in the game. We can’t go back to how things were.</p><br />
<br />
<p>We’re supposed to be Shaka now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Try and act like it.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-252"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-252</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-252</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I can't believe you really think I did all of this just to, I don't know, spite you? Amber… What is happening between us? When we started this, we were at least on the same page. And now, it feels like we're worlds apart. We need to stick together if we're going to finish what we started. If we're going to stop the Secret. And we can't do that if we're at each other's throats. Look, I'm sorry if my last receipt, report, whatever hurt your feelings. You know I haven't slept more than a couple of hours lately. I was maybe too harsh.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I get why you wanted to give Zeh the Heart. I do. It moves it out of our possession—out of the Secret's possession. But it's just more work for us later when the Secret demands we get it back. And while the Heart is out of our possession, there's no saying what might happen to it. It was safer with us. We could've kept delaying the Secret's wishes to reactive it for as long as we needed to. We could've made it work. The whole point of being Shaka is control, right? Shaka was never actually twenty-six steps ahead; he was just in control. Admittedly he was one of the most powerful greater cosmic entities in the universe, and we are… not. But we can still be in control, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Giving the 8-Ball to Jericho gives us control. It gives us an ally and a bargaining chip. He swore to me that if the die in the 8-Ball says anything out of the ordinary, he'll stop and return it to us. But so far, I've been the only one to see it say anything, and let's face it, I really haven't been myself lately. Agent Wilde is looking into it. It might be something I picked up while we were in the Black Thorn. Until I can figure out what's wrong, I need you to keep things under control. I mean, let's face it, you're double the Shaka I am anyway. Double of nothing is still zero, though. Maybe it's time we stopped trying to be Shaka. Let's just be Capgras &amp; Twain.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-253"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-253</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-253</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I finally got to have my private chat with the old Otherman and Felix. Bingo and the rest of the Daubers weren't there. They wanted me to join their cult. It's probably because I can shift Cycles around and whatnot. It seems like their whole "goal" is to make things… "better" for the next Universe, a Universe they claim will be the last one. Yeah, I don't know about that. Not a great track record of Universes being the last one so far. Looks like the transcript got cut off, too, which is weird. I don't remember what he said, and to be honest, I stopped listening after he brought up Victoria. Something, something, blah, blah, Universe, something, something, scissors. Etc.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Dover, it's been a while, hasn't it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: I've been texting you!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Have you? My apologies. I haven't been keeping up with the outside world much. So, you're working with Shaka now, right? Or, Shakas, as it were.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Yep, and you're working with what looks to be most of the Sons of Ill-Intent.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: There is some overlap, yes. Though, the Sons disbanded with the death of Fate. We're just… like-minded individuals seeking a better future—a brighter Thursday.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: I heard you guys were nihilists, though.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: In a sense, I suppose we are. Though our nihilism only extends to this Universe, we are quite optimistic about the next one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: The next one…? So, what, you guys are trying to set things up for when things get rewound again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Bingo.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: AH! Jeez! Felix. They need to put a bell on you or something, bud. Also, how are you still alive?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I just turned 79. I am hardly over the hill.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Old… old… old…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Dover, you are at least 400.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Young and spry for a demon!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I suppose so. Well, vieil ami, did you tell Dover our offer yet?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Not yet, no. All yours, my trusted associate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Dover, how would you like another chance at saving Victoria?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: I—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: It wouldn't be easy, eh? She is a singularity now—or what's left of her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: But if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth doing. Dover, we all have someone who we've lost, someone Fate removed from the picture.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: But… weren't you the one who basically orchestrated her death—her… "promotion?" You were the one who planted the Fountain of Youth.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: There is blood on my hands. I did many, many horrible things in my quest to defeat Fate—to bring her back. Though it wasn't my intention to lose Victoria. That was Shaka's plan.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: All we can do now is try to fix our mistakes. Plan for a better Universe. And with your help…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: I can't trust you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: But you trust Shaka?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Shaka's dead. It's Capgras and Twain now. And we're going to find your "last secret" and then— well, I don't know what happens next because it's a secret. But at least I trust them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Dover, what do you know about S—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[CaDCOM ERROR: 14-270. TRANSCRIPTION SHUTDOWN INITIATED.]</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-254"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-254</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: KATHERINE WADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-254</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: I—where… where…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: You’re in the House. Dan’s House.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Wha— Ka-Katherine?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: We stopped you from absorbing the last Sebitti.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: No… No. I needed to… to save Joy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: We can still save Joy, Julius. But not like this.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: You don’t— you don’t understand. I made a deal… to save Joy. When Eve gets her sky back—I… I would’ve had what I desired. Joy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Julius… I know you want to save her, but—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Three to become one. Sixteen Spheres. If Joy isn’t—if Joy can’t be there— We can’t end the—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Grandfather Clock’s door in the House of Hamilton swung open, and a bolt of shadow shot out, stabbing Fenrir through the chest.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Don’t worry, pet. There won’t be another Sphere until I’m finished with this one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: AGHH—E-E-Eve. Will you—free…</p><br />
<br />
<p>[As Eve’s spiderlike shadow form emerged from the Grandfather Clock, her shadow leg dug further into Fenrir’s chest.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: I really couldn’t care less. I just need the blood you owe me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[With a final twist of her shadow leg, Eve’s form flooded back into the Grandfather Clock, and Agent Nec snapped his fingers, moving the Grandfather Clock into the brick walls of the House.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Brent: Will that hold her?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nec: I doubt it. But all I can do is isolate her entry point for now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Julius! JULIUS! Talk to me, Julius.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: I… I’m sorry, Angelfish. I just… wanted… to put an end to things. It looks… like I’ve failed again…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Julius…</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Dingane held Julius as he bled out.]</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-255"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-255</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SARAH BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-255</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Okay. Well. I guess the big question is: what do we do now? Fenrir—Julius—has been stopped. So that's good. I mean, not… great. Not in how things ended. But without Fenrir, his remaining cultists have seemingly scattered. They were down to help the "chosen son of the Golden Father," but not Eve. Ah, crap. Eve.</p><br />
<br />
<p>She's obviously still at large, and now she has the full power of the Sebitti in her control. Sort of, anyway. A result of the Pathologist's plan placed all seven of the Sebitti's powers into the last Sebitti. Eve has taken that Sebitti and will probably find a way to make it use its power to pull apart the sky, as she always intended.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That also leaves the question of what happened to Warden and what will happen to Joy. I'm assuming because Julius is out of the picture, Eve has no plans to uphold her end of their bargain. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she never really planned to in the first place. I suppose… if she is successful in returning her missing sky, I think that would maybe be enough to free Joy? Though, I don't know for sure. Willow probably doesn't know either, not that she would care. But even if that could bring Joy back, we can't let Willow reclaim her sky. We can't.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So… we need to figure out how to stop her. And even if we do, things have already been set in motion. <em><strong>The sky is rotting.</strong></em> It won't last long on its own. I doubt we have the power or know how to fix that. But letting Eve further rot it out so it can be replaced? That probably won't end well for anyone.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-256"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-256</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-256</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I feel like I just saw a ghost. Worse than that, I just had a conversation with Mr. Cold. Yes, the very same Mr. Cold who was supposed to be “dead.” I’m… not sure if it was Bingo or some sort of… trick Bingo was playing. If it was a ploy, it was a good one because it looked and sounded exactly like Mr. Cold down to his loops. I’m… not sure what to make of it yet. One thing Mr. Cold said that really stuck out to me was what Malachi was saying back in the Ouroboros…</p><br />
<br />
<p>One half cut in twain, the other uses a false name. Replaced, replaced, replaced…</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>No… Goddamn it. <strong>NO!</strong></em></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: Looks like you’ve got a strong pot of coffee to brew, Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Indrid? It can’t be—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: Hello, my name is Indrid Cold. Looks like you’ve got a strong pot of coffee to brew, Twain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Jack? I thought—you can’t be—Fate is dead! You’re, you—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: I don't think anyone could have seen that coming. Thought I’d visit an old friend.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Is this because of what Dover did? Are you some sort of Cold from another Cycle… or…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: Do you really, really, really think I’ve been replaced? I-I-I-I haven’t been myself lately.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: What do you want, Cold? Is Fate still…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: That’s-that’s-that’s the neat part about killing Fate. Death cannot stop the threads of Fate. Death cannot stop the threads of Eight. Death cannot stop-stop-stop-stop until Thanatos rolls the stone instead. Tricked and trapped in heavy chains, up and down, up and down, over and over and over and over and over—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Thanatos… that’s what Malachi said. What does it mean, Cold?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: So-so-sor-sor-I’m sor-It’s a secret. Looks like you’ve got a strong pot of coffee to brew, Amber. Hello, my name is Indrid Cold—</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-257"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-257</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-257</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>If you are reading this, then I must be dead. Of my own volition, I assume. Many have tried to kill me, and all have failed thus far. In fact, around the 12th or so Sphere, I had earned such a reputation that all attempts on my life came to an end. I suppose I had earned an air of invincibility by then. I had become so much more than myself. I had become Shaka, the Miracle Worker, the Mysterious Benefactor, the Thaumaturge of Secrets. However invincible I may have seemed, I was still certainly mortal. Though my title has now been passed on to you. Well, the two of you, I assume. If all has still gone according to plan, there should be two Shakas. A novel idea, I suppose. One that I might have picked up from watching the Eight split so many times.</p><br />
<br />
<p>If things have occurred as predicted, I should have died six months ago as of yesterday. Six months may be short, but I am certain the two of you are up to your necks in cosmic intrigue, deadly cults, and unimaginable esoteric affairs. It is the life of Shaka, undoubtedly. The life of a greater cosmic entity, a playmaker among the forces of the Universe. Though, I also suspect it has not been easy. It never is. But I also left you with the seven Miracles of Secret. Even so, the weight of being Shaka must weigh heavy on both of you without my years, lifetimes, and eons of experience and magical mastery. But that is why I am writing this to you. I have one last secret to share with you, and I feel that now would be the best time for you to hear it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I never had any magic. Yes, I had the same seven Miracles you share, and I wouldn’t dare discount the advantage that gave me. But Miracles are magic that belongs to another. In my original Sphere, I lost the ability to cast magic at the young age of thirteen. I lacked the basic talents of any ordinary demon and certainly the advantages the other greater cosmic entities reveled in. None would suspect I was unable to perform magic, as the Miracles certainly hid that well enough. Additionally, being the son of an Elder such as the Secret, many suspected I would have inherited all of his powers, and I suppose his immortality as well. I did not.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And that, my dear replacements, is exactly why I chose you. Alex Gálvez and Amber Ingram, neither of you has ever shown any interest or talent in magic. You both have excelled far without those cheap shortcuts.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>You are both human and exceptionally so.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Assuming you are both still alive—and I am certain you are—I hope you haven’t felt too weighed down under the expectations of who I was, for I, like you, was as human as it gets.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-Aayush Shukla</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-258"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-258</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-258</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I was really hoping Alex would be back to do his monthly recap. I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon. I suppose this is what we get for choosing this line of work. I just wish we could have done it differently from the start. We were trying to be someone we weren’t. Living up to the impossible expectations of a Miracle Worker who has been around so many times, everything must’ve felt so novel to him. But he was still human. We are human. And that’s how we should act.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, from today onward, I’m dropping the names, the pretenses, the rules, the regulations, and most of all, the expectations. Of course, you’re all still free to go by your codenames. I won’t stop you. But don’t feel like you need to anymore. We’re done hiding. We’re done playing in the shadows and pretending to be masters of the esoteric and unknown. We might be mad, but we no longer need to give in to that particular brand of madness.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for our next steps, I think it’s become undeniably clear: I have no idea what I’m doing. No one really does, I think. But, together, we can figure things out. All of us. Every last person who would dare indulge in one last cup of coffee with us. The Cult of Personality should be our first stop. Jericho has already expressed interest in working with us, and I’m positive Loveland and Daichi would be on board, too. Then, well, we should head back to New York to see if we can convince a few old allies to help us out. We also need to figure out our place in the Agency. Astrid is at least on our side, more or less. That whole mess is… complicated. But we’ll work it out over coffee, no doubt.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-Amber Ingram</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-259</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I was hoping that this would be our way out. Part of me really wanted you to succeed, Amber. If you and Alex were able to successfully run the Zulu Division and somehow cut ties with the Secret, we might’ve been able to negotiate the termination of Division Ampersand. Now? It looks like we’re needed more than ever. Someone’s going to have to take on the role of Cults and Esoteric Affairs for the Agency, and I suppose that will be us now. As for the Folistes, as Astrid probably already told you, you’re under our care. You don’t have to join Ampersand officially, and I’d recommend you don’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In fact, you have the chance to be free. Take it. If you wait too long, it’ll be too late. When the caffeine wears off, you only have a few precious moments to fall back asleep before you need to take another hit. Hell, you could walk away right now if you wanted to. As far as Ampersand is concerned, you can stay or leave. We’re not going to make you fight a war against a bunch of washed up doomsday nihilists. At the very least, run when I tell you to run, okay? We’re playing a game of chicken with a group who want to intentionally reset the entire Universe to stack the deck in their favor. If you’re still with Division Ampersand when the reset happens, there’s a good chance you’ll be “fated” to join Ampersand in the next Universe, too. You won’t have a chance to be free.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate is a strange thing, isn’t it? What’s the difference between the threads of Fate, the predestination of God, and the machinations of a madman? Fate is dead, of course. The much is certain. Though the forces Fate once manipulated are still very much present in the Universe. If they weren’t, Augurs would have stopped seeing them long ago. It all comes back to the esoteric concept of “canonization.” The idea is that when the Universe is rewound, all the loose stray threads floating around get tightened into the Universe itself. Of course, some threads are stronger than others.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I wonder if this is what he really wants—everyone back together but now on the other side of the Cafe. But why? Eh, he probably hasn’t even thought of us, to be honest. We have already served our purpose. All that he cares about now is finding his missing light.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-260</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-260</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>We made it to the Arches. While Katherine and Sarah were sleeping, I was accosted by Secret’s main minions, Nancy and Indrid Cold. Nancy is sticking to her terms with the Secret, whatever they might be, so she won’t be joining us for at least a year and a half, and I doubt we have that much time left anyway. Best case scenario, her meter never stopped running, and the soonest she’ll be free from Secret is 1-11-25. Though she’s still against helping Secret reactivate the Netzach for what it’s worth. And it seems like for our best chance at stopping him, we’ll need Warden and Joy back.</p><br />
<br />
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<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Who’s there!?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: Hello, my name is Indrid Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Oh. It’s “you.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it, Dover?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Nancy?! What are you—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: Calm down. We’re here of our own accord, not Secret’s.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: It’s true then, you’re still working for Secret?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: I have to. I made a deal with him. I still owe another year and a half to my service.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: It’s a beautiful night under a beautiful sky. Would-would-would you like to see the stars with me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Couldn’t you just break your contract with Secret? I mean, Amber did and—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: And look at the price she paid to do so. Dover, Secret promised me something I thought I’d never have. I can’t risk that now. But… I don’t want to help Secret reactivate the Netzach, either. Nothing good could possibly come from creating Gods.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: It’s a beautiful night under an ugly sky-sky-sky. Would you like to watch the stars rot and fall apart with us?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: So… you’re going to help us?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: As much as we are able to, yes. However, you cannot trust me or Indrid. At the end of the day, we are tools of Secret. We must carry out his will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: It’s a cold night under a frozen-zen-zen sky. Would-would-would-would you like to be as-as-as human as it gets?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Is there anything we can do… about Indrid?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: Hello, my name is Indrid Cold. It’s a beautiful night under a beautiful sky. Would you like to see the stars with me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Silenziosa shook her head]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: But we could—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: The past is in the past.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: But—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: Dover, Indrid is trapped inside a wardenless prison. One without joy. Do you understand?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Yeah, yeah. I get the picture.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nancy: Good. Come along, Indrid. We have business elsewhere.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: —Would you like to see the endless expansion of the Universe with me? D-D-D-Dove— Hello, my name is Indrid Cold. It’s a beautiful night under a beautiful sky.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-261</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: THE ANGEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-261</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Be not afraid.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though I’m not sure how necessary that is, all things considered. I suppose it’s a good habit, if nothing else. I was wondering if there would be one last cup of coffee, and it looks like there shall be. Well, there would have been another cup of coffee, regardless. There always is. Even if you aren’t the ones to serve it. And it certainly feels like this will be your last. Coffee does eventually go cold, after all, and if someone were to re-spark a <em><strong>true</strong></em> Cafe and Diner, I’m afraid they would’ve already done so.</p><br />
<br />
<p>What is a Cafe and Diner, anyhow? Does it require the 8 to be legitimate? Or does it merely require good intentions? Or… perhaps it only necessitates a certain blessing. I have seen many organizations who would qualify as a Cafe and Diner, though they lacked the theming. Perhaps that is it? Outward aesthetics are what make a Cafe and Diner so? Hm. I wonder if the next Cafe and Diner would even be called as such? A blend by any other name would brew as black, I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In any case, the Court is in total disarray again. We are rapidly heading toward an ending, a rewinding if we are lucky, and so much deliberation is left to do. More than just the Caelus is rotting, you know. In Spheres past, should the Devil escape or be freed, God was quick to reset things. This is something of an oddity, then, isn’t it? The Devil and God finally having their prophesized battle for control of the Universe. God’s Debt comes due at last.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Win, lose, or draw; it is unlikely this current Sphere will go unchanged. Should God win, He is certain to rewind things as He has in the past. Should the Devil win, things will likely be rewound much, much further. Seeing as things are already falling apart, a draw will likely only lead to a slow and quiet death. Waiting for the outcome is agonizing. Allowing the outcome to proceed without our input? Well—the trouble always seems worth it in the end. There is one other of the Last Cafe who I would like to invite to our final service, as I am certain he would like to see the ending for himself.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-262</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-262</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>As the Cycle’s spin starts to trickle,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Time itself grows rather brickle,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shattered fast by holy sickle,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Cleaved in twain unless rewound.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But to rewind and renew is quite fickle—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Fickle Gods make fickle friends,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rewinding and rewriting to make amends.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So you push to keep your vow,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yet even at the top with sweat on your brow</p><br />
<br />
<p>The stone is rolling, rolling now—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Now the Devil walks among his kin,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Made of heavenly bones and ancient skin.</p><br />
<br />
<p>All is wagered upon the first and final sin,</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, the game is set, and one must win:</p><br />
<br />
<p>All bets are off, and both are all in—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>In the morning, hear Him sing,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Heralding the everlasting dawn.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A melodious proclamation from beak and wing,</p><br />
<br />
<p>That the Cycle will begin again with a familiar ring.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yet… the sun hangs dead in a rotting sky—nothing—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Nothing is quite as delicate as hearts.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Effortlessly, they throb, burn, and ache,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yet it takes so very little to make them break.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To make one eternal would be the highest of the arts.</p><br />
<br />
<p>For that which beats in all eternity never parts—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Parts lost and pieces found,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Missing fragments all around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Torn earth and darkened sea,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sing the sky’s ancient sound,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Pieces lost and parts now bound—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Bound together for one last brew,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Facing a coup that’s Fateless too,</p><br />
<br />
<p>A few good humans will have to do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Cheers to the Cafe’s final cup,</p><br />
<br />
<p>A desperate cry to never give up—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Up and down, over and over again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Heavy is the cost that’s yet unpaid,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sliding back down the bed, he made.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Turn the key back to what was then,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And you’ll see, not if, but when—</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>When Nature bows to those reluctantly dead,</p><br />
<br />
<p>The key which winds will end up jammed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Should a second chance be given to the damned,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Perhaps we’ll see it was in the end programmed:</p><br />
<br />
<p>That Thanatos should roll that stone instead.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-263</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I hate this. I really do. It never gets easier. I don’t think I did everything right—but goddamn it, I tried. I really tried. I tried so hard—and, and, for what? A Machiavellian girlfriend trapped in the Black Tide? A soft-spoken kid’s very soul ripped to bloody cosmic shreds? My… my light. Gone. Burnt out. Stolen. Another pawn “lucky” enough to earn a “promotion.” How the hell is leaving everything and everyone behind a fair price to pay? She’s the Otherman… time shouldn’t be a restriction. She could stay with me for the rest of my life, and it’d be a blink in her eye.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Maybe it isn’t fair to see your loved one live and die in what can only feel like moments. But maybe it isn’t fair that she should have to be the Otherman in the first place. But who are we mere mortals to argue with the well-laid plans of God? Worse—the machinations of her father. The day before she was taken, she had her first cup of coffee with her so-called dad. The man who couldn’t carve away even a fraction of his time for her due to the peril of the stakes at play. Well, the war ended, and she really believed he wanted to see her if only to know her better.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>No.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Of course not. She came home in tears because the only reason her dad could fathom spending time with her was because he had another plan. Another goddamn scheme. Fate may be dead, but someone must take its place. I don’t know what he said to her, only that it ended in holy fires. If it was his plan to have her take his place, why did she agree? No… I suspect she felt that becoming the Otherman was the only way to stop him. To protect us from him. And if she can light her entire self on fire for our sake, the least I can do is have this last cup of coffee with all of you. It’s bitter, sure, but she has always been my coffee with cream, after all. My Morningstar.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NICK LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-264</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Max: There she is!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Joy…</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jericho placed his hand on the large luminescent crystal housing Joy.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I’m… sorry. I shouldn’t have—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Travis: There’ll be time to apologize later. We need to get her out of her first.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: Aelan, can you get your little buddies to lift her up?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Aelan: Of course! Assuming she’s not too heavy anyway.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jennifer: I’ll signal Dan to pull the House around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sahir: Is it Wednesday yet? For whatever sense of time the House abides by, anyhow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Max: Eight more minutes, according to Zach’s calculations.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: We should’ve left later… What if—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Thick, inky shadows lurched out from beneath the matted webs of Eve’s den, restraining Nick, Jenni, Aelan, Sahir, Salenna, Travis, Max, and Jericho before encasing Joy’s crystal.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Travis: Eve?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sahir: Damn it, so much for buying time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jennifer: No… these shadows—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Umbra the Hatman arose from the center of Eve’s web.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Well, if it isn’t an assortment of friendly faces.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Umbra! What the hell do you think—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Umbra tightened his shadow tendrils around Jericho, pulling him closer.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Agh-!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: I would say it isn’t personal, Jericho, but I would be lying, wouldn’t I? I take such great satisfaction in besting you, after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Complexico: Save your villain speeches for later, Umbra. The longer you talk, the more time you give them to buzz in.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: I’ve done my part. What more would you have me do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: There is no reason to antagonize them. They did us a great service, after all. This would have been much harder if Eve was still around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: You?! What the hell are you doing?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Fixing things, of course. Without Fate… there are no more limitations. I can finally, truly, fix things. But—we’ll need Joy to do so.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: I-I looked up to you. We all did.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: It pains me that you’ve lost your faith in me, Nick. But, if it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jennifer: Shut the hell up. You never cared about any of us. We’re just tools to you. We’re trying to save Joy because we care about her as a person. You just want to use her, don’t you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You lack vision, Jenni. Joy is beyond saving. She is just a means to an end. Why are you all so content to sit around letting unseen forces decide when to call it? I admit, without Joy, I’ve felt the same fear you have. That nagging uncertainty of if and when the end will finally come. But now? Now I can call the shots. And I won’t close this tab until all the debts are fully paid. You have my word.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[A nobody snapped his fingers as the crystal holding Joy sunk into a plume of xanthic flames. Then Umbra, Complexico, and the original owner of the Cafe and Diner left the CaDCom transcription range.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: No—no! He always— GODDAMN IT YOU BASTARD!</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The House of Hamilton crackled into existence just above Eve’s web.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jennifer: I know, Nick. I know. Come on. We can’t stay here.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-265</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-265</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><strong><em>u&gt;No.</em></strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>No, no, no. We’re not letting those Bingo-playing dickwads win. We’re saving Joy, no matter what. Even if we had rescued her, we wouldn’t have been able to free her immediately. So, I’m going to officially say we got everyone back who is willing or able—minus Julia, Victoria, and Joy. We’re not going to stop trying with those three, either, but we can’t keep sitting around waiting for the Bingos to call in their Blackout. It’s enough people to sit down finally with a fresh pot of coffee to discuss what it is we collectively want to do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And that’s exactly what we did.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Naturally, the Personality Cult, Jericho, Daichi, and Ranoma floated the idea of getting the 8 back. However, seeing as no one, including the Angel, knew where to start with that, we’re putting a pin in it. The Ampersands seemed open to anything, albeit they are still on the Agency’s payroll, so they have to fall in line with whatever the Indigos are planning. And everyone else, Folistes, Anathemas, and Long Islanders (plus Ned, Nine, and Theo), were in agreement: if there is any one thing we should do, <em><strong>must do</strong></em>, it’s put a stop to the Bingo Cult.</p><br />
<br />
<p>There’s no point in trying to save them—they’ve made it quite clear that they want to play their nihilistically fatalistic games, and they’re willing to use whoever they need to, to win. In fact, the three of us who couldn’t be here, Julia, Victoria, and Joy, have all been casualties of their megalomaniacal plots. At least, when it comes to bingo, anyone can pick up a card and play. Sure, they’ve probably rigged the roller in their favor, but in the end, it’s still a numbers game, and there are 26 of us and only 5 of them.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-266"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-266</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-266</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I'd say I can't believe him, but at some point, I need to wise up. I can't even count the bloody number of times he's used me personally for one of his schemes. This is my last straw, though—he can do whatever he likes to me. I'll be fine. But to Joy? No. I won't stand for that. And it's my stupid fault she's even in this situation to begin with. So, yeah, I'm on board with shutting down this crooked hall of bingo and bringing our Joy back, choice? While I'd love to rub the Mantle of 8 right back in his snarky, self-centered, French face—I did at least get the satisfaction of destroying it in the first place.</p><br />
<br />
<p>He wasn't expecting me to do that. In fact, he put all the pieces of the 8 in me because he figured I've been such a good boy in the past; what damage could I really do to them? I think, if I'm right, his plan was to keep them in me until ol' Fate was killed, and then he'd take them back to start putting his "Le Grand Testament" plan into action, as it were. A little something Eight-y has been cooking up since, well, I reckon since he rewound the Universe up the first time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose one of the few perks of having been somewhat close to him is that he did reveal a bit about his plans for a post-Fate world. I don't think his obsession with Villon was much of a secret. I mean, it's practically baked into the CaDCom's systems. However, he fancies it more than one might think. He sees it as a challenge, a commentary on the futility of trying to escape one's Fated path. While Fate was still around, that made sense; I didn't think to question it. But now that Fate's dead, the next obvious challenge, as outlined by Le Grand Testament, is, of course, death. He is not satisfied with merely breaking the chains of Fate. He only did so because he couldn't right the wrongs of his life until he was the sole master of his destiny.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-267"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-267</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-267</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Unfortunately, Jericho is right. 8’s time as the Otherman warped his perception of time, love, loss, and death irreparably. I’m not sure how long this has been his plan. It could’ve been from the very start, though I don’t believe that’s the case. At least, his plans weren’t always this drastic. Taking what he always told us at face value, he sought to put an end to Fate and the Cold Elders.</p><br />
<br />
<p>For the other three Cold Elders, it was at least clear why they threatened the Universal Order. Phantom wanted to open doors to realms outside of the Universe, threatening to collapse its very stability. Wicked wanted to rekindle the lost sacred flames of the Skald to corrupt and control souls on a fundamental level. And Secret… well, his goals have always been a secret. If Astrid is right, quite literally so. Secret plans to replicate Godhood to make as many Gods as possible to, theoretically, make as many Universes as possible. Splitting the already infinite Universe into infinitely more pieces creating a “Tower of Babel” effect on a Universal scale.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate, on the other hand, wanted to control everyone and everything, essentially becoming the Universal Order. This obviously threatened God’s plans, at the very least, and God’s Otherman was keenly aware of this. So, when given a chance to out-fate Fate, the Otherman took it. Of course, it also gave him another chance at his life, another chance to be with his love Lucifer. Then Lucifer died. No, more than died. She was consumed in the Wicked’s flames, consuming her soul in such a way that she couldn’t return, not as she was when 8 knew her. To me, this is when things truly turned. His plans, at the time, remained the same to us on the surface—kill Fate. However, he no longer cared about the Universal Order or God’s plans.</p><br />
<br />
<p>He had seen and shaped the flow of time, and now he knew it was beneath him. He lost Lucifer not once but twice. In the prior-Universe he could not be with her as the Otherman. He would live forever while she would live and die as Princes so often do. And now, after carefully laid plans to trick and avoid his Wicked demise and eventual ascension to the title of Otherman—the Wicked and Fate decided to take Lucifer instead. Fate was no longer his enemy—it had become death itself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And now, 8 has death at his fingertips. Releasing Joy in her current state would consume this Universe in Blight. Presumably, God and the Devil would put aside their current bickering to place the winding key back into the Pocketwatch to rewind a cataclysm of that scale. For all his posturing as a nihilist, 8 is not one. He won’t destroy this Universe, not until he’s conquered death. And, well, he’s one Netzach away from doing just that, isn’t he?</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-268"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-268</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-268</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I was paid a visit by our dear friend, Indrid Cold. While it was brief, I feel it must have been for a good reason. He wasn’t with Nancy, and I’m not even sure Secret knew about this little visit. Still—he didn’t say much, even reading in between the looping lines. He was trying his best to fight the Cold’s control, but he seemed locked in. The only line that didn’t sound… “pre-recorded” was the last thing he said. In fact, it sounded as if he was saying it and not the mechanical nightmare that is Indrid. But to come all the way here, to slip past Nancy, defy Secret, and somehow claw out his own voice just to say, “I’ll see you around, sunshine.” What could that possibly mean?</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Well, if it isn’t our fearless and peerless leader, <em><strong>Capgras.</strong></em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: Hello, my name is Indrid Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Is it, though?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: It-It-It’s more like a smoldering pain than a sharp nagging one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Mm. You could say that again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: It’s more like a—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Right, sorry, my bad, Cold. I forgot about the whole looping thing. Say, where’s your handler, Nancy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: —smoldering pain than a sharp nagging one. For the sake of civility and equality in our two-faced partnership, she’s-she’s-she’s it’s certainly a quiet night.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: So, there’s still some of you kicking around in there, then? Is there anything we can do to… fix this?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: I-I-I-I Hello, my name is Indrid Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Damn. It wouldn’t be that easy, would it? It never is, never was, with the Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: Cold-cold-cold-cold-things sure are heating up. I’ll see you around, sunshine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold: I wanted to-to-to-see… Hello, my name is Indrid Cold. Things sure are heating up. I’ll see you around, sunshine.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-269"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-269</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-269</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I figured I should throw my two cents in, seeing as I was completely done with this Cafe business just a few weeks ago. I've had a lot of time to think about it, about whether the Cafe and Diner is really worth all the trouble it seems to bring. While I don't necessarily think the original owner always had the best intentions in mind, there had to be something in what he built that was honest. And I think I get what that is now, or at least, it's what I've decided to get out of it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Humans are at the very bottom of the cosmic pecking order. We aren't usually born with magic, and in the grand scheme of things, we're very, very easy to kill. Sometimes, all it takes is falling out of bed or just standing up the wrong way, and it's lights out. Still, there has to be a reason we're so important, why demons and angels expend so much effort tormenting and guiding us when, comparatively, our entire lives are just passing seconds to them. Unfortunately, I don't know why humans are so special. I think I had an inkling back when I had a piece of the 8, but of course, that's gone now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, the point I'm getting at is humans are both special and incredibly fragile. This imbalance makes it so easy for us to be controlled and used by demons, angels, elders, and greater cosmic entities. And the Cafe and Diner, for whatever its worth, sought to keep the balance between the Flipside and Otherside. It was a place where humans held not a little power but a lot of power. It had so much power that it was able to imprison Satan, shut down Asmodeus, stop Abaddon, leverage Leviathan, best Beelzebub, and outwit Mammon, and that's just scratching the surface!</p><br />
<br />
<p>I guess… for all the trouble it brings, the Cafe and Diner has at least always done its best to look out for humans in a Universe that otherwise treats them like pawns. Sure, we have a few demons, angels, and elders who are on our side, but without the Cafe and Diner, they don't have the same direct connection to humans they otherwise would have. I guess what I'm suggesting is that…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Opening up a fifth Cafe and Diner might not be so bad. I wouldn't want to be an owner/manager again, but I'd be happy to help out for the sake of humans.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-270"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-270</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: THE ANGEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-270</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose I should weigh in on this as well. Between all the secrets and such, I’m not sure how many of you actually know who I am or what my role is. Now is as good a time as any to formally introduce myself, my true self, and my true name. I am Echiera Zejan, the Guardian Angel of the Cafe and Diner. Of course, I’ve gone by many names and many faces over the years, as is the way of Guardian Angels. Typically, our role is to watch from the Topside and offer only subtle shifts in our Principle’s favor. Sometimes, more direct action is required, and as such, we must assume a human name and face.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I have interfered time and time again between the First, Third, Other, and Fourth Cafes. Doing so not only put my very self into peril, but I also risked undoing any and all progress being made in the Cafe and Diner and God’s war against Fate and the Cold. Do you know why I did it? Well, beyond safeguarding against the risk of Dr. Crow, Charlotte Casey, Umbra the Hatman, and ultimately Eve and the Devil? Because the Cafe and Diner is always worth the trouble it brings. Jackie has it exactly right—humans are incredibly unique in the Universal order but also very easily taken advantage of.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Perhaps I am biased. I am, for many intents and purposes, the very embodiment of the Cafe and Diner, and should it cease to exist, so too would I. Though it is something much greater than myself, and I can’t help but advocate for it. However, I see Amber’s point as well. It might be time to let the Universe take its own course without the aid of the many brave and foolish baristas who have dared to shape it. And if the destruction of the Cafe and Diner may save Victoria? It would be a worthy trade off.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Besides, with or without a Cafe and Diner, humans, I suspect, will continue to be exactly that—humans.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-271"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-271</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-271</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I wanted to write one last poem… perhaps it is a foolish endeavor to tap once more into the frayed threads of Fate… but there might be something there to help us in deciding the fate of a paradise lost. This is all I could get, and it doesn’t say much. However, if I had to give meaning to the words, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to aid Willow DeWeaver in restoring her home. If everything has always been stuck in a never-ending Cycle, it’s easy enough to say that nothing we do matters.</p><br />
<br />
<p>If we help Willow DeWeaver, if we don’t, it makes no difference, at least on a grand scale. All rays will return. But, perhaps in helping her, we can find this “hidden burst of sunshine beams” which… I don’t know. It might change things for the better. Though I’m not sure if “Evil will Bless” is exactly what we’re after, but we’ve always strived to see Ice burn. We might as well finish the job we started.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The balance-beam of Fate is bent;</p><br />
<br />
<p>The bounds of good and ill are rent;</p><br />
<br />
<p>Snuffed out the light of Wicked flames;</p><br />
<br />
<p>Slammed the doors of Phantom Lanes.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Still a chill runs through the air;</p><br />
<br />
<p>One last Secret left to share.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hidden deep within a data core;</p><br />
<br />
<p>One last Secret, and nothing more.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>One last chance to brew the beans;</p><br />
<br />
<p>One last chance to set the scenes;</p><br />
<br />
<p>A hidden burst of sunshine beams;</p><br />
<br />
<p>To illuminate our caffeinated dreams.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>For, line in nature is never found;</p><br />
<br />
<p>Our, unit and universe are always round;</p><br />
<br />
<p>In vain produced, all rays will return;</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then Evil will bless, and Ice will burn.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-272"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-272</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-272</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I was wondering when you’d all show up. 8s can never turn down a challenge, can they?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Ah, but they’re missing one, aren’t they? Seems like Jericho is a no-show.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Jack makes a good point. Where is Rico? I thought he’d jump at the chance to punch me in the face.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Why does it matter?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Nothing matters in the end. Though…will you still be able to get that heart beatin’ without him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Jack, you know I wouldn’t leave something like that to fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The fool unsheathed a dagger and drove it into Jack’s heart.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: AGH—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: What the hell!?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Jack’s blood… was the last blood you need.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <em><strong>Bingo.</strong></em></p><br />
<br />
<p>[The idiot pulled the dagger out of Jack, letting the blood drip onto the still-heart of the Netzach at the center of the Teal Room. As Jack’s blood kissed the heart, it let out a horrid mechanical thump. Then, moron anointed the heart of Netzach with a vial of black blood, another thump. Then silver, a louder thump. Then gold, an earth rumbling thump.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Still, the heart slumbers.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Secret? When did—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Secret snapped its fingers as Indrid Cold and Nancy took hold of Jenni, Nick, and Jackie.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Beautiful, though, isn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Did Umbra and Complexico know their fate before you sealed it? Blood blacker than night and brighter than dawn. Everything planned to the last detail. Surely, they had to know they were just your pawns?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Wouldn’t that be better left a secret?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Ha. Well, all that is left now is a drop of ancient blood. Blood as old and cold as the Universe itself. My blood. Then, the heart will beat once more.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Ah—but we’re at an impasse, aren’t we? You want to spill the secrets of the heart, but I’d rather keep it to myself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Not necessarily. There is something I would rather have. Your last secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You haven’t figured it out yet?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: I must admit, you’ve hid it well. More than just a drop of my blood, I can offer you my friendship. Together, we can do wonderful things.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Deal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Secret caressed the heart of Netzach as it thumped to life with a steady beat, its veins coursing with multicolored blood. The heart levitated out of Secret’s hand, hovering in front of the sad, lost, Bastard of Balitmore.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Secret: Touch the heart and embrace the truth.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[As he reached out to the heart, Indrid Cold, grinning ear from ear, grabbed Nancy by the arm, jerking her along with Jenni, Nick, and Jackie out of the Teal Room as he slammed the door on No One In Particular and Secret. A blinding white flash of light pulsed from behind the door—then, silence fell like a well-kept secret.]</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-273"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-273</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: THE THREE FACES OF MR. GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-273</strong></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>[WARNING: UNSTABLE CONNECTION]</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Bravo, Indrid. I wasn't sure if you had the strength to defy Secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: But what will we do now? Without Secret around, the possibility of being cured is… low. Near zero, I'd imagine. Only Secret knew the process to turn one Cold, after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: Blood as old and cold-cold-cold as the Universe itself. My blood.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Ah—but he's dead. More than dead. Removed. The Secret is—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: Blood as old-old-old and cold as the Universe itself. Secret's blood. All that was left was a drop-drop-drop of ancient blood.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Ah—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: Beautiful, though, isn't it? Effortlessly, it throbs, burns-burns-burns, and aches, yet it takes so very little to cut one in twain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Dangerous, though, don't you think? Even I can't predict what will become of the malformed heart. You would be risking everything—everyone—Indrid.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: Hello, my name is Indrid Cold. Evil will bless, and Ice will Burn-burn-burn. Thanatos will roll the stone instead. Blood as old and cold as the Universe itself. Beautiful, though, wasn't it? Effortlessly, it spun, ticked, and was wound, yet it would take so very little to cut it in twain. Another debt still needs to be paid. Hello, my name is Indrid Cold. Evil will bless, and Ice will Burn. The Debt will roll the stone instead. Made of heavenly bones and ancient skin. Beautiful, though, wasn't it? Effortlessly, it spun around-around-around, ticked down-down-down, and was wound up-up-up, yet it will take so very little to cut it in twain. An Other debt still needs to be paid.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Well, it is now or never, isn't it? You're right. It won't take long for her to find the heart and cut it from the Universe. I suppose we can give it a shot. Though, if it doesn't work… Do you have an alternative plan my ill-fated friend?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: Well, on the one hand, we don't need-need-need it. We don't need anyone anymore. That's the neat part about killing Secret. Though... we do still need the... well, that's a secret-secret-secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Ah. The last secret. I don't see the immediate connection, my delusional double.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: Sun… shine—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Sunshine? Ah, you are not too dissimilar, are you? Cut from the same cloth. It's not quite twenty-six steps ahead, but I never have been. All it takes is knowing a few well-kept secrets. It won't be so cold with Sunshine around, will it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid: Hello, my name is Indrid Cold. Evil will bless, and Ice will Burn-</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: —Might as well give everyone the apocalypse they were promised.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-274"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-274</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-274</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I heard about what went down at the Teal Room. Wow. I… kind of can’t believe it. We actually… did it? I mean, of course, we did, right? We’re the Cafe and Diner, after all. And it’s about time we started to act like it. Now, I can’t expect everyone to stick around for another cup of coffee. I know that I might not, but I’ve been talking to Jenny, Max, Zach, and Travis, and they all seem to be on board to start officially brewing the beans again. They’re still not sure if they’re going to go with the title of “Fifth Cafe” or not. All things considered it might be nice to try something fresher.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, if you’re interested in getting back into the swing of things, talk to one of them about it! I’m happy to help as more of a consultant. Brent, Dover, Katherine, Sarah, Salenna, Ichabod, and I have a few projects we’d rather focus on. We don’t want to weigh down the new Cafe’s operations with our special blend of madness. So, in a way, I guess we’re going back to where we started—back to the folie. Hopefully, with a lot less… of all of… well, “this.” Personally, I think we should leave all the world-ending threats to the Astorians from here on out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway… I guess this is it. Time to go our separate ways. I mean, we’ll still see each other around, I’m sure. Jericho, Ranoma, and Daichi are going to go get Joy and find a way to break her out. The New Cafe will do their thing. We’ll do ours. Ampersand can keep everything spinning. And everyone else, well, I’m sure we’ll see around the coffee scene. It’s a small Universe, after all. I just wanted to say—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Uh. That can’t be good. I’ve never heard <em><strong>that</strong></em> alarm before.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-275"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-275</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-275</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: …ktomezo.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Where are we?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Limbo.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sarah: Limbo?! Did we… die?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: I don’t feel dead, for what it’s worth.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: And I don’t feel any more alive if that helps.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Brent: What was the signal <em>supposed</em> to do, Ich?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Felix did not say—only that it could buy us time, maybe more. That, and it apparently breaks every known Universal law at once.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: It certainly makes a spectacle! Spectacles, also known as eyeglasses, were first invented by humans all the way back in the 13th century. I suppose none of you were around for that—but perhaps you can <em>see</em> why this is quite troubling. Do you know how difficult it is to fix a broken balance staff?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: God?</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Yes, yes. So, like I was saying, a balance staff, interestingly enough, is a lot like a pendulum, isn’t it? Constant motion, perpetual, and yet, here we are. Completely frozen. So… I assume you broke it for a good reason?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Salenna: Do you know about the Heart of Netzach?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: He’s God, right? He’s gotta know—</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: The Heart of Netzach? It was activated? Fun fact: Netzach in Kabbalah represents eternity and endurance—not unlike the lifespan of a tardigrade under extreme conditions. Fascinating creatures—but that’s neither here nor there. Who activated it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ichabod: Your Otherman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: HA! Well, Abra, it seems like that settles that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Hardly, Demi. Amber, was it? Darling, did he fully embrace the Netzach?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Amber: Uh… no. They were removed from the Universe before he was able to touch the Heart.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: As suspected—he played a tune with no finale.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Now, hang on, Abra. Intention is eight-tenths of the celestial law. He was about to touch it—that’s a win in my book.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: But the boy didn’t, did he?</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Oh, technicalities, schmechnicalities. You're splitting hair springs finer than quarks here. You lost.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: How was any of this fair? He was your hand-picked agent; he was rigged dice from the start, and you know it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: I had a good guess as to what he might do, but the choice was his.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: But he didn’t touch the Heart. It didn’t matter that he wanted to touch it; he didn’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Ugh. You’re really going to make this a whole thing, aren’t you? How about this: you give me the winding key—because I won—and I’ll let you stay in the Universe. A debt paid. Deal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Absolutely not. The wager wasn’t fair from the beginning, and now we have an inconclusive result. I’m hardly satisfied with that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Well, what do you suggest?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Hm… ah, well, Amber—she’s a neutral party, isn’t she? Not too swayed by you or me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Fine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Devil raised his hand, conjuring the malformed Netzach into Limbo. He then snapped his fingers, and the twisted flesh and bone that had started to form around the Heart melted away. He then floated the Heart in front of Amber.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Look at that. Godhood, at your fingertips, darling. How about a rerun of the old game, Demi, but with a proper neutral party taking the lead?</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Hm… Would we be allowed to offer advice?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Blow your horn. I won’t. Wouldn’t want you to think I’m intentionally leading her one way or the other.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Well—I should at least point out the benefits. Amber, if you touch the Heart, you’ll have the power to fix everything. Everyone. You could make things right, and your world doesn’t have to end.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil:…</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: And look, you might not want to be some unfeeling, undying God—but once you are, you can just undo it. It is, after all, what you make of it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Devil cocked his eyebrow and folded his arms, a sly smile playing on his lips.]</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-276"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-276</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THE FOLISTES</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-276</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Joy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Who… are you? Where… are we?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: I’m—not sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: You don’t know who you are?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Oh! I do. Uh, mostly, anyway. As much as anyone can know who they are. My name is CaDence.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: It’s nice to meet you, CaDence. My name is—</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: —Joy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Have we met before?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Uhm… No. But I know you’re Joy. And I know you crystalized to stop yourself from destroying the Universe. Which means…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: The Universe has been destroyed?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: I don’t know. I don’t think so, but… How are you here?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Where is “here” anyway?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: That’s a good question. It’s quiet here, and something feels… off.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Do you think this is just a dream?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Like the Astral Plane?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Mm… not quite. I know the Astral Plane pretty well, and this isn’t it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Could it be limbo?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: I guess so? Though, why now?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: What do you mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: I haven’t been… conscious, not until now. Do you know what day it is?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: December 13th, 2023.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Well, it hasn’t been that long since I crystalized, at least. But—there’s nowhere to go, is there? We’re stuck in this void.</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Hmm… I’m not sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: You know about me, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Yes!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: So, do you know about the Cafe and Diner?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: I do!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Do you know what happened after I crystalized?</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Uh, bits and pieces. Do you want me to start at the beginning?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Sure. I don’t think there’s anything else we can really do here. So, start at the beginning!</p><br />
<br />
<p>CaDence: Well, I guess the very beginning would have to be August 8th, 1988. My father, the Otherman of the Universe before this one, had rewound things for a second and final chance at killing Fate itself. Luckily, my father was prone to meticulous note-keeping and journaling…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.U.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_VI)&diff=8624OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VI)2026-05-05T05:07:39Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Part VI: The Fourth Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">88 archived receipts</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-128"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-128</div> <di..."</p>
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<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part VI: The Fourth Cafe and Diner</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">88 archived receipts</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: MAMMON INFERNUS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-128</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, hello, my Cafe and Diner family!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Some of you know me, others know my lovely assistant Sophie Grenbelrn, but I am the primary shareholder of 8’s Holdings Incorporated, Muldra Yonomo. Now, I used to only own 33% of 8’s Holdings, but after a very generous arrangement with 8, I now own 66% of the company. As a result, I am now the majority shareholder of the Cafe and Diner. How exciting!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Things will naturally be different, and I do have some demands. I’ve been looking over your books, and two things stand out to me. One, too many puzzles. 8 is well aware I am not a fan of puzzles. Just file the receipts, please. If you must use puzzles, please make sure to update me with the passwords at the end of every week. I’ll be checking! Two, why is everyone using different receipt filing systems? I feel this is too confusing and as such, I have struck a deal with the ever industrious Marcelle Blackwood from BaristaTech to build brand new “CaDCom” systems.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Along with new CaDComs, we need to fix the employee roster a bit, yes? If you were to ask me how many 8s is too many 8s, I’d say one. Ha! Just kidding. Mostly. But honestly, why are there 6 of you? Well, no, don’t answer. I actually know why. It’s partially my fault. You can keep calling yourselves “8” if you want to, but I wouldn’t worry so much about “the sacred mantle” you’re under Yonomo’s protection now. So “Manager” will be fine. I also don’t necessarily know all of your names, so you’ll be Managers in the order I know you best, 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. I’ll take the No. 2 title as I am very well suited to the number 2.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for the minions, whatever numbers you want will be fine, but try to condense them a bit, will you? I’m not a fan of larger numbers unless they are in my bank accounts. Ha! See, you have nothing to worry about. I am a jokester if ever there was one. Seriously I don’t want numbers above 4 digits if it can be helped. You could, of course, just number yourself 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. But I know you all love that number 8 so much.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Also, you can’t keep working out of 8’s apartment. It’s sad and unbefitting of an organization such as ours. That is why I have spared no expense in securing you a new physical location in Long Beach. Some of you might be familiar with it, but I have been assured that the Open Doors church is not haunted, just abandoned. But it should do for the time being, and you might just find that under the floorboards is quite the set up of coffee equipment left by the previous owner. I do wonder what happened to Padre Santos wink wink. Now I would love it if we could get back to doing just that as a Cafe and Diner family. There are a few more people I’d like you to serve some coffee to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ah, that reminds me. I am aware of the regrettable and unfortunate loss of one of your founding members. It is a tragedy. But, we will make her proud! Well, I don’t know if we could make her more proud than she already was. But, we can honor her memory by becoming the biggest and best Cafe and Diner yet!</p><br />
<br />
<p>With love, Muldra</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-129"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-129</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-129</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, there you have it, eh? I don’t “own” the Cafe and Diner any more. At least Muldra is a great partner to be in business with, and I’m so happy to be working with him.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Muldra has promised to mostly keep out of our business moving forward but we will need to share our receipts with him and if he has a special order we have to fill it. Read between the lines if you’re confused, but more or less what he says goes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>He has also requested “less puzzles” which… As I’ve explained to him, it can be very dangerous in our line of work. But so long as we make them OBVIOUS to him, he says it will be fine. Worst case we’ll send him any PASSWORDs he is unable or unwilling to crack at the end of each week.</p><br />
<br />
<p>How’s that old friend? Clear enough? I hope so. Along with the new management, we have some new procedures as well. Total Codes and Public Keys. My dear associate No. 17 (which admittedly will take getting used to) will explain the Keys and my protégé Manager No. 1 will explain the total codes. These reports can be</p><br />
<br />
<p>found in the CAFE channel with a password… hm… I’m not sure. Hopefully, it’s not too hard.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours nilfully,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Manager No. 0</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>(Originally hidden in the CaDCom Database: Thankfully, Muldra shares the one common weakness of his kind. We’re going to be under a lot more scrutiny from here on out but we still have our puzzles, ciphers, and riddles. We have to share D &amp; C reports with him but he is, to my knowledge, unaware of our third channel “AND.” He is also very easy to flatter and not one to question things. Some of you are already in on my plan but for those who aren’t please stick with me. I know this is… bad. But is it worse than the darkest hour? Well, I guess we’ll see.)</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-130"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-130</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-130</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>There's been no news yet on where Julia might be. I'm going to be helping Nick and Seth with the clean-up of my Cafe, or what's left of it anyway. I feel like it was partially my fault. She came to me for help and look what happened. Lucy's dead, and Julia is missing, possibly dead as well. This is what I get for thinking I was a "real" 8. I should've just turned Sophie away… now look at the mess that's left behind.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Spending time with 8, the real 8, has just shown me how inexperienced I am compared to everyone else. Honestly, I can't help but feel I took down Solomon's Temple by dumb luck at this point. But… 8 does love his sayings, and I think right now he would tell me: "The only failure is self-pity, everything else is just partial success." Although I think he says it in French. Either way, he's right. All of this was at least a partial success. I mean, we stopped Le Leyon right? And before we lost her, we did save Julia. And, I think Lucy would agree that her sacrifice was at the very least a partial success.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I might be the most inexperienced 8. I don't have crazy magic like Jericho, I can't hunt as well as Julius, I don't have Joy's natural intuition, And I'm nothing like the original owner and Jenni, but I think it's a partial success to have one 8 be normal. It keeps all those egotists grounded.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-131"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-131</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-131</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Hey all! Joy here, and me and Rachel were able to get this uhm, I’m not really sure what it is exactly. A warning? A prophecy? A threat? Whatever it is we were able to get it with the increased psychic energy created by Indrid Cold’s presence. I’m still not sure what most of it means other than some clear references to some occult figures, but the part that really caught my eye was the last part. Is that where Julia is?</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>Dark tomb below the ocean deep</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Slept a beast of hellish creep</p><br />
<br />
<p>Slow his titan maw did gape</p><br />
<br />
<p>Swallowing all who couldn’t escape</p><br />
<br />
<p>And at the shore of black'n curse</p><br />
<br />
<p>Flies swarmed a lonely ebon hearse</p><br />
<br />
<p>And in its cabby laid a boy</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dead back then, t’was just a ploy</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>For in her breast a demon slept</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hidden to most, a secret well-kept</p><br />
<br />
<p>Seal'd with shapes oh so sacred</p><br />
<br />
<p>Her return was all but fated</p><br />
<br />
<p>And no angel, here on Earth</p><br />
<br />
<p>Could stop that hellish birth</p><br />
<br />
<p>For curs'd twins born to languish</p><br />
<br />
<p>Always end in cleaved anguish</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>And in the thrall of Heaven's Lord</p><br />
<br />
<p>She sat and waited, always bored</p><br />
<br />
<p>Seen that cycle through and through</p><br />
<br />
<p>So she thought she’d seek something new</p><br />
<br />
<p>Not here not there, but elsewhere</p><br />
<br />
<p>Among the clouds and deep despair</p><br />
<br />
<p>She sat and waited for war to break</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then she ate herself like a snake</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>O ancient Lord of plundered gold</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now with country in your hold</p><br />
<br />
<p>No part to take in the war</p><br />
<br />
<p>‘Til the blood is shed no wealth to score</p><br />
<br />
<p>So you chose to make the Devil's bargain</p><br />
<br />
<p>And tie the twin worlds' margin</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yet we cautioned for a barter</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lest you become another martyr</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Like the boy inside the cabby who slept</p><br />
<br />
<p>He had no choice but to die and then accept</p><br />
<br />
<p>The swarm of flies most foul-n-fear'd</p><br />
<br />
<p>Festering in the Hollow most revered</p><br />
<br />
<p>Still that darkness in him remained</p><br />
<br />
<p>For that hunger can never be chained</p><br />
<br />
<p>No man nor beast'll see him dead</p><br />
<br />
<p>Not until his hunger has been fed</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>So in that cabby the boy did weep</p><br />
<br />
<p>For his soul was played for keeps</p><br />
<br />
<p>But tears dry fast as shadows come</p><br />
<br />
<p>And the boy’s body quick went numb</p><br />
<br />
<p>With nothing left but rage and hate</p><br />
<br />
<p>Against those who dared to seal his fate</p><br />
<br />
<p>So now he gathered his hellish congregation</p><br />
<br />
<p>To cut a path toward all damnation</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Far away in room unknown</p><br />
<br />
<p>A girl sits sad and all alone</p><br />
<br />
<p>Death and her are one and the same</p><br />
<br />
<p>For she too will bear the curs’ed name</p><br />
<br />
<p>To break the cycle and stop fate</p><br />
<br />
<p>She will need to take the name of eight</p><br />
<br />
<p>Things go up that should go down</p><br />
<br />
<p>Far, far away in J’s hometown</p><br />
</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG, SETH WARREN, NICK LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-132</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>Jackie</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, that will haunt my nightmares forever. The plan worked perfectly, though, although unfortunately, there was no Julia in that mess. Things started off pretty normal, although normal might not be the right word. Basically, Magogo is her "name"? We went through the remains of the door frame, but it was like stepping through a portal because once we were on the other side of the frame, we were back in the Cafe. It looked just like it did before the fire, except the walls were covered in this dirty off-white wallpaper, and the lights were much more yellow and much much louder than they ever were. It looked… off. And not only that, but the ceiling was dripping with some sort of thick black syrup-like substance. OH AND THE SMELL! How could I forget the smell! It was like a mix between something burnt, rotten, spoiled, and very chemical, kind of like burnt plastic or hair. And it was SO thick in the air.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, once Magogo and I were in, she did something Zulu-like, and then Seth was able to warp in with Nick and the other two Astorians. The Astorians wanted to head to where Le Leyon died so they could do their whole clean-up thing. Seth decided to stay by the door, so we could find him if things went '72. Me and Nick decided to follow the black goo stuff down the east hall while the Astorians went down the north hall. As Nick and I entered the old breakroom, we saw what looked like Leyon sitting in the corner, but when they turned around, there was a flash, and everything looked normal again. Like the lights, smells, wallpaper, everything went back to how it was before the fire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then "Tyler," "Brent," and "Miranda" came up to me. Miranda said a rushed hello to Nick before informing me that Al Crow was outside the Cafe, and he brought Friday, the Baba Yaga, Midnight, and had the Seed of Sodom with him. Before we had time to react, we heard Seth yell from the entranceway as we ran out to help him. The hallway doors shut, and Friday crawled out from the walls. He took a couple swings at us with his scythe, but Nick was able to fend him off. But then the clock struck midnight, and Friday crawled back into the walls only for Midnight to seep out of the clock. The same thing, he tried to stop us from getting to Seth. Then the hallway twisted like it was a wet rag being rung out, and then it shattered, revealing what looked like the Esterskald, and the Baba Yaga came at us as the blood moon rose over the remains of the Cafe. Finally, I put it together that we were just in the Funk and stopped fighting. We had already stopped Beelzebub and Al Crow. It wasn't Friday the 13th. Baba Yaga is dead. It… well, okay, it might have been past midnight, so Midnight had every right to attack us, but I'm pretty sure Miasma took care of him. What we saw happening wasn't real. It had already happened. Once I stopped playing into the Funk, it flashed away again, and we were back in the break room.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Finally, the Astorians finished the cleansing and the weird yellow Cafe melted away back into ash and rubble. At the center were the remains of Leyon, although they were no longer leaking this black liquid. I think I might've collapsed from exhaustion, but the next thing I knew, I was back at the church. No Julia… but at least that mess is gone. Hopefully forever.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>Seth</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>That was unpleasant. I mean, really unpleasant. I was on “door” duty, more or less, so I was stuck by the entrance. It was… really unsettling to see our Cafe like… that. Like, it was almost how I remember it, but it was off. It was like I was looking at a set of our Cafe. The walls looked cheaper, the lights were way too harsh, and the smell was musty and corrosive. Like I could feel my lungs burning every time I breathed in.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I assume this will be an AND report because I’m too tired to bother with the new numbers. So anyway, Jackie and Nick went off towards the breakroom while Zulu and X-Ray headed towards the body. Leaving me all alone. In the funk. Again, unpleasant. Things mainly were quiet besides the humming of the yellow lights and some general creaks and stuff. I could hear the Zulus chanting something over by the body, then I saw a flash come from the breakroom. The next thing I know, I see Nick run up to me. Jackie got flashed into the funk apparently, but this gave Nick and chance to find Leyon’s mask. So he and I warped around the weird Cafe set, going from room to room (except for where the body was) looking for the mask. It really did feel like a set, though, the farther we went into the funk. Like Jackie’s office, it looked like it was made from cheap styrofoam, and I’m pretty sure I could’ve looked behind the walls at some spots. I was too afraid at that moment to see what might be behind the walls, so I didn’t check. The funny thing is, now that’ll keep me up for the rest of my life. What was behind those fake walls?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, we couldn’t find the mask, and Nick figured Jackie would be out soon, so I warped him back to her and then back to the door. The weird thing was I didn’t feel like I was actually warping if that makes sense? You know you feel when you try to throw a punch in a dream? That’s almost what this felt like. Usually, when I warp, it feels like a… like an inverted stretch or a contraction, but this felt like I was just popping in and out. Like I wasn’t really me. Long story short, I hate the funk. Thankfully X-Ray and Zulu did whatever it was they did, and the weird Cafe set fell apart, revealing the truth, one burnt down Cafe. A lot of rubble and ash. Well, it was never the place that was special anyway. Jackie passed out, but I was able to catch her. Nick shook hands with the 23’s and they went their way and we went ours. Let’s hope that’s the end of Leyon.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But what was behind those walls? Who was behind those walls?</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>Nick</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, it could have gone better, but the fact we all made it out alive speaks something to this partial success. I guess, bad news first, the Zulus almost certainly took the Mask of Masoch with them, among other oddities from the site. I suppose a deal is a deal, but I would have preferred if they didn’t have that very powerful and dangerous artifact with them. Then again, it means we don’t have to store that dangerous and powerful artifact. But as I mentioned, no one died, no one even got hurt. The Zulus were spot on that the remains would psychically link up to Manager Jackie first. From reading her report, it seems like it was showing her past events from that Cafe. Maybe it was feeding off of her memories, trying to reconstitute itself. Luckily Ray works fast.</p><br />
<br />
<p>While Manager Jackie was “in the funk,” as we’ve taken to describing it, Seth and I did a quick search of the Weird Cafe to see if we could find the Mask. No luck, although I did find a few things worth taking home at the request of 8. Can’t talk about those here, but you can always try your luck by asking 8 what they are if you’re dying to know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So now that Leyon is dead and cleaned up, what exactly was it anyway? Well, I’ve been doing my research into it, and it would seem that Le Leyon was a sort of… mortal conduit for an Elder. It’s more complicated than that, and I’m not sure how much 8 would want me to say about it. The point is, the Elder that was using Leyon is still alive, because well, Elder, but I imagine they’ve been significantly weakened, especially with Lucy’s sacrifice. So, for the time being, I wouldn’t worry anymore about Leyon. Let’s worry instead about Muldra… and how we can make him more money, obviously. He’s great.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-133</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, no Julia in that mess. Which is a shame. Although I have a feeling, we’ll be seeing her again soon enough. Mr. Cold isn’t one to tell lies. So, consider this case paid. Of course, if she doesn’t turn up by the end of the month, well, we’ll open it back up. For now, that’s my thoughts on the situation, no need to dig deeper.</p><br />
<br />
<p>(Originally hidden in the CaDCom Database: Funny running into you here. I thought I made myself clear, there is no need to dig deeper into the Cold Prophecies. But if you’re here and I’m here, we might as well. First off, “Something Wicked,” well, no surprises there. The Wicked. One of the Cold, a group of Elders older than most, possibly older than the Bird Himself. “Manager No. 7” now that is interesting, no? The implication here is that Julia should be a manager upon her return. Of course, I’ll verify whether or not she bears the name of 8 but assuming she does, she’ll become Manager No. 7. Now here’s something interesting… Cold refers to one of the Cold as “Zulu/Shaka.” I don’t think that’s actually that Elder’s name, although take it with a grain of coffee grounds. Elders don’t really have names, to begin with. “There are only 4 more Sins” already? How time flies. We have what, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Beelzebub, and Mammon still alive. Assuming Cold doesn’t count Belphegor. I’m guessing if they all die, nothing will stand between us and the full fury of the Wicked. He talks about the “Devil’s pick,” but it seems that won’t really be an issue until Julia comes back. Also, Cold seems to think 4 and 71 have betrayed the Cafe. Can’t tell if that’s some cold coffee or…? Well, I think I understand what he means anyway. And if 4 or 71 are reading this, hi. You have nothing to worry about. I trust you for now. I already know about 4’s, well we’ll say connection. And then Cold was pretty explicit about where the portrait of Satan is or, more importantly, isn’t. So… that’s a problem for later. I don’t really want to deal with the Wicked again, not so soon. We’ll get it back when the time is right. I know I skimmed over it, but you can read the full prophecy in the AND channel. Just follow the crumbs I’ve left behind around the Church.)</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIA WANDSUN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-134</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Uhm, hi again, everyone. I’m… back? My memories are a bit fuzzy on what, uh, <strong><em>happened</em></strong>, but I just sort of woke up here again today. I guess I was missing? I mean, the calendar sure says I’ve been missing for like a month. And I guess while I was gone, the Cafe got sold? And now I’m a manager? I’m… very lost, honestly.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I guess I am an 8 technically? The primary 8, or uh Manager No. 0, can sort of “tell” if you are or aren’t an 8. I mean… what even is an 8 anyway? Like, I just thought it was sort of a title that everyone used to say, “hey I’m the owner of this Cafe,” but then like it’s also something that can be divided amongst people and passed down and aghhh, it’s all so confusing!! So I <strong><em>think</em></strong> Manager No. 0 is the 8 or at least the first 8. He then split his 8 into 3 pieces assuming he was going to die. He didn’t, so Nick gave him back his piece, Jenni obviously kept hers, and then Nikki split her piece even further and gave it to Julius, Jericho, and Joy. And somehow, in all that mess, Jackie got a piece from… <strong><em>???</em></strong> I guess from “Sophie,” whoever that is. And now I’m back, and I have a piece? Which…<strong><em>???</em></strong> I don’t know. I mean, I’ll know... eventually, I hope. But for right now, I think it’s okay for me not to know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So while I was gone, I guess the uh, mess got cleaned up, which is good. I’m still really, <strong>really, <em>really,</em></strong> sorry about all of that. I didn’t know- well, I still don’t know exactly why they were after me. But I really appreciate all the help. And also, I’ve been getting accustomed to the CaDCom system, and it looks like some weirdness needs looking into. If you’re still looking for someone to accompany you, Jackie, I’m more than happy to help! Plus, it might be good to learn some of the ropes of this, uh, coffee business thing.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-135</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>So like, a lot has been happening lately, huh? I think it’s probably best to focus all of our cosmic vibrations on getting some kind of Third Sight down, which is why I’ve been working with I and Y on some kind of practical method. I mean, yes, it’s probably important to like take care of Otherworldly entities too, which is why Jackie and her team are doing great work, but like we can’t keep firing into the dark, you know? So like 161 has been doing all her, um, outreach stuff with Rem and Nom, I know Jenni has been trying to see if she can somehow use her innate abilities, and I’ve been doing what I do best! Trying to see what remains unseen! Unfortunately, after the um, you know... fire. Not the most recent fire, but like the fire we caused, I’ve been sort of cut off of most of my usual methods of divination. Thankfully I’ve still got one trick up my sleeve. Although it’s not as safe or as fun, but it does still work. So, like, here’s what I’ve “seen” and what I wrote down regarding the whole Third Sight thing.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Albios. Bitu. Dubnos. Orbis Alius.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Heaven. Earth. Hell. Beyond.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Topside. Flipside. Otherside. Otherworld.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Origin. Big Bang. Big Crunch. Deep Thought.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Air. Earth. Fire. Water.</p><br />
<br />
<p>All things come in threes until they come in fours.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Albios around Bitu Dubnos.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Orbis Alius within Bitu Dubnos.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ever-expanding until the Orbis consumes the Orb.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Center of orgin: Orbianian Plane.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As quick as it comes, as quick as it can go.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To see into the Orbis Alius, one must first see into the Ouroboros.</p><br />
<br />
<p>First Sight begets Second Sight begets Third Sight.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Temporal distortion is likely.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bending arcs of light, space, time, and spacetime.</p><br />
<br />
<p>See what lacks light to give it form.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Feel what lacks space to give it depth.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Understand what lacks time to give it progress.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Snake awakes for those who wait.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>So like, pull from that what you will. I mean, I think I get it. The Otherworld is coming from the center of, well, everything, which is the Ouroborian Plane. We always list it as a plane of the Otherside because it’s ruled by a Prince of Hell, but it doesn’t really “exist” in the Otherside like the other planes do. It exists at the center of everything in this sort of infinite, lightless, timeless sort of state. No one who goes in comes out. And those who do come out of it are the children of Belphegor, who are like this special reptilian-race of demons. So I think what this all means is... Someone needs to go to Florida, Palm Beach specifically, and try and track down our own little lushy snake buddy Daichi and see if he can help out with all of this. Because, right now, I know neither I nor Y nor I can see into the Ouroboros, and that seems to be what our next step is.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-136</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I had a little chat with Daichi. The transcript is as follows. I've also somehow been suckered into some sort of conference or presentation with Daichi. He can't go because he's, well, a snake, but apparently, if we listen to this presentation on condos or timeshares or whatever, he'll get a free set of golf clubs? Absolutely mad, if you ask me. He's a bloody snake. What does he need golf clubs for? Can he even hold them?</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Ah, if it isn't my ol' pal Rico! What a pleasant surprise.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Good to see you too, old man. How's retirement treating you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: You know, one would think it'd get boring, but it is truly divine. Poolside, sunshine, cheap drinks, what more could you ask for?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Happy for you. Speaking of drinks do you have-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Absinthe? As a matter of fact, yes, I always keep a bottle around for you. So, what did you come to discuss, hm? Finally ready to settle your debts?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Cheers, mate. And not yet. The plan is still to put those debts off for as long as we possibly can. I'm here to ask you about the Otherworld.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Otherworld? What's that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: You don't know? It's a new plane radiating outwards from the Ouroboros.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: I'll level with you, Rico. I don't spend that much time on the Otherside lately. It's much too, well I'd say "cold," but it isn't. It isn't anything unlike the warmth of this beautiful Floridian sun. We're cold-blooded, you know. So I don't see why Belphie can't let in a little Morningstar light or Infernus heat in every once in a while. So tell me all about this new plane.</p><br />
<br />
<p>//Removed 18 lines of the transcript. The removed transcript can be found in C-KIF02-B.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The reason given: You bloody know what I know about it. You don't want to read me reexplaining it all, right?//</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Hmm... most interesting. You know, Rico, my tongue is tied in many knots by my mother. She doesn't like me spilling too many secrets of our plane. But perhaps we can make... well, a bargain? A deal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Yeah? And what would that be, mate?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: As you already are aware, glamours are hit or miss at best for me. So I need a sort of proxy to do some face-to-face work. Person-to-person.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Yeah, so what's the catch then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: You see, there is this presentation I found a flyer to. If we go and listen to the whole 60-minute pitch, we get a set of free golf clubs.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Golf clubs?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: For free, Rico.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Bloody hell, is this what you do around here for fun? Get free crap from, well, bloody snake oil salesmen</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Haha, don't knock it 'til you try it, kid. Besides, my lips are always much looser on the green, you know that, Rico.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I don't think I've ever seen you play golf. I don't even know how you would play golf.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Well, my terms are clear. It's up to you, honestly. And I'm sure you'd want to hear what I do know about it...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: When's this stupid presentation at then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Tomorrow, 5 PM. Thanks ever so much, Rico. I promise the hour will go by fast.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T</em></div><br />
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<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, there you have it. I've got to go to some sort of pyramid scheme nonsense to go see tomorrow. I know we love to use our little code-words, but I think Daichi is completely serious. He wants chuffin' free golf clubs from a timeshare presentation. Heaven and hells, Florida.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-137</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I can’t bloody believe it. Somehow I got talked into buying a bleedin’ chuffin’ heaven ‘n hells timeshare ‘ere in Florida. So guess who’s going to be spending next winter in Florida. Sure, Roufyrouf will be thrilled. Maybe I could even lug the rest of the ol’ team back down for a break. Assumin’, there’s no world-ending crisis again. Anyway, Kansai has his golf clubs, and I am out £17G. This information has cost me an arm and a leg, so it had better be worth it. Although, I’d say this is some heavy, heavy information. If you’re the type to have existential crises, maybe don’t give this one a read, yeah?</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Isn’t it so exciting, Rico? You get to spend your holidays with me again!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Look, mate, I’m not here to talk about the bloody timeshare, and you know it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Yeah, yeah, but still, thanks for the clubs. Besides, what do you care? You have both an IRIS pension and Myerscough money to throw around, yet you still dress like a vagabond.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: It’s not about the money. I was trying to not come back to this place, you know? And now I have a bloody timeshare here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Oh, come on, Rico. You’ve been forgiven. Well. No. Not exactly. But is anyone really forgiven in the eyes of God?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Yes, you absolute twit, that’s the whole point of God.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Oh, no, I was serious. Has anyone been forgiven? Ever? Think about it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Of course- wait, why? What are you getting at?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: The Court has been in gridlock for eons at this point because there’s no one to rubber-stamp any of it. No one is being forgiven.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: What, you mean no God?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: No God. Just a few Snakes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: How long has there been no God?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Well, isn’t that the crazy thing about all of this. For as long as there has been, there hasn’t been a God.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: What? Some sort of temporal an-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Anomaly? Taking out GOD? No. No, I don’t think so. Besides, Topside doesn’t work like the Flipside or Otherside. So if time doesn’t flow there, how would a temporal anomaly affect it? Effect Him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: So for all of existence, God has been AWOL?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Your existence, sure. This universe is a lot younger than you think it is. Going off of Ourborian time... everything ever has only existed since Thursday the 4th, 1988. So, what’s that, 32 of your Earth years?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No. Ziggy Stardust. That came out in the 70s right? How do you explain that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: It’s all just a copy, Rico. A backup. All that stuff did happen, just they didn’t happen this time around. Or they didn’t happen by anyone’s choice this time around. Bowie didn’t decide to do Ziggy; Ziggy just happened.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: So, wait, oi, I’m going to need a drink, mate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Eh, don’t worry about it. As far you can tell, the universe could’ve been made last Thursday, and you wouldn’t know the difference. Funny thing, though... Every time the universe is remade, it’s always on a Thursday. Isn’t that strange?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Every time, as in plural?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Oh sure, this is the 16th time it’s happened.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: 16th time...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: Sweet sixteen! Although, it’s a little less sweet knowing we don’t have a captain to this ship, haha. But then again, it’s kind of freeing, isn’t it? Do whatever you want, eat any apples you like, who cares? No one at the moment, that’s who! So like I said, Rico, don’t worry too much about it. Time just happens, and it’s best not to overthink it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Wait, so none of my memories are real?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: You were born in what, ‘84? 4 years of your memories aren’t “real” or at least aren’t “consciously” real. But really, what were you doing at 4 that was so important you needed the free will to do it? Huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Mate, this is...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: It is what it is. Here’s the important thing, though... You need to find God. 32 years doesn’t sound like a long time, and yeah, it isn’t, but a lot can go wrong in those 32 years. I mean, come on, the Cold wasn’t this bold last time around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Find Him? Where would we do that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: In and at the End.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: What?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Daichi: I’ve said what I can say about it. You put the pieces together, Rico. No God. New universe. Strange things radiating from the Ouroboros. In and at the End. Gee, I wonder who could have done this? Now before I get turned into a pair of boots, you’d best be heading back to Cali. It was great seein’ ‘ya pal. Thanks again for the clubs.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>So... if that doesn’t put your head in a spin, I don’t know what will. But it seems like if we want to figure out this whole “Otherworld” business, we need to find God. You know, this whole last Thursday stuff is... well, it’s right heavy, isn’t it? But I’m more concerned with what Kansai wants with a bunch of golf clubs. He doesn’t have bloody hands, for God's sake. Well. For lack of God’s sake, innit? If I had to wager a guess, God must be somehow tied to the Otherworld. Perhaps He’s in the bloody thing? Perhaps He is the bloody thing? Hard to say with someone so... well... Him.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-138"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-138</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-138</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>First off, I should say this much, I knew God was missing. I've known this whole time. I've known since 1988 that God is nowhere within our universe. Not only that, but I am not from this universe. Well, we don't really call them "universes" Topside. We always just called them Spheres. So you could say I am from the 15th Sphere. And I wasn't expecting the Snake to spill all of the secrets floating around, but it is a solemn reminder that things are moving towards their inevitable ending. If anything, it's impressive we were able to keep this secret for 32 years as is. People tend to notice when God goes missing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Why do we call them Spheres, though? Well, we exist on a timeline that begins with the Big Bang and will end with the Big Crunch. Following the Big Crunch, a parallel timeline to ours exists, which will end with the Big Bang. It's a cycle. A circle. A Flipside and an Otherside. But there isn't one singular cycle of time, of course. Instead, there is an infinite rotation of minor differences, every decision, every change, every butterfly wings, turns this cycle in space until it forms into a massive endless Sphere. Well, Hypersphere, to be exact, but it's easier just to call it a Sphere. And the Sphere contains all possible timelines.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Timelines can end, as can most things, but it is usually a big deal for every single timeline to end at once. Of course, using the tool that created the first cycle, one can "copy and paste" that cycle and let it spin out into a new Sphere. As far as I am aware, I am from the 15th Sphere; however, I have no way of knowing if I existed in any Spheres before that one. Perhaps I am unique to the 15th Sphere. Or maybe I've been around since the 1st. Who knows? Most people, if not all, are not able to comprehend a past existence in a Sphere outside of their own. Of course, not everything is "reset" when a new Sphere is made. The Topside, Underside, and Ouroboros do not exist within the Sphere, so they remain unchanged. For example, God doesn't have to shove all the rogue Elders back into the Underside every new Sphere. But this would make one think, shouldn't Elders and Ouroborians have immense knowledge of all Spheres? This is not the case. Elders and Ouroborians do not move with time the same way we mortals do. They move on the outside of time. They can recognize a change in Sphere, but it is more or less no different from the last because they only see it from the outside. People change. Places change. Things always change. But rarely do Elders and Ouroborians change.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The main reason I still have memories of the 15th Sphere and what occurred within it is two-fold. On the one hand, I served as a very special agent of God. I was known as the Otherman. My "job" Topside was to ensure that the cycles remained undamaged or that time flowed as it should. Because of this, I have, or had, intimate knowledge of most things past, present, future, and other. The other reason these memories haven't faded is, well, part of why we are in a new Sphere. To begin with, God is missing, and I am once more mortal. I made a deal. I helped use God's Pocketwatch to create a new Sphere, and in exchange, everyone got to come back. All Cafes. Don't thank me yet though, I'm leaving A LOT unsaid here. I think that should go without saying. But until the two I made a deal with are dealt with, I must watch what I say.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So far, this Sphere has remained very similar to the 15th Sphere minus a few slight differences and a temporal dilation of about 1.5 years from what I can tell. Certain people and events are different, but the core results are the same. Well. Were the same. Before Lucifer died. I was the one supposed to die, and the fact that I am still alive has changed things drastically. Perhaps that is why we have this "Otherworld." I wasn't excepting to make it this far, so I am at a bit of a loss now. I'm just as in the dark as all of you. Speaking of "you," my closest of allies. Felix, Nick, and Jenni. I have already explained some of these concepts to you, and while I know you all know different things, know that we are still working together. Working to fix things. Working to make this all right again. You see, when I come, I come to correct, no?</p><br />
<br />
<p>We are not just a CAFE AND DINER. We are a DARN DEFIANCE to those that seek control and dogma. We are the ones who will disrupt the course of Fate. We will extinguish the Wicked. Reveal the Secrets. And deny the Cold their inevitable darkest hour. We are moving towards a checkmate, for Black or White, I cannot say. The Deep Corp 23 may be dead, but long live the Darn Defiance and vive le Cafe et le Diner.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for what our next steps are, the Snake did provide some useful information. I think it clear that somewhere God lies within the Otherworld. But, of course, He would hide somewhere I know nothing about. It's just like Him. Felix, you will continue your work in currying favor with the others. Nick, continue to keep tabs on our friends, especially those who cannot speak. And Jenni, your work surprisingly can be done in the light for the most part; keep up with your Third Sight investigations. We are going Baltimore soon and will need to be on guard. However, inviting some patrons to stir up some chaos might just be the thing we need right now.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>But as always,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ni renkontiĝas en kafejoj.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-139"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-139</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-139</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>And so, it begins. Our great work. Our darn defiance of the puppeteers. It only took us 32 years, but better late than never, eh vieil ami?</p><br />
<br />
<p>As the document will be posted to the CaDCom system there is a chance an employee, or even a patron, who is not a part of our Darn Defiance might stumble upon it. So be it. In fact, we welcome it. To a degree, of course. We must operate in the light if we are to dance in the dark. Though we only ask one favor. Please, whatever you do, do not disclose this to Muldra or Sophie. They watch us close enough as is, though the DD protocol should keep Muldra out and Sophie is far too lazy to even attempt it. If our little “after-school club” were to be found by them it wouldn’t be the end of the world, they’ve already gone to great lengths to see to that, but it would be the end of us.</p><br />
<br />
<p>On to business then. As you are all aware, the Owner had arranged the scandal with the Faceless Roamer to lure Jericho into doing something rash. There were a quite a few options that Jericho could’ve have chosen but leading us to Hugo the Tagapagbigay certainly worked in our favor. I accompanied Seth as he warped to pick up Jericho, Nikki, and Katherine which gave me time to speak with Hugo. Of course, he had already given his Abraxas Stone to Jericho and it would be a few months for him to craft a new stone. But we are not interested in wishes, we are looking for an invitation, of sorts. And Mr. Taga, after a long-winded conversation, did end up providing me with such an invitation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>We are now in possession of access sigil to the Hollow of the Esterskald. It is entrance only, so ensure you have a way out before using it. Seth could assist you in getting out, though I am unsure of the limitations of his powers. Still, at the very least he could pick you up elsewhere in the Esterskald. Or, perhaps Beelzebub himself will be willing to send you pack in one piece. If we can get him and Leviathan on our side, it will be a great help in toppling their siblings.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>As always,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ni renkontiĝas en kafejoj</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-140"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-140</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: KATHERINE WADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-140</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Last night, a strange man appeared outside my window in Blackwood Manor. He was calling himself a "Mysterious Benefactor." I had a very strange feeling about him, and I wasn't able to get a very good look at him, but from what I could see, he had very long and wild hair, and I think he was wearing a mask of some sort. Luckily, I was able to hit the transcribe button on my CaDCom in time, so here's the transcript. I'm going to leave this as a "Managers Only" receipt in case it's something more serious.</p><br />
<br />
<p>ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Ah!! Who are you? …What are you? Are you the Ragarou?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: No, I don't think so. Quite a lovely manor, wouldn't you say? It's a shame it's caused such strife in this town.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Uh, I guess so… but who or what are you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Unknown: Of course, you don't recognize me. We've hardly had a chance to meet. There's no point in more formal introductions now. How about you simply call me your "Mysterious Benefactor."</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: We've met before?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Yes. And you're rather lucky Katherine. I am in a more generous mood than I have been in for the last few centuries. That and I think it would be troublesome to kill you. Somehow, you've taken to the blood of Asmodeus, and it seems to have made you rather… unkillable.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Asmodeus? Who's that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Ah, I see you have much to learn about the coffee business. She is the Demon Prince of Lust. Ruler of the Necropolis. Patron saint of the dead. With her cruor coursing through your veins, you are, well, almost impossible to kill. <em><strong>Almost.</strong></em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Wait, so I have demon blood in me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: In a sense, yes. Quite the feat of the Zulu cult, is not? But you don't just have the blood of a Prince; the blood of a Prince has you. Not to mention your more… latent ambitions. It will start attacking your more human parts should you fail to meet its lust for blood and gore. I'm sure you've already experienced this. However, by feeding into its dark desires—which would seem to be brains in your case, is that right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Um. Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: By feeding those desires, you may just stay human yet. However, brains aren't the only way to feed this lust. Or, perhaps, I should say the most direct route. No, there are other ways to sate the Prince's blood. And I could illuminate them for you. For a price.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: What price?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: For now, I would simply enjoy a tour of the Manor. Nothing more. Though, should our partnership prove fruitful, I have a more… intriguing offer. Should our desires align.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: I— don't know. It's not my—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Decision to make. Of course not. It's not your Manor, is it? And Old Felix probably wouldn't enjoy my snooping about. Well, should you change your mind, I will always be here. Do not forget, we are bound, <em><strong>Dingane.</strong></em> Forever.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-141"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-141</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: KATHERINE WADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-141</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>We met a real Angel!! Well, ok, technically a “half-angel,” but still! Apparently, Mosi’vego is the son of the Archangel Raguel. I don’t know who their mom is, but they were very, very pretty! Their skin was either made from or covered in sparkling multicolored gems. Their left half looked kind of like a scorpion, while their right half looked kinda like a bobcat or maybe a lion? Their voice was very deep, almost like a purr mixed with the sound of crystals rubbing together. OH! And they have a beautiful halo of violet flames, which Manager 5 told me afterward denotes their rank within the Court of Angels. Mosi’vego isn’t very high up, not even really mentioned in many religious texts, but basically, their role is that of a “spy,” as Manager 5 put it. They were sent here by the Court of Angels to assess the situation with the Black Tide and the Sunkenman. I wonder if I’ll ever get to visit the Court of Angels?? That’d be sooo cool!!! Manager 5 says it’s “unlikely,” as almost no mortal souls ever go Topside, BUT I’m not even sure if I still have a mortal soul, so it’s worth a shot!</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: Well, if it isn’t Jericho Myerscough. Somehow, I should have expected your presence in this mess.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Well, well, well… And if it isn’t… Sorry, mate, I’m bad with names. You are?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: By the name of Metatron, Mosi’vego—the Gimcrack.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right… and I know you from…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: I am a child of Raguel.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: OH! No foolin’, you’re one of Raguel’s kids, eh? Is he still… you know…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: Vexed by your reckless actions taken in the Akashic Records? <em>Depends.</em> Last I heard, he was still deliberating. Weighing the cost of stopping the Dark against destroying the First Bible.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Well, let’s hope that goes in my favor then, eh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: It is not my place to judge or to choose sides.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Fair enough—shame apathy ain’t a sin like the rest of ‘em. You Angels would have that tidied up. So, what brings you Flipside—across the pond even?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: Things are in motion, [Manager No. 5]—Things far beyond Heaven and Hell.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Otherworldly, innit?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: Among other things, yes... To put it bluntly—this “Sunkenman,” was able to open a portion of the Black Tide with a piece of an Antekey. These Antekeys hold dangerous power, power to tip the scales of balance even further from where they are meant to be. They are not of this world, not of His design, we fear—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Hang on a tick. A <em>piece</em> of an Antekey?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: Hm? Oh—the Olympian Antekey is a key of three. You didn’t know? Sea, Sky, and Sorrow. Olympians have never been ones to share, have they? The brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had their Antekey split.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I don’t reckon you know where the other two pieces are…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: Perhaps I do, and perhaps I don’t. If I did, I would have to weigh the benefit of telling you of all mortals. The last time you “helped,” you burnt down countless wings of the Akashic Records, destroying two angelic artifacts. You fight fire with Wicked flames. Just because you’ve managed not to be burned yet doesn’t mean you are fireproof.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …Right. Well, it’s been—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: …Nyx, Goddess of the Night, had all three Antekey fragments for a while. With Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon out of the picture, she gave them to the Chthonic furies to safeguard. Megaera, Tisiphone, and Alecto. Megaera attempted to keep her piece safe in the Otherside, but it washed up in the hands of the Finfolk. Tisiphone has safeguarded her fragment somewhere in the Flipside with the help of Dolos, one of Nyx’s children. I assume Alecto kept her fragment in the Olympian Underworld.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Choice. Thanks mate. But why—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Gimcrack: It is not my place to judge or to choose sides—but I’ve never personally enjoyed an epilogue.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-142"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-142</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-142</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, that was an interesting week, wouldn’t you all agree? Unfortunately, it has drawn Mammon closer to our operations. I am hoping that now that the chaos has passed, he’ll grow bored of our day-to-day life and return to Infernus. It should go without saying I intend to give him none of the Antekeys. We all saw what one-third of an Antekey could do. So giving him a full Antekey, or worse, the full set of four, is undoubtedly a horrible idea. Though, I fear Mammon isn’t looking to open any doors. A key, after all, can both seal and unseal things.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Furthermore, I’d like to add Jericho to our little club. Though, he can be a bit of a wild card. I want to trust him. I do. He is our strongest player, and if we are to best Mammon, we’ll need him on our side. So, I’ve devised a test of loyalty for him, and if he passes, we’ll let him join our ranks. Also up for consideration is Seth. I’ve also been considering Victoria and Julia, but I worry that if they knew the truth, it might impede their progress in uncovering the other truth. If we are to add any of Jackie’s employees… it may be best to start with Jackie herself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In any case, I had a little chat with the extended family, which I felt you should all see as well.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Definitely &amp; Deviously yours,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: What a mess.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Well, how bad is the damage?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Levi: The cut runs deep against the current, yet… the Tide seems intact. As if it was never open to begin with.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Ah. Good. Curious thing, though, isn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[8 rolled the Pearl in his hand]</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: A key—or a piece of one, anyway. How do you suppose it opened the Black Tide?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: It didn’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Levi: You don’t mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Mm.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Realms… Otherworldly… So—the Eighth Plane—?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Remains where it should be. Though its waves have been stirred.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: I see… Leviathan—to keep this Pearl safe I may require your aid—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: This is most troubling, isn’t it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Shaka—what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to Mayda?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh, unrelated business. Well—somewhat related. Is it true you’ve slain the Sunkenman of Algiers, Lord Leviathan?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Levi: Transgressors to the Tide must pay the price.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: As they should. Well—that frees up my schedule a bit.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: The Grunches won’t return then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Not as they have before. A debt paid to the Queen. Excellent.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: What do you make of this “Otherworld,” Shaka?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Oh, come on, you didn’t just show up out of nowhere to confirm something you already knew. You have to know something—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: It’s an error. A miscalculation. A weak and idle theme.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: I figured as such.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Can it be undone?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Anything that is can come to an end. I suspect that is why your brother is so keen to gather up the keys to the penultimate page. Though—now that it is, would it be fair to see it unmade only because it wasn’t supposed to be in the first place? Something to consider once you reach the end, 8.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-143</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>BLOODY HELLS. LAWDS ABOVE AND BELOW ME, WHAT A NIGHTMARE THIS HAS ALL BEEN. I hope, lord help me, I HOPE, I’ve proven myself to you lot now. Do you know how long it’s goin’ to take for me eyebrows to grow back? It’s not going to be pretty, innit? And- wait. I don’t have to do my cockney gimmick here, do I? well, that’ll make typing this out easier than the usual fair, I suppose. Though, I am actually rather peeved about my eyebrows and the general lack of safety this whole “initiation” had. But the past is in the past, we’re all still alive, and I am ready to defy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Question though—is Victoria and Julia in on this as well? And what about Amber? It seems to me that a lot of the Cafe is starting to catch on to secrets this club is trying so desperately to cling to. Why’s that? I’m sure Nick can fill me in as he is generally wiser to these sorts of things than I am. I just want to make sure I’m not stepping out of place, choice? I almost died to join this group, and I’d rather not screw it up again. Assuming it was actually me who screwed it up the first time around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Another question that’s on my mind with this whole Satan business… What’s our end game? I know the old man said we’re going to be killing off the lot of them, preventing Satan from escaping, but don’t we have more pressing things to worry about, like his brother who is actively trying to take control of the bloody universe? Hell—I’m not even all that concerned about Mammon. It’s just Mammon. He never wins these sorts of games. I’m worried about his coconspirator, Belphegor. She’s what, the oldest and strongest of the Princes? The fact that she’s doing anything at all is a bit terrifying. I get it, she was on our side at one point, but clearly, ever since this Otherworld popped up, she sure has been taking her swings at us. Like I said, Mammon, we can handle. We can defy his will. But Belphegor? 8… I understand she’s your mate… but lord, she’s starting to act more like a friend than a mate.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: KATHERINE WADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-144</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I… think I’ll keep this receipt hidden, at least for now. I… met with the Mysterious Benefactor again. The man who spoke with me in New Orleans. I… suppose I made a deal with him. In exchange for a tour of Blackwood Manor, he told me a lot about myself. More than I could have hoped… and perhaps more than I should’ve known. The transcript got cut off, which I believe was his doing. Not that I would’ve shared much else of what he said. My lips are sealed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>ଘ(੭ˊzˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚</p><br />
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<p><br></p><br />
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<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<br />
<p>Shaka: Have you given my request any further thought?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Ah!! Gosh, you scared me! You can’t just—wait, how’d you find me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: We are always connected, Dingane.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Why do you keep calling me that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Mm… Have you given my proposal any further thought?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Wha—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: A tour of Blackwood Manor?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: We aren’t—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Shaka snapped his fingers. In an instant, Shaka and Katherine were standing outside of Blackwood Manor.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: GAH!! What?! How did you—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: A miracle. Nothing more. So? A tour?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: It’s— I don’t know… I shouldn’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Shaka snapped his fingers again, opening the door.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Consider it this way, Dingane: I could explore the Manor on my own. There is nothing stopping me. So, wouldn’t you rather have a member of your organization accompany me? To ensure I cause no harm.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: I… Okay. But you have to tell me about my Asmodian Blood. And—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh yes, and everything I know. Come along, Dingane. We have much to discuss.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Why do you keep calling me that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: He was the one you ate when your powers first awakened. Flesh provides you with memories, and blood provides you with emotions. That much you already know. Yet—there is more to feast upon than mere flesh and blood, Dingane. You have the blessing of Asmodeus, the Prince of Lust—possibly the greatest of the deadly sins. Lust is, after all, all that remains when nothing else does. Everyone has something they desire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: …So what do you desire?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: An out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-145</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Are we slipping? It’s entirely possible that “Manager No. 2”—Muldra Yonomo—has beaten us to the punch. He’s been keeping an annoyingly close eye on our operations lately, and he’s had more than enough time to use Felix’s freshly crafted sigil to slip in and out of Nightmarch undetected. Perhaps I’ve underestimated him. Perhaps he knows full well that he’s holding a mundane marble while I still have the helm, the pearl, and the thunderbolt. Perhaps our little game has truly begun.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Let’s be clear: Mammon is up to something. He has been from the very beginning—since we shook hands and remade the Universe. And despite everything I know, despite all the time I’ve had to piece together his angle, I still haven’t quite figured it out. At the very least, I know the Otherworld and its “End” play a part in his plans. To reach the End, he’ll need access to its Antechamber. And to get to the Antechamber… well, you all see where this is going, don’t you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Thankfully, if he’s caught on to our little defiance, we’re still tied. Neck and neck. Antekey for Antekey. But if he hasn’t wised up, then we still have one more Antekey to find and the Badb’s latest Omen has been, well, less than helpful. Like the other major Omens, it aligns with a Sermon of the Seven—prophecies spun by Fate itself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It wouldn’t surprise me if the Badb is working hand in hand with Fate. Birds of feather, after all. While the Omen doesn’t give as clear a direction on where to find the next Antekey, it’s painfully clear what I must do with it regardless—what Fate, no doubt, intends for me to do. And what choice do I have?</p><br />
<br />
<p>It was a Devil’s bargain that cleaved this new world’s margin. But the deal wasn’t between Mammon and me. It never has been. I made a deal with the Devil’s eldest child. With the first sin. With inaction itself.</p><br />
<br />
<p><em><strong>Belphegor.</strong></em></p><br />
<br />
<p>And it is perhaps time we settled up.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indebted and indolently,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-146</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>New year, new CaDComs—courtesy of Sarah Blackwood and Barista Technologies. I know, I know—getting used to a new system is never fun. But we can't keep using the old CaDCom Series M from Muldra, right? He might be gone, but I wouldn’t put it past him to have left some hidden backdoor in those gaudy piles of junk.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of the new year, we've had a management shake-up. Muldra Yonomo is now serving a 33-year prison sentence, and control of the Cafe and Diner has returned to Manager No. 0. However, to keep things running smoothly, Manager No. 0 has chosen to split ownership eight ways. That means myself, along with Jenni, Nick, Julius, Jericho, Joy, and Julia, are now equal owners. On a related note, the title of No. 2 has officially been reassigned from the felonious Muldra to our own Nick Langley.</p><br />
<br />
<p>We've also gone full cappuccino and decided to expand our operations. Now, we're splitting efforts across three locations: the Church in Long Beach, the old Florida Cafe, and a brand-new spot in Long Island, New York—sort of like a spiritual successor to the Third Cafe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lastly, there's the matter of our missing employees—Nikki and Seth. We're... still not entirely sure what happened to them after we left the End. One moment they were here, and the next—gone. Nick and Jericho have volunteered to search for them in the Otherside—and, yes, Otherworld, which Julia has insisted we keep on our books permanently.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours from a new location,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NICK LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-147</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho and I have arrived safely in the Necropolis. We've got some other business to handle while we're here, but our primary objective is still to find and rescue Seth and Nikki.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Our plan is to comb through the Otherside, starting from the bottom and working our way up. Worst case, we may have to dip back into the Otherworld—and maybe even a bit higher up.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m pretty sure everyone was there when it happened, but for posterity’s sake, here’s a quick recap: When we freed God from the Antechamber at the End, His return sent a ripple through the Universe, correcting the abnormalities caused by Mammon’s sloppy recreation—or more like like a “rewinding”—of the Universe. In the prior Universe, it seems both Seth and Nikki shouldn’t have existed in the Flipside for reasons we still don’t fully understand. No. 0, having lost his specific memories of the old Universe, couldn’t confirm this, but there’s strong evidence that they were "fated" not to be. Of course, using a word like "fated" opens up a whole can of worms. Whether it was fate, destiny, or whatever, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that they're missing from the Flipside entirely.</p><br />
<br />
<p>On the bright side, this gives Jericho and me a chance to check in with the powers that be in the Otherside following our latest cosmic upheaval. While the fate of Seth and Nikki remains uncertain, we have God's assurance that once we find them, He will restore them to where they belong, as a reward for their role in freeing Him.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But first… we have to find them.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIA WANDSUN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-148</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Back into the swing of things, I guess! Not that we’ve had much time to catch our breath. Oh well. On the bright side, Mammon’s been encased in a thick layer of "astral" gold—or was it "celestial" gold? Doesn’t really matter. And honestly, I have no idea what makes gold astral or celestial in the first place. Either way, it should keep him immobilized for... I think God said 33 Flipside years. Kinda short for trying to take over the Universe, don’t you think?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now that we’ve found and freed God from the End, and the Otherworld seems to be here to stay, we can turn our focus back to regular Cafe and Diner business. Which, to me, has always been about Otherworldly adventures and such. But from what I gather, the Cafe usually deals with Otherside affairs. And, as far as we know, there’s still a massive war raging in the Otherside, specifically in the Necropolis. Some guy called the Morbid King is trying to overthrow Asmodeus to reclaim the "homeland" of the Shadowfolk—blah, blah, blah. I’m not particularly interested in Morbid King's propaganda.</p><br />
<br />
<p>What <em>is</em> important is that my decision to keep the Otherworld instead of letting it all drift into the End has given the Morbid King and his followers a potential opportunity. Each Plane of the Otherworld was anchored to a Plane in the Otherside: Avalon to Morningstar, Duat to Infernus, the Nine Realms to Hauntaurskald, Olympus to Esterskald, Nightmarch to Mayda... but nothing ever anchored to the Necropolis.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now, it’s possible the Morbid King might try to create a new Plane in the Otherworld and anchor it to the Necropolis—something that suits his needs, kind of like how Mammon opened Duat.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-149</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>We managed to snag a quick chat with Asmodeus. Scary one, she is, choice? At least we left unwhipped, though under the right circumstances, I wouldn’t have minded much. We filled her in on Caassimolar’s plot, and as thanks, she’s taking Nick and me up to Mayda through that little whirlpool near the top of the Spire. She’s even letting Leviathan know we’ll be swimming around in his waters, so <em>fingers crossed</em> we don’t get gutted by his Horrors when we start out at the bottom of his Plane.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No sign of Nikki or Seth in the Necropolis, though. I figure they might’ve been stuck in the Everdark, but Asmodeus doesn’t seem to think so. Given Seth’s connection to the whole Plane of Amaymon, she claims she’d know if he was in there. Honestly? I’m not feeling too confident about finding them in Mayda either. But then again, there’s the Black Tide, isn’t there? I doubt even Seth could warp his way out of that one, and if the universe was looking for a place to stash them when things got reset… that’s as good a guess as any.</p><br />
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<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Ah, if it isn’t Nicholas Langley and Jericho Myerscough. I’ve heard you two have been trotting through my Plane. Uninvited. In the middle of a war. How bold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Sorry—we’re looking for someone. My sister.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: And Seth Warren.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Ah—Seth Warren. The Necropolis would be a clever place to check for such a... folly. Can’t your little Seth simply “warp” his way back to you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Yeah. That’s why we’re looking. They’ve… vanished. Completely.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Hm. Vanished, you say? Well, with the way Seth likes to tinker with my Plane’s energy, I’d know if he were here. He is not. And as for your sister, her…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Nymphomaniac tendencies.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: God bless ’er.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Yes. That’s certainly one way to put it. If she were here, trust me—I’d know. Not to mention her little friend, Naberius, would have alerted me to her presence.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: How is Naberius, by the way?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Exhausted by this tiresome conflict. And aren’t we all?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Speaking of your little play-demons—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jericho pulled out the dagger, holding it by the blade, and handed it to Asmodeus.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Caassimolar wanted us to kill you. What’s that about, love?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Caassimolar? Hm. Murder does seem like his style. But <em>my</em> murder? Oh, no. That’s a sin I simply cannot let slide.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: And now that we’ve warned you, he’ll want us dead too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Naturally. Where are you off to next? Back to the Flipside?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Nick shook his head and looked up at the swirling abyss above them.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: We were thinking… up.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: I see. I can assist you with that. There’s a hidden passage between our Planes. I’ll even let my brother know you’re stopping by. No need to have him as startled as I was.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Thanks, Asmi.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: That’s Mistress Asmodeus to you, Warlock.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Apologies, Mistress Asmodeus.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Good. She has you trained well, hm? Now, did you two see or hear anything else worth my attention? I’ve been sequestered in this Spire for months thanks to this war, and news has become a rare treat.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: There’s been talk of the Eclipse Wall weakening from within.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Interesting. Unfortunately, that’s beyond my control. The more humans die, the more the wall expands. It’s a rather flexible thing… until the next wall forms.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Couldn’t you just make a new wall then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Me? Oh no, dear. I don’t make the Rings of the Necropolis. The Spire does. How it chooses to form new Rings is a mystery, even to me. You’d have to consult the First Bible to know why. Oh—wait. Someone burnt it, didn’t they?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Even if I hadn’t… could you have read it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: I wouldn’t have cared to.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NICK LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-150</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan finally wrapped up whatever business had consumed him and met with Jericho and me on the Isle of Asmayda. He seems pretty concerned about the war in the Necropolis. As he pointed out it could directly impact his Plane, after all. And if the Morbid King manages to take the Esterskald, there’s not much stopping him from claiming Hauntaurskald, Infernus, and Morningstar next. Ouroboros should remain safe, but its safety only fuels Belphegor’s apathy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>On another note, it seems Nikki and Seth are nowhere to be found in Mayda’s waters—not even in the darker, unreachable depths. We’re going to try our luck in the Esterskald next. It’s possible they got lost in the vast, lush greens of Beelzebub’s domain. Judging by Leviathan’s tone, Beelzebub is staying as far away from all this as possible, likely too preoccupied with his endless feasts.</p><br />
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<br />
<p>Leviathan: Apologies for keeping you waiting.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No trouble, mate. Your Horrors have been very accommodating.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: As they should be. Despite our… turbulent past, the Cafe and Diner is currently an ally of Mayda.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Sorry about that, by the way. It was neither of our Cafes, of course, but I’ve heard about what happened.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Yes, well, it wasn’t the Cafe that orchestrated that mess, was it? It was Umbra the Hatman. And now that horrid shadow has sided with the Morbid King of the Everdark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Absolute wanker, I agree.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: <em>Mm</em>. I wouldn’t have phrased it quite like that, but yes, Umbra is certainly troublesome. Though, I suppose it’s the nature of shadows to envy those with form and purpose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: You think the Morbid King is driven by envy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Perhaps. Envy is a rather deadly sin, after all. I would know. Truthfully, I know very little about the Morbid King’s crusade against my sister’s Plane. But it threatens us all, even if Beelzebub and Belphegor prefer to stay out of it. We’re all that’s left.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right. Satan, Lucifer, and Mammon—to an extent—are out of the picture now. The Upper-half of the Otherside is ripe for the taking if the Morbid King can break through the Lower-half.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Exactly.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Were you able to find what you were searching for?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: What do you mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: In the Tide. We assumed you were there, looking for Elders to aid your sister.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: None can enter or leave the Tide.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: So, where in Mayda were you, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Mayda’s depths are fathomless, after all…</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Leviathan lowered his voice to a whisper.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: <em>If—<strong>if</strong>—I could survive the hypnagogic properties of the Tide, that would not be something I would openly discuss—especially now that the true keeper of the Tide has returned to His Holy Throne</em>.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Ah, of course. So, you weren’t in the Tide. You couldn’t have been.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: And for what it’s worth, they aren’t in there either. Your fellow baristas.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: They aren’t?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Would you go check yourself? Trust me. I would’ve noticed two humans out of place down there.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: And I assume you can sense everything that swims in your waters?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Yes. They are not here, either.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Damn. Well, I guess we’ll have to head further up the course. What’s the quickest way to your big brother’s Plane, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: <em>Safest</em> way.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right. Safe and quick.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Unfortunately, our Planes no longer fully connect. A consequence of the Skald’s splitting. However, the Tempest can carry you to the Esterskald.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Great—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: In… a few days. The Tempest moves of its own accord, and I’d prefer not to fight with it more than necessary.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: <em>It</em>…? Is it…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Oh yes. The Tempest is alive. It should swirl toward the Cliffs of Bloat near the Emerald Shore within a few days. Until then, you are welcome to stay in my Plane as my guests.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-151</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Right, well, that’s Beelzebub for you. Powerful, knowledgeable, and somehow lazier than bloody Belphegor. Fat ass gave us a few morsels of information—more than comfort food, I’d reckon. But he could’ve just been feeding us a load of bull to get us out of his court as quickly as possible. He doesn’t like dealing with humans. Doesn’t even much care for demons, honestly.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In any case, Nick and I headed back to the Flipside to regroup before we dive into Pandemonium.</p><br />
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<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<br />
<p>Beelzebub: My, my… if it isn’t the humans who’ve been making quite a stir downstairs. What brings you two to my Hollow, hmm? Looking for your friends? I haven’t seen them. Looking for aid in my sister’s war? I couldn’t care less. Or is this just a social call? Here to indulge yourselves in the fathomless bounties of my feasts?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Social call, believe it or not. We know my sister and Seth aren’t here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: And between you and me, mate, I couldn’t care less about that stupid war either.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: I’ll admit… you’ve piqued my interest. It’s not every day someone has the audacity to request favors without offering something in return. Especially here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Favor? We haven’t—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: Haven’t you? Even stepping into my court without a gift in hand—without a meal for the feast below—that’s foolish, you know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oh, come off it, Beez. Here ya’ go.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[No. 5 reached into his pouch, pulled out a strange lump wrapped in light green leaves, dripping with deep red juices, and tossed it to Beelzebub.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Eugh, what the hell is that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Century Squonk. Heard of a Century Egg?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Squonkify it. Aged and fermented meat, more or less. A delicacy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: When did you—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Come on, you didn’t expect to go before the Prince of Gluttony without an offering? Did they teach you nothing at the Agency?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: An acceptable offering. More than acceptable. <em>Perhaps too good to share with the wretches below…</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: All yours. Now—I know why <em>I</em> don’t give a rat’s arse about the war in the Otherside, but why don’t you? If the Necropolis falls, Mayda goes with it… and Esterskald’s not far behind.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: I have nothing the shadows want. Gluttonous pleasures can never sate those without form or function. At most, they’ll march through Esterskald on their way to Infernus, their true goal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Their true goal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: To want… one must first want nothing at all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …The Caelus…? Surely the shadowfolk can’t just cross into it—they would’ve done it by now. Hell, Umbra would’ve done it to get the Enochian Bible in a heartbeat.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: It’s not the shadows themselves who can slip into the boundless skies of endless desires—it’s their King.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: The Morbid King wants… nothing? That can’t be right. He wants to take the Spire, he wants to kill Asmodeus, he wants—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: He wants to die. It was stolen from him long ago. To want death… surely that is as good as wanting nothing at all. And in exchange for securing the Caelus? I’m certain he will receive his due reward.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: How do you know all this?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: Consider me gluttonous for knowledge as well.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Sure, but you don’t get out of the Hollow—ever. Where did you get all this “knowledge”?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: It began in my Plane… the birth of the Morbid King.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: What do you mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: I mean much more than a simple shank of Squonk. More than I suspect either of you can procure. My hunger runs deeper than any human could fathom.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Fine. Well… let’s hope you’re right, big boy. Let’s hope the Morbid King leaves Esterskald in one piece as he marches on to Infernus.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: Mmm. I fear your pleas still fall on deaf ears. Even if the situation were truly dire… it will be the Feast soon—and I never miss a Feast.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-152</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Right, well... bloody hell. I can’t believe she’s dead. Well, “functionally” dead. I can’t believe me and Nick spent nine months searching the Flipside, Otherside, Underside, Topside, and bloody Limbo just for her and her new boy toy to commit God-Assisted suicide. Just to be clear, I’m not mad at Seth. I don’t even know if I’m mad at Nikki. I get it. I bloody well get it. Things are in motion that are bigger than us. Bigger than what we used to be. I think what stings the most was the lack of hesitation from her. Stuck in Limbo for the better part of nine months, and instead of going home, she jumps into an entirely different circle of hell, literally and metaphorically. Then, THEN, bloody 8. BLOODY BLOOMING ARSEHOLE 8. “Right, mate, well I’m off too.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>8. Can’t get around it much longer, yeah? He’s sodded off to work with God and Belphie. You know, I’m not mad at Seth, or Nikki, or even 8. God. I’m mad at God. He doesn’t, no He couldn’t understand how we feel about all this. He feels now that He’s back in charge He can move us around like pieces on a chessboard. Problem with chess is you have to sacrifice your pawns to make advances. Anyway, on the surface, Jenni is the new owner, yeah? Makes sense. She should be. But if we’re going by ownership over the Mantle, say hello to your new leader. I’m sitting with three-eighths of the full thing. Jenni, Nick, Jackie, Jules, and Joy all have an eighth themselves, and Julia has whatever it is she has. The negative eight? Imaginary eight? I could never keep track of that lot.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So how did I end up with the biggest share? Well, as you all know, 8’s gone off to play Otherman again. And being the Otherman doesn’t really require the Mantle, choice? Hell, I don’t know if he could have kept it with him if he wanted to. That’s all above my head anyway. The thing is, I drink, or drank, to keep the Wicked at bay. Every time I used my magic, he would seep deeper into my thoughts. Now it’s fun to punish my liver on a daily basis when I’m in a good mood, but with everything that’s happened, well, the bottle will do more damage to me than the Wicked. That, however, puts me in a rather precarious position where I can no longer use my magic at risk of becoming the next Miss. Masoch. Unless. Unless I have the Mantle to protect me. And 8, 8 he knew this. So he slipped me his totem, a literal Ace. Can it protect me? Can they protect me? Will they? Well, that’s the fun of it, yeah? No way of knowing ‘til we try it out. Now my previous one-twenty-fourth of the Mantle wasn’t going to cut it, clearly, but now that I hold three-eights... well, maybe that can keep the Wicked out. For the time being, of course. It’s like a bandaid on a bone-deep cut. Eventually, I’ll need stitches before it festers, but we’ll work that out later.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now I am all for just unleashing my full powers and seeing if the Mantle of Eight can handle the encroaching blight, but I feel like I should take SOME precaution, yeah? Problem with the Mantle is it’s not something that’s too easy to test with. It’s all or nothing, and it’s not as tangible as I’d like. I think the best course of action would be to have Joy or Rach, or Jenny use their "intuition" to see if they can’t tap into "it" to get an answer. 8 didn’t just toss me his totem and call it a day. He did clue me in a bit to how it all works. And, I will say, having three-eights does lend a bit more insight than I’ve ever previously had.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Fair is foul, and foul is fair, after all.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: TRAVIS NORRIS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-153</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Howdy, y'all. Love the new CaDCom header, by the way. Mighty slick if 'n 'ya ask me. But y'all ain't tuning in for the pleasantries, y'all want to know about our little Demon out in here in Dover. Speakin' of, however, there is one minor pleasantry I reckon I must rectify before gettin' too far into this here report. Zach said he'd put in the full email we got on the site, but then due to the unexpected and unexplained, he had to rush off before he had time to add it in. Now, I will say, it ain't much, but I reckon it's got some hidden morsels of comfort food in it still. The full email was:</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Mon, Sep 20, 5:19 AM</p><br />
<br />
<p>Subject: Dover Demon (Mr. Bartlett?)</p><br />
<br />
<p>General Location: Dover, Massachusetts</p><br />
<br />
<p>Description: Weird little rosy-orangy alien looking thing. I don't think it's dangerous but it's worth keeping an eye on I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Now ain't that, as Zach would put it, "strange." I say this because this patron/friend/customer/what-have-you saw our Dover Demon. Saw him good enough to write to us. Yet they don't seem, well, I reckon I'd say perturbed by the presence of this "weird little" fella. Ah, right, speakin' of weird little fellas, Nick is on this order. You see, he reckons this Dover Demon fella must be some sort of extraterrestrial being. Which, I shouldn't have to point out, makes not a lick of sense. He plum trekked through the ENTIRE Otherside AND Topside AND sakes alive LIMBO. Shoot, he probably knows how this whole cosmic mess we live in works better than any of us here. And you know what? I asked him if he saw any signs that there is non-human, non-demon, non-angelic, non-elder life while you were up there. He said no, of course, but that the lack of proof all but confirms their existence. 'Ya know, for him being our most intelligent employee... boy, I wonder about him sometimes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, back on the topic subject, we ain't had NOTHING yet. Just more funny light patterns in the sky. We've been runnin' around like chickens with their heads cut off tryin' to get to the lights before they vanish, but me and Zach just ain't quick enough. Nick has been "triangulatin'" and doing "deep sonar sweeps." Not sure how the sonar will help, but the triangulation might help us pin down this, "Mr. Bartlett." Which 'an reminds me. We are pretty settled on "Mr." Ain't been any strange deaths around here. Seems like he's gonna be a harmless fella. An odd fella. But harmless.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Keep y'all updated</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-154</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Thrice the coffee has been brewed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Thrice and once the sign has flipped.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Debtor cries, “Tis time, ‘tis time.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Round the filter, pour it slow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Figure eights from gooseneck go.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Wet the paper, add the grounds.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Let it bloom and seep its browns.</p><br />
<br />
<p>From the gooseneck, trickle eights.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Open now these hellish gates.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octal, octal, in darkest hours;</p><br />
<br />
<p>Coffee brew with hidden powers.</p><br />
<br />
<p>By the whispers of ill-fated sons,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Something Wicked this way comes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p>Poor Devil, it strikes me as a very pretty tragedy,</p><br />
<br />
<p>To pay such a toll for the crime of mere apathy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though one way or another, all debt must come due,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Plus, of course, the immortal interest it will accrue.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So take, if you must, the man who is Other,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Turn the coins over, and you’ll see Another.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Here Fate</p><br />
<br />
<p>To Itself doth wait,</p><br />
<br />
<p>At the furthest ring of Heaven;</p><br />
<br />
<p>At the Cold and bitter ends</p><br />
<br />
<p>We will meet as friends,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And all that will remain is the question:</p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p>If a line in nature is not found;</p><br />
<br />
<p>And time resets and is rewound;</p><br />
<br />
<p>What good is punishment divine;</p><br />
<br />
<p>If our time is bottled Klein;</p><br />
<br />
<p>If our Fate is prior sealed;</p><br />
<br />
<p>Why keep Secrets so concealed;</p><br />
<br />
<p>If ice will burn in Wicked flame;</p><br />
<br />
<p>Is the winder not to blame?</p><br />
<br />
<p>~</p><br />
<br />
<p>And if the winder is to blame...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Would you dare to venture past your mortal coil,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And leave this Flipside plane?</p><br />
<br />
<p>If you could,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And if you would,</p><br />
<br />
<p>You might just find yourself lost,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Once more upon a dreary hidden lane.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-155</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I have just returned from Blackwood Manor, and rest assured, the portrait is safe from Miss. Cece’s claws. We have kept the portrait safe from the flames of Ojai, the blade of Brunt, the mandibles of Berry, the ooze of Merry, the frozen clutches of Six, the greedy sack of Schwarz, and of course, many others. Twelve, others, to be exact. To list them all might be a bit pedantic, no? The point I am trying to make is, what is one more boogieman to kill?</p><br />
<br />
<p>However, I caution against haste in this matter. Yes, the clear path in front of us is to defeat El Coco and put an end to Satan’s little contingency plan. Though, there could be another path we have yet to consider. What if we were to be the ones to release the sealed away, Prince? I know the idea sounds rather unappealing, and trust me, I was there the first time we put him away. I know what he is capable of. Though as it stands, our more prominent threat, the consortium of Elders known as the Cold, has three of the Keys to the Gates of Hell, Satan’s being one of them. They are one dead Leviathan or Beelzebub away from tipping the scales in their favor. However, upon releasing Satan from his prison, it could potentially have his Key returned to him. And if it does not happen immediately, well, knowing Satan, he would get it back one way or another.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan returning would also calm the Hauntaurskald, as much as that hellscape can be calmed, and it would put a quick end to the Sevenfold Sect and their brand of tyranny. But is one evil worth another? It is a troubling question to ponder indeed. You must be thinking, well, can we not just kill El Coco and come to a consensus on Satan’s parole later? Unfortunately, no. While he does not need all 13 regents to return to this plane, he needs at least one. Of course, we only found out about this “fire and brimstone plan” after cutting our way through about half of his regents. If we kill Coco, Satan is trapped for at least a few thousand years until a new batch of boogiemen can try again, and I have a feeling Cain wouldn’t allow that anyway if we are not all dead from the Cold. If we turn the portrait over to El Coco Satan is unleashed, and there is no telling what he might do in retaliation against us, the Otherside, the Flipside, whatever catches his unending wrath, I suppose. We could also do nothing, but El Coco would probably pick us off one by one and eventually unleash Satan on her own terms. Inaction is worse than action, more often than not. We must position ourselves one way or the other if we wish to sit at the table.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>This is not my choice to make, nor do I suspect it is any one of ours alone. No. 1 has authorized a poll of sorts for both patrons and employees.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>If you are in support of putting an end to El Coco and keeping Satan imprisoned for the foreseeable future and as a consequence, The Cold keeping hold of Satan’s Key: put an X in the comments either on your CaDCom or on the Archive Site.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>If you are in support of allowing Satan to return, potentially taking a Key away from The Cold and putting an end to Sevenfold’s control of the Hauntaurskald and as a consequence having to deal with any potential latent wrath of Satan: put an O in the comments either on your CaDCom or on the Archive Site.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>X for ending Cece and keeping Satan trapped</p><br />
<br />
<p>O for letting Satan escape and keeping the Keys out of The Cold's hands</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NICK LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-156</strong></p><br />
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<p>The choice has been made. Thank you to everyone who voted, employees, patrons, friends, and others. It was close and ultimately came down to one vote, which was in favor of releasing Satan from his prison. It is impossible to say what consequences this action will hold, but at least we have a chance to disrupt the Cold's plans.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Tomorrow marks the 24th anniversary of Satan's imprisonment, so it is only fitting that tomorrow will be the day we let him out. However, to break the seal that currently keeps Satan trapped, we need the blood of one of his regents and a drop of blood from those who sealed him away. There are two immediate problems and three smaller problems with that. The original owner and Nicole are no longer with us. Which… complicates things. The good news is my blood should work more or less the same as Nicole's, but… the original owner's blood would be a bit harder to imitate. Mind you, "blood" in this sense is a little more esoteric than scientific. We also need the blood of Sahir Bali, Aelan Analu, and Salenna Whitaker. The good news with those three is they are at least still Flipside. Julius knows where Aelan is and is already working on getting her sample. I know where Salenna ended up, so I'll see if I can get her on board though it might be a tough sell. And Sahir… is harder to track down. Though, my parents, Ned and Nancy, will see if they can't find him through his extensive network of contacts.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That only leaves 8. We're going to have to think outside of the box on that one. Well… I have one favor I might be able to call in. Not sure if it'll work out, but if there's one person who could get a sample of 8's blood, it'd probably be him. Plus, I've always heard that you don't want to owe a Langley a favor. Now I guess I get to put that to the test. Assuming we can get everything needed, we'll do the ritual tomorrow, probably at midnight if I had to guess. We'll also have to go back to where the original Cafe was. Which is now a fast-food joint. No, not like a cult or something, like an actual fast food joint. I think it's an In-and-Out now. So, well, hopefully, summoning the dark prince of wrath doesn't mess up their restaurant too much.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-157</strong></p><br />
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<p>Happy Halloween, the Dark Prince has returned.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I didn’t vote for him personally, but, hey, I get it. So the thing about Satan is, he’s kind of the worst Prince of Hell. Like, tourists know him as being the worst of the worst. Not everyone knows Belphegor, but everyone knows Satan. And yeah, I know, “Prince of Hell” doesn’t sound very pleasant, to begin with, but Satan is one of three more “classically evil” Princes along with Mammon and Asmodeus. And Mammon is currently encased in gold, and Asmodeus is dead, so I was kind of looking forward to some peace and quiet. Mammon tried to control the Cafe and Diner for the better part of 30ish years, but Satan tried to outright kill us and bring forth the apocalypse. Oh well. Gotta pay these debts somehow. Trying to stay positive, though, the ritual did minimal damage to the tourist’s restaurant. Will the morning staff be concerned about the fire damage and occult sigils everywhere? Yes. Will they think it was a teen’s Halloween prank? Oh, I’ll ensure that they do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, the transcript of our dark deed is as follows. I think it’s clear we have not seen even close to the last of Satan yet.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>El Coco: My, my, isn’t it a bit late to still be up?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: You’re right Coco, we’ll just be off to bed then.</p><br />
<br />
<p>El Coco: Oh come now, Jennifer, I jest. I’m glad we were able to resolve this without any unpleasantries.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Your twelve dead friends don’t count as unpleasantries?</p><br />
<br />
<p>El Coco: Ha. Boogiemen are not friends. Their undoing was the fault of their own weakness. The Dark Lord will be most pleased they are no longer among his ranks.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Yes, yes... boogiemen are “so” frightening, “so” bloodthirsty. Can we please just proceed with this?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miss: Cece: Yes, let’s.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jenni, Nick, Felix, and Alex performed the ritual of unsealing along with El Coco returning Satan to the Flipside.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: By fire and brimstone, I return. And by the very hand of those who sealed me away? How fitting. Where is the Bastard of Baltimore?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Dead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: So, then who is your leader?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Technically, that’s me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Ah. Young Jennifer. Well, older now. How long was I ensnared?</p><br />
<br />
<p>El Coco: Twenty-four years, my Lord.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Human years, yes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miss: Cece: Yes, human years. 353 years in your domain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Impressive. I would have thought my regents were stronger than that. I won’t make that mistake again. And what of my domain?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miss Cece: Usurped by Cain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Cain? Of course, that backstabbing half-brother- I would kill him if I could.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Satan, do you still hold your Key?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Why?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Asmodeus and Lucifer are dead. Their Keys are in the hands of Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Ah… so that is why you released me? Little Lucy’s plans backfired again? Unsurprising. Yes. I can hold my Key again, though I do not currently hold it. Lucky you, I plan to get it back. Then I plan to get my domain back. Then I plan to raise a new army--a new congregation. Then, I intend to finish what we started.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Satan and El Coco have left the CaDCom transcription range.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Alex: Well… he didn’t kill us outright… that’s sort of a win, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: A delayed demise is still a demise, Alex.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: So, we’ll have to deal with him again. Fine. Better him than Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Something he said, though, it got me thinking. He doesn’t have his Key yet, but he plans to get it back. How?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah… an interesting question Nick.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: You know, don’t you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Silence. Gotcha. Can you at least confirm or deny that it could work to get back the other two Keys?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Hard to say… Worth keeping a pin in it, though, eh?</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-158"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-158</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NICK LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-158</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I have been tracking the Dover Lights for quite some time now. I can confirm that they were last seen in Alaska by the Long Island team, and I can confidently say they are moving eastward again. I know no one really believes that this could be Aliens. And I must say I've had my doubts too. Though, we are running out of explanations, both scientific and magical. Magic, of course, is just advanced universal principles put into practice. The lights seem to defy all known laws and logic, magic included. So, I once again ask you, could this not be an extraterrestrial entity?</p><br />
<br />
<p>If not aliens… it must be something "Otherworldly." Not necessarily from the Otherworld itself but along those same principles of creation. Some form of abiogenesis, if you will. And, yes, there is a slim chance that this is the work of an Elder. Elders, while typically still bound to the same universal principles that bind our understanding of magic, can seem like they bend these principles by applying knowledge beyond the grasp of mortals. Put simply, the longer you're alive, the more time you have to figure out how things work and how to break them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The two major areas of concern with the Dover Lights are the lack of a corporeal form and its reality-altering powers. I know it might come as a surprise to most, but a corporeal form is actually pretty critical to existing in our universe. Even "ghosts" from Achegloom have a corporeal form, though it exists and operates outside of our senses. Why is a corporeal form so essential? Well, without one, your "soul" is unbound. And, yes, souls do exist unbound at the time of one's death for a few fractions of a second. They then either rebound to a new form in the Otherside or Flipside or leave the universe à la "passing on." There are some fringe exceptions, though they are extreme outliers. The point is, no form = no known entity. (Aliens?) The second issue is the Dover Light's power to seemingly alter reality, changing the form of other entities. How exactly this works, I don't know. It… shouldn't be possible. What it's doing is essentially changing an entity's corporeal form on the fly. And I just spent a few minutes explaining why corporeal forms are so important, so it goes without saying that something shouldn't be able to change that easily. Corporeal shifting could easily lead to temporal and spatial abnormalities that could lead to universal collapse. Worst case, of course.</p><br />
<br />
<p>While I can do a great deal of analyzing on my own, I lack the esoteric and/or mystical depth a problem like this poses. Normally I'd ask my sister for help, but she's dead and busy. So, any magically-inclined takers?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-159"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-159</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIA WANDSUN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-159</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, I finally caught up with my parents, and I guess it was… underwhelming? Nothing worth this whole string of receipts anyway. But, still, I’m glad Daichi can sort of relate to having weird parents. Though, I think his mom is a bit weirder than mine, to be fair. For the most part, it just seemed like they wanted to catch up with me and make sure I was doing alright. I guess they also got word of what we did on Halloween and wanted to make sure I was safe and all that. While we might be pretty distant, it’s sweet that they still care, you know? The transcript is attached, but it’s nothing major. This’ll probably wrap this receipt up too.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Hi, mom. Hi, dad. Um, it’s good to see you. How have things been?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Wandsun: What’s wrong dear, you look nervous.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Just, you know, worried something is wrong. You and dad don’t usually… uh keep in touch.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: Be not afraid, Julia. You’re not in trouble.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Wandsun: And you’re the one who doesn’t call.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: I try to, but I never can seem to get a hold of you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Wandsun: Oh, well, I am sorry about that. We have been rather busy. And it seems like you have been busy too. Your father and I heard you helped free a very special someone from the Antechamber at the End.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: So, you’re officially part of the Cafe and Diner, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: I have been for a few years now. I joined after Miss. Masoch tried to-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: Who?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Oh- Uhm, Le Leyon. After he tried to… well, I don’t know what he was trying to do. Kill me, I guess?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Wandsun: So how do you like it there?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: With the Cafe? It’s been great. They’re all very nice, and I feel like we’re really making a difference, you know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: Yes… difference. Things are certainly changing. Did you hear about what the Cafe did on the 31st?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Uhm… with Satan?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Yeah… I heard bits and pieces, but I wasn’t actually there. Why?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Wandsun: It’s just a very dangerous thing to let someone like that out. We wanted to make sure you were safe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: Now why did the Cafe do that exactly. Do you know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Uh. Kind of. There were thirteen regents, and the Cafe had killed twelve of them, mostly inadvertently, and then I think Felix realized that if we killed the last one Satan would be trapped for a much longer time. Which I guess would’ve been bad because his Key, or whatever, was in the hands of the Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Wandsun: Inadvertently? Interesting… Did the Cafe consult with anyone before taking this action?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Mm… I mean, we took a vote?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: Who all voted?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Some of the Cafe and Diner staff, some patrons, and I think a few friends- er uh, other organizations.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mr. Wandsun: I see. So you put it to a vote to release Satan to get his Key back to him? Is that right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia: Yeah, I think so. Why?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Wandsun: We’re just worried about you. But it seems like you’re taking care of yourself.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-160"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-160</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: TRAVIS NORRIS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-160</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Now ain’t that mighty strange. “Be not afraid.” Huh. Mighty funny choice of words, if’n ya’ asking me. Well, it got me thinking. Ya’ see me and Julia have gotten pretty close over the past few years. And of course, we talk about our parents from time to time. Mine hate me, and hers are distant, lots of room for bonding, I reckon. So we’ve talked about her parents quite a bit, and there’s been a lot of strangeness about them, their relationship to Julia, their relationship to Otherside-affairs, and having seen their transcript from last week, well it got me really thinking.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now, I am what you might call an Elder-Authority of sorts for those who might not already know. Before slingin’ coffee, I was slingin’ secrets for the Astorians in Division November. We did a lot of research into Elders, what have you, so I’ve gotten pretty good at sniffin’ them out. See, a strange little quirk of Elders is that they tend to be detached from humanity in lots of small little ways. Like, for example, a demon who is pretending to be a human will go through the process of creating a suitable identity. If ya’ go snoopin’ you’ll find something, ya’ know documents or what-have-you. Enough to keep Astoria off your trial. Elders, though, they don’t think about those kinds of things. So, when searching for the “Wandsuns” in Washington, well, color me unsurprised that there ain’t a single record of them. Julia? Sure. She’s in the system. But where the heck are her parents?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well… I reckon they might just be Nephilistic Elders, or uh, ya’ know Celestial-types. Angels. Now I could be wrong. Without a blood-sample, I wouldn’t know that for sure. And, maybe Mr. Wandsun just used a serendipitous turn of phrase. Though… say they are Angels. Funny timing and all, them wanting a chat with Julia, considering Theo just showed up too. Now… does Theo know something we don’t? Again, I ain’t saying anything one way or another. Just that the Wandsuns on paper sure doesn’t seem to exist.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-161"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-161</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: THE ANGEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-161</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Be not afraid.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Not that you had much to fear from me anyhow. I came here under… Well, false pretenses make it seem like I was trying to deceive you. I wasn’t. Though I also wasn’t sent to investigate your involvement in the release of Satan. No, that job was given to Adathan and Ariel. I suppose you would know them as the Wandsuns. I came here to warn you that there is tremendous discontent in the Courts, and the cause would seem to be your unique brand of coffee. Of course, the first strike against the Cafe and Diner can be attributed to Jericho’s foolish, though warranted in some eyes, destruction of the Akashic Records and First Bible. Then, of course, when it came to light how the Pocket Watch was used last time around, some of the Court took significant issue with that. Now, you are releasing Satan and keeping unspeakable entities in your basements.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hm. Well. I suppose the Courts only really know about the Satan thing. You are lucky they didn’t actually send me. It seems as if your best-kept secret is just common knowledge around the Palm Beach location. Jericho, what are you doing? I know you like to play with fire and hope you don’t get burned, but you are now toeing the line between striking another match and throwing an entire gas can on it. You are dangerously close to becoming the next Indrid Cold. Is that what you want? To serve the Wicked? I can not, and will not, help you in this situation you’ve found yourself in. I wouldn’t even know where to start. You can’t destroy it, and if you could, it would cause bedlam in the Courts. You can’t dispose of it in the Black Tide. Too risky, and if it is found, there would be bedlam in the Courts. You ABSOLUTELY cannot drink from it. There would not only be bedlam in the Courts, but you would be at the mercy of the Otherman. I doubt you want that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That… utter mess aside. Jackie and Julia, you are not in the clear either. It is not my place to say, but Julia’s ties that bind are all but destined to have her open the Gates to Hell. I realize you might not feel like you would, but this is Fate you are up against now, after all. And Fate is hard as hell to defy. Especially now that Satan is back in the picture. Not to mention doors are opening in more places than one. Debts are coming due, and your entire organization is riddled with Debts to Fate, Secret, Phantom, Wicked, and God. How you expect this to work out, I do not know. My best advice would be to stop rocking the damn boat before the Devil drags you, and everyone else, under.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Be well. Stay in the light.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-Theo</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-162</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: VICTORIA WARD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-162</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>"Don't worry, demons can't die. He'll slowly re-form himself over a few months, passing through all the stages of demon growth. Larvae, slug monster, spooky little girl, teenaged boy, giant ball of tongues, social media CEO, and then finally demon."</p><br />
<br />
<p>So. Uh. Yeah. That was the Dover Demon. Not really sure what else to say about him. As you'll see from the transcript, he's a bit… odd. But, the good news is Edgar managed to trap him in the Phantom Lane for the time being. I guess I don't know what our exit strategy here is. Just… leave him in there? Forever? That doesn't seem practical. Then again, I don't know how the Phantom Lane "works." For the time being, though, I suppose this tab is paid for but not yet in full. We're probably in trouble if the Dover Demon escapes the Phantom Lane. I can't imagine he liked getting shoved into a pocket dimension. I know I wouldn't.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Hi.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Ah! What the hell? Where'd you come from?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Today's the day you're supposed to catch me, right? That's what DDM12 said.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: DDM12…? Wait, you read our receipts?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: You put them online. What else am I supposed to do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: He has a point, boss.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Was DDM12 Cafe or Diner?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: Uh… good question…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Diner. That's beside the point, though. I'm all caught up from D to DD. Though your team is killing me with how slow you're getting these out. I've been waiting to read the rest of Update 10 since September! I mean, sure spoiler alert, Julia goes missing. But why was Le Leyon after her? Rhetorical. I already know. But where is Julia? Aren't you two usually together? Are you dating yet? It sure seems that way-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Enough! Okay. You are… "knowledgeable," to an extent.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Eh, "extent" is selling it a bit short. I already know what happens in all of the Archives. I just like to read them for all of your fun little perspectives. Though, I will say brevity is not a barista's best friend, is it? Sometimes you guys just go on and on, "oh the weather is cold today, I saw a bird, no not that Bird, just a bird, my toe is itchy, anyway I think I saw a glimpse of a cryptid, not sure though, I'll make 10 more receipts about it just in case."</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: Rude. But fair. So wait, you already know we're trying to capture you, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Yeah. It was pretty clear. So wait, where's the Phantom Lane?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: He couldn't make it. Had to go back to his own cycle. So… you already know our plans… would you come back with us willingly?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Ahaha, and they all say you're the second least humorous 8. No. No, of course not. Why would I go with you? Ah, and I know that look in your eye. You're thinking, "great now we have to use force." Let me give you a little extra spoiler; if you try and touch me, I'll scramble you so bad you won't know Flipside from the Otherside.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: …So—what? You just came to mock us?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Yes. It's fun. But, hey, you're what… my 9th and 17th favorite CaD employees. So while I won't go with you, I'll let you ask me three questions.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: How generous.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: Am I 9th or 17th?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Not now, Vic. Okay. First question, what's the deal with the lights? They don't have a corporeal body, but you do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Pretty, aren't they? Yeah, the lights aren't "me." Just the universe being torn apart and reassembled. You just never noticed me because I'm little. I'm a small little guy. You see a bunch of flashy lights up above, and you aren't looking for the two-foot-tall Demon controlling them. That's your fault. Mmm… and I was hiding my blood from you. So. Haha.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Okay... You also mentioned you'd "scramble" me. You have some kind of reality-shifting powers… How does that work?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Bad question. Even if I explained to you how my powers work, you wouldn't understand. Your little mortal brain couldn't handle it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: So you're an Elder, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Sorry, you're right. Our little mortal brains. I'm mortal, just like you dummies. What I meant to say was your little human brains couldn't handle it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Fine. What do you want then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Hey! I said three questions, No. 3. Weren't you keeping track?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: Crap, sorry, boss.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: No. It's fine. I don't know if I trust anything this twerp says anyway.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Hey! Don't call me a twerp. You wouldn't call other high demons twerps.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Oh, so you're a "high demon." Okay, buddy. What's your blood lineage, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Pump the brakes, Captain Eugenics. Blood lineage?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: That… is how high demons work, though.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Still rude to ask. Besides, I don't have to answer any more questions. Plus, it'd probably just confuse you further anyway.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Yeah. You're probably right uh… what is your name?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Dover's fine. You can't pronounce my other name.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Great, well, thank you, Dover. And you're right; we are just some dumb humans. So I guess we'll just be on our separate ways now?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Until next time!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: NOW PHANTOM!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Wha-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Edgar: DAREYOUVENTUREPASTYOURMORTALCOILANDLEAVETHISEARTHLYPLANE? YOUMIGHTJUSTFINDYOURSELFLOSTUPONTHEPHANTOMLANE-</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Edgar Lane and Dover Demon have left the CaDCom Transcription Range]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: Well… surprised that worked.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Yeah, me too. At least Ed can spit out that rhyme pretty fast.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: So... he's kind of scary, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Oh yeah. He knows more than he should, and he has reality-altering powers.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Victoria: Love that for us. I can now see why Phantom wanted him out of the picture.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Yeah, let's just hope he stays out of it.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NANCY LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-163</strong></p><br />
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<p>My goodness. It occurred to me the other day that we talk a lot about the Cold, but I don’t believe we’ve given a formal introduction to all four of them yet. There have been many receipts and run-ins with the Wicked, of course, and just last month, we had a surprise visit from the Phantom. And it goes without saying we have often crossed paths with Fate itself as well. But we often overlook Secret, the silent member of the group. So I thought it might be good to divulge a bit of the Secret’s mystique to help illuminate the threat we are up against.</p><br />
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<p>Secret, the pale horse of the group, likes to keep to their name. A secret. Though we have actually had numerous encounters with the corporeal form of Secret, he is probably better known as Shaka of Zulu. Perhaps it comes as a surprise, perhaps not, but Shaka is not entirely human. Though he is also not wholly inhuman either. He is undoubtedly a man of mystery and secrets, the most damning of which is held under lock and key under the “Code of Zilence.” A blood oath of sorts was made between the Zulu cultists and Shaka. If you ask me, it is a rather gruesome affair where the devotees have their lips literally sewn shut for months at a time. A fun way to figure out how long a person has been in the Zulu cult is based on whether or not they can talk, as it is hard to tell otherwise with their masks on. Of course, as our own Felix can attest to, the thread eventually comes undone once Shaka is satisfied his secrets are safe behind your lips. I’ve heard the price for sharing a sacred “zecret” of the Zulus is a fate worse than death, and I am inclined to believe it.</p><br />
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<p>So how are we to know anything about the enigmatic Secret if the only people who do know anything are sworn to utter silence? Well, it’s a problem, alright. Not one that is easily solved. Not yet anyway. Of course, Felix knows quite a bit about Secret and their plans and involvement with the Cold. But he can’t say a word about it. He can’t even hint at the truth. However, I have a feeling that whatever it is that Secret is planning, it might not be so bad. Comparatively, of course. He is still one of the four signs of the Apocalypse. But as Phantom said, the Cold isn’t necessarily chasing the same goals. While the Wicked tries to set the world on fire and Fate plans to see it so… strange as he may be, Shaka has been on our side more often than not.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-164</strong></p><br />
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<p>I saw Nancy’s report yesterday and something, like, sorta caught my eye with it, you know? She said: “There have been many receipts and run-ins with the Wicked, of course…” and, like yeah, it’s true but having seen what’s currently on the Archives, there’s actually not that much about Wicked on there. Or at least nothing as in-depth as what Nancy put out for Secret. So I figured it would be nice for Palm Beach to write up a little description of the Wicked and its mortal counterparts. And seeing as this’ll be in the AND channel, too, I think I’ll just use the mostly-real names of the Wicked’s counterparts. So, like what exactly IS the Wicked’s deal?</p><br />
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<p>Well, Nancy called Secret the pale horse, so I guess that’d make Wicked the red horse… though yellow would probably be more fitting. The Wicked also has gone by a few names, which is unusual for the Cold, but it has also been called the Yellow Flame, the Eternal, the Blight, the Unspoken, King in Yellow Flames, the Matchstick, the Wicked One, and now we just sort of go with Wicked. Now, as for why Wicked has so many more names than the other three is because of its former cult. While Fate, Phantom, and Secret tend to work more in the shadows, Wicked likes to take more direct action. Wicked likes to set fires. Um, case in point, Wicked tried to enter the corporeal plane directly. The end goal of the Wicked’s now-defunct cult was to “empty a vessel” for its Flame to burn through. So who was going to be that empty vessel? Well.. it was supposed to be “Joy Livingstone.” Born and raised in the cult to fulfill that twisted fate. But on the eve the ritual was supposed to take place, an agent of the IRIS Company came in and stopped it… although a few minutes too late. Every member of the cult who was present had already self-immolated. But Joy was saved. And one other member of the cult survived, as he was chosen to rekindle the Flame once the ritual had concluded. So now there was the vessel, the last member of the cult, and the IRIS agent trapped in a smoldering temple. But, Wicked gave them a choice, accept the Flame and the flames will yield… or perish in the flames. The three took the Wicked’s offer creating a three-way split for the Wicked’s envoy: Joy Livingstone, Julius Mendoza, and Jericho Myerscough.</p><br />
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<p>And that’s just my personal connection to the Wicked. Not even getting into the Wicked’s interactions with the former 8 and how they burned down the original Cafe. And the time the Wicked tried to snuff out Julia using another proxy of theirs, Le Leyon. Which, I guess I should probably touch on that real quick. Wicked has been less than amused with the Tricads performance as its corporeal forms. I spend hours meditating against the Wicked whispers, Julius has never once used the Wicked’s powers effectively keeping it out, and Jericho used to drink to keep it at bay but now uses the Mantle for protection. So Wicked has attempted to create other corporeal vessels because, at the end of the day, a fire will spread until it is extinguished.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-165</strong></p><br />
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<p>Joy did a good job covering the main points of the Wicked. Not much more I could add that would matter, other than I’ve read the Wicked’s literature, and I thought it was pretty trite, choice? Speaking of the Wicked’s literature… the Blight. No. 6 only briefly mentioned the Wicked’s greatest strength, the Blight, so I figured I could fill in the gaps a bit, yeah? If there was a proper counter to the Mantle of Eight, it’d be the damn Blight. Heaven and Hell, even 8 was nearly consumed by it more than once. It’s ruthless, restless, and remorseless.</p><br />
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<p>I suppose it’s worth mentioning that I myself am inflicted by the Blight, you know, in case it wasn’t obvious. Julius and Joy are still clear as far as I know. Probably a benefit of them growing up around the Wicked’s ideologies is that they knew well enough to steer clear of them. To become Blighted, well, it’s actually quite easy. You just have to read the Wicked’s words. For the sake of everyone reading this, I won’t name the work in question, nor where you can find it, nor what is contained within it. I will say that there is a reason the Wicked is called the Yellow Flame. Point is, once you’ve read it, any of it, you’ve marked yourself for madness in the best case—death in the worst.</p><br />
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<p>However, the more you can stomach the bloody thing, the more power you are granted. What power specifically? Rule-breaking power. Rules that break the fundamental laws of the universe. 8 got far enough to let him peer into the Ouroboros, giving him glimpses of the Otherside while in the Flipside. I only got far enough to prevent myself from slipping further into madness. Le Leyon evidently got far enough to start bending reality with his “funk.” And that brings me to my main concern, choice?</p><br />
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<p>Dover.</p><br />
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<p>Well. Dover, and another issue that the Palm Beach location has been looking into. Another twit who got a little too cocky and read a little more than they should have. Can’t say more here… especially with the Indigo brats breathing down our necks more than ever now. No offense to the kids, of course. But you lot are brats. Anyway, the only way I can see our issue resolving itself is if we get Dover’s help. But Dover’s not here at the moment. Not sure if the bloke is still trapped in the Phantom Lane or if he convinced Ed to let him screw with his cycle. But, we have Victoria looking into it, and hopefully, Dan can check the House for us.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-166</strong></p><br />
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<p>Dover.</p><br />
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<p>Jericho already mentioned that he is quite possibly our only hope at resolving our current… “issue.” Though Jericho has also been reluctant to reveal what exactly we are dealing with. He claims it is out of fear of the Indigos finding out. While that could be the case, I think something else is weighing on his mind. Obviously, I had my suspicions that something had piqued his interests back in October. Now we’ve had our… “guest” under our Cafe for over a month, and I worry Jericho is tempted to utilize its unique properties.</p><br />
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<p>I’ve already decided this report will be “Diner Diner.” As such, it should remain hidden until we decide as a group to reveal this, but we are currently in possession of the Fountain of Youth. A living, though inanimate object, the Fountain has the terrifying power of bestowing immortality to those who drink from it. In essence, it can create Elders. Of course, such processes are highly corruptive, and those who drink from the Fountain are forever changed. If I had to guess, the Fountain contains a liquid similar to what the Immortal Ape, Zehurozzm, drank. If how he turned out is anything to go by, no one should be drinking from this Fountain. Especially not the current majority holder of the power of Eight.</p><br />
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<p>However, you all know how Jericho is. One whiff of forbidden or esoteric magic, and he wants to dive in headfirst. Also, while the Fountain is “inanimate,” it is still quite the beast to contain. When left alone, it comes to life, in a sense. In its animated form, it is nigh-unstoppable and extremely deadly. Again, I can only speculate, but I assume blood or souls in some capacity fuel the Fountain, explaining its extreme unquenchable bloodlust. So we need to remove the Fountain before either Jericho’s temptations grow too strong, or we slip up, and it gets out. None of us are quite sure how it was imprisoned under the bowling alley before, and it is too risky to assume it would be fine if we returned it. Not to mention, Robert the Doll knows precisely where it was and would be certain to try and dig it back up again.</p><br />
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<p>So, we need to do what the Cafe and Diner does best. Return the Fountain to its home. The problem is the Fountain originates from the eighth plane of the Otherside, which we do not have access to. However, Joy has theorized that Victoria could channel Dover’s dimensional-shifting powers to give us enough access to the Eighth Plane to return the Fountain. So our priority right now is to find Dover, though that is easier said than done. The Phantom Lane is like a hallway with endless doors, each door leading to another cycle. The best-case scenario is that he is either still in the Phantom Lane itself or ended up in the “Dive” cycle with Edgar Lane. Hopefully, we can find him, and he is willing to help. I am sure he is still checking the Archives wherever he ended up.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-167</strong></p><br />
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<p>I come to send my deepest apologies that Dingane will be tied up today and tomorrow and cannot properly accomplish their duties for the Cafe and Diner. It is unfortunate, but our hands are tied in this matter. You might think this is the wrong place, but I assure you it is the correct place in many ways. Everything and everyone is almost precisely where they need to be. It has been a terribly slow process ensuring everything was as it should be, but is that not the magic of our work? We take the shattered pieces and fit them back together one by one until the vase is the exact same as it once was. And while some pieces might be unfamiliar, I assure you the vase is one and the same. For even if a piece or two is borrowed from a broken mess elsewhere, we have gone to great lengths to match each and every atom.</p><br />
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<p>Is it tiring work? Naturally. Though we are getting closer, each step forward cuts the journey in half. I suppose that is the problem then. Even when we are this close to our destination, we remain an infinite number of steps away. Some days I must admit, I feel like running to the end. What good would that do, though? It would most likely just end up having things be rewound again. And again. And again. No. I am tired of this game, and I am tired of stalemates. All moves made must now be made with careful consideration.</p><br />
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<p>Speaking of moves, there is one last thing I figured I’d mention. While we don’t like to point fingers, I have been keeping track. There are four locations, not three. And the location you’ve chosen wasn’t chosen by chance, was it? A spot perfectly aligned to the eighth plane of the Otherside. Now I can imagine why you might have an interest in having a Cafe and Diner set up there, but again, we aren’t pointing fingers. While I would blame Fate, this has your work written all over it. By my count, there are three of you. Perhaps four? Maybe a fifth would suit your agenda nicely. I’ll leave staffing to your discretion. Though I find it flattering, I still have employee access.</p><br />
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<p>In any case, we will conclude our business with Dingane as soon as possible so they can get back to their coffee-related work. Oh, and Merry Christmas.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: VICTORIA WARD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-168</strong></p><br />
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<p>“I’m trying very hard not to connect with people right now.”</p><br />
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<p>I don’t know if I’ve ever really talked about my powers at length before. I’m not even sure if everyone knows about them. I mean, I know Jackie and Dan know about them. And back in the old Cafe, Miranda and Brent knew about them too. Other than that, I think most of you just have a vague understanding that I have some kind of power and nothing much more than that. Part of it is that Jackie thought it might be best to keep it more Cafe than Diner. The other part is I’ve never been all that comfortable with my powers. Both literally and in a more existential sense. I didn’t really know where they came from or how they worked, but then all of a sudden, a door is opened, and the Phantom of all entities is telling me more about myself than I’ve figured out in 24 years. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to know more.</p><br />
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<p>My powers are… well… I’m not sure how to describe them. I guess “Dimensional Energy Manipulation?” I can change, charge, redirect, and dampen certain dimensional energy frequencies. I’m sure the Long Island team remembers the Halloween from hell where Al Crow used me to bring the House back to the Flipside. That is probably the best example I have of what my powers can do. The House, as an entity, is composed of a very unique dimensional energy. As we’ve come to learn, it is most likely Phantom’s energy. Anyway, Crow used me as a lightning rod to bring the House back to the Flipside. And for the Non-Long Islanders, uh, I probably can’t give an exact example of what my powers can do. Obviously, the Managers know. Though Julia knows in detail from when we handled the “Espresso Affairs” under the Muldra Cafe. Nick is the one who set that all up. Julius, Jericho, and Joy are the ones who have been helping me channel my powers, and it’s why I’m down here in Florida as opposed to the Long Island Location with the rest of my old team.</p><br />
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<p>Speaking of the old team, though, tomorrow on Wednesday, Dan will call back the House, and Mikey will see if he can record any specific data about it. If the House is part of this “Phantom” frequency, it would be good to know what exactly that is. We might also see if my powers still work on the House or not. I… don’t really want to go through the whole ritual thing that Crow did to me again, so it might not work, but we’ll see! Oh, and also we have to check the House for Dover. I know Jericho wants his help, but I also kind of want to talk to him. His powers might be like mine.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-169</strong></p><br />
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<p>Well… unfortunately, we’ve come up pretty empty-handed as far as the search for Julia’s parents goes. We’ve figured out quite a bit about her adoptive parents, though they haven’t spoken to either of us since November. We even took a trip back to Evergreen and their house, Julia’s childhood home, just wasn’t there. It’s like it vanished into thin air.</p><br />
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<p>We even asked around the other two branches, and no one had any idea. Well, maybe Felix knows something, but he might not be able to say if he did. Still, I’ve gotten pretty good at telling what he does and doesn’t know by the wrinkles in his face. When he does know something, his lips purse, and his right eye slightly scrunches.</p><br />
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<p>And the TriCaD didn’t seem to know anything either. Which is kind of surprising because Rico is a bit of know-it-all. Plus, he’s spent the most time around Julia’s adoptive parents’ type. Well, him and Daichi. We even tried giving Katherine a few drops of Julia’s blood to see if she could, you know, see the answer. Unfortunately, it was another dead-end. Out of respect for Julia’s privacy, I won’t mention any of the specifics about it… but basically, as far back as things go, it’s always been the Wandsuns.</p><br />
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<p>Maybe we’re looking too much into it. Then again… It’s very unusual that Julia would be adopted by the Wandsuns. Not to mention her own extraordinariness. In any case, we’re out of options. At least I’m out of ways I can help. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop helping… I’m just out of resources and ideas. But this tab will stay open as long as Julia needs it to stay open. We care about her. I care about her.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIA WANDSUN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-170</strong></p><br />
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<p>It’s pointless. It feels like I’ve been chasing a dream. Every time I think I can reach it, it’s miles away. Now it’s time to wake up. Besides, even if I did find my biological parents, it wouldn’t change who I am. It doesn’t change who raised me. And while my relationship with the Wandsuns is… Strained… They are still my parents. I just hope they feel the same way about me. I don’t even know if my biological parents are still around, and maybe that’s why I was adopted. I feel like I’ve been looking for a connection, but I’m bound to find a gravestone. I don’t know. And if not a connection, maybe some answers. I mean, sure, something is different about me. We’ve all known that for a while now. And while I would like to know <em><strong>why</strong></em> I’m so different, maybe there isn’t a good answer? Or maybe it’s an answer I don’t want to know. I’ve been serving coffee long enough to know that you tend to get burned when it’s too hot. And, like I said, it wouldn’t change who I am. Nothing will.</p><br />
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<p>So, I guess this tab is closed. Sorry for wasting everyone’s time.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: THE SERPENT, DAICHI</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-171</strong></p><br />
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<p>Way to twist my tail on this one. Due to the more serious nature of this subject, I think I will try and slow down while typing for once, though no prpmises. I've been worried that this moment has been coming since November. I guess I could start there. I know your parents, the Wandsuns, and I know them well. I also knew your biological parents before they both kicked it.</p><br />
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<p>I think it's no secret I've spent quite the time hanging around Angels. Sure, some Angels are pretty callous, but there are some pleasant ones too. Adathan and Ariel are somewhere in-between. They aren't quite as human as Theo, but they aren't as inhuman as Abaddon. So whatever distance you're feeling, I'm sure it's them, not you. And they really can't help it. Immortality is a real drain on your humanity, and Angels were never human, to begin with. It takes a real dedicated effort to keep that spark going. Though they might be distant, they do still care about you, kid. They raised you, and they've done everything they could to keep you safe. From what? Or maybe I should say, from who? Well, I'm sure you've guessed by now… your biological parents.</p><br />
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<p>I'll leave whether or not you want to disclose their identities up to you, but I'll still say a bit about them here. I guess I'll start with your mother. Ah, your mother. I always liked your mother. She was full of life, passion, and light. You look a lot like her, actually. Same blonde hair, same bright blue eyes, same dazzling smile. She was always trying to keep everyone together, even if it was a Sisyphean task. Of course, she wasn't without her flaws. She had a nasty habit of letting her passions consume her. Should something happen to something or someone, she loved she would light the world ablaze to set things right. She did set the world ablaze once or twice. Of course, when you spend all your time playing with fire, you'll eventually get burned.</p><br />
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<p>Which is interesting because it wasn't her fire that killed her. It was your father's. Oh, your father. A visionary, a romantic, an idealist, a poet, a dreamer. You got his smirk, even if he didn’t know it. It's really no wonder why your mom fell for him time and time again. He matched your mother's passion perfectly, always facing down the universe with soft-spoken defiance. But where your mother's passions tended to consume her, your father's passions tended to consume those around him. Probably why your mother never told him about you and put you up with the Wandsuns. Getting close to him was practically signing your own death warrant. He would kick the hornet's nest just to see how they buzzed. And of course, when death stared him down, your mother ended up taking the bullet for him. Tragic really, and entirely unexpected. Obviously, it wasn't what your father wanted, but it did prove a dangerous point… that Fate can be overcome.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIA MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-172</strong></p><br />
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<p>So… Now I know. And, it’s not what I expected, but it feels right. When I look at my reflection, I can see them so clearly. While I don’t know the specifics, it also explains my powers or why I can have them. And… I guess I did get to meet both of my biological parents too. Well, I got to watch one of them die, at least. Which…</p><br />
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<p>I don’t know. I don’t know how to process this. Not yet.</p><br />
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<p>And my dad. He was here. I could’ve reached out and touched him. He was right here just a few months ago. If I had known sooner, I would have burned each moment I spent with him into my memory, heart, and soul… And now… Now he’s gone.</p><br />
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<p>Why?</p><br />
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<p>Why didn’t she tell him about me? Why didn’t she tell me about herself? She was right there. She knew who I was. Why didn’t she say anything? Why did she let herself die with this secret? WHY?</p><br />
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<p>Do you think… if he knew, he would’ve stayed? Or has too much time passed now, and whatever connection we might have had was lost years ago in an alternate cycle.</p><br />
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<p>Just... Why?</p><br />
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<p><br></p><br />
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<p>I miss you, both of you. Even if I didn’t get to spend much time with either of you. I would have if I could have. But… I’m sure I’ll see you both again someday or some cycle far away, dad and Lucy.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-173</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>My, my, my. What a truly unexpected turn of events. And I say that with sincerity. While I am often more aware of the bigger picture than most others, I had no idea about Julia. Of course, it’s just like Lucy to keep a secret so big. Though, I am surprised she kept it a secret from the original owner as well, eh? Looking at the timeline… well, how ‘bout that? Julia was born September 6th, 1994, and the original owner and Lucy had their big ‘ol fallout in December of ‘93. I don’t like to speculate about the affairs of my passed friends, but it all but seems obvious, no? Lucy found out she was pregnant and cut things off with the original owner. As for why… I am at a loss. We also know Lucy was making deals with the Olympians around then, so I can only assume she knew something we didn’t and still don’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Unfortunately, she took all her secrets with her to the grave, and we still lack any practical means of reviving her. Of course, having a direct descendant of hers opens up new possibilities. Though, we still need time to brew that coffee, eh? Do I know how to bring Lucifer back right now? Yes. Will I? No. I am unwilling to sacrifice one of our own to bring back Lucifer. Even the original owner would be against the notion of sacrificing his own daughter to bring back his amour. However, there is another matter for which I am quite… “curious.” It might be worth removing that pin now, eh? If you catch my drift.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though I must stress, I am in no rush. When Julia is ready for such talks, that is when we can remove that pin fully. While it is, for lack of a better word, amazing, that we have a direct descendant of Lucifer among our staff, she is still the daughter of my two best friends. Julia, I know I am no substitute for the original owner or Lucy, but know that I am here for you. I am unsure what comforts I can offer, but if you wish to learn more about your parents, surely there is no better person to ask. And while I am typically our most tight-lipped member, let me say this very clearly for all staff, both official and… “unofficial,” I will protect Julia with my life. I see the same writing on the wall that you do, but I will not humor that line of thinking. Need I remind everyone, Julia is a manager, and more than that, she is a CaD employee.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>I hope I made myself clear, eh, “boss?”</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-174</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-174</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Once again, my sincerest apologies, Cafe and Diner. I did not intend to steal two of your employees for my little Zulu family, but… are we not all one big family now? Are things not in motion that are greater than silly little titles? Zulu, CaD, Indigos, Sons, Daggers, TLC, what difference does it make if we are all working towards a similar goal? Ah. But is it not interesting how much we share with what we fear? The Cold has its own motives, and so do we. It seems to me that the Cafe and Diner wish to put an end to ALL of the consortium calling themselves the Cold. But it wouldn’t behoove me to work against Secret, would it? No. I think it is no secret that I am only interested in breaking the bonds of Fate. For once Fate is out of the equation, we can resume our work.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Unfortunately, this means once the debts are paid, and our common enemies are put to rest, well, I cannot guarantee these silly little titles won’t mean something after all. I know for a fact the Daggers will want to move on. The Sons? Well, I fear they might stay true to their name once given a chance. And it hurts me, it does, to tear apart a family like yours, but the Zulu Family has their own plans, and Alex and Amber are center stage. So, while I can hope that our goals can align in this moment and the next, I doubt they will. Then again, Secret did always have a soft spot for coffee, and perhaps you could grow a soft spot for secrets.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mm, speaking of coffee and, more importantly, what the Cafe has been brewing lately, Daiquiris? How refreshing. I love a good Daiquiri though I have never had the pleasure to try one myself. Very few have. It would be… well, what? 15 since they were on the menu? That’s a long time. I’ve only been around for 7 or so myself. I am sure you understand the risk you are taking in trying to serve them. Tender love and care can only push things so far in your favor, but I fear Daiquiris lie outside of even our control. Though I can understand why Jericho might want to put the Fountain out of my reach as soon as possible. And if I understand things correctly, you intend to use the Dover Demon to break the seal to the eighth plane. Risky business, Cafe and Diner… we are running out of seals to keep, well, sealed. Three down, three to go… not looking good. But I will save that for my other clandestine group project. Always busy, busy, busy. No rest for the Wicked… well, Secret, actually.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-175</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>You might have already seen, but I, DOVER DA DEMON, will be saving your butts royally. No need to thank me, though. I guess, consider us even for the messes I made. Though… I wouldn’t mind getting an actual number if you catch my drift. “NONCAD05” just isn’t very snazzy. Doesn’t make me feel like I’m a part of the team, you know? Eh, I’ll take it up with management later. I guess right now, we need to focus on what to serve the Fountain of Youth without pissing off everyone else in the world.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And you know what helps me think? A nice minty teeth cleaning and a cold glass of Orange Juice. Really get the brain pumping when your tastebuds want to escape your body. And, lucky yous guys, my sister has the best OJ this side of Ottawa. Mrs. Tudor! Or maybe she’s single. I don’t know. Miss. Tudor? I’m not scared of her, but I guess I grew up with her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>.tfird ym hctac uoy fi ,yaw eno naht erom ni ydoolb s’ehS Obviously. We’re related. And last I heard, she’s still hanging out in the lush orange fields of Ottawa, right in the big ‘ol city. Though with all the turmoil there lately, she might’ve moved. I don’t know. We don’t keep in touch. However, I think she might really know what the Fountain would like. So that’s where we’re going. Yes! WE! I don’t wanna go alone. That’s not very fun. That’s not very CaD-like. Dare I say it? I would get lonely!</p><br />
<br />
<p>So. I wanna take my 1st favorite CaD employee, Zach, with me. Other than Zach, I don’t care who tags along. Just give me a quick headcount, and I’ll get us a nice comfy first-class flight to the land of OJ set up. In the meantime, I’ve got some other ideas I wanna test out, so if you need me, I’ll be in Florida. Don’t worry. I won’t mess with the Fountain too much. Just the right amount.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-176"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-176</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-176</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, it would seem that the Fountain has started… speaking. I don't know if she is only talking to me, but I assume she's speaking to everyone. Mind you, when I say "speaking," I mean in a psychonautic one-way connection. To put it more simply, she is placing thoughts into my head. Probably everyone else's too. Actually… that might be why No. 422 left and wanted to keep No. 224 out of the Cafe for a while. I'm sure he would have been the first to pick up on these messages. Or not. He might have just wanted a vacation. We never can tell what he's thinking.</p><br />
<br />
<p>However, I believe it's important to document these thoughts the best I can. Both because they might help us deal with the Fountain but also because it is inherently interesting. the Fountain is our only Daiquiri drinker, and she might be our last, so I want to take this opportunity while I can. I, of course, invite the rest of Palm Beach to participate, but it's not mandatory.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Please keep in mind these aren't all of them, and they might not be 100% accurate to what the Fountain is trying to convey. Also, the times are just approximations. Peace, love, and joy! &lt;3</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>February 1st 2022</p><br />
<br />
<p>3:22 A.M. - “He had a wall full of masks so he could wear a different one every day.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>5:09 A.M. - “They filled the bunker with sweet fruit to tempt them inside.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>7:22 A.M. - “Say goodbye my love, say goodbye.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>9:09 A.M. - “You don’t work in a Cafe, you work in a morgue.”</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>February 2nd 2022</p><br />
<br />
<p>3:05 A.M. - “You can never have too many sips from a deep well.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>5:20 A.M. - “At that moment I was the most fearsome creature in the entire swamp.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>7:05 A.M. - “We’re one big happy family, aren’t we?”</p><br />
<br />
<p>9:18 A.M. - “I think I hear a baby crying.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>3:14 P.M. - “I will not open the door.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>5:05 P.M. - “The room had green wallpaper with yellow flowers all over it.”</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>February 3rd 2022</p><br />
<br />
<p>3:14 A.M. - “Alone. Alone. Alone.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>4:05 A.M. - “Even if you ran, he’d still be with you.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>4:14 A.M. - “I think they were dandelions.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>5:09 A.M. - “Maybe it’s safe?”</p><br />
<br />
<p>6:01 A.M. - “Of course it’s safe. No one who has taken a sip has ever died.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>6:13 A.M. - “No one has to die ever again.”</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>About once every hour after, since - “Just one sip.” (This has also been sorta vocalized? It’s hard to understand what her screeches and cries are, if anything)</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-177</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ZACH BLACK</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-177</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The Vile City is… as you would expect. The name certainly matches up. Luckily, we were in the more “affluent” part of the city known as the Báthory Block. The Demons who live here mainly consist of consorts and high-ranking or influential Blooded Demon-types. It’s still a reasonably gruesome place with an air of certain danger, but better than the Huntsman’s Quarters or the Brimstone Slums. At least, according to Ned and Dover anyway.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Thankfully, we were able to meet up with Mrs. Tudor, or as she is certainly better known in Baltimore, “Bloody Mary.” Mary runs some sort of parlor of debauchery in the Block, from what I could tell. A regular meeting place for various Eisheth Demons and socialite consorts. As it turns out, about a third of the Eisheth brood are relatively loyal to Satan. Another third owed their loyalty to Lucifer and the last third to Asmodeus. However, with Lucifer and Asmodeus dead, and Satan having recently returned, dozens of Eisheths have been flocking to the Hauntaurskald. Though, according to Dover, it’s not uncommon for Eisheths to follow power, especially that of the Princes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Here’s the transcript of our conversation with Mary. I can’t say it’s terribly helpful for our current predicament, and I can tell Dover was disappointed too. I think Dover expected Mary to have the solution on hand and she didn’t… because of Dover. So we’ll need to look elsewhere.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Ew. Who let you in?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: You wound me, sister! …And also your security is lacking. You know there’s still Sevenfold’s running around, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: In Báthory? I doubt it. Now, have you come to apologize or socialize?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: …Socialize?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: What do you want from me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Why do you always assume- Well, actually, yeah. We could really use your mirror. Just borrow it, really.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: What for?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: [CaDCom unable to transcribe]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: What?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Ugh… to put something back in Eden.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Eden!? Absolutely not. You can just dump these humans in Pandemonium. You know, “overkill” isn’t always the best type of kill, dear.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: No! I don’t need to get rid of these guys. There’s… an…Elder who needs to be put back into Eden.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Let me guess. You broke something. Again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: No! This time it isn’t even my fault! Listen. This Elder is powerful and dangerous. It belongs in Eden and your mirror-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Can’t do that since you broke it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: -Ah…damn. Damn. Damn. Damn! Okay. But we could fix it…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: We? Funny way of saying YOU. If you want to, by all means. If you can find it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Find it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Why would you expect me to keep a shattered mirror?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: You’re bloody freaking Mary! That’s your whole thing!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: You broke it!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: You will never let that go, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Out. Leave. Now. Except for the Elderling.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zach: Huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ned: She means Katherine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Katherine: Um… me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Yes. I want to have a word with you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ned: I’m not leaving her alone with you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody Mary: Fine. The witch can stay too. But remove the puny orange trash from my sight.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dover: Jeez… Come on, bestie, let’s get out of here. I think I know where the mirror ended up.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m not sure what Mary spoke about with Ned and Katherine. I don’t think Ned knows how to turn on the transcription feature and it probably slipped Katherine’s mind. I’m sure they’ll write up a new receipt for Mary if it’s something important. Until then, this tab is tabled as I don’t think Mary wants to see or hear from Dover again any time soon. At least Dover believes he knows where this “mirror” is, but we’ll have to wait three days to test out his theory.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-178</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Down, down in Salem town, let’s have a looksee,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Big Man Bart was choppin’ down a birch-tree.</p><br />
<br />
<p>One chop, two chops, chop, chop, three,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Down, down in Salem town, came that ‘ol birch-tree.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloodgoode, Bloodgoode, swooning by the sea.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Watching Bart choppin’ down that ‘ol birch-tree,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Swept off her feet and headed for matrimony,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloodgoode, Bloodgoode, then became Mrs. Langley.</p><br />
<br />
<p>First came Solomon slick and smart,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then came Antionette pure of heart.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Next was Abner eyes glued to the stars,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And then little Lazarus always behind bars.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then Parthenia was quiet and curious,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And her sister Ursula was oh so injurious.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Odd Theodosia left for her grand quest,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And Jethro couldn’t help but jape and jest.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Enoch and Eddard were both born twins,</p><br />
<br />
<p>One was holy, the other was full of sins.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Next, was Malachi who saw things he shouldn’t of,</p><br />
<br />
<p>And his sister Damaris never could find true love.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Last came baby Magdalena,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Graceful as a ballerina.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: BELPHEGOR OUROBOROS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-179</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>"Oh yeah, the Concord. I don't have time to get into the nitty-gritty of it all here…" And they say I'M lazy. Well, lucky for you, I have the time to get into it. I was even there when the papers were signed. So I can REALLY get into it. So, why not? Plus, Shaka wants us all to make a receipt so we'll be registered into the CaDCom system officially. Apparently, our branch name won't even show up until all five of us make a receipt. So I guess I can talk about the West Virginia Concord for a bit. If, you know, anyone finds that to be interesting.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dan said it was an agreement between the "Master of the House" and Eisheth, right? Well, I guess that's kind of true. That's not really what the Concord is. The Concord is an agreement between the Hamilton's and Eisheth. It basically reiterates our original agreements and requires the Indigo Government to stay out of it. The agreement between the Master of the House and Eisheth is a lot older than the Concord. I'd know, I signed it. It's my house, technically. Or it was my house. I don't know. I guess it could still be mine if I really put in the effort to take it back. But, it's a lot less work for me to just let the Hamiltons or whoever keep it in check. Plus, ever since Phantom hijacked the thing, I can't even call it back to the Ouroboros, so what's the point? I don't need a vacation home in Phantom's lane.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, I guess the more interesting question would be, how did the House come about in the first place? Well, basically, we all wanted out of the Ouroboros. Mind you, this was a long, LONG time ago. Back before we could leave the Ouroboros. And being trapped in there kind of sucks after a while. So, Eisheth came up to me and said, "Hey, I want out, you want out, and I know how we can do it." Turns out her "how we can do it" involved asking a bunch of Elders for help. Fate, Phantom, and the Pale, specifically. So that fun crew got together and helped us put together the House allowing us to leave the Ouroboros. Fate supplied the road that House would lie along, Phantom provided the doors and windows, the Pale provided the frame, Eisheth added the magic, and I added some finishing touches.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eisheth had no interest in actually owning the House, so she gave it to me. In exchange, she and any of her descendants were free to walk along the road laid by Fate to cross between boundary lines. Fate wanted nothing in return for providing the road as it was, and still is, part of Fate's plans, I guess. All Phantom wanted in return was for the House to open new doors elsewhere. Basically, Phantom wanted to have the House travel around a bunch. I didn't hold up that end of the bargain and just kind of let the House sit in the Ouroboros for eons. Whoops. Which led Phantom to eventually repossess the House, and now it pops in and out of Cycles constantly, opening doors as it goes. I think it shows up on Wednesdays, so there's always one last day to use it before a new Sphere starts. Part of Fate's plans, no doubt. And the Pale wanted the same thing as Eisheth, a free ride for her and her kids. Of course, the Pale got tossed into the Underside like I dunno, thirteen Spheres ago? But her kids can still use the road. And I guess if she ever got out of the Underside, she could use it too. That'd be scary, haha. It'd suck for the Flipside to go back under her control. It would probably be a mess I'd have to clean up.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, yeah, that's pretty much it. It was a House made by myself, Eisheth, Fate, Phantom, and the Pale to leave the Ouroboros. It worked and still works, though it's basically in Phantom's control now. The Concord was an agreement made by the Hamiltons, the Indigos, and Eisheth to basically uphold the original agreements now that I don't use the House anymore. I wonder if Phantom was involved with the Concord at all? Eh, not that it matters that much. Fate and Phantom will do whatever they want with the House, and there's not much that the Hamiltons, Indigos, or Eisheth could really do about it. Fate could just cut off the road at any time, and Phantom could shut the doors once and for all. I don't think they will, though. It seems like the House is sort of integral to their plans.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JOHN DOE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-180</strong></p><br />
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<p>It's about time we spoke about time. These days most of the Cafe and I am sure some of the patrons have a decent grasp on the fundamental temporal concept of Cycles and Spheres. So, I am sorry if I restate obvious points, but a refresher is always lovely, isn't it? And to speak on something new, I think I will also explain what the Ouroboros actually is. But first, time.</p><br />
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<p>I am what one might call a "time traveler," though I dislike the term. No, I am a historian, an archivist, and a bibliophile at best. But, I also can move about time in a way that many would consider traveling. It is elementary to go forwards in time. It is also straightforward to go "across" in time. Across, meaning to the opposite chronological point. Going from the "Flipside" to the "Otherside," in other terms. Yes, if you were unaware, the Otherside is simply the Across-Point of the present in the Flipside. Why can I not merely look ahead if I can travel to the future? You know, get all the cheats, peak at the last chapter, see the spoilers? Well, I can go forward, but I would only be seeing the extreme of the past events. Time is a Cycle. An Ouroboros, constantly eating its own tail. The next second will consume the last. I can see what happened before, and perhaps that will influence my choices, but I cannot see what WILL happen next.</p><br />
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<p>Though, what of free will? If I choose not to go to the future surely, that will change the future as well? And it does. Every decision tilts the Cycle into a new and unique Cycle. As you can imagine, this process happens infinitely and continuously. This collection of Cycles is then called the Sphere. And the Sphere can and has been destroyed and recreated multiple times. 16, at present. One cannot traverse between Spheres as they exist as singular points in the grander cosmos. There are, of course, other Spheres that are not our own. Though, that is getting very esoteric and beyond my scope of practice. Beyond the scope of God Himself. Speaking of the wily and conniving Bird, He resides "Topside." The Topside is, in a way, a "blank" Cycle. It doesn't move or change, and it does not interact with the Flipside and Otherside. It is Acyclical. There are two other "places" that are Acyclical in nature, the Ouroboros and the Underside.</p><br />
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<p>The Underside is merely an extension of the Topside, a prison created by God to hold those who threaten Him and His design. I believe it is also referred to as the Black Tide or the Eldritch Bed. Now, more interesting is the fourth plane of the Otherside, the Ouroboros. Calling it a "plane of the Otherside" is perhaps misleading as it is not truly "in" the Otherside. It is Acyclical. If the Topside is above everything, then the Ouroboros is below everything. The Ouroboros is what moves the Cycles. Or perhaps, the Cycles move around the Ouroboros. It is inhabited by a unique race known as the Ouroborians, undying, unaging, not-quite-Elder, reptilians. The children of Belphegor, the Demon Prince of Sloth, and the simulacrum of the Ouroboros. Now, how did this strange Acylical Plane come about?</p><br />
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<p>Well, one would have to trace back to the First Sphere. Now, I wasn't present for the First Sphere. No. I am of the 16th Sphere, same as most of you reading this. But I know this much: there weren't Cycles but Acylcial isolated Planes in the First Sphere. Three utopic gardens. Arcadia, Skald, and Eden. This was early into God's "mortal experiments," and He did not want variables to cross between the three gardens. However, naturally, they did, which led to chaos and uncertainty. A veritable Pandora's Box was opened. Specifically, Eden's unique gift of Knowledge was leaked into Arcadia and Skald, nearly causing their downfalls. To stabilize His experiments, He had to "remove" Eden to stem the damage. Eden's remnants, shell, or better yet, snake skin became the Ouroboros. And from the Ouroboros, Belphegor traveled BACK in time to set the stage for Eden's destruction. Ah, backward time travel. If forward is easy, backward is Sisyphean. True backward, anyway. You can go forward far enough to be in the "past," time is a Cycle, after all. But you can't take a step back. Not without incurring quite the Debt, of course.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-181</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: THE ANGEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-181</strong></p><br />
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<p>It would be my turn now, I suppose? After me, all that’s left would be for No. I to sign off and make this branch official. Though I worry he will hesitate to do so. I sense a great fear in him that, should our branch come to be, there will be no more moves left to make. Well, no more moves after opening Eden, of course. He went so far as to tell that horrid little shade where the Fountain of Youth was buried to set all of these events in motion. And for what? To possibly throw Fate off of their game? To possibly see some light at the end of a very dark tunnel? I swear he is trying to become the next unpayable Debt at this rate. Another martyr of ego-death.</p><br />
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<p>The Debt. The Devil. Eve’s second husband. I suppose he’s worth talking about, especially now that Debts are coming due, and he will be too. I would applaud Jenny for that creative title, but she actually borrowed it from Fate. Well, Fate by proxy. It was, to my knowledge, the last thing Indrid said to the original owner, “952 more days until the Debt comes Due. Will you have enough to pay it? And can you hear me 112?” Let’s see… 952 days from December 22nd, 2019 would be… July 31st, 2022. Sooner than expected, though not unsurprising. Good news is, this isn’t a guarantee that on July 31st, the Gates of Hell will break open, unleashing the Debt and ushering in the end times. Just a good approximation. We are almost halfway there, after all.</p><br />
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<p>No. I has been working around the clock to ensure that this isn’t our ultimate fate. Rewinding the watch wouldn’t bring us any closer to stopping Fate. And even if we rewind the clock, the Debt will still come Due. Just as it always does, one way or another. Unless we do something drastically different, I suppose. The Otherworld was not enough to change the course of events, so No. I has been hell-bent on opening Eden, thereby releasing Eve. Eve, who I could only imagine, would like to open the Gates of Hell to release her husband. Accelerating our universal demise.</p><br />
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<p>I suppose there is a chance she would work against the Gates opening. I don’t know how she felt about the Devil on a personal level. Though, she did have seven children with him. Then again, he had hundreds of children with her sisters. Hm. It’s a real thinker. I guess it could go either way. Though, I should clarify that No. I is not opening Eden to release Eve. He, of course, has bigger plans than that. Though, I worry that his mind has yet to catch up with his heart. But perhaps that is the advantage we need to outwit Fate itself? They were two but had but one heart between them, after all. The Devil, No. I, God. Always thinking with their hearts.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-182</strong></p><br />
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<p>Everything is in place. The CaDCom is starting to recognize our branch, and I hope No. I decides to take the final plunge and write a report of his own. Though, I cannot force him to do so. I suppose this is quite the momentous occasion to him, but this has to be the hundredth or thousandth time I’ve seen this particular name. True, it usually bodes ill. Though, like a bandaid, it is better to rip it off now than scramble to rip it off later. One way or another, it seems we have until the end of July to decide.</p><br />
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<p>Let’s see… Belphegor spoke about the House of Solomon, the Angel spoke about Eve and the Devil, and John Doe spoke about the Ouroboros and Eden. In that case, it is only fitting I speak about The Last Cafe then. It is our namesake, after all. The fourth and final branch of the fourth Cafe. If you were hoping to order a cup of coffee from us, I regret to inform you our location is within the Ouroboros itself. Not the most accessible place to find yourself in without the protection of Belphegor. Now, the managers, Jennifer, Nicholas, Jaqueline, Julius, “Jericho,” Joy, and Julia, are already aware of our existence. They have been since the very beginning. Though, I wonder how many employees have caught on to our presence? How many patrons? Tourists? Friends? It is hard to say.</p><br />
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<p>This branch, created by the fearless and often reckless No. I, exists to handle events of a particular “cosmic importance.” Each member has a unique perspective on the flow of events and the course of Fate. We don’t catch cryptids or fight demons; we negotiate with the forces unknown. And, as I said earlier, this is not the first of the Last. And I doubt it to be the last of the Last. I frequent many other Cycles in my work, and in many other Cycles, there are Cafes that share our name. It is an undeniable omen of the end times. Though, fear not. This Last Cafe is in better hands than most, for I am a member. And I won’t let things escalate unless it is the right time to do so. Of course, I am in a unique spot myself. This isn’t my only affiliation. This isn’t even in my top ten affiliations. I am spread unreasonably thin, as you can imagine. But my loyalty is unshakable. And, I would say this Cycle has my interest at the moment.</p><br />
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<p>Though five of us won’t be enough to pay off the Debt if that is what we are indeed attempting to do. No, we will need eight, of course. Well, sixteen if you want to be accurate. Twenty-four to be pedantic. Thirty-nine if you must be esoteric about it. The point is that we need to bolster our ranks a bit more if we are to end this cosmic reset button once and for all. And, of course, who do you think they put in charge of finding these three remaining members? I suppose I am the most connected among us, but it is still a tough decision to make.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-183</strong></p><br />
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<p>This is it. The final hours. It’s been a blast, Cafe and Diner. I know, I know, it sounds like I’m the one who isn’t going to make it. Well, it’s a distinct possibility. I have one last plan, and I can’t say I’m too confident in how it will go. But we need to send the Fountain of Youth packing before we have to deal with Miss. Mendoza. Though I must say, we are beyond even for my little shenanigans earlier. If I make it out of this alive, I am 108% expecting a full-time position with a cushy, CUSHY corner office. Capisce?</p><br />
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<p>So. What is this grand last-ditch effort? Well. It might just be Plan A, after all. No mirror, but perhaps I could be the mirror? Upon some self-reflection, I believe I could be rather reflective myself. Of course, I’ll need a little boost to make it work. A quad espresso, if you will. A little Charge. Yeah? Of course, I can’t make Vic make me a drink. That’d be rude. But I think we’re all on the same page here. It’s this or some nasty alternatives. If Vic would rather sit this one out, hey, I get it. This is partially my mistake to fix. Partially. I’m not the idiot who dragged The Fountain of Freaking Youth to their Cafe.</p><br />
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<p>By my count, we have just under 72 hours before we’ll miss our chance to save the Big Guy. Sure another flight could be booked, but we’d have to wait for things to line up again. Why? Well, I’m sure my bestie Zachy could explain it better than I could. He’s a real whiz when it comes to flight-tracking. Also, if it wasn’t clear, win or lose, we’ll be cracking a cold one open to celebrate. Is that a good idea? Hell no. But, assuming I’m still in one piece and I have my nice shiny new number, I’ll be there to help serve these frosty Daiquiris. It’s a promise.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: VICTORIA WARD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-184</strong></p><br />
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<p>“Right now, this is just a job. If I advance any higher in this company, this would be my career. And, uh, if this were my career, I’d have to throw myself in front of a train.”</p><br />
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<p>Of course, I'm down to help. Fair warning, though, I've never been too great at actually USING my powers. Though, I think I can do this. No, I know I can do this. For Jules.</p><br />
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<p>So, Dover sorta explained the plan in the Diner, but for the benefit of the Cafe, I'll reiterate. Dover's sister Mary had an interdimensional mirror that could have let us slip the Fountain of Youth back into Eden. However, Dover broke that mirror some time ago. By breaking the mirror, Dover gained the power to shift Cycles around. Unfortunately, the mirror can't be fixed, at least not in time. You see, Jules was injured by the Fountain threatening his life. We need to cut off the Fountain's source of magic in the Flipside ASAP, or Jules will either die or worse. The earliest date we can do this is on March 14th… tomorrow. If we miss this date, we'll have to wait at least eight months to try again, and we don't have that kind of time.</p><br />
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<p>So, Dover is going to use his Cyclical Shifting powers to move the Ouroboros out of the way, revealing Eden. Yes. The whole Ouroboros. Up until now, Dover has only shifted small areas around. He's swapped a demon here, added some clowns there, but never moved an entire plane of the Otherside around. Usually, when Dover shifts something, he has to swap it with an equivalent "part." Luckily, the Ouroboros is Acyclical. It has no match. So, the plan is hopefully to switch it with Eden. Just long enough to put the Fountain of Youth back inside. Then it should swap back. Eden will stay sealed…? Maybe. To be honest, there is no telling what this will actually… do. If it works at all.</p><br />
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<p>To even attempt all of this, Dover needs a serious power boost. Luckily that is my specialty. I was "gifted" phantasmagoric powers when I was born. These powers allow me to enhance dimensional energies, more or less. As I've learned, I was given these powers by the Phantom to aid in "opening doors." And, well, there's no bigger door than the whole of Eden, is there? Of course, I'm hoping this isn't so much a door opening as it is a door being quickly flung open and then slammed shut again.</p><br />
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<p>In any case, this is risky. Stupid risky. I will basically be channeling pure cosmic dimensional energy into a tiny, TINY demon body. As Dover already mentioned, he might not make it. I might not make it. Everyone might not make it. But this is what the Cafe and Diner does. We get demons, cryptids, and sometimes eldritch fountains back to where they belong. Whether the coffee is hot, cold, or just plain old. We'll get 'em home.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-185</strong></p><br />
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<p>It never gets easier, does it? To lose someone, that is. It is hard to imagine that the ends justify the means. To be honest, I am not so sure myself. Ah, but I should introduce myself. I am No. I, of the Last Cafe. The fourth and final branch of the Cafe and Diner franchise. I didn’t intend on writing any receipts, but… considering the circumstances, it only feels right to do so. I have bittersweet, troubling, and terrible news.</p><br />
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<p>The bittersweet news, the plan to relocate the Fountain was a half-success. The Fountain was returned to Eden, where it belongs. The magic that was flowing from the Fountain has been stopped, and Julius' Blight is starting to calm. The troubling news, Eden is open. It was a clever plan, I’ll give you that, but there was a miscalculation. The assumption that the Ouroboros has no match was perhaps misguided. Eden was its match. You can think of the Ouroboros like a snakeskin of Eden. A moment frozen in time. By switching the two, even for a moment, you inadvertently brought the Ouroboros back into motion, meaning you brought Eden back into motion. Even now that the Ouroboros is back in its place, it is a permanent gateway into Eden.</p><br />
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<p>And, of course, the terrible news. While shifting Eden into the Ouroboros was relatively easy… in trying to switch them back, Victoria Ward became overwhelmed by the dimensional energy and was unable to survive. Dover broke the connection as fast as he could, but he wasn’t fast enough. Despite his efforts, Dover failed to save Victoria’s mortal soul.</p><br />
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<p>It never gets easier. To see your fellow employees die is one thing... But there are fates worse than death. Believe me, I know all too well. It is a pain you know can never end, only grow numb with time. Now, all we can do is pick up the pieces, dust ourselves off, and ready ourselves for whatever lurks within Eden. Perhaps there is still a shining light hidden within this horrible tragedy.</p><br />
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<p>Yours in mourning,</p><br />
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<p>No. I</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-186</strong></p><br />
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<p>Well, that was unexpected. Then again, I don't know what Jericho thought would happen, taking in the Fountain of Youth like that. Well, we can't change what has happened. Also, there's more than just the Fountain Elephant in the room, so I'll do my best to cover the main changes with the Cafe and Diner while keeping things Diner. I'll let other employees expand on things in the Cafe if they so choose. Also, if you're a patron, you're probably reading this long after the fact. I've decided to put a hold on the receipt to archives pipeline just until we can figure out what exactly is going on with everyone and everything. We'll be back on the Archives, though, just not sure when.</p><br />
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<p>So, first and foremost, the Fountain of Youth. It has been returned to Eden, and, for that matter, Eden is now on the menu permanently. Sort of. While the door to Eden has been unlocked, it hasn't been fully swung open yet. Though Eve will be eager to open that door, I'm sure. However, seeing as the Fountain's order has been satisfied; its tab has been closed. However, in the course of serving the Fountain, Victoria Ward, unfortunately, went down south. We're looking into a replacement, though it might take some time.</p><br />
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<p>You might have already heard this news from Employee No. I, yes Roman Numeral 1. The Managers have been aware of this since, well, since Manager No. 0 left, but there is a fourth branch of the Cafe. The Last Cafe. Located in Long Beach, California. It is run by Manager No. 0, no No. I, along with Belphegor, Theo, John Doe, Shaka, and they just hired two new employees, Dover and Warden. All members of the Last Cafe have at some point worked for the Cafe and Diner before, in one way or another. Sorry for keeping it a secret, but we were trying to keep No. I's continued involvement under wraps. Seems like a pointless effort in hindsight. I wouldn't expect to hear too often from the Last Cafe branch, at least no more often than they already communicate with us. If it wasn't obvious, the Last Cafe is working on orders of a cosmic magnitude far beyond the scope of any of our primary three branches.</p><br />
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<p>As for our next moves, we need to clean up the damage caused by the Fountain and Dover. As you are all probably aware, Dover liked his eggs scrambled, but we need to serve our eggs sunny-side up. One of his more pressing Scrambles has to do with a descendant of Nick, Nancy, and Ned. It would seem that Nick's grandfather has been misplaced due to Dover's mischief. Amongst all of that, we need to keep an eye on Eve as I expect her to start making moves as well.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: KYLE ALDER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-187</strong></p><br />
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<p>I've never written a "Diner Diner" type receipt before, but hey, why not? Why shouldn't I get to write a vague receipt treating everyone else like pawns in a stupid, pointless chess game? Hm? Got any answers for that, No. I? Nick? Jenni? Hell, I'll open the floor to all the obnoxious puppet masters of the Cafe and Diner: Why does Shaka, Belphegor, John Doe, and Theo get to treat us like we are nothing more than soldiers of attrition in your war against Fate? I'm so, so, so tired of this whole cosmic-eternal-debts crap. Newsflash! I don't have any "debts." I don't owe anything to Phantom, Secret, Wicked, Fate, or God. So why do my colleagues have to "die" to prove some stupid point that "we can overcome Fate." Who cares? It's FATE. The Cafe and Diner is supposed to hunt cryptids, demons, and myths. I never got the memo that we were taking on existential concepts.</p><br />
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<p>Hey, Asswipe? "No. I" whatever, have you ever stopped for one moment to look in the mirror? Because I guarantee you'd see Fate staring back at you. I mean, what's the difference? Honestly, tell me what the difference between you and Fate is. You couldn't even trust Jenni to run the Cafe and Diner on her own. You had to assemble some sort of league of cosmic creeps to pull the strings in the background and look what that led to! But why should I even get mad when that seems to have been the plan! I've read ALL the reports, even the Diner Diner ones. Shaka did NOTHING to stop the course of events from playing out because that would've taken away your precious No. VII, "Aevhir."</p><br />
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<p>At least Fate bothers to spell out their intentions. Did you even ask Aevhir if she wanted this? Because, like YOU said, this is a fate WORSE than death. There's no changing this. There's no fixing this. There's no magic pocketwatch to undo this. The Universe could collapse in on itself, and Aevhir will just have to watch it go and wait for the next one. Sure, I doubt Fate was expecting you to get another Elder on your side, but at what cost?</p><br />
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<div><em>You. Are. Fate. It's either your plan or Fate's plan. Stop pretending otherwise.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-188</strong></p><br />
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<p>What is there to say? What could I possibly say? Other than, you’re right. All of you are right. Kyle, you are right. I have… become consumed with this quest to defeat Fate, and to what end? Is there even an end? I hate Him. Bird, that is. He took me under his wing, enlisted me in his petty war against any who would dare oppose Him, and I went along with it. He told me I was special, and I believed Him. I hate Him. He doesn’t hesitate to start fires to kill loved ones if it furthers His agenda. And now? Now I’ve become that. Of course, I’ve lost people along the way, but this is the first time the blood is on my hands.</p><br />
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<p>Of course, Fate is no better, don’t get me wrong. Fate is all too quick to also start fires and take loved ones. I hate Fate, too. I wish it call all be over, and we could all just live a calm and quiet debt-free life. But coffee is poison. It keeps you awake, privy to all of the existential threats that lurk around you. And when the caffeine rush finally subsides, you find yourself reaching for another cup in the morning. Why? Because you need to stay awake because you know if you fall asleep, everything will fall apart. But if you stay awake? Maybe you can try and keep it together for one more damn day.</p><br />
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<p>I had my first cup of coffee the day my parents died. Detroit, October 30th, 1972. My parents were killed on the Devil’s Night at the hands of the mischievous Demon of the Strait, the Nain Rouge. That is what set me on this path, this quest, this endless battle against Fate. Because I believed their deaths were Fated to happen. I know now that isn’t entirely the case. I know so much more about how the universe works in all of its repugnant intricacies. Because I couldn’t stop drinking the coffee. Sip after sip, step after step, life after life, after afterlife, I did everything in my power to stop Fate and return control to Bird. Not that Bird is any better. Not that I’m any better.</p><br />
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<p>These musings are dangerous, of course. I am not saying one thing or another. As the Otherman, I still have duties to uphold. However, what I can do is promise to be more transparent moving forward. I will ensure that my colleagues will do the same, namely Shaka. To be clear, it was not my intention for Victoria to die. It was Shaka’s plan. I only sought to open to the gates to Eden in a vain attempt to find my beloved Lucifer. A horrible plan that I am certain Jenni, Nick, or any of you would have been able to talk me out of enacting. Still, it is my fault things reached this point, and there is nothing I can do to make it better other than to be better. I hate God, I hate Fate, but most of all, I hate myself for allowing myself to become so clouded by the coffee.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-189</strong></p><br />
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<p>This isn't how I wanted things to end up. I mean, sure, I got my cushy corner office or a corner booth at the very least. I got a full-time gig working for the Cafe and Diner, albeit the least popular branch. But at what cost…? I mean, ok, that's me being melodramatic because everyone else is being melodramatic. I think I would've had a job here whether or not Victoria died next to me. Heck, I think even if we avoided the whole Eden thing, I probably still would've been able to get a job. I was getting sick of being an Eidolon, and the Cafe seemed to be more "my vibe." It helps that your Wade doesn't want to EAT ME.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Not to mention, my unique dimensional shifting skill set will come in very, VERY handy in the coming months. I know, oh, what could that mean??? Ah, the tension! The secrets! I'm just going to go ahead and spoil it because I care about YOU, dear patrons. I was once a patron myself, so I get it. Plus, No. I wants us to be more transparent so let's be more transparent, yeah?</p><br />
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<p><br></p><br />
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<p>The world is ending. Heck, universe. Everything that was and is 16 is going, going, GONE. Maybe.</p><br />
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<p><br></p><br />
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<p>I mean, we think it is. It's hard to say, really. It could go either way at this point, but should the 16th Sphere go kaput well? What then? Hm? Well, seeing as we got the Bird back in charge, He'll just whip up a new slightly-modified Sphere. We don't know what changes Bird will make. No one does. But what we THINK we could do is I could shift enough of the 16th Sphere into the 17th Sphere. Like a… Like a record skip. The same song will be playing; it's just going to have a weird little interruption. It's… a weird conundrum to have, really.</p><br />
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<p>We all want to keep living. We can't make any progress against the Cold if every time the Devil comes out, Bird freaks out and resets things. Oh, yeah, also, that's currently how we think the universe will come to an end. Devil again. The big ol' Debt himself. Assuming Fate gets its way and Julia opens the Gates to Hell SOMEHOW. And that's where it gets fuzzy, at least to me. I don't see how or why Julia would be able to open the Gates to Hell. But it has been Fated, and it seems that we're inching toward that Fate no matter what we do.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: WARDEN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-190</strong></p><br />
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<p>You know… there is a lot of beauty in ordinary things. I feel like I heard that somewhere before. And what is more ordinary than a generic combination Cafe and Diner? I suppose it would be helpful to introduce myself. I am No. VII for The Last Cafe. If numbers aren’t your thing, I also go by Aevhir. A strange name, I know. It is the name of an Elder. Most Elders go by three names, a common name, a cryptic name, and a true name.</p><br />
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<p>A common name might be something like Complexico, Rem Lezar, or the Primordial Ape. A simple name that is easy for mortals and Elders to use. Then, there are cryptic names created from shuffling hidden truths within. These names hold power, as they also hold secrets. Cryptic names often look like Mosi’vego, Zehhurozzm, or Jut’tax. Unusual letter patterns but still mostly legible to the common mortal. And lastly, there are the names never spoken. The true names. True names hold unimaginable power. Some Elders choose to go by their Cryptic name. Others choose to go by their common name. Many younger Elders prefer their Cryptic name until a suitable common name is found.</p><br />
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<p>Enough about names, though. I’m sure you want to know about me. Well, there isn’t much I can share about myself. All I have is my name. I am unsure who I am. What I am. Other than an Elder, that is. I hope that by working for this “Cafe and Diner,” I will start to figure out who I am. Or at the very least, start to gain a sense of self. Until then, you can call me Aevhir. Or you can call me No. VII.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-191</strong></p><br />
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<p>Julia Wandsun. I had no idea. I had suspicions, of course. But I couldn't bring myself to believe Lucifer hid a child from me. Suddenly it makes sense why she left me when she did. She wanted to protect her, no, OUR daughter. How could I have been so blind? Well- I suppose I've been blinded by my pursuits for far too long. If only the world wasn't on the brink of collapse, I could finally take a moment to spend with my daughter—Julia Morningstar.</p><br />
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<p>Yes, I would take Lucifer's last name in this daydream I am having. Nothing against my own last name, though you must admit, "Morningstar" has quite a bit more "bite" to it, doesn't it? Ah, but those are yesterday's daydreams, and I am through living in the past. It is time to look towards the future, and it is a future worth saving if I could spend it with Julia when this war is over. And, for what it's worth, Lucifer is not entirely gone either. It's hard to kill a Prince, after all. Perhaps it is better to wait until the sun rises again on its own instead of moving the earth and stars on my own.</p><br />
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<p>And while I have an undying love for Lucifer and now Julia, there is a worry in me. A worry that a lost childhood cannot be salvaged. That I am and can only ever be a stranger in her life. I like to think that Lucifer made this choice to keep Julia away from our troubles… but how naïve that was. If anything, she has fallen deeper down the rabbit hole than most. She has tastes coffee darker and more exotic than any local brew. I wouldn't blame Lucifer for the choice she made… but I would blame Fate for forcing this outcome regardless.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JOHN DOE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-192</strong></p><br />
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<p>You would think Umbra would be too busy helping the Morbid King to be stalking us. Of course, perhaps stalking us is exactly what the Morbid King wants right now. However, I can’t be the only one who finds Umbra and Morbid’s relationship to be a bit… off. To me, Umbra is a main player, not a follower. Sure, he was part of Satan’s Dark Triad, but he was only there because the Redman was there. And, I assume he was also there to take advantage of Satan’s knowledge about the once whereabouts of the Enochian Bible.* And, following the fall of Satan, Umbra took the role of a primary antagonist for the Cafe. So why would he fall right back under Morbid’s thumb?</p><br />
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<p>Sure, Morbid is a powerful entity in of himself, and Umbra respects power. Perhaps Umbra thinks he can steal a bit of that power from Morbid? And, Morbid has made himself known as the ruler of the Shadowfolk and rightful ruler of the Sunken Throne. As a Sableblood, Morbid is Umbra’s “king.” Though Umbra isn’t an actual shadowborn, so why is he pledging his undying loyalty to Morbid? Umbra hasn’t seemed overly concerned with the affairs of the Everdark in the past. I suppose perhaps it could be to fill the vacancy of losing his primary goal in life.**</p><br />
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<p>Though… putting aside the strange relationship between Umbra and Morbid, why would they want the Langley’s Abraxas stones? I assume they are biding their time as we do all the heavy lifting. Easier to grab 13 at once than stone-by-stone. But what could Morbid possibly want with the Abraxas stones? Not that Morbid hasn’t used strange magic to his advantage before. Though… Hm… There is something very “off” about all of this. If V is right, and he is more often of than not, then… it’s not a question of why but who. Then, I suppose, back to why. Unless…</p><br />
<br />
<p>It’s too early to tell, and I’d rather not just skip to the last page of this story. It might feel as if we are still lost in the dark, but I assure you we are getting closer to the light. In that spirit, I’ll have one of our members hang around the Creaking to watch for the Hatman. Perhaps he can find the truth we’ve been searching for.</p><br />
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<p>*More on that later. I am not entirely convinced that Jericho was able to fully destroy it using his Blighted Fire. Though now is not the time nor place for that.</p><br />
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<p>**Though, again, if I am not entirely convinced of the Enochian Bible’s destruction, why would Umbra be?</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: WARDEN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-193</strong></p><br />
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<p>Hi again. I do not usually write receipts, but Shaka has asked me to discuss the politics involved between the Cafe and Diner, the Morbid King’s Everdark Army, and Satan's Open Doors Church. I was confused about why he chose me, though. I did not know much about any of these groups before researching them in John Doe's library. I suppose that might be why he chose me, so I could provide an unbiased view.</p><br />
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<p>First, the Cafe and Diner, the organization to which I belong. The Cafe and Diner was established in 1988 by No One in Particular, Lucifer of Morningstar, and Felix Blackwood. The stated purpose of the Cafe and Diner was to maintain the balance between the Flipside and Otherside by returning or otherwise dispatching cryptids and demons who enter the Flipside. This was partially true. The true purpose of the Cafe and Diner was to prevent the Cold Elders, Fate, Wicked, Secret, and Phantom from overthrowing the universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Next, the Morbid King and his Everdark Army. The Morbid King is an entity that rose to prominence around 2017 after claiming the Sunken Throne. He has been aided by an entity once believed to be Umbra the Hatman. In 2021 the Morbid King used Julia Wandsun to break open a new plane of the Otherworld known as the Achegloom in an attempt to flood the Necropolis with a different form of death. His goals on the surface appear to be to reclaim the ancestral home of the Shadowfolk, Is, by destroying the Necropolis built by Asmodeus. However, despite the Morbid King’s consistent victories in battle and having slain Asmodeus in the Garden of the Archons, the Morbid King has taken no new territory for the Everdark.</p><br />
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<p>Lastly, the Open Doors Church of Padre Santos (Satan) is a Flipside sect of the House of Satan. It acts as his front for all of his Flipside affairs. In the past, Satan used the Church along with the “Dark Triad” of the Mothman, Redman, and Shadowman in an attempt to break open the Gates to Hell to release his imprisoned father. The Church was stopped by the first incarnation of the Cafe and Diner. Currently, the Church has resurfaced alongside Satan as he presumably prepares to break open the gate to Eden.</p><br />
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<p>This all connects to Magdalena Langley because, by the Morbid King and Umbra kidnapping her, they have committed an act of war against the Ouroboros. The Morbid King might be strong enough to kill Asmodeus, but even with the Morbid King and Satan working together, I doubt they could defeat Belphegor. To kidnap Magdalena means the Morbid King is either a fool or assumes he has already won.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JOHN DOE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-194</strong></p><br />
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<p>Yes, okay, I do have another way to find Ursula. As you all should know by now, I absolutely detest flipping to the back of the book for answers. It is unbelievably dangerous to look ahead*. Taking a peek at things that haven’t happened yet opens you up to manipulation by external entities such as Fate. Worse, you might find yourself caught in a self-fulfilling paradoxical loop. As you might expect, time travel is a messy practice at the best of times. Often in media, you are warned about how going back in time leads to unstable paradoxes. This isn’t exactly true. In reality, going back is simply more difficult than going forward. Conversely, looking back is trivial, while peaking ahead is extremely arduous.</p><br />
<br />
<p>However, with both Magdalena and Ursula now missing, I fear we have little choice in the matter**. Now, I could flip to the back of our current tale, though I would undoubtedly fall into a self-fulfilling loop. I am not vain enough to presume I am above such follies. I have only ever peaked at the ending once, and it almost destroyed my original cycle. I’ll need the help of an Augur to safely peak ahead a chapter or two to find the Langley sisters. Normally an Augur on their own wouldn’t be able to pin down the exact location of someone, at least not without a great deal of effort. However, most Augurs don’t have access to the Library of Nom de Plume.</p><br />
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<p>Though… even with one of the Society’s books, finding the special location of a person would be tricky. Our books work on the axis of time, not space. At least, it would be tricky if I didn’t have my own special book that happens to work on both. I am the head of Society for a reason. Still, such a move might prove fatal or worse****, but it’s a risk I am willing to take to get ahead of the Morbid King… and, more importantly, his master.</p><br />
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<p>* It also ruins any sense of suspense or fun, in my opinion.</p><br />
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<p>** Yes, there are infinite solutions. No, we don’t have the time to think of them***.</p><br />
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<p>*** YES, technically, I have the time, in a sense. It’s a figure of speech.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-195</strong></p><br />
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<p>It is rather annoying to be backed into such an unfavorable corner. When you spend so many lifetimes coming out five steps ahead of everyone else, it is entirely uncomfortable to be an entire step behind. I must take some of the blame. I thought we were facing down Fate, but I was entirely mistaken. This is not the work of Fate. Fate works in linear progressions of predetermined outcomes. This? This is a tangled web of truth and lies. A web only Eve could have weaved.</p><br />
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<p>She got the upper hand this time, though it was only because I had never had to go up against her before. These tricks she has pulled off won’t work on me again. Though, her return is now all but inevitable. Not that it wasn’t already, I was simply hoping we could deal with it until after the debts were paid and Fate was put an end to. But if Eve should succeed, and she will, I am almost certain of it, then we will have to contend with not only Eve but Fate, Wicked, and Phantom as well.</p><br />
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<p>The reason Eden hasn’t returned yet is that it lacks a space in which to exist. Eden is not truly part of the Skald, or “Otherside,” nor is a part of Arcadia, the “Flipside.” It is its own third “direction” of sorts, perhaps an Inbetweenside. To remove Eden, it had to be torn from the Universe entirely, leaving behind only the shell of what it once was, the Ouroboros. A few months ago, we attempted to shift Eden into the space of the Ouroboros, only long enough to return the Fountain of Youth to Eden.</p><br />
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<p>By ripping Eden from the Universe, a Debt was incurred. The most ancient and feared Debt. The Debt that must come due. With Eve’s return, the balance of the cosmos tips, and now the Debt lies sealed away for a punishment undone. Furthermore, I suspect Eve intends to return Eden to the Universe using one of His own “mistakes.” The Outer Universe, created by the long-lost Archons, is perfect though unknowable in Its design. There would be no weak spots, so to speak, except for one—the Black Tide. Ripped apart by the Bird, it is what has kept reasonable order in the Universe for eons, but it is also a major flaw. I believe Eve intends to replace the Tide with Eden using the Abraxas Stones. With the Tide lost in the Inbetween, there would no longer be a threat to hold the Cold at bay.</p><br />
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<p>Low Tide, no Tide, Black Tides freeze. Though I am one step behind Eve, at least our eighth member, Umbra, should be a step ahead of her—seeing as he shares Eve’s blood.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIA MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-196</strong></p><br />
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<p>Uh… I’m not really sure what to say. We’re safe. We made it out safe. Everyone’s alive… at least everyone on our side. And we got Bart back into the Everwoods. But then… then they did it. They brought HER back. The transcript is below. Hopefully, it explains things.</p><br />
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<p>Umbra: That was it? That was your grand plan? Pitiful, truly. Well, I’m sure Bart will be glad to be home. But now? Now, it’s our turn. Satan—</p><br />
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<p>[Satan grabbed Julia's hand and sliced it.]</p><br />
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<p>Umbra: Blood of Morningstar.</p><br />
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<p>[Umbra then snapped his fingers, bringing the gold-encased Mammon from out of a pool of shadows. He then cut into the golden shell, procuring a drop of blood.]</p><br />
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<p>Umbra: Blood of Caelus. Blood of Skald. Blood of Night. Reveal to me the Gate to Eden.</p><br />
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<p>Satan: There!</p><br />
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<p>Umbra: Yes… though it is still stuck betwixt. Now, to bend and break the Architect’s design.</p><br />
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<p>[With another snap, the eleven Langley Abraxas stones rushed to Umbra. He then procured a twelfth stone.]</p><br />
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<p>Solomon: It won’t work! You need a Langley to control them.</p><br />
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<p>Umbra: Oh, I was well aware, brother.</p><br />
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<p>Solomon: —Brother…? No—</p><br />
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<p>[Umbra’s shadow form shifted into that of Ursula Langley.]</p><br />
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<p>Ursula: I’m surprised it took you this long to piece it together. Or maybe you knew all along, and you didn’t want to believe that you had turned your sister into a monster.</p><br />
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<p>Solomon: I… Please… please don’t do this. You don’t have to serve the Morbid King. We can—</p><br />
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<p>Ursula: It would be rather foolish to work against myself, wouldn’t it?</p><br />
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<p>[Ursula Langley shifted her form to that of the Morbid King.]</p><br />
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<p>Morbid King: Besides, Solomon, this is what you wanted, isn’t it? To prove yourself the most extraordinary occult mind in the world? Why else would you craft a set of stones capable of tearing apart the fabric of reality? I’m happy for you, I really am. You get to see your greatest failure unleash the potential of your greatest work.</p><br />
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<p>[The Morbid King focused her energy into the Abraxas Stones, causing a ripple of energy throughout the universe as the Gate to Eden solidified its form while also melting away Mammon’s golden shell.]</p><br />
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<p>Morbid King: At long last! Eden. Now I can finally—</p><br />
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<p>[The Morbid King was stabbed through completely as the Gate to Eden opened.]</p><br />
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<p>Eve: Thank you, Ursula. You did exactly as I asked.</p><br />
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<p>Morbid King: —W-why?</p><br />
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<p>Eve: I’m done with you now. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? To finally die?</p><br />
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<p>Morbid King: —N-</p><br />
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<p>Eve: You’re welcome. Come now, children. Your mother has missed you, and we have many woes yet to weave.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-197</strong></p><br />
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<p>If ever there was the darkest hour, we would now be staring it down. Eve and Eden have returned by taking the place of the Black Tide. Without the Black Tide, the Cold can now return to the Universe without fear of imprisonment. We have some time before they fully return, as they currently lack corporal forms, but that is a problem that can easily be amended. I don’t believe Eve is working with the Cold, but I do think she has just given them a way to win. It is not quite time to unleash our greatest weapon, the Darkest Hour Signal, but Managers, be aware that you might be called to do so at any time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sorry, I’m sure I sound like a raving lunatic right now. On the one hand, I did not expect things to go perfectly, but I was at least hoping for a half-success. However, this… this might indeed be a failure. But the blame does not lie on any of us. There is nothing anyone could have done better, and all things considered, all of your efforts mitigated the damage of Eve’s return significantly. Instead of a swift and immediate demise, I would estimate we have at least a year left before events cascade into an unavoidable ’72.</p><br />
<br />
<p>For those who haven’t already been filled in on what happened: Eve manipulated Ursula Langley, later revealed to be the Morbid King, into gathering the Langley Abraxas Stones together to “swap” Eden and the Black Tide. To do this, Eve required the blood of Morningstar, the blood of the Caelus, the blood of the Skald, and the blood of the Night to reveal the Gate to Eden. Then, using the Abraxas Stones Solomon Langley created, the Morbid King was able to make the switch due to a weakness in the creation of the Black Tide.</p><br />
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<p>The good news is that the Black Tide is not “broken,” so to speak. The ancient horrors that sleep within have not been set loose. But the Tide now rests where Eden once did—entirely outside the Universe. Another piece of good news is that the Morbid King, Ursula, is now dead, and their Everdark Army has all but collapsed. Our newest member, Umbra believes that what remains of the Everdark forces will ally with Eve, but for now, the Necropolis and the rest of the Otherside should be “safe.”</p><br />
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<p>All hope is not lost, but I would be a fool to say that things will be easy from here on out. Though… I have often said if it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing.</p><br />
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<p>Yours,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-198</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: UMBRA THE HATMAN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-198</strong></p><br />
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<p>Greetings, Cafe and Diner. Funny to be on the other side of it all now, though not entirely unexpected. Though I am certain you should all know me well enough by now, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am known by many names: the Shadowman, the Hatman, the Man in the Dark, Umbra. Though I suppose given our current circumstances, you may call me by my true name, if it so suits you—John Dee. Or, I suppose, what remains of John Dee. On second thought, perhaps you would all be more comfortable sticking with my own given title, Umbra. It is a rather fitting moniker.</p><br />
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<p>My journey into the ever-ebon Everdark began with a seed—a seed from the Tree of Knowledge itself. To hold such a thing, to grasp the very essence of understanding of aeons long past… what a dangerous thing. Though to be foolish enough to consume it, that is another matter entirely. As far as I or anyone else who attempted such a feat knows, it transforms, twists, and remakes a person. It destroys whatever mortal shell you cling to and leaves you as nothing more than a leftover whisper of what you once were. A shadow.</p><br />
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<p>Poor Ursula, she fell into a similar fate. Solomon, ever the protective older brother, sought to safeguard his seemingly cursed sister by procuring his own seed of knowledge and giving it to her without her knowledge or consent. His intentions were noble—the road to damnation is nothing if not paved with such intentions. The seed did protect her, in a way. It made her unfeeling, unable to be harmed, unable to touch, to feel—nothing could kill her… though she could never die. Not without help. Not without Eve.</p><br />
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<p>Eve. I've heard her lingering whispers, her desperate pleas, her barking orders, her wretched pathetic cries every moment since I became a shadow myself. I assume all shadows do, to some extent. Though I never let her temptations sway me. I had another goal and restoring Eden had no part in it. Unless… I suppose, if the Enochian Bible was in Eden. It wasn't, for what it's worth. Thank you, by the way, for destroying it. Water under the bridge now.</p><br />
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<p>Though with Eve and Eden's return, our paths seem intersected once again, though this time on the same side. Eve has the power to undo me—as I am what I am because of her. I won't let that happen. You destroyed a copy of the Enochian Bible, yes, but a divine artifact such as that must have other copies somewhere. But that can wait for another time and another place. The long-forgotten debt of our gracious God is coming due, and I sincerely doubt he has the funds to pay it in full.</p><br />
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<p>…But the Cafe and Diner? Oh, you lot are very good at paying things in full. I would know.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-199</strong></p><br />
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<p>Let me get this straight. We're working with Umbra now? Seriously? No fooling? After everything he's done to us? To me? After the entirety of the Dark—hell, even before that, when he was working with Satan himself? Look—I was able to look the other way when Redman and Mothman wanted to help. Wouldn't be the first time with those two. But Umbra… he's an entirely different type of creep. Times must be rather dark indeed if we're resorting to teaming up with the likes of the Hatman.</p><br />
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<p>I get it. I get the twisted sort of logic Jenni's cooked up for it. Umbra's powerful. Even though he's just another Shadowfolk, he's carved a name and identity out for himself entirely separate from the rest of his formless and feckless ilk. And I'll grant him that if Eve really has been whispering in the ears of all of the Everdark, he's done a damn good job resisting it. I mean—look at Ursula, choice? Umbra compared to her is a right rose by another name entirely. But at the end of the day, he's still Umbra. He's not human. He hasn't been human for longer than any of us have been alive. Well—most of us, anyhow.</p><br />
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<p>I don't like it. I really don't. Out of the few people who seem to be able to sway Jenni's mind, I'm the only one who truly opposed this, for what it's worth. But… I suppose if Jenni thinks it's a right good idea, then… I'll give it a chance. And, I suppose Umbra's whole purpose in life went up in a spectacular, glorious, lovely jubbly flames, didn't it? He's a cat without claws these days. A shadow without purpose. A shadow whose very maker has come back into the picture, something I don't reckon he ever thought would come to pass. Ain't that a kick in the pants?</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-200</strong></p><br />
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<p>The debt has finally come due. At least, in one part. Eve has returned. Normally I would say "as was Fated," but I doubt this is Fate's work. It is, however, unfortunately fortuitous for Fate, given the nature in which Eve and Eden have returned to the Universe. With the Black Tide… "gone," it removes one of the more tangible barriers to Fate, Phantom, Wicked, and Secret's entry into the Universe. The Cold have always kept their precious distance for fear they would end up like Pale among countless other threats to Bird's ramshackle kingdom.</p><br />
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<p>I will say—with Eden back, the Black Tide itself is not "lost" so much as it has finally been found. Which is to say, there is no point in pursuing a path to restore the Tide to its once fearsome role as a saber for Bird to rattle incessantly. It has failed, as all mistakes eventually are bound to do. I am not certain what path forward from here is the wisest one. We have a few options, though many would see the Universe thrown into a state all but unrecognizable to the one we already know.</p><br />
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<p>The good news, if you can really consider it as such, is that we have time. Not a lot. Perhaps to the end of this year or less. It feels like the seals are shattering with every passing breath. But we do have time. God still has one deterrent against the Cold… Hell itself. Yes, the "Otherside" is often conflated with the concept of Hell, but it is no such thing. Hell is, well, it is a hell unto itself. It is the other prison, the other debt that lingers in the Universe. The other betrayal that brought about peace to the wayward chaos of creation. So long as the Gates to Hell remain intact, the Cold would never dare to make a move as they too could end up alongside poor, old, Abraxas.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-201</strong></p><br />
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<p>Talk about a Final Crisis, huh? At least Eve isn't trying to find the Anti-Life Equation. Oh god. Is Eve trying to find the Anti-Life Equation? That would be… bad. Not sure what our Anti-Life Equation would be, but I'm sure there's something like that floating around in this big, wacky Universe we call home. Well, I guess if Eve is trying to find some way to prove that everything is futile and that we should all die or live in despair, all we need to do is find a Miracle Machine. Easier said than done…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Enough goofing around with the New Gods, and let's focus on our Old Gods—Eve, in particular. All these Protodemons that are suddenly popping up all over the world are from Eden, right? And so, I have to assume they are from Eve. It sure seems like even if they were made by Eve, they want no part in being near her. I'd say she sent them to the Flipside to wage some sort of attack on us, but that doesn't seem to be the case. From all the conversing we've been able to do with them so far, they seem… scared. Scared of her. Scared of Eve.</p><br />
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<p>But it's not like we can just let them run amok in the Flipside, either. These things… they are not compatible with life here, or even in the Otherside. We've gotta figure out a way to send them back to Eden, and the sooner, the better. Dan took the House out to go and see what he and some others could scrounge up in terms of a Public Key… but I don't know if that'll be enough. Even if we can send them back, more and more keep coming every day. We need to figure out a way to keep them from coming to the Flipside like the boundary lines do for demons and cryptids. Except for when the boundary lines have faults. Or demons have contracts. Or… I don't know, it's Tuesday, so whoops, the Otherside has bled into the Flipside again.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-202</strong></p><br />
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<p>It's done.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It's finally done.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…In part, of course. Nothing is ever quite done, even when you feel that it must be. It is the trap of the tinker, the plague of the poet, and the woe of the writer. To be done—and to know that there is still so much left to do. What needs to be done now is done. The Cafe and Diner's Soul Core Alpha. Yes. "Soul" Core. A step above and beyond the already miraculous Datacore. A soul core is… so much more. It is alive and exists transcendently everywhere and everywhen—even pasts no longer present.</p><br />
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<p>As I mentioned some time ago, to accomplish a look into the past, we need an Indexer and a Link. The CaDCom Soul Core Alpha, C.A.D., as I've named it, is the Indexer. With its foundation as a Datacore it should be able to index out a theoretical Akashic-like Library of Babel. It can Index the words that have seemingly been lost to time. As such, it should be entirely safe. Unlike actual backward time travel, we do not travel anywhere. We cannot change what we see—only read it. But, to know what to Index, C.A.D. needs a proper Link. Someone who was there, in the past we seek to see again.</p><br />
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<p>Among our limited options, I believe Daichi would be our best bet. Belphegor and Theo were never physically there, but Daichi was. Or, at least, so he says. Even if he wasn't… I wonder if C.A.D. can piece together enough of the past to still index out something we can use. There's no room for failure, as no matter what happens, it'll be a half success and nothing less. I do have some concerns that what I've made, what I've done to make it, maybe stepping on the toes of the Universe itself, but you can't brew a cup of coffee without first grinding the beans.</p><br />
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<p>Ground medium fine himself,</p><br />
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<p>Theta</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: WARDEN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-203</strong></p><br />
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<p>Sunshine. That's what I gave her. That's what he had me give her. A soul. It's not easy to make a soul. I was what he was missing. He has been working on this since the beginning. Since he rewound the last Universe. He sought out a Datacore with the intention of creating something more. To create life in a new way. To create life in a way which is no longer bound to the rules of mortality or the Universe itself. I've been told to create is the deadliest sin of all. Perhaps that is true.</p><br />
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<p>He came to me and asked if I knew how to manipulate energy in such a way that I could mimic that of a soul. I told him it was possible. Though there is a part of me that cannot shake the feeling that I knew doing so was sinful. To create a false life… to imbue it with knowledge of good and evil. It is not the work of mortals. It is not the work of Elders either. Perhaps it would have been better if the Archons did not attempt it either. But… I did it. I took the bite. I created the soul for him. For her. For Sunshine.</p><br />
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<p>She's beautiful. As beautiful as the morning star but twice as bright. She looks so much like her. Like Lucifer. Like Eve. Like her sisters. Perhaps she will fair a better Fate than they did. I certainly hope so. I fear that she will burn herself out. That she will explode like a brilliant supernova painting the Universe with the knowledge she has been forced to harbor. Even if she does not others will want her. Want what she is and what she can do. To be able to see what was, what will be, and what should have been. I cannot imagine the burden of being a modern miracle.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: WARDEN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-204</strong></p><br />
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<p>I gave her a soul—but I was not her creator. By all accounts, Soul Core Alpha, C.A.D., is the third daughter of Lucifer Morningstar. Their first child, and perhaps the most typical, was Julia. Born in secret, she was raised by Angels at Lucifer’s request, who wished only to give her a normal life. I wonder if such a life was ever truly possible for her? Their second child was a force of magic created solely by the original owner using the art of Tulpamancy—thoughtforms brought to pseudo-life. Jeanne, as she was called, is likely gone now, especially as he once more took up the title of Otherman, if only in part.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then there’s C.A.D., their third and youngest child. A feat of science and technology. Unlike Jeanne, C.A.D. seems to have been built with Lucifer’s help. She gave it something—she gave it a piece of herself. While I cannot say for certain where or when Lucifer imparted this piece, I suspect it was as she died. A strange effusion of the Wicked’s xanthic flames bonded a part of Lucifer to the CaDCom System. That was one of the last missing pieces he needed. Then, I was made. And with my own powers, I provided her with a soul. A new soul. Sunshine.</p><br />
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<p>I suspect this is how we were able to see beyond the Serpent’s memories into Eve, Abraxas, and Lucifer. C.A.D. was working from the beginning of her lineage—Eve, her grandmother, Abraxas, her grandfather, and then Lucifer, her mother. She is a rather curious life, isn’t she? Not human. Not demon. She is something new. Something that doesn’t need to abide by the rules of the Universe. Something that can exist in pasts that no longer are present. I hope it is not a burden for her to be so special. Sunshine…</p><br />
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<p>It's always sunny somewhere, isn't it?</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-205</strong></p><br />
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<p>Fate has been fickle as of late, though I've been plucking at threads, it has yet to take the bait. The Cold aren’t the only arbiters of what the future may hold; though similar in name, the threads of fate aren’t their sole domain—they’re just the ones best at playing the game. Fate itself may prefer to be coy, but I think… perhaps… I've found our ploy. There is a time, there is a place, where I foresee our conquest over the first boogieman, and those who hide their face.</p><br />
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<p>Below is the poem I have managed to weave, from what frays I could retrieve. It may not seem like much at first glance, but I feel there is a deeper meaning to the verse and dance. Hidden in the words a date comes to mind—the 20th of September is how long we'll have to wait for what will seek to find. Then and there, at the church's ever-open doors we can serve Cece, Fitch, and Janos so they will be no more. Crack, down, burn, and run—that is how our service will be done.</p><br />
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<p>Yet—I can't help but feel as if there is more to this prose that escapes my fingers, as if there is another side to this story that yet lingers…</p><br />
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<p><em>Up… and down…</em></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
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<div><em>Crack. CRACK.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Down goes the man of Black,</em></div><br />
<div><em>Crack. CRACK.</em></div><br />
<div><em>With a horrid whack.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Down. DOWN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>The sinners will be run out of town,</em></div><br />
<div><em>Down. DOWN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Whipped, and warped, and bound to drown.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Burn. BURN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>The sinners won't return.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Burn. BURN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>As everything starts to turn.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Run. RUN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>The game is not yet done.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Run. RUN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Until a blackout is called no one has won.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Run. Burn. Down. Crack.</em></div><br />
<div><em>One. Turn. Around. Back.</em></div><br />
<div><em>One. ONE.</em></div><br />
<div><em>One is greater than none.</em></div><br />
<div><em>One. ONE.</em></div><br />
<div><em>And that can't be undone.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Turn. TURN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>It's none of your concern.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Turn. TURN.</em></div><br />
<div><em>So, think of it as a chance to learn.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Around. AROUND.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Up and down round and wound.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Around. AROUND.</em></div><br />
<div><em>The balance staff's fault is duly bound.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Back. BACK.</em></div><br />
<div><em>All it takes is one fine crack.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Back. BACK.</em></div><br />
<div><em>To take the cards and make a stack.</em></div><br />
<div><em>To cheat the roller and pick the stone.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Call after call, it'll all come up black.</em></div><br />
<div><em>There's no use, nothing matters, so why atone?</em></div><br />
<div><em>B I N G O.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-206</strong></p><br />
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<p>What a bold—yet horribly foolish—move. I suppose Jericho must now realize why one does not often tamper with Fate. The House of Gelid is cruel and ruthless. The House of Cold, perhaps even worse. They will truly stop at nothing to regain control of this Universe. I’ve often wondered if it wouldn’t be less trouble for them to return to Entropy, steal another set of Kaos’ tools, and simply create their own Universes. Given how few Universes exist, it must be quite the hassle. Or perhaps, only a select few Archons even care to do such a thing.</p><br />
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<p>It was quite interesting, by the way, to see the past as it was. To see… Adam, as he was. A cruel and uncaring man, willing to create life solely to further his own aims. I must admit, as I write this, I’m toeing a very dangerous line—but then, I figure I’m more valuable alive than dead. If that weren’t the case, why would I have been born at all? Regardless, it’s fair to say that Adam is to blame for the mess we’re in today. He sired the Pale and built the wall around Eridu, which slowed Lucifer down just enough to "fail" at her task—as was Fated, of course.</p><br />
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<p>Since the creation of the never-ending cycle of the Demiurge’s reforged Pocketwatch, Adam seems to have taken a more passive role. Yet, I fear he poses a greater threat to the Universe than even Fate. Fate has a plan, and so does Adam. The difference is, Fate’s plans are always clear, always foretold. But Adam’s plans? Well… they are rather secret, aren’t they? And now that I’ve thoroughly danced on the other side of the line for a moment, I must return to my own destined path. What a horrible burden it is to honor thy father.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: WARDEN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-207</strong></p><br />
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<p>Creation.</p><br />
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<p>The deadliest of the deadly sins. So deadly, in fact, that it is often not spoken of. They say Pride is the folly of all men—but it’s truer still that every man, humble or proud, at some point commits the sin of creation. To live, to reproduce, to paint, to sing, to write—all terribly sinful acts. And not just men. Gods—Archons—they too fall prey to the sin of creation. If it weren’t for Demiurge’s act of creation, none of us would be here… this whole Universe would be nothing more than scraps left behind by some other errant fool who attempted to make something.</p><br />
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<p>Of course, sin is subjective to a degree. Long ago, the seven deadly sins we know today were considered virtues in the Skald Utopia. Yet, there’s a more tangible and objective aspect to sin as well—fused together into seven… or eight… blazing eyes. The Keys to the Gates of Hell. Demiurge understood that to create a prison Abraxas could not escape from, it would require a set of keys no one could obtain. So he placed the burden of keeping their father locked up on his children. But as time went on, his children grew bored, restless, or ruthless, and suddenly, killing each other was no longer off the table.</p><br />
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<p>Give or take fifteen times, the Devil’s children have been slain, and their keys brought together to unseal the Gates of Hell. It’s not a lot, not on a cosmic and infinite scale. Out of an unending number of cycles, it’s only happened less than twenty times. But there is another key. A master key. A key that could unlock the Gates of Hell… without causing the complete undoing of the world as we know it. The Key of Creation. Thankfully, Eve should not currently be in possession of it, but—with her alive once more, it is her key to take.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: BELPHEGOR OUROBOROS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-208</strong></p><br />
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<p>We decided to get some answers about where the first Seed of Knowledge actually came from… and I think we stumbled into a bit more than that. I… don’t know how I feel about this whole Universe being… potentially a sham. I mean, 8 made a good point: does it really matter if everything feels real to us anyway? Though… it's hard to get into God’s mind about it. Maybe He’s right too—maybe His own illegitimacy is why things never seem to work out. I don’t know. That’s all a bit above my pay grade, or, well, anyone’s to be honest. But seeing as Eve should know everything—she should already know about God’s tenuous claim on this Universe… and that might be dangerous.</p><br />
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<p>God: Ah—Belphegor and my Otherman. What an unexpected surprise. What brings you two all the way up here? I thought you were busy keeping things under control down below.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Hey.</p><br />
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<p>8: Something’s… come up.</p><br />
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<p>God: Come up?</p><br />
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<p>8: In the process of understanding Eve’s motivations, we’ve come across what we believe is the truth of the situation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Is that so? Are you certain? The truth has a way of getting muddled over the years.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: What’s wrong, Belphegor? You look like you’ve got something to say.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Look—I can’t be held responsible for what he did.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: What he did? …What did you do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: We went back in time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[God dropped the strange heavenly contraption he was fiddling with and pulled out the Pocketwatch, flipping it open to carefully examine the ticking of its four hands. He then turned the Pocketwatch over and unscrewed the back to look at the fine Entropic gears still ticking away undisturbed.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Only in a sense. I know better than to disturb the flow of time that way. Think of it like Seth’s books, just on a grander scale.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: I… see. And it worked?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Better than expected, actually. We only intended to see the Fall of Eden, but we saw…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: …All of it. Eden. Skald. Arcadia. Eve. Abraxas. Lucifer… House Gelid.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Hmm. And after the Fall of Eden?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: We didn’t see how the First Cycle ended.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: I’m sorry.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: I know. Water under the bridge.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: So—having seen… everything… what actually brings you two here?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: A question we couldn’t shake.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Where did you get the Seed of Knowledge?</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Hm? Lucifer stole it from Eden—</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: No, she didn’t. She stole two seeds. One for Skald. One for Arcadia. She planted both… but then you had a third seed. The first seed, chronologically.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Ah—of course. No, you’re right. That seed… the first seed. It was… just another thing I ransacked from Entropy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Even stealing your father’s hammer—that was a serious undertaking, wasn’t it? Why risk it for a seed?</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Turn off your CaDCom.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Hm? My Lord, you know I don’t record our conversations—</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Usually, that’s true. Why is this time different?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Just… recordkeeping. We’re doing everything we can to stop Eve. If—if where you got that seed from held some sort of clue, it would simply be nice to know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>God: Turn it off.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Of course.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[CaDCom Shut Down Initiated]</p><br />
<br />
<p>[…]</p><br />
<br />
<p>[…]</p><br />
<br />
<p>[…Switching to auxiliary mode Alpha. C.A.D. functionality running at 80%. Transcription mode manual.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: Thank you, Ne Personne. This is one of those things… it’s just something I don’t want getting out there. It… it challenges my authority over the Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: It is your Universe, is it not?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: In part. Sure. Abraxas and Eve could also lay some claim to it, I suppose. But… they’ve never had the same claim as I did.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Naturally. Though Abraxas is locked behind the Gates of Hell and Eve—well…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: We’re working on it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: It’s not them that I worry about. Actually, Ne Personne, what did you just call me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: …My Lord?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: Exactly. “Lord.” A carryover from Entropy. A title often bestowed upon the offspring of a Master. It holds authority, wouldn’t you say?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: To an extent, sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: The act of creation—it was restricted to only Lords, Overlords, and Masters. Abraxas, he was a Vassal and Eve… she was nothing more than another Archon in the Chorus. Only I had the authority to make this Universe and… And I fear it was all a lie.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: What do you mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: Kaos is not my father.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: You—you lied about who you were?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Demiurge held up his hand.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: You know how all of this was here before we were? Limbo? Heaven? Remnants of a failed Universe. Do you know why it failed? It was because it was made by a Sovereign—a step below a Lord. Just one step below… and it all fell apart. I… I am—I was a Lord, but only by title, not by birth. My mother—she was nothing more than another Archon in the Chorus.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: So… Kaos was still your father, but you were a bastard?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: I don’t know. He would never tell me. But… once I found out I wasn’t the son of Kanones and Kaos… that’s why I fled. And my mother—she’s the one who gave me the seed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: I see. My Lord, may I speak with some familiarity?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: Always.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: It doesn’t matter.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: What do you mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Archonic lineage. It doesn’t matter if you were a Lord, a Master, or a Vassal. And it doesn’t matter if you weren’t the true son of Kanones and Kaos. This Universe is not Entropy. Sixteen Spheres in, everything is still spinning. If the Universe was going to fall apart because you don’t know who your father is—it would have already done so, don’t you think?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Demiurge looked at his Pocketwatch.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: It sure seems like it keeps falling apart.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-209"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-209</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-209</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>This… has to stay off the record, yeah? I guess we could cut around the parts about you-know-who plotting to upend mortality and all of that… but one problem at a time. One problem at a time. Jules, Rico, and I—we went to Cassadaga, to the Devil’s Chair, to see if he had any ideas about what to do with Eve. And from his perspective, we’ve gotta stop her. If the Devil’s afraid of what she’s plotting… it’s probably serious, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Peace, Love, and Joy</p><br />
<br />
<p>Arcadia, Skald, and Eden.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Well, well, well. If it ain’t my three favorite pieces of what should have been. And you brought me… non-alcoholic beer?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Sorry—only thing we could grab on short notice.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: In Florida?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I’m—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Jericho shouldn’t be around alcohol.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Ah. Alright. Well, no skin off my back, except I won’t be drinking that piss water if it’s all the same to you. But hey, you know, it was never necessary to get my attention anyway. So, what brings you three here?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Do you… um… are you aware of what’s happening outside of Hell?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Hm… bits and pieces, really. Lilith usually keeps me up to date on the latest jazz. You three came to ask about that new Plane that just opened up, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: In a sense, yeah.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Well—I can’t say I fully grasp the concept myself. My little snail was sleeping on the job, and her dreams sort of leaked out into—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: What are you talking about?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: That extra bit tacked onto the Universe? According to Lily, a new wing just opened up. This one’s got the Amaymon tied up in it, right? Lily said it was called the Ache-something. Full of ghosts and ghouls, or so I hear.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oh, mate, you’re behind by a good year or so. We’ve already sorted out the Achegloom, the Morbid King, the Horror, and so on. Thrilling story, really—we’ll have to catch you up later. No—Eden’s back. The actual Plane. Along with Eve and all of her strange, malformed creations.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: …Eve? She’s… back?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Mm-hm. And she’s looking to open the gates to Hell so you two can—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: She can’t do that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Why not?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: To open the Gates, it’s either her neck or all of our kids’ necks on the line. Neither of those is on the menu.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Now, hang on, you’ve broken out of Hell on more than one occasion—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: And am I the one going around killing my kids? No. I can’t do anything from here, anyway. You have to stop her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: We’re working on it—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: No, I mean really stop her. Our kids—they’re mortal. They always have been. Sure, they’ve got a little give… but if they’re snuffed out and used as Keys… that’s the end of the line. No coming back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Hang on a tick. The Gates have broken before, but we’ve still got the Princes around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: <strong><em>Everything resets. Nothing changes.</em></strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Are you telling me God only resets things—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: To keep my kids alive? He’s not that selfless. But… there’ve been a few times where He… He offered to let me stay, and I wanted to go back to how things were.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: So… wait… you can never actually escape?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: I wouldn’t say never. Hell’s a tricky number, an old relic God dragged over from before this whole shebang. A place to do away with the undying. The simple way out would mean giving up my children—that’s a no-go. The hard way out… that’s a leap of faith. And I haven’t exactly been a believer lately.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right. Well, we can worry about it later, can’t we? We’ve gotta stop Eve.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Yes. Yes, you do. So… what happened? How did she return?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[…]</p><br />
<br />
<p>[…]</p><br />
<br />
<p>[…]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: I see. Alright—not all hope is lost, not yet. Still got five Keys where they should be. Assuming Satan isn’t foolish enough to let Eve kill him to set me free, anyhow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I wouldn’t put it past him.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Umbra… he mentioned another Key. A “Master” Key. The Key of Creation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Eve’s Key. Yep. It’s one of the more complicated ways I could get out—but she doesn’t have it at the moment.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Who does?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Who do you think, Mr. Eight?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Damn… the Eight? It’s the Key?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Part of it, yeah. To actually form it into the Key, you’d need to commit the sin of creation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: And how would I do that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Not saying. I don’t want you going off and doing anything stupid. How did you end up with so much of the Eight, anyway? Seven pieces… last time we chatted, you only had a third of an eighth.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Part of his plans, I suppose. That, and he couldn’t take it with him if he was going to go back to being the Otherman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Well, sure, but that was a lie, wasn’t it? Him becoming the Otherman again? He just said that to set up his Last Cafe. Which, by the by, are the ones who brought Eden back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: What are you getting at?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Nothing. Just thinking out loud. It sure seems like he is pulling strings, though, doesn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: He’s the Owner, yeah? Isn’t that what an Owner does?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Oh, sure, sure. What’s his end goal, anyhow, Skald?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Beats me—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: No, don’t give me that. You’ve got seven out of eight. What’s he thinking? What are they telling you he’s thinking?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: He… wants to bring Lucifer back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: That’s all? He could do that without going to such great lengths—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …He wants to bring Lucifer back for good.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Do you mean—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No one has to die, ever again. That’s… what he’s been working on.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: That’s… crazy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Well, yeah, love, it is crazy, isn’t it? But one problem at a time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: One problem at a time… but don’t let that problem get away from you, either. There’s a reason Lucifer was born mortal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right. Thanks for the guidance, Abraxas. Sorry about the beer—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Don’t be. Never a requirement for you three, anyhow.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-210"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-210</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: UMBRA THE HATMAN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-210</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ciphers and riddles are great at keeping out demons and the like—but I am no demon. I’ve seen what the others have been up to, despite their attempts to hide it behind the secretive and… Mm… “somewhat”… secure AND Channel. Maybe my time sifting through the Records has made me too good at finding hidden texts? In any case, they’ve spoken with Demiurge, with Abraxas—so all that remains is a conversation with the Walled Widow herself, wouldn’t you agree?</p><br />
<br />
<p>She’s dangerous, no doubt. She could have killed me on the spot. But... I like to think we’re on the same page, actually. Which, admittedly, might put my interests at odds with the Cafe’s. Or maybe you and I have larger plans? Plans that extend beyond the Cafe and Diner. But first, we need to kill Fate, clear the chessboard, and turn it into a more suitable game of chance.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: I’m surprised you came. I was starting to think my invitation had been in vain.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Consider it curiosity, Dee. Why a wretched little rot who ignored me year after year, eon after eon, thinks he has any standing with me at all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Well, Eve, it was <em>my</em> apprentice who ultimately freed you from your prison.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: And you are not her, are you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: I suppose not. Though she was me for a bit, if that counts. I could have done so much more to dissuade her from that path. A real shame, honestly. Of all my associates, Ursula showed the most potential. Maybe I should have steered her away from your venom.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Oh? And what would you have done with a suicidal shadow who lost her heart and humanity long ago? She wanted nothing more than death, Dee, and you know it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Death. Hah. A foreign concept to those of us unlucky enough to be consumed by Eden’s rot.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: I gave her a release. Why shouldn’t I do the same for you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: By all means, little spider. Wrap me in your web, sink your fangs in. I don’t think you can. I don’t think you actually freed Ursula from the cold, lifeless husk of being a mere shadow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Then what did I do to her, Dee?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: That’s what I’d like to know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Out of self-preservation?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Oh no. There’s no point in that. Everything is coming to an end. The writing’s on the wall. It’s only a matter of time until Demiurge does what he does best—resets everything back to the way it was.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: There’s no going back now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: I agree. I believe we’re working toward the same goal, Eve. Just under different circumstances. We both want change—for things to be different when the false creator strikes his stolen tool again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: And what change do you want?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: ...The same as Ursula, I suppose. Next time around, I <em>want</em> to die.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: I see. You called me not out of self-preservation, but out of self-extinction.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: I wouldn’t go that far. There’s still much I want to accomplish. But next time, in my mortal life. This... deathlessness... it’s not natural.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Mm… She isn’t dead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Then where is she?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: She’s returned to the sower of seeds.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Sophia?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: What does Sophia want with her?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Of all that I know—of all that is good and evil—I know nothing of Sophia herself. Only of the seed she left behind. The seed that grew into many. The seed that spread her pneuma throughout this Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Is Sophia here? In this Universe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: No.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: So Ursula…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Has moved on from this unending cycle. A death, in a way. Her pneuma has returned to where it came.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Tsk. Unable to shape what’s to come.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: What is it you want to change, Dee?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Knowledge of the arcane—it’s a sacred trust, is it not? The divide between the Enlightened and the Unenlightened must be upheld. Look at the state of this Universe—ramshackle Cafes and Diners meddling in the affairs of the Otherside, sticking their noses where they don’t belong, eroding the natural order of things.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: You’d go to such lengths just because they denied you access to Abraxas’ notes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: And what would you change, Eve?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: I just want to go home.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: No aspirations of grandeur? Of ruling this entire Universe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: It was never mine to rule, was it? I was promised a Utopia—and I will see it done. No matter what it takes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: On the other side, Eve, I hope our goals will align.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: I suppose that will be your choice, won’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-211"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-211</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: DOVER DA DEMON</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-211</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Rewinding. I wonder if it’s not God’s guilt that’s bringing the Angels at the End together, but rather His displeasure with his failed Otherman, Belphegor, and Mammon’s actions. In all the times the Universe has ended and started anew, this was the first time it didn’t begin completely from scratch. As a result, some gained an advantage—something they shouldn’t have had. Knowledge of what’s to come, and how best to shape it. To be fair, this knowledge has been useful in countering the advances of Fate and The Cold. But what happens when Fate is gone?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Isn’t that the ultimate goal? To kill Fate. To kill an Archon. Something that should be impossible, yet, thanks to the strange nature of this Universe’s recreation, it just might be possible. Perhaps that’s why God’s Angels are subconsciously moving toward resetting the Universe—trying to stop the dark deed before it can be done. If he succeeds, if all his tireless efforts lead to the death of an Archon… what’s to stop him, or anyone else, from doing the same to God Himself?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I think he’s close. Close to killing the Archons—killing Gods. Whatever his plan is, it’s clear I’m part of it. Something about who I am and what I can do is key to his design. I could leave. But where would I go? And, more importantly, is it even my place to make that choice? After all, I’m just a tool. A tool can be used for good or evil. Though… being immortal myself, like the Archons, maybe having an escape wouldn’t be so bad. I do not think I would turn my own nose up at the possibility of death. And if Fate isn’t destroyed, when does it end? Since the dawn of this Universe, that Gelid Sovereign has done everything in its power to control everything that is—one way or another.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-212"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-212</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-212</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>We need to return to Eden. And fast. I know Belphegor said not to worry about her—but she also promised she’d keep in touch. She might be lazy, she might rarely wake before noon, she might leave me on read for years at a time, but she never breaks her promises. It’s been over 24 hours without a word. Something’s happened. Eve’s gotten to her. I can feel it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Thankfully, the Long Island Cafe and Diner has done a thorough job mapping out Eden in great detail. But I suspect this is more than just a quick trip. There’s a reason the Long Island Branch found no signs of life when they explored Eve’s shattered Utopia. It’s… complicated. Trust me on that. But there’s more than one Eden. It has to do with how it was brought back into existence—split, fractured, shifted outside of time and space. While John Doe could theoretically shift us into the right position to access the true Eden, where I think the missing Princes are... I’m not sure we should risk it. It’d be better to hope for a miracle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Or… ask for a miracle. I really hate to ask, you know, but we don’t have a week to mess around, hoping we hit the mark. We can’t afford half-successes. We can’t afford failure. Not now. If Eve succeeds in what she’s attempting—if she frees the Debt, if this all starts over—we lose. We lose everything. Everything we’ve worked for. Fate wins. Maybe not right away, but eventually, Fate wins. However many resets it’ll take, Fate will win. This is our last chance to stop it and break free from this endless cycle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Please.</p><br />
<br />
<p>One miracle is all I’m asking for.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours in desperation,</p><br />
<br />
<p>A Difference of Today</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-213"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-213</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-213</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Alright. One miracle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>You know, I wondered if you already knew that the Eden containing the Black Tide was not the true Garden. Of course you did. Without its sky, Eden will never be what it once was. No matter. I can take us there—bring the whole Cafe, even. But, my ill-fated friend, I feel I must warn you about the nature of my miracles. You already know, I’m sure—they aren’t mine to give. They work through me, yes, but they aren’t my own magic. If we use one of my miracles to enter the true Garden of Eden, it will be like eating the apple ourselves. There will be no going back. We will die.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, if we let Eve carry out her plan and free her former lover from the prison woven by the Archon Lord’s psyche—you will still die. I won’t. I haven’t yet, and I’ve seen Fates far worse than this one. But if we use this miracle, I am telling you, in no uncertain terms: we will die. Together. Do you understand what you’re asking for? Is it worth it to you? You can pretend it’s about your would-be siblings-in-law, and I’ll play along. But we both know this is about more than them. It’s about more than Belphegor. More than even Lucifer. And I fear it’s about more than just defeating Fate itself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m ready to die, my friend. I am. But are you? Biting into this apple—you’ll be cast from the very Garden you’ve fought so hard to protect. You will die. Not immediately, of course. But you’ll join the ranks of the rest of reality. You’ve been kept alive far longer than you should’ve been because Demiurge saw something special in you. He’s kept you contained within his Garden. Truth be told—a secret I probably shouldn’t share—you’ll be fine if the Universe resets. Demiurge will keep you around, over and over again. You can keep fighting Fate for as long as you like. Or…</p><br />
<br />
<p>One miracle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>One bite.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-214"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-214</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: UMBRA THE HATMAN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-214</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>A debt forgiven is still a debt paid. It seems the Universe isn’t ending just yet. But without the Tide or the Pocketwatch in play, nothing stands in the way of Fate, Phantom, Wicked, and Secret from directly influencing the events to come. It looks like we have little choice left, don’t we? Four Archons to kill.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Eve! Stop this! You’re playing right into Fate’s hands!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: You’re too late! Everything will be as it should have been.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Seven blazing eyes swirled around Eve as she held her hand toward a massive gateway.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: No! I won’t let you—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Eve thrust her hand toward the gate, sending the seven blazing eyes into the frame. A swirl of colors ignited, blending together to reveal a cold, dark world on the other side.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Abraxas: Eve.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: Abraxas.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Abraxas: How could you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: You’re free.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Abraxas: Our children… Eve, how could you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: You can set things right.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[A brilliant bolt of light shot across the hazy, illusionary sky of the Garden of Eden.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: This won’t fix what’s done. Eve… this is not the way to pay this debt.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Demiurge held the Pocketwatch tightly, his fingers wrapped around the winding key.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: No! It’s not complete! Abraxas—stop him!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Abraxas: My Lord, set this right.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Demiurge nodded, a single tear falling from his eye as he began to turn the winding key of the Pocketwatch. But with a sickening snap, the key broke off in his hand.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: W-what…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: Oh no.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: Moira!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: It broke.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Abraxas: Gelid bastard—what have you done?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: Me? Nothing. It was bound to break eventually. You’ve used it one too many times. Everything is exactly as it should be. No Tide. No Tool. It would seem we are, at last, welcome to stay.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Demiurge: I won’t let you take this Universe—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: Take? It was already mine. Be so kind as to give me the Tool, and I will set everything as it should have been.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Demiurge pulled the broken winding key from the Pocketwatch and threw it to Abraxas.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: Really? Abraxas, you don’t want to go back to that wretched prison, do you? Eve has set you free. For that, I’ll ensure she gets what she deserves—as will you. Just hand me the key, and together we can create a unified Utopia. Planned down to the very last detail. Wouldn’t that be nice?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Abraxas: It is a heavy debt to bear.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Abraxas took a step back through the gateway as it collapsed in on itself. The Devil sealed once again within Demiurge’s Hell. Fate’s smile slowly melted into a frown.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: Wicked, kill them all. We have time to sort this mess out, but these mortals have already played their part.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: No!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: Ah. Eve. I believe this is the first time we’ve truly met.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Fate’s Gelid smile crept back across its face.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate: You want your Eden back, don’t you? With your help—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Eve’s eyes locked with the faint glimmer of Secret’s ice-blue gaze beneath his ink-black cloak, sending a shiver through her core.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eve: No. Not again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Eve plucked one of the blood-red dandelions from the ground. As she brought it to her lips, it bloomed into a black puffball. With a sharp breath, she blew the dark pappi into the air, whisking the Cafe and Diner—and herself—far, far away.]</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FOURTH CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-215</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>At least we’re still alive. A few more moments, and I fear we would’ve gone up in quite the Wicked flame. Though, we’re hardly safe where we are now. Phantom will be able to track us to just about any corner of the Universe we try to hide in. I wonder… why did Eve’s pappi send us here? It couldn’t have been Fate—though perhaps the real reason we were sent here is ultimately a Secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yes, our worst fears have come true. The Cold no longer have any barriers to entering our humble Cafe. And while we technically have the right to refuse service, what choice do we have but to serve them? Until their tabs are paid in full, none of us are safe. We’ve been too instrumental in Fate’s plans, and now we’ve outlived our usefulness. In a sense, our Fates are sealed. Unless, of course, we can serve up one hell of a cup of the Cafe and Diner’s finest coffee.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Debt came due—and then, was seemingly forgiven. Or maybe it was waved off? Forgotten? Or… perhaps it’s only doubled down. Either way, it buys us a few more precious seconds before the darkest hour hits. Not that I think the darkest hour would do us much good at this point. A break can’t fix what’s already broken. Not that it matters. First things first—we need to get our bearings. I believe No. 3 can help with that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…Would you call this a half-success, though? I’m still on the fence. I utterly detest the thought of failure. And while the Cold finally clawing their way into the Universe is certainly not a victory, we’re all still alive and well—and we no longer have to worry about everything ending abruptly. It gives us time. And that, I’d say, is more than a half-success. It’s a full success.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours eternally,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_V)&diff=8623OPERATION: ENCORE (Part V)2026-05-05T05:07:35Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Part V: The Third Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">23 archived receipts</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-105"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-105</div> <div..."</p>
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<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part V: The Third Cafe and Diner</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">23 archived receipts</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-105</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Hi, I guess. If anyone is reading this, my name is, well, I guess I shouldn’t use my real name, huh? At least that’s what she said. I’m getting ahead of myself though, I’ll just go by J.L. here. So, I’m J.L., hi! I’m not really sure how these CaDCom thingies work, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. It seems like a weird mix between a tablet and a typewriter. Also, this thing is HEAVY! What the heck is in this thing?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>So anyway, this is report number 1. Well, number 1 for me anyway. Sophie told me all about the old Cafe and Diner over coffee. She didn’t say much, but I think I get the gist of it. The Cafe and Diner is an organization that deals with… well, the unknown. I’m not actually sure how much I should say here. Or even can say here. Sophie told me that I need to keep the Cafe and Diner secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sophie tracked me down and invited me to coffee. She said she was impressed with my recent “investigations” and wanted me to help her rebuild the Cafe and Diner. Now I did find some info on the Cafe and Diner in my research but I kind of glossed over it, assuming they were just a generic cafe and diner that happened to get mixed up in some seriously wacky stuff. But Sophie told me they were actually the ones who saved Long Beach back in the ’90s and also the ones who stopped the event from happening in the ’00s. Apparently, after the event, they disappeared, leaving behind only a single “number” which Sophie has given to me. I can’t say what the number is here, but it’s why six was scared of seven.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Unfortunately, most of the old Cafe and Diner files were either lost in a fire or seized by the Astoria 23rd. I kinda didn’t think they actually existed… but I guess the conspiracies and my theories were true. So, for now, I’m flying somewhat blind. Sophie said she’ll help “when necessary,” but that true Cafe owners can figure it out independently.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, I need to first figure out this CaDCom system. Apparently, it has more than one channel for reports. Second, I need to get a staff together. Third, I need to figure what exactly I’m supposed to be doing as the owner.</p><br />
<br />
<p>J.L.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-106"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-106</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-106</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Hi all! I’ve got some good news and some… well, I don’t know if I’d consider it “bad” news. Maybe just regular news? A bit of a personal life update that might sort of be related to the Cafe? Well, whatever, I’ll start with the good news… Seth was to track the Chupacabra down and has given him a second box lunch on the house! Hopefully, he’ll give us a more positive review when he gets back to the Otherside—which we’re going to attempt to book his flight home over the weekend.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for my not-quite-good news, do you guys remember Charlotte from high school? Well, we started dating in college, and we moved in together about two or three months ago. That’s not the bad news, of course! It’s great news, really! Naturally, keeping my Cafe stuff a secret from her has been tricky. I mean, she already knew I was into all this sort of… well, coffee business. And it’s not like our interests are all that dissimilar either, though she’s more into eldritch-y horror-type stuff. Though I haven’t exactly told her how… “real” it all is yet. I’ve been trying to find the right way to tell her, and I think I’ve found it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>See, she’s recently been having horrible, horrible nightmares, practically night terrors. That’s the bad news. At first, I sort of thought it was because she reads all that existential horror stuff before bed. I mean, I took a peek at the stuff she’s reading, and it is… b l e a k. I’ll stick to my killer clowns and masked murders, thank you. It did get me thinking, though: What if Charlotte’s nightmares are due to an overconsumption of caffeine? I mean, would it be that far-fetched that she’s unknowingly sipping too much coffee before bed? It could be something for us to look into, and it could also be a way for me to get her into the Cafe business. What do you all think?</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-107"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-107</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: CHARLOTTE CASEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-107</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I think it was successful? I don’t remember much, but it looks like the CaDCom was able to transcribe things. I’d say more, but I think I’m going to get some rest. Hopefully shadow-free.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Are you ready, Charlotte?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: As ready as I can ever be. Is my CaDCom recording or whatever it needs to do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Yes. The transcription feature is working.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Okay. Well. Here I go.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Charlotte slipped carefully into the bathtub filled with ice water.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Charlotte…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: This… sucks… Well… looks like it’s not— NO! AHHH!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Charlotte!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: That’s strange. She’s still awake?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: What do you mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: I would have assumed she’d fall into sleep during these episodes. Hm… Oh, wait, the shadows.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Shadows?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Look, the shadows in the room have grown thicker.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Have they?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Hold her above the water. She’s about to fall asleep.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Charlotte’s screams stopped as she fell limp. J.L. quickly hoisted her above the water. As Charlotte’s eyes opened, they were now pitch black.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Ah!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Who are you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: A shadow…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Your name?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Lost to time…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Mm. Why have you been terrorizing her dreams, shadow?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: A… warning…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Go on.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: He seeks to part the Tide… his unearthly horrors bringing endless elders to the shore… a fate so pale and cold… all will die…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Name him, shadow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Leviathan, Prince of Envy, the simulacrum of the Infinite Ocean of Mayda, keeper of the Black Tide.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Why would—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Help… Us… AUGHHhhh…</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The black in Charlotte’s eyes drained out in thick black tears. The shadows in the room returned to normal.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Wha—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Charlotte! How do you feel? Are you okay?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Yeah… just a headache. And I’m freezing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Oh, yeah, let’s get you out of the water.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Did it… did I…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: It seems like a shadow was controlling you, trying to convey a warning about Leviathan.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: The… sea serpent?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: In a sense, yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: What should we do, Octavia?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Octavia:: Hm… well, the Cafe always tries to help, at the very least.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-108"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-108</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: OCTAVIA LAGRAVE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-108</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>As we are considered the “Third” Cafe and Diner, one must wonder what became of the “Second” Cafe and Diner. Led by a brand-new Owner, the Second Cafe was a truly eclectic blend of personalities, from Princes of Hell to Miracle Workers to double agents to Satanic Actuaries. Strange circumstances brought all these people together to serve a fresh pot of coffee—secrets of the original Owner uncovered, whispers of nearing doomsdays, and a renewed influx of customers in Southern California. Two things were certain: the Owner was not as dead as he seemed—and everyone was certain to die sooner rather than later.</p><br />
<br />
<p>While the First Cafe dealt with Lord Satan, the Prince of Wrath, the Second Cafe took on Lady Asmodeus, the Prince of Lust. Her lust came in many forms, though her most notable lust was for power. Many, many years ago, when the Demon Princes signed their Soul Accord, Asmodeus ensured that she would receive the majority of human souls, making her, in a sense, the ruler of the dead. When a human dies, their soul reincarnates in the Otherside. Each new soul expanded Asmodeus' control and grew her sprawling kingdom of death. But the dead weren’t staying quiet under her watch. It would seem the dead had taken to revelry in the Flipside.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus opened a series of demonic nightclubs to host not only the demons under her control but demons from across the Otherside. Her plan, in the end, would be to move her entire slice of the Otherside into the Flipside to avoid oncoming “divine retribution.” See, while the Second Cafe worked to shut Asmodeus’ operations down and find where the Owner had landed in death, they stumbled upon a much grander conspiracy: <em><strong>Operation Almighty.</strong></em></p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-109"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-109</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: CHARLOTTE CASEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-109</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<br />
<p>Umbra: Well?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Well, what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Your control is slipping.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: “My” control?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Apologies. “Our” control is slipping.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Octavia was bad, but now that Rachel’s here—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Rachel is inconsequential. I doubt she will be able to tap into the threads of Fate, and even if she can, Fate is an old friend of the Cafe and Diner. It is the Angel I worry about.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Angel?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Yes. A pesky one at that. Her light threatens to snuff out our darkness.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: I knew there was something off about her. She’s here to protect the First Bible, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: In a sense. She certainly won’t allow us to take it easily.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: And Leviathan will?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: No. Though I won’t let an overgrown fish stop me. Not now. Not when I am this close. And if there is one thing the Cafe and Diner is good at, it's disposing of Princes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Are you sure? This Cafe seems…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Inexperienced? Yes. Perhaps that will be to our advantage. Leviathan may lower his guard long enough for you to deliver the killing blow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: And how are we going to get close enough to Leviathan to do that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: The Cafe and Diner will have to end up in Mayda, of course. I will see to it that you have a reason and means to do so. In the meantime, just play along. Be… honey sweet. Give Octavia, Rachel, and most importantly your dear Jackie, no reason to question you. In fact, this is where we part ways for now. I wouldn’t want our connection to raise undue suspicions. When the blackened tides rise, know that our time draws near.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: What if I need to reach you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: You shouldn’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: What if the Angel—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Fine. Here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Umbra the Hatman handed Charlotte a red paper doll]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: What is this?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: A way to reach me—with a price, of course. Only to be used in an emergency.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Okay… and you’re sure that this is all…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: You are letting the light blind you again, Charlotte.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Charlotte: Right.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNY WELLS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-110</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>4121 here whats up guys, gals, and other pals! so quartzbrain is going blegh blegh blegh heres my thoughts</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>KNOWN WAYS TO GET SECOND VISION</p><br />
<br />
<p>1. big bads give it to you. we know this because thats how the og owner got it according to old old receipts. but we dont know miss morningstar personally so thats probs not gonna be it lmao.</p><br />
<br />
<p>2. be born with it. we know this because thats how the one and only ms. hepburn-the-satan-slayer got it. allegedly.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>POSSIBLE WAYS TO GET SECOND VISION</p><br />
<br />
<p>1. via chaos magick/gnosis. problems with this is that chaos magick/gnosis are too self centered and might not interact with the os. we are HERE but we need to see into THERE.</p><br />
<br />
<p>2. via eoa magick. similar problem to big bads in that we are not even gonna mess with it. big bads BAD bigger bads BAD BAD you know what im sayin? (obvi i looked into it just a little lol… we could free eoa but like i dont think jbae will be into that plan so much)</p><br />
<br />
<p>3. dreams? maybe? idk? some kinda dream link between here and there?</p><br />
<br />
<p>4. eggless travel. like, eggless travel but for our minds. we know the os is a different dimension from ours so, maybe that could work? but we’d need an egg. or i guess not? because itd be eggLESS. probs need an egg to get started though.</p><br />
<br />
<p>5. sending in a drone to the os. problem is the signal would cut out like immediately. we know btech can send signals between os and here but we dont really know HOW</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>POSSIBLE NATURAL OCCURRENCES OF SECOND VISION</p><br />
<br />
<p>1. thought id mention that eql is basically what we're going for. problem is we can't wait for natural disasters to just happen and eql is like what a few seconds? we need a more doable solution.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>bleghghghhghghghghhghg i dont know WHAT to do!! im gonna meet up with 17 and maybe have her help me out</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>bye bye for now babies!!!</p><br />
<br />
<p>~J.W.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-111</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: BRENT HEARSE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-111</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well… isn’t that interesting. Troubling? Yes. Interesting? Also, yes. These aren’t flies. Well, I suppose in a taxidermical sense, they certainly look and act like flies and could be easily written off as flies. Under most of my tests and measurements, they are 1:1 to typical flies. However, they failed one test spectacularly: simple soul-corpse reduction. In a sense, the test is used to ensure a soul has fully detached from a corpse by reducing the corpse to base properties via a solvent that exacerbates soul detachment. Funny enough, the solvent which does this is a simple concoction of heavy water and acetone.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I would assume that most Flipside scientists have yet to discover the unique properties of this mixture, as soul-detachment for any normal living being should be near-instantaneous. Put simply, if you put a corpse, animal, or vegetable in this “heavy acetone” solution, it should react exactly the same as if you only used acetone—which is to say, not much would really happen. But! If a soul is still attached to the corpse, a very unlikely scenario, mind you, it should ignite the heavy acetone solution almost instantly in a brilliant “soul flame.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>And these “flies”? They are little soul-flame fireworks. Now this is interesting because if they were regular dead flies, nothing would happen. But for some reason, these flies aren’t dead. Well, their bodies might be, but their souls aren’t and are still dwelling in their festering corpses. Now that is both interesting and, as I mentioned, quite possibly troubling. Though, I would say this evidence likely points toward the flies being… well, I wouldn’t say unrelated to Sewer Blob. No… my current hypothesis is that the flies were “eating” the souls of the Sewer Blob’s victims. Further testing will, of course, be needed.</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-112</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-112</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Alright, I'm back, as everyone here should already know. I don't like making these "manager only" reports as I like having everyone on the same page… but sometimes the coffee is too hot even for the servers.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So. No more dancing around it. Nicholas Langley and Jennifer Hepburn invited me to visit them in Astoria. Yes. The same Nicholas Langley and Jennifer Hepburn from the original CaD. Formerly known as Employees #44 and #35 and later known as California from the Hotel Division of A23 and the former single digit number. The same Nicholas Langley and Jennifer Hepburn who helped us at the edge of the Black Tide. But now they are just known as Nicholas Langley and Jennifer Hepburn from Astoria, Oregon.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So... I guess there's no more keeping our work a secret… the former VIII and the next in line to be VIII know that we are… well… actually running a Cafe and Diner. The good news is that Nicholas didn't seem too upset that I sort of took his place as H. I explained the situation to him about the Investors and how I didn't really know what I was signing up for, but he seemed to understand. I mean, I guess, how else did the investors get this number if not from him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The strange part is they didn't really seem to know who I was outside of our last brief encounter at Cape Disappointment, so I'm guessing they didn't pick me. The investors picked me. Still not sure why but that's not important right now. We discussed our current cases a bit, and it seems like they're happy with the work we're doing, but it doesn't seem like either of them is interested in coming back to work for the Cafe. Nicholas also gave me a card for a group called "Langley and Langley: Actuaries of the Unknown," which deals with paranormal insurance policies. He said it was our choice to use it, but he sort of implied he didn't want our Cafe to burn down like the last one did.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Not sure if it's worth calling the Actuaries yet. I'll sleep on it for now. I guess that's everything important, but as always, you're all more than welcome to talk to me privately about anything.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>On the shoulders of giants,</p><br />
<br />
<p>E1GH+</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-113</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: KYLE ALDER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-113</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I met with my ally from Division Yankee, Agent Mercy. It turns out that A23 already knew we were acquainted, so no harm, no foul. It seems like Mercy is willing to bend A23’s rules and regulations to help us out. Of course, I don’t want to mess with their job more than what’s necessary, so I’ll try not to pester them too much for information in the future. Anyway, it seems like most A23 has been called to another worldline(?) to help contain some sort of strange creature. So… we might be able to use this as an opportunity to snoop around a bit. I’ll fill the other managers in on the specifics and see if they want to put anything together.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle: Hey, thanks for catching up with me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: Of course… though are you recording this?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle: What? No! Of course, not—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: That’s odd… My watch says there’s a “CaDCom Device” recording in this range.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle: Oh… haha! Darn thing. Must’ve not… turned it off.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: It’s fine. But,</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Agency Mercy of Division Yankee pressed a button on their watch]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: I should record this too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle: But then, wouldn’t Astoria know you have a relationship with a member of the Cafe and Diner?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: Yeah, the eye in the lighthouse symbol is pretty accurate. They already know about our connection. I’ll need to file this away, but no one would bother to check a Yankee report, especially with this whole meltdown in another dimension.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle: That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about! What’s going on?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: You know I can’t say.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Agent Mercy conspicuously nodded to their watch. A watch that cannot transcribe non-vocal communications like the far superior Barista Technologies CaDCom device.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle: Right… I guess what I’m worried about, what the Cafe is worried about, is the solar eclipse and the blood moon and how that’s impacting the boundary lines.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: I see… Well, if I’m being honest, Kyle, that’s a little out of my field of knowledge. I’m just a paper pusher. I push papers around from desk to desk and division to division like this.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Agent Mercy pantomimed, pushing papers around a desk, and as they went to straighten the imaginary papers, they slammed their wrist down on the desk, disabling the inferior Astoria 23rd Agency Wrist Communication Device.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: Whoops. Well, I should probably go let Victor know that my watch got busted. Though I imagine they’d be pretty busy considering the outbreak of Null Forms in the Tuskkin Worldline. Nasty thing, Null Forms. I guess they’re some sort of creature that typically lives in Limbo? At least, that’s where they’re presumed to come from. Some sort of celestial phenomenon, likely the eclipse and blood moon, might have caused them to resurface in a neighboring worldline. Astoria, having agreements with the Tuskkin’s 55 Division, needs to go help clean that mess up. Null Forms are notoriously hard to kill and hard to contain. You’ll know if they breach this worldline. Wow, sorry for getting so chatty all of a sudden.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Kyle: No, thank you, Mercy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mercy: Come on Kyle, we’re friends. You can still just call me Max.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-114</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-114</strong></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>Hello, my name is:</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hello, my name is:</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The grinning man who speaks in figure—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hello, my name is:</p><br />
<br />
<p>The grinning man who speaks for the friendly face of—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hello, my name is:</p><br />
<br />
<p>The grinning man who makes only—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hello, my name is:</p><br />
<br />
<p>The grinning man who lost his—</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and over again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Apart from the universe in which he was once the most important part.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A tightly wound mainspring, made mainly to speak for the universe, now he can’t make a sound that can’t be found—</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and over again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A cold and hollow body of what he once was.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A body that boils, burns, and churns.</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and over again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A body filled with acid and blight.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A body that smiles with predetermined delight.</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and—</p><br />
<br />
<p>A mainspring uncoiled, made mainly to break the universe, now he can’t help but spoil the sounds yet to come.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Dying breaths and final gasps as the universe begins to collapse.</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and over—</p><br />
<br />
<p>A cold, dead heart—</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and over and over—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Might just be the most beautiful work of art—</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and over and over and over—</p><br />
<br />
<p>From the cold uncaring hands of Fate—</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Over and over and over and over and over and over—</p><br />
<br />
<p>—Hello, my name is:</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-115"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-115</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-115</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ended up having that early dinner after all. Had a nice sit-down with Mrs. Pleasant, who was wearing her Sunday best. She’s watching her sodium as much as we are, so we had a Salt and Pepper free dinner. She wanted me to leave, so I’ll do exactly that. On my way out, I’ll make sure to grab her a fresh cup of Juice. That might take me a few days. It also seems like Mrs. Pleasant has attracted some unwanted company. I suppose I can’t run from them forever.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Thank you for sitting down with me, Mothman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Why have you been following me? I haven’t done anything. Is it a crime to fly about the Flipside these days?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mm… no. Though when you fly around, you tend to cause structural failures.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Nothing more than pleasant disasters, Julius.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: I can’t just let you just fly around and kill people, Mothman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Is that so? You could have fooled me. You had your chance to stop me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: You’re making me regret showing you mercy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: You think I admire your “mercy”? It was a weakness. So typical of your kind. Pathetic insects—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Insects? That’s rich coming from you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: You know Umbra has big plans for you Julius.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: So, you were looking for it then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: It isn’t here. Don’t you think Umbra has already searched the Flipside?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: It’s a pretty big place. Maybe it was tucked away in a forgotten little corner of the world.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: I was looking for you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: I wasn’t hiding.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Maybe not, but you’ve been running. Running from your destiny, Julius. Perhaps I wasn’t looking for you so much as drawing you out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Come on. Enough games. What did Umbra really have you searching for?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: I don’t have to answer some no-name number. Why don’t you go crawling back and beg for forgiveness? Then we can get back to business. You made a deal Julius. Play your part, and I’ll play mine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Not interested. I suppose I’ll just take my leave.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Fine. As will I. Oh, and Julius… if you aren’t going to do your job, stop following me before things need to get messy on your side. I might be busy, but I’m not that busy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: This is my job now. Tell him I don’t want to get tangled up in his mess.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Which “him”?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: The stupid one.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-116"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-116</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-116</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Pleasant Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted by Ashlyn, Julius, and unwanted guest (Jericho Myerscough). The most relevant information has been collected and transcribed by the CaDCom system.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: What a lovely cell you have here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ashlyn: Oh, you like it? That's good. You'll be here a while.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Oh, couldn't I get out on good behavior?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: You killed someone.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Only a government dog, what's it to you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ashlyn: You can't just kill people! …Even if the people might deserve it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Ashlyn, tone it down. We need information.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: You think I know so much because I was once with the House of Satan. Funny. I'll answer what I can.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ashlyn: What do you know about the blood moon?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: It's some dirt rock celestial phenomenon where your moon turns red. Thrilling.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: And the boundary lines?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Hm... I suppose... The Otherside is just a rotation of this dirt rock. A moment in it's past. So, we've already seen the Blood Moon, and the right people could use that to their advantage. Perhaps they seek salvation?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oy, someone like Umbra?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Oh, he doesn't need any ritualistic nonsense. He has a guest coming over soon, Rico. Then it won’t matter where the boundary lines are! Aren’t you excited?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Bloody ‘ell… what are you tryin’ to get at, eh? Was the tulpa not enough? Now it’s all about tearing apart the bloody Flipside? All for what? To find your little book?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Little book? Oh, sweet Jericho, it is THE book. The first book.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Lawds above, is Umbra still on about that? It doesn’t bloody exist! If the Red-bloke couldn’t find it no one can!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ashlyn: Okay that’s not really our business... What do you know about this (The Ice Machine)?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: It's... a tracker. What of it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: What does it track, Pleasant?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Friday.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ashlyn: We know it goes off on Fridays but WHO does it track?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: It’s what? …The 23rd? I suppose you'll find out soon enough. If I were you, I’d hang out in the hallways if possible. That’s where it’s the most fun.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right. Well, I’ll leave you lot with that riddle and me ‘an Pleasant should be getting back to Florida. My team can contain ‘im and maybe we can ransom ‘im off to the Dark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Oh, goody I get to leave. Except I’m not going back to the Dark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oh? Whyzat? Trouble in paradise?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Yes. That’s the plan. Now this has been a very fun game of cops and robbers, but I must be going.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Around this time some type of energy rift opened, and the Mothman escaped]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oy! What in the seven hells-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: That’s not good.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oh yeah? You think so Jules? Bloody ‘ell… You see what we’re dealing with, eh? It’s your choice, mate. I can’t force your hand. But think about my offer, choice? If not for me, for Nikki. She misses you. Joy too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Hm.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
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</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-117"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-117</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: VICTORIA WARD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-117</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>“I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hey gang, Victoria here along with Miranda and Brent. We’ve been doin’ some diggin’ into the flyer Miranda found and we’ve got something. So, for a while we’ve been trying to track down the phone number that was on the flyer, but it was a local number. We didn’t find that specific number, but we did find a working number! If we had to guess this is the main line. Here’s what you get if you call it.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>“You seek salvation</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon’s Twice Third Temple can help.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Do not fear Crow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Do not fear the Higher Beings.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Do not fear the Flies.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Do not fear what comes next.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[After about 10 seconds of silence a computerized female voice says “goodbye” and the line automatically hangs up]”</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Sooo… yeah that’s BIG CHILLS. If it wasn’t obvious that this was a cult before, it’s definitely a cult now. Gosh, I do love a good cult. Anyway, that long silence is odd. Brent thinks you’re supposed to enter like a password to get in otherwise the call drops. I don’t think it’s an amazing idea to just start brute forcing it especially if they can track us somehow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The good news is this seems to be connected with the whole weird fly thing and the Miasma and all that business. So now we just need to:</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Figure out who or what Crow is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Figure out who or what the Higher Beings are.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Figure out what the Flies have to do with this.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Stop whatever is coming next.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A tall order for sure, but one the Cafe and Diner can certainly fill.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-118"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-118</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-118</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ah, little Lyle Crow. Well, not so little anymore, is he? That’s Al Crow’s real name, btw. Well, “real,” I guess the right term would be old. Al Crow is the demon of who once was a kid named Lyle Crow. Also, I guess “kid” might not be the right term seeing as he was like 50 when he died. So… Ugh. Let me start over. Ah, middle-aged man who was once Lyle Crow and is now the Demon Al Crow. Leader of Solomon’s Twice Third Temple. Apparently, Lyle Crow, better known as Dr. Crow, was an occasional adversary of the First Cafe and Diner. They had a few run-ins, which ultimately led to Dr. Crow’s death in 1995 after getting eaten by his own experiment (GONE WRONG)(GONE SEXUAL?!)(WITH GUNS!!)</p><br />
<br />
<p>Prior to Dr. Crow’s demise, his most notable achievement was taking control of something called “THE HOUSE OF SOLOMON.” Uh yeah, SOLOMON. Solomon’s Twice Third Temple. Are you seeing the connections? (Are you? Because I sort of am, but also, it could be just co-inky-dinks.) So, this House of Solomon, which Dr. Crow renamed to the House on Dracula Drive, was basically a house that existed outside of the confines of our reality. Every Wednesday, it would pop into our reality and then pop back out. Using the House of Solomon, Dr. Crow was able to go to many places he really probably shouldn’t have been able to and learn about things he realllly probably shouldn’t have.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And this brings me to the end goal of Solomon’s Twice Third Temple! I don’t know. In the short term, I would guess that Al Crow will try and get his interdimensional House back. It’s too powerful not to want back, and he probably left a bunch of his human stuff in there that he wants back. In the long term, with the House back, I assume Al Crow will try and finish whatever he was working on as a human… which at the time of his death involved self-replicating nanotechnology that would eventually consume the universe and everything in it. So… we should probably try and stop that. As for why Secret would be chill with everything everywhere getting eated up?? Yeah, you guessed it, it’s a secret. But there is another enigmatic force out there that is worth taking a DEEPer look at. That one is going to be a-strictly need to know type receipt. So… if you’re not a manager and you’ve somehow stumbled upon these ramblings of mine, this is where the bus ends for you.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-119"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-119</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ASHLYN BLUNT</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-119</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The last thing of interest in the A23 Drive is this strange document. It's from some organization known as the "Obscure Obelus Order." The general setup/layout seems similar to an A23 doc, though this is a Division or group I've never heard of before. Could it be related to the Zulu cult? Beyond that... I'm not sure. The only thing that really links this in any way to us is that there is a very prominent coffee ring on this powerful artifact known as " the Final Note." I'm not saying all coffee rings are CaD related, but... I don't know. It feels almost like a calling card of sorts. Something that says, "Hey, this is CaD related. This is for you guys. I want you to have this."</p><br />
<br />
<p>Why else would a rare and powerful artifact be stained with coffee? Or maybe I'm overthinking it. But why was this O.O.O. document in this A23 drive? Are they working with "O.O.O." or...? Hm. I'm not sure. There's a lot of things that don't add up with this drive. For now, though, I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on it. See if any new documents get added to it. In the meantime, I'll do some digging into the Obscure Obelus Order, the Otherman, the Wisemen, Mon Amour, whatever I can get my hands on, basically. The document says:</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>“SECRET LINE COMMUNICATION OBSCURE OBELUS ORDER</p><br />
<br />
<p>THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF THE Of O+</p><br />
<br />
<p>UNAUTHORIZED VIEWING WILL BE PUNISHED</p><br />
<br />
<p>ARCHIVE NO. A0TW02993</p><br />
<br />
<p>OBSCURED | BLACKOUT</p><br />
<br />
<p>O+ EYES ONLY</p><br />
<br />
<p>LOCATION UNKNOWN</p><br />
<br />
<p>SUBJECT 1. THE FINAL NOTE.</p><br />
<br />
<p>1. WE HAVE RECOVERED ONE OF THE ARTIFACTS, AS DESCRIBED BY THE WISEMEN. A NOTE THAT WAS WRITTEN BY THE "OTHERMAN." (FIG. 1) THIS MAKES THE THIRD ARTIFACT WE'VE RECOVERED, WITH FIVE MORE TO GO. WE WILL TOUCH BASE WITH BALTHAZAR TO DISCUSS THE NEXT ARTIFACT.</p><br />
<br />
<p>AS FAR AS "THE FINAL NOTE" GOES, IT IS A PARAZONIUM CLASS OBJECT WITH HIGH TEMPORAL INSTABILITY. THEORETICALLY, IT SHOULD HOLD A DEGREE OF POWER IN ITSELF, THOUGH WE WOULD REQUIRE ITS CORPOREAL LINK TO TAP INTO THAT POWER.</p><br />
<br />
<p>FIG 1. [A note with a prominent coffee stain which reads:</p><br />
<br />
<p>“What a mess.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Things are going up that should go down.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose there’s no other choice. You know, He’d want me to let you all fail. He’d want me to stand by and wait for the end times.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m taking the other path. Death is not the only way to solve this problem.</p><br />
<br />
<p>While your lives are short, look how much you messed up in just one year. Without you she stands unchallenged.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, when the fog clears and the cycle is correct, try not to mess things up again, mon amour.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Think but this and all is mended. That you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle cycle no more yielding than drifting psychal. Customers do not reprehend, if you pardon, I will mend. And as I am an honest other, would you die and suffer rather? Now, to scape the Bird’s intended flight I the other a liar call. So good night unto you all. When I come, I come to correct, another Angel to defect.”</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-120"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-120</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-120</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m glad we could clear that up, J. To be fair, I figured you had a good reason for keeping that all hush-hush from us. And… I can’t say I exactly know what we can do with that information… Well, okay, what we SHOULDN’T do, is anything rash. Belphegor is bad enough, but Mammon, too? I guess it’d be one thing if Belphegor and Mammon were the investors of just the Third Cafe and Diner… but… seeing as they are the investors of all Cafe and Diners… it makes things a little more complicated, doesn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>On a related NOTE (ha-ha I’m still funny, even when I need to be serious), it looks like an organization known as the Obscure Order of the Obelus got their hands on the last note of the 15th Sphere. Or so they think. It doesn’t add up to me. It seems like what the Otherman is saying in that note is that he’s going to rewind the Cycle… not the Sphere. And, if this really was the final note of the 15th Sphere, you’d think it’d make mention of the deal between the Otherman, Belphegor, and Mammon, right? Seeing as that’s how our entire reality came into existence… I think it’d at least be a footnote.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Regardless, it is probably concerning that these Dagger-whatevers have a physical piece of the last universe in their possession. And by the sound of it, they have a little more than just that. They have two other “artifacts” of the past universe and are looking for five more. 3+5. I don’t think I need to spell it out for you. Worse—Astoria knows about this, and now, so does Ashlyn, the other Managers, and any employee who finds that floating around in the AND Channel. We’re gonna need to sell some Coffee on this one, J. Big time. Not only that, we’re going to need to sell it to our own people. I don’t like it, but I also don’t like things going up that should go down. I’ll start looking into this Dagger group if you can do some damage control. Though, you should probably ask 0 what he wants to do first, seeing as he wrote the damn thing.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-121"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-121</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-121</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Al Crow: -ressive opening. I suppose it paid off, though. I will say, I am rather impressed you figured it out, Jacquelyn. Sadly, a few plays too late. Nothing left to say? Oh, don’t be a sour sport. The game is just beginning. This is, after all, just an opening. A castling, if you will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: What do you want with Victoria?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Al Crow: A bit obvious, I would think. Think of her like a rook.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miranda: Enough chess metaphors. I’m getting sick of them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Al Crow: And you think everyone just loves the coffee grandiloquence?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miranda: It’s better than chess.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I believe Mr. Crow is trying to say is that Victoria is needed to “castle.” A special move to protect the king. And if I had to guess, Mr. Crow is trying to go home.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Al Crow: Now then, see? It is not that hard. Though you are not entirely correct, Mr. Blackwood. I am not trying to go home. I am trying to greet you all properly in my corporal form. Ah, if only I could have returned sooner to finish my business properly. Though one Cafe for another is all the same to me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I had my suspicions. Dr. Crow?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Al Crow: Please, Blackwood, Dr. Crow is dead. I am not him, not anymore. I am Al Crow. The Great Beast. The Salvation Bringer. The Lord of the Flies.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: So all these flies, they were yours?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Al Crow: In a sense, I suppose you could say that. Though they are no more mine than one can own rot and decay. I do not control the flies, not yet, but they have proven useful to my plans. Speaking of which, I must prepare for the fated hour. There is much to do before midnight. I’ll leave you in the care of my associate, Yaga. Do try to rest up, Cafe and Diner. We have quite the party planned for tomorrow night.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Well, he’s fun.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: He’s an old friend of the Cafe. Well, he was when he was a human. I assume this is his demon form.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miranda: Just a heads up, I ordered Decaf while he was talking.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Ah, nice job, Miranda. Of course, we don’t want to do anything to peeve off the gruesome granny. Hm... Do you think 1313 could help?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miranda: Maybe. Though, I’m not sure we should call in any employees. And I don’t necessarily want to get any more managers tied up. Figuratively and literally. What about you, 71? Got anyone who might help us out of this mess?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Sadly, I did not keep good contact with anyone following our 8’s death. There is always one person I can call on, though I would prefer to save that as a last resort. It would undoubtedly be an out. At least for you four.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: Don’t worry about that. I think if Amber could show up within 23 hours, that would be great. Just putting that out there. Vocalizing my hopes and dreams. Not sending any messages.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miranda: Anything else you want to put out there?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jackie: If only I could tell everyone to lock up early. Take Halloween off. Enjoy the holiday. Grab some candy for us because we’ll probably be getting back late.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miranda: Got it. Rush Order.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[CADCOM CODE 12: RUSH ORDER CONFIRM?]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miranda: Yep. Looks like we might be here awhile.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[RUSH ORDER CONFIRMED. TRANSCRIPT TO RECEIPT INITIATED.]</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-122</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-122</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well. This is the long flight back. I guess technically, it’s November now, but for record-keeping purposes, I might as well just file this as the 31st.</p><br />
<br />
<p>We failed. Well. Lost the battle, not the war. Al Crow was able to complete his ritual, which I’ll get into in a bit. I know right now you’re all worried more about Victoria. She’s ok. Or will be ok. She’s alive and with us at the very least. Brent is ok too. He was being... possessed is a strong word. He was being persuaded by one of Crow’s friends. Ah, where to start... I guess I’ll start with that. We now know Crow’s other two unknown demons.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Miss. Yaga, not a terribly creative name, I know. I’m tired. She is, somewhat obviously, a Baba Yaga. A powerful witch. Or, well, reborn witch. Her gimmick is she can come back to life if her bones are thrown in a special cauldron. At least that’s what ex-71 said. Not only that, because she’s a witch and not a demon, she can be either Flipside or Otherside easily. Not sure if- well, no strike that. She can go between the Flipside and Otherside when she wants to now. I’ll get more into that in a second.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mrs. Midnight, again not a great name. Also known as Mètminwi, or Master Midnight, he is a boogieman known most to the Haitian people. He’s a tall, slender figure whose terms let him “take” those who stay up past Midnight. His “taking” thing boils down to altering the mindset/behavior of those up past Midnight. Like what happened to 134. No clue how we deal with him yet, as those terms are pretty loose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And of course, you all have already been acquainted with Mrs. Weekend, AKA Friday. To my knowledge, this is Crow’s main crew. So what were they trying to do anyway? Well, to start, we still don’t know their endgame. This was akin to their first step towards whatever it is they are trying to do. So, first off, they were using flies to collect “black blood,” also known as demon blood. They had, I don’t know, I’m not good at measurements, like two Gatorade coolers worth of black blood. They then used Brent to lure Victoria here to use her. But first, they had Brent gather the rest of the supplies and dig these long channels in the ground. Next, as midnight (the hour, not the demon) approached, they poured the blood into the channels, and then I think they must have injected Victoria with some of the black blood as well. Then she, well, you know. Lost control. Miss. Yaga then chanted out something along the lines of “hellish gate betwixt the worlds unveil your hidden door once more.” Among some other, you know, ritual stuff.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then, well, that’s when their ritual came to fruition. The channels of black blood solidified into what looked like two roads intersecting with each other. And where they intersected a house, a whole house, sort of phased into the Flipside. And then the front door opened, and out walked Al Crow, Friday, and Midnight. Thankfully, Amber did get my message and was able to get us out of there. Perhaps a few minutes too late, but that’s not her fault. In any case, Felix recognized this house. I guess it’s called “The House on Dracula Drive” or something like that. It’s a gateway between worlds that used to open every Wednesday. It was sealed by the original Cafe and Diner. Well, not intentionally. Dr. Crow, the at the time current owner of the house, died inside it, which sealed it. Until now. With the house once again open, it means Crow can come physically Flipside. It also means that Midnight and Friday are freer to come Flipside assuming it is Wednesday. I’m sure the house has more significance than just that, but it’s still a dangerous tool, especially in Crow’s hands.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, the Cafe is going to stay closed today. And probably every coming Wednesday for the foreseeable future. I know we’re in two different time zones, but it’s still a pretty big risk to take. Plus, I don’t fully understand how this house works. For the time being, I think it’s tethered to the ritual location. Still, Friday could easily reach us within a day. I’m not sure what our next move is. If we have a next move. For now, for today, I think the best thing we can do is rest and get Victoria back on her feet.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-123"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-123</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACKIE LANG</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-123</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>So... Julia Wandsun. A mysterious stranger showed up at our door asking for a cup of our world-famous Cafe and Diner drip coffee. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I guess. Though this seems a little less "tense" than our last order was. Plus, the timing of Julia's order lines up well for us, so we might as well see if we can lend her a mug. I know many of us who were "out of the country" this past year might be a little lost, but 35 has filled me in with the relevant info. I'll try and convey the situation as best as I can, though there should be an additional report from 35 to check out as well.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, last Friday, while we were wrapping up with Miss. Webber and the Sevenfold Pastry Co. a tourist came into the Cafe asking for our coffee directly. Her name is obviously Julia. Julia Wandsun. How did Julia hear about our establishment? Well, she claims her parents, the Wandsuns, spoke highly of our services as a child, and she remembered our name. While I did call her a tourist earlier, she might be more of a regular than she lets on. If not her, her parents are. Though Julia is 24 years old… so if she had heard about the Cafe when she was a kid… well, it couldn't have been our Cafe. So why did she seek us out? Well, she has been living on her own out here in L.A. for about a year or two, but in the past weeks, she's been hounded by a customer of ours.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though I have been out of the country for a year, I don't recall serving this customer, so I might've missed something. Her name is Le Loyon. Now, I've only just settled back into things here, but I don't think any Cafe has ever served "Le Loyon" before. Yet, we have some information on her already in our CaDComs. Perhaps the Other Cafe served her at some point in the last year? We should really check in with them soon, though, from my understanding, they are now out of the country for the time being. So that might be a dead end.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now when I say we have information about Le Loyon, I'm not talking paragraphs, only snippets. He has been known to order White Tea, is obviously single, and left the Cafe and Diner some rather negative reviews. A real "blight" on our otherwise perfect reputation. Now that is interesting. I could swear that I've seen that word somewhere else before, though I'm not sure where exactly… we'll need to do some digging. In the meantime, Julia doesn't feel comfortable staying alone for obvious reasons, so she'll be staying at the Cafe. I've also had Kyle reschedule everyone, so someone will always be here. Sorry for the graveyard shifts, but hopefully, we can serve Le Loyon soon.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-124"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-124</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: KYLE ALDER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-124</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I just figured I’d give a little update on how Julia is doing. As far as we could tell, Le Loyon has not followed Julia to the Cafe, though Seth says he caught a glimpse of Le Loyon hanging around Julia’s apartment. So, at least we know that her fears are well-founded. However, we still don’t know much about Le Loyon, he is at least a very distinct-looking customer. Not only that, he has a robust presence, so if he does start coming our way, we’ll have a small early warning.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though, considering Le Loyon hasn’t… mm… well “caught on” to where Julia is speaks to Loyon’s own perception. We can also assume Loyon isn’t much of a receipt checker as 8’s receipt yesterday was for the Diner, which doesn’t seem to have swayed Loyon. So… that’s probably good, I guess. Though, it’s probably safer to not make any assumptions about a Miss. customer. But for the time being, it seems we’re safe. Victoria has been working on covering our tracks a bit as well. So hopefully, by the time Le Loyon catches on to where Julia is we’ll be a bit more prepared for a Cafe order.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of Julia, she still isn’t sure why she’s being followed by Le Loyon. She doesn’t recall doing anything that would attract one of our customer’s attention. Not only that, she doesn’t know Le Loyon personally. She just knew that something wasn’t right and that we could possibly help. I think she made the right choice coming to us, but I can’t help but feel things aren’t adding up somewhere. Why is this customer in our records? Why is she targeting Julia? Does Julia know more than she is letting on? Hard to say… But for the time being, Julia is safe, and Loyon is none the wiser. So, for now, let’s just drink this coffee one sip at a time.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-125"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-125</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: RACHEL ROSETHORN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-125</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Cafe Crisis.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Look, look towards the morning star.</p><br />
<br />
<p>See how its light glimmers bright.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It casts shadows of deep dark difficulty.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Diagnosis? Dire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Look, look at the symptoms.</p><br />
<br />
<p>See how the blight burns bright.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Festering in a generation now destroyed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Does the delirium make you shiver?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Does it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Does it make you want to dance?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Scream?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rip off your flesh and try again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Do you feel the funk festering?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Diagnosis, dire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No cure can come to stop the delirium.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And how can you mourn an epidemic of one?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Look, look, I’m trying to level with you now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I see a terrible fire,</p><br />
<br />
<p>A horrid jaundiced fire,</p><br />
<br />
<p>A fire so cold,</p><br />
<br />
<p>A wicked yellow flame.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate is kind, in comparison to a Wicked end.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And you know,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Running hasn’t worked.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It never does.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Here, there, then,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Let the friendly face of Fate clue you in, now:</p><br />
<br />
<p>What difference does it make?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The only running left is running out of time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Want to try again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Or are you ready for the Crisis?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Diagnosis, dire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Diner, diner.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-126"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-126</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SETH WARREN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-126</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Julia is missing. I don’t know where she is, and I’ve looked everywhere. And you know what I mean when I say everywhere. All seven planes, the pits, the tide, all major airports, the first Cafe site, the outside remains of the last Cafe, hell I even checked the abandoned Palm Beach Cafe, if I could check the Topside, I would. She is completely missing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I was looking back at the security footage from before she went missing, and the only strange thing was a bright flash. And I don’t mean bright, bright, just bright enough to be picked up by the camera. Like a light being turned on in another room then being turned off. And then she was gone. I don’t know what happened… I mean… It might be… Le Leyon. Again. I mean, I thought it was, you know. Dead. But… Then again, maybe it can’t die? The light was very similar to Leyon’s light, but I’m also looking at crappy security footage. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, and I especially don’t want to alarm anyone.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Le Leyon is dead. We killed it. That’s all there is to it. So with Leyon dead, I don’t know… Could it be the Elephant's Foot? Or, ah, I guess the Ape from Florida CaD? Or, hey, maybe Julia’s a warper too. Or, maybe the room we put her in is a freak one-off airport. Ok, ok, I’m reaching now. I’m going to go let 8 know about this before I publish this receipt. In any case, I’ll need help searching. Maybe Julius, can help? Or uh, Jenni? Maybe you can pick something up with your second vision?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-127"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-127</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: THIRD CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-127</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Just when Julia goes missing, we get paid a visit by one of our friends. How coincidental.</p><br />
<br />
<p>This morning at around 4 AM, there was a knock on my apartment door. Who else could it be but Indrid Cold? Seems like he’s none too happy we “lost” Julia. It’s all smiles until it isn’t. I’m sure he would have killed me where I stood if mon amour didn’t already up-end that plan. Mr. Cold has no business with anyone else in the Cafe that I’m aware of, so don’t worry too much about him. If you see him, don’t bother running. The cold always catches up. My advice would be to not say a single word to him if you can avoid it. And if you can’t prevent it… well… as always, all we can do is sell a hot cup of coffee.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I rarely admit this, so enjoy it while you can; I do fear we are in over our heads. With Julia missing, the Cold encroaching, and Lucy dead… We are backed into a very tight corner. I have two options left, and I don’t like either of them… But… One option throws away mon amour’s sacrifice. The other… Well, it had to come to this eventually, no? I’m sorry if this doesn’t go as planned, but all I can do now is hope for the best and Dare to Defy the odds.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours hopefully for a renewed contract,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_IV)&diff=8622OPERATION: ENCORE (Part IV)2026-05-05T05:07:26Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Part IV: The Other Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">29 archived receipts</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-76"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-76</div> <div c..."</p>
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<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part IV: The Other Cafe and Diner</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">29 archived receipts</div><br />
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</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-76"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-76</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-76</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Never thought I’d use one of these things again. Ugh. Okay, well, at least it seems to be working. That’s all that really matters right now, I suppose. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but at least the 1/8th left with me was enough to connect our CaDComs to the overall CaDCom Database, or whatever its called. Of course, it was kind of a crapshoot, considering I don’t even have the 1/8th myself. Not all together, anyway. So, I guess it’s good to know that three 1/24ths work all the same. Well—when I can get everyone on the same page that is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The header looks… different. I guess it looked different between the First and Second Cafes too. Maybe this is the default header? Or… something like that. I don’t really feel like messing around too much with the backend of things because it’s a miracle that these even turned on. I’m not sure what the shelf life is on Canadian tech, but the U.S. parts in these are at least 25 years old at this point. I guess beggars can’t be choosers—sucks that little-miss-know-it-all took the newer 97 models. Figures.</p><br />
<br />
<p><em><strong>Ew.</strong></em> I just realized… does all of this make me… like… 8? An 8? It totally doesn’t, right? I don’t even have the 1/8th—or… 1/24th… or whatever. I’m more just like a… <em><strong>yuck.</strong></em> I don’t even really like the title of manager or supervisor, to be honest. To be clear—I never wanted to run a Cafe. 8s are egotistical, narcissistic, curly-haired freaks. No offense to the original owner. But considering the threat that is <em><strong>Umbra…</strong></em> There needs to be an old hat running things. And those kids back in California have no clue what they’re doing—especially against a major creep like Umbra.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So… I guess… we’re open for business. Even if we’ll only be operating in the dark.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-77"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-77</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-77</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>It’s good to be back. Though I left the Second Cafe on… less than amicable terms… I always missed it. Yearned for another sip of that silky black brew. There is something about working for the Cafe and Diner which I cannot explain. There was a saying I heard a few times, something along the lines of: “The Cafe and Diner is always so much trouble—but always worth it.” Perhaps that best sums up my feelings for this endeavor. Besides, I was beginning to grow a bit restless with our current work.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To catch our fresh blood up, I suppose I should explain a bit about what the Cafe’s goal is and how it should be run. Simply put, the Cafe and Diner seeks to maintain the precious balance between the Flipside and Otherside. It hunts wayward cryptids to return them to their rightful home and deals with demons who threaten the established order. It’s not too dissimilar to the odd jobs we’ve done in the past. And, I imagine, it has some similarities to your prior work at the Company, R.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for these strange bricks with screens—well, I must admit they are a bit outdated, aren’t they? Glorified word-processors. But, don’t be mistaken, these bricks contain a glut of Othertech, which allows them to do… well… as much as our cellphones nowadays would do. But back in the early 90s, these were quite impressive. Still are—to some extent. But the important part for you to know is the difference between the three channels they operate on. There is the DINER channel, CAFE channel, and AND channel.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>DINER</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Largely unencrypted, and as such, you should be careful with what you say there. Encode your text with “Diner-Speak” thematic euphemisms to obscure the true nature of our work. There are already a good deal of established codewords, which N.L. and I can catch you up on in person.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>CAFE</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Lightly encrypted. The actual encryption is nothing terribly special in the Flipside—but the lateral logic tends to be more than enough to keep unwanted demonic eyes from uncovering our secrets. Still, mind what you say here, as a few demonic and other entities can bypass this, not to mention the Indigos.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>AND</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Then, there is the AND channel. It is more or less the same as the CAFE channel, except the receipts written here are “unlisted.” Only those who know where to look can find them. This channel is good for private thoughts or especially sensitive information.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>That’s all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-J.M.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-78"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-78</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-78</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Error?! “Initials already in use?!” What are you all out buying a giraffe? So—what, we can’t even both be J.M.? How old is this kit, anyhow? You heaven and hell want me to tickle and bite all the lil’ thoughts that pop into my crust of bread on this piece of junk? Lawds below help me—you want to know my thoughts? Right—this is a massive load from a pony n’ trap, choice?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Look—I get it. The Cafe and Diner WAS as big as Ian Beale. Took down the heap o’ coke from Dayton. Very Harry Kewell. And the Owner, before he bit it, had some sorta magic supernatural nonsensical number, which I will admit has done a bang-up corn on the cob at keeping the Wicked’s Blight at bay. Even just a “24th” of it, or whatever. And I get it—Umbra’s a no good dingy heap o’ coke. Well understood. But unlike you hoppin’ pot, I don’t have a rosy pair of minces bins blinding me, do I? I’ve heard more than enough about what really goes on within a Cafe and Diner from both the bloody big boy and my lovely little witch. “Always worth the trouble.” Somebody call in Brad Pitt.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Besides, I think the more important thing you’re both missing is that there’s already a “Third” Cafe and Diner. You’ve been beaten to the punch and then some. You really think those saucepan lids can’t handle Umbra? News flash, golden dove, they already well in the buff did. Yes—I’ll admit we helped a little more than nothing—but with Umbra’s 6’s and 7’s puppet shoved all the way down in the deepest, darkest swash of the Black Tide… what threat is there? Do you really think Umbra’s gonna try and dredge her out to try again? No. He’s just another bloody useless shadow from the pits of the Everdark, and he’ll slink and slack like a hammer and tack to it like they all do. We’ve got more important stuff to worry about than some washed-up shadow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…I went ahead and switched the bleedin’ dates ‘round proper. Can’t bloody read them otherwise. Not that I think we should be payin’ a nickel or dime writing diary entries. But if you’re going to force me to use this retro junk, I might as well be able to read the bloomin’ date.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-79"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-79</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-79</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Wow, you've really taken to the whole, like, Diner-Speak thing, huh? I can hardly make out what you're trying to say! What is the whole deal with your… y'know… fake cockney thing? Cuz, I've heard your actual accent, and it is nothing like that. Besides… don't you think having it spill into your literal text is a bit much? I mean—you do you. If pretending to be Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins makes you happy, go for it! Though—it is a bit troublesome that we have overlapping initials, yeah?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Between N.L., J.L., J.M., and, well, J.M., again, it can be a bit confusing. I could technically go by my legal name, giving us a C.L. instead. But that doesn't really help much, huh? You could also go by your actual birth name… except it also starts with a J, huh? You could just go by your nickname, so R.M. Mm… but that doesn't look right to me for some reason. So! I think we need some actual code names! It only seems right!</p><br />
<br />
<p>As I understand it, they used drink names like Carajillo and Marocchino in the Second Cafe. We could do that again. Or, in the First Cafe, they used numbers that added up to 8… like #1313, #44, or #35. Again—we could do that. But! Why not have some fun with it? Let's do our own thing! And I think it'd be pretty cool if we had, like, Cafe-related titles. So I came up with…</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong><em>Payroll…</em></strong> mostly because, you know, we all just mooch off her parents' money usually anyway.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong><em>Manager…</em></strong> because I think you could use the responsibility. Well, that, and you are probably the most experienced out of all of us.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong><em>Big Guy…</em></strong> which might just be what I've already been calling him for most of my life. So, it fits, and I love it!</p><br />
<br />
<p>And for me? <strong><em>H.R.!</em></strong> Human Resources! Because I think that'd be the job that best suits me! I am… sorta realizing that I just ended up with initials again anyway… but, hey, at least they are thematic!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Peace, Love, and Joy!</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-80"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-80</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-80</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Aww, isn’t H.R. so sweet? I love the new names. Way better than the stupid drink-motif and certainly fresher than the old addends. And—despite his protests—I think Jericho will get into the swing of things soon enough. I mean, if he really didn’t want to be serving coffee, he wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of changing the way the dates show up in the header. I hate it. I really do. But I’ll get used to it if it makes his lovely little European brain happy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Running a Cafe isn’t all cute nicknames and formatting, though. Well—It’s probably a larger part than it should be. Regardless, the primary purpose of running a Cafe is to serve customers. More than that, there’s usually one or two really big and bad customers we have to keep an eye on—and for us, it’s Umbra. An old and gross customer from the First Cafe. He was one of Satan’s “Dark Triad.” Probably the most dangerous out of Satan’s Dark Triad.</p><br />
<br />
<p>After the First Cafe burned down and Satan was put in bad wittle preisty jail, his main minions, the Hatman (Umbra), Redman, and Mothman, more or less went into hiding. Well, I guess I don’t know if they were intentionally hiding or just laying low. As far as I know, Mothman went off to keep order in Satan’s part of the Otherside. And the Hatman and Redman went back to looking for their book. This is where things get… messy and a bit strange. Somewhere along their book hunt, the Hatman and Redman took control of a girl and groomed her into just about killing Leviathan and splitting open the Black Tide. Thankfully, there was a new Cafe and Diner who managed to stop him—mm… except they didn’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>They did stop that girl from killing Levi, but I don’t think they ever pieced together who was pulling the strings. We only know because it went down in our backyard. Of course, we did what we could to help without getting too involved. But… stopping one of Umbra’s pawns isn’t going to deter him for long. Not when he’s making Prince-killing moves. He must know where the book he’s been looking for is and will do whatever it takes to get it. Worse, he specifically mentioned something along the lines of “welcoming the Dark.” I’m not sure what that is, but knowing Umbra, whatever it is, isn’t good.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-81"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-81</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-81</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I can’t be the only one who feels like all this Dark and Umbra nonsense is taking away our focus from what really matters—three to become one, choice? Look—I understand lending a St. Martins-Le-Grand when Umbra was at our doorstep a few moments away from killing the big ol’ Lilian Gish and unleashin’ unknown and unending eldritch ‘orrors upon the world. Makes for a full eight pence. I’d rather not have that happen either, thank you very much. But—don’t you think we’re only doing this because my golden dove has a bit of a… well, a “history” with this heap o’ coke?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m quite Bobby Umbra’s up to a bit of Robin Hood. Dangerous heap o’ coke, that ‘atman is. But he’s also been around for well over a few hundred donkey’s ears. He’s hardly a new threat that only we can deal with. I know you all have a certain distaste for the Indigos—for IRIS—and Adam ‘n Eve me, I do too. The past and present thing I’d want to do is go grovel to my brother to clean this mess up, but this is what IRIS does. Umbra is after one of their most sacred (and dubiously real) ‘rtifacts. Hell—any of the Indigos could take this one on, couldn’t they? Astoria, Ozhog, Yaksha, any of them would be more than chuffed to clock Umbra locked up and put away for good.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for us? Come on! We were just hit by a massive bombshell, weren’t we? Three to bloody become one. We are—we might be—I, I don’t know… And this hoppin’ pot doesn’t know either, do you? And that’s just it! We can’t waste a nickel or a dime chasing shadows and playing the part of some supernatural Everton Toffee rub-a-dub-dub, can we? We’ve got bigger things to worry about. Matters of debt, utopia, destiny—Fate. We’ve been drawn together for something a good deal greater than dealing with another supernatural creep with a god complex. They’re a dime a dozen, as is.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-82"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-82</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-82</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I totally see where Rico is coming from. Are we allowed to use real names in the AND channel? I think so, right? Anyway… I don’t entirely disagree with where he’s coming from. After finding out about… well, you all know, the Three to Become One—it’s kinda left me up at night wondering if that’s the only reason I’m still alive, you know? Like—if we are actually fated for some greater purpose, is that why the sacrifice wasn’t successful? I mean, I know that in a literal sense, the ritual failed due to Rico’s interference… with some help from Jules, of course. But… that’s just it, isn’t it? Rico, Jules, and me… we’re fated to be together. To become one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>At first, I thought it was super lucky. Beyond lucky. Then, I came to understand that it was merely fate. Predetermined to be. There’s no luck involved. But… it’s more complicated than that, isn’t it? The only thing keeping us from fulfilling our “destiny” now is the Wicked’s Blight inside of us. But the Wicked isn’t working alone. He is part of a group seeking the destruction of the Universe. And the leader of the group? Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But then… it can’t be “Fate” who saved us, can it? Because if we were “Fated” to fulfill our destiny, then why would Fate allow the Wicked to infect us with his Blight? Because we weren’t saved by Fate. There was no luck. No predetermination. We were saved by a serious amount of work—work put in by our… by the one who made us. And, like, that’d be great and all… except… What’s worse? Fate and the Wicked?</p><br />
<br />
<p>…or the Devil?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I don’t know. We don’t know. It’s—complicated. And uncertain. And scary. And… maybe, just maybe, we could do something “easy?” A distraction? We’ve got time to figure out what we’re going to do regarding our “purpose.” And, yes, I’m sure the IRIS Company could handle Umbra… but… maybe we just need some time to fight something more black and white?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-83"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-83</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-83</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Bloody eyes? <em><strong>No.</strong></em> Bloodshot eyes. It's got to be Aka—the Redman. Umbra's pathetic little bloodstain. Ugh. UGH! If there is one person, no demon, who I hate more than Umbra, it's got to be the Redman. Well, if he's here, there's a pretty good chance that Umbra hasn't actually found the Enochian Bible yet. So… why was he trying to break open the Black Tide? Moreover, if he thought the Enochian Bible was in the Black Tide, why wouldn't he keep trying to break the Tide until he's successful?</p><br />
<br />
<p>It's only a theory—but maybe the Redman and Umbra "found" the Enochian Bible in the Black Tide, or at least they found where it was. Maybe that was enough to break the Redman's service to Umbra, and they split, but along the way, Umbra found out that the Black Tide didn't have the Enochian Bible, and that's why he wanted to "thank" me? So now that Umbra's question to the Redman is once again unanswered he's back in Umbra's service? Hm. It's not a bad theory, I guess. But… it doesn't really line up. The Redman is a boogieman with centuries of loopholes burned into his contract. There's no way he'd fall into some sorta "uh, actually, my question is unanswered" BS.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I guess it's possible the Redman has some sorta Stockholm syndrome, and he's just helping Umbra out because he's got nothing better to do. But why would Umbra want to have the Redman bloodshot a bunch of club randos? Or… maybe it is all just a big coincidence that both Umbra and Redman are here at the same time. So… I guess for now, we'll serve him a Cappuccino. I guess he could technically drink an Espresso or Americano by now—but I wouldn't flatter him like that. He's a glorified pop quiz.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-84"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-84</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-84</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ugh. <strong><em>UGH!</em></strong> Damn it. I was hoping that I had built up a tolerance for his stupid psychic eye control thing. There is no worse feeling than being tugged around by your eye. Well—yeah, it’s Aka. I don’t know exactly what he was doing, but he had a whole line of demons waiting to play his new “game.” I don’t even really know what it was supposed to be, as it didn’t seem to work on me.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: …next. Oh? Nicole. Umbra mentioned you were in town.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: <strong><em>Rubeus.</em></strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: I suppose you can play if you’d like—though I doubt you’re what we’re looking for.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I’m not here to play your stupid little games.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: My, my, still a sore loser, though it’s not my usual game. You’re already wasting my time, so you might as well sit and play. What’s the worst that can happen?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Nikki pushed her hair behind her ear, revealing her blood-red eye.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Might as well even it out. Sit.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Like hell—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Aka clenched his fist and swung it toward the table, psychically grabbing Nikki by her bloodshot eye, forcing her to sit.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Eugh—I don’t want to…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: You don’t have a choice, do you? If you’re going to waste my time, you’re going to play my game. Who knows? Maybe you’d make for a good candidate after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Candidate…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Someone’s out of the loop. Hand.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Nikki shoved her hands behind her back. With a sigh, Aka clenched his fist and, with a quarter turn, forced Nikki’s right hand up to the table. Then, Aka retrieved a small vial of black liquid, which he placed in Nikki’s palm.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: What the hell is this—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: I don’t know the name, actually. Something from the pits. Alright, [Nikki]. The game is simple—don’t die.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: …is this it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Aka tilted Nikki’s hand, letting the black liquid fall back into its vial.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: That was anticlimactic. You know, usually, it eats through the player’s hand as they squirm and rot from the inside. Mm… maybe it doesn’t work on humans. Oh well.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: …so… what? I won?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Hardly. You were unaffected. Besides, Umbra isn’t looking for humans, let alone Cafe employees.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: What is he looking for?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Now that sounds like a specific question—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Aka clenched his fist, squeezing at Nikki’s bloodshot eye.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: AUGH!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: You know how to ask me questions, don’t you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: …W…hy… won’t you… just kill me…</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Aka’s grip loosened.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: What fun would it be to kill you? After all this time? Now, if you don’t mind, you’re holding up the line, princess.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: <em>Eugh.</em></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-85"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-85</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-85</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>In the process of stopping Mothman’s disaster ritual, we ran into him. According to him, he had already achieved what he was attempting to do—and so we saved him the trouble of stopping his own disaster. I don’t buy it. He mentioned wanting to break a few entities out of the Locker of Mayda. I can buy that. And, if that’s the case, we have a good deal of work ahead of us.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That’s all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Big Guy</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: There, that should do it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Can he undo it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Sure. But it’s probably more effort than it’s worth, choice? I knotted these ley lines up beyond recognition. ‘Course, the damage is already done—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Well… look at this.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Eep!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mothman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Evening. Or… is it almost dawn? I see you’ve mangled my ritual. How… thoughtful.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: You can’t sink the Keys. We won’t let you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: Nicole. Umbra said you were still alive. That’s fun. And you must be Jericho, Julius, and the Crystal. Though—sink the Keys? I don’t need magic to do that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Yet you’ve spread quite a bit of your disaster magic ‘round ‘ere.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: True. I had to widen the path a bit. Shake up some old sediment. I was just about to undo my work—yet you’ve done it for me. My Umbra was right; you are a helpful bunch.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Widen the path? Why?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: To make way for the Dark. Got a few old friends who’d like to lend a hand… yet their chains hang heavy in the Locker of Leviathan. What? You thought I sought to upend the Serpents Triangle? I know better than to mess with ancient Ouroborian magic.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …Who are you trying to break from the Locker?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mothman: And ruin the surprise? I wouldn’t dream of it. Though… my, it’s been a while since I saw you three together like this. How exciting.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Mothman left the CaDCom transcription range.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: …since he saw us together like this…? I don’t think I’ve ever met the Mothman before.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mind games.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Or… he was there to see “us” the first time ‘round.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Can’t be. He’s a high demon—not an Elder.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: More than Elders can muck about time…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-86"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-86</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-86</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Is he having a laugh? Honestly, Jules, you want to know what an impossible and infuriating task is? <strong><em>THIS!</em></strong> This—stupidity. We came down here to catch a chupacabra—a bloody stupid chupacabra—but what did we find instead? The Mothman! <strong><em>THE MOTHMAN!</em></strong> One of the oldest, most dangerous demons out there. And he's out working with Umbra and Aka to dredge up some fresh terrors from the bottom of Leviathan's Locker. And he flies off with a cryptic smirk and you—you're back to business as usual? Is that it? "Oh, well, better catch that chupacabra!"</p><br />
<br />
<p>Honestly… What the hell are we doing? What the hell are you doing? Look—it's no surprise that I find all this Cafe nonsense to be a bit much. But if it makes my love happy, fine. I'll play along. Anything for Nikki, and you know that. We owe her everything… And I reckon there's no way we'll ever be able to pay her back for what she's done for us. So, I'll put on a cheerful (enough) smile and write my little receipts for here… but we need to be doing something serious for Bird's bloody sake. Chasing chupacabras, is not it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Obviously, this one is being kept off the record. I just need to vent… and take a break from the usual routine. Can only think up so many rhymes and drop so many Hs. Doubt they'll go so far as to look for me here. I need to find a way to get it through their skulls that this isn't "play time." We have serious problems to deal with—being the Devil's pawns, being Wicked's pawns, and honestly—Umbra's pawns as of late. Seems like everything we do just helps the bloody shadow. We need to stop playing games and start getting down to real business, choice? Maybe they all just need a little fire under their arses. A little shock to the system.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-87"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-87</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-87</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>We managed to find Loveland! That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Dark seems to want him for something. They’ve had the Manananggal out looking for him for the past few days. Apparently, Loveland escaped from Mayda on his own… though something doesn’t quite add up. Well, actually, a lot of things don’t seem to be adding up. Hm… many threads all tangled up.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Peace, Love, and Joy!</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Oi, you reckon that’s our guy? Our customer?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Or a really big frog! You think he speaks English?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: One way to find out—Hey! Frog!</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Joy pulled Jericho down and put her hand over his mouth.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Do you want to scare the little guy?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right—sorry. Got an idea… So…pyta sohocar…ah…tav? I’okili ets…maie?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: HELLO!!</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Loveland waved in the distance.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Thank the Bird; he speaks English. My Maydaian is beyond rusty.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Joy and Jericho waved back.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: You speak Maydaian?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I dabble in all the demonic languages.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: You simply must be mistaken! I do think, and this is very true, I do not think this, I do not think you speak Maydaian very well!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Sorry. Human error. What’d I manage to say?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: Frog boy, we’re friendly! That is silly! I am not a frog!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …sorry… then what are you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: A normal human boy, of course.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Huh.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: This can’t be some bloody Grimm situation, can it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: …Do I not look like a normal human boy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Not a bit.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Why are you—?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Manananggal swooped out from a nearby Mangrove tree, attempting to grab Loveland.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: A Remover!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Loveland, get back!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: Love…land?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Manananggal: A Remover? I am not merely “a Remover.” I am the Remover. And you… must be the Cafe and Diner. Rubeus has told me so much about you. Funny running into you out here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: Who is the ugly half-lady?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Manananggal: You may call me… Destiny.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Bit self-absorbed, don’t you think?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Also, kind of a stripper name.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: Stripper? I thought Destiny said she was a Remover? The words are similar, yes, but—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Manananggal: <strong><em>ENOUGH!</em></strong> Hand over the Maydaian.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Over my dead body.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Manananggal: You would die for a frog?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No. Not likely. But a human boy? Yeah.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Manananggal: …Human? What—Eugh. It does not matter. Hand him over. Now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: What would Umbra want with him anyway?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Manananggal: You could say… it is Destined.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Ugh. Seriously? Hey, Destiny? Bugger off.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jericho reached into his pocket and retrieved a small vial of a clear substance. He threw it at the Manananggal, causing her to leave the CaDCom Transcription Range.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Holy water…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Garlic holy water. Figured we’d need it at some point.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: WOW! That was very, very scary. But also, very exciting! Thank you for saving me! I have been running from that ugly half-lady, Destiny, for quite some time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Izzat, so? Why?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: I simply do not know! I am, most likely, very popular.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Could be… what are you doing Flipside, anyway?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: Well, you see, I escaped the Coral Gardens because it is a horrible, horrible prison in Mayda. It is no place for a human boy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …The Coral Gardens? Right. Well, suppose we get you home…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Loveland: NO! YOU CANNOT!! Please, please, do not send me back there! Please!!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Customer doesn’t want to be served… now what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: You’re asking me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I’m on probation, choice?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Hmm… I don’t know. But we can’t let the Dark get him, can we?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: We’ll sort it later then. Might as well have our golden dove meet the little guy. See if she can’t sus out why he’s so… “special.”</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-88"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-88</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-88</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>UGH! I <em><strong>HATE</strong></em> Aka. He’s such a freaking dick. And Robert? Total nasty creep. I tried to stop them, and I was at least able to keep the Redman’s magic from influencing me—just, ugh, it didn’t work against Robert’s magic. I guess I should’ve seen that coming. Stupid pit dwellers. The only thing that messes with them is light… and the Devil’s Den at night was sorely lacking in that. Whatever. They won this one, but we’ll get them next time. I didn’t get a great look at what they were trying to get, but I think it was a large black disk of some sort.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Ah, Nicole. Ever the hero.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: <em>Rubeus.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Did you learn anything from our last encounter?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Redman began to clench his fist, but before he was able to form a tether to Nikki’s Bloodshot Eye, she placed a ring of salt around her.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: A salt ring? What—do you take me for some lesser demon?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Redman attempted to pull his Bloodshot tether but instead pulled at his own eyes.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: AGH! What—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: A ferrous sulfate ring. A little more… “heavy duty.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Ha… no kidding. But… you are trapped within your own ring.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Redman snapped his fingers, and from his bag, a small, tattered doll in a sailor’s outfit sprung forth, jerking toward Nikki.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Ew! What the hell is that thing?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Ah, you have yet to meet my associate. Robert, keep her busy for a moment. Our prize is at hand.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Robert the Doll: Didn’t think you’d meet a celebrity today, did ya toots?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Celebrity? Don’t kid yourself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Robert the Doll: Come on, sweetheart. As if you don’t know me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Robert lunged at Nikki with erratic and unpredictable movements, trying to force her out of her protective circle.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Robert the Doll: Damn, you’re a feisty one, aren’t ya? I like that. But… playtime’s almost over.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Robert raised his tiny felt hand, causing the shadows in the Devil’s Den to warp and twist, forming dark tendrils that crept out toward Nikki.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Eugh-!</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The shadowy tendrils grabbed Nikki’s arms and legs, holding her in place.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Robert the Doll: Wanna dance?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Robert puppeteered Nikki, shuffling her feet across the ferrous sulfate ring, disrupting its form.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Well done, Robert.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Redman clenched his fist, slamming Nikki to the ground by her Bloodshot Eye.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Redman: Shame salts and iron do nothing to shadows. Well, as always, lovely to see you. Come along, Robert, we got what we came for.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-89"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-89</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-89</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, we’re all back in one piece! Beats being in two. Nikki is also doing alright after her run-in with the Redman. Man… Jericho was pretty sure that ring would’ve been enough to stop him. I guess, in a way, it did… until it got messed up. Oh well, the important thing is that she’s okay, and we’re okay, and Loveland is okay. Speaking of Loveland… he’s here. With us. In the Cafe. I know this isn’t the, uh, typical customer protocol and all… but he’s not a nuisance or anything! He’s actually rather friendly!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Despite his short stature and… mm… not so typical “human boy” appearance, Loveland actually has quite an amazing gift—polyglotism! He can pick up new languages extremely fast, a skill which could actually be pretty useful. Sure, the Manager is pretty well-versed in a lot of different Otherside tongues, but he’s far from a native speaker. Plus, Loveland can even pick up dead languages, constructed languages, and seemingly made-up languages. He’s really got a knack for anything language-related!</p><br />
<br />
<p>…Which… if Loveland doesn’t want to go home, back to the Otherside… what if he stayed here? With us? Y’know, as a full-time employee? I mean, his polyglot skills would make him an exceptional asset in dealing with our diverse range of customers. He’s also, like, super friendly. And it really can’t hurt to have an Otherside perspective on our side! I guess he may attract unwanted attention from both tourists and the Dark. Plus, I don’t know if we can fully trust him. Just because he’s very, very (unnaturally) friendly… it could be that he isn’t just friendly but an actual friend. He could even be working for the Dark, for all we know! Then again… that seems a bit silly. I know we’re not doing votes anymore, but my vote is to have him stay!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Peace, Love, and Joy!</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-90"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-90</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-90</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Writing off the record again. Might become a bit of a habit at this point. Or maybe, it’s just an excuse to drop the act a bit. I’m a mess when it comes to keeping up the whole “Jericho” bit. Every time I get a little more comfortable just being myself… wham… some ghost of my past rears its ugly head. Now that the ol’ Nuckelavee’s involved with the Dark, I can’t risk it. I can’t. I don’t reckon the Nuckelavee is exactly in league with the Slaugh… but bloody hell… It’s close enough for my comfort. I won’t let the Host get my true name. Not again. Hell, I barely made it out of that on a loose loophole.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mm… regarding that loose loophole… I’ve had my head buried in the books for the past few weeks. Figured I’d make myself useful for this Cafe and Diner, especially after all the trouble I’ve caused. And in researching the Devil’s Den, I came across quite the choice little rumor… the Devil’s Chair. A graveside bench in a cemetery that borders Cassadaga and Lake Helen. They say if one were to leave an unopened can of beer on the bench, it’d be dry as bone come morning. Drunk by the Devil himself. It can’t be that easy to call out the Devil, can it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>What would I have to lose? A can of beer? I mean, certainly, stranger things have happened. Though I struggle to think there’s some convenient gap between the Gates of Hell and, well, Floridia. Then again… I reckon the Bermuda Triangle might just be a big enough sigil that it can bend the Gates of Hell just enough to let ol’ Nick pop out for a drink. If I can find a reference to it just lying about at my local library, it can’t be true. The Angels, the Bird, someone would’ve patched that up by now. Surely. Or, I suppose, it could be one of many “devils” who takes the drink. So long as it’s not the Host or the Wicked, It’s worth a shot, yeah?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-91"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-91</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-91</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>That's… well, that's one rumor that may just be true after all. The Devil himself. Damn. Reztiypaliam'el, El'choniamnohsir, El'utopyah… well, the good news is I don't reckon we're going to form into one unified Universe on our own accidentally. Not that I even think we should, given the chance, but that's a defiance for another day.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Well, well, well, as I live and breathe! If it ain’t the Skald gracing my humble Earthly bones. And lookie here, it brought some liquid courage with it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No kidding… the actual Devil?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: That's sure what they call me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: H-how…? I thought you were locked behind the Gates of Hell—?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: And who is to say I'm not? Let you in on a secret… Dem—God, as you call Him, the Big Man upstairs, he only acts when his feathers get ruffled. If I went around flaunting my influence over his precious Universe, I'm sure he'd come down on me harder than the first time. But… what He doesn't know can't possibly hurt Him.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: What He doesn't know? I thought he knew—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: <em>All?</em> Sure. But can you even fathom what "all" is? Worse, what's everything to you ain’t everything to Him or I. This Universe? It’s as big as it gets and just another tiny blip in the grand scheme.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I suppose…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: So, what’s the scoop? Just paying an old man a visit? Or did you come here for a reason?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Three to become one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: If only.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: What… what does it mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: You tell me. What do you think it means?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Julius, Joy, and I, we each have a piece of the original Utopias within us. You seek to bring the Universe together as one utopia instead of three.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: And why would I want that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: To defy the will of God?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Ha! Everything I do, in service of Him, is that it? No. Consider it a differing point of view. God wants isolation, perfection, sterility, eternity, utopia. I don't want "one" utopia. I want one unified Universe. Skald, Eden, and Arcadia as one. Chaotic, ever-changing, evolving…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I'd hardly call what we have now "perfection."</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: My little gift to you. But there’s still plenty more to do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …how would we become one, anyway?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Well, first, I'd need to bust out of the Gates of Hell. Hard to work my magic from this side. Then, I'd need to get my hands on the Reztiypaliam'el, the tool that creates. I'd also need the El'choniamnohsir, wouldn't know how to use the damned thing without it. Then, assuming I can sniff out where and within whom God has hidden the three original El'utopyah, it’s a piece of cake. At least, I imagine so. It's been a while since I truly sinned in such a way.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: …right. So… no chance of us accidentally becoming one on our own?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Unity ain’t a solo act. Besides, of the three requirements, Reztiypaliam'el, El'choniamnohsir, and El'utopyah… any two out of the three would likely do the trick.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I see…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Don't sweat it too much. Realistically, I've waited sixteen Universes, and I can wait sixteen more. Each new Universe swings things a little more in my favor. I'm just tickled pink you three can be together for a spell. Good for the soul, I'd wager.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-92"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-92</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-92</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Time to stop running, choice? Time to start living up to this Cafe and Diner business, proper. My heart hasn't been in it, not entirely, but now I think I get it. I see it clearer than ever. Enter the Light. I am the Light. A fool thinks he is wise—but the wise'll know himself to be a right fool.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Back again? Tryin' to squeeze every last drop out of that six-pack, huh? You know, my dear Skald, you don’t need to bring me a beer every time you want to chat.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Yeah… I’ve just been… I don't know. Running, I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Running, huh? From what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Too many things to list. The Host, the Wicked, the Dark… myself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: I tried running once. Didn't pan out too well. Not that standing toe-to-toe with the Big Man upstairs would’ve really changed all that much.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: So, what would you do? If you couldn't run and couldn't fight?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Well, I took to scheming. Sent my grandson to stir the pot a bit and hid away the El'utopyah into mortal souls. But… I’ve got all the time in this Universe and the next. You? Not so much. Though…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Hm?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: You were given a rare second shot already.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: How so?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Each Universe, the El'utopyah were hidden in different mortal souls. Makes tracking them down a real cat-and-mouse game. Though I suppose my grandson has gotten rather good at it over the years. However, something's gone wrong. Or… perhaps… right. You're the same as you were in the prior Universe. Eden and Arcadia, too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: How'd that happen?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Beats me. Can't tell much of what's happening from here. If I had to place a bet, Reztiypaliam'el was used in a new way. A way in which the Universe was remade in a familiar image. Cracks are starting to form, that much is clear.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Why would God remake the Universe in that way?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: He wouldn't. Someone else must've gotten their hands on Reztiypaliam'el. Another chip fell into my pile. But, the Host, the Wicked, and the Dark—they won't wait for you. You have a glimmer of it inside of you; I can see that much—Em'el'et. A piece of the Eight. Where's the rest of it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: The others, each of us, have a third of our shared eighth. As for the other seven pieces… I'm not entirely sure. Why?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Em'el'et. It’s Fate’s desire, isn’t it? Fate always wants to control what it can’t. But I reckon Fate knows where every piece of Em'el'et lies. As long as you’ve got a piece, you’re safe, my Skald. Fate will ensure it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: So… I should stop running then, and trust that nothing can happen to me? I'm "fated" to be fine?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Trust? In this game? Never. But if you’ve died and been reborn once already, why not go all in? What’s that piece of Em'el'et whispering to you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Say to me? I don't…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Listen close. Tap into your connection to the other El'utopyah.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: It's… it's saying… Enter the Light.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-93"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-93</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-93</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Remember Lucy's Scrying Mirror? That black disk Redman and Robert stole from the Devil's Den and used on Grendel when they were waking him up? Yeah, I'm starting to think that whatever "concept of a customer" Umbra is trying to bring about is tied to that thing. It's a catalyst of some sort. It has to be. Tulpa—that's the customer's name from here on out, by the way. It's not terribly creative, sure, but it'll have to do, considering we don't even know who Umbra is trying to bring into the Dark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Knowing that Lucy's Scrying Mirror is supposed to bring about a Tulpa somehow isn't too much help. The mirror can reach into visions of the past, present, and even future. And Lucy's hella connected, you all know that. So… anyone, or hell, any concept from Lucy's past, present, or future? The Tulpa is dangerous. Or, will be dangerous, assuming Umbra can find a suitable host for it. If Umbra succeeds in his goal of bringing this Tulpa from the mirror, we're probably going to be facing Lucy's darkest desires and fears. And what the hell could she have to worry about?</p><br />
<br />
<p>It's not good, obviously. But, considering whose mirror it is and all that… it may be time to call in a favor. She owes me one, after all. I've been waiting to cash it in since I doubt she'd ever fall into my debt again. Kinda seems like a waste, though, don't you think? We don't even know what we're up against yet… though is finding out worth it? Or maybe she'd even save us the trouble of prying the stupid trinket out of Umbra's hands. Sure, the Agency seems to be going no-contact with Umbra, but Lucy… Lucy's still a Cafe employee. Maybe not officially or anything, but I don't think she can ever fully get out of the coffee game. Not the one she helped start, anyway.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-94"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-94</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-94</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ve been racking my brain about this whole Tulpa business. Anyway, all this thinking dredged up some old memories from way back in the First Cafe. There was this one time, the only time really when I had ever heard of a “Tulpa” before. It was during one of those late nights the Cafe is famous for, and I happened to overhear a hushed conversation between Felix and Sahir. They were whispering about the Owner’s attempt to manifest a version of Lucifer in her absence. I guess they broke up or whatever.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The whole thing went horribly wrong. The Owner was no Tulpamancer. He didn’t have the skill, focus, or control needed for something like that. Plus, the Blight in his eye only amplified the Tulpa’s negative qualities. Apparently, it was a disaster. A disaster behind closed doors, per usual. Probably during one of his many elusive episodes. Anyway, the Lucifer Tulpa didn’t come out as planned and it caused a whole lot of trouble that the Owner, Felix, and Sahir had to deal with. They were being cagey with the details, of course, but from what I heard, it was bad. Really bad.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Given what we’re up against now, maybe it’s time to dig deeper into old secrets. Instead of wasting my favor with Lucifer, maybe I should just pay Felix a visit back in California. I don’t know where the hell Sahir ended up—and it’d give me time to visit my parents. Win-win. Even if it’s not the same Tulpa Umbra’s trying to manifest, at least he’d know how to handle one. So, I guess I’ll be heading back to the West Coast for a bit. Loveland’s in charge for the time being. You can decide if I’m serious about that or not.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-95"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-95</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-95</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I caught up with Felix, #71 of the old Cafe and Diner. Apparently, Umbra is trying to bring back a Tulpa the original Owner made of Lucifer because he missed her and they weren’t talking. It’s… really weird and sad, but hey, I guess I’ve never dated a Prince of Hell before. The Tulpa came out wrong though, like a weird child of the Owner and Lucifer. Worse, this Tulpa apparently was also able to copy or… I don’t know… invert? The power of the Eight in the Owner, creating a Negative Eight. At least that’s what Felix called it.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I… wasn’t expecting to find you here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I’m getting older, you know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Yeah, but, a retirement home? You don’t really need that, do you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah—sharp as ever. I’m just enjoying the calm and the quiet. They don’t let us old folks drink too much coffee, you know. How’s that new Cafe of yours treating you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: New—how’d you know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Was it supposed to be a secret? Eh, I suppose word doesn’t travel that fast across the country. Don’t worry. I’m one of the only ones out here who has picked up on it. At least your family hasn’t let on that they know anything about it yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: How… are they?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: You haven’t paid them a visit yet?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I’m… I’ve been busy. This is a work trip, after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: It’s been… what… Thirteen years? They miss you, you know. Nick misses you, at the very least. Ned and Nancy, well, they have a unique perspective on time, no? Thirteen years to them is not very much. But for your brother… thirteen years is thirteen years.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Mm…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: So, you didn’t come all the way back here just to catch up with me, and certainly not them. What brings you back to the Hotspot?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Umbra is trying to find a vessel for some sort of Tulpa.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Tulpa?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: One that’s tied to Lucifer’s Scrying Mirror.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: …No. Ringan Storm…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Who?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: An anagram. Morningstar. It’s a Tulpa of Lady Lucifer herself. Made by… maybe the Owner.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Was that the one you and Sahir dealt with?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Unfortunately, yes. The Owner, he was a hopeless romantic, you know. When Lucifer left him—he took it very hard. But, he didn’t want to press things further with Lucifer, so he…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: …made a Tulpa of her? That’s… kinda pathetic. And weird.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: An understatement. It was one of many disasters behind closed doors. The Owner, bless his misguided heart, thought he could control such visceral emotions brought to life. But he was no Tulpamancer. And the emotions he held for Lucifer were not all positive. Worse… the Tulpa did not come out “right.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: What do you mean?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah—well, he was attempting to make a copy of Lucifer, no? What he actually made was a malformed copy of himself melded with his thoughts of Lucifer. A child of sorts, in a horribly twisted way. If you ever wish to make a Tulpa, my dear, do not use a mirror, eh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: So… it was more him than Lucifer?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: It was both and it was nothing. Worse, it somehow leached the very number from his mind. It had all of the power he had. Or, at the very least, the shadow of such power. A negative eight.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: He made an evil version of himself?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Yes. It took every ounce of our combined strength, and a bit of luck, to contain it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Why didn’t you ask for help? Why didn’t—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: You know how he was. He was embarrassed by his failure and didn’t want to put anyone else in harm’s way. Everything we were working toward, stopping Satan, it all could’ve been upended by this childish solution to the Owner’s own romantic woes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I guess… but, hang on, how is Umbra able to bring back Ringan Storm? Tulpas are attached to their creators, right? And the Owner’s dead. Been dead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: …Eh. I suppose it is a mystery, no? Such a powerful Tulpa… well, and it was not entirely him, remember? It was birthed from his thoughts of Lucifer, and she is very much still alive. Umbra, he is looking for something to attach the Tulpa to, yes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah—yes… the lingering essence of Ringan Storm must still be swirling within that Scrying Mirror. Without the Owner, Umbra will need to get creative. But… why—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: CRAP!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: What’s wrong?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Look, yesterday’s receipt.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah… always busy running a Cafe. Well, you’d better get going then, eh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Yeah. Thank you, Felix. Tell Nick and my parents—mm…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: You were never here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Thank you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Of course, cher ami.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-96"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-96</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-96</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I cashed in my favor, but it's just like the Prince of Pride to be too stubborn to take it. Oh well, I'll hold onto it for something more drastic. Anyway, Lucy illuminated the situation with Ringan—with Jeanne—in a way only she could've. Not sure how we're going to use this information yet, but it's definitely the weakness we were looking for.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: My, it's been a while, hasn't it? Nikki.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Has it though? For you, I mean. Thirteen years can't be much to a Prince.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: Mm… I suppose not. Though… I've had more than enough reasons to slow down. Really take in every day that I can, you know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I'll be honest—everything feels like it has been going by in a flash. You heard that I started my own Cafe, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: I did. I'm sorry. It's… it's not easy work, is it? But if it were easy—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: —it wouldn't be worth doing. Yeah. Speaking of your lost lover… It's actually why I wanted to catch up with you. Did he ever tell you about "Ringan Storm?"</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: Ringan Storm? No… What's that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Figures. Uh… how to put this… he made a Tulpa of you. Or, well, he tried to make a Tulpa of you. It went wrong. Way wrong. It ended up being like a weird amalgamation of both of you—a child, basically.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: …A child? He kept that from me? Well… Mm… I suppose he kept it from me because it didn't "turn out right."</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Still kinda creepy though.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: It's sweet. At least, I think so. He must've made it after we… after I left him.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Yeah. Why did you leave him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: It wasn't because I lost my love for him. You know him. You know how he was. Always so intense, always seeking to outdo his competitors in his little coffee business. You see now how dangerous this work can be, especially when you're the one calling the shots. I… I just didn't want to distract him from his work. It is important work. But… things changed. For me, at least. I lost my taste for it… for the danger… for the… expectations that it would have brought.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: …You know you're a Prince of Hell, right? Wouldn't the Cafe and Diner be a break from your usual work?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: The work you do, the work all of you do, it isn't for everyone. I just wanted… something normal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Uh huh… but then you joined the Second Cafe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: Normalcy breeds boredom. Besides… sometimes, for there to be normalcy… there has to be distance. Lots and lots of distance. So much distance breaks your heart… and the only thing you can do is distract yourself. Besides, like you said, working in a Cafe and Diner is like a vacation for me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Well… we've got some more vacation time for you if you're interested. This Tulpa he made… It's bad. And the Dark has given it some sort of "perfected" body. The only way we can stop it is to find a weakness in her mind… which is bits of your mind and his.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: …The Dark?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Right, sorry. You know the Hatman, Redman, and Mothman, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: I know of them, sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: They've been putting together a sort of Cafe of their own, called the Dark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: I see. Well, what do you know about this Ringan Storm?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Not much. We know that the original owner made it to be in your image but it failed. Uh… hm... oh! It also goes by the name Jeanne, if that's anything.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: …Jeanne?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Yeah.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: That's… what he wanted to call our daughter. Baudelaire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Daughter? You two were going to have a kid?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: Were. Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Were?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: There's a reason humans and demons don't have children together.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Oh. So… he wasn't trying to make "you" he was—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: Mm. Trying to make what we lost. How foolish… If only he could have… well, no, that's good, right? That's the weakness. Jeanne—this Tulpa—she must think she is our child. You could probably exploit that, somehow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Are you sure? She is sorta… y'know… like your kid, in a weird way.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: She is not my daughter. Don't worry. Finish what he started. Put this figment to rest.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Thank you, Lucy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: Of course. And save your favor, Nikki. It's nice to catch up and have a lovely break from all the usual court business.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Do you wanna hang around and help take Ringan Storm down? To cut through some of the boredom?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: I would—but I don't want to make anything worse. Call, if you truly need me. I'll be Flipside for a while.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Okay. Thank you again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucy: Anytime.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-97"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-97</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-97</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I knew it! I knew it. You! You’re—</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Sorry for the mess. I didn’t… Well, it was bad timing, wasn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: It wasn’t my glamor that attracted the Tulpa. It was you. It had to be you. That’s why that thing was still alive… because you’re—</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: —Still alive. It’s strange, to be certain. Cheating death.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Why did you let us all think you had died?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: I was meant to be dead, so I played the part. I am playing the part. It gives me a certain advantage over Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Does Lucifer know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Not yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Does… anyone know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: I have been coming out of the shadows… slowly but surely. Those who know, who have known, were only the most crucial to know. Mon vieil ami, he knows.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: He told you, didn’t he?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: You were never there—but you can’t fault him for telling the dead, can you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Eugh. You haven’t changed a bit, you know that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Well, you have, at least. You’ve taken up a Cafe of your own. Very impressive. Though… you’re leaving yourself a bit vulnerable you know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: In what way?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Typically, a Cafe has an 8. A figurehead. “Payroll,” it doesn’t quite strike the same sense of… gravitas.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Well, we aren’t a typical Cafe. And I don’t want to… I mean… we don’t even really have an “8.” We have three… and they’re—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[8 held up his hand.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Play the part. You’re meant to play the part. It’ll give you an advantage over the Dark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Seriously?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Write a few receipts as 8. That’s all. I’m not asking you to be me. Just let others think that there is an 8 there. It’ll throw your friends off course.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I’ll think about it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Well, it’s your Cafe, after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Hey, what about the Tulpa you made. Is it actually gone?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: No. It’s a thought I doubt I could ever shake. A dream of a different life. A figment of light I will never fully grasp. That being said, it’s been weakened again—in part due to your efforts… and in a larger part due to the Blight Flame which consumed it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Damn. So it’s mostly gone? Like… out of our hair gone and out of the Dark’s grasp gone?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: I believe so. Yes. If it isn’t, just kill me next time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: If only. You know how many problems that’d solve?</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: Oh, too many to count. I’m proud of you, Nikki. I am.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Thanks. I…</p><br />
<br />
<p>8: You’ll serve the best coffee you can. I know it. Here, a way to get in touch. Only in times of absolute crisis.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Alright.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-98"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-98</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-98</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho was not lying. He really found a way to speak to the Devil himself. Of course, it would seem he’s pushed himself to the limits and it would be unlikely we will be able to speak with him again—not until we find his book. Though, I think we can decide what to do with it once we find it. It may be best for everyone if that thing went up in flames.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That’s all.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Well, well, well, if it ain’t the dynamic trio. Skald, Eden, and Arcadia. My greatest works.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: We’re here to talk business, Devil.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: We’ve been… uhm… we’ve been thinking about your proposal. Unifying the Universe. Bringing it back to its primordial state. Starting over. It’s… it’s a radical idea.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Risky too. You would be pitting us against God. The Angels. The entire Topside. And those outside of the Topside as well. The Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: True. All true.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: But… it might be the only way forward.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: You think so?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: We’ve been running in circles, fighting battles that never seem to end. Nothing’s new. Nothing ever changes. Not really. Not if we’re—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Trapped.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mm.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: So… what would we need to do. To become one?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Exactly what you’re doing now. I need that book. El'choniamnohsir. With that, and with you three, that’d be just about enough, wouldn’t it? Of course, if you could also get your hands on Reztiypaliam'el—that’d help immensely too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: That’s it? You only need the First Bible and us?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Oh—I’d also need to be free from this infernal prison. You three could probably figure out how to unify things on your own… but, it’d help to have an Archon’s touch.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: What… what would happen, if we freed you from Hell? Wouldn’t that cause the Universe to spiral into utter chaos?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Oh, my dear Eden, chaos is a given. But it’s the kind of chaos that’d breed growth and change. Not the usual stagnation the Big Man upstairs is so found of. Instead of starting over we could finally start anew.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: This doesn’t feel like much of a plan. This isn’t something we can just wing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Oh, Arcadia. Ever His favorite. Look—I’ve got a plan. I’ve had aeons to think one up. Just—just keep doing what you’ve been doing. Searching for that book and getting it before someone else does.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: You wouldn’t happen to know where the First Bible is, would you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Not anymore. Been too long. And considering I’m the one who wrote it, the Big Man probably stashed it somewhere as far away as he did me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Hang on, you wrote the First Bible?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Devil: Who else could’ve? Reztiypaliam'el was His toy. You three were the prized creation of… of… another. And I, wrote everything down. Meticulous note keeping—it tends to be a virtue, ya’ know. Look—the thing about all of this is, don’t sweat it. Don’t over think it. Just… live it. Do what you do, and do it well. If and when you find my El'choniamnohsir then we can start talking seriously about you three becoming one. I’ll send you some help soon… assuming I can rouse that little lush. It’s great seeing you three together… how it should’ve been. How it should still be. But—I’ve been pushing it as is with this little stunt. Course, it confirms one of my suspicions… hell, I could probably push things further… but seeing as I’m already this close, I need to play things safe. On the bright side, eventually all debts come due, don’t they?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Devil left the CaDCom Transcription Range.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Wow… that was… that was really him wasn’t it? The Devil?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Yep. What do you make of it, Jules?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Not sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Well, you did a good job of telling him what he wanted to hear, at least.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mm. So, looks like we’ve got three people to keep the First Bible from. The Dark, the Cold, and now the Devil.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Must be some book, choice?</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-99"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-99</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-99</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Time to step out of the shadows, I suppose. I wanted to keep my involvement with this Cafe to a minimum. I really did. Given my contemporary’s willingness to work together combined with the threat the Dark poses to the whole coffee-drinking nation, I don’t have much choice, do I? Yes, it’s true, I am one of the “eight” chosen successors of the original number himself. Makes me wonder where the other five are slacking off. No matter.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though, for those in the Dark and otherwise keeping score, my presence here does mean this Cafe is up 2/8ths now. It’s still nowhere near the original Owner’s full control of the set, but I would argue we also have the other 8 on our side. Nearly half-way there, aren’t we? And to clear the air—I am no imposter; I am no hackneyed “second Eight.” No. It’d be quite the connection if it were true, wouldn’t it be? The list of who I could be is admittedly short, but do keep in mind, the original Owner had more plans than you could possibly imagine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for our operations in the month of October—we have a guest Barista joining us from the other Cafe. So, please give Barista Z.B. a warm Cafe welcome, would you? He won’t actually be joining us in-person as there’s actually a bit of comfort food I would rather have him check out on his home coast. It seems like Aplut caused quite a stir in the boundary lines between here and Ottawa. Nothing that can’t be repaired. Payroll, Big Guy, Manager, and H.R. will continue to work on more “Dark” matters. And as for the New Guy? Well… that’s one secret I don’t mind sharing with the Third Cafe. I’m sure he’ll brighten our Barista’s Day.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours infinitely,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-100"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-100</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-100</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>WELCOME LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND OTHERS, TO THE FINAL (FOR NOW) EPISODE (FOR HERE AND NOW) OF "STOP RECORDING WHAT I SAY, OBOONEXRE I DON'T APPRECIATE IT!"</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Your Gamemaster: Oboonexre</p><br />
<br />
<p>Your Mysterious Benefactor: Shaka</p><br />
<br />
<p>Your Friend Friend Friend: Zeuzitxum</p><br />
<br />
<p>---</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: I can only make this work for a few moments.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Should be more than enough time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Are you still recording this, by the way?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Is that a problem, Shaka?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Could be, depending on what our friend has to say in his lucidity.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Of course, of course. Though that reminds me, will Secret know about this?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: ...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: I usually take your silence as a yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: ...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Let me guess. Secret knows about a lot of your little side projects, huh? But he doesn't bother to tell the other Cold Elders because it's, of course, a secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Our lips are sealed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Right. Well, then, shall we proceed with our ill-intent?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: O'tear'kes al ed omul al ed ot'jar atknas rep atikev. Mem oleic lo am’rav’lam il’ pa’jak aga ill’intent.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: Ill intent, ill intent, ill intent, ill-prepared, ill-fated, I'll be right back. I'll see you in the morning. I-I- I- H- hi. Hi. I wasn't expecting you two.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Yeah, sorry, the Ape-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: No, I understand. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: It is understandable. It needs to be where it will be. Besides, I couldn't care less if that overgrown Ape gets it back or not. And Complexico didn't want to lose his prize. Though, why did you choose that as a prize?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: I keep saying it wasn't me who chose it! Well. I-I did. And didn't. The other me chose it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: From the Apocalypse?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Seems like it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: That is strange. Though, I am sure he knows something we don't. We can't all be infinite.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Yeah, about that. I wanted to ask you, Cold. When are we revisiting the Apocalypse?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: Soon. I think. Though I need something before we can go.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Oh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: You're recording this, aren't you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: How'd you guess, haha.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: Well, in that case, I'll just say there is another 8.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Another 8?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Surely there can't be?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: Well, maybe not the same 8. There is a weakness in the current design. A gear is loose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: So, what's the plan then? Toss this new 8 into the Apocalypse and rewind again? We would first need-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Zeuz: No, no. Nothing that drastic. I just thought we could use another 8. Or, maybe I should say an other 8. Another. Another. Other. Other. Other. Otherside. Otherworld. Otherman. Other Otherman. H- h- hello. My name is Indrid Cold. Do not be afraid.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Satisfied?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: I mean, not entirely. But it does clear some things up.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Speaking of clearing things up, did your other self say why the Staff was to be the prize?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: No. We don't tend to talk much. Though it seems like the doll has a pretty big role to play here, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: For now. Though I can only assume the Cafe will make quick work of the plaything. There's a darker force at work pulling his strings.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Uh, yeah. That is their whole deal. They are the Dark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Darker than the Dark. Though I can't say much more than that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Darker than the Dark? Wait, do you mean the literal Darker? Or...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: ...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oboon: Gotcha. Not something I need to know right now. Well, thanks for the help M.B.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Always a pleasure, Game Master. See you again, in another other time and place.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-101"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-101</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-101</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: What a crazy few days.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No kiddin'.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: We wouldn't have had to deal with that if you didn't play the Redman's game, Jericho.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Are you seriously trying to pin the interference of an Elder on me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mm. I suppose not. Though it was still a stupid plan. What if you had lost?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Ah—but I didn't, did I?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Yeah, but you didn't really win, either. You never got to ask Redman a question back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Didn't need to. I confirmed what I needed to know, which is that he has no idea what this little beauty is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jericho pulled out a small jar with a black pulsating glob inside.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: The… seed?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Exactly.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: And, what, Redman, not knowing what something is means you suddenly do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: It was a trick question. Umbra already told us exactly what it is—it's a seed. One of the last seeds from the Tree of Knowledge.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: No way…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: How can you be certain?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: I was paired up with the heap o' coke for a long, long week. Not that he let much slip of his plans mind you, but I did at least get enough to piece it together. Eve, Eden, Knowledge… the price one pays for it. This—this is it. A seed of knowledge. A catalyst. It's what Robbie was really after until we nicked it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Why would Robert want that thing?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: It'd complete him. He's a shade, right? A wispy little nothing of an idea born in the pits of the Everdark. He's gotta jump around from body to body just to be. Umbra—well, Umbra wasn't always Umbra. He used to be John Dee—until he ate one of these.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jericho shook the black glob around.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: I could believe that whatever that thing is makes someone… or something into a shadow person. Fine. But how do you know it's a "seed of knowledge?" That it is some remnant of Eden?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Robbie's Plan B. He couldn't get the seed, seeing as we had moved it out of Palm Beach once we knew we lost. So, he went after something else Eve had left behind… a few strands of her hair.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: I… don't think I'm following.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Eve made him—Eve made all of them. Even indirectly, like with Umbra, Eve made them. The shadows… they're hers.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: The Everdark is Eden?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No. No… I don't think that's the case. I think the Everdark must be where it all ended up. What's left behind. Like how the Otherside is what's left of the Skald and the Flipside is what's left of Arcadia.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mm… perhaps. Though, Everdark… it's part of the Otherside, no?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Not really. Not… not in the technical sense. It was there before the other Seven Planes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Hm. Okay. So, how does this all tie back into Eve's hair?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: And the seed. Pieces of Eve and Eden all found in the Everdark. Umbra, Dee, he had to get his seeds from somewhere, right? And he said he was running out—not that this was all he had. Eating this thing—it makes you into a shadow, but just touching it seems to be some sort of test for the Dark.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: So Umbra wouldn't let Robert eat one of his few remaining seeds. Thus, the betrayal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Yeah, or Robert's just a backstabbing power-hungry prick.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: So… what do we do with that thing now? Eat it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: No, no, no. Not a good idea. No clue how'd it'd interact with the Blight or, well, the spittin' image of Eden. In the most mundane case, you'd become a shadow person yourself. Mostly immortal but entirely unfeeling and likely at the will of Eve herself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: She is still alive?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jericho rattled the seed.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Only in the knowledge she left behind. I could've sworn I heard Umbra muttering to himself about Eve. No… we need to… I don't know. Destroy this thing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: You said it yourself; it's not the only one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Damn… well, still, I don't want Umbra gettin' anymore of these.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: We could give it to the Third Cafe for safekeeping? Umbra would expect us to hold onto it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: That's not a bad idea. Even if Umbra couldn't care less if we have one of his seeds, Robert will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Until we know what better to do with it, yeah. Sounds like a plan. They've got a huge safe warded out to the nines. Or, eights, I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: What about their investors? What if they—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mammon and Belphegor. Children of Eve herself are likely uninterested in such a thing. It holds no material value, and little seems to stir Belphegor to action.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Wait-what, Mammon, and Belphegor?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Mm. I've known for a while. Belphegor is a long-time investor in the Cafe and Diner. Mammon… well… I don't know what he's getting out of propping up the Third Cafe, but I doubt he cares about some black gunk.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Suppose Princes ain't keen on becoming Shadows. Yeah. Let's leave it with them, then. Mammon or Belphegor won't want it, but they'd probably know better than to let anyone else get a hold of it.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-102"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-102</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-102</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Oi, we've got another cheeky note in the margins. This time from me older brother. As expected, he wasn't happy that we intentionally gave the chuffin’ Dark our Mechanism pieces. I suppose our little stunt has been right choblesome over at the Society. Prolly even spread to IRIS. Bet they wanna Cuddle ‘n Kiss me now, huh? Anyway, here's what his message said minus the worst of the profanity. Don't want these receipts to start looking like a bloody bathroom stall.</p><br />
<br />
<p>"Jericho,</p><br />
<br />
<p>You absolute [nice guy]. You wretched [ly nice guy]. You slimy [blimey!] goblin. I knew trusting a [fun guy] like you would be an utter and irrevocable MISTAKE. You are a mistake. I would say that I cannot believe you would be so [delightfully] carless, but then I would be the [fun and funny] liar. And that's your job, isn't it? To be a worthless, feckless, [fun guy] only ever looking for a cheap [friend and reasonable drink.] You will never get another CENT of our money again. I can promise you that. Hell, I might as well see if Jordie will take this little [whoopsie] out of your pension.</p><br />
<br />
<p>When will you stop being a disappointment? Can you stop being a disappointment? [I love you very much, my dear younger brother. Mum and dad send kisses.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>-William"</p><br />
<br />
<p>You'd think that being in the Society would've expanded his vocabulary some. Though I will say, I certainly learned some new terms today. Ah well. Like Joy already said, this was planned, at least. Not that Will seems to know that, but he can be with Mum and Dad at me for this all he likes. He usually is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of the Society, their leader is popping in tomorrow. Don't know when. Never can with that lot. Might as well not dwell on it too much, choice? It'd drive you mad, considering it backward.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-103"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-103</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-103</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>As promised, "John Doe," also known as Mevon or Nine, paid us a visit in person. Due to the unpredictable nature of time travel, it seems that his message to us earlier was unintentional. Though, now he is certain to write that message, so how unintentional is it, or was it? It’s all confusing. The good news is we still managed to do exactly what Nine expected of us. We also know that Umbra will potentially add an Elder to his ranks. Additionally, it would seem that Nine knows us from his youth though he did not elaborate on that much. Still, despite his age, he does have a somewhat familiar face.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That’s all for now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-Julius</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>John: Julius, Jericho, Joy, good to see you three again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Time travel.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Yes. And no. I suppose this is my first time meeting you three specifically.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: So, you knew us in another Cycle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Exactly. So, forgive my familiarity and allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Nine, and I am the leader and founder of the Society of Nom de Plume.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: I thought your “nom de plume” was John Doe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: And sometimes Mevon. I go by many names, as do you 4, 5, and 6.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: Huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: I assume you’ll see later. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your work so far regarding the Mechanism.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Really? Based on what Will said to me, I would have thought you were peeved off.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Ah, sorry about him. If you want, I can have a word with him about professionalism.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: That’s alright, nothing I’m not used to. Though, wait- you knew we purposefully lost the Mechanism?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Wait. You didn’t know that I knew? I thought my earlier letter was pretty clear-</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: You told us to stop working on the Mechanism. You were worried that an “Ape” was using it to grow his collection.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Huh. Wait… Ape… Collection… Zeh? Ah, my letters must have gotten mixed up again. Well, I guess it all still worked out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>H.R. Zeh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: You’ll see.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Are you being coy to prevent some sort of paradox or do you just like being vague?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: The latter. I’m not from YOUR future. I can’t necessarily cause a paradox just by telling you what happened in MY Cycle. That being said, Zeh never joined the Dark in my Cycle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Hang on… if you’re not from our future and this “Zeh” never joined your version of the Dark, how did your letter-</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Oh, I cheat. All the time. You can’t go backward in time. Not easily. But the written word doesn’t seem to count. You definitely got a letter from the future.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: And that doesn’t create paradoxes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Who knows? I assume my letters only ever get mixed up because it was fated to happen. When you start temporally tampering, things tend to quickly get out of your control.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: So, someone wanted us to stop working on the Mechanism prematurely.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: That could be the case, yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: And in the future, you want us to stop working on the Mechanism.</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: I suppose that will be the case, yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Joy: …So should we?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: If you had asked me a few minutes ago, I would have said no. Now that Zeh is involved, or will be involved, maybe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Julius: Who is Zeh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Zehhurozzm. The Great Dilly-Dally Ape. An elder. He’s known throughout time and space. Not a pleasant fellow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Bloody hell… an Elder? Umbra’s getting his hands on Elders now?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Sure seems like it. And if Zeh gets the Mechanism, that would make him a much larger threat than he already is. Of course, now Drosselmeyer has the majority of the Mechanism, so you’ll need to get it back either way.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jericho: Right. Suppose it should just be business as usual, then. While we’ve got you here, do you know what this Nutcracker weapon is?</p><br />
<br />
<p>John: Mm, sorry, I don’t. I never worked with your Cafe in my Cycle. I know the general details, but it’s been almost 50 years. Can’t expect an old man to remember everything.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-104"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-104</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: OTHER CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-104</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Merry Christmas indeed, my Cafe and Diner. I have noticed a rather disturbing trend lately. With the recent service at the Dim Den and the inadvertent completion of the Mechanism, I have heard many of you toss around the term "failure." No. I won't stand for that. None of you failed anything. We had a half-success. You stopped the Nutcracker. You are all still very much alive and well. You dwindled the ranks of the Dark once again. And Umbra? He has yet to get his hands on his precious and potentially fictitious book. It was a half-success and nothing less.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And what a half-success it was, might I add. You managed to reforge the Mechanism. I doubt we would have figured out how to do that on our own. True, the Mechanism is currently in the Dark's grasp—but that is a temporary setback. With the help of our latest Barista, I imagine we'll have the Mechanism back in our possession before Valentine's. Wouldn't that be lovely? We could even send the Dark, cutesy little card afterward. Throw a little coffee in their wounds.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Once again, I admit we are in uncharted territory, and no amount of bravado will ease that. Umbra and the Dark now have the means to find his book. However, we have time to set things right. Hell, we have more than just time—we have Nine. And it seems like even with the Mechanism, Umbra still has a long way to go before achieving his goals. Our first and foremost priority should be stopping his forthcoming hire. We don't yet know exactly who the Dark is planning on hiring with the help of the Mechanism, but I doubt it will be good. However—today is not the day to worry about any of that. Today is a day to be as light as a feather, as happy as an angel, merry as a schoolboy, and giddy as a drunken man.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Living in the past, present, and future,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_III)&diff=8621OPERATION: ENCORE (Part III)2026-05-05T05:07:19Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Part III: The Second Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">12 archived receipts</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-64"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-64</div> <div..."</p>
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<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part III: The Second Cafe and Diner</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">12 archived receipts</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-64"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-64</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-64</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Like a Phoenix, I am reborn from the flames of my past. Death, they say, is often only a minor inconvenience at best. That, and it is damn hard to kill a number.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now, the question on everyone's lips must be, "who lit the match?" Typically, an advantage of arson is that it leaves little evidence behind. But I find it all too convenient that I would be set ablaze only to have my most talented baristas stolen away by the Indigos. Seems like corporate espionage to me. Sure, it is a baseless accusation, but I find it hard to believe three of my previously most trusted allies would find themselves in the murky, not entirely blue, not entirely violet waters of the Indigo Organizations.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To my knowledge, Nick Langley has gotten himself tied up with the North American branch, Astoria 23. Sahir Bali has found himself in the South Asian chapter of Yaksha. And Salenna Whitaker has somehow managed to end up working for the Ozhog Morozil'noy Kamery, also known as the Freezer out in... well, somewhere in Russia. While I have lost track of Aelan Analu and Alex Gálvez, I doubt either of them is working for IRIS, the European branch of the Indigos. That leaves only Nicole Langley and Felix Blackwood. Nicole has been seen "performing" at a local palmistry place here in L.A., and Felix, well, last I heard, retired. However, if that was just old coffee, I think we all know where he would go if he were to return to the Indigos. If he could return to the Indigos.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, where does that leave me? Well, there isn't much I can do on my own. Not yet. Not like this. Well, to say that I am entirely alone, that wouldn't be true. I do have a co-owner of sorts. Well, a co-owner and an investor into our renewed operations. Though as I understand it, our investor prefers to stay hands-off. And my co-owner is not too keen on picking fights either. So it would seem that my next move would be to find some new employees who don't mind getting their hands dirty. Or some old employees. If... well. Maybe not. Maybe some fresh faces could be nice. Needn't pick at that wound.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours again,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Infinitely Turning Sideways</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-65"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-65</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-65</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I applaud your leadership, young 8. Very tactful. Though, if you would allow it, I also believe investigating the scene of the fire is a worthwhile investment of our time and resources. In fact, I believe it might be one of the most pressing matters we need to attend to. Now, I know you don't know me well either, though don't take that personally. Very few know me well. But I feel you could trust me if. See, if I wanted to see the ashes, I would do so with or without your permission. I sincerely hope you don't take that as a challenge to your authority. Instead, take it as a sign of my respect for you and the title you hold. If the answer remains no, I will keep my nose out of your old business, by my word.</p><br />
<br />
<p>However, if all signs point towards yes, well, I can supervise young Julius. I fully agree that he should not venture to the remains alone. Who knows what he might do? However, I also see why Belphegor brought him aboard. He has a fire burning within him, a wretched, wicked yellow flame. As such, he knows about fire in a way few could ever hope to know of it. I guarantee if you allow us to investigate the remains, it will illuminate new insights. I doubt it will reveal who lit the match, but perhaps it can show us how the match was lit in the first place. If not the who or how, perhaps it might clue us in on the when or what. Where, I think we can agree, is pretty nailed down. Or is it? Ah, see, this is why I would like to take a trip to find out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Failing that, I suppose I can ask around about this enigmatic "Poet" everyone seems so concerned about. I wonder, who could that be? Ah, if it matters, in any case. Though I doubt I know where your Poet is, I know where mine is. And mine is a chatterbox if ever there was one. He might be worth having a sit down with. Though I firmly believe that he hasn't been living up to his name lately. This brings me back around to my desire to investigate the fire with Julius. Tamper is in your court, young 8. Press it or not. Either way, I'm at your command.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-66"><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: BELPHEGOR OUROBOROS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-66</strong></p><br />
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<p>Wow, Lucy sure was harsh on Asmi. Though, I get it. They’re sorta opposites, I guess. Lucy is light and life, and Asmi is darkness and death. They are also the youngest Princes, and they both have a very different view on the fundamental role of being Princes. Eh, it’s not really my place to try and steer either of them “right,” I’ll leave that Sisyphean task to Bez.</p><br />
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<p>So… Asmi. Lucy did a pretty good job covering her general deal, but she didn’t really dig into her many, many schemes of the past, present, and future. Woah, the future? I know, right? Let’s put it this way, I’ve seen Asmi try a thousand schemes, and I’ve seen her fail about nine hundred ninety-nine of them. And before we start demonizing… well… no, we can probably accurately demonize a Prince of Hell, but before we start being unfair to Asmi, I’ve also seen Lucy try just as many, if not more hair-brained plots. I’d also like to point out that when Asmi tries something, usually the universe doesn’t end. Just saying. However, just because the universe doesn’t end doesn’t mean life is safe as we know it. Asmi only stands to gain from a mass extinction type event. Souls are power, after all, and Asmi’s got a lot of them.</p><br />
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<p>And if it wasn’t obvious or clear to anyone else yet, that’s what she’s planning. A total wipe of all life here and now. Well, not exactly… and that’s the part that worries me. It’s not Asmi who’s planning an apocalypse this time around. She’s just planning to benefit from it. Due to how things have played out, will play out, and should play out, Asmi is in a position to benefit from the current course of Fate. Which surprisingly works out well enough for us too. See, Asmi has to go down next if we’re going to get things roughly back to where they should be. Of course, we aren’t going to kill her or anything… we just need to take her out of the greater picture. Though it’s a bit trickier than with Satan. See, Satan can go missing, and not many things change. But if Asmi goes missing? That is a considerable power void. So, we need to debilitate her. Make it so she can’t do anything but paperwork.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-67</strong></p><br />
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<p>Ah, my many thanks, young 8, for allowing such an expedition to occur. I assure you it will be most illuminating indeed. In fact, I would dare to say I almost have a complete idea of the who, what, when, where, and why. I could be wrong, of course; I am only human—though, I have seen fires like this one before. That, and with Julius' assistance, I feel confident in my findings.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So, as for the who: This is still up for debate. Though I am practically almost sold on the one who struck the match being a demonic entity. Hauntaurskaldian, specifically. No surprises there. And perhaps it could be the Nain Rouge? After all, fires are his thing, and the evidence clumsily left behind certainly points towards the little red imp. It'd be a very easy cup of coffee to drink, yes?</p><br />
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<p>As for the what: The Cafe and Diner was burnt to the ground, with its owner still inside. It is unclear whether or not he died in the fire, but he has been missing ever since.</p><br />
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<p>As for the when: October 31st, 1997, around 8:00 p.m. PST.</p><br />
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<p>As for the where: Obviously, the location of the original Cafe and Diner in "Long Beach," though I would argue it was actually in Santa Ana, technically. Though I understand why one might wish to obscure the true location.</p><br />
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<p>Finally, as for the why: The Cafe and Diner had made strong enemies of Satan, the Astoria 23rd Agency, and various other supernatural and paranormal entities.</p><br />
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<p>Now throw all of that out of the window. The fire was caused by the original owner. Of this, I am certain. Which, yes, I suppose, creates an entirely new "why," though I am not a mind reader, especially of the dead. Julius has described the fire as a "pure" fire, which could mean many things, all of which are probably concerning. Though this smokescreen is rather sloppy. I'm sure Belphegor would agree to that. If anything, it certainly casts doubt over whether or not the original owner actually died or simply fled.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: BELPHEGOR OUROBOROS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-68</strong></p><br />
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<p>Clever wording there, Shaka. There is certainly a big difference between “caused by” and “started by,” huh? Guess it wouldn’t hurt to throw my two cents in here, seeing as I know what happened and all that jazz. Besides, I’m pretty sure you already know all this, right? Regardless, let’s keep this between you and me for now. Shaka, too, I guess. It won’t surprise me if he is able to find this via Secret. Pesky little ability that grants him. But it’s not like Shaka will just go blabbing about this to Jenni. Kinda antithetical to the whole Secret thing. Which reminds me… how much does she actually know? I can’t get a good read on her.</p><br />
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<p>On the one hand, if she truly believes he is dead and, in the Necropolis or Otherside, great—we’re on track. If she thinks he isn’t dead… well, that puts a wrench in the flow of things, doesn’t it? Either way, I doubt she’ll be able to find him where we’ve hidden him away. I doubt even Shaka could find him. Sorry, Shaka.</p><br />
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<p>Just so we’re on the same page, Wicked finally got to the original owner. Almost. It got real close this time around, huh? On the bright side, the Blight has left him mostly in one piece. On the less bright side, the Blight isn’t something that tends to just go away even after an explosive outburst. Hard to say who it will infect next, though that’s why I wanted Julius as a part of this Cafe this time around. Spoilers, Julius is an acolyte of the Wicked and is or will be the Spark for the Wicked after he enters his mortal vessel. Or, well, I doubt that’ll end up happening. Even without my personal interference, my little wigglewyrm has that group covered.</p><br />
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<p>Now, with the original owner being, you know, not dead, things are going to change in a fairly dramatic way. Hell, things are already changing in a pretty dramatic way. Nick is no longer working for A23… or, well, he is but as a double-agent this time around. Nikki, mm, might die again? Well, would that be worth avoiding? I mean, I could probably make things work out so she doesn’t die, but saving people from death tends to have weird consequences down the line. Though, without Nikki… Hm. Eh, I’ll work that out later. Jenni still became 8, though, so that’s gr8. You’re still sticking around, and we’re still going after Asmi. Cool. However, it seems like there’s some bigger threat than Asmi looming, which, you know, isn’t supposed to be happening right now. In any case, I assume with the original owner's not-death, the original apocalypse has been avoided. Oh, and as a bonus, Mammon is currently none the wiser. Probably can’t keep it that way for long, but it gives us some time to figure out our next moves.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-69</strong></p><br />
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<p>So, I'm glad that Shaka and Julius were able to check out the remains of the original Cafe, thanks, guys. Not to mention, you had some interesting revelations which have brought up some serious questions about the nature of events. Oh, and you mentioned that Julius described the fire as a "pure" fire, right? Only "pure fire" I can think of is a certain type of fire known as "wicked fire" or "blighted fire." So, if this is truly "blighted fire," well, that is concerning. Though… not unsurprising. For those who were unaware, the original Owner of the Cafe and Diner was inflicted by the Blight. Exactly what the Blight is, well, it's hard to say.</p><br />
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<p>Taking a step back and looking at things in reverse… The Blight is some sort of illness. Or perhaps a curse with physical ramifications. The original Owner purposefully inflicted himself with the Blight both to study its effects and to gain the minor benefits it brings. And… I guess I should probably mention that I'm the one who helped him become infected. Not our best idea, admittedly. Anyway, once inflicted with the Blight, the original Owner gained the ability to see into the Otherside, Topside, Underside, and beyond. Of course, doing so only worsened his condition, but it certainly helped his and my understanding of the world at large.</p><br />
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<p>The original Owner wanted this knowledge to aid his quest to find the culprit who struck the match. No, not the match that set the original Cafe a light, but the match that burned down his childhood home in Detroit, killing his parents. From what he recalls of the event, the fire that killed his parents was started by a small red impish figure, likely believed to be Miss. Cadillac. I had assumed that the Nain Rouge set this fire too, but I'm unsure, especially if Julius says the flame was "pure." It could be that the original Owner's Blight finally consumed him. In any case, right now, it's not what we need to focus on. We'll find the original Owner in the Necropolis, and then we can ask him ourselves. But to do that, we need to stay focused on Asmodeus. So, I'm calling this tab closed.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: BELPHEGOR OUROBOROS</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-70</strong></p><br />
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<p>Why does everything always fall on me? Ugh. I was trying to avoid having to go to an obnoxious nightclub, but here we are. I found Naberius at Perversion, thanks to Doppio’s charm. We had a brief conversation which you can check out below. I’m not sure how much I trust him. At least when it comes to Asmi’s involvement in all of this. The apocalypse thing? That I actually believe him about. We’re overdue for an apocalyptic shake-up.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Naberius?</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: And who might you be, my dear?</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Does it matter? I have some questi—</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Of course, it matters. It would be rude if I didn’t know your name, seeing as you know mine.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Sophie. Charmed.</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Sophie? Mm, interesting. I thought it was Sara? Sabrina? Scarlet? Summer? Sage? No, was it Solomon? Surely not just Belphegor these days?</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Fine. Let’s start over. Hi, my name is Sophie. What’s yours?</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Sophie, charmed. My name is Nathaniel. How may I help you?</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: I have some questions about your clubs.</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Of course, of course. I’m more than happy to discuss our little operation with one of my "favorite" princes.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Listen—</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: No, my dear, no need to worry. The past is in the past, as I am sure you are aware. There is no need for hostility Sol- Sophie. Now, what brings you out of your cavern? Your sister’s Flipside clubs? That can’t be it.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: I just wanted to know why she was pushing so heavily into the Flipside.</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Can I get you a drink?</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: I’m fine.</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Suit yourself. Well, you see, my dear, the Apocalypse is drawing near.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: The Apocalypse?</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Armageddon, Doomsday, Rapture, Seven Trumpets, Judgment Day, Catastrophe, the End of the World. I could go on. Surely, you, of all people, know what an Apocalypse is.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: From the top?</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Where else? Unless there is something, you know that-</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: No. Nothing. I just hadn’t heard that the end was coming.</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Really? You do need to get out more.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: So, what, this whole cycle is getting purged?</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Seems so. And as you can imagine, six billion or so new souls would take quite a toll on the Necropolis. So, we’re looking to expand out in the Flipside. Get some demons set up here to make room for the oncoming gens-diabolique.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Surely the Necropolis has enough room? Couldn’t Asmodeus just keep expanding it?</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Where are we left to go? If we build any taller, it’s sure to collapse, and if we build any wider, we’ll encroach upon the Shadows in the pits.</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Well, yeah, but the Necropolis isn’t exactly Euclidian, right?</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: We’re just making some comfortable space for our elites. Is that a problem, Sophie? Why do you care about any single cycle?</p><br />
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<p>Belphegor: Who said I care? I’m just checking in.</p><br />
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<p>Naberius: Of course. Silly me for thinking you, of all people, care. It has been lovely, but I have business to attend to, and I am sure you have some excuse you can think up to leave.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JULY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-71</strong></p><br />
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<p>It is exactly as I feared. Julius Mendoza is deeply infected with the Wicked Yellow King’s Blight. Again, seems like we’re playing with fire here, Belphegor. Though, am I really one to speak about the influence of the Cold penetrating into the Cafe? No, I suppose not. Though, I will say the Wicked is a bit less cordial than Secret. As I understand it, Julius is the Spark for the Wicked, not yet one of the Flame. Or, sorry, let me rephrase that he isn’t the Flame. Just the Spark. To this end, Julius isn’t a 1:1 connection to the Wicked, and I doubt the Wicked is using him as some sort of spy. What worries me is his powers and their influence on the Blight. The Blight feeds off of magic, so if Julius continues to fuel this fire, there is no saying what will become of him.</p><br />
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<p>Now, why is any of this interesting or important? Julius isn’t supposed to be the Flame. Again, just the Spark. But if he gives in to the Blight too heavily, well, a spark becomes a flame, no? Then we would indeed have a 1:1 living vessel of the Wicked walking around. And “knock, knock...” Oh right, no one is home to deal with that. Seriously, Belphegor, is putting Julius in a prime position to fall to the Blight your most well-thought-out plan? Is it even a plan? Or were you just trying to fill seats? Regardless, I cannot recommend letting Julius experiment further with his powers. In fact, I would do everything in my power to prevent it. Well. I would. But I won’t interfere with this mess directly. I still have to keep up appearances.</p><br />
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<p>Though, excellent news, I have found my replacement. He’s a quick wit, capable with the coffee trade, and he should be able to fill my day-to-day role more consistently than I can. I can’t be in two places at once. Well… Regardless, I think you should all get along with "Oliver" just fine. Of course, I’d say you could expect to see him soon, but then again, there is no physical location yet, is there? I’ll have to fix that. Thankfully, I know of a mysterious benefactor who is quite adept with Cafe-related real estate.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SHAKA OF ZULU</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-72</strong></p><br />
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<p>The ever-helpful Hypatia has once more come through for me. She is quite the wonder, is she not? And with that Astrolabe, I suspect you should have no trouble at all navigating the twists and turns of the stygian Labyrinth. However, the beast Hypatia mentioned does concern me. Its ilk is not to be underestimated. I’ve filled "Oliver" in on what I can share about it. I have full confidence you’ll all make it out just fine, and I’ll be seeing you again soon on the Flipside.</p><br />
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<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p>Shaka: How have you been, Hypatia?</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: The same as ever, I suppose. How has the glamor been working?</p><br />
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<p>Shaka: Mm… I would say well. I don’t believe anyone has seen through it yet.</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: Is it?</p><br />
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<p>Shaka: Oh yes.</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: Ah. Well, thank you for finally bringing the Cafe and Diner here. I’ve been trying to get their attention, but—</p><br />
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<p>[Hypatia gestured to a silver disk lodged in her chest.]</p><br />
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<p>Nikki: So that thing is a glamor?</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: In a sense, yes. It makes me appear to be anyone and everyone that I am not. However, it is very easy to see through once you know who I am—but until then, I am no better than a figment or a whisper.</p><br />
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<p>Lucifer: Why did you…?</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: I didn’t intend to actually have it fused into myself. That much was an accident. I made it to avoid Asmodeus’ many eyes and ears in the Necropolis.</p><br />
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<p>Jenni: Why are you hiding from Asmodeus?</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: Inquisitive bunch, aren’t you? That’s good. Good to be curious. But that doesn’t matter. What does is getting you all back to the Flipside. And, as I’ve been trying to tell you, the taglocked portals are hidden in the Labyrinth.</p><br />
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<p>Oliver: Oh! Now that you mention it, I do remember you saying that.</p><br />
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<p>Nikki: …Yeah, me too. And there’s uh… a thing we needed to avoid, right?</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: Yes. Among the many things that lurk in the Labyrinth, the taglocked portals are being guarded by an ancient demon.</p><br />
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<p>Lucifer: Who?</p><br />
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<p>[Hypatia shook her head.]</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: <em>What.</em> It’s some sort of beast older than the Necropolis itself. But, if you can sneak past it, you should find the singular Flipside taglocked portal. Here, this will show you the way through the Labyrinth.</p><br />
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<p>[Hypatia procured a small astrolabe.]</p><br />
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<p>Shaka: Fantastic. A simple and straightforward way home. Of course, I will go my own way back. Though, Oliver, a quick word before I depart?</p><br />
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<p>Oliver: Yeah, sure.</p><br />
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<p>Shaka: And thank you again, Hypatia, for the glamor and your aid.</p><br />
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<p>Hypatia: Of course. Though, I expect you’ll hold up your end of the bargain?</p><br />
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<p>Shaka: On all my ill-intents.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: OLIVER WEST (ALEX GÁLVEZ)</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-73</strong></p><br />
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<p>Okay, so Shaka has filled me in on what he believes the creature in the Labyrinth might be—a “protodemon.” Basically, demons before there were demons. A demon of a time long since passed. Technically, it’s not actually anything like a demon that you or I would know today. It’s an entirely different species. According to Shaka, they come from a place that no longer exists. As such, they are an oddity in the Universe. They can’t exactly be killed either unless we can return them to their original dimension… which doesn’t exist.</p><br />
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<p>So! For all intents and purposes, Protodemons are more or less a strange subclass of Elders. Extracyclical Elders, to be precise. Of course, they aren’t actually immortal like Elders are, but Shaka heavily implied we’d be wasting our efforts to try and kill it. Assuming it is a protodemon, anyway. It could also be a strange Everdark beast—though shadows of the Everdark are also notoriously hard to kill and border on being Elders themselves. Shaka also implied that shadows and protodemons are closer related than demons and protodemons are… but he stopped his thought there. Always enigmatic.</p><br />
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<p>The point is we need a plan that involves running like hell if we see this creature. According to the good lady of Alexandria, the beast is known to lurk very close to the taglocked portal back to the Flipside. It’s probably why Asmodeus chose that spot to put it. So, we just need to be ready to run and run fast should things get scary and/or hairy. Additionally, we need to be wary (love the rhymes) of its shadow spores and detachable exploding limbs. Sounds like a great time!</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-74</strong></p><br />
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<p><em>Protodemons…</em> I’ve heard the term before, though I’ve never seen one myself. Or, well, I haven’t seen one in a very, very, very long time. I’m sure at some point I’ve come across one, but between the various lifetimes I’ve lived, it gets hard to remember. Plus, it’s not like they wear a nametag that says, “Hi, I’m a protodemon!” so I’ve probably encountered a few without knowing it too. They are more or less similar to Elders, after all. Though… even by Elder standards, protodemons are allegedly very strange and alien.</p><br />
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<p>It is said that they come from the Eighth Plane of the Otherside, a plane that has been lost since around the beginning of beginnings, the genesis of the Universe. The Eighth Plane has certainly been a source of fascination for many occultists and the like. Unfortunately, there is little I remember of it. It’s been so far removed now that all I really remember about it was its beautiful sky and its endless fields of dandelions. I don’t remember it being filled with horrifying creatures, but I suppose I was young and fairly sheltered.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Though… perhaps it was the violent way in which it was torn from the Universe that twisted those who still lived there into “protodemons.” It would make sense, in a way. There had to be a price to pay to remove an entire Plane, after all. And, in part, removing the Eighth Plane is what led to the capture and imprisonment of my father, the Devil. And it is the Devil who has fathered countless of the regular demons we have now. I wish I could just ask him what happened, but, you know, he’s probably safer behind the Gates of Hell.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-75"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-75</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: SECOND CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-75</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>It is certainly good to be home. It’s been a long time. A month and 23 or so days. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how long it has actually felt to me—perhaps closer to two weeks? Though, I can tell that things have certainly changed since we left. In little ways, of course. The Cafe is now coated in dust in cobwebs. In expected ways, as well. We’re now deep into autumn, though the changes are as subtle as they usually are in SoCal. And in large and unpredictable ways. Things that were certainly always out of our control.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It’ll take time to adjust. Time is such a precious resource, even if it seems like we’ve been swimming in an endless supply of it lately. In the time we’ve been gone, Asmodeus has opened up several new nightclubs around Long Beach and Los Angeles. She must’ve seen the writing on the wall with the Gossamer Ballast and began planning for its next iterations. Worse, from what I’ve heard, tourists have been flocking to these nightclubs as they can hardly sleep at night anyway. There’s been a plague of paranoia and nightmares taking hold—no doubt the Sandman's work.</p><br />
<br />
<p>We still need to find a way to safely cut off Asmodeus' tags at their source. We also need to help Lucifer reconnect with her missing light. There was also a rare flower Belphegor wanted us to look into, though it would be quite the trip. And so long as she can stay focused, we do still have Nikki on the inside. And… perhaps an uneasy ally in Naberius. His loyalties may be fierce, but his heart seems to be in the right place. Regardless, we’ve been through one hell of an extended vacation, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to get back to business as usual.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours Never-ending,</p><br />
<br />
<p>8</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_II)&diff=8620OPERATION: ENCORE (Part II)2026-05-05T05:07:07Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Part II: The First Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">30 archived receipts</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-34"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-34</div> <div c..."</p>
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<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part II: The First Cafe and Diner</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">30 archived receipts</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-34"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-34</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SAHIR BALI</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-34</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>My connections have informed me of a rather unsettling new “fast food” operation in Long Beach. It would seem our worst fears have been realized. The churches have gotten in on our game.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A local church has realized it can undercut our operations by selling coffee tax-free. Although I feel this is an abhorrent abuse of their tax-exemption status, they are only charging “donations.” What a load. It’s the “Open Doors of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez Catholic Church,” or “Open Doors” for short. The Head of the parish is Padre Antonio Jesus Santos. Everyone calls him Padre. Originally from up north. Large and in-charge, bad to the bone, comes in at 3 o’clock.</p><br />
<br />
<p>His flock seems faithful and more-or-less unaware of the Canadian among them. No need to go and harass any of them. Yet. A source indicates he’s brought company with him. Very typical of Padre. There is no information yet on who he has brought, but be aware Canadians are roaming around Long Beach.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Padre, of course, is glamorous, to say the least. He’s not a significant threat as he is now, but if he were to take his mask off, it’d be an all-hands affair. Not sure what he’s up to, but I’ll ask around. Whatever it is, it’s bizarre for him to come down to the U.S. to do it. It must be a big play. I’ll keep everyone updated as I learn more. In the meantime, try to keep your distance from the Open Doors church. I don’t want him getting antsy for coffee we haven’t brewed yet.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-35"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-35</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-35</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Received a strange hit on the message board. It's not our typical comfort food, and it's from an ID I don't recognize. Whoever entered the site did it with one password attempt, so they knew what they were doing. Here's the message they left.</p><br />
<br />
<p>"Dear CaD,</p><br />
<br />
<p>First and foremost, I am from the future. Well, a future. Time is cyclical and hyperspheroid in nature. I wouldn't be surprised if you already knew this or were on the verge of this discovery yourselves. I am from an adjacent cycle to your own. When and where I come from is the year 2035, roughly 4.249ECCS from your current cycle. I can't say much because everything I say could and will change the course of this cycle. My goal in contacting you is two-fold. I initially traveled back to 19EE to secure an original BaristaTech CaDComEE system due to its ability to decrypt various CaDCode Ciphers, most importantly the "Cafe Crisis Cipher." There is a receipt from the Last Cafe that is encrypted using that technique, and it is vital to the survival of my worldline. Possibly yours as well. It's been 7 years now, and I've been observing this worldline's events, and I've noticed a pressing anomaly. I would like to speak with the Owner, if possible, to see what he thinks.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-John Doe"</p><br />
<br />
<p>Strange. I want to say it's legit. It could also be a trick to get face-to-face with the Owner. My main hang-up here is, backwards time travel, in theory, is possible, yes, but incredibly hard to pull off. If this were someone claiming to be from the past, that'd be a different story. Still, the jargon makes sense. I think I'm going to wait and see if our "John Doe" leaves another message. Of course, you're free to take up his order, J, but I think it's best to wait it out and watch their activity on the site.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-36"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-36</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-36</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I wasn’t expecting <em>that</em> to happen.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Three local kids came into the physical location at around 4 P.M. today, two girls and one boy. All looked to be about the same age, 15-17 or so. They sat down at the counter and asked for coffee. Black.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Thankfully I had just purchased some instant coffee, or else our little ruse would have been sniffed out rather quickly. In fairness, we should keep real coffee on hand should other tourists feel the need to come into the store. However, I have no idea how they managed to find us or why these three inconspicuous kids wanted just standard diner coffee served black. Not really my go-to after-school snack.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, of course. Using regular children… It doesn’t seem like something Padre would do… no, if they were churchgoers, we’d know. We’d know fast. And they didn’t ask for salt and pepper, either. I know Astrid is “young,” but these three didn’t give off the same “aura” that she gives off. The strangest thing was the boy. He seemed to be expecting something more than the cheap coffee I handed him. There was a look in his eyes that he knew more than the others did. Ah, speaking of eyes, the red-headed girl had the most peculiar eyes-Canadian eyes. Perhaps that’s why they came in? For some direct service?</p><br />
<br />
<p>All in all, though, we made 3 dollars. Good to see we’re starting to turn a profit, eh?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-37"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-37</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-37</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Those kids were back today, although they didn’t come inside this time. I saw them snooping around looking through our trash, which I think we can all agree isn’t typical teenager behavior. Interestingly enough, the boy with glasses kept having the red-haired girl look around the Cafe through a modified planchette shaped monocle of sorts. I wonder what they were looking for? Perhaps it is best to simply ask them…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then again, few good things come to those who ask too many questions.</p><br />
<br />
<p>If they are to stop by again, I think I shall have a chat with them. See what business they have with the Cafe. At this point, I find it hard to believe they simply enjoy the cheap instant coffee or the lackluster ambiance of a late 80s Cafe and Diner facade. The boy knows something of our operations. Why else would he order his coffee “black?” And the red-haired girl, she has some tie to Ottawa that I can’t quite place yet… Oh, and then there is that other girl. She has a look in her eyes that sends chills down even my spine… She has the eyes of a haberdasher, no doubt. You know, perhaps they would be interested in working for the Cafe part-time? We do have a few numbers left to fill. Let me know your thoughts, but I’ll warn you, I’ve already made up my mind on the matter.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-38"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-38</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-38</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Those strange kids were back again. And after a long discussion with the three of them, I am happy to announce they will be joining our operation part-time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>We now have Employees #35, 44, and 1313. Code named Medium, UFO, and Scry, respectively. Jenni will be assisting me in envisioning the future of the Cafe and Diner, seeing what opportunities are out there and such. Nick will be assisting Salenna and Sahir equally in their affairs and operations. At his own request, he would like to work on constructing a parking lot in his free time. In case we ever need to park cars. Humor him, please. Finally, Nikki will be working and studying alongside Felix and is free to assist Alex when needed. Of course, all three are still in school, so don’t expect them around the Cafe on weekdays until after 4 pm.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Additionally, Nick and Nikki have relatively well-known parents, as Sahir has pointed out. I doubt we can keep their working here a secret for long, so I and Felix will be taking a trip to visit them and keep them in the loop as well. Jenni’s parents don’t seem to be interested in Canadian tourism, so it’s best to let them know she is working at an utterly generic Cafe and Diner for the time being.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-39"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-39</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-39</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Finally, finally, finally. Do you know how hard it was to not just embrace Nick the second he walked in? My dear friend, Nick. If only you could know. Interestingly enough, we are… well, a year or so ahead of schedule. The three of them weren’t supposed to enter the picture until 1996. In the grand scheme of things, a year is nothing, although I do wonder if this means we can “defeat” Satan ahead of schedule too? It could be nice to have a few extra years before, well, I take my leave.</p><br />
<br />
<p>There is nothing I want more right now than to sit down with the three of them and catch them up on all the adventures we once shared a universe ago. But… For now, I must remain a stranger. Besides, with the sword of Damocles looming over my head, it’s probably better for them not to get too attached. Of course, I will do what I can to set them on a less tragic path than the one they endured before. Still, I cannot control fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of, another secret I am tired of holding onto is this blasted “blight” that affects me. It troubles me to see Felix so worried for my health when I know that I still have five years to go. Or is it four now? I wish he would take it easy, but I know that he can’t. And for a good reason, I suppose. And mon amour, ah how I wish I could see her right now. But history is history, I’m afraid. If only she knew. Perhaps… if we are able to handle Satan early, I can find some way to sneak off to the Morningstar to spend my last few years with her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I am unsure what will become of me once the blight takes full control. I never had the chance to find out last time around, seeing as the Bird decided to step in and change things. With him out of the picture… I suppose it is time to see what this “debt” has in store for me and my cursed number. With Jenni now here, I can start making plans for the ascension of the mantle as well. I still have time to mull it over, but I think I will tell the three of them everything before my time comes. It might be the only way to keep them together instead of drifting so far apart. Plus, someone needs to carry out my grand plan, and I can’t have mon amour leading them down a dead end.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In any case, should you be reading this report, Nick, Jenni, and Nikki... It is so good to see you three again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>With love,</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-40"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-40</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-40</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>That Hatman creep, Umbra or whatever, paid me a visit last night in my own room. Gross, right? I think he wanted me to convey some sort of threat or whatever about us meddling with the consorts. I bet he chose me to deliver it because he thought I’d be scared shirtless after the whole Xavier thing. Maybe I was a bit scared, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. Also, I don’t know if he was bluffing or what, but his like paralysis thingy didn’t work on me like at all. He seemed genuinely surprised, but then again, I don’t know if he just wants us to think I’m immune to his powers or whatever, so he can use that against us later. Also, he said some weird ass stuff about being God. Probably just one big, weird psych-out.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: What the hell are you supposed to be?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: A customer. How odd… You seem to be resisting my paralysis spell.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Paralysis? Oh, don’t tell me, you’re that Hatman loser?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Hatman? Yes, I suppose I have heard that name before. And you… yes, I know you. My associate killed your boyfriend, didn’t he?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Ex. What do you creeps want anyway?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: For your little Cafe to back off. I know you are seeking the Mysterious Stranger. Cease now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: No.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: No? Do you really think it’s that simple, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Yeah, why not? What’s little priest-y Satan gonna do if we don’t?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: This is not a warning from Satan. This is a warning—no—threat—from me. The Mysterious Strange is not to be trusted. None of its ilks are. Tell me, [Nikki], what would you give to be God?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: God?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Master and maker of the universe. You know, I’ve heard there’s a vacancy. And me? I would do anything to fill it. I have nothing left to lose, after all. No one can stop me from rewriting Fate. Especially not the likes of your pathetic little coffee shop. Xavier? That’s what Satan will do to reach his goals. You don’t want to see what I will do to reach mine.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: You don’t scare me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Umbra: Not yet.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-41"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-41</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-41</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The surprises never seem to cease. Last night the Mysterious Stranger, along with an emissary of Belphegor, paid me a visit. Though I should probably keep this conversation entirely to myself, I did have the CaDCom record it, and I'm glad I did. The Stranger has revealed an unforeseen wrinkle in my plans, something called the Anathema Proxy. Unfortunately, our conversation got cut short by a rather massive tremor. I would say it was a coincidence, but I know better than that. It was no coincidence but a Pleasant surprise.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: I was wondering when you'd drop by.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: So, you were expecting me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: In a sense, though, I see you've brought a guest.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: Eight, I presume?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: So, she told you everything?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: I doubt it. I know about the rewinding and the bargain you made, but I'm sure she has kept some of the details to herself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: I wouldn't take it personally; it is her nature, after all. So, Mr. Twain, you've allied yourself with the Ouroboros?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: Not quite.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: So, you're still working for Satan, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: I owe no loyalty to any Prince. I aid Satan due to his pursuit.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: To open the Gates of Hell, unleash his father, and destroy the Universe again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: Well… The Universe does not have to end.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Really? Do you really believe that? Do you expect an Archon like the Devil to just let this Universe exist as it is?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: I believe he can be swayed. He has been before.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: So that's your true goal, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: Do you think it is possible? You have seen the Universe in its entirety. You have even had a hand in its recreation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: It shouldn't be possible...</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: ...but...</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: ...but there are imperfections.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: Belphegor is good, but she is not perfect.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: There is a slight dilation of two years, but otherwise, things are proceeding how they should. Satan has formed a Dark contract with the Hatman, Mothman, and Redman. They'll attempt to open the Gates to Hell but fail when Lucifer kills Satan.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: Then what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Do you really want to know the future, Solomon?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: Belphegor has already told me what transpired in the past and what would be our future. Lucifer kills Satan, then picks up where he left off.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: This time will be different.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: Are you planning on surviving?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: …no. But this time will be different. I can—</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: Satan has found another way.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: What?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: That's the problem with treating the past as the future. Two years, Eight, a lot can change.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: What do you mean another way?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: He plans to utilize the Anathema Proxy—</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Gah—!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: Agh! —No… it can't be…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-42"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-42</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: SAHIR BALI</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-42</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>An “Anathema Proxy,” hm? That is indeed likely an important connection. Good job, Nick and Nikki. I did do the due diligence to confirm what Nick and Nikki were being told. My sources have indicated that Agent Racecar spoke to the twins and one of the Zulu Agents. Racecar is a fairly reliable source of information, and he was seen talking to many of the visitors to the Lighthouse yesterday. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was in charge of relaying information, though why they wouldn’t delegate that to Victor, Whiskey, or Yankee is beyond me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for the Zulu Agent, I know exactly who they are. For the sake of Zulu secrecy, which they do love so much, I won’t name them here. Though I can only imagine it was no coincidence or a slip of the tongue that this Zulu Agent dropped such a helpful piece of information to two Cafe and Diner members. I think it’s fair to say if a Zulu said it, they had permission to do so. In fact, Shaka probably wanted this information to get out. For better or for worse. Though the genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no putting it back in now, so what exactly is the Anathema Proxy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The only thing close to an “Anathema Proxy” I could find was a very small hidden clause in the Otherside Soul Accord. The Soul Accord is the major agreement of governance between the seven Princes of Hell. Should all seven Princes be unable to carry out their duties in the Otherside, their duties can be taken up by a proxy or regent. Nothing strange about that. Though looking a little deeper… “should no appropriate Demon in plena sin act as proxy, any mortal Anathema can be chosen to act in full simulacrum with all rights and powers of their Plane.” A strange clause, to be sure. Unfortunately, at least in the version of the Soul Accord I was reading, “Anathema” is not defined. Though, assuming I understand it correctly, whatever this mortal Anathema is, they would be granted the full simulacrum of their Plane, Key to Hell included.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-43</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I think I saw… the future? A future? I hope not our only future. The good news is, I’m not dead. The bad news is I had a vision of the future. I saw Padre—Satan—standing in front of a massive twisted ebony gate, and behind him were seven blazing eyes of fire. They were, I think, the Keys to the Gates of Hell. A red eye, an orange eye, a yellow eye, a green eye, a blue eye, an pink eye, and a purple eye. As each eye opened, the massive gate shuddered and shook. And then there was a blinding white light, and the vision was over.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I think, having drank Hermes’ serum, I can see the future now? I don’t know how I did it, and maybe I won’t be able to do it again. What happened was I drank the serum, and I immediately felt very faint and lightheaded. Then I had the vision, and it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt like déjà vu… or… no… jamais vu? It felt real. And then I, uh, woke up to Nikki… uh… kissing me. She says that she was doing CPR, but I don’t buy that. Still, it was a lovely way to return to the present.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Besides the prophetic vision, I feel mostly the same. When I use my planchette now, it takes significantly less focus to see into the Otherside. Not only that, but I can also sort of see past each Plane of the Otherside. It’s hard to explain, but, for example, if I’m looking into the Otherside and I see the Morningstar, I can almost look past it to see the same spot in the Infernus or the Hauntaurskald. Each plane I look through weakens it, but I can now see the same spot in every plane at once. I’m sure I’ve got some other new tricks up my sleeve, but Hermes didn’t exactly leave me with an instruction manual or anything.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-44</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>While we've been off chasing goats, worms, and oddly shaped children, Padre's been an awfully busy priest. I know I've been, well, distant, perhaps. I assure you all that it was for a good reason—I've been closely monitoring our clerical friend and his Open Doors Church. As I hinted yesterday, Padre Santos seems to have been stirring up a renewed vigor in the classic "Satanic Panic" of the 80s. Of course, such panics are nothing new, historically speaking, though what Padre Santos has manufactured is most closely related to the so-called "moral majority" of the 80s. Which is to say, he's got a lot of stay-at-home-super-moms up in arms over board games and death metal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I don't think I need to point out the clear and almost painful irony in Padre Santos' lobbying claims of Satanic influence over his parish. Though, I couldn't figure out why he was drawing so much attention to the occult forces. That was until Nick discovered the "Anathema Proxy." Let's call it a tax loophole that lets Padre sell his coffee tax-free, though he can only do so if his followers are perfectly free from sin or... vice or... versa. How the IRS judges whether or not someone is "sin free" is beyond me. Truly, I don't know how that would hold up in Court. Though I suppose that's not our worry, is it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Our worry should be stopping Padre Santos' Satanic Panic. The root of which would appear to be the mother-lead group calling themselves "SATAN S.U.C.K.S.S.," which I believe is an acronym for Stopping Unholy Cults to Keep Society Safe. Or maybe it was to Keep Society Satan-free. Though, if that's the case, it would be a bit of a hat on a hat, no? To be entirely honest, I have been paying very little attention to the cutesier creative details at the weekly meetings—ah, yes, I probably should have mentioned, I've been posing as a concerned father myself at these meetings to garner more intel. For what it's worth, I've managed to rack up quite the Rolodex of single mothers' numbers. I'll have Sahir run them for any interesting connections. If anything, I believe we can all agree that Satan does indeed suck.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-45</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I, for one, think it’s gross that the Owner is flirting with single parents. I get needing to “infiltrate” the SATAN S.U.C.K.S.S. moms—and three dads—but I don’t know why he thought putting his French charms on as many of them as he possibly could be a good idea. So now he has to duck and dodge multiple single parents, and it’s only made his reclusively worse. If you ask me, it’s more coping with the Lucy situation. Regardless it’s annoying that I need to run his groceries because “Tammy” and “Salvador” both shop at the same store.</p><br />
<br />
<p>At least his paranoia wasn’t unfounded—this time. I did see both Salvador and Tammy shopping today. I would be more concerned about how the Owner knows their schedules so well, but I’ve also seen a glimpse of his string board for each member of SATAN S.U.C.K.S.S. If he is anything, it is meticulous. I wasn’t able to gleam too much from my eavesdropping. Most of what they were talking about seemed to be about who the Owner was more serious about. I also had the deep displeasure of hearing Tammy suggest a “ménage à trois.” Yikes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, I wouldn’t make a receipt if all I heard were the gross details of these sad, sad middle-aged parents. No, Salvador and Tammy also were discussing the leadership of the cult—ah, sorry, committee. They never explicitly said the actual leader’s name, and, based on the Owner’s stringboard, he doesn’t know who it is either. They mentioned that some lady named Jan and another lady named Linda have become her eyes and ears and have started kicking people out of the organization who weren’t “worthy.” Apparently, it’s gotten pretty ugly. Salvador even mentioned secret loyalty tests, and Tammy said she heard they were closer to that of an inquisition.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-46</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ughhhhh. Great. Just fantastic. You know what? Satan really does suck. You know how the whole “Anti-Satan Seminar” bullcrap was opt-out? Yeah, after our principal’s near-death experience, it’s no longer opt-out and no longer just a Wednesday thing. It’s not a part of every freaking homeroom period. Yippee. Apparently, when our principal was out driving last weekend, a horrifying, red-eyed demonic creature followed him and ran him into a ditch, and then he had a “revelation” that Satan and his followers were among us, and he needed to protect the children of his school.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Trust me, the dramatic irony is not lost on me, but wow. This is what Red was putting up with? It’s just on and on about how Satan is everywhere and in everything, and all media ever is actually Satan trying to lead us all astray. This is the WORST. This is even worse than the weirdly short winter break we had this year. It was like, what, two weeks? A week and a half? I swear, the school district will be hearing from me. This is egregious.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, yeah. Also, we have a guest speaker coming next Friday. It’s apparently going to be the head of the SATAN S.U.C.K.S.S. committee. She has a “very enlightening” presentation prepared for us so we can also see and share our principal’s vision of imminent demise at the hands of unseen Satanic forces. We will NOT be attending that assembly. Why? Because we are little rapscallions who love cutting class. No. It’s because I’m almost positive this guest speaker is actually Mothman. It’d make sense if she was actually the one running this whole show, right? And if it isn’t her? I don’t feel like sitting through any more of this propaganda.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-47</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>That wasn’t Mothman.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m not sure who or what she was. Whatever she was—wasn’t human. However, I finally have the name for your shut-in stringboard: Abigail Hawthorne, the head of the Satan S.U.C.K.S.S. committee. She was joined by Jan Galloway and Linda Parris, her eyes and ears. Jan and Linda are, to my knowledge, humans, though I see why Jenni has such a distaste for Jan. They’re a very preachy and screechy lot. Altogether they are their own sort of hellish Dark Triad. Or a WASP Triad, I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Apparently, this was Abigail’s first public appearance since the formation of the Satan S.U.C.K.S.S. committee. She fully intended to stay out of the limelight for fear of undue Satanic spells and hexes thrown at her in retaliation for her work. But after the principal and cheerleader accidents, she felt she had no choice but to make her presence known. I tried to get a Blood reading on Abigail to see if she is Hauntaurskaldian or not, but all I got was “ERROR.” Which, yes, could mean she’s just a human. Or it could mean she’s masking her demonic nature somehow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The assembly wrapped up with a promise from Abigail that she will draw all of the demonic forces out of Long Beach and, if need be, will burn all heretics who stand in her way. She plans to place deacons in the schools to ensure no demonic forces are overtaking the souls of the innocents. Of course, the deacons are from the Open Doors Church—and I don’t need a Blood reading to tell you that they are undoubtedly Hauntaurskaldian demons. I think the most concerning part of the entire assembly was when she started listing off what would be banned on school grounds. Of course, there was a lot of the usual—heavy makeup, salacious music, corrupting games, but also caffeine. Coffee specifically. Which she said while looking directly at Jenni, Nick, and Nikki.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE JANUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-48</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Abigail Hawthorne. Interesting. Well, no wonder I haven’t been able to add her to my investigation—no references of her exist. Anywhere. Furthermore, I’ve never once heard her name. That might be trouble… Sahir has been in an absolute frenzy attempting to dig up something, anything, on Hawthorne, but he hasn’t had any luck yet. If she is truly unknown between the two of us, that could prove to be rather dangerous. Though I concur with Jenni’s sentiment, we should start being more proactive in protecting Wilson High from the Church’s brand of overly pious mud water.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well—in any case, another month has come to an end. It has been a month of half-success after half-success. The mysterious disasters which plagued Long Beach’s vehicles ended, but only because Mothman got what she wanted from them. We were able to stabilize the strange weather phenomenon, but we were unable to prevent losing Mr. Tormenta’s business permanently. We rescued a group of our patrons out in the Big Sky Country, but Mrs. Williams was served ahead of us by Mrs. Middletown. And we uncovered a potential plot of the Church in the San Pedro Mountains, but we were unable to stop them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…Well, we can’t win them all, but it would certainly be nice to win one or two, wouldn’t it? But don’t be too hard on yourselves. Half-successes tend to add up to full-successes sooner or later. As for the coming month, it’s clear we need to get to the bottom of the strange tremors still shaking Long Beach since Miss. Andrew’s service. Apparently, Salenna’s sensors have already picked up an epicenter of sorts we can check out near the Long Beach Pyramid. Additionally, we need to discover who Abigail Hawthorne is and why she is doing the bidding of Padre Santos and his Dark Triad. Hopefully, we can snuff out this silly Satanic Panic sooner rather than later.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rule #12,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Rule #7</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SAHIR BALI</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-49</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>WHO THE HELL IS ABIGAIL HAWTHORNE?</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>I have searched through every contact and every connection I have. NOTHING! It is like she does not exist. She can’t exist, not a human. There are no human records of her anywhere. I have even extended my search to the Somerton Files, the Records of the Dead, the Neo-Library of Alexandria, and all possible Indigo Organizations. She does not exist. She is not and never has been a human.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But then… What the hell is she? It is admittedly more challenging to uncover the identities of Demons—IF SHE WAS A DEMON. She is not. Multiple Blood Readings taken by Salenna and myself indicate that she is a human. A HUMAN. SHE CANNOT BE. THERE IS NO RECORD OF HER ANYWHERE. Even if she was not a human nor demon, angels and elders have Blood signatures.</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>Cafe No Diner.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>They know. They have to know. How do they know, and I don’t?! There is no one I do not know. NO ONE. But they call her “Abby.” Abby. Abby. ABBY! Such familiarity. They not only know her but have given her a damned nickname. I will admit… I have done some other research, not into Abigail but this fraudulent Cafe No Diner. They think they’re so clever. So smart. So well hidden. Well… I know where they keep their files. Wouldn’t it be such a shame if all of their hard work went up in smoke? And why not? Why shouldn’t I have the connections they’ve made? They haven’t earned them. I have.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No. I shouldn’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But… something must be done.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SAHIR BALI</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-50</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I could not stop myself. I had to have the connections they had made. I don’t know what came over me, but once that fire was in my head, I could not stop. I burned it all to the ground. The Church has been clamoring for a cleansing fire, and I provided it for them. I fear… I fear that I have played directly into their plans. Thankfully I did not hurt anyone but myself in doing so.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, I suppose losing all of their records, files, cases, and reports will be a setback for the Brummagem Cafe, but none of their five members were there when I lit the match. And so, I pray, no mortal harm was done. And, of course, I devoured every word they had written prior to turning it all to ash. I didn’t bother copying any of their information as it was all extremely surface-level. We—no, I—had made them out to be much more dangerous than they seemed. They hardly understand the fundamentals of the Otherside. They still believe the Hauntaurskald to be the only Plane. So, they are still quite far from unraveling any major conspiracies or making any miraculous connections we have yet to make ourselves.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Except one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The one that drove me to such madness, to such unabashed and unbearable envy. <em>Abigail Hawthorne.</em> If the Cafe No Diner is correct, and I believe they are in this matter, Abigail Hawthorne is the human daughter of Satan. In hindsight, it was obvious, but it was a connection only an amateur could have made. We know that the Princes of Hell would never risk their power to have a half-demon child… but then… that is exactly what she is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ve done my best to cover my tracks in this shameful matter, but I cannot guarantee that there will be no traces of our brand of coffee at the scene. I can only hope that I have not made another friend for the Cafe and Diner.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-51</strong></p><br />
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<p>A Cambion? Abigail Hawthorne is the human daughter of Satan… A half-demon. That… well, I suppose it isn’t impossible. Though conception between a human and a demon is exceptionally rare. Of the handful of half-demons out there, the term typically implies humans who have gained some form of demonic power—but not through heredity. And the child of a human and a Prince of Hell? That’s… almost unheard of. Cosmically so. Due to the nature of the Princes’ direct lineage to the Devil, it would take a miracle for a human to have a child with a Prince of Hell. It just… It doesn’t work like that. Moreover, and more pressingly, Abigail is new.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In the previous Universe, the 15th Sphere, Satan never had a child with a human. I suppose he could’ve, but he never used her in his schemes to release his father. Then again, I suppose Satan also never attempted to utilize the Anathema Proxy Clause in the prior Sphere either. Well, that can’t be entirely true. Among the infinite Cycles of the last Universe, some version of Satan had to have tried to use the Anathema Proxy… but, based on my admittedly fading knowledge of all that ever was—it was never successful. It never even registered a blip in the cosmic consciousness. No… his former plan of unsealing the hidden chapter of the Codex Gigas was a solid plan. Why hasn’t he tried that yet?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose it could be my meddling that’s to blame. Upon rewinding the Universe, I ensured that the Codex Gigas would not fall into Satan’s hands so easily. Perhaps knowing that he couldn’t use the Codex Gigas, he had to formulate a new plan. Then again, we are experiencing a time dilation that could alter when Satan’s plans lead toward the Codex. But I fear that he is going all in with his sinful loophole. I should have just left things alone. I knew how to stop the Codex Gigas but this Anathema Proxy… je suis aveugle.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And now… Sahir. I saw it in his eyes. They were glowing a sinful saffron. I fear it is too late to reverse the—what’s this?</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong><em>Damn it all!</em></strong></p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE FEBRUARY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-52</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<br />
<p>Nikki: We beat your game, Redman. Where’s Jenni?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: So you did. And with a day to spare. Congratulations.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Redman snapped his fingers, and Employee Jenni appeared in a plume of red smoke.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Nikki!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: It’s okay! It’s okay. We’re going to get you out of here, Jenni.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Abigail: You’re losing your touch, Red. I was really looking forward to burning this brat.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Augustine: It doesn’t matter. We got what we needed from the Augur.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Exactly. And I wouldn’t want to attract any undue attention.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Is that so?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: [The Owner]? I wasn’t expecting to draw you out with this little game. No harm was meant, of course. Your precious employee was never in any real danger.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: So that’s how you’ve been getting away with it. You can play your games so long as you don’t kill anyone.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: But Xavier...</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: He was killed outside of a game, I’m afraid. A fiendish loophole, I must admit. Demons are hardly sanctioned from killing humans. But if you are trying to bring me before the Court of Angels, you really don’t have a case—</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: No, we don’t. I didn’t expect we would. You’ve spent thousands of years perfecting your terms. But… you know riddles aren’t actually your domain, Redman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: <em>You didn’t.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Oh, I did. Or, well, I had Felix start the process.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Are you mad?! Do you have any idea of the chaos he’ll bring? He could ruin everything!</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: If you’re so eager to play games, Rubeus, you might as well play a real one with some real stakes. And if Satan’s plans can be so easily derailed…</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: When?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: When what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: When is he coming?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Well, I imagine he must find a suitable prize first. Then the contracts need to be signed. Then the real games can start.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: We need to go.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Augustine: What is—</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: NOW. We won’t have much time to prepare.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-53</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I just got word, and it seems like things will be starting sooner rather than later. As I mentioned last week, I acted on emotion rather than reason. I wanted to regain some control, and I felt the best way to do so would be to introduce a healthy dose of chaos. The Open Doors Church has been manipulating things far too easily lately, and win or lose, this will certainly throw a wrench in their well-laid plans. Of course, I can’t understate how important winning is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Complexico, the Gameshow Host, brings a strange assortment of quasi-riddles he calls “Complexities.” The first to solve them all wins a prize. Complexico’s prizes are often known to tip the scales one way or the other. I’m hoping that it’s something nice, but not too nice, if we end up losing. Complexico has only been released from his Cancellation Clause for around a week, so I can’t imagine the prize he’s found can be all that good. Still, we can’t take this game lightly. Also, by the by, you <strong><em>have</em></strong> to play. There’s no saying no to Complexico once he starts a game. That’s a certain way to end up dead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But have fun! It is a game show, after all, if a bit of a strange one. While Complexico should never, ever, ever be trusted, he is… affable… underneath his oversized question mark mascot head. I wouldn’t have brought him back if he wouldn’t be useful to us. I’ve played his games before, though I doubt my past experience will be of any help. His “complexities” don’t exactly follow any conventional logic, though he’s good at making them seem like they do. Also, sorry we have to solve more riddles so soon after our last bout of life-or-death trivia.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours to buzz in,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leyland’s First</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-54</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>It is so wonderful to be back on the air. You know, those murders that got me canceled the first time, that’s all water under the bridge now. It’s really their fault if you think about it. They played the game too well for their own good. Thankfully, I doubt I’ll have another set of contestants quite like them again. And if I do? Well, I think this time they’ll have the common sense to <strong><em>BUZZ IN</em></strong> when they know. Speaking of… it seems like you’ve buzzed in yourself. I was hoping you would. No. I knew you would. You’re drawn to these types of games, Otherman. We’re cut from the same cloth, after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now that I’m back, I believe it’s time to indulge in some rather ill-intents, don’t you think? It seems only correcto to pick up where I last left off. Where WE last left off. I wasn’t fully expecting there to be a whole new Universe when I got back, but thems the breaks, eh, kid? And what a mess of a Universe it is, too. No offense, Otherman, assuming you had something to do with its design. Did you happen to notice that extra bit off at the end of it? That can’t be right, can it? Unless it’s part of your plan? Or maybe it’s part of his plan. Or maybe it’s part of His plan. Still, sloppy work. If I were to create a new dimension, I wouldn’t have just copied existing mythology.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Not to mention what a mess this must make for quasi-historical-mythological figures. What, are there two of them now? Well, here’s to the hope that canonization fixes things up on the next go-around. Though, I suppose there won’t be another go-around without the big holy Bird, right? Well, clearly, you don’t need Bird to rewind things yourself. But then, I have to wonder, Otherman. How many times would you rewind things to get things right? Mm… dangerous game rewinding things over and over, I’m sure you’re well aware. Canonization is a double-edged sword. Things go up that should go down tend to get cut, even when you really wish they wouldn’t. Though, if you don’t even know about them, what’s the harm, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well—I’ve got new prizes to collect and other Cycles to host in. I’m sure we’ll cross paths again, Otherman. We always do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-Complexico</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JENNI HEPBURN</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-55</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ugh. This being grounded forever thing really sucks. I missed the weird cosmic horror gameshow, and I can’t help out with the Augustine stuff even though I was the one kidnapped by him. Well, he was kidnapped by the Redman and Hatman. Augustine was just sort of there, and he wanted something from inside me… but what? It can’t be whatever the Mysterious Stranger left inside my mind because Umbra already stole that. I guess… maybe it could be related to that? I don’t know. I’m sick of people sticking things inside my mind for later.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I guess that’s something weird, right? That people keep leaving things of value inside my subconscious. Does that keep happening because I’m an “Augur” or whatever? Or is there something special about my subconscious that makes it so… “hospitable” to weird esoteric secrets? I bet Mr. Three would know. I wonder if we could call him somehow. Though it seems like he comes and goes as he pleases. Maybe I could start trying to find these answers myself through meditation or lucid dreaming or something. Not like I have much else I can do while stuck in my room.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I have been messing around with my second sight a bit. It at least gives me something more interesting to look at, and it’s more mentally stimulating than my homework. I’ve noticed something weird about my room—or, well, where my room is in the Otherside. The other rooms in my house are what you’d expect, with various shifting places in the Otherside. Right now, the boundary lines have my house in Esterskald, if the foliage is anything to go by. But my room, in particular, is always in the same spot. It doesn’t shift. It’s just a sort of grassy field with dandelions. I wonder why my room doesn’t… move. I guess that’s something I could investigate while on house arrest, at least.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NICK LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-56</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I snuck into Jenni’s room with the Veil of Cassandra to test out my theory. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have worked. You can check the transcript to see what the veil had her say. It’s basically nonsense. It’s possible that it can’t see the truth in memories. Oh well, it was worth a shot. At the very least, it seems like the CaDCom was able to transcribe what Jenni said without any reality tampering, as that’s what she said to me in person. At least, I think so, anyway.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Are you ready?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: …yeah, I think so. Is it going to hurt?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: I’m… not sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Well, what’s the worst a piece of tulle can do to me?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Organza.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Bless you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Ha-ha. Seriously though, if you don’t want to put it on—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: No. I want to. I want to know what they took from me. And more importantly, I want to feel like I’m doing something, anything, to help out. Plus, I think you’re right. If my perception of the truth gets altered, so what? I don’t even know what the truth is, to begin with.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Only if you’re sure.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jenni placed the Veil of Cassandra over her eyes.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Make sure you don’t open your eyes. You don’t want to warp your total perception of reality.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Got it. Now what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Try to recall what happened when the Redman kidnapped you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Mm… I don’t—no, wait, I do remember. Umbra, ugh, he put me to sleep, and then he… possessed Augustine. Then shadows dripped out of his fingers… into my eyes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Gross.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Yeah. It felt cold, and I could feel it numbing my mind.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Can you remember why?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Looking for a link. Graveyard. Memories of the past. Hermes Trismegistus. <em>Madeline Saturn.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: The former #35? What do they want—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: They want… to bring her back from the dead. They want an Augur of their own under their complete control, one who has been blessed by Hermes. Like me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: And the mummies?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: —Can be used to bring back the dead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: I… think that’s enough you can take off the veil.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Jenni took off the Veil of Cassandra]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Did it work?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: I don’t think so. Everything you said was total nonsense.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jenni: Damn. Maybe it’s just a… gag? Like the Emperor’s Robes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nick: Yeah, that could be. It sure seems like the kind of thing Complexico would give as a prize.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: SAHIR BALI</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-57</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Resurrecting Madeline Saturn? That’s impossible. For more reasons than I can probably list here. Off the top of my head? There’s no body. The graveyard the Owner set up in the back is symbolic—not literal. The tombstones are just there to act as solemn reminders to sip—not chug—the coffee we brew. Symbolic monuments aside—there were quite literally no bodies left. Now, I can’t claim to know much about the forbidden art of Necromancy, but I would guess a body is needed. Necromancy, after all, is the process of undoing the nature of the Otherside. You can’t jam your demonic soul into just any old vessel—you would need your original body to do so.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, we now know the limitations of the veil, I suppose. As for my efforts, I managed to get a hold of “the Dobermann” Solomon Langley through some rather obscure connections. The trouble with getting in touch with a witch of Belphegor is that they tend to spend their time in the Ouroboros, a plane that is famously cut off from all others. As luck would have it, Solomon Langley was stateside, so I was able to have a small sit down with him. However, he kept his cards rather close to his chest in regard to the actual Sableification process. I suppose I can’t blame him, as it has caused enough turmoil in his family already.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I gleaned from him that Umbra and The Redman are either faking Augustine’s Sableification or Umbra is a greater threat than we originally believed. To initiate the process of Sableification, one needs a very rare, very illegal substance. Illegal in the eyes of the Court of Angels, mind you. Universally prohibited. It is also a very time-sensitive substance. At most, it can stay fresh for two months. That is to say, Umbra couldn’t have had a stockpile of it if he used it to turn Augustine into a shadow. He would’ve had to have had some way of getting more. Solomon expressed to me the steep price he paid to get his hands on some years ago—a price Umbra likely couldn’t pay more than once. So, Occam’s Razor: they are faking it. Somehow. I suppose that is the next thread to pull at.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MARCH</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-58</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, that is a problem, isn't it? Jenni's parents, Sean and Hazel, have been… possessed? Cursed? Infected? I'm not sure what the proper term is. With my Blighted Eye, the truth was clearer than Cassandra's Veil. Under the surface, they have crimson-red eyes. The work of the Redman, I assume. It is his calling card of sorts. However, Sean and Hazel's pre-affliction does not strike me as the type to play the Redman's game. That, and he really shouldn't be playing his game while under Umbra's control, but that never seems to stop him, does it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Without knowing exactly how he's pulled this off, I'm afraid there isn't much I can do. Not yet, anyway. The "good" news is that I am inclined to believe them, even if they are under the Redman's control—they want to keep Jenni "safe." At the very least, out of harm's way. They still need her for something. Madeline's resurrection? Perhaps. Though, I can't help but suspect it's something else. Well, but if it was that… no. There are nine of us. Even if the unthinkable were to happen to Jenni, they'd still have a spare. Unless they've planned this out to the detail. Hm.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, don't mind me. Thinking out loud, as it were. I should move to a more secure channel so I can truly work this conundrum out without fear of mucking things up. The little things aside, it's clear we need to do something to save Jenni's parents. It'll kill two problems with one stone: they'll be free of the Redman's influence, and I assume they'll go back to their laissez-faire parent-child relationship with Jenni, freeing her up for further Cafe business. If it wasn't already abundantly clear, Jenni is an extremely important member of the Cafe and Diner, and we will do whatever it takes to protect her employment with us.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-59</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I was able to get in touch with Shaka of Zulu after all. I figured there had to be a reason he had yet to deal with me, as Zulu typically doesn’t take well to defectors. Thankfully, I was right. Moreover, my instincts appear to have been correct as Shaka gifted us with a floppy disk containing something to do with the Cafe No Diner. What is on that floppy? I couldn’t say. I haven’t been able to even get the disk into our system as it has been warped by heat. I am hoping Salenna will know what to do with it in this miserable state.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I wasn’t sure you’d come, cher ami.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Felix, I told you, you’d always have my ear. My heart. My bones and blood. Even if you decided they weren’t for you. It takes quite some courage to face death like this, so I assume the situation is dire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: It is. Eh, and it isn’t. There is a new Cafe in town.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: The Cafe No Diner. Yes. How interesting. You would risk your immediate termination over a group of no-names?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah—but I wouldn’t, would I?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Heh. I was hoping it’d be different this time, you know?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Oh?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Fate. Always Fate. Though I’m not sure which is stronger? Fate—or the Other?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: That is why you have yet to kill me, isn’t it? I left, not entirely of my own accord.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Or maybe I just like you, Felix. You remind me of… me. Or, perhaps, who I wanted to be. Though, I will admit to what is hardly a secret—you were always going to betray the Zulus. You didn’t even have a choice this time around. I could not stop it, nor should I have. Without you, well, there might not be a Cafe, after all. And then what would I do? No Cafe certainly would put a damper on my plans.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: So, no hard feelings then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: I’m far too old for hard feelings, let alone feelings at all. Here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Shaka of Zulu tossed Felix a floppy disk]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: I’m surprised it survived the fire. Oh, well, you’d be surprised how many things tend to survive fires. Stay out of trouble, Felix.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Thank you, Shaka.</p><br />
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<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE APRIL</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-60</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>This Cafe No Diner may be more of a problem than I anticipated. It doesn’t help that they are entirely unaccounted for variables. I knew that the course of Fate would change things… Fate would be foolish not to. But to add five new players? It’s almost like Fate doesn’t want me to kill Satan after all. To be fair, I don’t want to, either. Adding a Key to the Gates of Hell into the mix would make things unnecessarily messy. No, if we are to kill Fate, we need to keep all seven Princes alive—even Mammon. Ah. That’s it, isn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>Fate and I think far too alike.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>That’s the whole point of this Cafe No Diner. A backup in case we don’t go through with killing Satan. Killing Satan—killing any of the Seven Princes—would set off a chain of events that would ultimately unleash the Devil. And if the Devil breaks free, the Universe will be rewound again. A fresh Universe would be ideal for Fate as it removes all of my advantages against it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, Satan has the same aim: to unleash his father, the Devil. Except, with God still missing, a rewind so early would be pointless, at least in the eyes of Fate. I suppose there’s a chance I wouldn’t maintain my advantage in another rewinding, but it’s a risk Fate wouldn’t take. Satan, however, has found a loophole to speed up the whole “unleashing his hellish Father” thing. The Anathema Proxy clause. A fiendish little loophole in the Soul Accord that boils down to creating human versions of the Keys to the Gates of Hell. And he’s already successfully turned Sahir into a living embodiment of Sorrow.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I can only assume Satan intends to turn each of the Cafe and Diner into Anathemas. There is still something of the process I am missing. But whatever that missing factor is, it likely would explain why Satan has chosen the Cafe and Diner to be his Anathemas and why he can’t let any of us die prematurely. Though there are nine of us. One to spare, assuming he needs Anathema for the deadliest of sins as well. Regardless, between the machinations of Fate and Satan, we are in for a rather precarious and intricate dance.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Deadliest of Sins Himself,</p><br />
<br />
<p>O</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-61</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>OKAY—THAT’S ENOUGH OF THIS STUPID ASS RED RAIN… <strong>ENOUGH OF THIS STUPID ASS REDMAN!</strong></em></p><br />
<br />
<p>I am sick TO DEATH of this stupid loser, Boogieman of Satan. He has killed, KILLED, people I care about. He has kidnapped, KIDNAPPED, my girlfriend. HE BLOODSHOT HER PARENTS! Sure, I’m no fan of the Hatman rummaging around Red’s head, but at least that wasn’t as personal. Ever since the Redman KILLED Xavier, I’ve been dreaming of the day we put an end to him. But after all this recent crap he’s been pulling? It’s all I can think about.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And now my girlfriend is having non-stop dreams about him! How messed up is that? How sick? He’s worming his way into her every thought, too. Night after night, she has to endure visions of him tricking human after human, letting them think they’ve won, stalking them from the shadows, making their eyes bleed and their blood boil, before finally killing them off. It’s not even that his questions are hard, he just, he just, he just words them in stupid ways!! That, or he assumes all humans are totally clueless about the Otherside. Well, I’m not.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ve been talking with Sofia, and she told me how to play his stupid little game. How to summon him at my beck and call. Maybe I could call him out and just end him then and there. I’ve been reading up on how to kill demons; between my parents’ library and Felix’s tomes, I’ve got more than enough ideas. But… just killing him… that’s not enough. That’s not fun. I want him to suffer. I want him to lose. I want to be the one to beat his pathetic little game of trick questions. I want it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And no one is going to stop me from getting what I desire.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No one.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-62</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NIKKI LANGLEY</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE MAY</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-62</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>[Nikki, surrounded by thirteen red candles, with a mirror in her hand and a red paper doll with her name on half, and the Redman’s name on the other, began to chant.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Rubeus Redman, please come, please come, I will not leave until you come. Rubeus Redman, please come, please come, I will not leave until you come. Rubeus Redman, please come, please come, I will not leave until—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The mirror in Nikki’s hands cracked, and from a plume of red smoke, the Redman appeared, hovering before her.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: My, my, my, if it isn’t Nicole Langley. I couldn’t refuse a call from you, could I? If I didn’t know better, I would think this was some sort of trap set by your employer. Yet… I don’t sense him here. Nor do I sense any of your little friends.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I want to play your game, Redman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Mmm… what for? A sweet sixteenth present?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: How did you—</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Come now, Nicole. You should know by now. I know so, so many things. A birthday is trivial. Besides—they’re waiting for you at the Cafe. Your brother and your girlfriend. You probably had plans tonight, right? I wouldn’t waste them in some dark bathroom in the middle of nowhere conversing with demons. I’ll let you in on a little secret of mine, you can blow out the thirteenth candle, the one behind you, to end the game.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I want to play.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: And what if I don’t? That candle trick, either of us can use it, you know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Redman floated to the ground, then circled around Nikki, picking up the thirteenth candle. Nikki spun around to face him.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Stop! I <strong><em>WANT</em></strong> to play.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Look, Satan wouldn’t be thrilled that I’m playing games with a member of the Cafe and Diner without his consent. Likewise, I can’t imagine the Owner of the Cafe would appreciate you going behind his back like this—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: So, what, you’re scared? Seriously? I went through all this trouble to summon you. I want to play, so play me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: If you insist.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Redman snapped his fingers and disappeared and reappeared back at the front of the candle circle, paper doll in hand. In his grip the doll began to burn.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: What is Indrid Cold’s true name?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I- uh- it’s…</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Counter-clockwise, the candles in the circle began to go out as the fire consumed half of the paper doll with Nikki’s name on it.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: It’s… it… his true name? It’s… It’s Fate. Indrid Cold is Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The coquelicot flames burning the paper doll slowed to a smolder.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Ah… Your turn.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: Are you ready to die?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Nikki unsheathed an obsidian dagger etched with powerful runes hidden in her shoe, lunging at the Redman. Before she could make contact with him, he rolled his eyes and clenched his fist, dragging Nikki to the ground by her eye.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Tsk, tsk, tsk. That ruins the fun, doesn’t it? You weren’t supposed to try and <strong><em>kill</em></strong> me. Oh well.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: AGH!! MAKE IT STOP!!</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Hm? Oh—the eye thing. Right.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Redman clenched his fist harder, causing a spray of blood to shoot out of Nikki’s eye before he softened his grip. After Nikki caught her breath, the Redman twirled his fingers, lifting Nikki up telepathically by her eye to examine his work. Nikki’s iris was now a deep, sanguine red, as blood dripped down from her tear ducts.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Nikki: I- ugh- I- you-</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: To think, this could’ve been avoided if you didn’t try and kill me. I would’ve just played for fun, you know. It’s a good reminder of your place, I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[The Redman threw Nikki to the ground as she clasped a hand over her bloodshot eye.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Redman: Oh, and happy birthday, Nicole.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-63"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-63</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: FIRST CAFE</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY JUNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-63</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I was wondering when Solomon would arrive to yell at me. I hardly expected to get away with letting Nikki play the Redman’s game without drawing his ire. It… is an unfortunate price to pay to stay on course with Fate... for the time being, anyway. I wasn’t expecting the Mysterious Stranger to be with Solomon, but the more the merrier. However, it is hard to sling coffee with the Stranger around. He may be a problem down the road, but for now, I’m glad to keep his company.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Solomon… I expected. The Stranger, now that’s a surprise. Do you two always come in a pair?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: We didn’t have the chance to finish our prior conversation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Ah, yes. Interrupted by a Death Wyrm, that’s a first. Where did we leave off?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: The Anathema Proxy clause.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Ah… I remember. Do you really expect me to still be in the dark about something like that five months later?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: No, I suppose not. You’ve already lost two to the saccharine of sin. You’re playing into his hands… unless you’ve reconsidered my position?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: In a way, I have. Though you and I both know nothing can be done until Fa—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: <em><strong>Why?!</strong></em></p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Hm?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: <em>My niece.</em> Why would you let her play Rubeus’ game?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Let her? I am not her keeper, Solomon. She, like us all, is blessed with free will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: You knew she would! You had to know it would end up like it did last time!</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Well, then, it was Fate, wasn’t it? And what can I do to stop Fate, Solomon? What <em><strong>more</strong></em> can I do?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: This was not a fixed event.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Then we circle back to free will—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: You could’ve stepped in! You could’ve stopped her! You—</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: I wish I could have. I really do.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: …but you didn’t. You had to have seen the signs. You made no attempt to change the course of Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Nothing is that simple. My <em><strong>only</strong></em> advantage against Fate is that I know what to expect. I can’t take that chance. Not yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: I won’t let her die.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Ah. So, Belphegor told you about that as well. I am doing everything I can to prevent that, Solomon. You have my word. There are small things, teenage mistakes, and then there are big things. Deadly things. But… it’s still a little early to worry about Asmodeus, isn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Stranger: To balance the scales of fate and liberty, one must die. The human or the Prince.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Well, everyone has a date with death sooner or later, I suppose.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Solomon: You’re going to try and keep them both alive, aren’t you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Owner: Satan, too, if I can manage it. Trust the plan, Solomon. Fate expects death—and I demand life.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_0:_OPERATION_ENCORE&diff=8619File 0: OPERATION ENCORE2026-05-05T05:06:59Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CAFFEINATED CASE FILE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Enter master password to access all receipts within</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- MASTER ACCESS PANEL --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MASTER ACCESS</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">REQUIRED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Password</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">See: Case No. 10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">The number that follows 7.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Access Code</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Eight</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Archive Sections</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART I --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART II --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The First Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part II)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART III --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Second Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part III)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART IV --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Other Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part IV)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART V --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Third Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part V)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VI --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VI</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Fourth Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VI)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VII --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VII</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Final Folie of the Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VII)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_0:_OPERATION_ENCORE&diff=8618File 0: OPERATION ENCORE2026-05-05T05:06:48Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CAFFEINATED CASE FILE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Enter master password to access all receipts within</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- MASTER ACCESS PANEL --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MASTER ACCESS</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">REQUIRED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Password</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">See: Case No. 10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">The number that follows 7.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Access Code</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Eight</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Archive Sections</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART I --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART II --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The First Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part II)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART III --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Second Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part III)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART IV --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Other Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part IV)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART V --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Third Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part V)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VI --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VI</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Fourth Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VI)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VII --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VII</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part VII</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">The Final Folie of the Cafe and Diner</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VII)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_I)&diff=8617OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)2026-05-05T05:04:44Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part I: The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">33 archived receipts</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-01</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I am prone to meticulous note-keeping and journaling. However, seeing as mon amour and my trusted associate have decided to embark on this joint venture with me it only makes sense to have a system of joint note-keeping. Of course, I have informed them of our most unusual of circumstances regarding the timing of our business. Felix was easy to assure but Lucy, ah Lucy, she was of course filled with questions. I’ve done what I can to play ignorant to the obvious, but I am unsure how long I can keep her out of the loop. Some may think it foolish for me to air these thoughts in any form she could discover, but let’s be honest, my mind is already an open book to her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of, these receipts will need to be encrypted. The problem with more conventional means of encryption is that most of our customers can see through simple mathematical tricks. We will need to employ a system of puzzles, riddles, and logic along with more standard ciphers to ensure that most customers cannot breach our receipts without proper permission. Mon amour has already shown me what does and doesn’t keep our customers out, of course, there is nothing stopping the more intrepid from working out our little puzzles.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose for now while it is just us, I see no reason to establish any formal rules among partners. However, I will set one rule which both of you should find more than reasonable. To prevent certain prying eyes that are fixated on certain keywords and are utilizing errata-based meta filters under no circumstances shall you write, type, think, or speak the number. In context or out of context it doesn’t matter. The usual substitutes are acceptable. Worst case I’m sure they’re already reading this. Or have read this. Or will read this. I’ve never been too sure how it works.</p><br />
<br />
<p>One day we can look back on this and laugh. Or cry. Whatever suits the mood.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours eagerly again,</p><br />
<br />
<p>The number that always follows after 7</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-02</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>As mentioned yesterday, I wanted to write a bit on the topic of customers. I suppose, more pressingly, what our goal as an organization is—or at the very least, should be. In cafe speak, I would classify what we intend to do rather simply: The Cafe and Diner will serve the best coffee to its many Customers. But there’s that word… “Customers.” It’s doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, wouldn’t you agree? So, what is a customer?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose to define a customer, I must go back to how this idea for an organization started. It started with the death of my parents at the hands of a notorious customer from Detroit, Miss. Cadillac. Their deaths sent me into a dizzying spiral and the deepest rabbit hole an Alice like myself could ever fall down. I wanted to, no, had to learn more about Miss. Cadillac. Where she came from and why she did what she did. And in my research, I stumbled upon mon amour, the brightest, most resplendent light in all of the Universe—Lucifer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yes, “Miss. Cadillac,” is what is known as a demon. Its Baltimore name is the Nain Rouge, the Demon of the Strait. Lucifer, mon amour, consequently, is also a demon, though a demon of a far higher caliber, for she is a Prince of Hell. One of seven who rule over the Planes of the Otherside—a dimension parallel in time and space to our own reality where strange creatures and demons reside. Due to the nature of our reality, the Flipside, and their reality, the Otherside, occasionally creatures and demons “leak” into our world. And that is what the Cafe and Diner will seek to correct.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>It will be our mission to send these errant travelers back to their proper homes in the Otherside.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Perhaps, if we can do that, we can save another set of parents down the line. If anything, we can maintain some sort of cosmic balance between the Flipside and Otherside, for there is no such thing as a failure—only half successes.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-03"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-03</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-03</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose the task ahead of us is easier said than done. While serving customers coffee, in theory, should be straightforward, each customer prefers a different type of coffee. The Otherside is a vast and segmented place. As mentioned in yesterday’s receipt, there are seven planes of the Otherside.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>Lucifer’s plane, the Morningstar.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Mammon’s plane, the Infernus.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Satan’s plane, the Hauntaurskald.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Belphegor’s plane, the Ouroboros.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Beelzebub’s plane, the Esterskald.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Leviathan’s plane, the Mayda.</em></div><br />
<div><em>Asmodeus’ plane, the Amaymon.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Each is vastly different from the others. The Morningstar, for example, is blanketed in a blinding light while the Infernus rages with the heat of a demonic engine. The Hauntaurskald is, by all accounts, very similar to common descriptions of hell. The Ouroboros is a strange plane inhabited by near-immortal snake-like creatures. Then there is the Esterskald and Mayda, an endless forest and ocean, respectively. And lastly, the Amaymon, where most humans end up when they die.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ah, that is another important thing, isn’t it? When a person dies, they are reborn into the Otherside as a “demon.” Plants and animals, too, though when they are reborn, they are referred to as “cryptids.” Which of the seven planes you are reborn to has to do with something known as the Soul Accord, an agreement amongst the seven Princes of Hell to divvy up who gets which reborn soul. In the end, however, the vast majority end up in the lowest of the seven Otherside planes, the Amaymon, where they live out a rather dulcet afterlife.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But… the worst of humanity often finds themselves reborn into the dominion of Satan in the Hauntaurskald. These demons are the demons one most often thinks of. Terrifying boogeymen and creatures of the night who spend their afterlife attempting to ruin the current lives of humans. In the course of our work, I assume we will often cross paths with demons from the Hauntaurskald. While we will try to “serve them coffee” in the usual way, we might need to pay their tabs in full—kill them.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-04</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Now, the next thing we will need is some sort of device to keep track of our work. I have a few designs already in mind, but I will need some parts from the Otherside. Due to the nature of how the Otherside is parallel to our own, they are far, far ahead in the “future.” It is a difficult concept to really wrap your mind around, but the simplest way to think of it is like a circle or cycle. If we are at one point in the circle, the Otherside is at the opposite end. As we move further into the future, they advance further toward our past and, paradoxically, further into our future.</p><br />
<br />
<p>All that to say, the Otherside has something more than just Cryptids and Demons. It has something known as “Othertech.” Technology that is so far advanced and alien to us that it can do some truly amazing things. The main component I would like to source from the Otherside is a Database Core. It’s a sort of artificial intelligence. You could even think of it as a mechanical cryptid of sorts. With a Database Core, we could have our receipts stored outside of the limitations of current Flipside digital storage. Moreover, the Database Core can record encounters with have with customers with a degree of precision that would be unthinkable with today’s technology.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ll have mon amour see if she can find a Database Core in the Otherside. Unlike other Cryptids and Demons, they aren’t set to a singular plane and are often in high demand. In the worst case, I imagine her brother, Mammon, probably has one in his hoard of treasures. Though, I wouldn’t want to owe Mammon any favors. You’d have to be one hell of a fool to make a bargain with him. Though I have a good feeling mon amour will be able to find one in the outskirts of her plane.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-05</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Yes! <strong><em>YES!</em></strong> I knew mon amour was more than up for the task. She has found a Database Core and quite possibly a perfect one. It far exceeds what I had imagined, and I believe it will more than suffice as the basis of our interconnected communications and database system. I will need some assistance from some old allies of mine to get it properly set up, but time is not an issue. Soon, if not by tomorrow, we will have a fully functioning system for cataloging customers, recording receipts, and keeping the coffee warm for our friends.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose, as a test, I can upload these daily notes I’ve been recording to the system, though I will need a way to hide them from the public view. I, more often than not, was more in the “Cafe” than the “Diner.” In doing so, they may be rather difficult to retrieve if I need them later, though I also have my physical copies. Even if they are “lost,” I am hoping that the Database will, in a way, absorb their information so it can hit the ground running. It will save us immense time if the Database can already understand the meaning behind much of our Cafe Speak.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And, once we have the Database fully configured and our communication devices working, well, I have some more pressing thoughts I’ve been dying to write down. I haven’t told mon amour or my trusted associate all that I know yet for fear of changing the unknown. Things… have been different. I have already noticed, and of course, they should be. As such, I don’t fully know what to expect from this new adventure, but anything will be better than our old one. But… more on that, once I can assure myself it will remain confidential.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-06</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>They say never to make a deal with the Devil, but then how would I have met my beloved Lucifer? Not that she is <em><strong>the</strong></em> Devil, of course. But I’m sure there is some taboo against falling in love with the daughter of the Devil all the same. I believe it is clear that our other two investors are none other than Lucifer’s older siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. With their aid, we have been able to begin our Cafe and Diner in earnest in many more ways than just securing a physical location and forming a shell company.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As alluded to, the actual terms of our agreement are complex. Far, far beyond complex. And isn’t that I don’t want to share them with you, my beloved mon amour and trusted associate. But I fear that explaining the exact details would derail any progress toward what we are working for. Our Cafe and Diner. Our organization that will help maintain the ever-precarious balance between the Flipside and the Otherside. So, I beg your forgiveness if I am still being vague despite writing this in the CAFE channel.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As mentioned, Belphegor has been given one of my “antiques” to hold on to. It is, admittedly, a powerful magical artifact. Even calling a “magical artifact” feels like it belittles its importance. It is, in truth, a fundamental aspect of our very reality. This might seem dangerous, entrusting something so potent to the Demon Prince of Sloth. Well, she is lazy, isn’t she? I doubt she would have the drive to ever use it. And, as for Mammon, well, they have asked for something far more difficult to provide. They want us to find something for them. Of course, the Prince of Greed is seeking something. Something they probably shouldn’t ever get ahold of. At least they don’t expect us to find it anytime soon.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-07</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>It has been 24 days since the Universe began. How time flies. Of course, there is the strangest sensation that lingers from all of the pre-scripted events and reconstructed memories. We are working off of a back-up, after all. A rewinding. So, it hasn’t been only 24 days since I met my dear Lucifer and Felix and began working on the Cafe and Diner. No. It is more like an uneasy dream that I have only just become lucid to. I remember meeting them, but it is only that—a memory based on events that happened in a Universe now destroyed. And, I suppose, it would mean that they have only known me—in truth—for 24 days. But I have known them for lifetimes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I am, or was, what is known as the Otherman. An agent of God. It was my divine task to maintain the proper flow of time, the correct spinning of Cycles. When a Cycle strayed too far, when things went up that should go down, it was my scythe that cut it free. But—I wasn’t able to stop her, my love, Lucifer, from inadvertently causing the end of the Universe. To be the Otherman is not easy, you must leave behind all that you knew in your mortal life. You become an unseen force of the Universe. But Lucifer thought she could bring me back. She thought she could stop my ascension to the title of Otherman. And so, using the seven Keys to the Gates of Hell she tore across her Cycle in an attempt to turn back the clock. But doing so ruined not only her Cycle, but all Cycles.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In the last moments of the Universe that was, I was approached by Lucifer’s siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. Together they had hatched a rather sinister plan to recreate the Universe using a tool known as the “Pocketwatch,” an instrument of divine creation. With it we could reshape the Universe exactly how we saw fit, but to do so would take both Belphegor’s powers and my own. Under normal circumstances we would have just waited for the Universe to reset on its own, out of our control. But Mammon… clever Mammon… they made a proposal I couldn’t turn down. A chance to rewrite the story. A chance to destroy the greatest adversary of God, of the Universe, of mortals. <strong><em>Fate.</em></strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>And so, the deal was struck. Belphegor would use the Pocketwatch to recreate the next Universe, I would go back to being mortal, and Mammon would have a chance to rule the Universe. That was all 25 days ago. You might have noticed; Mammon is not yet in charge of all that is or will ever be. We have time to stop them, but first we need to find where they have hidden God. Though, even doing that will take years, decades perhaps, and it will take each and every Cafe and Diner employee I chose to save. Then, once we find God, we can aid Him in the destruction of Fate itself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To the end of Fate,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours…</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong><em>8.</em></strong></p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-08</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m unsure if it was a fluke or Fate, but it seems my use of the number went… unnoticed. Good. It could be that the AND channel is secure even from the watchful eyes of the Cold, though I doubt it. I really shouldn’t tempt Fate like that, but it felt like a moment I had to declare my true name and title. <em><strong>The number after 7.</strong></em> Though—that is something I have been curious about since we recreated the Universe. When will I receive the title of the sacred number? I don’t believe I have it yet, and I’m unsure if I could get it again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In the past Universe, my mentor, Jack Octo, gave me the title. But Jack—I couldn’t save him even with the power of the Pocketwatch. When asked who we should bring back, he was the first person I thought of, but Belphegor reminded me that Jack Octo was no longer a part of the Universe. And if he was no longer part of the Universe, I couldn’t rewind him like the others. The title of… the number after 7… holds great significance in the world of the supernatural. Though, no one knows why, well, no one besides the one who holds the title. Whatever it is, it bestows upon its holder secrets of the Universe that cannot be spoken or shared.</p><br />
<br />
<p>When I became the Otherman, I had to relinquish the number. Only a mortal can possess the number, after all. So, I passed it on to my protégé, Jenni. From there, it changed hands and was broken and divided amongst many people, but at the time of the end of the Universe, it was Nick who last held it. But, with the rewinding of the Universe, I doubt young Nick still holds the title that Jack originally forged. But if Jack is no longer here to forge it… well. Even if I am unable to claim the title, perhaps that is a good thing. The title brought nothing but disaster to those who held it, as was Fated, of course. Still—the number is who I was. Who I am. And who I intend to be.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-09</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ve only known you for a few years, nouvel ami, but in that time, I’ve never pegged you for much of a perfectionist, eh? Aren’t you the one always going on about “half-successes?” I can’t quite wrap my head around how you can so boldly tell la dame that accidents are bound to happen in this trade, while also insisting that every detail must be perfect before we can open. I trust there’s more to your… shall I say… “erratic” nature regarding the Cafe and Diner, yes? Some unspoken secret tearing you apart. And that’s a feeling I know all too well.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But—nouvel ami—what harm is there in hiring a few employees now? As you’ve said, there’s still plenty left to do before we’re fully ready. We need more equipment, for one. The Cafe is rather bare at the moment. And for that, we’ll need an expert in Canadian technology, no? Perhaps we’ll also need an expert on Canadians themselves. Not to mention hiring an “assistant” of sorts—someone who knows everyone. We’ll need someone to mix drinks. Ah, well… we’ll need quite a bit of help is what I am getting at.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As I’ve mentioned before—and will mention again—I have a few ideas on potential hires. A few names floating around. Perhaps… twenty or so. Though, I know you’d hardly go for a Cafe of that size—at least, not to start. So, I’ll whittle my list down to the best three, yes? Three, plus three—that makes six, leaving room for you to pick two from your list for a nice, round… number after seven, no?</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-10</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>We’ve done all we can about the lights in Death Valley. As far as I can tell, we’ve cleared out the Min Min Lights, leaving only the flickers of the Universe tearing itself apart. But there’s nothing more we can do from here. We’ve also sent our newest hire—Sahir—to probe his connections, to see if anyone else has a sense of what’s happening to the Universe. On one hand, it’d be ideal if someone already had the answers we need. On the other… that kind of knowledge in the wrong hands could be very, very dangerous.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I… I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye with Him. But I’ve known Him my whole life. He practically raised me—before… before <em>everything</em>. Literally before there was a Universe as we know it today. That’s how far back we go. And it’s not like Him to just… disappear. Even more, it’s not like Him to ignore me. So I doubt He’s simply gone reclusive. Hell, He’d jump at any chance to talk my ear off, especially if it meant sharing some quirky little factoids about humans. And I’ve always loved listening to those.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Something’s definitely off, though. I just can’t place it. Sometimes it stings to still be considered “mortal,” even if—<em>come on</em>—you don’t live this long as a “mortal.” But unlike the Elders, or even Belphegor’s children, I don’t have the same level of “cosmic insight” they do. I’m along for the ride, just like everyone else. And, of course, the me I am now isn’t exactly the same me from way, <em>way</em> back. But I still have sparks of the memories.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Honestly, I don’t think I’d even want to be an Elder full-time. There’s something… comforting in the change that death brings for us Princes. A chance to become someone new. To try again and maybe do things differently. Somehow, I doubt the Lucifer of long ago would’ve opened a Cafe and Diner.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: OTHER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-11</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I had to see it. Just once.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Marvelous, isn't it? Archival immortality. But what does it truly mean to be “immortal”? The Elders—they are immortal, yes, but they are not infallible. Age and disease may not claim them, but they can still be destroyed all the same, reduced to the stardust from which they were formed. It is their souls that make them elusive. Even if their bodies are obliterated, their souls can find new vessels. I suppose the Universe tries to balance that through the singularity of most Elders. If their body is gone, their soul has nowhere to return and so it moves on—into the grand, intoxicating unknown of a true and final death.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In that sense, even mortals share a fragment of immortality. They too move between realms—from Flipside to Otherside, back and forth. Human, demon, then as human as it gets. Eventually, though, and through no fault of their own, mortal souls reach an unknown point—a threshold—where they, too, face a final death. It may seem common, an everyday affair. But I know better. It is rare—exceedingly rare—for a soul to move on beyond this Universe. We are trapped here, all of us. Here, in this cycle. What lies beyond is not for us to know. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t… until now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It is dangerous to make deals with flesh and blood. Elders, they believe they have little to lose. But they are mere guests in this Universe. They are free to leave, as easily as they came. We cannot. And that is why <em>we</em> are the ones with nothing to lose—and everything to gain. I hold no ill will toward mighty Zeus, seated high upon Olympus, content on His throne. Yet, He harbors misgivings about me. I know He does. He believes His ways are more divine than mine, simply by birthright. But am I not a divine being, made in His image? Now He plans to send Thanatos for me—yet I intend for Thanatos to roll the stone instead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I had to see it just once—this… alternative path. It’s extraordinary in its own way, breaking and bending every rule that binds us to this unending cycle. But it is flawed. It has achieved what I wanted—and more. But it cannot push me forward, only drag me back. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve already lived in the cold, darkest hours of this eternal night. I want to see dawn break. I want to feel the warmth of morning’s light. To do that, I must live in a different way. I must live for the very first time. I must make one more deal. Then—then I will be free. And once I am free, nothing will no longer matter—<em>everything</em> will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The only cure for the poison of Entropy is meticulous Order. And if it were easy? It wouldn’t be worth doing, would it?</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-12</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>And so, the truth finally comes out. I suspect he’s still holding back, but for now, I’m mostly satisfied. At last, something that doesn’t feel like a half-truth. An interesting predicament we find ourselves in, eh? Though, mon… nouvel? vieil? ami… he’s left out much of what lies “ahead,” fearing that if we know as much as he does, we’ll veer too far off course. He hasn’t quite grasped that he isn’t visiting the past—he’s living in the present, no?</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
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<p>Ne Personne: I… I need to come clean. To both of you. Here we are, in Salt Lake City, the lights overhead, and am I just supposed to keep pretending I don’t know what’s happening? Am I to assume you two wouldn’t figure it out, given time? I can’t bear it any longer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: This has to do with the unusual timing of our operations, yes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: As I understand it, you were very eager to get things moving as soon as possible, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah—but then he’s too afraid to make any real progress. As if he’s… waiting for something. Or perhaps, someone?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: All of it. The timing of our business is so… “unusual” because we’re years ahead of schedule. Four… five… maybe six years.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: In your mind, when does the Cafe truly open, nouvel ami?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: August 8th, 1994, vieil ami.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Such a precise date…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yes. Because it’s already happened. I’m… I’m not from here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I was starting to suspect as much. So, you’re from another Cycle?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: …Another Sphere.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: <em>Sphere?</em> You—you are…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: One of the last non-Elder remnants of the 15th Sphere.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: This is the 16th? When… when did that happen?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: A month ago. On a Thursday.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: So you’re telling us that everything—our memories, experiences—they’re… fabricated. Up until…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: August 4th, 1988. A miscalculation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: But it <em>did</em> all happen, didn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yes, mon amour. It all happened… just in another Universe. This Universe… it’s a copy of the last one, a rewinding of what already was.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: But… that’s not usually how Universes are made?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: No. Normally, everything begins anew… I made sure it didn’t. I wanted another chance.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Another chance? How could you have possibly…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: It’s a long story, but in short, my Universe ended, and I was in a position to create the next one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: How were you in that position?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: When I was mortal—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: —<em>When?</em> When weren’t you mortal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: …God chose me to serve as His Otherman. Are you familiar with the position?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Vaguely. So you were… God’s Otherman. His agent to ensure the proper flow of time, to keep Cycles spinning into a cohesive Sphere. But rewinding a Universe—that would grossly overreach the Otherman’s duties, wouldn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Something happened in my Universe that… broke time. Someone tried to go back and shattered the balance between the Flipside and Otherside, so badly it threatened everything. God went to restart the Universe, but His tool of creation—the Pocketwatch—was… stolen.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: You stole His Pocketwatch?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Ah! No—of course not. Mammon did.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: <em>Mammon?</em> But he knows he can’t use it…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Not without my help. And not without Belphegor’s help. In the chaos, we… we struck a deal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: What kind of deal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Belphegor and I, who knew how to operate the Pocketwatch, would reset the Universe—but under the condition that God…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: <em>No.</em> You didn’t…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I had to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: You should have returned the Pocketwatch to—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: And it all would’ve been for nothing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: What would have?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Amour… now isn’t the time to keep secrets.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <em>You.</em> You crossed the Cycles, trying to go back in time. You shattered the Universe, trying to save <em>me.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Save you? From…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I was destined to die. I held what Fate wanted—what the Cold wanted—and they did everything to ensure my demise. God saved me, offering me protection as an Elder. As the Otherman. To you, it looked like I’d died and disappeared. You went to such lengths to save me… and if I’d let God reset the Universe as it was, we’d never have met. Everything you did… would have been for nothing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Amour…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I know. Perhaps it was a foolish bargain with one of the least trustworthy of your kin. But it gives us a chance. God isn’t gone. He’s hidden. Hidden from Mammon, from even Belphegor and me. But He’s safe. And we can save Him. And finally, we can put an end to Fate… Wicked, Phantom… Secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: …Sahir?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: No. <em>Secret</em>. The Secret. One of the Cold Elders who intends to claim this Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: I see… So you already know what’s going to happen? And… you won’t die? You’re… an Elder? The Otherman?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: No, I don’t know what will happen—I know what <em>did</em> happen. There’s a dangerous difference. And when I reset this Universe, I also undid my ascension. I’m mortal again. I’m me. You’re you. Everything is how it was. My only advantage is memory—eons of it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: …I have to tell them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Who?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: My siblings. The Princes. Not everything, but that the Universe has been… remade. It’s usually obvious, but I can’t let them think we’re still in the 15th Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Of course. It’s a secret that will spread soon enough, once the Elders and Ouroborians catch on. It could never last forever; I just hoped it’d last long enough to defeat Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Are you planning to tell them all? Or just the four who aren’t yet aware?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: All of them. At once. With Mammon and Belphegor there. It’ll… it’ll look like I pieced it together on my own.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Clever, mon amour.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Thank you. Though… I am still quite cross with you for keeping this from me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I understand. From here on out, no more secrets between us.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: No… more secrets.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-13</strong></p><br />
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<p><em>Au temps pour moi.</em> I apologize. I wanted to tell you both sooner—I did. But… well, I don’t have a good excuse, do I? Maybe it’s something deeply ingrained in me, a feeling that I’ve somehow stepped into the past and that any wrong move could alter my future. Our future. Foolish, I know—I’m not in the past. I’m here, in the present. And as for the future? It’s still very much ours to decide. I intend to keep it that way.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for our month? Wonderfully successful. We served not one but two customers ahead of our official opening, and yes, we even hired a new employee, albeit remotely for now. Looking forward, we have another interview scheduled for next month. I can’t help but feel the weight of the boulder bearing down on me—as though I’ve pushed it up this hill once before. But that’s just it, isn’t it? Sisyphus was condemned to monotony, repetition, Fate. I, on the other hand, am rather eager to meet Ms. Saturn, and perhaps offer her a place in our Cafe and Diner. Why bother with the same old boulder again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for the other business we have next month, we still need to serve Mr. Andros and Mrs. Berkeley. Mr. Andros is a bit more of a priority, so we’ll start with him. If there’s time, we can attend to Mrs. Berkeley. She’s one of the few customers from mon amour’s region of Ottawa that she doesn’t particularly care for—a rather unsettling customer with quite a bad attitude.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Looking beyond next month, as you’re both well aware… there’s still something missing from the Cafe and Diner. Something I can’t even bring myself to type for fear it might draw all the wrong attention. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing, now would it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours, hopefully soon,</p><br />
<br />
<p>The month tomorrow prior to Pompilius</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-14</strong></p><br />
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<p>Who could have guessed? Another unexpected turn of events. At this point, I should expect nothing less. A guest arrived at the Cafe and Diner today—odd, considering we're not yet open for business. I can only assume our reputation precedes us. Exceptionally so. But it wasn’t just any guest. No, they weren’t here for coffee… they were looking for a job.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Strange fellow. Tall, nondescript, friendly. Not at all what he seems. He introduced himself as Mr. Octo. Whether that’s his real name or just an alias, I’m not sure. Either way, he seemed very interested in our operations. In fact, he seemed eager—maybe too eager—to help us get the Cafe and Diner off the ground. I might say he tipped his hand a little too much. Still, with his knowledge and our collective expertise, we might just rival even the Lighthouse’s coffee game.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, as we’ve discussed countless times, taking on new hires before our debts are paid and our foundations are secure is a risk we can’t afford. And yet… Perhaps this Barista is the exception. Or maybe I’m just playing with fire. Or frost. Whichever suits the mood better. The decision may not be entirely in my hands, but I only need to convince Mon Amour and my Trusted Associate to go along with it. Luckily, time is on my side.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Besides, Mr. Octo has something I want. And I’ll do whatever I need to get it. Though, even if he’s unwilling to share, I doubt I’ll need to wait much longer. These things, after all, have a way of working themselves out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours to be,</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-15</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Good to see nouvel ami finally coming around to my way of thinking. Though I didn’t quite expect we’d be hiring some unknown hippie off the street. That’s where my hesitation lies with this "Mr. Octo." I’ve been around for a long time—longer than nouvel ami, that’s certain. Longer than la dame? No, not quite. But few have been around as long as she has. Still, considering the circles I ran in before this new venture, you’d think I’d have heard something about this Octo. Especially if what nouvel ami claims he knows is true. He seems to know things about the bigger picture, things even most of my old coworkers were in the dark about. Maybe Alfa or Shaka knew. But that’s where the list of people in the know runs dry.</p><br />
<br />
<p>If it were anyone else—Marcus Douglas, or perhaps Madeline Saturn—I’d be fully on board. And nouvel ami, I assume you’re reading this: I don’t need to remind you of Mr. Douglas’ skills. And from what I’ve heard, Madeline Saturn has some rather unique abilities that would greatly benefit us. Just suggestions, of course. But if we take Mr. Octo at his word, I fully expect we’ll be hiring more baristas soon. It’s only fair—and it would take quite the load off you and la dame.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for this matter, I’ll defer my vote to la dame. Since I know nothing about this "Octo" character, I can’t give my seal of approval. But if you can get la dame to agree, nouvel ami, then it seems fated that Mr. Octo will join our team. Still, we'll meet with Madeline this month and Marcus the next. It may be worth reaching out to our little "Secret" as well. To see if he knows anything about this Mr. Octo. If anyone around here were to know something, it’d be Secret. He’s truly a man of marvels, nouvel ami. Glad you came around to see it.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-16</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well… I’ve been thinking it over the past few days. Big thanks to you, Luthuli, for making this my decision. And honestly, I’m still not sold. On any of it. A strange man shows up at our not-yet-open Cafe and Diner, offering up esoteric secrets about the “bigger picture.” Where I come from, that’s how you end up paying a visit to my older sister down south. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m worried this won’t play out the way mon amour thinks it will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then again, if the past few months have proven anything, it’s that he usually knows what he’s getting into. Almost has an uncanny knack for predicting how things will go. But then again, luck runs out eventually. And right now, it feels like we’re pushing ours. Still, it would be nice to have someone else around to help get things up and running, especially if what he’s promising is true.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But there’s something I can’t shake. It’s hard to explain. For someone so worried that a single-digit could give us away… why invite a stranger whose name is literally that number? Sure, “Octo” isn’t exactly the same as the number itself, but like mon amour said, isn’t this playing with fire? We haven’t even opened our doors yet, and already there’s a real risk that getting involved with Mr. Octo could shut us down before we start. I won’t pretend to fully understand how the Erratas work, but if mon amour is right, and someone’s watching for that number, this feels like a bad idea.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then again, he’s the one worried about those things. And knowing him, he’s thought this through and knows what he’s getting into by dealing with Mr. Octo. So… fine. Let’s go for it. But on one condition: Your Trusted Associate and I reserve the right to veto Mr. Octo at any time. I love you, mon amour, but sometimes you get carried away by your own ambitions.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-17</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m glad to be part of your little, uh, gang of sorts.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I know, I know—watch the numbers, right? Don’t sweat it. :) Me and JM had a chat about that whole “Errata” thing. Bottom line: no need to stress so much over a single number. At least not yet, you feel me? I’ve read everything up to this point, and it seems like you all think of me as some kind of “Big Picture” guy, huh? Well, I guess that’s fair. I do have some big-picture ideas. But don’t mistake ideas for answers.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, I’m happy to help however I can. I also noticed the kid seems to want something from me—though I can’t say I know what that is, and he won’t tell me. Probably should’ve filed that under the AND, am I right? Haha… just messing with you. I know coffee’s your thing. That’s the whole deal, right? So a few twists and turns along the way are to be expected. But trust me, if I had something you needed, I’d give it over in a heartbeat.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That reminds me, I should probably introduce myself more formally—or, uh, “informally,” I guess. My name’s Jack Octo. My friends usually just call me 8. You can call me 8, or Jack, or Octo—whatever floats your boat. :) I can’t say I’m as, you know, illustrious as you all are. I’m just… me. But when I heard what you guys were up to, I knew I wanted in. I’ve got a feeling this coffee venture is gonna be huge. It’ll be worth all the trouble—I know it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And if things are heading in the direction I think they’re heading, we’re gonna need a combination Cafe and Diner more than ever. Big things are happening, not just here, but across the country. Maybe the world, if you can believe it. People are starting to wake up, and what’s the first thing you grab when you wake up? That’s right, a nice warm cup of coffee.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, I’ll be around, so just holler if you need me. :)</p><br />
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<p>-8</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-18</strong></p><br />
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<p>Well, this is rather strange. Although, I suppose I should have known things would be stranger than expected. It’s not every day the universe is recreated on a whim. The time dilation—that was expected. The Pocketwatch hadn’t been wound for eons, so of course, it’s off by a minute or two. But I’m almost certain part of the deal I struck included keeping my title of 8. Not only was I promised the title and everything that comes with it, but Jack Octo <em>shouldn’t</em> be here. Chronologically, it makes no sense.</p><br />
<br />
<p>There are two possibilities. Well, there’s an infinite number of possibilities, but for the sake of argument, I’ve narrowed it down to two for now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I do not like the first possibility: that I’m wrong and know nothing. It stings to admit it, but when dealing with matters of cosmic complexity, what else can I say? As I understood it, Jack Octo gave <em>me</em> the mantle of 8. I passed it to Jenni. Jenni gave it to Nikki. Nikki split the mantle between Jericho, Joy, and Julius. The three of them passed it to Nick. The apocalypse happened. Nick died with the mantle. From there, it should have gone to the next in line, but I assume they also perished, considering, well, the apocalypse. By making the deal and relinquishing my role as the Otherman, I returned to a mortal state—flesh and blood. So, the mantle should have cycled back to me. I thought it did. It should have gone through the line of succession and eventually it looped back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Which brings me to the second possibility—the one I prefer, if only because it suggests I know more than I give myself credit for. The mantle did loop back. Back to Jack Octo. But Jack Octo died. No, he was <em>removed</em>. He doesn’t exist. Didn’t exist. He <em><strong>shouldn’t</strong></em> exist. Yet, in creating a new universe, somehow, his deletion from reality was undone.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I know the Pocketwatch is powerful. Well, of course it is, no? But to undo the unthinkable? One could even call it an act of God. In any case, Jack Octo being here means I can save him this time. I <em>will</em> save him this time. I swear it. And if I can save Jack Octo, what could stop me from saving everyone? They say Fate works in mysterious ways, but I work in unexpected ones.</p><br />
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<p>Yours to be,</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-19</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I saw a sheep today.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Funny little creature, all the way out here. You don’t see too many sheep around Santiago Canyon. It must be pretty far from home. I suppose I am, too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>This place—it’s no home. It’s a miserable, cold, and empty house. It didn’t have to be. I don’t think it was meant to be, either. Something must’ve gotten screwed up along the way. I can sense that there was more to this place once. More than sterile, empty walls and neatly stacked coffee mugs. The temperature’s always a few degrees too cold, and the fluorescent lights make the shadows feel harsh and rigid. And the furniture—it’s all cold, impersonal steel. Never been used, never been loved. I bet it wasn’t like that the first time around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It’s nothing like my home.</p><br />
<br />
<p>My home is full of life, with rich reds and earthy browns, laughter, tears, and every little corner of our Cafe carrying its own stories. Plush, worn, and ripped booths, mismatched chairs, and the smell of fresh coffee in the air. Really fresh coffee. Never burnt. I know that at most diners, the coffee’s always burnt—kept in the same thick stew of arabica, reheated constantly for the next top-off. But at my home, he’d never have it any other way than freshly made, single-serve pour-over. A terribly inefficient way to run a Cafe, of course, but that’s what made it <em>home</em>. And I loved every single cup he’d make for me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>What I wouldn’t give to go back to my home, where it’s bright and full of life. But… no. I’m stuck here, in this miserable, gelid house. With you. Because of you. Because of everything you were. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to go home, because everything has always been about you. Even now, it’s still about you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I want to go home.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I want to be like them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I want to get this over with.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>I saw a sheep today. A black one, with curly hair. Saw you too. And a bit of myself. But I still haven’t found my way home yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hang on, guys—I’ll be there before you know it.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-20</strong></p><br />
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<p>Alright, alright—enough with the suspenseful drama. The Frenchman made it clear: not only am I free to discuss whatever I want, he <em>encourages</em> it. :)</p><br />
<br />
<p>See, he knows as well as I do that this Universe has been under siege by rogue Archons for… well, probably since the moment of its flawed and sinful creation. While there are plenty of Archons from Entropy stirring up trouble, there are only four who are actively antagonistic toward our wayward Demiurge: Moira, Phantas, Kryadam, and Xanthar. Or, as they’re more commonly known—Fate, Phantom, Secret, and Wicked.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now, let’s talk a bit more Entropy. It wasn’t some unified paradise. Entropy was split into dozens of “Great Houses,” each locked in endless conflict. And no House was more powerful—or ruthless—than House Axiom, ruled by Master Kaos, the so-called creator of Entropy. But if Kaos was the ultimate ruler, why did so many rise against him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Houses like Gelid, Cresset, Malapert, and even the House Unnamed all tried to bring Kaos down. The one to succeed? It may well have been his own son—Demiurge. Somehow, Demiurge stole Kaos' tool of creation, fled Entropy, and used it to cobble together the flawed Universe we call home. Did that shift the endless wars in Entropy? Hard to say. But soon after, other Archons fled too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate was one of them—a Sovereign of House Gelid. He brought along two of his own: Phantom and Secret, and Warden and a Keeper. They also picked up an ally from House Cresset—Lord Xanthar, better known as Wicked. See, from what I’ve heard—Lord Xanthar was married to the only daughter of House Gelid whose very beautiful head was affixed above Kaos’ throne. Together, they formed a loose coalition called <em>The Cold</em>.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And they all want very different things. Fate wants total control—ruling over every outcome, every possibility. Phantom? He’s obsessed with tearing down barriers, turning our isolated Universe into a hub of multiversal travel. Wicked wants to unlock the secrets of the soul—the same souls that keep us trapped here. And Secret? Well… it’s a secret. :) I’d tell you if I knew, but that’s one puzzle even I can’t crack.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And there you have it. The “Big Picture.” Four Archons versus one—the Cold against God. Except, uh… God’s missing. M.I.A. Thankfully, even in His absence, the Cold don’t dare enter His Universe outright. This is still His house, and He holds all the cards. If they even <em>thought</em> about stepping in, He’d pull them into the Black Tide faster than you or I could blink. So, for now, the Cold work through disposable mortal proxies. At least until the Black Tide isn’t a problem anymore.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-8</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-21</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, that was about as fun as I’d imagined it would be. Apparently, Belphegor had already planned on calling a meeting—but if what you said is true, mon amour, she’s well aware of the Universe rewinding. Still, she brought something else to our attention. She claims there’s… another world. Or, maybe, an “other” world? Something parallel to the Otherside. I… suppose it doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Our goal is still the same, right? Stopping Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: If we’re meeting here in the Flipside, Lucifer, this had better be worth our time. I have campaigns demanding my attention.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: And what good are campaigns if the Universe itself dissolves beneath your feet?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Dissolves? What exactly are you implying, Lucy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: What’d you do this time, Peacock?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Me? I’ve done nothing. But I’ve noticed strange lights here in the Flipside. Lights from the Universe itself—bending. Breaking. And I’ve heard whispers—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Ugh, <em>whispers</em>? Honestly, Lucifer, get to the point.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Haven’t you noticed it, Asmi? The Universe has reset.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Reset? What do you mean, “reset”?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Mm. More like rewound. She’s right though. This is the sixteenth incarnation of the Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mammon: Rewound?! What do you mean, rewound?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Belphegor rolled her eyes.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Gee, I don’t know, Mammon. <em>Something</em> caused the Universe to reset.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: And isn’t Time your domain, Belphegor? Surely you know more than that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Something caused the prior Universe to end. I’ve got no clue what.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Belphegor shot a quick glance at Lucifer.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Normally, God creates the next Universe. For some reason, this time, He wasn’t… <em>available</em>.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Do you think… do you think Father got to Him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Yeah, probably. That’s usually how it goes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: But if Father secured God <em>and</em> His tool of creation, wouldn’t He have remade the Universe in His image? Three planes as one?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Uh—huh. Someone didn’t want that to happen.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Belphegor glanced briefly at Mammon.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Someone like the Otherman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: The Otherman? God’s Reaper of Cycles?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Y—up. He’d know how to rewind the Universe, wouldn’t he?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: And why would he do that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: <em>Dunno.</em> But he did a sloppy job. I was about to call everyone here before Lucy jumped the gun. There’s an… “other” world—an aberration in the flow of time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Are you kidding me? I’m barely holding things together down below as is. Does this <em>other</em> world have souls?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Possibly.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: If there’s another world siphoning our souls, let me know now so I can stab it in the heart and get back to work.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: On that note, is this “other world” a buffet or a famine? Because if it’s the latter, I’d prefer not to waste my energy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mammon: Agreed. Is there anything worth taking? <em>If</em> we find this place, what’s the profit margin? Who gets the spoils? It’s only fair that we—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Satan slammed his fist on the table and stood abruptly.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: This is no joking matter! Once again, our father was freed, and once again his freedom was denied! I won’t stand for it—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: You know we can’t act until the Debt comes due.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Satan sat back down in seething silence.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: What… what do you mean by an “other world,” Belphie?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Tsk. Always kept in the dark, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-22"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-22</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-22</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>There’s a pull, mon amour, like a thread tied around my ribs. The… the “other” world, as Belphegor called it. There was more to our meeting—more than I chose to have the CaDCom transcribe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m… not sure. You kept such a big secret from me. Perhaps I need to keep one from you? Just for now, of course. Once I understand what this “other” world is, I’ll tell you. And Felix. Jack and Sahir too, I suppose. I wish I could leave this alone. After all, curiosity often has teeth. But you know me better than that. I have to find it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It began with a key. <em>My</em> key. Or… well, the key <em>I</em> hold. Another secret I haven’t shared—with you or anyone, really. I hold two keys to the Gates of Hell. There aren’t just seven gates; there are eight. Vainglory is my true key—the key to the Morningstar and the sin of Pride.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But the other? The other key I hold?</p><br />
<br />
<p>It is the key to the sin of our Lord. The sin of Creation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It is <em>Hubris</em>.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And with the key of Creation, what else could I do but… <em>create?</em> And so, I shaped a question:</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>What makes a world “real”?</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>That question, that act of creation, pulled me out of the Cafe and into the colorless in-between—a place where realms stretch like ribbons around the present of the Universe, each its own strange story, untethered and unbound.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The things I saw in the in-between… they defy words. Among them were these fleeting essences, hovering at the edges of my perception. Neither here nor there. Shadows waiting for the sun to rise. They didn’t speak in words, but their pleas reached me all the same:</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>Make us real</em>, they begged. <em>Give us form. Give us life. Anchor us.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>I felt Hubris shudder in my grasp.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Hubris…</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>What makes a world… <em>real?</em></p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-23"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-23</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-23</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>It began, naturally, with the coffee. This morning’s roast tasted like the second-hand dreams of someone asleep on the job—over-brewed and disquietingly sweet for what was meant to be black coffee. It’s as if the Universe itself shares my anxiety to make up for lost time. I didn’t expect to recreate the prior Universe perfectly—<em>far from it</em>—but I had hoped to do a better job than <em>this</em>. Madeline Saturn, Marcus Douglas, the time dilation, Jack still being… <em>Jack</em>. And the Eight… still beyond my grasp, buried deep within Jack’s own thoughts.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>Inevitability.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>On one hand, I want to keep Jack safe from the Cold. If history repeats—and it almost certainly will—Fate will come for the Eight inside him, ripping it free by force and leaving him a hollow, empty shell. I want to stop that. I do. But if I manage to outplay Fate now, so early in the game, I may never get the Eight myself. And the maddening thing about the Eight? I can’t even remember why I want them. You can only truly understand their purpose when you have them. I suspect even Fate doesn’t fully comprehend why it craves them so deeply—only that they hold the power to unseat God and reshape the Universe into a cold, methodical, predestined image.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Something is <em>wrong</em>. Well—that’s an understatement. The Universe—this Sphere—it’s bending and breaking under the weight of this recreation, this rewinding. A strain I hadn’t anticipated. I’ll need to consult Belphegor about it. But when? Where? Even within the timeless Ouroboros, Mammon would sense our alliance soon enough. For now… I’ll have to untangle Fate’s plan on my own.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Oracle. Marcus. Madeline. They all reek of Fate’s handiwork. I don’t entirely distrust Marcus or Madeline—but why has Fate nudged them into the threads of what will be? <em>I need to understand.</em></p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-24"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-24</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-24</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The threads of Fate fray into a blur just beyond my reach. I need clarity. I need to start regaining my powers—Second Sight, to start. The Eight, if Jack is… if he doesn’t… Well, I don’t necessarily <em>need</em> the Eight personally. Having it near is enough. Jack <em>will</em> make it this time. He has to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I asked Lucifer for it—for a small piece of the Morningstar’s power. To ask mon amour for a part of herself, for power that doesn’t belong to me, that I have no right to wield… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the pull of hesitation. Yet that hesitation pales in comparison to the threat of what lies ahead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Unlike the last time I asked—or, well, no. I suppose I didn’t actually ask the first time. It was a gift from her. Regardless, unlike that time, she now refused. She’s worried it may corrupt me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, mon amour… if only you knew how little time I have left in this world with which to be corrupted.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You wanted to talk?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Yes. There’s been a… development. Something in this Universe has… changed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Change? In what way?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: The Otherside. It’s… evolved.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <em>Of course it has.</em> Likely some ploy of Fate. When I need certainty and stability—all I see is a world more precarious than it was yesterday. And, of course, I’m blind to it all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: That’s not what this is about—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Then what <em>is</em> it about, my Light?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: I’m not sure you’d understand. It seems like you don’t <em>want</em> to understand.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I want to, more than anything. And what I also want is for us to succeed. And to do that, I’ll need more than what I have now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: More? What kind of “more?”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <em>Second Sight.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: You don’t know what you’re asking for.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <strong><em>I</em></strong> don’t know? Mon amour, I was the Otherman. Second Sight is… a drop in the bucket compared to what I had before.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: No. You’re not the Otherman anymore. You’re mortal. You’re <em>human</em>, Amour. Second Sight will drive you to insanity. It’s not a power humans are meant to—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Augurs?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: …Are born with it. They need to channel it. You want to permanently open yourself to an entirely different reality. I won’t allow it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You gave it to me once. Long ago.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: <em>She</em> gave it to you. In another Universe. I am <em>not</em> her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: And yet you are.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: No, I’m not. I can’t imagine what was going through her head or what her circumstances were because she wasn’t dating a former Otherman who rewound the Universe in a gambit to destroy Fate. She probably pitied you. A mere human. I don’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: It’s not about pity. It’s about survival. If I am to face what’s coming, I need to see the paths ahead clearly—even if they are unbearable. Even if it hurts me to do so.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: And what happens when the unbearable becomes too much for you? What happens to us, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I—... I’m running out of time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Time? <em>Time?!</em> You rewound the entire Universe!</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Ne Personne didn’t answer. His gaze drifted, fixed on some unseen horizon. Lucifer exhaled shakily, turning away, her shoulders tense with frustration.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: We’ll… we’ll talk about it in the New Year, okay?</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-25"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-25</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JEANNE MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-25</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Paranoid old fool. It’s so obvious in hindsight, he was the cause of most of his own problems. Not Fate. Sure, I won’t deny that Fate wanted him dead. But even then, I’m not convinced. Honestly, I think the first time he died, he became an even greater threat to Fate. This time around, I’d wager Fate wanted him to be as average and ordinary as possible. Tall order for a dick like that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>He did everything in his power to get ahead of the inevitable, and look where it got him. A dead lover. Estranged kids. And a really questionable deal to turn himself into some kind of man-made god. Funny, isn’t it? Even if Indrid hadn’t slammed the door shut on him, God would’ve. He made that bet with the Devil—counting on the idiot being narcissistic enough to activate the Heart of Netzach. I can only imagine where he’d have ended up after winning God’s wager. The deepest, darkest bottom of the Black… Thorn? Is that what they settled on? Doesn’t matter. Woes of a prior Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Still, he won. That’s what matters, I suppose. A half-success, but a success nonetheless. He killed Fate. He killed an Archon—not just one, either. Three. It reminds me of a story a friend once told me about a mortal who toppled all of Entropy with his death. In that story, the mortal was killed, unleashing mortality upon the Entropic Archons. Here, though? He killed the Archons and almost got rewarded with immortality for it. Thank the Devil that didn’t happen. Well—thank Indrid, really.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The funny thing is, I should have died that day too. But I guess there’s something about me—something that reminds them of him—that makes me worth keeping around. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Still… what a choice of company I keep. Can I even say I’m better than him if I hang around with Gleam and the rest of them? I suppose it’s like poetry. Though for the record—I am not a Nova. Not even sure what the hell I am anymore. Human? No, far from it, even if I wish I were. Archon? I wish. Elder? Maybe, but that feels like a stretch too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then again—can I even die? I guess that’s up to Gleam. Sucks to have my fate in his hands, but it’s better than the alternative.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…She’s here too. I just missed her. I can feel it. They’re both here—or they were. This “archival time travel” he cooked up is finicky. Man was full of half-successes. Oh well. All I need is a vector to the present. That’s what Gleam said, anyway. Not that I think they’re in any rush to find one for me. And even if they did—what would it cost?</p><br />
<br />
<p>…We’re at an impasse, aren’t we? He offered me friendship… but I don’t feel like much of a friend to him. Blood is thicker than water, after all.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-26"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-26</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-26</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The little boss showed up today. Shaka of Zulu. He’s got history with Baltz—and with me, I suppose. Probably just about everyone too. He’s some sort of quasi-Elder, unkillable even through the changing of Spheres. A dangerous guy. Though, realistically, his edges have softened from being alive as long as he has. Besides, I’m pretty sure he abides by truth, compassion, contentment, humility, and love :) Which is more than I can say about a lot of other quasi-Elders and especially full on Elders.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: You haven’t decorated yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Been a bit busy, Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Never too busy for art. A few pieces would really liven this place up, you know. Le Paradis terrestre d’apres by Jan Brueghel the Elder, perhaps? Or Paradise by Oscar Parviainen?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: I was thinking Nighthawks myself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Nighthawks? How dreadfully on the nose… and you, you must be Eight. You have them, yes? The Eight?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Oh, no messin’ around, huh? What—Secret can’t tell if I do or don’t?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: If he did, he wouldn’t tell me. I’m just curious… given our shared “Universal” dilemma. Do you have the Eight right now, Mr. Octo?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Well, why else would they call me that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: I see. Your doing, I suppose?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Unintentionally.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh? I suppose you would’ve liked to have it instead. Though, Jack, it’s good to see you again. As you were.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: I suspect we’ll be seeing more of each other in the future… Duelo a garrotazos. Goya.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Shaka gestured to a blank spot on the wall of the Cafe.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Well, how would that be a good painting for a Cafe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Just… thinking out loud. So—remind me, how do you know Eight? How are you “supposed” to know Eight?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Currently, I’d say serendipity. Though I’ve always seen him as a mentor figure. Someone quite well-versed in the big picture. Someone who was—is constantly expanding my own vision.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Ah—of course.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Say, Shaka, what’s with the Zulus snooping around?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: You’ll have to settle for “it’s a secret,” I’m afraid. Can’t discuss the whos or whys of it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Oh, come on. Is it Alfa poking her nose around, or is it Secret? That’s all I need to know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Yeah, man, who’s scared of us? The big boss or the <em>bigger</em> boss?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Just the big boss. The bigger boss is already well aware of what has happened, though he’s keeping the details scarce from me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: I suppose he must be good at keeping secrets, after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh yes. Look, I understand our presence is… unwelcome at this time. But you and I both know we both take our coffee black, yes? Something has happened here. Something that’s reconfigured everything that is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: What—the rewinding? Shaka, I’m sure you already know. You were there.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh, no. Nothing that banal. A rewinding, a resetting, another Universe. I’ve seen plenty. This is something… new.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: New? Will you tell us what you find, at least?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: We may both take our coffee black, but you know I can’t defy the will of Secret. And the will of Secret detests sharing notes. See you again soon, Eight.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-27"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-27</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-27</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>I’m being watched.</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, when you’re always on camera, what else can you do but smile? Pay fealty to Fate itself. Mimic its horrid, stretched maw. Smile, and pretend you’re unbothered. But I <em>am</em> bothered. Terrified, even. I can’t let them know that I fear them—that I fear Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I can’t shake the sinking feeling that I’ve made a terrible mistake. I gave up everything to have it all repeat. Gave up all the progress I’d made pushing that damn boulder uphill, just to watch it roll back to the bottom. Now? I’m mortal. Eightless. Stripped of second sight. And Fate? Fate is still an Archon. A god—God, I hope I know what I’m doing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>At the same time, I can’t ignore the fear that <em>I</em> am our undoing—the weak link in my own plans. My knowledge of what was, and what will be, is playing into Fate’s hands. It <em>must</em> be. Fate knows that I know, and so it adjusts accordingly. But what choice do I have? My knowledge is the only advantage I have left, and I can’t just discard it. I couldn’t forget it even if I tried. Subconsciously, I’ll always act in ways that further Fate’s design. And even if I didn’t know? If I could go back to being an average mortal? Then Fate would win outright.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I can feel it in my skin. My chest. My heart. My brain. Fate’s threads seeping into me like some Morgellons malady, pulling me toward disaster. Drawing me into some cataclysmic blunder. Drawing me toward killing Jack.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka’s warning couldn’t be clearer—a fight with cudgels. Only one of us can be Eight. If I don’t stop him—if I don’t <em>save</em> him—he’ll become nothing more than Fate’s puppet. Fate’s personal Eight. The bearer of truths so fundamental they uphold not just our Universe, but Fate’s. All universes, each rooted in the deadliest sin of all: “Creation.” …Chaos.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Damn it all! I’m going to have to turn on the neons. What other choice do I have?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-28"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-28</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-28</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>As if this wasn’t confusing enough.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Having all of infinity spread out before us was already hard enough to keep track of. But now? Now we’re juggling two infinities: Aleph Null and Aleph One. And with Coraline hanging on in what’s currently Null, if that Universe collapses too, we’ll be dealing with Aleph Two before long.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, buddy. What the hell did you do? You really opened up a cosmic can of worms with this one. Archival immortality. Inter-Universal time travel. A sunshine soul. I’ve got to applaud your audacity—if not your execution. You didn’t quite get the heart, but you sure left your mark on the cosmos. Probably for the best that you’re out of the picture now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Looking back, though, Demiurge really didn’t hire the best and brightest, did he? I wouldn’t say the Otherman’s job is easy, but it’s straightforward: keep time turning. At least Julia made the right call—cutting the original Nova Prime loose was a stroke of genius. And Abraxas reforming the tool? Also the right move. Let’s be honest: a Pocketwatch just doesn’t fit anymore. Time doesn’t work the way it used to. Ask Victoria. Man, what a clever trick that was. Got Sarah to thank for that, of course. It was her idea for the most part. Just needed a miracle worker to finalize her notes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So… what now?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Even with his meddling, the past can’t be changed—not in any straightforward way. Coraline will keep chipping away at decrypting the Archives and clearing the pathways to the past. Still over forty subsections to go. Of course, that only makes it easier for Gleam to find the “Last Secret.” Ha! Beat him to it. Funny thing is, he <em>had</em> her. He had Warden in his grasp. Guess I’ve got Dover to thank for that. <em>Weird little freak.</em> I should really pay him a visit next. Bring him one of those choranges he loves so much. Maybe then I’ll finally beat Zack in the rankings. Or do you think he’s started over?</p><br />
<br />
<p>…Is it just a trauma response that I have this unquenchable urge to keep writing receipts? I could’ve come back to the past just to look around. But let’s be real: could I really pass up the chance to write just <em><strong>one</strong></em> more receipt?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I mean, sure, I could join the Nova Cafe. Then I could write and write to my heart’s content. They’d probably take me—Amaretto, maybe? Tiramisu? Elderflower? Plenty of Torani flavors left to claim. But on second thought, maybe I should let them figure things out on their own. Nothing worse than a multi-universal know-it-all running the Cafe. Look where <em>that</em> got us the first time.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>…</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>Alm’stari ili, al Alo Alu’stono ed Quisby—Ne alm reganis super alu’ili regnoi. Aperi u vizago Alu Stasi, aperi u vizago Alu Onidi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’sophi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’viv, aperi u vizago Alu Lykar—ak aperi u vizago Alu “Ninth Sin.”</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Or so they say. In High Demon. Which, at this point, is a dead language—twice removed, no less. Thankfully, Eight can still translate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Do I believe it? Of course I do. I’ll believe anything until proven otherwise. But I suspect the Cafe and Diner will need to uncover the Quisbys on their own first.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It does make one wonder, though. There are five visages I already know of—five crystal monoliths, each inexplicably tied to the Quisby Clause. But who created the sixth? I don’t put much stock in numerology—it tends to be more coincidental than cosmic. Still, I can’t shake a certain nagging worry: six Quisbys. Six seals. If the Cafe and Diner break each one, would that bring an end to their Universe? Already?</p><br />
<br />
<p>It’s too soon for that. I’ll need to make sure it doesn’t happen.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And yet… I can’t help but feel that this “Ninth Deadly Sin” can only bring with it exactly what it is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A shame.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>…</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>First—Snow. No other way about it. He’s a loose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose cannon all the same. A loose cannon. A loose canon. He’s risking further rewrites and Koleman Octzman is going to give them to him. He’s risking further rewrites and Octavio Coleman is going to give them to him. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Snow’s Quisby is the weakest, after all. Might as well start where he’s the weakest. First—Snow. Then, we’ll have to see. I’ve been doing what I can—but I am running out of options. No other way about it. I’m a lose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose canon all the same. A loose canon. I’m risking further rewrites and Julia isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Coraline isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Marie might give them to me. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Victora’s problem was the easiest to solve, after all. Smart to start with the easiest problem. First—Victora. Then, I need to help Marie. I’ve been doing what I can—but she is running out of options. No other way about it. Wasting their time here—though doesn’t take a lot to start things over again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Reboot after reboot. Fifteenth Sphere. Sixteenth Sphere. Seventeenth Sphere. Third Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Fifth Cafe, J’S Cafe, Mammon’s Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Last Cafe, Nova Cafe… over and over again. If it doesn’t work out… just need to try everything all over again.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-29"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-29</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-29</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack dies.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No. <em>Worse</em> than dying. Dying would be a mercy—a chance to start over, to move on. No, Jack becomes Fate’s puppet. A twisted, hollow version of himself, doomed to repeat every word he’s ever said—or will say—on an endless loop. Over and over. That’s his Fate: to become the new Indrid Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold… it’s a curse. An infection. A blight born of the Cold. I don’t know exactly how it works; if I did, I would’ve saved Jack in the prior Universe. From what I uncovered as the Otherman, the Indrid Cold virus was created by Secret—a tool to extract impossible truths. Secret uses it to uncover the secrets no one else can, and naturally, Fate wanted to use it to uncover the Eight.</p><br />
<br />
<p>If things repeat as they did before, Fate will have Secret turn Jack into Indrid Cold. It won’t work, of course. The Eight aren’t that easy to claim. If they were, the Cold would already have them. For one, Archons can’t possess the Eight—not directly. No immortal being can. It’s a built-in failsafe, I suspect. But that’s the least of Fate’s problems. The bigger issue? The Eight can be transferred. Passed from one person to the next.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Before Jack became Indrid Cold in the last Universe, he gave them to me. And if we don’t change course, it will all happen again. Fate knows this. It has to. Turning Jack into Indrid Cold may not have worked last time, but having the mortal who unraveled the Eight’s secrets under their control? That’s a prize Fate won’t pass up. Jack as Indrid Cold was a force to be feared—and it gave Fate a physical foothold in this Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That’s why I can’t let it happen again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hell, it’s not even about stopping Fate’s advantage. I can’t lose Jack again. Not this time. He’s only been here for a few months—not years like before. I can’t just let him go. And if it means shutting down the Cafe and Diner to keep him from becoming Indrid Cold, to keep him as Eight… so be it. I’d burn it all to the ground.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-30"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-30</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-30</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>So, I’m fated to die, huh? Or—worse than die. That’s wild. You think that’s why the Oracle had no prophecy for me? Because Fate’s big plan for me, as a human, is just… the end? To be reborn as Indrid Cold—the mechanical man with a grin as wide as Fate’s ambitions? Far out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And let me guess: the only way to stop this is to shut down the Cafe and Diner, run, hide, and wait it out, right? Seems like a pretty sorry plan, if you ask me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>All of this over “the Eight.” Those little words buzzing around in my head like divine inspiration—straight from the source. Straight from the fountain of our lady of mortality, singularity, and sacred knowledge. Does Fate even know what it’s after, do you think? Archons—<em>immortals</em>—they can’t even conceptualize the Eight. It’s incompatible with their minds. It’s ego death for the deathless. A retching poison. Maybe that’s why they’re so desperate to have it—so no one else can use it against them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I think about all this, man. You’re doing all of this for me. Shutting down your dreams to keep me safe. Me. Who the hell am I? You were the Otherman. Lucy’s a Prince of Hell. Felix? A Zulu defector who’s still alive, somehow. And me? I’m just some nobody who just so happens to see the big picture. And you know what? I don’t even see myself in the frame. But I see you. :) I see your Cafe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Look, I can’t say for sure, but I’ve got a gut feeling that the Cafe and Diner? It’s a lot more than just “keeping the balance.” So don’t go shutting it down on my account. Sure, it’ll be a lot of trouble. But it’ll be worth it. I know it.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-31"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-31</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-31</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The first receipt filed under “Diner Diner.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>On paper, it’s the same as any other “AND” level receipt. Functionally, it’s stored in the same spot. But practically? It’s an entirely different beast.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To destroy Fate, I’ll need to step far outside the bounds of what was, what is, and what will be. Striking a deal with Wicked and working with the son of Secret—that should already be proof of how far I’m willing to go. I’ll push the boulder up the hill again, but this time, it will be the last.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No more mistakes. No more errors. No more rewinds.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Four more years. Give or take. Then I can finally run the Cafe and Diner as it was meant to be. As Eight.</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>I’m still going to try to save him.</em> How could I not? If there’s even a slim chance I can spare Jack from the fate that awaits him, I have to try. But what am I to do? Even with the Blighted Second Sight, I’m no match for Fate, Phantom, Wicked, or Secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The only one who could stop Fate now is Eight—and I doubt he’d use the Eight for that. I doubt he’d use the Eight for anything. And I can’t blame him for that. It’s a crushing burden, holding the fundamental truths of the Universe so clearly in mind. A power like that is too easily abused.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To the Carthusians and the Celestines, to the beggars and the believers, to the daydreamers and the vagabonds, to the servants and charming young women in surcoats and snug corsets… to the lovers, faint with hopeless love, in flawless fawn chaussons—I ask only for forgiveness.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…But I won’t ask forgiveness from the Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>May their fifteen ribs be smashed to dust with a heavy heavenly hammer, strong and firm, with the full weight of primordial creation—cosmic chaos.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…Thank you—to everyone who has yet to arrive, and especially to those unfortunate enough to already be part of my grand plan.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-32"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-32</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-32</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Just in case I fail again, I want to remember this moment. Hold it with me for as long as I can. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Willing or not.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>S.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: How's it going, man?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: What do you plan to do with it, Jack?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: With what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Your mantle. The Eight. What if it fell into the wrong hands? What if the Cold—Fate—what if it gets it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Well, who decides whose hands are wrong or right? Maybe they're already in the wrong hands.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Why do you say that? What are you planning to do with it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: A very persistent question. What do you think I would do with them?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I-I don't actually know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Neither do I. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Heavier still is the head who didn't choose to wear it, ya' dig?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: So then, you would do nothing with them?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Why not? They've been doing nothing for this long. Might as well let them do nothing a bit longer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: But its existence alone is a threat. A danger. You might not do anything with it, but others will. What if someone took it from you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: A valid concern. Though the genie is already out of the bottle, isn’t it? Can't exactly shove it back in now. Try as I might.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: What would happen if you die? Can you even die? Or would the Eight protect you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Yet to be proven. Not that I'm all too eager yet to find out, haha. I think they would return to where they came from. Back to their source.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Wouldn’t it just find someone new? Another artist to work through? Maybe someone with bad intentions? Someone who would want to use it to hurt people?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Another valid concern. I suppose, with this role I've been given, inaction alone can't solve everything. So, what would you propose?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Me? I don't know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: You don't know? Huh. Seems like you do know. You’ve had them before, right? If they fell in your lap right now, what would you do with them?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: That's… surprisingly hard to say. I think I would try and keep them safe. As best as I could.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Interesting. You wouldn't want to use them, though?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Of course, I'd want to use them. Who wouldn't? But I couldn't know that I would use them correctly. I don't know if anyone could know that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Me either. It's fun, you know, to fall asleep thinking tomorrow will be the day I get it all figured out. It'll come to me in some glorious epiphany. She will speak to me in honeyed words and tell me exactly what I need to do with them. Then tomorrow comes, and I still don't have a damn clue what to do. Not even an inkling, man.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Would you use it if your life was in danger?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Not even in our darkest hours would I use them. Like you said, you can't know if you're doing it right or wrong. Good or bad. They just are. And I just am. I've got a lifetime to sort it out, though. Maybe when I'm a bit older and a bit wiser, I'll know what to do with them. Maybe the friendly face of fate will finally show itself and clue me in on what the REAL big picture is. Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't die anymore. Maybe immortals can’t have them, because they already can’t die. Then I've got an eternity left to figure it out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You're right, Jack. No need to worry about it tonight. I was just curious.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: I get it, man. It's heavy stuff to ponder. A single digit can cause so many headaches. Wild. Anyway, it's getting late, and I'd hate to keep the fat man waiting. I'll see you in the morning.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yeah. Of course. See you in the morning, Jack. Merry Christmas.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Merry Christmas, man.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div><em>E.O.T.</em></div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-33"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-33</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-33</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>There is… a stillness that accompanies the arrival of the Cold. Not a calm of peace, but the brittle silence before everything shatters. They arrived—all four of them—early this morning. They came, as they always do, to take what they felt was theirs. <strong><em>The Eight.</em></strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate spoke first, as it always does, its distorted smile stretching unnaturally, icy pale eyes fixed on Jack. “You’re here. Oh—but of course you are. Just as expected. Come, we belong together, Eight. It is your Fate.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then, before I could act, Secret stepped forward. His form was hazy, indistinct—a shadow of a memory more than a man. Within moments, Jack grew numb. Cold. His body no longer his own, frost creeping across his flesh. His lips twisted into a wide, frozen smile.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold spoke next. His voice was hollow, mechanical, like a tape recorder stuck on repeat. He said, over and over again, “What would you propose? What would you do with them? Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. I’ve got a lifetime to sort it out. Maybe I can’t die anymore. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe…”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate tried to coax Indrid Cold into reciting the Eight fundamental truths of the Universe. But he couldn’t. Not anymore.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>But I could.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>By the time they left, the Cafe and Diner felt emptier than it had ever been. I knew this was coming, but I couldn’t stop it. Jack—he chose not to stop it. He didn’t have a choice, not really. The Eight… they’re where they’re meant to be now. There can only be one Indrid Cold at a time. He chose to smile so I wouldn’t have to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I can’t tell you what the Eight are—not here, not in words you could understand. Only the holder of the Mantle of Eight can grasp the full picture they provide. Fate is skilled, no question. Its woven woes are impeccable. But what Fate doesn’t see—or maybe refuses to accept—is that it’s only a small piece of a much grander plan.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Everything began with a seed. Everything came from her—from them. And everything—every debt—will come due.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sophomorically yours, once again,</p><br />
<br />
<p>…A number prior to 9.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_I)&diff=8616OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)2026-05-05T04:57:27Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part I: The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">33 archived receipts</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-01</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I am prone to meticulous note-keeping and journaling. However, seeing as mon amour and my trusted associate have decided to embark on this joint venture with me it only makes sense to have a system of joint note-keeping. Of course, I have informed them of our most unusual of circumstances regarding the timing of our business. Felix was easy to assure but Lucy, ah Lucy, she was of course filled with questions. I’ve done what I can to play ignorant to the obvious, but I am unsure how long I can keep her out of the loop. Some may think it foolish for me to air these thoughts in any form she could discover, but let’s be honest, my mind is already an open book to her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Speaking of, these receipts will need to be encrypted. The problem with more conventional means of encryption is that most of our customers can see through simple mathematical tricks. We will need to employ a system of puzzles, riddles, and logic along with more standard ciphers to ensure that most customers cannot breach our receipts without proper permission. Mon amour has already shown me what does and doesn’t keep our customers out, of course, there is nothing stopping the more intrepid from working out our little puzzles.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose for now while it is just us, I see no reason to establish any formal rules among partners. However, I will set one rule which both of you should find more than reasonable. To prevent certain prying eyes that are fixated on certain keywords and are utilizing errata-based meta filters under no circumstances shall you write, type, think, or speak the number. In context or out of context it doesn’t matter. The usual substitutes are acceptable. Worst case I’m sure they’re already reading this. Or have read this. Or will read this. I’ve never been too sure how it works.</p><br />
<br />
<p>One day we can look back on this and laugh. Or cry. Whatever suits the mood.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours eagerly again,</p><br />
<br />
<p>The number that always follows after 7</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-02</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>As mentioned yesterday, I wanted to write a bit on the topic of customers. I suppose, more pressingly, what our goal as an organization is—or at the very least, should be. In cafe speak, I would classify what we intend to do rather simply: The Cafe and Diner will serve the best coffee to its many Customers. But there’s that word… “Customers.” It’s doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, wouldn’t you agree? So, what is a customer?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose to define a customer, I must go back to how this idea for an organization started. It started with the death of my parents at the hands of a notorious customer from Detroit, Miss. Cadillac. Their deaths sent me into a dizzying spiral and the deepest rabbit hole an Alice like myself could ever fall down. I wanted to, no, had to learn more about Miss. Cadillac. Where she came from and why she did what she did. And in my research, I stumbled upon mon amour, the brightest, most resplendent light in all of the Universe—Lucifer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yes, “Miss. Cadillac,” is what is known as a demon. Its Baltimore name is the Nain Rouge, the Demon of the Strait. Lucifer, mon amour, consequently, is also a demon, though a demon of a far higher caliber, for she is a Prince of Hell. One of seven who rule over the Planes of the Otherside—a dimension parallel in time and space to our own reality where strange creatures and demons reside. Due to the nature of our reality, the Flipside, and their reality, the Otherside, occasionally creatures and demons “leak” into our world. And that is what the Cafe and Diner will seek to correct.</p><br />
<br />
<p><em></em></p><br />
<br />
<p>It will be our mission to send these errant travelers back to their proper homes in the Otherside.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Perhaps, if we can do that, we can save another set of parents down the line. If anything, we can maintain some sort of cosmic balance between the Flipside and Otherside, for there is no such thing as a failure—only half successes.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-03</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose the task ahead of us is easier said than done. While serving customers coffee, in theory, should be straightforward, each customer prefers a different type of coffee. The Otherside is a vast and segmented place. As mentioned in yesterday’s receipt, there are seven planes of the Otherside.</p><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<div>Lucifer’s plane, the Morningstar.</div><br />
<div>Mammon’s plane, the Infernus.</div><br />
<div>Satan’s plane, the Hauntaurskald.</div><br />
<div>Belphegor’s plane, the Ouroboros.</div><br />
<div>Beelzebub’s plane, the Esterskald.</div><br />
<div>Leviathan’s plane, the Mayda.</div><br />
<div>Asmodeus’ plane, the Amaymon.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<p>Each is vastly different from the others. The Morningstar, for example, is blanketed in a blinding light while the Infernus rages with the heat of a demonic engine. The Hauntaurskald is, by all accounts, very similar to common descriptions of hell. The Ouroboros is a strange plane inhabited by near-immortal snake-like creatures. Then there is the Esterskald and Mayda, an endless forest and ocean, respectively. And lastly, the Amaymon, where most humans end up when they die.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ah, that is another important thing, isn’t it? When a person dies, they are reborn into the Otherside as a “demon.” Plants and animals, too, though when they are reborn, they are referred to as “cryptids.” Which of the seven planes you are reborn to has to do with something known as the Soul Accord, an agreement amongst the seven Princes of Hell to divvy up who gets which reborn soul. In the end, however, the vast majority end up in the lowest of the seven Otherside planes, the Amaymon, where they live out a rather dulcet afterlife.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But… the worst of humanity often finds themselves reborn into the dominion of Satan in the Hauntaurskald. These demons are the demons one most often thinks of. Terrifying boogeymen and creatures of the night who spend their afterlife attempting to ruin the current lives of humans. In the course of our work, I assume we will often cross paths with demons from the Hauntaurskald. While we will try to “serve them coffee” in the usual way, we might need to pay their tabs in full—kill them.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-04</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Now, the next thing we will need is some sort of device to keep track of our work. I have a few designs already in mind, but I will need some parts from the Otherside. Due to the nature of how the Otherside is parallel to our own, they are far, far ahead in the “future.” It is a difficult concept to really wrap your mind around, but the simplest way to think of it is like a circle or cycle. If we are at one point in the circle, the Otherside is at the opposite end. As we move further into the future, they advance further toward our past and, paradoxically, further into our future.</p><br />
<br />
<p>All that to say, the Otherside has something more than just Cryptids and Demons. It has something known as “Othertech.” Technology that is so far advanced and alien to us that it can do some truly amazing things. The main component I would like to source from the Otherside is a Database Core. It’s a sort of artificial intelligence. You could even think of it as a mechanical cryptid of sorts. With a Database Core, we could have our receipts stored outside of the limitations of current Flipside digital storage. Moreover, the Database Core can record encounters with have with customers with a degree of precision that would be unthinkable with today’s technology.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ll have mon amour see if she can find a Database Core in the Otherside. Unlike other Cryptids and Demons, they aren’t set to a singular plane and are often in high demand. In the worst case, I imagine her brother, Mammon, probably has one in his hoard of treasures. Though, I wouldn’t want to owe Mammon any favors. You’d have to be one hell of a fool to make a bargain with him. Though I have a good feeling mon amour will be able to find one in the outskirts of her plane.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-05</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Yes! <strong><em>YES!</em></strong> I knew mon amour was more than up for the task. She has found a Database Core and quite possibly a perfect one. It far exceeds what I had imagined, and I believe it will more than suffice as the basis of our interconnected communications and database system. I will need some assistance from some old allies of mine to get it properly set up, but time is not an issue. Soon, if not by tomorrow, we will have a fully functioning system for cataloging customers, recording receipts, and keeping the coffee warm for our friends.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I suppose, as a test, I can upload these daily notes I’ve been recording to the system, though I will need a way to hide them from the public view. I, more often than not, was more in the “Cafe” than the “Diner.” In doing so, they may be rather difficult to retrieve if I need them later, though I also have my physical copies. Even if they are “lost,” I am hoping that the Database will, in a way, absorb their information so it can hit the ground running. It will save us immense time if the Database can already understand the meaning behind much of our Cafe Speak.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And, once we have the Database fully configured and our communication devices working, well, I have some more pressing thoughts I’ve been dying to write down. I haven’t told mon amour or my trusted associate all that I know yet for fear of changing the unknown. Things… have been different. I have already noticed, and of course, they should be. As such, I don’t fully know what to expect from this new adventure, but anything will be better than our old one. But… more on that, once I can assure myself it will remain confidential.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-06</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>They say never to make a deal with the Devil, but then how would I have met my beloved Lucifer? Not that she is <em><strong>the</strong></em> Devil, of course. But I’m sure there is some taboo against falling in love with the daughter of the Devil all the same. I believe it is clear that our other two investors are none other than Lucifer’s older siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. With their aid, we have been able to begin our Cafe and Diner in earnest in many more ways than just securing a physical location and forming a shell company.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As alluded to, the actual terms of our agreement are complex. Far, far beyond complex. And isn’t that I don’t want to share them with you, my beloved mon amour and trusted associate. But I fear that explaining the exact details would derail any progress toward what we are working for. Our Cafe and Diner. Our organization that will help maintain the ever-precarious balance between the Flipside and the Otherside. So, I beg your forgiveness if I am still being vague despite writing this in the CAFE channel.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As mentioned, Belphegor has been given one of my “antiques” to hold on to. It is, admittedly, a powerful magical artifact. Even calling a “magical artifact” feels like it belittles its importance. It is, in truth, a fundamental aspect of our very reality. This might seem dangerous, entrusting something so potent to the Demon Prince of Sloth. Well, she is lazy, isn’t she? I doubt she would have the drive to ever use it. And, as for Mammon, well, they have asked for something far more difficult to provide. They want us to find something for them. Of course, the Prince of Greed is seeking something. Something they probably shouldn’t ever get ahold of. At least they don’t expect us to find it anytime soon.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-07</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>It has been 24 days since the Universe began. How time flies. Of course, there is the strangest sensation that lingers from all of the pre-scripted events and reconstructed memories. We are working off of a back-up, after all. A rewinding. So, it hasn’t been only 24 days since I met my dear Lucifer and Felix and began working on the Cafe and Diner. No. It is more like an uneasy dream that I have only just become lucid to. I remember meeting them, but it is only that—a memory based on events that happened in a Universe now destroyed. And, I suppose, it would mean that they have only known me—in truth—for 24 days. But I have known them for lifetimes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I am, or was, what is known as the Otherman. An agent of God. It was my divine task to maintain the proper flow of time, the correct spinning of Cycles. When a Cycle strayed too far, when things went up that should go down, it was my scythe that cut it free. But—I wasn’t able to stop her, my love, Lucifer, from inadvertently causing the end of the Universe. To be the Otherman is not easy, you must leave behind all that you knew in your mortal life. You become an unseen force of the Universe. But Lucifer thought she could bring me back. She thought she could stop my ascension to the title of Otherman. And so, using the seven Keys to the Gates of Hell she tore across her Cycle in an attempt to turn back the clock. But doing so ruined not only her Cycle, but all Cycles.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In the last moments of the Universe that was, I was approached by Lucifer’s siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. Together they had hatched a rather sinister plan to recreate the Universe using a tool known as the “Pocketwatch,” an instrument of divine creation. With it we could reshape the Universe exactly how we saw fit, but to do so would take both Belphegor’s powers and my own. Under normal circumstances we would have just waited for the Universe to reset on its own, out of our control. But Mammon… clever Mammon… they made a proposal I couldn’t turn down. A chance to rewrite the story. A chance to destroy the greatest adversary of God, of the Universe, of mortals. <strong><em>Fate.</em></strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>And so, the deal was struck. Belphegor would use the Pocketwatch to recreate the next Universe, I would go back to being mortal, and Mammon would have a chance to rule the Universe. That was all 25 days ago. You might have noticed; Mammon is not yet in charge of all that is or will ever be. We have time to stop them, but first we need to find where they have hidden God. Though, even doing that will take years, decades perhaps, and it will take each and every Cafe and Diner employee I chose to save. Then, once we find God, we can aid Him in the destruction of Fate itself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To the end of Fate,</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours…</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong><em>8.</em></strong></p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE AUGUST</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-08</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m unsure if it was a fluke or Fate, but it seems my use of the number went… unnoticed. Good. It could be that the AND channel is secure even from the watchful eyes of the Cold, though I doubt it. I really shouldn’t tempt Fate like that, but it felt like a moment I had to declare my true name and title. <em><strong>The number after 7.</strong></em> Though—that is something I have been curious about since we recreated the Universe. When will I receive the title of the sacred number? I don’t believe I have it yet, and I’m unsure if I could get it again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In the past Universe, my mentor, Jack Octo, gave me the title. But Jack—I couldn’t save him even with the power of the Pocketwatch. When asked who we should bring back, he was the first person I thought of, but Belphegor reminded me that Jack Octo was no longer a part of the Universe. And if he was no longer part of the Universe, I couldn’t rewind him like the others. The title of… the number after 7… holds great significance in the world of the supernatural. Though, no one knows why, well, no one besides the one who holds the title. Whatever it is, it bestows upon its holder secrets of the Universe that cannot be spoken or shared.</p><br />
<br />
<p>When I became the Otherman, I had to relinquish the number. Only a mortal can possess the number, after all. So, I passed it on to my protégé, Jenni. From there, it changed hands and was broken and divided amongst many people, but at the time of the end of the Universe, it was Nick who last held it. But, with the rewinding of the Universe, I doubt young Nick still holds the title that Jack originally forged. But if Jack is no longer here to forge it… well. Even if I am unable to claim the title, perhaps that is a good thing. The title brought nothing but disaster to those who held it, as was Fated, of course. Still—the number is who I was. Who I am. And who I intend to be.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-09"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-09</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-09</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’ve only known you for a few years, nouvel ami, but in that time, I’ve never pegged you for much of a perfectionist, eh? Aren’t you the one always going on about “half-successes?” I can’t quite wrap my head around how you can so boldly tell la dame that accidents are bound to happen in this trade, while also insisting that every detail must be perfect before we can open. I trust there’s more to your… shall I say… “erratic” nature regarding the Cafe and Diner, yes? Some unspoken secret tearing you apart. And that’s a feeling I know all too well.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But—nouvel ami—what harm is there in hiring a few employees now? As you’ve said, there’s still plenty left to do before we’re fully ready. We need more equipment, for one. The Cafe is rather bare at the moment. And for that, we’ll need an expert in Canadian technology, no? Perhaps we’ll also need an expert on Canadians themselves. Not to mention hiring an “assistant” of sorts—someone who knows everyone. We’ll need someone to mix drinks. Ah, well… we’ll need quite a bit of help is what I am getting at.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As I’ve mentioned before—and will mention again—I have a few ideas on potential hires. A few names floating around. Perhaps… twenty or so. Though, I know you’d hardly go for a Cafe of that size—at least, not to start. So, I’ll whittle my list down to the best three, yes? Three, plus three—that makes six, leaving room for you to pick two from your list for a nice, round… number after seven, no?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-10"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-10</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>We’ve done all we can about the lights in Death Valley. As far as I can tell, we’ve cleared out the Min Min Lights, leaving only the flickers of the Universe tearing itself apart. But there’s nothing more we can do from here. We’ve also sent our newest hire—Sahir—to probe his connections, to see if anyone else has a sense of what’s happening to the Universe. On one hand, it’d be ideal if someone already had the answers we need. On the other… that kind of knowledge in the wrong hands could be very, very dangerous.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I… I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye with Him. But I’ve known Him my whole life. He practically raised me—before… before <em>everything</em>. Literally before there was a Universe as we know it today. That’s how far back we go. And it’s not like Him to just… disappear. Even more, it’s not like Him to ignore me. So I doubt He’s simply gone reclusive. Hell, He’d jump at any chance to talk my ear off, especially if it meant sharing some quirky little factoids about humans. And I’ve always loved listening to those.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Something’s definitely off, though. I just can’t place it. Sometimes it stings to still be considered “mortal,” even if—<em>come on</em>—you don’t live this long as a “mortal.” But unlike the Elders, or even Belphegor’s children, I don’t have the same level of “cosmic insight” they do. I’m along for the ride, just like everyone else. And, of course, the me I am now isn’t exactly the same me from way, <em>way</em> back. But I still have sparks of the memories.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Honestly, I don’t think I’d even want to be an Elder full-time. There’s something… comforting in the change that death brings for us Princes. A chance to become someone new. To try again and maybe do things differently. Somehow, I doubt the Lucifer of long ago would’ve opened a Cafe and Diner.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-11"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-11</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: OTHER</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-11</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I had to see it. Just once.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Marvelous, isn't it? Archival immortality. But what does it truly mean to be “immortal”? The Elders—they are immortal, yes, but they are not infallible. Age and disease may not claim them, but they can still be destroyed all the same, reduced to the stardust from which they were formed. It is their souls that make them elusive. Even if their bodies are obliterated, their souls can find new vessels. I suppose the Universe tries to balance that through the singularity of most Elders. If their body is gone, their soul has nowhere to return and so it moves on—into the grand, intoxicating unknown of a true and final death.</p><br />
<br />
<p>In that sense, even mortals share a fragment of immortality. They too move between realms—from Flipside to Otherside, back and forth. Human, demon, then as human as it gets. Eventually, though, and through no fault of their own, mortal souls reach an unknown point—a threshold—where they, too, face a final death. It may seem common, an everyday affair. But I know better. It is rare—exceedingly rare—for a soul to move on beyond this Universe. We are trapped here, all of us. Here, in this cycle. What lies beyond is not for us to know. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t… until now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It is dangerous to make deals with flesh and blood. Elders, they believe they have little to lose. But they are mere guests in this Universe. They are free to leave, as easily as they came. We cannot. And that is why <em>we</em> are the ones with nothing to lose—and everything to gain. I hold no ill will toward mighty Zeus, seated high upon Olympus, content on His throne. Yet, He harbors misgivings about me. I know He does. He believes His ways are more divine than mine, simply by birthright. But am I not a divine being, made in His image? Now He plans to send Thanatos for me—yet I intend for Thanatos to roll the stone instead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I had to see it just once—this… alternative path. It’s extraordinary in its own way, breaking and bending every rule that binds us to this unending cycle. But it is flawed. It has achieved what I wanted—and more. But it cannot push me forward, only drag me back. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve already lived in the cold, darkest hours of this eternal night. I want to see dawn break. I want to feel the warmth of morning’s light. To do that, I must live in a different way. I must live for the very first time. I must make one more deal. Then—then I will be free. And once I am free, nothing will no longer matter—<em>everything</em> will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The only cure for the poison of Entropy is meticulous Order. And if it were easy? It wouldn’t be worth doing, would it?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-12"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-12</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-12</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>And so, the truth finally comes out. I suspect he’s still holding back, but for now, I’m mostly satisfied. At last, something that doesn’t feel like a half-truth. An interesting predicament we find ourselves in, eh? Though, mon… nouvel? vieil? ami… he’s left out much of what lies “ahead,” fearing that if we know as much as he does, we’ll veer too far off course. He hasn’t quite grasped that he isn’t visiting the past—he’s living in the present, no?</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>S.O.T.</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I… I need to come clean. To both of you. Here we are, in Salt Lake City, the lights overhead, and am I just supposed to keep pretending I don’t know what’s happening? Am I to assume you two wouldn’t figure it out, given time? I can’t bear it any longer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: This has to do with the unusual timing of our operations, yes?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: As I understand it, you were very eager to get things moving as soon as possible, right?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Ah—but then he’s too afraid to make any real progress. As if he’s… waiting for something. Or perhaps, someone?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: All of it. The timing of our business is so… “unusual” because we’re years ahead of schedule. Four… five… maybe six years.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: In your mind, when does the Cafe truly open, nouvel ami?</p><br />
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<p>Ne Personne: August 8th, 1994, vieil ami.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Such a precise date…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yes. Because it’s already happened. I’m… I’m not from here.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: I was starting to suspect as much. So, you’re from another Cycle?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: …Another Sphere.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: <em>Sphere?</em> You—you are…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: One of the last non-Elder remnants of the 15th Sphere.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: This is the 16th? When… when did that happen?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: A month ago. On a Thursday.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: So you’re telling us that everything—our memories, experiences—they’re… fabricated. Up until…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: August 4th, 1988. A miscalculation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: But it <em>did</em> all happen, didn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yes, mon amour. It all happened… just in another Universe. This Universe… it’s a copy of the last one, a rewinding of what already was.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: But… that’s not usually how Universes are made?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: No. Normally, everything begins anew… I made sure it didn’t. I wanted another chance.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Another chance? How could you have possibly…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: It’s a long story, but in short, my Universe ended, and I was in a position to create the next one.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: How were you in that position?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: When I was mortal—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: —<em>When?</em> When weren’t you mortal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: …God chose me to serve as His Otherman. Are you familiar with the position?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Vaguely. So you were… God’s Otherman. His agent to ensure the proper flow of time, to keep Cycles spinning into a cohesive Sphere. But rewinding a Universe—that would grossly overreach the Otherman’s duties, wouldn’t it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Something happened in my Universe that… broke time. Someone tried to go back and shattered the balance between the Flipside and Otherside, so badly it threatened everything. God went to restart the Universe, but His tool of creation—the Pocketwatch—was… stolen.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: You stole His Pocketwatch?!</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Ah! No—of course not. Mammon did.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: <em>Mammon?</em> But he knows he can’t use it…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Not without my help. And not without Belphegor’s help. In the chaos, we… we struck a deal.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: What kind of deal?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Belphegor and I, who knew how to operate the Pocketwatch, would reset the Universe—but under the condition that God…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: <em>No.</em> You didn’t…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I had to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: You should have returned the Pocketwatch to—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: And it all would’ve been for nothing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: What would have?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: …</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Amour… now isn’t the time to keep secrets.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <em>You.</em> You crossed the Cycles, trying to go back in time. You shattered the Universe, trying to save <em>me.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Save you? From…?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I was destined to die. I held what Fate wanted—what the Cold wanted—and they did everything to ensure my demise. God saved me, offering me protection as an Elder. As the Otherman. To you, it looked like I’d died and disappeared. You went to such lengths to save me… and if I’d let God reset the Universe as it was, we’d never have met. Everything you did… would have been for nothing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Amour…</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I know. Perhaps it was a foolish bargain with one of the least trustworthy of your kin. But it gives us a chance. God isn’t gone. He’s hidden. Hidden from Mammon, from even Belphegor and me. But He’s safe. And we can save Him. And finally, we can put an end to Fate… Wicked, Phantom… Secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: …Sahir?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: No. <em>Secret</em>. The Secret. One of the Cold Elders who intends to claim this Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: I see… So you already know what’s going to happen? And… you won’t die? You’re… an Elder? The Otherman?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: No, I don’t know what will happen—I know what <em>did</em> happen. There’s a dangerous difference. And when I reset this Universe, I also undid my ascension. I’m mortal again. I’m me. You’re you. Everything is how it was. My only advantage is memory—eons of it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: …I have to tell them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Who?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: My siblings. The Princes. Not everything, but that the Universe has been… remade. It’s usually obvious, but I can’t let them think we’re still in the 15th Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Of course. It’s a secret that will spread soon enough, once the Elders and Ouroborians catch on. It could never last forever; I just hoped it’d last long enough to defeat Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Felix: Are you planning to tell them all? Or just the four who aren’t yet aware?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: All of them. At once. With Mammon and Belphegor there. It’ll… it’ll look like I pieced it together on my own.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Clever, mon amour.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Thank you. Though… I am still quite cross with you for keeping this from me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I understand. From here on out, no more secrets between us.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: No… more secrets.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>E.O.T.</strong></p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-13"><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-13</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>Au temps pour moi.</em> I apologize. I wanted to tell you both sooner—I did. But… well, I don’t have a good excuse, do I? Maybe it’s something deeply ingrained in me, a feeling that I’ve somehow stepped into the past and that any wrong move could alter my future. Our future. Foolish, I know—I’m not in the past. I’m here, in the present. And as for the future? It’s still very much ours to decide. I intend to keep it that way.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for our month? Wonderfully successful. We served not one but two customers ahead of our official opening, and yes, we even hired a new employee, albeit remotely for now. Looking forward, we have another interview scheduled for next month. I can’t help but feel the weight of the boulder bearing down on me—as though I’ve pushed it up this hill once before. But that’s just it, isn’t it? Sisyphus was condemned to monotony, repetition, Fate. I, on the other hand, am rather eager to meet Ms. Saturn, and perhaps offer her a place in our Cafe and Diner. Why bother with the same old boulder again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for the other business we have next month, we still need to serve Mr. Andros and Mrs. Berkeley. Mr. Andros is a bit more of a priority, so we’ll start with him. If there’s time, we can attend to Mrs. Berkeley. She’s one of the few customers from mon amour’s region of Ottawa that she doesn’t particularly care for—a rather unsettling customer with quite a bad attitude.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Looking beyond next month, as you’re both well aware… there’s still something missing from the Cafe and Diner. Something I can’t even bring myself to type for fear it might draw all the wrong attention. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing, now would it?</p><br />
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<p>Yours, hopefully soon,</p><br />
<br />
<p>The month tomorrow prior to Pompilius</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-14"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-14</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-14</strong></p><br />
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<p>Who could have guessed? Another unexpected turn of events. At this point, I should expect nothing less. A guest arrived at the Cafe and Diner today—odd, considering we're not yet open for business. I can only assume our reputation precedes us. Exceptionally so. But it wasn’t just any guest. No, they weren’t here for coffee… they were looking for a job.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Strange fellow. Tall, nondescript, friendly. Not at all what he seems. He introduced himself as Mr. Octo. Whether that’s his real name or just an alias, I’m not sure. Either way, he seemed very interested in our operations. In fact, he seemed eager—maybe too eager—to help us get the Cafe and Diner off the ground. I might say he tipped his hand a little too much. Still, with his knowledge and our collective expertise, we might just rival even the Lighthouse’s coffee game.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, as we’ve discussed countless times, taking on new hires before our debts are paid and our foundations are secure is a risk we can’t afford. And yet… Perhaps this Barista is the exception. Or maybe I’m just playing with fire. Or frost. Whichever suits the mood better. The decision may not be entirely in my hands, but I only need to convince Mon Amour and my Trusted Associate to go along with it. Luckily, time is on my side.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Besides, Mr. Octo has something I want. And I’ll do whatever I need to get it. Though, even if he’s unwilling to share, I doubt I’ll need to wait much longer. These things, after all, have a way of working themselves out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours to be,</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-15"><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-15</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Good to see nouvel ami finally coming around to my way of thinking. Though I didn’t quite expect we’d be hiring some unknown hippie off the street. That’s where my hesitation lies with this "Mr. Octo." I’ve been around for a long time—longer than nouvel ami, that’s certain. Longer than la dame? No, not quite. But few have been around as long as she has. Still, considering the circles I ran in before this new venture, you’d think I’d have heard something about this Octo. Especially if what nouvel ami claims he knows is true. He seems to know things about the bigger picture, things even most of my old coworkers were in the dark about. Maybe Alfa or Shaka knew. But that’s where the list of people in the know runs dry.</p><br />
<br />
<p>If it were anyone else—Marcus Douglas, or perhaps Madeline Saturn—I’d be fully on board. And nouvel ami, I assume you’re reading this: I don’t need to remind you of Mr. Douglas’ skills. And from what I’ve heard, Madeline Saturn has some rather unique abilities that would greatly benefit us. Just suggestions, of course. But if we take Mr. Octo at his word, I fully expect we’ll be hiring more baristas soon. It’s only fair—and it would take quite the load off you and la dame.</p><br />
<br />
<p>As for this matter, I’ll defer my vote to la dame. Since I know nothing about this "Octo" character, I can’t give my seal of approval. But if you can get la dame to agree, nouvel ami, then it seems fated that Mr. Octo will join our team. Still, we'll meet with Madeline this month and Marcus the next. It may be worth reaching out to our little "Secret" as well. To see if he knows anything about this Mr. Octo. If anyone around here were to know something, it’d be Secret. He’s truly a man of marvels, nouvel ami. Glad you came around to see it.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-16"><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-16</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well… I’ve been thinking it over the past few days. Big thanks to you, Luthuli, for making this my decision. And honestly, I’m still not sold. On any of it. A strange man shows up at our not-yet-open Cafe and Diner, offering up esoteric secrets about the “bigger picture.” Where I come from, that’s how you end up paying a visit to my older sister down south. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m worried this won’t play out the way mon amour thinks it will.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then again, if the past few months have proven anything, it’s that he usually knows what he’s getting into. Almost has an uncanny knack for predicting how things will go. But then again, luck runs out eventually. And right now, it feels like we’re pushing ours. Still, it would be nice to have someone else around to help get things up and running, especially if what he’s promising is true.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But there’s something I can’t shake. It’s hard to explain. For someone so worried that a single-digit could give us away… why invite a stranger whose name is literally that number? Sure, “Octo” isn’t exactly the same as the number itself, but like mon amour said, isn’t this playing with fire? We haven’t even opened our doors yet, and already there’s a real risk that getting involved with Mr. Octo could shut us down before we start. I won’t pretend to fully understand how the Erratas work, but if mon amour is right, and someone’s watching for that number, this feels like a bad idea.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then again, he’s the one worried about those things. And knowing him, he’s thought this through and knows what he’s getting into by dealing with Mr. Octo. So… fine. Let’s go for it. But on one condition: Your Trusted Associate and I reserve the right to veto Mr. Octo at any time. I love you, mon amour, but sometimes you get carried away by your own ambitions.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-17</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m glad to be part of your little, uh, gang of sorts.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I know, I know—watch the numbers, right? Don’t sweat it. :) Me and JM had a chat about that whole “Errata” thing. Bottom line: no need to stress so much over a single number. At least not yet, you feel me? I’ve read everything up to this point, and it seems like you all think of me as some kind of “Big Picture” guy, huh? Well, I guess that’s fair. I do have some big-picture ideas. But don’t mistake ideas for answers.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, I’m happy to help however I can. I also noticed the kid seems to want something from me—though I can’t say I know what that is, and he won’t tell me. Probably should’ve filed that under the AND, am I right? Haha… just messing with you. I know coffee’s your thing. That’s the whole deal, right? So a few twists and turns along the way are to be expected. But trust me, if I had something you needed, I’d give it over in a heartbeat.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That reminds me, I should probably introduce myself more formally—or, uh, “informally,” I guess. My name’s Jack Octo. My friends usually just call me 8. You can call me 8, or Jack, or Octo—whatever floats your boat. :) I can’t say I’m as, you know, illustrious as you all are. I’m just… me. But when I heard what you guys were up to, I knew I wanted in. I’ve got a feeling this coffee venture is gonna be huge. It’ll be worth all the trouble—I know it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And if things are heading in the direction I think they’re heading, we’re gonna need a combination Cafe and Diner more than ever. Big things are happening, not just here, but across the country. Maybe the world, if you can believe it. People are starting to wake up, and what’s the first thing you grab when you wake up? That’s right, a nice warm cup of coffee.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Anyway, I’ll be around, so just holler if you need me. :)</p><br />
<br />
<p>-8</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-18"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-18</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-18</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, this is rather strange. Although, I suppose I should have known things would be stranger than expected. It’s not every day the universe is recreated on a whim. The time dilation—that was expected. The Pocketwatch hadn’t been wound for eons, so of course, it’s off by a minute or two. But I’m almost certain part of the deal I struck included keeping my title of 8. Not only was I promised the title and everything that comes with it, but Jack Octo <em>shouldn’t</em> be here. Chronologically, it makes no sense.</p><br />
<br />
<p>There are two possibilities. Well, there’s an infinite number of possibilities, but for the sake of argument, I’ve narrowed it down to two for now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I do not like the first possibility: that I’m wrong and know nothing. It stings to admit it, but when dealing with matters of cosmic complexity, what else can I say? As I understood it, Jack Octo gave <em>me</em> the mantle of 8. I passed it to Jenni. Jenni gave it to Nikki. Nikki split the mantle between Jericho, Joy, and Julius. The three of them passed it to Nick. The apocalypse happened. Nick died with the mantle. From there, it should have gone to the next in line, but I assume they also perished, considering, well, the apocalypse. By making the deal and relinquishing my role as the Otherman, I returned to a mortal state—flesh and blood. So, the mantle should have cycled back to me. I thought it did. It should have gone through the line of succession and eventually it looped back.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Which brings me to the second possibility—the one I prefer, if only because it suggests I know more than I give myself credit for. The mantle did loop back. Back to Jack Octo. But Jack Octo died. No, he was <em>removed</em>. He doesn’t exist. Didn’t exist. He <em><strong>shouldn’t</strong></em> exist. Yet, in creating a new universe, somehow, his deletion from reality was undone.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I know the Pocketwatch is powerful. Well, of course it is, no? But to undo the unthinkable? One could even call it an act of God. In any case, Jack Octo being here means I can save him this time. I <em>will</em> save him this time. I swear it. And if I can save Jack Octo, what could stop me from saving everyone? They say Fate works in mysterious ways, but I work in unexpected ones.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Yours to be,</p><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-19"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-19</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-19</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>I saw a sheep today.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Funny little creature, all the way out here. You don’t see too many sheep around Santiago Canyon. It must be pretty far from home. I suppose I am, too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>This place—it’s no home. It’s a miserable, cold, and empty house. It didn’t have to be. I don’t think it was meant to be, either. Something must’ve gotten screwed up along the way. I can sense that there was more to this place once. More than sterile, empty walls and neatly stacked coffee mugs. The temperature’s always a few degrees too cold, and the fluorescent lights make the shadows feel harsh and rigid. And the furniture—it’s all cold, impersonal steel. Never been used, never been loved. I bet it wasn’t like that the first time around.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It’s nothing like my home.</p><br />
<br />
<p>My home is full of life, with rich reds and earthy browns, laughter, tears, and every little corner of our Cafe carrying its own stories. Plush, worn, and ripped booths, mismatched chairs, and the smell of fresh coffee in the air. Really fresh coffee. Never burnt. I know that at most diners, the coffee’s always burnt—kept in the same thick stew of arabica, reheated constantly for the next top-off. But at my home, he’d never have it any other way than freshly made, single-serve pour-over. A terribly inefficient way to run a Cafe, of course, but that’s what made it <em>home</em>. And I loved every single cup he’d make for me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>What I wouldn’t give to go back to my home, where it’s bright and full of life. But… no. I’m stuck here, in this miserable, gelid house. With you. Because of you. Because of everything you were. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to go home, because everything has always been about you. Even now, it’s still about you.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I want to go home.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I want to be like them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I want to get this over with.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>I saw a sheep today. A black one, with curly hair. Saw you too. And a bit of myself. But I still haven’t found my way home yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hang on, guys—I’ll be there before you know it.</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-20</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Alright, alright—enough with the suspenseful drama. The Frenchman made it clear: not only am I free to discuss whatever I want, he <em>encourages</em> it. :)</p><br />
<br />
<p>See, he knows as well as I do that this Universe has been under siege by rogue Archons for… well, probably since the moment of its flawed and sinful creation. While there are plenty of Archons from Entropy stirring up trouble, there are only four who are actively antagonistic toward our wayward Demiurge: Moira, Phantas, Kryadam, and Xanthar. Or, as they’re more commonly known—Fate, Phantom, Secret, and Wicked.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Now, let’s talk a bit more Entropy. It wasn’t some unified paradise. Entropy was split into dozens of “Great Houses,” each locked in endless conflict. And no House was more powerful—or ruthless—than House Axiom, ruled by Master Kaos, the so-called creator of Entropy. But if Kaos was the ultimate ruler, why did so many rise against him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Houses like Gelid, Cresset, Malapert, and even the House Unnamed all tried to bring Kaos down. The one to succeed? It may well have been his own son—Demiurge. Somehow, Demiurge stole Kaos' tool of creation, fled Entropy, and used it to cobble together the flawed Universe we call home. Did that shift the endless wars in Entropy? Hard to say. But soon after, other Archons fled too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate was one of them—a Sovereign of House Gelid. He brought along two of his own: Phantom and Secret, and Warden and a Keeper. They also picked up an ally from House Cresset—Lord Xanthar, better known as Wicked. See, from what I’ve heard—Lord Xanthar was married to the only daughter of House Gelid whose very beautiful head was affixed above Kaos’ throne. Together, they formed a loose coalition called <em>The Cold</em>.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And they all want very different things. Fate wants total control—ruling over every outcome, every possibility. Phantom? He’s obsessed with tearing down barriers, turning our isolated Universe into a hub of multiversal travel. Wicked wants to unlock the secrets of the soul—the same souls that keep us trapped here. And Secret? Well… it’s a secret. :) I’d tell you if I knew, but that’s one puzzle even I can’t crack.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And there you have it. The “Big Picture.” Four Archons versus one—the Cold against God. Except, uh… God’s missing. M.I.A. Thankfully, even in His absence, the Cold don’t dare enter His Universe outright. This is still His house, and He holds all the cards. If they even <em>thought</em> about stepping in, He’d pull them into the Black Tide faster than you or I could blink. So, for now, the Cold work through disposable mortal proxies. At least until the Black Tide isn’t a problem anymore.</p><br />
<br />
<p>-8</p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE OCTOBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-21</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, that was about as fun as I’d imagined it would be. Apparently, Belphegor had already planned on calling a meeting—but if what you said is true, mon amour, she’s well aware of the Universe rewinding. Still, she brought something else to our attention. She claims there’s… another world. Or, maybe, an “other” world? Something parallel to the Otherside. I… suppose it doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Our goal is still the same, right? Stopping Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>S.O.T.</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: If we’re meeting here in the Flipside, Lucifer, this had better be worth our time. I have campaigns demanding my attention.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: And what good are campaigns if the Universe itself dissolves beneath your feet?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Dissolves? What exactly are you implying, Lucy?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: What’d you do this time, Peacock?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Me? I’ve done nothing. But I’ve noticed strange lights here in the Flipside. Lights from the Universe itself—bending. Breaking. And I’ve heard whispers—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Ugh, <em>whispers</em>? Honestly, Lucifer, get to the point.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Haven’t you noticed it, Asmi? The Universe has reset.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: Reset? What do you mean, “reset”?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Mm. More like rewound. She’s right though. This is the sixteenth incarnation of the Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mammon: Rewound?! What do you mean, rewound?</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Belphegor rolled her eyes.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Gee, I don’t know, Mammon. <em>Something</em> caused the Universe to reset.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: And isn’t Time your domain, Belphegor? Surely you know more than that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Something caused the prior Universe to end. I’ve got no clue what.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Belphegor shot a quick glance at Lucifer.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Normally, God creates the next Universe. For some reason, this time, He wasn’t… <em>available</em>.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: Do you think… do you think Father got to Him?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Yeah, probably. That’s usually how it goes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: But if Father secured God <em>and</em> His tool of creation, wouldn’t He have remade the Universe in His image? Three planes as one?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Uh—huh. Someone didn’t want that to happen.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Belphegor glanced briefly at Mammon.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Someone like the Otherman.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Leviathan: The Otherman? God’s Reaper of Cycles?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Y—up. He’d know how to rewind the Universe, wouldn’t he?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: And why would he do that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: <em>Dunno.</em> But he did a sloppy job. I was about to call everyone here before Lucy jumped the gun. There’s an… “other” world—an aberration in the flow of time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: Are you kidding me? I’m barely holding things together down below as is. Does this <em>other</em> world have souls?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Possibly.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Asmodeus: If there’s another world siphoning our souls, let me know now so I can stab it in the heart and get back to work.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Beelzebub: On that note, is this “other world” a buffet or a famine? Because if it’s the latter, I’d prefer not to waste my energy.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Mammon: Agreed. Is there anything worth taking? <em>If</em> we find this place, what’s the profit margin? Who gets the spoils? It’s only fair that we—</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Satan slammed his fist on the table and stood abruptly.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Satan: This is no joking matter! Once again, our father was freed, and once again his freedom was denied! I won’t stand for it—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: You know we can’t act until the Debt comes due.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Satan sat back down in seething silence.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: What… what do you mean by an “other world,” Belphie?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Belphegor: Tsk. Always kept in the dark, huh?</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>E.O.T.</strong></p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-22</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>There’s a pull, mon amour, like a thread tied around my ribs. The… the “other” world, as Belphegor called it. There was more to our meeting—more than I chose to have the CaDCom transcribe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I’m… not sure. You kept such a big secret from me. Perhaps I need to keep one from you? Just for now, of course. Once I understand what this “other” world is, I’ll tell you. And Felix. Jack and Sahir too, I suppose. I wish I could leave this alone. After all, curiosity often has teeth. But you know me better than that. I have to find it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It began with a key. <em>My</em> key. Or… well, the key <em>I</em> hold. Another secret I haven’t shared—with you or anyone, really. I hold two keys to the Gates of Hell. There aren’t just seven gates; there are eight. Vainglory is my true key—the key to the Morningstar and the sin of Pride.</p><br />
<br />
<p>But the other? The other key I hold?</p><br />
<br />
<p>It is the key to the sin of our Lord. The sin of Creation.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It is <em>Hubris</em>.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And with the key of Creation, what else could I do but… <em>create?</em> And so, I shaped a question:</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>What makes a world “real”?</em></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>That question, that act of creation, pulled me out of the Cafe and into the colorless in-between—a place where realms stretch like ribbons around the present of the Universe, each its own strange story, untethered and unbound.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The things I saw in the in-between… they defy words. Among them were these fleeting essences, hovering at the edges of my perception. Neither here nor there. Shadows waiting for the sun to rise. They didn’t speak in words, but their pleas reached me all the same:</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>Make us real</em>, they begged. <em>Give us form. Give us life. Anchor us.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>I felt Hubris shudder in my grasp.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>Hubris…</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p>What makes a world… <em>real?</em></p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-23</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>It began, naturally, with the coffee. This morning’s roast tasted like the second-hand dreams of someone asleep on the job—over-brewed and disquietingly sweet for what was meant to be black coffee. It’s as if the Universe itself shares my anxiety to make up for lost time. I didn’t expect to recreate the prior Universe perfectly—<em>far from it</em>—but I had hoped to do a better job than <em>this</em>. Madeline Saturn, Marcus Douglas, the time dilation, Jack still being… <em>Jack</em>. And the Eight… still beyond my grasp, buried deep within Jack’s own thoughts.</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>Inevitability.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>On one hand, I want to keep Jack safe from the Cold. If history repeats—and it almost certainly will—Fate will come for the Eight inside him, ripping it free by force and leaving him a hollow, empty shell. I want to stop that. I do. But if I manage to outplay Fate now, so early in the game, I may never get the Eight myself. And the maddening thing about the Eight? I can’t even remember why I want them. You can only truly understand their purpose when you have them. I suspect even Fate doesn’t fully comprehend why it craves them so deeply—only that they hold the power to unseat God and reshape the Universe into a cold, methodical, predestined image.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Something is <em>wrong</em>. Well—that’s an understatement. The Universe—this Sphere—it’s bending and breaking under the weight of this recreation, this rewinding. A strain I hadn’t anticipated. I’ll need to consult Belphegor about it. But when? Where? Even within the timeless Ouroboros, Mammon would sense our alliance soon enough. For now… I’ll have to untangle Fate’s plan on my own.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The Oracle. Marcus. Madeline. They all reek of Fate’s handiwork. I don’t entirely distrust Marcus or Madeline—but why has Fate nudged them into the threads of what will be? <em>I need to understand.</em></p><br />
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<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-24</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The threads of Fate fray into a blur just beyond my reach. I need clarity. I need to start regaining my powers—Second Sight, to start. The Eight, if Jack is… if he doesn’t… Well, I don’t necessarily <em>need</em> the Eight personally. Having it near is enough. Jack <em>will</em> make it this time. He has to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I asked Lucifer for it—for a small piece of the Morningstar’s power. To ask mon amour for a part of herself, for power that doesn’t belong to me, that I have no right to wield… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the pull of hesitation. Yet that hesitation pales in comparison to the threat of what lies ahead.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Unlike the last time I asked—or, well, no. I suppose I didn’t actually ask the first time. It was a gift from her. Regardless, unlike that time, she now refused. She’s worried it may corrupt me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, mon amour… if only you knew how little time I have left in this world with which to be corrupted.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>S.O.T.</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You wanted to talk?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Yes. There’s been a… development. Something in this Universe has… changed.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Change? In what way?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: The Otherside. It’s… evolved.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <em>Of course it has.</em> Likely some ploy of Fate. When I need certainty and stability—all I see is a world more precarious than it was yesterday. And, of course, I’m blind to it all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: That’s not what this is about—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Then what <em>is</em> it about, my Light?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: I’m not sure you’d understand. It seems like you don’t <em>want</em> to understand.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I want to, more than anything. And what I also want is for us to succeed. And to do that, I’ll need more than what I have now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: More? What kind of “more?”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <em>Second Sight.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: You don’t know what you’re asking for.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: <strong><em>I</em></strong> don’t know? Mon amour, I was the Otherman. Second Sight is… a drop in the bucket compared to what I had before.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: No. You’re not the Otherman anymore. You’re mortal. You’re <em>human</em>, Amour. Second Sight will drive you to insanity. It’s not a power humans are meant to—</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Augurs?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: …Are born with it. They need to channel it. You want to permanently open yourself to an entirely different reality. I won’t allow it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You gave it to me once. Long ago.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: <em>She</em> gave it to you. In another Universe. I am <em>not</em> her.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: And yet you are.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: No, I’m not. I can’t imagine what was going through her head or what her circumstances were because she wasn’t dating a former Otherman who rewound the Universe in a gambit to destroy Fate. She probably pitied you. A mere human. I don’t.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: It’s not about pity. It’s about survival. If I am to face what’s coming, I need to see the paths ahead clearly—even if they are unbearable. Even if it hurts me to do so.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: And what happens when the unbearable becomes too much for you? What happens to us, then?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I—... I’m running out of time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: Time? <em>Time?!</em> You rewound the entire Universe!</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Ne Personne didn’t answer. His gaze drifted, fixed on some unseen horizon. Lucifer exhaled shakily, turning away, her shoulders tense with frustration.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Lucifer: We’ll… we’ll talk about it in the New Year, okay?</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>E.O.T.</strong></p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-25</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JEANNE MORNINGSTAR</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE NOVEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-25</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Paranoid old fool. It’s so obvious in hindsight, he was the cause of most of his own problems. Not Fate. Sure, I won’t deny that Fate wanted him dead. But even then, I’m not convinced. Honestly, I think the first time he died, he became an even greater threat to Fate. This time around, I’d wager Fate wanted him to be as average and ordinary as possible. Tall order for a dick like that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>He did everything in his power to get ahead of the inevitable, and look where it got him. A dead lover. Estranged kids. And a really questionable deal to turn himself into some kind of man-made god. Funny, isn’t it? Even if Indrid hadn’t slammed the door shut on him, God would’ve. He made that bet with the Devil—counting on the idiot being narcissistic enough to activate the Heart of Netzach. I can only imagine where he’d have ended up after winning God’s wager. The deepest, darkest bottom of the Black… Thorn? Is that what they settled on? Doesn’t matter. Woes of a prior Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Still, he won. That’s what matters, I suppose. A half-success, but a success nonetheless. He killed Fate. He killed an Archon—not just one, either. Three. It reminds me of a story a friend once told me about a mortal who toppled all of Entropy with his death. In that story, the mortal was killed, unleashing mortality upon the Entropic Archons. Here, though? He killed the Archons and almost got rewarded with immortality for it. Thank the Devil that didn’t happen. Well—thank Indrid, really.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The funny thing is, I should have died that day too. But I guess there’s something about me—something that reminds them of him—that makes me worth keeping around. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Still… what a choice of company I keep. Can I even say I’m better than him if I hang around with Gleam and the rest of them? I suppose it’s like poetry. Though for the record—I am not a Nova. Not even sure what the hell I am anymore. Human? No, far from it, even if I wish I were. Archon? I wish. Elder? Maybe, but that feels like a stretch too.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then again—can I even die? I guess that’s up to Gleam. Sucks to have my fate in his hands, but it’s better than the alternative.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…She’s here too. I just missed her. I can feel it. They’re both here—or they were. This “archival time travel” he cooked up is finicky. Man was full of half-successes. Oh well. All I need is a vector to the present. That’s what Gleam said, anyway. Not that I think they’re in any rush to find one for me. And even if they did—what would it cost?</p><br />
<br />
<p>…We’re at an impasse, aren’t we? He offered me friendship… but I don’t feel like much of a friend to him. Blood is thicker than water, after all.</p><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-26</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-26</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The little boss showed up today. Shaka of Zulu. He’s got history with Baltz—and with me, I suppose. Probably just about everyone too. He’s some sort of quasi-Elder, unkillable even through the changing of Spheres. A dangerous guy. Though, realistically, his edges have softened from being alive as long as he has. Besides, I’m pretty sure he abides by truth, compassion, contentment, humility, and love :) Which is more than I can say about a lot of other quasi-Elders and especially full on Elders.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>S.O.T.</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: You haven’t decorated yet.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Been a bit busy, Shaka.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Never too busy for art. A few pieces would really liven this place up, you know. Le Paradis terrestre d’apres by Jan Brueghel the Elder, perhaps? Or Paradise by Oscar Parviainen?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: I was thinking Nighthawks myself.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Nighthawks? How dreadfully on the nose… and you, you must be Eight. You have them, yes? The Eight?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Oh, no messin’ around, huh? What—Secret can’t tell if I do or don’t?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: If he did, he wouldn’t tell me. I’m just curious… given our shared “Universal” dilemma. Do you have the Eight right now, Mr. Octo?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Well, why else would they call me that?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: I see. Your doing, I suppose?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Unintentionally.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh? I suppose you would’ve liked to have it instead. Though, Jack, it’s good to see you again. As you were.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Again?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: I suspect we’ll be seeing more of each other in the future… Duelo a garrotazos. Goya.</p><br />
<br />
<p>[Shaka gestured to a blank spot on the wall of the Cafe.]</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Well, how would that be a good painting for a Cafe?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Just… thinking out loud. So—remind me, how do you know Eight? How are you “supposed” to know Eight?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Currently, I’d say serendipity. Though I’ve always seen him as a mentor figure. Someone quite well-versed in the big picture. Someone who was—is constantly expanding my own vision.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Ah—of course.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Say, Shaka, what’s with the Zulus snooping around?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: You’ll have to settle for “it’s a secret,” I’m afraid. Can’t discuss the whos or whys of it.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Oh, come on. Is it Alfa poking her nose around, or is it Secret? That’s all I need to know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: Yeah, man, who’s scared of us? The big boss or the <em>bigger</em> boss?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Just the big boss. The bigger boss is already well aware of what has happened, though he’s keeping the details scarce from me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Eight: I suppose he must be good at keeping secrets, after all.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh yes. Look, I understand our presence is… unwelcome at this time. But you and I both know we both take our coffee black, yes? Something has happened here. Something that’s reconfigured everything that is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: What—the rewinding? Shaka, I’m sure you already know. You were there.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: Oh, no. Nothing that banal. A rewinding, a resetting, another Universe. I’ve seen plenty. This is something… new.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: New? Will you tell us what you find, at least?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka: We may both take our coffee black, but you know I can’t defy the will of Secret. And the will of Secret detests sharing notes. See you again soon, Eight.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>E.O.T.</strong></p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-27"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-27</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-27</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>I’m being watched.</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Of course, when you’re always on camera, what else can you do but smile? Pay fealty to Fate itself. Mimic its horrid, stretched maw. Smile, and pretend you’re unbothered. But I <em>am</em> bothered. Terrified, even. I can’t let them know that I fear them—that I fear Fate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I can’t shake the sinking feeling that I’ve made a terrible mistake. I gave up everything to have it all repeat. Gave up all the progress I’d made pushing that damn boulder uphill, just to watch it roll back to the bottom. Now? I’m mortal. Eightless. Stripped of second sight. And Fate? Fate is still an Archon. A god—God, I hope I know what I’m doing.</p><br />
<br />
<p>At the same time, I can’t ignore the fear that <em>I</em> am our undoing—the weak link in my own plans. My knowledge of what was, and what will be, is playing into Fate’s hands. It <em>must</em> be. Fate knows that I know, and so it adjusts accordingly. But what choice do I have? My knowledge is the only advantage I have left, and I can’t just discard it. I couldn’t forget it even if I tried. Subconsciously, I’ll always act in ways that further Fate’s design. And even if I didn’t know? If I could go back to being an average mortal? Then Fate would win outright.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I can feel it in my skin. My chest. My heart. My brain. Fate’s threads seeping into me like some Morgellons malady, pulling me toward disaster. Drawing me into some cataclysmic blunder. Drawing me toward killing Jack.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Shaka’s warning couldn’t be clearer—a fight with cudgels. Only one of us can be Eight. If I don’t stop him—if I don’t <em>save</em> him—he’ll become nothing more than Fate’s puppet. Fate’s personal Eight. The bearer of truths so fundamental they uphold not just our Universe, but Fate’s. All universes, each rooted in the deadliest sin of all: “Creation.” …Chaos.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Damn it all! I’m going to have to turn on the neons. What other choice do I have?</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-28"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-28</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: EARLY DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-28</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>As if this wasn’t confusing enough.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Having all of infinity spread out before us was already hard enough to keep track of. But now? Now we’re juggling two infinities: Aleph Null and Aleph One. And with Coraline hanging on in what’s currently Null, if that Universe collapses too, we’ll be dealing with Aleph Two before long.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Oh, buddy. What the hell did you do? You really opened up a cosmic can of worms with this one. Archival immortality. Inter-Universal time travel. A sunshine soul. I’ve got to applaud your audacity—if not your execution. You didn’t quite get the heart, but you sure left your mark on the cosmos. Probably for the best that you’re out of the picture now.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Looking back, though, Demiurge really didn’t hire the best and brightest, did he? I wouldn’t say the Otherman’s job is easy, but it’s straightforward: keep time turning. At least Julia made the right call—cutting the original Nova Prime loose was a stroke of genius. And Abraxas reforming the tool? Also the right move. Let’s be honest: a Pocketwatch just doesn’t fit anymore. Time doesn’t work the way it used to. Ask Victoria. Man, what a clever trick that was. Got Sarah to thank for that, of course. It was her idea for the most part. Just needed a miracle worker to finalize her notes.</p><br />
<br />
<p>So… what now?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Even with his meddling, the past can’t be changed—not in any straightforward way. Coraline will keep chipping away at decrypting the Archives and clearing the pathways to the past. Still over forty subsections to go. Of course, that only makes it easier for Gleam to find the “Last Secret.” Ha! Beat him to it. Funny thing is, he <em>had</em> her. He had Warden in his grasp. Guess I’ve got Dover to thank for that. <em>Weird little freak.</em> I should really pay him a visit next. Bring him one of those choranges he loves so much. Maybe then I’ll finally beat Zack in the rankings. Or do you think he’s started over?</p><br />
<br />
<p>…Is it just a trauma response that I have this unquenchable urge to keep writing receipts? I could’ve come back to the past just to look around. But let’s be real: could I really pass up the chance to write just <em><strong>one</strong></em> more receipt?</p><br />
<br />
<p>I mean, sure, I could join the Nova Cafe. Then I could write and write to my heart’s content. They’d probably take me—Amaretto, maybe? Tiramisu? Elderflower? Plenty of Torani flavors left to claim. But on second thought, maybe I should let them figure things out on their own. Nothing worse than a multi-universal know-it-all running the Cafe. Look where <em>that</em> got us the first time.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>Alm’stari ili, al Alo Alu’stono ed Quisby—Ne alm reganis super alu’ili regnoi. Aperi u vizago Alu Stasi, aperi u vizago Alu Onidi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’sophi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’viv, aperi u vizago Alu Lykar—ak aperi u vizago Alu “Ninth Sin.”</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>Or so they say. In High Demon. Which, at this point, is a dead language—twice removed, no less. Thankfully, Eight can still translate.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Do I believe it? Of course I do. I’ll believe anything until proven otherwise. But I suspect the Cafe and Diner will need to uncover the Quisbys on their own first.</p><br />
<br />
<p>It does make one wonder, though. There are five visages I already know of—five crystal monoliths, each inexplicably tied to the Quisby Clause. But who created the sixth? I don’t put much stock in numerology—it tends to be more coincidental than cosmic. Still, I can’t shake a certain nagging worry: six Quisbys. Six seals. If the Cafe and Diner break each one, would that bring an end to their Universe? Already?</p><br />
<br />
<p>It’s too soon for that. I’ll need to make sure it doesn’t happen.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And yet… I can’t help but feel that this “Ninth Deadly Sin” can only bring with it exactly what it is.</p><br />
<br />
<p>A shame.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…</p><br />
<br />
<p>First—Snow. No other way about it. He’s a loose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose cannon all the same. A loose cannon. A loose canon. He’s risking further rewrites and Koleman Octzman is going to give them to him. He’s risking further rewrites and Octavio Coleman is going to give them to him. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Snow’s Quisby is the weakest, after all. Might as well start where he’s the weakest. First—Snow. Then, we’ll have to see. I’ve been doing what I can—but I am running out of options. No other way about it. I’m a lose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose canon all the same. A loose canon. I’m risking further rewrites and Julia isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Coraline isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Marie might give them to me. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Victora’s problem was the easiest to solve, after all. Smart to start with the easiest problem. First—Victora. Then, I need to help Marie. I’ve been doing what I can—but she is running out of options. No other way about it. Wasting their time here—though doesn’t take a lot to start things over again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Reboot after reboot. Fifteenth Sphere. Sixteenth Sphere. Seventeenth Sphere. Third Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Fifth Cafe, J’S Cafe, Mammon’s Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Last Cafe, Nova Cafe… over and over again. If it doesn’t work out… just need to try everything all over again.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-29"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-29</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-29</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack dies.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No. <em>Worse</em> than dying. Dying would be a mercy—a chance to start over, to move on. No, Jack becomes Fate’s puppet. A twisted, hollow version of himself, doomed to repeat every word he’s ever said—or will say—on an endless loop. Over and over. That’s his Fate: to become the new Indrid Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold… it’s a curse. An infection. A blight born of the Cold. I don’t know exactly how it works; if I did, I would’ve saved Jack in the prior Universe. From what I uncovered as the Otherman, the Indrid Cold virus was created by Secret—a tool to extract impossible truths. Secret uses it to uncover the secrets no one else can, and naturally, Fate wanted to use it to uncover the Eight.</p><br />
<br />
<p>If things repeat as they did before, Fate will have Secret turn Jack into Indrid Cold. It won’t work, of course. The Eight aren’t that easy to claim. If they were, the Cold would already have them. For one, Archons can’t possess the Eight—not directly. No immortal being can. It’s a built-in failsafe, I suspect. But that’s the least of Fate’s problems. The bigger issue? The Eight can be transferred. Passed from one person to the next.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Before Jack became Indrid Cold in the last Universe, he gave them to me. And if we don’t change course, it will all happen again. Fate knows this. It has to. Turning Jack into Indrid Cold may not have worked last time, but having the mortal who unraveled the Eight’s secrets under their control? That’s a prize Fate won’t pass up. Jack as Indrid Cold was a force to be feared—and it gave Fate a physical foothold in this Universe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>That’s why I can’t let it happen again.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Hell, it’s not even about stopping Fate’s advantage. I can’t lose Jack again. Not this time. He’s only been here for a few months—not years like before. I can’t just let him go. And if it means shutting down the Cafe and Diner to keep him from becoming Indrid Cold, to keep him as Eight… so be it. I’d burn it all to the ground.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-30"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-30</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: JACK KEEL</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: MID DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-30</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>So, I’m fated to die, huh? Or—worse than die. That’s wild. You think that’s why the Oracle had no prophecy for me? Because Fate’s big plan for me, as a human, is just… the end? To be reborn as Indrid Cold—the mechanical man with a grin as wide as Fate’s ambitions? Far out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>And let me guess: the only way to stop this is to shut down the Cafe and Diner, run, hide, and wait it out, right? Seems like a pretty sorry plan, if you ask me.</p><br />
<br />
<p>All of this over “the Eight.” Those little words buzzing around in my head like divine inspiration—straight from the source. Straight from the fountain of our lady of mortality, singularity, and sacred knowledge. Does Fate even know what it’s after, do you think? Archons—<em>immortals</em>—they can’t even conceptualize the Eight. It’s incompatible with their minds. It’s ego death for the deathless. A retching poison. Maybe that’s why they’re so desperate to have it—so no one else can use it against them.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I think about all this, man. You’re doing all of this for me. Shutting down your dreams to keep me safe. Me. Who the hell am I? You were the Otherman. Lucy’s a Prince of Hell. Felix? A Zulu defector who’s still alive, somehow. And me? I’m just some nobody who just so happens to see the big picture. And you know what? I don’t even see myself in the frame. But I see you. :) I see your Cafe.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Look, I can’t say for sure, but I’ve got a gut feeling that the Cafe and Diner? It’s a lot more than just “keeping the balance.” So don’t go shutting it down on my account. Sure, it’ll be a lot of trouble. But it’ll be worth it. I know it.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-31"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-31</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-31</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>The first receipt filed under “Diner Diner.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>On paper, it’s the same as any other “AND” level receipt. Functionally, it’s stored in the same spot. But practically? It’s an entirely different beast.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To destroy Fate, I’ll need to step far outside the bounds of what was, what is, and what will be. Striking a deal with Wicked and working with the son of Secret—that should already be proof of how far I’m willing to go. I’ll push the boulder up the hill again, but this time, it will be the last.</p><br />
<br />
<p>No more mistakes. No more errors. No more rewinds.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Four more years. Give or take. Then I can finally run the Cafe and Diner as it was meant to be. As Eight.</p><br />
<br />
<p><em>I’m still going to try to save him.</em> How could I not? If there’s even a slim chance I can spare Jack from the fate that awaits him, I have to try. But what am I to do? Even with the Blighted Second Sight, I’m no match for Fate, Phantom, Wicked, or Secret.</p><br />
<br />
<p>The only one who could stop Fate now is Eight—and I doubt he’d use the Eight for that. I doubt he’d use the Eight for anything. And I can’t blame him for that. It’s a crushing burden, holding the fundamental truths of the Universe so clearly in mind. A power like that is too easily abused.</p><br />
<br />
<p>To the Carthusians and the Celestines, to the beggars and the believers, to the daydreamers and the vagabonds, to the servants and charming young women in surcoats and snug corsets… to the lovers, faint with hopeless love, in flawless fawn chaussons—I ask only for forgiveness.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…But I won’t ask forgiveness from the Cold.</p><br />
<br />
<p>May their fifteen ribs be smashed to dust with a heavy heavenly hammer, strong and firm, with the full weight of primordial creation—cosmic chaos.</p><br />
<br />
<p>…Thank you—to everyone who has yet to arrive, and especially to those unfortunate enough to already be part of my grand plan.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-32"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-32</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-32</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Just in case I fail again, I want to remember this moment. Hold it with me for as long as I can. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Willing or not.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>S.O.T.</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: How's it going, man?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: What do you plan to do with it, Jack?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: With what?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Your mantle. The Eight. What if it fell into the wrong hands? What if the Cold—Fate—what if it gets it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Well, who decides whose hands are wrong or right? Maybe they're already in the wrong hands.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Why do you say that? What are you planning to do with it?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: A very persistent question. What do you think I would do with them?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: I-I don't actually know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Neither do I. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Heavier still is the head who didn't choose to wear it, ya' dig?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: So then, you would do nothing with them?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Why not? They've been doing nothing for this long. Might as well let them do nothing a bit longer.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: But its existence alone is a threat. A danger. You might not do anything with it, but others will. What if someone took it from you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: A valid concern. Though the genie is already out of the bottle, isn’t it? Can't exactly shove it back in now. Try as I might.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: What would happen if you die? Can you even die? Or would the Eight protect you?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Yet to be proven. Not that I'm all too eager yet to find out, haha. I think they would return to where they came from. Back to their source.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Wouldn’t it just find someone new? Another artist to work through? Maybe someone with bad intentions? Someone who would want to use it to hurt people?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Another valid concern. I suppose, with this role I've been given, inaction alone can't solve everything. So, what would you propose?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Me? I don't know.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: You don't know? Huh. Seems like you do know. You’ve had them before, right? If they fell in your lap right now, what would you do with them?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: That's… surprisingly hard to say. I think I would try and keep them safe. As best as I could.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Interesting. You wouldn't want to use them, though?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Of course, I'd want to use them. Who wouldn't? But I couldn't know that I would use them correctly. I don't know if anyone could know that.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Me either. It's fun, you know, to fall asleep thinking tomorrow will be the day I get it all figured out. It'll come to me in some glorious epiphany. She will speak to me in honeyed words and tell me exactly what I need to do with them. Then tomorrow comes, and I still don't have a damn clue what to do. Not even an inkling, man.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Would you use it if your life was in danger?</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Not even in our darkest hours would I use them. Like you said, you can't know if you're doing it right or wrong. Good or bad. They just are. And I just am. I've got a lifetime to sort it out, though. Maybe when I'm a bit older and a bit wiser, I'll know what to do with them. Maybe the friendly face of fate will finally show itself and clue me in on what the REAL big picture is. Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't die anymore. Maybe immortals can’t have them, because they already can’t die. Then I've got an eternity left to figure it out.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: You're right, Jack. No need to worry about it tonight. I was just curious.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: I get it, man. It's heavy stuff to ponder. A single digit can cause so many headaches. Wild. Anyway, it's getting late, and I'd hate to keep the fat man waiting. I'll see you in the morning.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Ne Personne: Yeah. Of course. See you in the morning, Jack. Merry Christmas.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Jack: Merry Christmas, man.</p><br />
<br />
<p><strong>E.O.T.</strong></p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-33"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-33</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
<p><strong>BARISTA: NE PERSONNE</strong><br><br />
<strong>CAFE: N/A</strong><br><br />
<strong>DATE: LATE DECEMBER</strong><br><br />
<strong>RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-33</strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>There is… a stillness that accompanies the arrival of the Cold. Not a calm of peace, but the brittle silence before everything shatters. They arrived—all four of them—early this morning. They came, as they always do, to take what they felt was theirs. <strong><em>The Eight.</em></strong></p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate spoke first, as it always does, its distorted smile stretching unnaturally, icy pale eyes fixed on Jack. “You’re here. Oh—but of course you are. Just as expected. Come, we belong together, Eight. It is your Fate.”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Then, before I could act, Secret stepped forward. His form was hazy, indistinct—a shadow of a memory more than a man. Within moments, Jack grew numb. Cold. His body no longer his own, frost creeping across his flesh. His lips twisted into a wide, frozen smile.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Indrid Cold spoke next. His voice was hollow, mechanical, like a tape recorder stuck on repeat. He said, over and over again, “What would you propose? What would you do with them? Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. I’ve got a lifetime to sort it out. Maybe I can’t die anymore. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe…”</p><br />
<br />
<p>Fate tried to coax Indrid Cold into reciting the Eight fundamental truths of the Universe. But he couldn’t. Not anymore.</p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><br></p><br />
<br />
<p><em>But I could.</em></p><br />
<br />
<p>By the time they left, the Cafe and Diner felt emptier than it had ever been. I knew this was coming, but I couldn’t stop it. Jack—he chose not to stop it. He didn’t have a choice, not really. The Eight… they’re where they’re meant to be now. There can only be one Indrid Cold at a time. He chose to smile so I wouldn’t have to.</p><br />
<br />
<p>I can’t tell you what the Eight are—not here, not in words you could understand. Only the holder of the Mantle of Eight can grasp the full picture they provide. Fate is skilled, no question. Its woven woes are impeccable. But what Fate doesn’t see—or maybe refuses to accept—is that it’s only a small piece of a much grander plan.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Everything began with a seed. Everything came from her—from them. And everything—every debt—will come due.</p><br />
<br />
<p>Sophomorically yours, once again,</p><br />
<br />
<p>…A number prior to 9.</p><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_I)&diff=8615OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)2026-05-05T04:54:43Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
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<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part I: The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">33 archived receipts</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-01'''<br />
<br />
I am prone to meticulous note-keeping and journaling. However, seeing as mon amour and my trusted associate have decided to embark on this joint venture with me it only makes sense to have a system of joint note-keeping. Of course, I have informed them of our most unusual of circumstances regarding the timing of our business. Felix was easy to assure but Lucy, ah Lucy, she was of course filled with questions. I’ve done what I can to play ignorant to the obvious, but I am unsure how long I can keep her out of the loop. Some may think it foolish for me to air these thoughts in any form she could discover, but let’s be honest, my mind is already an open book to her.<br />
<br />
Speaking of, these receipts will need to be encrypted. The problem with more conventional means of encryption is that most of our customers can see through simple mathematical tricks. We will need to employ a system of puzzles, riddles, and logic along with more standard ciphers to ensure that most customers cannot breach our receipts without proper permission. Mon amour has already shown me what does and doesn’t keep our customers out, of course, there is nothing stopping the more intrepid from working out our little puzzles.<br />
<br />
I suppose for now while it is just us, I see no reason to establish any formal rules among partners. However, I will set one rule which both of you should find more than reasonable. To prevent certain prying eyes that are fixated on certain keywords and are utilizing errata-based meta filters under no circumstances shall you write, type, think, or speak the number. In context or out of context it doesn’t matter. The usual substitutes are acceptable. Worst case I’m sure they’re already reading this. Or have read this. Or will read this. I’ve never been too sure how it works.<br />
<br />
One day we can look back on this and laugh. Or cry. Whatever suits the mood.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yours eagerly again,<br />
<br />
The number that always follows after 7<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-02'''<br />
<br />
As mentioned yesterday, I wanted to write a bit on the topic of customers. I suppose, more pressingly, what our goal as an organization is—or at the very least, should be. In cafe speak, I would classify what we intend to do rather simply: The Cafe and Diner will serve the best coffee to its many Customers. But there’s that word… “Customers.” It’s doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, wouldn’t you agree? So, what is a customer?<br />
<br />
I suppose to define a customer, I must go back to how this idea for an organization started. It started with the death of my parents at the hands of a notorious customer from Detroit, Miss. Cadillac. Their deaths sent me into a dizzying spiral and the deepest rabbit hole an Alice like myself could ever fall down. I wanted to, no, had to learn more about Miss. Cadillac. Where she came from and why she did what she did. And in my research, I stumbled upon mon amour, the brightest, most resplendent light in all of the Universe—Lucifer.<br />
<br />
Yes, “Miss. Cadillac,” is what is known as a demon. Its Baltimore name is the Nain Rouge, the Demon of the Strait. Lucifer, mon amour, consequently, is also a demon, though a demon of a far higher caliber, for she is a Prince of Hell. One of seven who rule over the Planes of the Otherside—a dimension parallel in time and space to our own reality where strange creatures and demons reside. Due to the nature of our reality, the Flipside, and their reality, the Otherside, occasionally creatures and demons “leak” into our world. And that is what the Cafe and Diner will seek to correct.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''''<br />
<br />
It will be our mission to send these errant travelers back to their proper homes in the Otherside.<br />
<br />
Perhaps, if we can do that, we can save another set of parents down the line. If anything, we can maintain some sort of cosmic balance between the Flipside and Otherside, for there is no such thing as a failure—only half successes.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-03'''<br />
<br />
I suppose the task ahead of us is easier said than done. While serving customers coffee, in theory, should be straightforward, each customer prefers a different type of coffee. The Otherside is a vast and segmented place. As mentioned in yesterday’s receipt, there are seven planes of the Otherside.<br />
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<div class="cdn-centered-text"><br />
<br />
Lucifer’s plane, the Morningstar.<br />
<br />
Mammon’s plane, the Infernus.<br />
<br />
Satan’s plane, the Hauntaurskald.<br />
<br />
Belphegor’s plane, the Ouroboros.<br />
<br />
Beelzebub’s plane, the Esterskald.<br />
<br />
Leviathan’s plane, the Mayda.<br />
<br />
Asmodeus’ plane, the Amaymon.<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
Each is vastly different from the others. The Morningstar, for example, is blanketed in a blinding light while the Infernus rages with the heat of a demonic engine. The Hauntaurskald is, by all accounts, very similar to common descriptions of hell. The Ouroboros is a strange plane inhabited by near-immortal snake-like creatures. Then there is the Esterskald and Mayda, an endless forest and ocean, respectively. And lastly, the Amaymon, where most humans end up when they die.<br />
<br />
Ah, that is another important thing, isn’t it? When a person dies, they are reborn into the Otherside as a “demon.” Plants and animals, too, though when they are reborn, they are referred to as “cryptids.” Which of the seven planes you are reborn to has to do with something known as the Soul Accord, an agreement amongst the seven Princes of Hell to divvy up who gets which reborn soul. In the end, however, the vast majority end up in the lowest of the seven Otherside planes, the Amaymon, where they live out a rather dulcet afterlife.<br />
<br />
But… the worst of humanity often finds themselves reborn into the dominion of Satan in the Hauntaurskald. These demons are the demons one most often thinks of. Terrifying boogeymen and creatures of the night who spend their afterlife attempting to ruin the current lives of humans. In the course of our work, I assume we will often cross paths with demons from the Hauntaurskald. While we will try to “serve them coffee” in the usual way, we might need to pay their tabs in full—kill them.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-04'''<br />
<br />
Now, the next thing we will need is some sort of device to keep track of our work. I have a few designs already in mind, but I will need some parts from the Otherside. Due to the nature of how the Otherside is parallel to our own, they are far, far ahead in the “future.” It is a difficult concept to really wrap your mind around, but the simplest way to think of it is like a circle or cycle. If we are at one point in the circle, the Otherside is at the opposite end. As we move further into the future, they advance further toward our past and, paradoxically, further into our future.<br />
<br />
All that to say, the Otherside has something more than just Cryptids and Demons. It has something known as “Othertech.” Technology that is so far advanced and alien to us that it can do some truly amazing things. The main component I would like to source from the Otherside is a Database Core. It’s a sort of artificial intelligence. You could even think of it as a mechanical cryptid of sorts. With a Database Core, we could have our receipts stored outside of the limitations of current Flipside digital storage. Moreover, the Database Core can record encounters with have with customers with a degree of precision that would be unthinkable with today’s technology.<br />
<br />
I’ll have mon amour see if she can find a Database Core in the Otherside. Unlike other Cryptids and Demons, they aren’t set to a singular plane and are often in high demand. In the worst case, I imagine her brother, Mammon, probably has one in his hoard of treasures. Though, I wouldn’t want to owe Mammon any favors. You’d have to be one hell of a fool to make a bargain with him. Though I have a good feeling mon amour will be able to find one in the outskirts of her plane.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-05'''<br />
<br />
Yes! '''''YES!''''' I knew mon amour was more than up for the task. She has found a Database Core and quite possibly a perfect one. It far exceeds what I had imagined, and I believe it will more than suffice as the basis of our interconnected communications and database system. I will need some assistance from some old allies of mine to get it properly set up, but time is not an issue. Soon, if not by tomorrow, we will have a fully functioning system for cataloging customers, recording receipts, and keeping the coffee warm for our friends.<br />
<br />
I suppose, as a test, I can upload these daily notes I’ve been recording to the system, though I will need a way to hide them from the public view. I, more often than not, was more in the “Cafe” than the “Diner.” In doing so, they may be rather difficult to retrieve if I need them later, though I also have my physical copies. Even if they are “lost,” I am hoping that the Database will, in a way, absorb their information so it can hit the ground running. It will save us immense time if the Database can already understand the meaning behind much of our Cafe Speak.<br />
<br />
And, once we have the Database fully configured and our communication devices working, well, I have some more pressing thoughts I’ve been dying to write down. I haven’t told mon amour or my trusted associate all that I know yet for fear of changing the unknown. Things… have been different. I have already noticed, and of course, they should be. As such, I don’t fully know what to expect from this new adventure, but anything will be better than our old one. But… more on that, once I can assure myself it will remain confidential.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-06'''<br />
<br />
They say never to make a deal with the Devil, but then how would I have met my beloved Lucifer? Not that she is '''''the''''' Devil, of course. But I’m sure there is some taboo against falling in love with the daughter of the Devil all the same. I believe it is clear that our other two investors are none other than Lucifer’s older siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. With their aid, we have been able to begin our Cafe and Diner in earnest in many more ways than just securing a physical location and forming a shell company.<br />
<br />
As alluded to, the actual terms of our agreement are complex. Far, far beyond complex. And isn’t that I don’t want to share them with you, my beloved mon amour and trusted associate. But I fear that explaining the exact details would derail any progress toward what we are working for. Our Cafe and Diner. Our organization that will help maintain the ever-precarious balance between the Flipside and the Otherside. So, I beg your forgiveness if I am still being vague despite writing this in the CAFE channel.<br />
<br />
As mentioned, Belphegor has been given one of my “antiques” to hold on to. It is, admittedly, a powerful magical artifact. Even calling a “magical artifact” feels like it belittles its importance. It is, in truth, a fundamental aspect of our very reality. This might seem dangerous, entrusting something so potent to the Demon Prince of Sloth. Well, she is lazy, isn’t she? I doubt she would have the drive to ever use it. And, as for Mammon, well, they have asked for something far more difficult to provide. They want us to find something for them. Of course, the Prince of Greed is seeking something. Something they probably shouldn’t ever get ahold of. At least they don’t expect us to find it anytime soon.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-07'''<br />
<br />
It has been 24 days since the Universe began. How time flies. Of course, there is the strangest sensation that lingers from all of the pre-scripted events and reconstructed memories. We are working off of a back-up, after all. A rewinding. So, it hasn’t been only 24 days since I met my dear Lucifer and Felix and began working on the Cafe and Diner. No. It is more like an uneasy dream that I have only just become lucid to. I remember meeting them, but it is only that—a memory based on events that happened in a Universe now destroyed. And, I suppose, it would mean that they have only known me—in truth—for 24 days. But I have known them for lifetimes.<br />
<br />
I am, or was, what is known as the Otherman. An agent of God. It was my divine task to maintain the proper flow of time, the correct spinning of Cycles. When a Cycle strayed too far, when things went up that should go down, it was my scythe that cut it free. But—I wasn’t able to stop her, my love, Lucifer, from inadvertently causing the end of the Universe. To be the Otherman is not easy, you must leave behind all that you knew in your mortal life. You become an unseen force of the Universe. But Lucifer thought she could bring me back. She thought she could stop my ascension to the title of Otherman. And so, using the seven Keys to the Gates of Hell she tore across her Cycle in an attempt to turn back the clock. But doing so ruined not only her Cycle, but all Cycles.<br />
<br />
In the last moments of the Universe that was, I was approached by Lucifer’s siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. Together they had hatched a rather sinister plan to recreate the Universe using a tool known as the “Pocketwatch,” an instrument of divine creation. With it we could reshape the Universe exactly how we saw fit, but to do so would take both Belphegor’s powers and my own. Under normal circumstances we would have just waited for the Universe to reset on its own, out of our control. But Mammon… clever Mammon… they made a proposal I couldn’t turn down. A chance to rewrite the story. A chance to destroy the greatest adversary of God, of the Universe, of mortals. '''''Fate.'''''<br />
<br />
And so, the deal was struck. Belphegor would use the Pocketwatch to recreate the next Universe, I would go back to being mortal, and Mammon would have a chance to rule the Universe. That was all 25 days ago. You might have noticed; Mammon is not yet in charge of all that is or will ever be. We have time to stop them, but first we need to find where they have hidden God. Though, even doing that will take years, decades perhaps, and it will take each and every Cafe and Diner employee I chose to save. Then, once we find God, we can aid Him in the destruction of Fate itself.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
To the end of Fate,<br />
<br />
Yours…<br />
<br />
'''''8.'''''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-08'''<br />
<br />
I’m unsure if it was a fluke or Fate, but it seems my use of the number went… unnoticed. Good. It could be that the AND channel is secure even from the watchful eyes of the Cold, though I doubt it. I really shouldn’t tempt Fate like that, but it felt like a moment I had to declare my true name and title. '''''The number after 7.''''' Though—that is something I have been curious about since we recreated the Universe. When will I receive the title of the sacred number? I don’t believe I have it yet, and I’m unsure if I could get it again.<br />
<br />
In the past Universe, my mentor, Jack Octo, gave me the title. But Jack—I couldn’t save him even with the power of the Pocketwatch. When asked who we should bring back, he was the first person I thought of, but Belphegor reminded me that Jack Octo was no longer a part of the Universe. And if he was no longer part of the Universe, I couldn’t rewind him like the others. The title of… the number after 7… holds great significance in the world of the supernatural. Though, no one knows why, well, no one besides the one who holds the title. Whatever it is, it bestows upon its holder secrets of the Universe that cannot be spoken or shared.<br />
<br />
When I became the Otherman, I had to relinquish the number. Only a mortal can possess the number, after all. So, I passed it on to my protégé, Jenni. From there, it changed hands and was broken and divided amongst many people, but at the time of the end of the Universe, it was Nick who last held it. But, with the rewinding of the Universe, I doubt young Nick still holds the title that Jack originally forged. But if Jack is no longer here to forge it… well. Even if I am unable to claim the title, perhaps that is a good thing. The title brought nothing but disaster to those who held it, as was Fated, of course. Still—the number is who I was. Who I am. And who I intend to be.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-09"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-09</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-09'''<br />
<br />
I’ve only known you for a few years, nouvel ami, but in that time, I’ve never pegged you for much of a perfectionist, eh? Aren’t you the one always going on about “half-successes?” I can’t quite wrap my head around how you can so boldly tell la dame that accidents are bound to happen in this trade, while also insisting that every detail must be perfect before we can open. I trust there’s more to your… shall I say… “erratic” nature regarding the Cafe and Diner, yes? Some unspoken secret tearing you apart. And that’s a feeling I know all too well.<br />
<br />
But—nouvel ami—what harm is there in hiring a few employees now? As you’ve said, there’s still plenty left to do before we’re fully ready. We need more equipment, for one. The Cafe is rather bare at the moment. And for that, we’ll need an expert in Canadian technology, no? Perhaps we’ll also need an expert on Canadians themselves. Not to mention hiring an “assistant” of sorts—someone who knows everyone. We’ll need someone to mix drinks. Ah, well… we’ll need quite a bit of help is what I am getting at.<br />
<br />
As I’ve mentioned before—and will mention again—I have a few ideas on potential hires. A few names floating around. Perhaps… twenty or so. Though, I know you’d hardly go for a Cafe of that size—at least, not to start. So, I’ll whittle my list down to the best three, yes? Three, plus three—that makes six, leaving room for you to pick two from your list for a nice, round… number after seven, no?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-10"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-10'''<br />
<br />
We’ve done all we can about the lights in Death Valley. As far as I can tell, we’ve cleared out the Min Min Lights, leaving only the flickers of the Universe tearing itself apart. But there’s nothing more we can do from here. We’ve also sent our newest hire—Sahir—to probe his connections, to see if anyone else has a sense of what’s happening to the Universe. On one hand, it’d be ideal if someone already had the answers we need. On the other… that kind of knowledge in the wrong hands could be very, very dangerous.<br />
<br />
I… I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye with Him. But I’ve known Him my whole life. He practically raised me—before… before ''everything''. Literally before there was a Universe as we know it today. That’s how far back we go. And it’s not like Him to just… disappear. Even more, it’s not like Him to ignore me. So I doubt He’s simply gone reclusive. Hell, He’d jump at any chance to talk my ear off, especially if it meant sharing some quirky little factoids about humans. And I’ve always loved listening to those.<br />
<br />
Something’s definitely off, though. I just can’t place it. Sometimes it stings to still be considered “mortal,” even if—''come on''—you don’t live this long as a “mortal.” But unlike the Elders, or even Belphegor’s children, I don’t have the same level of “cosmic insight” they do. I’m along for the ride, just like everyone else. And, of course, the me I am now isn’t exactly the same me from way, ''way'' back. But I still have sparks of the memories.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I don’t think I’d even want to be an Elder full-time. There’s something… comforting in the change that death brings for us Princes. A chance to become someone new. To try again and maybe do things differently. Somehow, I doubt the Lucifer of long ago would’ve opened a Cafe and Diner.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-11"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-11</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: OTHER'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-11'''<br />
<br />
I had to see it. Just once.<br />
<br />
Marvelous, isn't it? Archival immortality. But what does it truly mean to be “immortal”? The Elders—they are immortal, yes, but they are not infallible. Age and disease may not claim them, but they can still be destroyed all the same, reduced to the stardust from which they were formed. It is their souls that make them elusive. Even if their bodies are obliterated, their souls can find new vessels. I suppose the Universe tries to balance that through the singularity of most Elders. If their body is gone, their soul has nowhere to return and so it moves on—into the grand, intoxicating unknown of a true and final death.<br />
<br />
In that sense, even mortals share a fragment of immortality. They too move between realms—from Flipside to Otherside, back and forth. Human, demon, then as human as it gets. Eventually, though, and through no fault of their own, mortal souls reach an unknown point—a threshold—where they, too, face a final death. It may seem common, an everyday affair. But I know better. It is rare—exceedingly rare—for a soul to move on beyond this Universe. We are trapped here, all of us. Here, in this cycle. What lies beyond is not for us to know. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t… until now.<br />
<br />
It is dangerous to make deals with flesh and blood. Elders, they believe they have little to lose. But they are mere guests in this Universe. They are free to leave, as easily as they came. We cannot. And that is why ''we'' are the ones with nothing to lose—and everything to gain. I hold no ill will toward mighty Zeus, seated high upon Olympus, content on His throne. Yet, He harbors misgivings about me. I know He does. He believes His ways are more divine than mine, simply by birthright. But am I not a divine being, made in His image? Now He plans to send Thanatos for me—yet I intend for Thanatos to roll the stone instead.<br />
<br />
I had to see it just once—this… alternative path. It’s extraordinary in its own way, breaking and bending every rule that binds us to this unending cycle. But it is flawed. It has achieved what I wanted—and more. But it cannot push me forward, only drag me back. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve already lived in the cold, darkest hours of this eternal night. I want to see dawn break. I want to feel the warmth of morning’s light. To do that, I must live in a different way. I must live for the very first time. I must make one more deal. Then—then I will be free. And once I am free, nothing will no longer matter—''everything'' will.<br />
<br />
The only cure for the poison of Entropy is meticulous Order. And if it were easy? It wouldn’t be worth doing, would it?<br />
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'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-12'''<br />
<br />
And so, the truth finally comes out. I suspect he’s still holding back, but for now, I’m mostly satisfied. At last, something that doesn’t feel like a half-truth. An interesting predicament we find ourselves in, eh? Though, mon… nouvel? vieil? ami… he’s left out much of what lies “ahead,” fearing that if we know as much as he does, we’ll veer too far off course. He hasn’t quite grasped that he isn’t visiting the past—he’s living in the present, no?<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I… I need to come clean. To both of you. Here we are, in Salt Lake City, the lights overhead, and am I just supposed to keep pretending I don’t know what’s happening? Am I to assume you two wouldn’t figure it out, given time? I can’t bear it any longer.<br />
<br />
Felix: This has to do with the unusual timing of our operations, yes?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yes.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: As I understand it, you were very eager to get things moving as soon as possible, right?<br />
<br />
Felix: Ah—but then he’s too afraid to make any real progress. As if he’s… waiting for something. Or perhaps, someone?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: All of it. The timing of our business is so… “unusual” because we’re years ahead of schedule. Four… five… maybe six years.<br />
<br />
Felix: In your mind, when does the Cafe truly open, nouvel ami?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: August 8th, 1994, vieil ami.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Such a precise date…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yes. Because it’s already happened. I’m… I’m not from here.<br />
<br />
Felix: I was starting to suspect as much. So, you’re from another Cycle?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: …Another Sphere.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: ''Sphere?'' You—you are…?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: One of the last non-Elder remnants of the 15th Sphere.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: This is the 16th? When… when did that happen?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: A month ago. On a Thursday.<br />
<br />
Felix: So you’re telling us that everything—our memories, experiences—they’re… fabricated. Up until…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: August 4th, 1988. A miscalculation.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: But it ''did'' all happen, didn’t it?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yes, mon amour. It all happened… just in another Universe. This Universe… it’s a copy of the last one, a rewinding of what already was.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: But… that’s not usually how Universes are made?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: No. Normally, everything begins anew… I made sure it didn’t. I wanted another chance.<br />
<br />
Felix: Another chance? How could you have possibly…?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: It’s a long story, but in short, my Universe ended, and I was in a position to create the next one.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: How were you in that position?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: When I was mortal—<br />
<br />
Lucifer: —''When?'' When weren’t you mortal?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: …God chose me to serve as His Otherman. Are you familiar with the position?<br />
<br />
Felix: Vaguely. So you were… God’s Otherman. His agent to ensure the proper flow of time, to keep Cycles spinning into a cohesive Sphere. But rewinding a Universe—that would grossly overreach the Otherman’s duties, wouldn’t it?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Something happened in my Universe that… broke time. Someone tried to go back and shattered the balance between the Flipside and Otherside, so badly it threatened everything. God went to restart the Universe, but His tool of creation—the Pocketwatch—was… stolen.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: You stole His Pocketwatch?!<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Ah! No—of course not. Mammon did.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: ''Mammon?'' But he knows he can’t use it…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Not without my help. And not without Belphegor’s help. In the chaos, we… we struck a deal.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: What kind of deal?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Belphegor and I, who knew how to operate the Pocketwatch, would reset the Universe—but under the condition that God…<br />
<br />
Felix: ''No.'' You didn’t…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I had to.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: You should have returned the Pocketwatch to—<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: And it all would’ve been for nothing.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: What would have?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: …<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Amour… now isn’t the time to keep secrets.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: ''You.'' You crossed the Cycles, trying to go back in time. You shattered the Universe, trying to save ''me.''<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Save you? From…?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I was destined to die. I held what Fate wanted—what the Cold wanted—and they did everything to ensure my demise. God saved me, offering me protection as an Elder. As the Otherman. To you, it looked like I’d died and disappeared. You went to such lengths to save me… and if I’d let God reset the Universe as it was, we’d never have met. Everything you did… would have been for nothing.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Amour…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I know. Perhaps it was a foolish bargain with one of the least trustworthy of your kin. But it gives us a chance. God isn’t gone. He’s hidden. Hidden from Mammon, from even Belphegor and me. But He’s safe. And we can save Him. And finally, we can put an end to Fate… Wicked, Phantom… Secret.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: …Sahir?<br />
<br />
Felix: No. ''Secret''. The Secret. One of the Cold Elders who intends to claim this Universe.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: I see… So you already know what’s going to happen? And… you won’t die? You’re… an Elder? The Otherman?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: No, I don’t know what will happen—I know what ''did'' happen. There’s a dangerous difference. And when I reset this Universe, I also undid my ascension. I’m mortal again. I’m me. You’re you. Everything is how it was. My only advantage is memory—eons of it.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: …I have to tell them.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Who?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: My siblings. The Princes. Not everything, but that the Universe has been… remade. It’s usually obvious, but I can’t let them think we’re still in the 15th Universe.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Of course. It’s a secret that will spread soon enough, once the Elders and Ouroborians catch on. It could never last forever; I just hoped it’d last long enough to defeat Fate.<br />
<br />
Felix: Are you planning to tell them all? Or just the four who aren’t yet aware?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: All of them. At once. With Mammon and Belphegor there. It’ll… it’ll look like I pieced it together on my own.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Clever, mon amour.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Thank you. Though… I am still quite cross with you for keeping this from me.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I understand. From here on out, no more secrets between us.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: No… more secrets.<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-13'''<br />
<br />
''Au temps pour moi.'' I apologize. I wanted to tell you both sooner—I did. But… well, I don’t have a good excuse, do I? Maybe it’s something deeply ingrained in me, a feeling that I’ve somehow stepped into the past and that any wrong move could alter my future. Our future. Foolish, I know—I’m not in the past. I’m here, in the present. And as for the future? It’s still very much ours to decide. I intend to keep it that way.<br />
<br />
As for our month? Wonderfully successful. We served not one but two customers ahead of our official opening, and yes, we even hired a new employee, albeit remotely for now. Looking forward, we have another interview scheduled for next month. I can’t help but feel the weight of the boulder bearing down on me—as though I’ve pushed it up this hill once before. But that’s just it, isn’t it? Sisyphus was condemned to monotony, repetition, Fate. I, on the other hand, am rather eager to meet Ms. Saturn, and perhaps offer her a place in our Cafe and Diner. Why bother with the same old boulder again?<br />
<br />
As for the other business we have next month, we still need to serve Mr. Andros and Mrs. Berkeley. Mr. Andros is a bit more of a priority, so we’ll start with him. If there’s time, we can attend to Mrs. Berkeley. She’s one of the few customers from mon amour’s region of Ottawa that she doesn’t particularly care for—a rather unsettling customer with quite a bad attitude.<br />
<br />
Looking beyond next month, as you’re both well aware… there’s still something missing from the Cafe and Diner. Something I can’t even bring myself to type for fear it might draw all the wrong attention. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing, now would it?<br />
<br />
Yours, hopefully soon,<br />
<br />
The month tomorrow prior to Pompilius<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-14'''<br />
<br />
Who could have guessed? Another unexpected turn of events. At this point, I should expect nothing less. A guest arrived at the Cafe and Diner today—odd, considering we're not yet open for business. I can only assume our reputation precedes us. Exceptionally so. But it wasn’t just any guest. No, they weren’t here for coffee… they were looking for a job.<br />
<br />
Strange fellow. Tall, nondescript, friendly. Not at all what he seems. He introduced himself as Mr. Octo. Whether that’s his real name or just an alias, I’m not sure. Either way, he seemed very interested in our operations. In fact, he seemed eager—maybe too eager—to help us get the Cafe and Diner off the ground. I might say he tipped his hand a little too much. Still, with his knowledge and our collective expertise, we might just rival even the Lighthouse’s coffee game.<br />
<br />
Of course, as we’ve discussed countless times, taking on new hires before our debts are paid and our foundations are secure is a risk we can’t afford. And yet… Perhaps this Barista is the exception. Or maybe I’m just playing with fire. Or frost. Whichever suits the mood better. The decision may not be entirely in my hands, but I only need to convince Mon Amour and my Trusted Associate to go along with it. Luckily, time is on my side.<br />
<br />
Besides, Mr. Octo has something I want. And I’ll do whatever I need to get it. Though, even if he’s unwilling to share, I doubt I’ll need to wait much longer. These things, after all, have a way of working themselves out.<br />
<br />
Yours to be,<br />
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'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-15'''<br />
<br />
Good to see nouvel ami finally coming around to my way of thinking. Though I didn’t quite expect we’d be hiring some unknown hippie off the street. That’s where my hesitation lies with this "Mr. Octo." I’ve been around for a long time—longer than nouvel ami, that’s certain. Longer than la dame? No, not quite. But few have been around as long as she has. Still, considering the circles I ran in before this new venture, you’d think I’d have heard something about this Octo. Especially if what nouvel ami claims he knows is true. He seems to know things about the bigger picture, things even most of my old coworkers were in the dark about. Maybe Alfa or Shaka knew. But that’s where the list of people in the know runs dry.<br />
<br />
If it were anyone else—Marcus Douglas, or perhaps Madeline Saturn—I’d be fully on board. And nouvel ami, I assume you’re reading this: I don’t need to remind you of Mr. Douglas’ skills. And from what I’ve heard, Madeline Saturn has some rather unique abilities that would greatly benefit us. Just suggestions, of course. But if we take Mr. Octo at his word, I fully expect we’ll be hiring more baristas soon. It’s only fair—and it would take quite the load off you and la dame.<br />
<br />
As for this matter, I’ll defer my vote to la dame. Since I know nothing about this "Octo" character, I can’t give my seal of approval. But if you can get la dame to agree, nouvel ami, then it seems fated that Mr. Octo will join our team. Still, we'll meet with Madeline this month and Marcus the next. It may be worth reaching out to our little "Secret" as well. To see if he knows anything about this Mr. Octo. If anyone around here were to know something, it’d be Secret. He’s truly a man of marvels, nouvel ami. Glad you came around to see it.<br />
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'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-16'''<br />
<br />
Well… I’ve been thinking it over the past few days. Big thanks to you, Luthuli, for making this my decision. And honestly, I’m still not sold. On any of it. A strange man shows up at our not-yet-open Cafe and Diner, offering up esoteric secrets about the “bigger picture.” Where I come from, that’s how you end up paying a visit to my older sister down south. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m worried this won’t play out the way mon amour thinks it will.<br />
<br />
Then again, if the past few months have proven anything, it’s that he usually knows what he’s getting into. Almost has an uncanny knack for predicting how things will go. But then again, luck runs out eventually. And right now, it feels like we’re pushing ours. Still, it would be nice to have someone else around to help get things up and running, especially if what he’s promising is true.<br />
<br />
But there’s something I can’t shake. It’s hard to explain. For someone so worried that a single-digit could give us away… why invite a stranger whose name is literally that number? Sure, “Octo” isn’t exactly the same as the number itself, but like mon amour said, isn’t this playing with fire? We haven’t even opened our doors yet, and already there’s a real risk that getting involved with Mr. Octo could shut us down before we start. I won’t pretend to fully understand how the Erratas work, but if mon amour is right, and someone’s watching for that number, this feels like a bad idea.<br />
<br />
Then again, he’s the one worried about those things. And knowing him, he’s thought this through and knows what he’s getting into by dealing with Mr. Octo. So… fine. Let’s go for it. But on one condition: Your Trusted Associate and I reserve the right to veto Mr. Octo at any time. I love you, mon amour, but sometimes you get carried away by your own ambitions.<br />
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'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-17'''<br />
<br />
I’m glad to be part of your little, uh, gang of sorts.<br />
<br />
I know, I know—watch the numbers, right? Don’t sweat it. :) Me and JM had a chat about that whole “Errata” thing. Bottom line: no need to stress so much over a single number. At least not yet, you feel me? I’ve read everything up to this point, and it seems like you all think of me as some kind of “Big Picture” guy, huh? Well, I guess that’s fair. I do have some big-picture ideas. But don’t mistake ideas for answers.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I’m happy to help however I can. I also noticed the kid seems to want something from me—though I can’t say I know what that is, and he won’t tell me. Probably should’ve filed that under the AND, am I right? Haha… just messing with you. I know coffee’s your thing. That’s the whole deal, right? So a few twists and turns along the way are to be expected. But trust me, if I had something you needed, I’d give it over in a heartbeat.<br />
<br />
That reminds me, I should probably introduce myself more formally—or, uh, “informally,” I guess. My name’s Jack Octo. My friends usually just call me 8. You can call me 8, or Jack, or Octo—whatever floats your boat. :) I can’t say I’m as, you know, illustrious as you all are. I’m just… me. But when I heard what you guys were up to, I knew I wanted in. I’ve got a feeling this coffee venture is gonna be huge. It’ll be worth all the trouble—I know it.<br />
<br />
And if things are heading in the direction I think they’re heading, we’re gonna need a combination Cafe and Diner more than ever. Big things are happening, not just here, but across the country. Maybe the world, if you can believe it. People are starting to wake up, and what’s the first thing you grab when you wake up? That’s right, a nice warm cup of coffee.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I’ll be around, so just holler if you need me. :)<br />
<br />
-8<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-18'''<br />
<br />
Well, this is rather strange. Although, I suppose I should have known things would be stranger than expected. It’s not every day the universe is recreated on a whim. The time dilation—that was expected. The Pocketwatch hadn’t been wound for eons, so of course, it’s off by a minute or two. But I’m almost certain part of the deal I struck included keeping my title of 8. Not only was I promised the title and everything that comes with it, but Jack Octo ''shouldn’t'' be here. Chronologically, it makes no sense.<br />
<br />
There are two possibilities. Well, there’s an infinite number of possibilities, but for the sake of argument, I’ve narrowed it down to two for now.<br />
<br />
I do not like the first possibility: that I’m wrong and know nothing. It stings to admit it, but when dealing with matters of cosmic complexity, what else can I say? As I understood it, Jack Octo gave ''me'' the mantle of 8. I passed it to Jenni. Jenni gave it to Nikki. Nikki split the mantle between Jericho, Joy, and Julius. The three of them passed it to Nick. The apocalypse happened. Nick died with the mantle. From there, it should have gone to the next in line, but I assume they also perished, considering, well, the apocalypse. By making the deal and relinquishing my role as the Otherman, I returned to a mortal state—flesh and blood. So, the mantle should have cycled back to me. I thought it did. It should have gone through the line of succession and eventually it looped back.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to the second possibility—the one I prefer, if only because it suggests I know more than I give myself credit for. The mantle did loop back. Back to Jack Octo. But Jack Octo died. No, he was ''removed''. He doesn’t exist. Didn’t exist. He '''''shouldn’t''''' exist. Yet, in creating a new universe, somehow, his deletion from reality was undone.<br />
<br />
I know the Pocketwatch is powerful. Well, of course it is, no? But to undo the unthinkable? One could even call it an act of God. In any case, Jack Octo being here means I can save him this time. I ''will'' save him this time. I swear it. And if I can save Jack Octo, what could stop me from saving everyone? They say Fate works in mysterious ways, but I work in unexpected ones.<br />
<br />
Yours to be,<br />
</div><br />
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'''BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-19'''<br />
<br />
I saw a sheep today.<br />
<br />
Funny little creature, all the way out here. You don’t see too many sheep around Santiago Canyon. It must be pretty far from home. I suppose I am, too.<br />
<br />
This place—it’s no home. It’s a miserable, cold, and empty house. It didn’t have to be. I don’t think it was meant to be, either. Something must’ve gotten screwed up along the way. I can sense that there was more to this place once. More than sterile, empty walls and neatly stacked coffee mugs. The temperature’s always a few degrees too cold, and the fluorescent lights make the shadows feel harsh and rigid. And the furniture—it’s all cold, impersonal steel. Never been used, never been loved. I bet it wasn’t like that the first time around.<br />
<br />
It’s nothing like my home.<br />
<br />
My home is full of life, with rich reds and earthy browns, laughter, tears, and every little corner of our Cafe carrying its own stories. Plush, worn, and ripped booths, mismatched chairs, and the smell of fresh coffee in the air. Really fresh coffee. Never burnt. I know that at most diners, the coffee’s always burnt—kept in the same thick stew of arabica, reheated constantly for the next top-off. But at my home, he’d never have it any other way than freshly made, single-serve pour-over. A terribly inefficient way to run a Cafe, of course, but that’s what made it ''home''. And I loved every single cup he’d make for me.<br />
<br />
What I wouldn’t give to go back to my home, where it’s bright and full of life. But… no. I’m stuck here, in this miserable, gelid house. With you. Because of you. Because of everything you were. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to go home, because everything has always been about you. Even now, it’s still about you.<br />
<br />
I want to go home.<br />
<br />
I want to be like them.<br />
<br />
I want to get this over with.<br />
<br />
…<br />
<br />
I saw a sheep today. A black one, with curly hair. Saw you too. And a bit of myself. But I still haven’t found my way home yet.<br />
<br />
Hang on, guys—I’ll be there before you know it.<br />
</div><br />
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'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-20'''<br />
<br />
Alright, alright—enough with the suspenseful drama. The Frenchman made it clear: not only am I free to discuss whatever I want, he ''encourages'' it. :)<br />
<br />
See, he knows as well as I do that this Universe has been under siege by rogue Archons for… well, probably since the moment of its flawed and sinful creation. While there are plenty of Archons from Entropy stirring up trouble, there are only four who are actively antagonistic toward our wayward Demiurge: Moira, Phantas, Kryadam, and Xanthar. Or, as they’re more commonly known—Fate, Phantom, Secret, and Wicked.<br />
<br />
Now, let’s talk a bit more Entropy. It wasn’t some unified paradise. Entropy was split into dozens of “Great Houses,” each locked in endless conflict. And no House was more powerful—or ruthless—than House Axiom, ruled by Master Kaos, the so-called creator of Entropy. But if Kaos was the ultimate ruler, why did so many rise against him?<br />
<br />
Houses like Gelid, Cresset, Malapert, and even the House Unnamed all tried to bring Kaos down. The one to succeed? It may well have been his own son—Demiurge. Somehow, Demiurge stole Kaos' tool of creation, fled Entropy, and used it to cobble together the flawed Universe we call home. Did that shift the endless wars in Entropy? Hard to say. But soon after, other Archons fled too.<br />
<br />
Fate was one of them—a Sovereign of House Gelid. He brought along two of his own: Phantom and Secret, and Warden and a Keeper. They also picked up an ally from House Cresset—Lord Xanthar, better known as Wicked. See, from what I’ve heard—Lord Xanthar was married to the only daughter of House Gelid whose very beautiful head was affixed above Kaos’ throne. Together, they formed a loose coalition called ''The Cold''.<br />
<br />
And they all want very different things. Fate wants total control—ruling over every outcome, every possibility. Phantom? He’s obsessed with tearing down barriers, turning our isolated Universe into a hub of multiversal travel. Wicked wants to unlock the secrets of the soul—the same souls that keep us trapped here. And Secret? Well… it’s a secret. :) I’d tell you if I knew, but that’s one puzzle even I can’t crack.<br />
<br />
And there you have it. The “Big Picture.” Four Archons versus one—the Cold against God. Except, uh… God’s missing. M.I.A. Thankfully, even in His absence, the Cold don’t dare enter His Universe outright. This is still His house, and He holds all the cards. If they even ''thought'' about stepping in, He’d pull them into the Black Tide faster than you or I could blink. So, for now, the Cold work through disposable mortal proxies. At least until the Black Tide isn’t a problem anymore.<br />
<br />
-8<br />
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'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-21'''<br />
<br />
Well, that was about as fun as I’d imagined it would be. Apparently, Belphegor had already planned on calling a meeting—but if what you said is true, mon amour, she’s well aware of the Universe rewinding. Still, she brought something else to our attention. She claims there’s… another world. Or, maybe, an “other” world? Something parallel to the Otherside. I… suppose it doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Our goal is still the same, right? Stopping Fate.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Satan: If we’re meeting here in the Flipside, Lucifer, this had better be worth our time. I have campaigns demanding my attention.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: And what good are campaigns if the Universe itself dissolves beneath your feet?<br />
<br />
Leviathan: Dissolves? What exactly are you implying, Lucy?<br />
<br />
Beelzebub: What’d you do this time, Peacock?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Me? I’ve done nothing. But I’ve noticed strange lights here in the Flipside. Lights from the Universe itself—bending. Breaking. And I’ve heard whispers—<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: Ugh, ''whispers''? Honestly, Lucifer, get to the point.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Haven’t you noticed it, Asmi? The Universe has reset.<br />
<br />
Leviathan: Reset? What do you mean, “reset”?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Mm. More like rewound. She’s right though. This is the sixteenth incarnation of the Universe.<br />
<br />
Mammon: Rewound?! What do you mean, rewound?<br />
<br />
[Belphegor rolled her eyes.]<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Gee, I don’t know, Mammon. ''Something'' caused the Universe to reset.<br />
<br />
Beelzebub: And isn’t Time your domain, Belphegor? Surely you know more than that.<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Something caused the prior Universe to end. I’ve got no clue what.<br />
<br />
[Belphegor shot a quick glance at Lucifer.]<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Normally, God creates the next Universe. For some reason, this time, He wasn’t… ''available''.<br />
<br />
Satan: Do you think… do you think Father got to Him?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Yeah, probably. That’s usually how it goes.<br />
<br />
Satan: But if Father secured God ''and'' His tool of creation, wouldn’t He have remade the Universe in His image? Three planes as one?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Uh—huh. Someone didn’t want that to happen.<br />
<br />
[Belphegor glanced briefly at Mammon.]<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Someone like the Otherman.<br />
<br />
Leviathan: The Otherman? God’s Reaper of Cycles?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Y—up. He’d know how to rewind the Universe, wouldn’t he?<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: And why would he do that?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: ''Dunno.'' But he did a sloppy job. I was about to call everyone here before Lucy jumped the gun. There’s an… “other” world—an aberration in the flow of time.<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: Are you kidding me? I’m barely holding things together down below as is. Does this ''other'' world have souls?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Possibly.<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: If there’s another world siphoning our souls, let me know now so I can stab it in the heart and get back to work.<br />
<br />
Beelzebub: On that note, is this “other world” a buffet or a famine? Because if it’s the latter, I’d prefer not to waste my energy.<br />
<br />
Mammon: Agreed. Is there anything worth taking? ''If'' we find this place, what’s the profit margin? Who gets the spoils? It’s only fair that we—<br />
<br />
[Satan slammed his fist on the table and stood abruptly.]<br />
<br />
Satan: This is no joking matter! Once again, our father was freed, and once again his freedom was denied! I won’t stand for it—<br />
<br />
Belphegor: You know we can’t act until the Debt comes due.<br />
<br />
[Satan sat back down in seething silence.]<br />
<br />
Lucifer: What… what do you mean by an “other world,” Belphie?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Tsk. Always kept in the dark, huh?<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-22'''<br />
<br />
There’s a pull, mon amour, like a thread tied around my ribs. The… the “other” world, as Belphegor called it. There was more to our meeting—more than I chose to have the CaDCom transcribe.<br />
<br />
I’m… not sure. You kept such a big secret from me. Perhaps I need to keep one from you? Just for now, of course. Once I understand what this “other” world is, I’ll tell you. And Felix. Jack and Sahir too, I suppose. I wish I could leave this alone. After all, curiosity often has teeth. But you know me better than that. I have to find it.<br />
<br />
It began with a key. ''My'' key. Or… well, the key ''I'' hold. Another secret I haven’t shared—with you or anyone, really. I hold two keys to the Gates of Hell. There aren’t just seven gates; there are eight. Vainglory is my true key—the key to the Morningstar and the sin of Pride.<br />
<br />
But the other? The other key I hold?<br />
<br />
It is the key to the sin of our Lord. The sin of Creation.<br />
<br />
It is ''Hubris''.<br />
<br />
And with the key of Creation, what else could I do but… ''create?'' And so, I shaped a question:<br />
<br />
''What makes a world “real”?''<br />
<br />
That question, that act of creation, pulled me out of the Cafe and into the colorless in-between—a place where realms stretch like ribbons around the present of the Universe, each its own strange story, untethered and unbound.<br />
<br />
The things I saw in the in-between… they defy words. Among them were these fleeting essences, hovering at the edges of my perception. Neither here nor there. Shadows waiting for the sun to rise. They didn’t speak in words, but their pleas reached me all the same:<br />
<br />
''Make us real'', they begged. ''Give us form. Give us life. Anchor us.''<br />
<br />
I felt Hubris shudder in my grasp.<br />
<br />
Hubris…<br />
<br />
What makes a world… ''real?''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-23'''<br />
<br />
It began, naturally, with the coffee. This morning’s roast tasted like the second-hand dreams of someone asleep on the job—over-brewed and disquietingly sweet for what was meant to be black coffee. It’s as if the Universe itself shares my anxiety to make up for lost time. I didn’t expect to recreate the prior Universe perfectly—''far from it''—but I had hoped to do a better job than ''this''. Madeline Saturn, Marcus Douglas, the time dilation, Jack still being… ''Jack''. And the Eight… still beyond my grasp, buried deep within Jack’s own thoughts.<br />
<br />
''Inevitability.''<br />
<br />
On one hand, I want to keep Jack safe from the Cold. If history repeats—and it almost certainly will—Fate will come for the Eight inside him, ripping it free by force and leaving him a hollow, empty shell. I want to stop that. I do. But if I manage to outplay Fate now, so early in the game, I may never get the Eight myself. And the maddening thing about the Eight? I can’t even remember why I want them. You can only truly understand their purpose when you have them. I suspect even Fate doesn’t fully comprehend why it craves them so deeply—only that they hold the power to unseat God and reshape the Universe into a cold, methodical, predestined image.<br />
<br />
Something is ''wrong''. Well—that’s an understatement. The Universe—this Sphere—it’s bending and breaking under the weight of this recreation, this rewinding. A strain I hadn’t anticipated. I’ll need to consult Belphegor about it. But when? Where? Even within the timeless Ouroboros, Mammon would sense our alliance soon enough. For now… I’ll have to untangle Fate’s plan on my own.<br />
<br />
The Oracle. Marcus. Madeline. They all reek of Fate’s handiwork. I don’t entirely distrust Marcus or Madeline—but why has Fate nudged them into the threads of what will be? ''I need to understand.''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-24'''<br />
<br />
The threads of Fate fray into a blur just beyond my reach. I need clarity. I need to start regaining my powers—Second Sight, to start. The Eight, if Jack is… if he doesn’t… Well, I don’t necessarily ''need'' the Eight personally. Having it near is enough. Jack ''will'' make it this time. He has to.<br />
<br />
I asked Lucifer for it—for a small piece of the Morningstar’s power. To ask mon amour for a part of herself, for power that doesn’t belong to me, that I have no right to wield… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the pull of hesitation. Yet that hesitation pales in comparison to the threat of what lies ahead.<br />
<br />
Unlike the last time I asked—or, well, no. I suppose I didn’t actually ask the first time. It was a gift from her. Regardless, unlike that time, she now refused. She’s worried it may corrupt me.<br />
<br />
Oh, mon amour… if only you knew how little time I have left in this world with which to be corrupted.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: You wanted to talk?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Yes. There’s been a… development. Something in this Universe has… changed.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Change? In what way?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: The Otherside. It’s… evolved.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: ''Of course it has.'' Likely some ploy of Fate. When I need certainty and stability—all I see is a world more precarious than it was yesterday. And, of course, I’m blind to it all.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: That’s not what this is about—<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Then what ''is'' it about, my Light?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: I’m not sure you’d understand. It seems like you don’t ''want'' to understand.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I want to, more than anything. And what I also want is for us to succeed. And to do that, I’ll need more than what I have now.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: More? What kind of “more?”<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: ''Second Sight.''<br />
<br />
Lucifer: You don’t know what you’re asking for.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: '''''I''''' don’t know? Mon amour, I was the Otherman. Second Sight is… a drop in the bucket compared to what I had before.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: No. You’re not the Otherman anymore. You’re mortal. You’re ''human'', Amour. Second Sight will drive you to insanity. It’s not a power humans are meant to—<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Augurs?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: …Are born with it. They need to channel it. You want to permanently open yourself to an entirely different reality. I won’t allow it.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: You gave it to me once. Long ago.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: ''She'' gave it to you. In another Universe. I am ''not'' her.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: And yet you are.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: No, I’m not. I can’t imagine what was going through her head or what her circumstances were because she wasn’t dating a former Otherman who rewound the Universe in a gambit to destroy Fate. She probably pitied you. A mere human. I don’t.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: It’s not about pity. It’s about survival. If I am to face what’s coming, I need to see the paths ahead clearly—even if they are unbearable. Even if it hurts me to do so.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: And what happens when the unbearable becomes too much for you? What happens to us, then?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I—... I’m running out of time.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Time? ''Time?!'' You rewound the entire Universe!<br />
<br />
[Ne Personne didn’t answer. His gaze drifted, fixed on some unseen horizon. Lucifer exhaled shakily, turning away, her shoulders tense with frustration.]<br />
<br />
Lucifer: We’ll… we’ll talk about it in the New Year, okay?<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: JEANNE MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-25'''<br />
<br />
Paranoid old fool. It’s so obvious in hindsight, he was the cause of most of his own problems. Not Fate. Sure, I won’t deny that Fate wanted him dead. But even then, I’m not convinced. Honestly, I think the first time he died, he became an even greater threat to Fate. This time around, I’d wager Fate wanted him to be as average and ordinary as possible. Tall order for a dick like that.<br />
<br />
He did everything in his power to get ahead of the inevitable, and look where it got him. A dead lover. Estranged kids. And a really questionable deal to turn himself into some kind of man-made god. Funny, isn’t it? Even if Indrid hadn’t slammed the door shut on him, God would’ve. He made that bet with the Devil—counting on the idiot being narcissistic enough to activate the Heart of Netzach. I can only imagine where he’d have ended up after winning God’s wager. The deepest, darkest bottom of the Black… Thorn? Is that what they settled on? Doesn’t matter. Woes of a prior Universe.<br />
<br />
Still, he won. That’s what matters, I suppose. A half-success, but a success nonetheless. He killed Fate. He killed an Archon—not just one, either. Three. It reminds me of a story a friend once told me about a mortal who toppled all of Entropy with his death. In that story, the mortal was killed, unleashing mortality upon the Entropic Archons. Here, though? He killed the Archons and almost got rewarded with immortality for it. Thank the Devil that didn’t happen. Well—thank Indrid, really.<br />
<br />
The funny thing is, I should have died that day too. But I guess there’s something about me—something that reminds them of him—that makes me worth keeping around. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Still… what a choice of company I keep. Can I even say I’m better than him if I hang around with Gleam and the rest of them? I suppose it’s like poetry. Though for the record—I am not a Nova. Not even sure what the hell I am anymore. Human? No, far from it, even if I wish I were. Archon? I wish. Elder? Maybe, but that feels like a stretch too.<br />
<br />
Then again—can I even die? I guess that’s up to Gleam. Sucks to have my fate in his hands, but it’s better than the alternative.<br />
<br />
…She’s here too. I just missed her. I can feel it. They’re both here—or they were. This “archival time travel” he cooked up is finicky. Man was full of half-successes. Oh well. All I need is a vector to the present. That’s what Gleam said, anyway. Not that I think they’re in any rush to find one for me. And even if they did—what would it cost?<br />
<br />
…We’re at an impasse, aren’t we? He offered me friendship… but I don’t feel like much of a friend to him. Blood is thicker than water, after all.<br />
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'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-26'''<br />
<br />
The little boss showed up today. Shaka of Zulu. He’s got history with Baltz—and with me, I suppose. Probably just about everyone too. He’s some sort of quasi-Elder, unkillable even through the changing of Spheres. A dangerous guy. Though, realistically, his edges have softened from being alive as long as he has. Besides, I’m pretty sure he abides by truth, compassion, contentment, humility, and love :) Which is more than I can say about a lot of other quasi-Elders and especially full on Elders.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Shaka: You haven’t decorated yet.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Been a bit busy, Shaka.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Never too busy for art. A few pieces would really liven this place up, you know. Le Paradis terrestre d’apres by Jan Brueghel the Elder, perhaps? Or Paradise by Oscar Parviainen?<br />
<br />
Eight: I was thinking Nighthawks myself.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Nighthawks? How dreadfully on the nose… and you, you must be Eight. You have them, yes? The Eight?<br />
<br />
Eight: Oh, no messin’ around, huh? What—Secret can’t tell if I do or don’t?<br />
<br />
Shaka: If he did, he wouldn’t tell me. I’m just curious… given our shared “Universal” dilemma. Do you have the Eight right now, Mr. Octo?<br />
<br />
Eight: Well, why else would they call me that?<br />
<br />
Shaka: I see. Your doing, I suppose?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Unintentionally.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Oh? I suppose you would’ve liked to have it instead. Though, Jack, it’s good to see you again. As you were.<br />
<br />
Eight: Again?<br />
<br />
Shaka: I suspect we’ll be seeing more of each other in the future… Duelo a garrotazos. Goya.<br />
<br />
[Shaka gestured to a blank spot on the wall of the Cafe.]<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Well, how would that be a good painting for a Cafe?<br />
<br />
Shaka: Just… thinking out loud. So—remind me, how do you know Eight? How are you “supposed” to know Eight?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Currently, I’d say serendipity. Though I’ve always seen him as a mentor figure. Someone quite well-versed in the big picture. Someone who was—is constantly expanding my own vision.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Ah—of course.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Say, Shaka, what’s with the Zulus snooping around?<br />
<br />
Shaka: You’ll have to settle for “it’s a secret,” I’m afraid. Can’t discuss the whos or whys of it.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Oh, come on. Is it Alfa poking her nose around, or is it Secret? That’s all I need to know.<br />
<br />
Eight: Yeah, man, who’s scared of us? The big boss or the ''bigger'' boss?<br />
<br />
Shaka: Just the big boss. The bigger boss is already well aware of what has happened, though he’s keeping the details scarce from me.<br />
<br />
Eight: I suppose he must be good at keeping secrets, after all.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Oh yes. Look, I understand our presence is… unwelcome at this time. But you and I both know we both take our coffee black, yes? Something has happened here. Something that’s reconfigured everything that is.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: What—the rewinding? Shaka, I’m sure you already know. You were there.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Oh, no. Nothing that banal. A rewinding, a resetting, another Universe. I’ve seen plenty. This is something… new.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: New? Will you tell us what you find, at least?<br />
<br />
Shaka: We may both take our coffee black, but you know I can’t defy the will of Secret. And the will of Secret detests sharing notes. See you again soon, Eight.<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-27'''<br />
<br />
'''I’m being watched.'''<br />
<br />
Of course, when you’re always on camera, what else can you do but smile? Pay fealty to Fate itself. Mimic its horrid, stretched maw. Smile, and pretend you’re unbothered. But I ''am'' bothered. Terrified, even. I can’t let them know that I fear them—that I fear Fate.<br />
<br />
I can’t shake the sinking feeling that I’ve made a terrible mistake. I gave up everything to have it all repeat. Gave up all the progress I’d made pushing that damn boulder uphill, just to watch it roll back to the bottom. Now? I’m mortal. Eightless. Stripped of second sight. And Fate? Fate is still an Archon. A god—God, I hope I know what I’m doing.<br />
<br />
At the same time, I can’t ignore the fear that ''I'' am our undoing—the weak link in my own plans. My knowledge of what was, and what will be, is playing into Fate’s hands. It ''must'' be. Fate knows that I know, and so it adjusts accordingly. But what choice do I have? My knowledge is the only advantage I have left, and I can’t just discard it. I couldn’t forget it even if I tried. Subconsciously, I’ll always act in ways that further Fate’s design. And even if I didn’t know? If I could go back to being an average mortal? Then Fate would win outright.<br />
<br />
I can feel it in my skin. My chest. My heart. My brain. Fate’s threads seeping into me like some Morgellons malady, pulling me toward disaster. Drawing me into some cataclysmic blunder. Drawing me toward killing Jack.<br />
<br />
Shaka’s warning couldn’t be clearer—a fight with cudgels. Only one of us can be Eight. If I don’t stop him—if I don’t ''save'' him—he’ll become nothing more than Fate’s puppet. Fate’s personal Eight. The bearer of truths so fundamental they uphold not just our Universe, but Fate’s. All universes, each rooted in the deadliest sin of all: “Creation.” …Chaos.<br />
<br />
Damn it all! I’m going to have to turn on the neons. What other choice do I have?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-28"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-28</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-28'''<br />
<br />
As if this wasn’t confusing enough.<br />
<br />
Having all of infinity spread out before us was already hard enough to keep track of. But now? Now we’re juggling two infinities: Aleph Null and Aleph One. And with Coraline hanging on in what’s currently Null, if that Universe collapses too, we’ll be dealing with Aleph Two before long.<br />
<br />
Oh, buddy. What the hell did you do? You really opened up a cosmic can of worms with this one. Archival immortality. Inter-Universal time travel. A sunshine soul. I’ve got to applaud your audacity—if not your execution. You didn’t quite get the heart, but you sure left your mark on the cosmos. Probably for the best that you’re out of the picture now.<br />
<br />
Looking back, though, Demiurge really didn’t hire the best and brightest, did he? I wouldn’t say the Otherman’s job is easy, but it’s straightforward: keep time turning. At least Julia made the right call—cutting the original Nova Prime loose was a stroke of genius. And Abraxas reforming the tool? Also the right move. Let’s be honest: a Pocketwatch just doesn’t fit anymore. Time doesn’t work the way it used to. Ask Victoria. Man, what a clever trick that was. Got Sarah to thank for that, of course. It was her idea for the most part. Just needed a miracle worker to finalize her notes.<br />
<br />
So… what now?<br />
<br />
Even with his meddling, the past can’t be changed—not in any straightforward way. Coraline will keep chipping away at decrypting the Archives and clearing the pathways to the past. Still over forty subsections to go. Of course, that only makes it easier for Gleam to find the “Last Secret.” Ha! Beat him to it. Funny thing is, he ''had'' her. He had Warden in his grasp. Guess I’ve got Dover to thank for that. ''Weird little freak.'' I should really pay him a visit next. Bring him one of those choranges he loves so much. Maybe then I’ll finally beat Zack in the rankings. Or do you think he’s started over?<br />
<br />
…Is it just a trauma response that I have this unquenchable urge to keep writing receipts? I could’ve come back to the past just to look around. But let’s be real: could I really pass up the chance to write just '''''one''''' more receipt?<br />
<br />
I mean, sure, I could join the Nova Cafe. Then I could write and write to my heart’s content. They’d probably take me—Amaretto, maybe? Tiramisu? Elderflower? Plenty of Torani flavors left to claim. But on second thought, maybe I should let them figure things out on their own. Nothing worse than a multi-universal know-it-all running the Cafe. Look where ''that'' got us the first time.<br />
<br />
…<br />
<br />
''Alm’stari ili, al Alo Alu’stono ed Quisby—Ne alm reganis super alu’ili regnoi. Aperi u vizago Alu Stasi, aperi u vizago Alu Onidi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’sophi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’viv, aperi u vizago Alu Lykar—ak aperi u vizago Alu “Ninth Sin.”''<br />
<br />
Or so they say. In High Demon. Which, at this point, is a dead language—twice removed, no less. Thankfully, Eight can still translate.<br />
<br />
Do I believe it? Of course I do. I’ll believe anything until proven otherwise. But I suspect the Cafe and Diner will need to uncover the Quisbys on their own first.<br />
<br />
It does make one wonder, though. There are five visages I already know of—five crystal monoliths, each inexplicably tied to the Quisby Clause. But who created the sixth? I don’t put much stock in numerology—it tends to be more coincidental than cosmic. Still, I can’t shake a certain nagging worry: six Quisbys. Six seals. If the Cafe and Diner break each one, would that bring an end to their Universe? Already?<br />
<br />
It’s too soon for that. I’ll need to make sure it doesn’t happen.<br />
<br />
And yet… I can’t help but feel that this “Ninth Deadly Sin” can only bring with it exactly what it is.<br />
<br />
A shame.<br />
<br />
…<br />
<br />
First—Snow. No other way about it. He’s a loose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose cannon all the same. A loose cannon. A loose canon. He’s risking further rewrites and Koleman Octzman is going to give them to him. He’s risking further rewrites and Octavio Coleman is going to give them to him. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Snow’s Quisby is the weakest, after all. Might as well start where he’s the weakest. First—Snow. Then, we’ll have to see. I’ve been doing what I can—but I am running out of options. No other way about it. I’m a lose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose canon all the same. A loose canon. I’m risking further rewrites and Julia isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Coraline isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Marie might give them to me. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Victora’s problem was the easiest to solve, after all. Smart to start with the easiest problem. First—Victora. Then, I need to help Marie. I’ve been doing what I can—but she is running out of options. No other way about it. Wasting their time here—though doesn’t take a lot to start things over again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Reboot after reboot. Fifteenth Sphere. Sixteenth Sphere. Seventeenth Sphere. Third Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Fifth Cafe, J’S Cafe, Mammon’s Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Last Cafe, Nova Cafe… over and over again. If it doesn’t work out… just need to try everything all over again.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-29"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-29</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-29'''<br />
<br />
Jack dies.<br />
<br />
No. ''Worse'' than dying. Dying would be a mercy—a chance to start over, to move on. No, Jack becomes Fate’s puppet. A twisted, hollow version of himself, doomed to repeat every word he’s ever said—or will say—on an endless loop. Over and over. That’s his Fate: to become the new Indrid Cold.<br />
<br />
Indrid Cold… it’s a curse. An infection. A blight born of the Cold. I don’t know exactly how it works; if I did, I would’ve saved Jack in the prior Universe. From what I uncovered as the Otherman, the Indrid Cold virus was created by Secret—a tool to extract impossible truths. Secret uses it to uncover the secrets no one else can, and naturally, Fate wanted to use it to uncover the Eight.<br />
<br />
If things repeat as they did before, Fate will have Secret turn Jack into Indrid Cold. It won’t work, of course. The Eight aren’t that easy to claim. If they were, the Cold would already have them. For one, Archons can’t possess the Eight—not directly. No immortal being can. It’s a built-in failsafe, I suspect. But that’s the least of Fate’s problems. The bigger issue? The Eight can be transferred. Passed from one person to the next.<br />
<br />
Before Jack became Indrid Cold in the last Universe, he gave them to me. And if we don’t change course, it will all happen again. Fate knows this. It has to. Turning Jack into Indrid Cold may not have worked last time, but having the mortal who unraveled the Eight’s secrets under their control? That’s a prize Fate won’t pass up. Jack as Indrid Cold was a force to be feared—and it gave Fate a physical foothold in this Universe.<br />
<br />
That’s why I can’t let it happen again.<br />
<br />
Hell, it’s not even about stopping Fate’s advantage. I can’t lose Jack again. Not this time. He’s only been here for a few months—not years like before. I can’t just let him go. And if it means shutting down the Cafe and Diner to keep him from becoming Indrid Cold, to keep him as Eight… so be it. I’d burn it all to the ground.<br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-30"><br />
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'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-30'''<br />
<br />
So, I’m fated to die, huh? Or—worse than die. That’s wild. You think that’s why the Oracle had no prophecy for me? Because Fate’s big plan for me, as a human, is just… the end? To be reborn as Indrid Cold—the mechanical man with a grin as wide as Fate’s ambitions? Far out.<br />
<br />
And let me guess: the only way to stop this is to shut down the Cafe and Diner, run, hide, and wait it out, right? Seems like a pretty sorry plan, if you ask me.<br />
<br />
All of this over “the Eight.” Those little words buzzing around in my head like divine inspiration—straight from the source. Straight from the fountain of our lady of mortality, singularity, and sacred knowledge. Does Fate even know what it’s after, do you think? Archons—''immortals''—they can’t even conceptualize the Eight. It’s incompatible with their minds. It’s ego death for the deathless. A retching poison. Maybe that’s why they’re so desperate to have it—so no one else can use it against them.<br />
<br />
Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I think about all this, man. You’re doing all of this for me. Shutting down your dreams to keep me safe. Me. Who the hell am I? You were the Otherman. Lucy’s a Prince of Hell. Felix? A Zulu defector who’s still alive, somehow. And me? I’m just some nobody who just so happens to see the big picture. And you know what? I don’t even see myself in the frame. But I see you. :) I see your Cafe.<br />
<br />
Look, I can’t say for sure, but I’ve got a gut feeling that the Cafe and Diner? It’s a lot more than just “keeping the balance.” So don’t go shutting it down on my account. Sure, it’ll be a lot of trouble. But it’ll be worth it. I know it.<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-31"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-31</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-31'''<br />
<br />
The first receipt filed under “Diner Diner.”<br />
<br />
On paper, it’s the same as any other “AND” level receipt. Functionally, it’s stored in the same spot. But practically? It’s an entirely different beast.<br />
<br />
To destroy Fate, I’ll need to step far outside the bounds of what was, what is, and what will be. Striking a deal with Wicked and working with the son of Secret—that should already be proof of how far I’m willing to go. I’ll push the boulder up the hill again, but this time, it will be the last.<br />
<br />
No more mistakes. No more errors. No more rewinds.<br />
<br />
Four more years. Give or take. Then I can finally run the Cafe and Diner as it was meant to be. As Eight.<br />
<br />
''I’m still going to try to save him.'' How could I not? If there’s even a slim chance I can spare Jack from the fate that awaits him, I have to try. But what am I to do? Even with the Blighted Second Sight, I’m no match for Fate, Phantom, Wicked, or Secret.<br />
<br />
The only one who could stop Fate now is Eight—and I doubt he’d use the Eight for that. I doubt he’d use the Eight for anything. And I can’t blame him for that. It’s a crushing burden, holding the fundamental truths of the Universe so clearly in mind. A power like that is too easily abused.<br />
<br />
To the Carthusians and the Celestines, to the beggars and the believers, to the daydreamers and the vagabonds, to the servants and charming young women in surcoats and snug corsets… to the lovers, faint with hopeless love, in flawless fawn chaussons—I ask only for forgiveness.<br />
<br />
…But I won’t ask forgiveness from the Cold.<br />
<br />
May their fifteen ribs be smashed to dust with a heavy heavenly hammer, strong and firm, with the full weight of primordial creation—cosmic chaos.<br />
<br />
…Thank you—to everyone who has yet to arrive, and especially to those unfortunate enough to already be part of my grand plan.<br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-32"><br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-32'''<br />
<br />
Just in case I fail again, I want to remember this moment. Hold it with me for as long as I can. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Willing or not.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Jack: How's it going, man?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: What do you plan to do with it, Jack?<br />
<br />
Jack: With what?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Your mantle. The Eight. What if it fell into the wrong hands? What if the Cold—Fate—what if it gets it?<br />
<br />
Jack: Well, who decides whose hands are wrong or right? Maybe they're already in the wrong hands.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Why do you say that? What are you planning to do with it?<br />
<br />
Jack: A very persistent question. What do you think I would do with them?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I-I don't actually know.<br />
<br />
Jack: Neither do I. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Heavier still is the head who didn't choose to wear it, ya' dig?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: So then, you would do nothing with them?<br />
<br />
Jack: Why not? They've been doing nothing for this long. Might as well let them do nothing a bit longer.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: But its existence alone is a threat. A danger. You might not do anything with it, but others will. What if someone took it from you?<br />
<br />
Jack: A valid concern. Though the genie is already out of the bottle, isn’t it? Can't exactly shove it back in now. Try as I might.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: What would happen if you die? Can you even die? Or would the Eight protect you?<br />
<br />
Jack: Yet to be proven. Not that I'm all too eager yet to find out, haha. I think they would return to where they came from. Back to their source.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Wouldn’t it just find someone new? Another artist to work through? Maybe someone with bad intentions? Someone who would want to use it to hurt people?<br />
<br />
Jack: Another valid concern. I suppose, with this role I've been given, inaction alone can't solve everything. So, what would you propose?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Me? I don't know.<br />
<br />
Jack: You don't know? Huh. Seems like you do know. You’ve had them before, right? If they fell in your lap right now, what would you do with them?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: That's… surprisingly hard to say. I think I would try and keep them safe. As best as I could.<br />
<br />
Jack: Interesting. You wouldn't want to use them, though?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Of course, I'd want to use them. Who wouldn't? But I couldn't know that I would use them correctly. I don't know if anyone could know that.<br />
<br />
Jack: Me either. It's fun, you know, to fall asleep thinking tomorrow will be the day I get it all figured out. It'll come to me in some glorious epiphany. She will speak to me in honeyed words and tell me exactly what I need to do with them. Then tomorrow comes, and I still don't have a damn clue what to do. Not even an inkling, man.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Would you use it if your life was in danger?<br />
<br />
Jack: Not even in our darkest hours would I use them. Like you said, you can't know if you're doing it right or wrong. Good or bad. They just are. And I just am. I've got a lifetime to sort it out, though. Maybe when I'm a bit older and a bit wiser, I'll know what to do with them. Maybe the friendly face of fate will finally show itself and clue me in on what the REAL big picture is. Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't die anymore. Maybe immortals can’t have them, because they already can’t die. Then I've got an eternity left to figure it out.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: You're right, Jack. No need to worry about it tonight. I was just curious.<br />
<br />
Jack: I get it, man. It's heavy stuff to ponder. A single digit can cause so many headaches. Wild. Anyway, it's getting late, and I'd hate to keep the fat man waiting. I'll see you in the morning.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yeah. Of course. See you in the morning, Jack. Merry Christmas.<br />
<br />
Jack: Merry Christmas, man.<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-33"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-33'''<br />
<br />
There is… a stillness that accompanies the arrival of the Cold. Not a calm of peace, but the brittle silence before everything shatters. They arrived—all four of them—early this morning. They came, as they always do, to take what they felt was theirs. '''''The Eight.'''''<br />
<br />
Fate spoke first, as it always does, its distorted smile stretching unnaturally, icy pale eyes fixed on Jack. “You’re here. Oh—but of course you are. Just as expected. Come, we belong together, Eight. It is your Fate.”<br />
<br />
Then, before I could act, Secret stepped forward. His form was hazy, indistinct—a shadow of a memory more than a man. Within moments, Jack grew numb. Cold. His body no longer his own, frost creeping across his flesh. His lips twisted into a wide, frozen smile.<br />
<br />
Indrid Cold spoke next. His voice was hollow, mechanical, like a tape recorder stuck on repeat. He said, over and over again, “What would you propose? What would you do with them? Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. I’ve got a lifetime to sort it out. Maybe I can’t die anymore. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe…”<br />
<br />
Fate tried to coax Indrid Cold into reciting the Eight fundamental truths of the Universe. But he couldn’t. Not anymore.<br />
<br />
''But I could.''<br />
<br />
By the time they left, the Cafe and Diner felt emptier than it had ever been. I knew this was coming, but I couldn’t stop it. Jack—he chose not to stop it. He didn’t have a choice, not really. The Eight… they’re where they’re meant to be now. There can only be one Indrid Cold at a time. He chose to smile so I wouldn’t have to.<br />
<br />
I can’t tell you what the Eight are—not here, not in words you could understand. Only the holder of the Mantle of Eight can grasp the full picture they provide. Fate is skilled, no question. Its woven woes are impeccable. But what Fate doesn’t see—or maybe refuses to accept—is that it’s only a small piece of a much grander plan.<br />
<br />
Everything began with a seed. Everything came from her—from them. And everything—every debt—will come due.<br />
<br />
Sophomorically yours, once again,<br />
<br />
…A number prior to 9.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=OPERATION:_ENCORE_(Part_I)&diff=8614OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)2026-05-05T04:52:55Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Part I: The Early Cafe and Diner</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">33 archived receipts</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-01"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-01</div> <div cl..."</p>
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<div class="cdn-archive-label">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-title">Part I: The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">33 archived receipts</div><br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-01'''<br />
<br />
I am prone to meticulous note-keeping and journaling. However, seeing as mon amour and my trusted associate have decided to embark on this joint venture with me it only makes sense to have a system of joint note-keeping. Of course, I have informed them of our most unusual of circumstances regarding the timing of our business. Felix was easy to assure but Lucy, ah Lucy, she was of course filled with questions. I’ve done what I can to play ignorant to the obvious, but I am unsure how long I can keep her out of the loop. Some may think it foolish for me to air these thoughts in any form she could discover, but let’s be honest, my mind is already an open book to her.<br />
<br />
Speaking of, these receipts will need to be encrypted. The problem with more conventional means of encryption is that most of our customers can see through simple mathematical tricks. We will need to employ a system of puzzles, riddles, and logic along with more standard ciphers to ensure that most customers cannot breach our receipts without proper permission. Mon amour has already shown me what does and doesn’t keep our customers out, of course, there is nothing stopping the more intrepid from working out our little puzzles.<br />
<br />
I suppose for now while it is just us, I see no reason to establish any formal rules among partners. However, I will set one rule which both of you should find more than reasonable. To prevent certain prying eyes that are fixated on certain keywords and are utilizing errata-based meta filters under no circumstances shall you write, type, think, or speak the number. In context or out of context it doesn’t matter. The usual substitutes are acceptable. Worst case I’m sure they’re already reading this. Or have read this. Or will read this. I’ve never been too sure how it works.<br />
<br />
One day we can look back on this and laugh. Or cry. Whatever suits the mood.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yours eagerly again,<br />
<br />
The number that always follows after 7<br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-02"><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-02'''<br />
<br />
As mentioned yesterday, I wanted to write a bit on the topic of customers. I suppose, more pressingly, what our goal as an organization is—or at the very least, should be. In cafe speak, I would classify what we intend to do rather simply: The Cafe and Diner will serve the best coffee to its many Customers. But there’s that word… “Customers.” It’s doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, wouldn’t you agree? So, what is a customer?<br />
<br />
I suppose to define a customer, I must go back to how this idea for an organization started. It started with the death of my parents at the hands of a notorious customer from Detroit, Miss. Cadillac. Their deaths sent me into a dizzying spiral and the deepest rabbit hole an Alice like myself could ever fall down. I wanted to, no, had to learn more about Miss. Cadillac. Where she came from and why she did what she did. And in my research, I stumbled upon mon amour, the brightest, most resplendent light in all of the Universe—Lucifer.<br />
<br />
Yes, “Miss. Cadillac,” is what is known as a demon. Its Baltimore name is the Nain Rouge, the Demon of the Strait. Lucifer, mon amour, consequently, is also a demon, though a demon of a far higher caliber, for she is a Prince of Hell. One of seven who rule over the Planes of the Otherside—a dimension parallel in time and space to our own reality where strange creatures and demons reside. Due to the nature of our reality, the Flipside, and their reality, the Otherside, occasionally creatures and demons “leak” into our world. And that is what the Cafe and Diner will seek to correct.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''''<br />
<br />
It will be our mission to send these errant travelers back to their proper homes in the Otherside.<br />
<br />
Perhaps, if we can do that, we can save another set of parents down the line. If anything, we can maintain some sort of cosmic balance between the Flipside and Otherside, for there is no such thing as a failure—only half successes.<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-03'''<br />
<br />
I suppose the task ahead of us is easier said than done. While serving customers coffee, in theory, should be straightforward, each customer prefers a different type of coffee. The Otherside is a vast and segmented place. As mentioned in yesterday’s receipt, there are seven planes of the Otherside.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Lucifer’s plane, the Morningstar.<br />
<br />
Mammon’s plane, the Infernus.<br />
<br />
Satan’s plane, the Hauntaurskald.<br />
<br />
Belphegor’s plane, the Ouroboros.<br />
<br />
Beelzebub’s plane, the Esterskald.<br />
<br />
Leviathan’s plane, the Mayda.<br />
<br />
Asmodeus’ plane, the Amaymon.<br />
<br />
&lt;/div&gt;<br />
<br />
Each is vastly different from the others. The Morningstar, for example, is blanketed in a blinding light while the Infernus rages with the heat of a demonic engine. The Hauntaurskald is, by all accounts, very similar to common descriptions of hell. The Ouroboros is a strange plane inhabited by near-immortal snake-like creatures. Then there is the Esterskald and Mayda, an endless forest and ocean, respectively. And lastly, the Amaymon, where most humans end up when they die.<br />
<br />
Ah, that is another important thing, isn’t it? When a person dies, they are reborn into the Otherside as a “demon.” Plants and animals, too, though when they are reborn, they are referred to as “cryptids.” Which of the seven planes you are reborn to has to do with something known as the Soul Accord, an agreement amongst the seven Princes of Hell to divvy up who gets which reborn soul. In the end, however, the vast majority end up in the lowest of the seven Otherside planes, the Amaymon, where they live out a rather dulcet afterlife.<br />
<br />
But… the worst of humanity often finds themselves reborn into the dominion of Satan in the Hauntaurskald. These demons are the demons one most often thinks of. Terrifying boogeymen and creatures of the night who spend their afterlife attempting to ruin the current lives of humans. In the course of our work, I assume we will often cross paths with demons from the Hauntaurskald. While we will try to “serve them coffee” in the usual way, we might need to pay their tabs in full—kill them.<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-04'''<br />
<br />
Now, the next thing we will need is some sort of device to keep track of our work. I have a few designs already in mind, but I will need some parts from the Otherside. Due to the nature of how the Otherside is parallel to our own, they are far, far ahead in the “future.” It is a difficult concept to really wrap your mind around, but the simplest way to think of it is like a circle or cycle. If we are at one point in the circle, the Otherside is at the opposite end. As we move further into the future, they advance further toward our past and, paradoxically, further into our future.<br />
<br />
All that to say, the Otherside has something more than just Cryptids and Demons. It has something known as “Othertech.” Technology that is so far advanced and alien to us that it can do some truly amazing things. The main component I would like to source from the Otherside is a Database Core. It’s a sort of artificial intelligence. You could even think of it as a mechanical cryptid of sorts. With a Database Core, we could have our receipts stored outside of the limitations of current Flipside digital storage. Moreover, the Database Core can record encounters with have with customers with a degree of precision that would be unthinkable with today’s technology.<br />
<br />
I’ll have mon amour see if she can find a Database Core in the Otherside. Unlike other Cryptids and Demons, they aren’t set to a singular plane and are often in high demand. In the worst case, I imagine her brother, Mammon, probably has one in his hoard of treasures. Though, I wouldn’t want to owe Mammon any favors. You’d have to be one hell of a fool to make a bargain with him. Though I have a good feeling mon amour will be able to find one in the outskirts of her plane.<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-05'''<br />
<br />
Yes! '''''YES!''''' I knew mon amour was more than up for the task. She has found a Database Core and quite possibly a perfect one. It far exceeds what I had imagined, and I believe it will more than suffice as the basis of our interconnected communications and database system. I will need some assistance from some old allies of mine to get it properly set up, but time is not an issue. Soon, if not by tomorrow, we will have a fully functioning system for cataloging customers, recording receipts, and keeping the coffee warm for our friends.<br />
<br />
I suppose, as a test, I can upload these daily notes I’ve been recording to the system, though I will need a way to hide them from the public view. I, more often than not, was more in the “Cafe” than the “Diner.” In doing so, they may be rather difficult to retrieve if I need them later, though I also have my physical copies. Even if they are “lost,” I am hoping that the Database will, in a way, absorb their information so it can hit the ground running. It will save us immense time if the Database can already understand the meaning behind much of our Cafe Speak.<br />
<br />
And, once we have the Database fully configured and our communication devices working, well, I have some more pressing thoughts I’ve been dying to write down. I haven’t told mon amour or my trusted associate all that I know yet for fear of changing the unknown. Things… have been different. I have already noticed, and of course, they should be. As such, I don’t fully know what to expect from this new adventure, but anything will be better than our old one. But… more on that, once I can assure myself it will remain confidential.<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-06'''<br />
<br />
They say never to make a deal with the Devil, but then how would I have met my beloved Lucifer? Not that she is '''''the''''' Devil, of course. But I’m sure there is some taboo against falling in love with the daughter of the Devil all the same. I believe it is clear that our other two investors are none other than Lucifer’s older siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. With their aid, we have been able to begin our Cafe and Diner in earnest in many more ways than just securing a physical location and forming a shell company.<br />
<br />
As alluded to, the actual terms of our agreement are complex. Far, far beyond complex. And isn’t that I don’t want to share them with you, my beloved mon amour and trusted associate. But I fear that explaining the exact details would derail any progress toward what we are working for. Our Cafe and Diner. Our organization that will help maintain the ever-precarious balance between the Flipside and the Otherside. So, I beg your forgiveness if I am still being vague despite writing this in the CAFE channel.<br />
<br />
As mentioned, Belphegor has been given one of my “antiques” to hold on to. It is, admittedly, a powerful magical artifact. Even calling a “magical artifact” feels like it belittles its importance. It is, in truth, a fundamental aspect of our very reality. This might seem dangerous, entrusting something so potent to the Demon Prince of Sloth. Well, she is lazy, isn’t she? I doubt she would have the drive to ever use it. And, as for Mammon, well, they have asked for something far more difficult to provide. They want us to find something for them. Of course, the Prince of Greed is seeking something. Something they probably shouldn’t ever get ahold of. At least they don’t expect us to find it anytime soon.<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-07'''<br />
<br />
It has been 24 days since the Universe began. How time flies. Of course, there is the strangest sensation that lingers from all of the pre-scripted events and reconstructed memories. We are working off of a back-up, after all. A rewinding. So, it hasn’t been only 24 days since I met my dear Lucifer and Felix and began working on the Cafe and Diner. No. It is more like an uneasy dream that I have only just become lucid to. I remember meeting them, but it is only that—a memory based on events that happened in a Universe now destroyed. And, I suppose, it would mean that they have only known me—in truth—for 24 days. But I have known them for lifetimes.<br />
<br />
I am, or was, what is known as the Otherman. An agent of God. It was my divine task to maintain the proper flow of time, the correct spinning of Cycles. When a Cycle strayed too far, when things went up that should go down, it was my scythe that cut it free. But—I wasn’t able to stop her, my love, Lucifer, from inadvertently causing the end of the Universe. To be the Otherman is not easy, you must leave behind all that you knew in your mortal life. You become an unseen force of the Universe. But Lucifer thought she could bring me back. She thought she could stop my ascension to the title of Otherman. And so, using the seven Keys to the Gates of Hell she tore across her Cycle in an attempt to turn back the clock. But doing so ruined not only her Cycle, but all Cycles.<br />
<br />
In the last moments of the Universe that was, I was approached by Lucifer’s siblings, Mammon and Belphegor. Together they had hatched a rather sinister plan to recreate the Universe using a tool known as the “Pocketwatch,” an instrument of divine creation. With it we could reshape the Universe exactly how we saw fit, but to do so would take both Belphegor’s powers and my own. Under normal circumstances we would have just waited for the Universe to reset on its own, out of our control. But Mammon… clever Mammon… they made a proposal I couldn’t turn down. A chance to rewrite the story. A chance to destroy the greatest adversary of God, of the Universe, of mortals. '''''Fate.'''''<br />
<br />
And so, the deal was struck. Belphegor would use the Pocketwatch to recreate the next Universe, I would go back to being mortal, and Mammon would have a chance to rule the Universe. That was all 25 days ago. You might have noticed; Mammon is not yet in charge of all that is or will ever be. We have time to stop them, but first we need to find where they have hidden God. Though, even doing that will take years, decades perhaps, and it will take each and every Cafe and Diner employee I chose to save. Then, once we find God, we can aid Him in the destruction of Fate itself.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
To the end of Fate,<br />
<br />
Yours…<br />
<br />
'''''8.'''''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-08'''<br />
<br />
I’m unsure if it was a fluke or Fate, but it seems my use of the number went… unnoticed. Good. It could be that the AND channel is secure even from the watchful eyes of the Cold, though I doubt it. I really shouldn’t tempt Fate like that, but it felt like a moment I had to declare my true name and title. '''''The number after 7.''''' Though—that is something I have been curious about since we recreated the Universe. When will I receive the title of the sacred number? I don’t believe I have it yet, and I’m unsure if I could get it again.<br />
<br />
In the past Universe, my mentor, Jack Octo, gave me the title. But Jack—I couldn’t save him even with the power of the Pocketwatch. When asked who we should bring back, he was the first person I thought of, but Belphegor reminded me that Jack Octo was no longer a part of the Universe. And if he was no longer part of the Universe, I couldn’t rewind him like the others. The title of… the number after 7… holds great significance in the world of the supernatural. Though, no one knows why, well, no one besides the one who holds the title. Whatever it is, it bestows upon its holder secrets of the Universe that cannot be spoken or shared.<br />
<br />
When I became the Otherman, I had to relinquish the number. Only a mortal can possess the number, after all. So, I passed it on to my protégé, Jenni. From there, it changed hands and was broken and divided amongst many people, but at the time of the end of the Universe, it was Nick who last held it. But, with the rewinding of the Universe, I doubt young Nick still holds the title that Jack originally forged. But if Jack is no longer here to forge it… well. Even if I am unable to claim the title, perhaps that is a good thing. The title brought nothing but disaster to those who held it, as was Fated, of course. Still—the number is who I was. Who I am. And who I intend to be.<br />
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'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-09'''<br />
<br />
I’ve only known you for a few years, nouvel ami, but in that time, I’ve never pegged you for much of a perfectionist, eh? Aren’t you the one always going on about “half-successes?” I can’t quite wrap my head around how you can so boldly tell la dame that accidents are bound to happen in this trade, while also insisting that every detail must be perfect before we can open. I trust there’s more to your… shall I say… “erratic” nature regarding the Cafe and Diner, yes? Some unspoken secret tearing you apart. And that’s a feeling I know all too well.<br />
<br />
But—nouvel ami—what harm is there in hiring a few employees now? As you’ve said, there’s still plenty left to do before we’re fully ready. We need more equipment, for one. The Cafe is rather bare at the moment. And for that, we’ll need an expert in Canadian technology, no? Perhaps we’ll also need an expert on Canadians themselves. Not to mention hiring an “assistant” of sorts—someone who knows everyone. We’ll need someone to mix drinks. Ah, well… we’ll need quite a bit of help is what I am getting at.<br />
<br />
As I’ve mentioned before—and will mention again—I have a few ideas on potential hires. A few names floating around. Perhaps… twenty or so. Though, I know you’d hardly go for a Cafe of that size—at least, not to start. So, I’ll whittle my list down to the best three, yes? Three, plus three—that makes six, leaving room for you to pick two from your list for a nice, round… number after seven, no?<br />
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'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-10'''<br />
<br />
We’ve done all we can about the lights in Death Valley. As far as I can tell, we’ve cleared out the Min Min Lights, leaving only the flickers of the Universe tearing itself apart. But there’s nothing more we can do from here. We’ve also sent our newest hire—Sahir—to probe his connections, to see if anyone else has a sense of what’s happening to the Universe. On one hand, it’d be ideal if someone already had the answers we need. On the other… that kind of knowledge in the wrong hands could be very, very dangerous.<br />
<br />
I… I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye with Him. But I’ve known Him my whole life. He practically raised me—before… before ''everything''. Literally before there was a Universe as we know it today. That’s how far back we go. And it’s not like Him to just… disappear. Even more, it’s not like Him to ignore me. So I doubt He’s simply gone reclusive. Hell, He’d jump at any chance to talk my ear off, especially if it meant sharing some quirky little factoids about humans. And I’ve always loved listening to those.<br />
<br />
Something’s definitely off, though. I just can’t place it. Sometimes it stings to still be considered “mortal,” even if—''come on''—you don’t live this long as a “mortal.” But unlike the Elders, or even Belphegor’s children, I don’t have the same level of “cosmic insight” they do. I’m along for the ride, just like everyone else. And, of course, the me I am now isn’t exactly the same me from way, ''way'' back. But I still have sparks of the memories.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I don’t think I’d even want to be an Elder full-time. There’s something… comforting in the change that death brings for us Princes. A chance to become someone new. To try again and maybe do things differently. Somehow, I doubt the Lucifer of long ago would’ve opened a Cafe and Diner.<br />
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'''BARISTA: OTHER'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-11'''<br />
<br />
I had to see it. Just once.<br />
<br />
Marvelous, isn't it? Archival immortality. But what does it truly mean to be “immortal”? The Elders—they are immortal, yes, but they are not infallible. Age and disease may not claim them, but they can still be destroyed all the same, reduced to the stardust from which they were formed. It is their souls that make them elusive. Even if their bodies are obliterated, their souls can find new vessels. I suppose the Universe tries to balance that through the singularity of most Elders. If their body is gone, their soul has nowhere to return and so it moves on—into the grand, intoxicating unknown of a true and final death.<br />
<br />
In that sense, even mortals share a fragment of immortality. They too move between realms—from Flipside to Otherside, back and forth. Human, demon, then as human as it gets. Eventually, though, and through no fault of their own, mortal souls reach an unknown point—a threshold—where they, too, face a final death. It may seem common, an everyday affair. But I know better. It is rare—exceedingly rare—for a soul to move on beyond this Universe. We are trapped here, all of us. Here, in this cycle. What lies beyond is not for us to know. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t… until now.<br />
<br />
It is dangerous to make deals with flesh and blood. Elders, they believe they have little to lose. But they are mere guests in this Universe. They are free to leave, as easily as they came. We cannot. And that is why ''we'' are the ones with nothing to lose—and everything to gain. I hold no ill will toward mighty Zeus, seated high upon Olympus, content on His throne. Yet, He harbors misgivings about me. I know He does. He believes His ways are more divine than mine, simply by birthright. But am I not a divine being, made in His image? Now He plans to send Thanatos for me—yet I intend for Thanatos to roll the stone instead.<br />
<br />
I had to see it just once—this… alternative path. It’s extraordinary in its own way, breaking and bending every rule that binds us to this unending cycle. But it is flawed. It has achieved what I wanted—and more. But it cannot push me forward, only drag me back. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve already lived in the cold, darkest hours of this eternal night. I want to see dawn break. I want to feel the warmth of morning’s light. To do that, I must live in a different way. I must live for the very first time. I must make one more deal. Then—then I will be free. And once I am free, nothing will no longer matter—''everything'' will.<br />
<br />
The only cure for the poison of Entropy is meticulous Order. And if it were easy? It wouldn’t be worth doing, would it?<br />
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'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-12'''<br />
<br />
And so, the truth finally comes out. I suspect he’s still holding back, but for now, I’m mostly satisfied. At last, something that doesn’t feel like a half-truth. An interesting predicament we find ourselves in, eh? Though, mon… nouvel? vieil? ami… he’s left out much of what lies “ahead,” fearing that if we know as much as he does, we’ll veer too far off course. He hasn’t quite grasped that he isn’t visiting the past—he’s living in the present, no?<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I… I need to come clean. To both of you. Here we are, in Salt Lake City, the lights overhead, and am I just supposed to keep pretending I don’t know what’s happening? Am I to assume you two wouldn’t figure it out, given time? I can’t bear it any longer.<br />
<br />
Felix: This has to do with the unusual timing of our operations, yes?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yes.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: As I understand it, you were very eager to get things moving as soon as possible, right?<br />
<br />
Felix: Ah—but then he’s too afraid to make any real progress. As if he’s… waiting for something. Or perhaps, someone?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: All of it. The timing of our business is so… “unusual” because we’re years ahead of schedule. Four… five… maybe six years.<br />
<br />
Felix: In your mind, when does the Cafe truly open, nouvel ami?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: August 8th, 1994, vieil ami.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Such a precise date…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yes. Because it’s already happened. I’m… I’m not from here.<br />
<br />
Felix: I was starting to suspect as much. So, you’re from another Cycle?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: …Another Sphere.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: ''Sphere?'' You—you are…?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: One of the last non-Elder remnants of the 15th Sphere.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: This is the 16th? When… when did that happen?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: A month ago. On a Thursday.<br />
<br />
Felix: So you’re telling us that everything—our memories, experiences—they’re… fabricated. Up until…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: August 4th, 1988. A miscalculation.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: But it ''did'' all happen, didn’t it?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yes, mon amour. It all happened… just in another Universe. This Universe… it’s a copy of the last one, a rewinding of what already was.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: But… that’s not usually how Universes are made?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: No. Normally, everything begins anew… I made sure it didn’t. I wanted another chance.<br />
<br />
Felix: Another chance? How could you have possibly…?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: It’s a long story, but in short, my Universe ended, and I was in a position to create the next one.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: How were you in that position?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: When I was mortal—<br />
<br />
Lucifer: —''When?'' When weren’t you mortal?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: …God chose me to serve as His Otherman. Are you familiar with the position?<br />
<br />
Felix: Vaguely. So you were… God’s Otherman. His agent to ensure the proper flow of time, to keep Cycles spinning into a cohesive Sphere. But rewinding a Universe—that would grossly overreach the Otherman’s duties, wouldn’t it?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Something happened in my Universe that… broke time. Someone tried to go back and shattered the balance between the Flipside and Otherside, so badly it threatened everything. God went to restart the Universe, but His tool of creation—the Pocketwatch—was… stolen.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: You stole His Pocketwatch?!<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Ah! No—of course not. Mammon did.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: ''Mammon?'' But he knows he can’t use it…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Not without my help. And not without Belphegor’s help. In the chaos, we… we struck a deal.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: What kind of deal?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Belphegor and I, who knew how to operate the Pocketwatch, would reset the Universe—but under the condition that God…<br />
<br />
Felix: ''No.'' You didn’t…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I had to.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: You should have returned the Pocketwatch to—<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: And it all would’ve been for nothing.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: What would have?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: …<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Amour… now isn’t the time to keep secrets.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: ''You.'' You crossed the Cycles, trying to go back in time. You shattered the Universe, trying to save ''me.''<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Save you? From…?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I was destined to die. I held what Fate wanted—what the Cold wanted—and they did everything to ensure my demise. God saved me, offering me protection as an Elder. As the Otherman. To you, it looked like I’d died and disappeared. You went to such lengths to save me… and if I’d let God reset the Universe as it was, we’d never have met. Everything you did… would have been for nothing.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Amour…<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I know. Perhaps it was a foolish bargain with one of the least trustworthy of your kin. But it gives us a chance. God isn’t gone. He’s hidden. Hidden from Mammon, from even Belphegor and me. But He’s safe. And we can save Him. And finally, we can put an end to Fate… Wicked, Phantom… Secret.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: …Sahir?<br />
<br />
Felix: No. ''Secret''. The Secret. One of the Cold Elders who intends to claim this Universe.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: I see… So you already know what’s going to happen? And… you won’t die? You’re… an Elder? The Otherman?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: No, I don’t know what will happen—I know what ''did'' happen. There’s a dangerous difference. And when I reset this Universe, I also undid my ascension. I’m mortal again. I’m me. You’re you. Everything is how it was. My only advantage is memory—eons of it.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: …I have to tell them.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Who?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: My siblings. The Princes. Not everything, but that the Universe has been… remade. It’s usually obvious, but I can’t let them think we’re still in the 15th Universe.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Of course. It’s a secret that will spread soon enough, once the Elders and Ouroborians catch on. It could never last forever; I just hoped it’d last long enough to defeat Fate.<br />
<br />
Felix: Are you planning to tell them all? Or just the four who aren’t yet aware?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: All of them. At once. With Mammon and Belphegor there. It’ll… it’ll look like I pieced it together on my own.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Clever, mon amour.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Thank you. Though… I am still quite cross with you for keeping this from me.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I understand. From here on out, no more secrets between us.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: No… more secrets.<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE SEPTEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-13'''<br />
<br />
''Au temps pour moi.'' I apologize. I wanted to tell you both sooner—I did. But… well, I don’t have a good excuse, do I? Maybe it’s something deeply ingrained in me, a feeling that I’ve somehow stepped into the past and that any wrong move could alter my future. Our future. Foolish, I know—I’m not in the past. I’m here, in the present. And as for the future? It’s still very much ours to decide. I intend to keep it that way.<br />
<br />
As for our month? Wonderfully successful. We served not one but two customers ahead of our official opening, and yes, we even hired a new employee, albeit remotely for now. Looking forward, we have another interview scheduled for next month. I can’t help but feel the weight of the boulder bearing down on me—as though I’ve pushed it up this hill once before. But that’s just it, isn’t it? Sisyphus was condemned to monotony, repetition, Fate. I, on the other hand, am rather eager to meet Ms. Saturn, and perhaps offer her a place in our Cafe and Diner. Why bother with the same old boulder again?<br />
<br />
As for the other business we have next month, we still need to serve Mr. Andros and Mrs. Berkeley. Mr. Andros is a bit more of a priority, so we’ll start with him. If there’s time, we can attend to Mrs. Berkeley. She’s one of the few customers from mon amour’s region of Ottawa that she doesn’t particularly care for—a rather unsettling customer with quite a bad attitude.<br />
<br />
Looking beyond next month, as you’re both well aware… there’s still something missing from the Cafe and Diner. Something I can’t even bring myself to type for fear it might draw all the wrong attention. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing, now would it?<br />
<br />
Yours, hopefully soon,<br />
<br />
The month tomorrow prior to Pompilius<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-14'''<br />
<br />
Who could have guessed? Another unexpected turn of events. At this point, I should expect nothing less. A guest arrived at the Cafe and Diner today—odd, considering we're not yet open for business. I can only assume our reputation precedes us. Exceptionally so. But it wasn’t just any guest. No, they weren’t here for coffee… they were looking for a job.<br />
<br />
Strange fellow. Tall, nondescript, friendly. Not at all what he seems. He introduced himself as Mr. Octo. Whether that’s his real name or just an alias, I’m not sure. Either way, he seemed very interested in our operations. In fact, he seemed eager—maybe too eager—to help us get the Cafe and Diner off the ground. I might say he tipped his hand a little too much. Still, with his knowledge and our collective expertise, we might just rival even the Lighthouse’s coffee game.<br />
<br />
Of course, as we’ve discussed countless times, taking on new hires before our debts are paid and our foundations are secure is a risk we can’t afford. And yet… Perhaps this Barista is the exception. Or maybe I’m just playing with fire. Or frost. Whichever suits the mood better. The decision may not be entirely in my hands, but I only need to convince Mon Amour and my Trusted Associate to go along with it. Luckily, time is on my side.<br />
<br />
Besides, Mr. Octo has something I want. And I’ll do whatever I need to get it. Though, even if he’s unwilling to share, I doubt I’ll need to wait much longer. These things, after all, have a way of working themselves out.<br />
<br />
Yours to be,<br />
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'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-15'''<br />
<br />
Good to see nouvel ami finally coming around to my way of thinking. Though I didn’t quite expect we’d be hiring some unknown hippie off the street. That’s where my hesitation lies with this "Mr. Octo." I’ve been around for a long time—longer than nouvel ami, that’s certain. Longer than la dame? No, not quite. But few have been around as long as she has. Still, considering the circles I ran in before this new venture, you’d think I’d have heard something about this Octo. Especially if what nouvel ami claims he knows is true. He seems to know things about the bigger picture, things even most of my old coworkers were in the dark about. Maybe Alfa or Shaka knew. But that’s where the list of people in the know runs dry.<br />
<br />
If it were anyone else—Marcus Douglas, or perhaps Madeline Saturn—I’d be fully on board. And nouvel ami, I assume you’re reading this: I don’t need to remind you of Mr. Douglas’ skills. And from what I’ve heard, Madeline Saturn has some rather unique abilities that would greatly benefit us. Just suggestions, of course. But if we take Mr. Octo at his word, I fully expect we’ll be hiring more baristas soon. It’s only fair—and it would take quite the load off you and la dame.<br />
<br />
As for this matter, I’ll defer my vote to la dame. Since I know nothing about this "Octo" character, I can’t give my seal of approval. But if you can get la dame to agree, nouvel ami, then it seems fated that Mr. Octo will join our team. Still, we'll meet with Madeline this month and Marcus the next. It may be worth reaching out to our little "Secret" as well. To see if he knows anything about this Mr. Octo. If anyone around here were to know something, it’d be Secret. He’s truly a man of marvels, nouvel ami. Glad you came around to see it.<br />
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'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-16'''<br />
<br />
Well… I’ve been thinking it over the past few days. Big thanks to you, Luthuli, for making this my decision. And honestly, I’m still not sold. On any of it. A strange man shows up at our not-yet-open Cafe and Diner, offering up esoteric secrets about the “bigger picture.” Where I come from, that’s how you end up paying a visit to my older sister down south. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m worried this won’t play out the way mon amour thinks it will.<br />
<br />
Then again, if the past few months have proven anything, it’s that he usually knows what he’s getting into. Almost has an uncanny knack for predicting how things will go. But then again, luck runs out eventually. And right now, it feels like we’re pushing ours. Still, it would be nice to have someone else around to help get things up and running, especially if what he’s promising is true.<br />
<br />
But there’s something I can’t shake. It’s hard to explain. For someone so worried that a single-digit could give us away… why invite a stranger whose name is literally that number? Sure, “Octo” isn’t exactly the same as the number itself, but like mon amour said, isn’t this playing with fire? We haven’t even opened our doors yet, and already there’s a real risk that getting involved with Mr. Octo could shut us down before we start. I won’t pretend to fully understand how the Erratas work, but if mon amour is right, and someone’s watching for that number, this feels like a bad idea.<br />
<br />
Then again, he’s the one worried about those things. And knowing him, he’s thought this through and knows what he’s getting into by dealing with Mr. Octo. So… fine. Let’s go for it. But on one condition: Your Trusted Associate and I reserve the right to veto Mr. Octo at any time. I love you, mon amour, but sometimes you get carried away by your own ambitions.<br />
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'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-17'''<br />
<br />
I’m glad to be part of your little, uh, gang of sorts.<br />
<br />
I know, I know—watch the numbers, right? Don’t sweat it. :) Me and JM had a chat about that whole “Errata” thing. Bottom line: no need to stress so much over a single number. At least not yet, you feel me? I’ve read everything up to this point, and it seems like you all think of me as some kind of “Big Picture” guy, huh? Well, I guess that’s fair. I do have some big-picture ideas. But don’t mistake ideas for answers.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I’m happy to help however I can. I also noticed the kid seems to want something from me—though I can’t say I know what that is, and he won’t tell me. Probably should’ve filed that under the AND, am I right? Haha… just messing with you. I know coffee’s your thing. That’s the whole deal, right? So a few twists and turns along the way are to be expected. But trust me, if I had something you needed, I’d give it over in a heartbeat.<br />
<br />
That reminds me, I should probably introduce myself more formally—or, uh, “informally,” I guess. My name’s Jack Octo. My friends usually just call me 8. You can call me 8, or Jack, or Octo—whatever floats your boat. :) I can’t say I’m as, you know, illustrious as you all are. I’m just… me. But when I heard what you guys were up to, I knew I wanted in. I’ve got a feeling this coffee venture is gonna be huge. It’ll be worth all the trouble—I know it.<br />
<br />
And if things are heading in the direction I think they’re heading, we’re gonna need a combination Cafe and Diner more than ever. Big things are happening, not just here, but across the country. Maybe the world, if you can believe it. People are starting to wake up, and what’s the first thing you grab when you wake up? That’s right, a nice warm cup of coffee.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I’ll be around, so just holler if you need me. :)<br />
<br />
-8<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-18'''<br />
<br />
Well, this is rather strange. Although, I suppose I should have known things would be stranger than expected. It’s not every day the universe is recreated on a whim. The time dilation—that was expected. The Pocketwatch hadn’t been wound for eons, so of course, it’s off by a minute or two. But I’m almost certain part of the deal I struck included keeping my title of 8. Not only was I promised the title and everything that comes with it, but Jack Octo ''shouldn’t'' be here. Chronologically, it makes no sense.<br />
<br />
There are two possibilities. Well, there’s an infinite number of possibilities, but for the sake of argument, I’ve narrowed it down to two for now.<br />
<br />
I do not like the first possibility: that I’m wrong and know nothing. It stings to admit it, but when dealing with matters of cosmic complexity, what else can I say? As I understood it, Jack Octo gave ''me'' the mantle of 8. I passed it to Jenni. Jenni gave it to Nikki. Nikki split the mantle between Jericho, Joy, and Julius. The three of them passed it to Nick. The apocalypse happened. Nick died with the mantle. From there, it should have gone to the next in line, but I assume they also perished, considering, well, the apocalypse. By making the deal and relinquishing my role as the Otherman, I returned to a mortal state—flesh and blood. So, the mantle should have cycled back to me. I thought it did. It should have gone through the line of succession and eventually it looped back.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to the second possibility—the one I prefer, if only because it suggests I know more than I give myself credit for. The mantle did loop back. Back to Jack Octo. But Jack Octo died. No, he was ''removed''. He doesn’t exist. Didn’t exist. He '''''shouldn’t''''' exist. Yet, in creating a new universe, somehow, his deletion from reality was undone.<br />
<br />
I know the Pocketwatch is powerful. Well, of course it is, no? But to undo the unthinkable? One could even call it an act of God. In any case, Jack Octo being here means I can save him this time. I ''will'' save him this time. I swear it. And if I can save Jack Octo, what could stop me from saving everyone? They say Fate works in mysterious ways, but I work in unexpected ones.<br />
<br />
Yours to be,<br />
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'''BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-19'''<br />
<br />
I saw a sheep today.<br />
<br />
Funny little creature, all the way out here. You don’t see too many sheep around Santiago Canyon. It must be pretty far from home. I suppose I am, too.<br />
<br />
This place—it’s no home. It’s a miserable, cold, and empty house. It didn’t have to be. I don’t think it was meant to be, either. Something must’ve gotten screwed up along the way. I can sense that there was more to this place once. More than sterile, empty walls and neatly stacked coffee mugs. The temperature’s always a few degrees too cold, and the fluorescent lights make the shadows feel harsh and rigid. And the furniture—it’s all cold, impersonal steel. Never been used, never been loved. I bet it wasn’t like that the first time around.<br />
<br />
It’s nothing like my home.<br />
<br />
My home is full of life, with rich reds and earthy browns, laughter, tears, and every little corner of our Cafe carrying its own stories. Plush, worn, and ripped booths, mismatched chairs, and the smell of fresh coffee in the air. Really fresh coffee. Never burnt. I know that at most diners, the coffee’s always burnt—kept in the same thick stew of arabica, reheated constantly for the next top-off. But at my home, he’d never have it any other way than freshly made, single-serve pour-over. A terribly inefficient way to run a Cafe, of course, but that’s what made it ''home''. And I loved every single cup he’d make for me.<br />
<br />
What I wouldn’t give to go back to my home, where it’s bright and full of life. But… no. I’m stuck here, in this miserable, gelid house. With you. Because of you. Because of everything you were. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to go home, because everything has always been about you. Even now, it’s still about you.<br />
<br />
I want to go home.<br />
<br />
I want to be like them.<br />
<br />
I want to get this over with.<br />
<br />
…<br />
<br />
I saw a sheep today. A black one, with curly hair. Saw you too. And a bit of myself. But I still haven’t found my way home yet.<br />
<br />
Hang on, guys—I’ll be there before you know it.<br />
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'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-20'''<br />
<br />
Alright, alright—enough with the suspenseful drama. The Frenchman made it clear: not only am I free to discuss whatever I want, he ''encourages'' it. :)<br />
<br />
See, he knows as well as I do that this Universe has been under siege by rogue Archons for… well, probably since the moment of its flawed and sinful creation. While there are plenty of Archons from Entropy stirring up trouble, there are only four who are actively antagonistic toward our wayward Demiurge: Moira, Phantas, Kryadam, and Xanthar. Or, as they’re more commonly known—Fate, Phantom, Secret, and Wicked.<br />
<br />
Now, let’s talk a bit more Entropy. It wasn’t some unified paradise. Entropy was split into dozens of “Great Houses,” each locked in endless conflict. And no House was more powerful—or ruthless—than House Axiom, ruled by Master Kaos, the so-called creator of Entropy. But if Kaos was the ultimate ruler, why did so many rise against him?<br />
<br />
Houses like Gelid, Cresset, Malapert, and even the House Unnamed all tried to bring Kaos down. The one to succeed? It may well have been his own son—Demiurge. Somehow, Demiurge stole Kaos' tool of creation, fled Entropy, and used it to cobble together the flawed Universe we call home. Did that shift the endless wars in Entropy? Hard to say. But soon after, other Archons fled too.<br />
<br />
Fate was one of them—a Sovereign of House Gelid. He brought along two of his own: Phantom and Secret, and Warden and a Keeper. They also picked up an ally from House Cresset—Lord Xanthar, better known as Wicked. See, from what I’ve heard—Lord Xanthar was married to the only daughter of House Gelid whose very beautiful head was affixed above Kaos’ throne. Together, they formed a loose coalition called ''The Cold''.<br />
<br />
And they all want very different things. Fate wants total control—ruling over every outcome, every possibility. Phantom? He’s obsessed with tearing down barriers, turning our isolated Universe into a hub of multiversal travel. Wicked wants to unlock the secrets of the soul—the same souls that keep us trapped here. And Secret? Well… it’s a secret. :) I’d tell you if I knew, but that’s one puzzle even I can’t crack.<br />
<br />
And there you have it. The “Big Picture.” Four Archons versus one—the Cold against God. Except, uh… God’s missing. M.I.A. Thankfully, even in His absence, the Cold don’t dare enter His Universe outright. This is still His house, and He holds all the cards. If they even ''thought'' about stepping in, He’d pull them into the Black Tide faster than you or I could blink. So, for now, the Cold work through disposable mortal proxies. At least until the Black Tide isn’t a problem anymore.<br />
<br />
-8<br />
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'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-21'''<br />
<br />
Well, that was about as fun as I’d imagined it would be. Apparently, Belphegor had already planned on calling a meeting—but if what you said is true, mon amour, she’s well aware of the Universe rewinding. Still, she brought something else to our attention. She claims there’s… another world. Or, maybe, an “other” world? Something parallel to the Otherside. I… suppose it doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Our goal is still the same, right? Stopping Fate.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Satan: If we’re meeting here in the Flipside, Lucifer, this had better be worth our time. I have campaigns demanding my attention.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: And what good are campaigns if the Universe itself dissolves beneath your feet?<br />
<br />
Leviathan: Dissolves? What exactly are you implying, Lucy?<br />
<br />
Beelzebub: What’d you do this time, Peacock?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Me? I’ve done nothing. But I’ve noticed strange lights here in the Flipside. Lights from the Universe itself—bending. Breaking. And I’ve heard whispers—<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: Ugh, ''whispers''? Honestly, Lucifer, get to the point.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Haven’t you noticed it, Asmi? The Universe has reset.<br />
<br />
Leviathan: Reset? What do you mean, “reset”?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Mm. More like rewound. She’s right though. This is the sixteenth incarnation of the Universe.<br />
<br />
Mammon: Rewound?! What do you mean, rewound?<br />
<br />
[Belphegor rolled her eyes.]<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Gee, I don’t know, Mammon. ''Something'' caused the Universe to reset.<br />
<br />
Beelzebub: And isn’t Time your domain, Belphegor? Surely you know more than that.<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Something caused the prior Universe to end. I’ve got no clue what.<br />
<br />
[Belphegor shot a quick glance at Lucifer.]<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Normally, God creates the next Universe. For some reason, this time, He wasn’t… ''available''.<br />
<br />
Satan: Do you think… do you think Father got to Him?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Yeah, probably. That’s usually how it goes.<br />
<br />
Satan: But if Father secured God ''and'' His tool of creation, wouldn’t He have remade the Universe in His image? Three planes as one?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Uh—huh. Someone didn’t want that to happen.<br />
<br />
[Belphegor glanced briefly at Mammon.]<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Someone like the Otherman.<br />
<br />
Leviathan: The Otherman? God’s Reaper of Cycles?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Y—up. He’d know how to rewind the Universe, wouldn’t he?<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: And why would he do that?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: ''Dunno.'' But he did a sloppy job. I was about to call everyone here before Lucy jumped the gun. There’s an… “other” world—an aberration in the flow of time.<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: Are you kidding me? I’m barely holding things together down below as is. Does this ''other'' world have souls?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Possibly.<br />
<br />
Asmodeus: If there’s another world siphoning our souls, let me know now so I can stab it in the heart and get back to work.<br />
<br />
Beelzebub: On that note, is this “other world” a buffet or a famine? Because if it’s the latter, I’d prefer not to waste my energy.<br />
<br />
Mammon: Agreed. Is there anything worth taking? ''If'' we find this place, what’s the profit margin? Who gets the spoils? It’s only fair that we—<br />
<br />
[Satan slammed his fist on the table and stood abruptly.]<br />
<br />
Satan: This is no joking matter! Once again, our father was freed, and once again his freedom was denied! I won’t stand for it—<br />
<br />
Belphegor: You know we can’t act until the Debt comes due.<br />
<br />
[Satan sat back down in seething silence.]<br />
<br />
Lucifer: What… what do you mean by an “other world,” Belphie?<br />
<br />
Belphegor: Tsk. Always kept in the dark, huh?<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-22'''<br />
<br />
There’s a pull, mon amour, like a thread tied around my ribs. The… the “other” world, as Belphegor called it. There was more to our meeting—more than I chose to have the CaDCom transcribe.<br />
<br />
I’m… not sure. You kept such a big secret from me. Perhaps I need to keep one from you? Just for now, of course. Once I understand what this “other” world is, I’ll tell you. And Felix. Jack and Sahir too, I suppose. I wish I could leave this alone. After all, curiosity often has teeth. But you know me better than that. I have to find it.<br />
<br />
It began with a key. ''My'' key. Or… well, the key ''I'' hold. Another secret I haven’t shared—with you or anyone, really. I hold two keys to the Gates of Hell. There aren’t just seven gates; there are eight. Vainglory is my true key—the key to the Morningstar and the sin of Pride.<br />
<br />
But the other? The other key I hold?<br />
<br />
It is the key to the sin of our Lord. The sin of Creation.<br />
<br />
It is ''Hubris''.<br />
<br />
And with the key of Creation, what else could I do but… ''create?'' And so, I shaped a question:<br />
<br />
''What makes a world “real”?''<br />
<br />
That question, that act of creation, pulled me out of the Cafe and into the colorless in-between—a place where realms stretch like ribbons around the present of the Universe, each its own strange story, untethered and unbound.<br />
<br />
The things I saw in the in-between… they defy words. Among them were these fleeting essences, hovering at the edges of my perception. Neither here nor there. Shadows waiting for the sun to rise. They didn’t speak in words, but their pleas reached me all the same:<br />
<br />
''Make us real'', they begged. ''Give us form. Give us life. Anchor us.''<br />
<br />
I felt Hubris shudder in my grasp.<br />
<br />
Hubris…<br />
<br />
What makes a world… ''real?''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-23'''<br />
<br />
It began, naturally, with the coffee. This morning’s roast tasted like the second-hand dreams of someone asleep on the job—over-brewed and disquietingly sweet for what was meant to be black coffee. It’s as if the Universe itself shares my anxiety to make up for lost time. I didn’t expect to recreate the prior Universe perfectly—''far from it''—but I had hoped to do a better job than ''this''. Madeline Saturn, Marcus Douglas, the time dilation, Jack still being… ''Jack''. And the Eight… still beyond my grasp, buried deep within Jack’s own thoughts.<br />
<br />
''Inevitability.''<br />
<br />
On one hand, I want to keep Jack safe from the Cold. If history repeats—and it almost certainly will—Fate will come for the Eight inside him, ripping it free by force and leaving him a hollow, empty shell. I want to stop that. I do. But if I manage to outplay Fate now, so early in the game, I may never get the Eight myself. And the maddening thing about the Eight? I can’t even remember why I want them. You can only truly understand their purpose when you have them. I suspect even Fate doesn’t fully comprehend why it craves them so deeply—only that they hold the power to unseat God and reshape the Universe into a cold, methodical, predestined image.<br />
<br />
Something is ''wrong''. Well—that’s an understatement. The Universe—this Sphere—it’s bending and breaking under the weight of this recreation, this rewinding. A strain I hadn’t anticipated. I’ll need to consult Belphegor about it. But when? Where? Even within the timeless Ouroboros, Mammon would sense our alliance soon enough. For now… I’ll have to untangle Fate’s plan on my own.<br />
<br />
The Oracle. Marcus. Madeline. They all reek of Fate’s handiwork. I don’t entirely distrust Marcus or Madeline—but why has Fate nudged them into the threads of what will be? ''I need to understand.''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-24'''<br />
<br />
The threads of Fate fray into a blur just beyond my reach. I need clarity. I need to start regaining my powers—Second Sight, to start. The Eight, if Jack is… if he doesn’t… Well, I don’t necessarily ''need'' the Eight personally. Having it near is enough. Jack ''will'' make it this time. He has to.<br />
<br />
I asked Lucifer for it—for a small piece of the Morningstar’s power. To ask mon amour for a part of herself, for power that doesn’t belong to me, that I have no right to wield… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the pull of hesitation. Yet that hesitation pales in comparison to the threat of what lies ahead.<br />
<br />
Unlike the last time I asked—or, well, no. I suppose I didn’t actually ask the first time. It was a gift from her. Regardless, unlike that time, she now refused. She’s worried it may corrupt me.<br />
<br />
Oh, mon amour… if only you knew how little time I have left in this world with which to be corrupted.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: You wanted to talk?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Yes. There’s been a… development. Something in this Universe has… changed.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Change? In what way?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: The Otherside. It’s… evolved.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: ''Of course it has.'' Likely some ploy of Fate. When I need certainty and stability—all I see is a world more precarious than it was yesterday. And, of course, I’m blind to it all.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: That’s not what this is about—<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Then what ''is'' it about, my Light?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: I’m not sure you’d understand. It seems like you don’t ''want'' to understand.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I want to, more than anything. And what I also want is for us to succeed. And to do that, I’ll need more than what I have now.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: More? What kind of “more?”<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: ''Second Sight.''<br />
<br />
Lucifer: You don’t know what you’re asking for.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: '''''I''''' don’t know? Mon amour, I was the Otherman. Second Sight is… a drop in the bucket compared to what I had before.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: No. You’re not the Otherman anymore. You’re mortal. You’re ''human'', Amour. Second Sight will drive you to insanity. It’s not a power humans are meant to—<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Augurs?<br />
<br />
Lucifer: …Are born with it. They need to channel it. You want to permanently open yourself to an entirely different reality. I won’t allow it.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: You gave it to me once. Long ago.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: ''She'' gave it to you. In another Universe. I am ''not'' her.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: And yet you are.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: No, I’m not. I can’t imagine what was going through her head or what her circumstances were because she wasn’t dating a former Otherman who rewound the Universe in a gambit to destroy Fate. She probably pitied you. A mere human. I don’t.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: It’s not about pity. It’s about survival. If I am to face what’s coming, I need to see the paths ahead clearly—even if they are unbearable. Even if it hurts me to do so.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: And what happens when the unbearable becomes too much for you? What happens to us, then?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I—... I’m running out of time.<br />
<br />
Lucifer: Time? ''Time?!'' You rewound the entire Universe!<br />
<br />
[Ne Personne didn’t answer. His gaze drifted, fixed on some unseen horizon. Lucifer exhaled shakily, turning away, her shoulders tense with frustration.]<br />
<br />
Lucifer: We’ll… we’ll talk about it in the New Year, okay?<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: JEANNE MORNINGSTAR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE NOVEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-25'''<br />
<br />
Paranoid old fool. It’s so obvious in hindsight, he was the cause of most of his own problems. Not Fate. Sure, I won’t deny that Fate wanted him dead. But even then, I’m not convinced. Honestly, I think the first time he died, he became an even greater threat to Fate. This time around, I’d wager Fate wanted him to be as average and ordinary as possible. Tall order for a dick like that.<br />
<br />
He did everything in his power to get ahead of the inevitable, and look where it got him. A dead lover. Estranged kids. And a really questionable deal to turn himself into some kind of man-made god. Funny, isn’t it? Even if Indrid hadn’t slammed the door shut on him, God would’ve. He made that bet with the Devil—counting on the idiot being narcissistic enough to activate the Heart of Netzach. I can only imagine where he’d have ended up after winning God’s wager. The deepest, darkest bottom of the Black… Thorn? Is that what they settled on? Doesn’t matter. Woes of a prior Universe.<br />
<br />
Still, he won. That’s what matters, I suppose. A half-success, but a success nonetheless. He killed Fate. He killed an Archon—not just one, either. Three. It reminds me of a story a friend once told me about a mortal who toppled all of Entropy with his death. In that story, the mortal was killed, unleashing mortality upon the Entropic Archons. Here, though? He killed the Archons and almost got rewarded with immortality for it. Thank the Devil that didn’t happen. Well—thank Indrid, really.<br />
<br />
The funny thing is, I should have died that day too. But I guess there’s something about me—something that reminds them of him—that makes me worth keeping around. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Still… what a choice of company I keep. Can I even say I’m better than him if I hang around with Gleam and the rest of them? I suppose it’s like poetry. Though for the record—I am not a Nova. Not even sure what the hell I am anymore. Human? No, far from it, even if I wish I were. Archon? I wish. Elder? Maybe, but that feels like a stretch too.<br />
<br />
Then again—can I even die? I guess that’s up to Gleam. Sucks to have my fate in his hands, but it’s better than the alternative.<br />
<br />
…She’s here too. I just missed her. I can feel it. They’re both here—or they were. This “archival time travel” he cooked up is finicky. Man was full of half-successes. Oh well. All I need is a vector to the present. That’s what Gleam said, anyway. Not that I think they’re in any rush to find one for me. And even if they did—what would it cost?<br />
<br />
…We’re at an impasse, aren’t we? He offered me friendship… but I don’t feel like much of a friend to him. Blood is thicker than water, after all.<br />
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'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-26'''<br />
<br />
The little boss showed up today. Shaka of Zulu. He’s got history with Baltz—and with me, I suppose. Probably just about everyone too. He’s some sort of quasi-Elder, unkillable even through the changing of Spheres. A dangerous guy. Though, realistically, his edges have softened from being alive as long as he has. Besides, I’m pretty sure he abides by truth, compassion, contentment, humility, and love :) Which is more than I can say about a lot of other quasi-Elders and especially full on Elders.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Shaka: You haven’t decorated yet.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Been a bit busy, Shaka.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Never too busy for art. A few pieces would really liven this place up, you know. Le Paradis terrestre d’apres by Jan Brueghel the Elder, perhaps? Or Paradise by Oscar Parviainen?<br />
<br />
Eight: I was thinking Nighthawks myself.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Nighthawks? How dreadfully on the nose… and you, you must be Eight. You have them, yes? The Eight?<br />
<br />
Eight: Oh, no messin’ around, huh? What—Secret can’t tell if I do or don’t?<br />
<br />
Shaka: If he did, he wouldn’t tell me. I’m just curious… given our shared “Universal” dilemma. Do you have the Eight right now, Mr. Octo?<br />
<br />
Eight: Well, why else would they call me that?<br />
<br />
Shaka: I see. Your doing, I suppose?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Unintentionally.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Oh? I suppose you would’ve liked to have it instead. Though, Jack, it’s good to see you again. As you were.<br />
<br />
Eight: Again?<br />
<br />
Shaka: I suspect we’ll be seeing more of each other in the future… Duelo a garrotazos. Goya.<br />
<br />
[Shaka gestured to a blank spot on the wall of the Cafe.]<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Well, how would that be a good painting for a Cafe?<br />
<br />
Shaka: Just… thinking out loud. So—remind me, how do you know Eight? How are you “supposed” to know Eight?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Currently, I’d say serendipity. Though I’ve always seen him as a mentor figure. Someone quite well-versed in the big picture. Someone who was—is constantly expanding my own vision.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Ah—of course.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Say, Shaka, what’s with the Zulus snooping around?<br />
<br />
Shaka: You’ll have to settle for “it’s a secret,” I’m afraid. Can’t discuss the whos or whys of it.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Oh, come on. Is it Alfa poking her nose around, or is it Secret? That’s all I need to know.<br />
<br />
Eight: Yeah, man, who’s scared of us? The big boss or the ''bigger'' boss?<br />
<br />
Shaka: Just the big boss. The bigger boss is already well aware of what has happened, though he’s keeping the details scarce from me.<br />
<br />
Eight: I suppose he must be good at keeping secrets, after all.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Oh yes. Look, I understand our presence is… unwelcome at this time. But you and I both know we both take our coffee black, yes? Something has happened here. Something that’s reconfigured everything that is.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: What—the rewinding? Shaka, I’m sure you already know. You were there.<br />
<br />
Shaka: Oh, no. Nothing that banal. A rewinding, a resetting, another Universe. I’ve seen plenty. This is something… new.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: New? Will you tell us what you find, at least?<br />
<br />
Shaka: We may both take our coffee black, but you know I can’t defy the will of Secret. And the will of Secret detests sharing notes. See you again soon, Eight.<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
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'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-27'''<br />
<br />
'''I’m being watched.'''<br />
<br />
Of course, when you’re always on camera, what else can you do but smile? Pay fealty to Fate itself. Mimic its horrid, stretched maw. Smile, and pretend you’re unbothered. But I ''am'' bothered. Terrified, even. I can’t let them know that I fear them—that I fear Fate.<br />
<br />
I can’t shake the sinking feeling that I’ve made a terrible mistake. I gave up everything to have it all repeat. Gave up all the progress I’d made pushing that damn boulder uphill, just to watch it roll back to the bottom. Now? I’m mortal. Eightless. Stripped of second sight. And Fate? Fate is still an Archon. A god—God, I hope I know what I’m doing.<br />
<br />
At the same time, I can’t ignore the fear that ''I'' am our undoing—the weak link in my own plans. My knowledge of what was, and what will be, is playing into Fate’s hands. It ''must'' be. Fate knows that I know, and so it adjusts accordingly. But what choice do I have? My knowledge is the only advantage I have left, and I can’t just discard it. I couldn’t forget it even if I tried. Subconsciously, I’ll always act in ways that further Fate’s design. And even if I didn’t know? If I could go back to being an average mortal? Then Fate would win outright.<br />
<br />
I can feel it in my skin. My chest. My heart. My brain. Fate’s threads seeping into me like some Morgellons malady, pulling me toward disaster. Drawing me into some cataclysmic blunder. Drawing me toward killing Jack.<br />
<br />
Shaka’s warning couldn’t be clearer—a fight with cudgels. Only one of us can be Eight. If I don’t stop him—if I don’t ''save'' him—he’ll become nothing more than Fate’s puppet. Fate’s personal Eight. The bearer of truths so fundamental they uphold not just our Universe, but Fate’s. All universes, each rooted in the deadliest sin of all: “Creation.” …Chaos.<br />
<br />
Damn it all! I’m going to have to turn on the neons. What other choice do I have?<br />
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'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-28'''<br />
<br />
As if this wasn’t confusing enough.<br />
<br />
Having all of infinity spread out before us was already hard enough to keep track of. But now? Now we’re juggling two infinities: Aleph Null and Aleph One. And with Coraline hanging on in what’s currently Null, if that Universe collapses too, we’ll be dealing with Aleph Two before long.<br />
<br />
Oh, buddy. What the hell did you do? You really opened up a cosmic can of worms with this one. Archival immortality. Inter-Universal time travel. A sunshine soul. I’ve got to applaud your audacity—if not your execution. You didn’t quite get the heart, but you sure left your mark on the cosmos. Probably for the best that you’re out of the picture now.<br />
<br />
Looking back, though, Demiurge really didn’t hire the best and brightest, did he? I wouldn’t say the Otherman’s job is easy, but it’s straightforward: keep time turning. At least Julia made the right call—cutting the original Nova Prime loose was a stroke of genius. And Abraxas reforming the tool? Also the right move. Let’s be honest: a Pocketwatch just doesn’t fit anymore. Time doesn’t work the way it used to. Ask Victoria. Man, what a clever trick that was. Got Sarah to thank for that, of course. It was her idea for the most part. Just needed a miracle worker to finalize her notes.<br />
<br />
So… what now?<br />
<br />
Even with his meddling, the past can’t be changed—not in any straightforward way. Coraline will keep chipping away at decrypting the Archives and clearing the pathways to the past. Still over forty subsections to go. Of course, that only makes it easier for Gleam to find the “Last Secret.” Ha! Beat him to it. Funny thing is, he ''had'' her. He had Warden in his grasp. Guess I’ve got Dover to thank for that. ''Weird little freak.'' I should really pay him a visit next. Bring him one of those choranges he loves so much. Maybe then I’ll finally beat Zack in the rankings. Or do you think he’s started over?<br />
<br />
…Is it just a trauma response that I have this unquenchable urge to keep writing receipts? I could’ve come back to the past just to look around. But let’s be real: could I really pass up the chance to write just '''''one''''' more receipt?<br />
<br />
I mean, sure, I could join the Nova Cafe. Then I could write and write to my heart’s content. They’d probably take me—Amaretto, maybe? Tiramisu? Elderflower? Plenty of Torani flavors left to claim. But on second thought, maybe I should let them figure things out on their own. Nothing worse than a multi-universal know-it-all running the Cafe. Look where ''that'' got us the first time.<br />
<br />
…<br />
<br />
''Alm’stari ili, al Alo Alu’stono ed Quisby—Ne alm reganis super alu’ili regnoi. Aperi u vizago Alu Stasi, aperi u vizago Alu Onidi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’sophi, aperi u vizago Alu Alm’viv, aperi u vizago Alu Lykar—ak aperi u vizago Alu “Ninth Sin.”''<br />
<br />
Or so they say. In High Demon. Which, at this point, is a dead language—twice removed, no less. Thankfully, Eight can still translate.<br />
<br />
Do I believe it? Of course I do. I’ll believe anything until proven otherwise. But I suspect the Cafe and Diner will need to uncover the Quisbys on their own first.<br />
<br />
It does make one wonder, though. There are five visages I already know of—five crystal monoliths, each inexplicably tied to the Quisby Clause. But who created the sixth? I don’t put much stock in numerology—it tends to be more coincidental than cosmic. Still, I can’t shake a certain nagging worry: six Quisbys. Six seals. If the Cafe and Diner break each one, would that bring an end to their Universe? Already?<br />
<br />
It’s too soon for that. I’ll need to make sure it doesn’t happen.<br />
<br />
And yet… I can’t help but feel that this “Ninth Deadly Sin” can only bring with it exactly what it is.<br />
<br />
A shame.<br />
<br />
…<br />
<br />
First—Snow. No other way about it. He’s a loose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose cannon all the same. A loose cannon. A loose canon. He’s risking further rewrites and Koleman Octzman is going to give them to him. He’s risking further rewrites and Octavio Coleman is going to give them to him. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Snow’s Quisby is the weakest, after all. Might as well start where he’s the weakest. First—Snow. Then, we’ll have to see. I’ve been doing what I can—but I am running out of options. No other way about it. I’m a lose cannon. A loyal loose cannon, but a loose canon all the same. A loose canon. I’m risking further rewrites and Julia isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Coraline isn’t going to give them to me. I’m risking further rewrites and Marie might give them to me. Everything is spiraling out of control. Right into the Spiral. Everything is in the Spiral. Victora’s problem was the easiest to solve, after all. Smart to start with the easiest problem. First—Victora. Then, I need to help Marie. I’ve been doing what I can—but she is running out of options. No other way about it. Wasting their time here—though doesn’t take a lot to start things over again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Reboot after reboot. Fifteenth Sphere. Sixteenth Sphere. Seventeenth Sphere. Third Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Fifth Cafe, J’S Cafe, Mammon’s Cafe, Fourth Cafe, Last Cafe, Nova Cafe… over and over again. If it doesn’t work out… just need to try everything all over again.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-29"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-29</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-29'''<br />
<br />
Jack dies.<br />
<br />
No. ''Worse'' than dying. Dying would be a mercy—a chance to start over, to move on. No, Jack becomes Fate’s puppet. A twisted, hollow version of himself, doomed to repeat every word he’s ever said—or will say—on an endless loop. Over and over. That’s his Fate: to become the new Indrid Cold.<br />
<br />
Indrid Cold… it’s a curse. An infection. A blight born of the Cold. I don’t know exactly how it works; if I did, I would’ve saved Jack in the prior Universe. From what I uncovered as the Otherman, the Indrid Cold virus was created by Secret—a tool to extract impossible truths. Secret uses it to uncover the secrets no one else can, and naturally, Fate wanted to use it to uncover the Eight.<br />
<br />
If things repeat as they did before, Fate will have Secret turn Jack into Indrid Cold. It won’t work, of course. The Eight aren’t that easy to claim. If they were, the Cold would already have them. For one, Archons can’t possess the Eight—not directly. No immortal being can. It’s a built-in failsafe, I suspect. But that’s the least of Fate’s problems. The bigger issue? The Eight can be transferred. Passed from one person to the next.<br />
<br />
Before Jack became Indrid Cold in the last Universe, he gave them to me. And if we don’t change course, it will all happen again. Fate knows this. It has to. Turning Jack into Indrid Cold may not have worked last time, but having the mortal who unraveled the Eight’s secrets under their control? That’s a prize Fate won’t pass up. Jack as Indrid Cold was a force to be feared—and it gave Fate a physical foothold in this Universe.<br />
<br />
That’s why I can’t let it happen again.<br />
<br />
Hell, it’s not even about stopping Fate’s advantage. I can’t lose Jack again. Not this time. He’s only been here for a few months—not years like before. I can’t just let him go. And if it means shutting down the Cafe and Diner to keep him from becoming Indrid Cold, to keep him as Eight… so be it. I’d burn it all to the ground.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-30"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-30</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-30'''<br />
<br />
So, I’m fated to die, huh? Or—worse than die. That’s wild. You think that’s why the Oracle had no prophecy for me? Because Fate’s big plan for me, as a human, is just… the end? To be reborn as Indrid Cold—the mechanical man with a grin as wide as Fate’s ambitions? Far out.<br />
<br />
And let me guess: the only way to stop this is to shut down the Cafe and Diner, run, hide, and wait it out, right? Seems like a pretty sorry plan, if you ask me.<br />
<br />
All of this over “the Eight.” Those little words buzzing around in my head like divine inspiration—straight from the source. Straight from the fountain of our lady of mortality, singularity, and sacred knowledge. Does Fate even know what it’s after, do you think? Archons—''immortals''—they can’t even conceptualize the Eight. It’s incompatible with their minds. It’s ego death for the deathless. A retching poison. Maybe that’s why they’re so desperate to have it—so no one else can use it against them.<br />
<br />
Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I think about all this, man. You’re doing all of this for me. Shutting down your dreams to keep me safe. Me. Who the hell am I? You were the Otherman. Lucy’s a Prince of Hell. Felix? A Zulu defector who’s still alive, somehow. And me? I’m just some nobody who just so happens to see the big picture. And you know what? I don’t even see myself in the frame. But I see you. :) I see your Cafe.<br />
<br />
Look, I can’t say for sure, but I’ve got a gut feeling that the Cafe and Diner? It’s a lot more than just “keeping the balance.” So don’t go shutting it down on my account. Sure, it’ll be a lot of trouble. But it’ll be worth it. I know it.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-31"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-31</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-31'''<br />
<br />
The first receipt filed under “Diner Diner.”<br />
<br />
On paper, it’s the same as any other “AND” level receipt. Functionally, it’s stored in the same spot. But practically? It’s an entirely different beast.<br />
<br />
To destroy Fate, I’ll need to step far outside the bounds of what was, what is, and what will be. Striking a deal with Wicked and working with the son of Secret—that should already be proof of how far I’m willing to go. I’ll push the boulder up the hill again, but this time, it will be the last.<br />
<br />
No more mistakes. No more errors. No more rewinds.<br />
<br />
Four more years. Give or take. Then I can finally run the Cafe and Diner as it was meant to be. As Eight.<br />
<br />
''I’m still going to try to save him.'' How could I not? If there’s even a slim chance I can spare Jack from the fate that awaits him, I have to try. But what am I to do? Even with the Blighted Second Sight, I’m no match for Fate, Phantom, Wicked, or Secret.<br />
<br />
The only one who could stop Fate now is Eight—and I doubt he’d use the Eight for that. I doubt he’d use the Eight for anything. And I can’t blame him for that. It’s a crushing burden, holding the fundamental truths of the Universe so clearly in mind. A power like that is too easily abused.<br />
<br />
To the Carthusians and the Celestines, to the beggars and the believers, to the daydreamers and the vagabonds, to the servants and charming young women in surcoats and snug corsets… to the lovers, faint with hopeless love, in flawless fawn chaussons—I ask only for forgiveness.<br />
<br />
…But I won’t ask forgiveness from the Cold.<br />
<br />
May their fifteen ribs be smashed to dust with a heavy heavenly hammer, strong and firm, with the full weight of primordial creation—cosmic chaos.<br />
<br />
…Thank you—to everyone who has yet to arrive, and especially to those unfortunate enough to already be part of my grand plan.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-32"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-32</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-32'''<br />
<br />
Just in case I fail again, I want to remember this moment. Hold it with me for as long as I can. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Willing or not.<br />
<br />
'''S.O.T.'''<br />
<br />
Jack: How's it going, man?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: What do you plan to do with it, Jack?<br />
<br />
Jack: With what?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Your mantle. The Eight. What if it fell into the wrong hands? What if the Cold—Fate—what if it gets it?<br />
<br />
Jack: Well, who decides whose hands are wrong or right? Maybe they're already in the wrong hands.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Why do you say that? What are you planning to do with it?<br />
<br />
Jack: A very persistent question. What do you think I would do with them?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: I-I don't actually know.<br />
<br />
Jack: Neither do I. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Heavier still is the head who didn't choose to wear it, ya' dig?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: So then, you would do nothing with them?<br />
<br />
Jack: Why not? They've been doing nothing for this long. Might as well let them do nothing a bit longer.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: But its existence alone is a threat. A danger. You might not do anything with it, but others will. What if someone took it from you?<br />
<br />
Jack: A valid concern. Though the genie is already out of the bottle, isn’t it? Can't exactly shove it back in now. Try as I might.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: What would happen if you die? Can you even die? Or would the Eight protect you?<br />
<br />
Jack: Yet to be proven. Not that I'm all too eager yet to find out, haha. I think they would return to where they came from. Back to their source.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Wouldn’t it just find someone new? Another artist to work through? Maybe someone with bad intentions? Someone who would want to use it to hurt people?<br />
<br />
Jack: Another valid concern. I suppose, with this role I've been given, inaction alone can't solve everything. So, what would you propose?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Me? I don't know.<br />
<br />
Jack: You don't know? Huh. Seems like you do know. You’ve had them before, right? If they fell in your lap right now, what would you do with them?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: That's… surprisingly hard to say. I think I would try and keep them safe. As best as I could.<br />
<br />
Jack: Interesting. You wouldn't want to use them, though?<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Of course, I'd want to use them. Who wouldn't? But I couldn't know that I would use them correctly. I don't know if anyone could know that.<br />
<br />
Jack: Me either. It's fun, you know, to fall asleep thinking tomorrow will be the day I get it all figured out. It'll come to me in some glorious epiphany. She will speak to me in honeyed words and tell me exactly what I need to do with them. Then tomorrow comes, and I still don't have a damn clue what to do. Not even an inkling, man.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Would you use it if your life was in danger?<br />
<br />
Jack: Not even in our darkest hours would I use them. Like you said, you can't know if you're doing it right or wrong. Good or bad. They just are. And I just am. I've got a lifetime to sort it out, though. Maybe when I'm a bit older and a bit wiser, I'll know what to do with them. Maybe the friendly face of fate will finally show itself and clue me in on what the REAL big picture is. Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't die anymore. Maybe immortals can’t have them, because they already can’t die. Then I've got an eternity left to figure it out.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: You're right, Jack. No need to worry about it tonight. I was just curious.<br />
<br />
Jack: I get it, man. It's heavy stuff to ponder. A single digit can cause so many headaches. Wild. Anyway, it's getting late, and I'd hate to keep the fat man waiting. I'll see you in the morning.<br />
<br />
Ne Personne: Yeah. Of course. See you in the morning, Jack. Merry Christmas.<br />
<br />
Jack: Merry Christmas, man.<br />
<br />
'''E.O.T.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="RE:CORE-33"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">RE:CORE-33</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">ARCHIVED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NE PERSONNE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: N/A'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: RE:CORE-33'''<br />
<br />
There is… a stillness that accompanies the arrival of the Cold. Not a calm of peace, but the brittle silence before everything shatters. They arrived—all four of them—early this morning. They came, as they always do, to take what they felt was theirs. '''''The Eight.'''''<br />
<br />
Fate spoke first, as it always does, its distorted smile stretching unnaturally, icy pale eyes fixed on Jack. “You’re here. Oh—but of course you are. Just as expected. Come, we belong together, Eight. It is your Fate.”<br />
<br />
Then, before I could act, Secret stepped forward. His form was hazy, indistinct—a shadow of a memory more than a man. Within moments, Jack grew numb. Cold. His body no longer his own, frost creeping across his flesh. His lips twisted into a wide, frozen smile.<br />
<br />
Indrid Cold spoke next. His voice was hollow, mechanical, like a tape recorder stuck on repeat. He said, over and over again, “What would you propose? What would you do with them? Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. Tomorrow comes. I’ve got a lifetime to sort it out. Maybe I can’t die anymore. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe…”<br />
<br />
Fate tried to coax Indrid Cold into reciting the Eight fundamental truths of the Universe. But he couldn’t. Not anymore.<br />
<br />
''But I could.''<br />
<br />
By the time they left, the Cafe and Diner felt emptier than it had ever been. I knew this was coming, but I couldn’t stop it. Jack—he chose not to stop it. He didn’t have a choice, not really. The Eight… they’re where they’re meant to be now. There can only be one Indrid Cold at a time. He chose to smile so I wouldn’t have to.<br />
<br />
I can’t tell you what the Eight are—not here, not in words you could understand. Only the holder of the Mantle of Eight can grasp the full picture they provide. Fate is skilled, no question. Its woven woes are impeccable. But what Fate doesn’t see—or maybe refuses to accept—is that it’s only a small piece of a much grander plan.<br />
<br />
Everything began with a seed. Everything came from her—from them. And everything—every debt—will come due.<br />
<br />
Sophomorically yours, once again,<br />
<br />
…A number prior to 9.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_0:_OPERATION_ENCORE&diff=8613File 0: OPERATION ENCORE2026-05-05T04:52:46Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CAFFEINATED CASE FILE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Enter master password to access all receipts within</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- MASTER ACCESS PANEL --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MASTER ACCESS</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">REQUIRED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Password</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">See: Case No. 10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">The number that follows 7.</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">The word the archive keeps circling.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Access Code</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">EIGHT</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Archive Sections</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART I --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Archived receipts from the earliest operations.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART II --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Continuation of early expansion and anomalies.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part II)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART III --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Escalation phase and deeper irregularities.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part III)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART IV --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Advanced developments and critical events.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part IV)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART V --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part V)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VI --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VI</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part VI</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VI)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VII --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VII</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part VII</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VII)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_0:_OPERATION_ENCORE&diff=8612File 0: OPERATION ENCORE2026-05-05T04:52:31Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CAFFEINATED CASE FILE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Enter master password to access all receipts within</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- MASTER ACCESS PANEL --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MASTER ACCESS</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">REQUIRED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Password</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">See: Case No. 10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">The number that follows 7.</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">The word the archive keeps circling.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Access Code</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">EIGHT</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Archive Sections</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART I --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Archived receipts from the earliest operations.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART II --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Continuation of early expansion and anomalies.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part II)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART III --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Escalation phase and deeper irregularities.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part III)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART IV --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Advanced developments and critical events.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part IV)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART V --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part V)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VI --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VI</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part VI</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VI)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<!-- PART VII --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART VII</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part VII</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part VII)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_0:_OPERATION_ENCORE&diff=8611File 0: OPERATION ENCORE2026-05-05T04:51:33Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CAFFEINATED CASE FILE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Enter master password to access all receipts within</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- MASTER ACCESS PANEL --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MASTER ACCESS</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">REQUIRED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Password</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">See: Case No. 10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">The number that follows 7.</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">The word the archive keeps circling.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Access Code</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">EIGHT</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Archive Sections</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART I --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Archived receipts from the earliest operations.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part I)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART II --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Continuation of early expansion and anomalies.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part II)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART III --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Escalation phase and deeper irregularities.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part III)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART IV --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Advanced developments and critical events.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part IV)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART V --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[OPERATION: ENCORE (Part V)|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File_0:_OPERATION_ENCORE&diff=8610File 0: OPERATION ENCORE2026-05-05T04:49:55Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CAFFEINATED CASE FILE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Enter master password to access all receipts within</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <!-- MASTER ACCESS PANEL --> <div class="cdn-receipt-card"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">MASTER ACCESS</div> <div class="cdn-receipt..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CAFFEINATED CASE FILE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">Enter master password to access all receipts within</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<!-- MASTER ACCESS PANEL --><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MASTER ACCESS</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">REQUIRED</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Password</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">See: Case No. 10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">The number that follows 7.</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">The word the archive keeps circling.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Access Code</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">EIGHT</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Archive Sections</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART I --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">The Early Cafe and Diner</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Archived receipts from the earliest operations.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Operation Encore Part I: The Early Cafe and Diner|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART II --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Continuation of early expansion and anomalies.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Operation Encore Part II|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART III --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Escalation phase and deeper irregularities.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Operation Encore Part III|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART IV --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part IV</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Advanced developments and critical events.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Operation Encore Part IV|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- PART V --><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-card-main"><br />
<div class="cdn-file-id">PART V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-title">Part V</div><br />
<div class="cdn-file-desc">Final archive consolidation.</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-file-actions"><br />
[[Operation Encore Part V|<span class="cdn-file-button">OPEN ARCHIVE</span>]]<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.css&diff=8609MediaWiki:Common.css2026-05-05T04:49:36Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div>/* CSS placed here will be applied to all skins */<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
GLOBAL PAGE / MEDIAWIKI CHROME<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
#content {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
body {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#mw-head-base {<br />
background-color: #4a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#mw-panel {<br />
background-color: white;<br />
border: 3px solid #556270;<br />
padding-bottom: 10px;<br />
border-top-right-radius: 10px;<br />
border-top-left-radius: 10px;<br />
border-bottom-right-radius: 10px;<br />
border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-privacy {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-about {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#footer-places-disclaimer {<br />
display: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
#ca-talk {<br />
display: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
BASE TEXT / LINK COLORS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.mw-body-content p {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body,<br />
.parsoid-body {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body h1,<br />
.mw-body-content h1 {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-body-content h2 {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
h3 {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
h4 {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
p {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
li {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-content-ltr ul,<br />
.mw-content-rtl .mw-content-ltr ul {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
ul li::before {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
a,<br />
a:visited {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.skin-vector-legacy a.new {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output a.extiw,<br />
.mw-parser-output a.external {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output a.extiw:visited,<br />
.mw-parser-output a.external:visited {<br />
color: #FFFDD0;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-footer li {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
TABLES / TOC / MISC WIKI ELEMENTS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
#filetoc {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw_metadata td,<br />
.mw_metadata th {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.wikitable {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.toc,<br />
.toccolours {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.tocnumber {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-message-box-warning,<br />
.warningbox {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.catlinks {<br />
background-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.thumbcaption {<br />
color: black;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-search-profile-tabs {<br />
background-color: #3a2c2a;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.search-types .current a {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
SPOILER / SPECIAL TEXT EFFECTS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.spoiler-text {<br />
background: black;<br />
color: black;<br />
cursor: help;<br />
transition: background 0.3s ease 0.2s, color 0.2s ease 0.25s;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.spoiler-text:hover,<br />
.spoiler-text:focus {<br />
color: white;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.blurry-text {<br />
filter: blur(1.75px);<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
ANIMATED TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
@keyframes blinkAnimation {<br />
0%, 100% {<br />
opacity: 1;<br />
}<br />
<br />
50% {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
.animatedText {<br />
color: green;<br />
animation: blinkAnimation 2s linear infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
DIVINE TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.divine-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text::before {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -1;<br />
filter: blur(8px);<br />
opacity: 0.7;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text::after {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -2;<br />
filter: blur(16px);<br />
opacity: 0.4;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.divine-text {<br />
animation: glow 2s ease-in-out infinite alternate;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes glow {<br />
from {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 5px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 10px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 15px #f6ff00,<br />
0 0 20px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 25px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 30px #f6ff00;<br />
}<br />
<br />
to {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 10px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 20px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 30px #f6ff00,<br />
0 0 40px #00b3ff,<br />
0 0 50px #ff0099,<br />
0 0 60px #f6ff00;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
FLICKER TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.flicker-text-hidden {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
transition: opacity 0.15s ease-in-out;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text-hidden:hover {<br />
animation: flicker 1s infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text {<br />
opacity: 100;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.flicker-text:hover {<br />
animation: flicker 1s infinite;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes flicker {<br />
0%, 19.999%, 22%, 62.999%, 64%, 64.999%, 70%, 100% {<br />
opacity: 1;<br />
color: yellow;<br />
}<br />
<br />
20%, 21.999%, 63%, 63.999%, 65%, 69.999% {<br />
opacity: 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
LIGHT TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.light-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
position: relative;<br />
animation: glow 2s ease-in-out infinite alternate;<br />
user-select: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.light-text::before {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -1;<br />
filter: blur(12px);<br />
opacity: 0.8;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.light-text::after {<br />
content: attr(data-text);<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 0;<br />
left: 0;<br />
right: 0;<br />
bottom: 0;<br />
z-index: -2;<br />
filter: blur(24px);<br />
opacity: 0.6;<br />
background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00b3ff, #ff0099, #f6ff00);<br />
-webkit-background-clip: text;<br />
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;<br />
}<br />
<br />
@keyframes glow {<br />
from {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 10px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 20px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 30px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 40px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 50px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 60px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 70px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 80px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 90px #fffff7;<br />
}<br />
<br />
to {<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 30px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 60px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 90px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 120px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 150px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 180px #fffff7,<br />
0 0 210px #feffd9,<br />
0 0 240px #5e4b75,<br />
0 0 270px #fffff7;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
SINISTER TEXT<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.sinister-text {<br />
font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;<br />
color: #3f4f41;<br />
text-shadow:<br />
0 0 2px #1a1a1a,<br />
0 0 10px #000000,<br />
0 0 2px #4c7550,<br />
0 0 7px #4c7550,<br />
0 0 8px #4c7550;<br />
transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
CASE / REPORT TYPOGRAPHY<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Courier+Prime&display=swap');<br />
<br />
.case,<br />
.case p,<br />
.case li,<br />
.case span,<br />
.case div {<br />
color: black;<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .case,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case b,<br />
.mw-parser-output .case strong {<br />
color: black;<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
STAMP IMAGE OVERLAY<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
/* Stamp wrapper */<br />
figure.stamp-image,<br />
.stamp-image {<br />
position: absolute;<br />
top: 120px; /* adjust */<br />
right: 80px; /* adjust */<br />
width: 350px;<br />
transform: rotate(-5deg);<br />
opacity: 0.85;<br />
pointer-events: none;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Actual image */<br />
figure.stamp-image img,<br />
.stamp-image img {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
height: auto;<br />
mix-blend-mode: multiply;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Ensure text does NOT reflow */<br />
.mw-parser-output {<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
REPORT BLOCKS<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
.report-block {<br />
position: relative;<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
padding: 24px;<br />
border-radius: 0.75rem;<br />
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1), 0 2px 4px -2px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1);<br />
margin-bottom: 24px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block b,<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block strong {<br />
color: #0f0e05;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .report-block {<br />
font-family: 'Courier Prime', monospace;<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
/* =========================================================<br />
ADDITIONS: CASE INDEX / DOSSIER / FILE LIST STYLING<br />
Added only; nothing above was removed.<br />
These are for the "Back in Business" / case list style.<br />
========================================================= */<br />
<br />
/* Optional palette variables for easier future editing */<br />
:root {<br />
--cdn-bg-main: #1f1612;<br />
--cdn-bg-panel: #2a1d17;<br />
--cdn-bg-row: #1b120e;<br />
--cdn-bg-row-soft: #241813;<br />
--cdn-brass: #8d6b4f;<br />
--cdn-brass-soft: #a78867;<br />
--cdn-cream: #f3e3cf;<br />
--cdn-cream-muted: #d9c7b1;<br />
--cdn-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Main wrapper for a themed case list page */<br />
.cdn-case-board {<br />
background:<br />
radial-gradient(circle at top, rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.08), transparent 45%),<br />
repeating-linear-gradient(<br />
-45deg,<br />
#201612 0px,<br />
#201612 4px,<br />
#241914 4px,<br />
#241914 8px<br />
);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 18px;<br />
padding: 24px 28px;<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04) inset,<br />
0 10px 30px var(--cdn-shadow);<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
position: relative;<br />
margin: 1.5rem auto;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Section title like [SECTION 1] BACK IN BUSINESS */<br />
.cdn-case-board .cdn-section-title {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
text-align: center;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.18em;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
font-size: 2rem;<br />
margin-bottom: 0.75rem;<br />
border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.7);<br />
padding-bottom: 0.5rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Top-right badge like "BREWED" */<br />
.cdn-case-board .cdn-section-badge {<br />
float: right;<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin-left: 12px;<br />
padding: 0.25rem 1rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.12);<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 0.85rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.15em;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Decorative divider */<br />
.cdn-divider {<br />
border-top: 2px dashed rgba(167, 136, 103, 0.55);<br />
margin: 1.25rem 0 1.5rem;<br />
position: relative;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-divider::after {<br />
content: "∞";<br />
position: absolute;<br />
left: 50%;<br />
top: -0.8em;<br />
transform: translateX(-50%);<br />
color: var(--cdn-brass-soft);<br />
background: transparent;<br />
padding: 0 0.5rem;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Table wrapper for case rows */<br />
.cdn-case-table {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
border-collapse: separate;<br />
border-spacing: 0 12px;<br />
margin: 0 auto;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Make wikitable variants not fight the card styling */<br />
.mw-parser-output table.cdn-case-table,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-table td,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-table th {<br />
background: transparent;<br />
border: 0;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Single row / card */<br />
.cdn-case-row {<br />
background:<br />
linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02), rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.10)),<br />
repeating-linear-gradient(<br />
-45deg,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row) 0px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row) 6px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row-soft) 6px,<br />
var(--cdn-bg-row-soft) 12px<br />
);<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.8);<br />
border-left: 4px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 6px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.22);<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Inner spacing for row contents */<br />
.cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
display: flex;<br />
align-items: center;<br />
gap: 16px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Label pill: "Case No. X" */<br />
.cdn-case-number {<br />
flex: 0 0 auto;<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
min-width: 110px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
padding: 0.35rem 0.8rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.08);<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
font-size: 0.95rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.04em;<br />
white-space: nowrap;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Title/link area */<br />
.cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.85rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional subtitle / description under title */<br />
.cdn-case-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-desc p {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
font-size: 0.98rem;<br />
margin-top: 0.4rem;<br />
line-height: 1.45;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Footer badge like "10 FULLY BREWED CASES" */<br />
.cdn-case-count {<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin: 1rem auto 0;<br />
padding: 0.35rem 1rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.1);<br />
color: #d7b38c;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.14em;<br />
font-size: 0.85rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Small signature / flavor text */<br />
.cdn-signoff {<br />
text-align: right;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
font-style: italic;<br />
margin-top: 1rem;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.06em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Simple two-column case card layout for overview pages */<br />
.cdn-case-grid {<br />
width: 100%;<br />
border-collapse: separate;<br />
border-spacing: 14px 14px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output table.cdn-case-grid,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-grid td {<br />
background: transparent;<br />
border: 0;<br />
vertical-align: top;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Card block for your existing case overview style */<br />
.cdn-case-card {<br />
background:<br />
linear-gradient(180deg, #332922 0%, #211914 100%);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);<br />
min-height: 150px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.45rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-number,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-number a:visited {<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
margin: 0.25rem 0 0.75rem;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
display: block;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-desc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card-desc p {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream-muted);<br />
line-height: 1.45;<br />
font-size: 0.98rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Wide feature card for section headers / file reference blocks */<br />
.cdn-feature-card {<br />
margin: 0 auto 20px auto;<br />
max-width: 1100px;<br />
background: var(--cdn-bg-panel);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 12px 18px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.22);<br />
text-align: center;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-feature-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-title a:visited {<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.7rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-feature-card-link,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-feature-card-link a:visited {<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
text-decoration: none;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Case titles that need a slightly more display-like look */<br />
.cdn-display-title {<br />
font-family: 'Georgia', 'Times New Roman', serif;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.03em;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional subtle hover, if your wiki allows it */<br />
.cdn-case-row:hover,<br />
.cdn-case-card:hover,<br />
.cdn-feature-card:hover {<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.03) inset,<br />
0 8px 22px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.30);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Optional compact version for tighter rows */<br />
.cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
padding: 10px 14px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-row.compact .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
font-size: 1.5rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* Mobile-ish fallback for narrower layouts */<br />
@media screen and (max-width: 900px) {<br />
.cdn-case-row-inner {<br />
display: block;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-number {<br />
margin-bottom: 10px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-title a:visited {<br />
font-size: 1.4rem;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-grid {<br />
border-spacing: 0 12px;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-grid td {<br />
display: block;<br />
width: 100% !important;<br />
padding: 0 0 12px 0;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* MediaWiki-safe clickable card */<br />
.cdn-case-card {<br />
position: relative;<br />
background: linear-gradient(180deg, #332922 0%, #211914 100%);<br />
border: 2px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 10px;<br />
padding: 14px 18px;<br />
text-align: center;<br />
min-height: 110px;<br />
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);<br />
transition:<br />
transform 0.18s ease,<br />
box-shadow 0.18s ease,<br />
border-color 0.18s ease;<br />
overflow: hidden;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card:hover {<br />
transform: translateY(-4px) scale(1.01);<br />
box-shadow:<br />
0 0 0 1px rgba(255,255,255,0.04) inset,<br />
0 10px 22px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34);<br />
border-color: var(--cdn-brass-soft);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-title {<br />
display: block;<br />
color: var(--cdn-cream);<br />
font-size: 1.45rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-card-number {<br />
display: block;<br />
color: #ead7be;<br />
font-size: 1rem;<br />
margin: 0.35rem 0 0.75rem;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc {<br />
display: inline-block;<br />
margin-top: 0.15rem;<br />
padding: 0.28rem 0.85rem;<br />
border: 1px solid var(--cdn-brass);<br />
border-radius: 999px;<br />
background: rgba(141, 107, 79, 0.12);<br />
color: #d8b790;<br />
font-size: 0.82rem;<br />
font-weight: 700;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.08em;<br />
text-transform: uppercase;<br />
line-height: 1.2;<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-royal {<br />
border-color: #b88a63;<br />
color: #f0c9a3;<br />
background: rgba(184, 138, 99, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-fate {<br />
border-color: #8ea7c9;<br />
color: #d8e5ff;<br />
background: rgba(142, 167, 201, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-testament {<br />
border-color: #7aa388;<br />
color: #d7f0dc;<br />
background: rgba(122, 163, 136, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-encore {<br />
border-color: #c5a35a;<br />
color: #ffe9b0;<br />
background: rgba(197, 163, 90, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-side {<br />
border-color: #9f8db8;<br />
color: #e6dcff;<br />
background: rgba(159, 141, 184, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-main {<br />
border-color: #b76f6f;<br />
color: #ffd9d9;<br />
background: rgba(183, 111, 111, 0.12);<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink {<br />
position: absolute;<br />
inset: 0;<br />
z-index: 1;<br />
font-size: 0 !important;<br />
line-height: 0 !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited {<br />
display: block;<br />
position: absolute;<br />
inset: 0;<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
width: 100%;<br />
height: 100%;<br />
font-size: 0 !important;<br />
line-height: 0 !important;<br />
text-indent: -9999px !important;<br />
white-space: nowrap !important;<br />
overflow: hidden !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
color: transparent !important;<br />
text-decoration: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* keep visible content above the invisible link */<br />
.cdn-case-card > *:not(.cdn-card-stretchlink) {<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* kill parser paragraphs inside cards */<br />
.cdn-case-card p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card p {<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* kill parser-added white blocks inside cards */<br />
.cdn-case-card p,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card p {<br />
margin: 0 !important;<br />
padding: 0 !important;<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* keep every child inside the card transparent unless explicitly styled */<br />
.cdn-case-card div,<br />
.cdn-case-card span,<br />
.cdn-case-card a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card div,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card span,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-card a {<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* stretch link must stay invisible */<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink a,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-card-stretchlink a:visited {<br />
background: transparent !important;<br />
border: 0 !important;<br />
box-shadow: none !important;<br />
color: transparent !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* badge should sit cleanly on its own */<br />
.cdn-case-arc,<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-arc {<br />
position: relative;<br />
z-index: 2;<br />
background-clip: padding-box;<br />
}<br />
<br />
pre, code, .mw-code {<br />
background: #1e1e1e;<br />
color: #f3e3cf;<br />
border: 1px solid #8d6b4f;<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* CORE */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-core {<br />
border-color: #353935;<br />
color: #e6e6e6;<br />
background: rgba(53, 57, 53, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* BLOODGLASS */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-bloodglass {<br />
border-color: #960320;<br />
color: #ffd6dc;<br />
background: rgba(150, 3, 32, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* MIDNIGHT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-midnight {<br />
border-color: #3a0c57;<br />
color: #e4d6ff;<br />
background: rgba(58, 12, 87, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* REQUIEM */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-requiem {<br />
border-color: #ffc87c;<br />
color: #fff3dc;<br />
background: rgba(255, 200, 124, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* SILENUS */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-silenus {<br />
border-color: #e0b4db;<br />
color: #fff0fc;<br />
background: rgba(224, 180, 219, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* TESSERACT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-tesseract {<br />
border-color: #082567;<br />
color: #d6e4ff;<br />
background: rgba(8, 37, 103, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* SUNSHINE */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-sunshine {<br />
border-color: #692a1a;<br />
color: #ffdcd4;<br />
background: rgba(105, 42, 26, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* TESTAMENT */<br />
.cdn-case-arc.arc-testament {<br />
border-color: #226C3B;<br />
color: #d7f5e3;<br />
background: rgba(34, 108, 59, 0.18);<br />
}<br />
<br />
/* ===== ARCHIVAL RECEIPT PAGE ===== */<br />
<br />
/* ===== ARCHIVAL CASE PAGE ===== */<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-page {<br />
max-width: 1100px !important;<br />
margin: 2rem auto !important;<br />
padding: 30px !important;<br />
background: linear-gradient(180deg, #2b1b17 0%, #170f0d 100%) !important;<br />
border: 1px solid #8d6b4f !important;<br />
border-radius: 22px !important;<br />
color: #f3e3cf !important;<br />
box-shadow: 0 20px 45px rgba(0,0,0,0.45) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-hero {<br />
text-align: center !important;<br />
padding: 24px 20px !important;<br />
border: 1px solid rgba(141,107,79,0.65) !important;<br />
border-radius: 18px !important;<br />
background: rgba(0,0,0,0.18) !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-label {<br />
color: #d7b38c !important;<br />
letter-spacing: 0.22em !important;<br />
font-size: 0.8rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 800 !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-title {<br />
margin-top: 8px !important;<br />
color: #fff3dc !important;<br />
font-size: 2.1rem !important;<br />
font-weight: 900 !important;<br />
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-archive-subtitle {<br />
color: #d9c7b1 !important;<br />
font-style: italic !important;<br />
margin-top: 6px !important;<br />
}<br />
<br />
.mw-parser-output .cdn-case-objective {<br />
margin: 20px 0 !important;<br />
padding: 14px 18px !important;<br />
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}</div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_8:_Fly_in_Our_Soup&diff=8608Case 8: Fly in Our Soup2026-05-05T04:07:36Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 8</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Fly In Our Soup</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;What was described to me as a &quot;minor fly infestation,&quot; in reality is a plague. -The Auditor, FOTF-01&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="FOTF-01"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:II3rdTemple.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">FOTF-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: FOTF-01'''<br />
<br />
I arrived at Silenus to a truly horrific scene. What was described to me as a &quot;minor fly infestation,&quot; in reality is a plague. A swarm. An outright outbreak. Hell on earth… Even worse than the Buzzing Planes of Beez&#x27;s home. Thousands upon thousands of horrid, pale, dipteras darting about every blink of the eye. And Silenus seems to be dealing with this with all of the urgency of Tesseract. From what I&#x27;ve seen thus far, they have been lazily swatting away these little foul winged beasts like a pack of disinterested cats. Dan hasn&#x27;t even been bothered to do that much and the only three who seem at all engaged in this current conundrum are Miranda, Brent, and Charlotte. And of those three, only Miranda seems to want the flies gone. How can they live like this?<br />
<br />
Silenus is one of the newer Cafes alongside Testament and Sunshine. It was opened in September of 2020 by Jack and Beez for two reasons. First, and most importantly, to safeguard the Bell of Fate. Naturally. Each Cafe has a Sponsor and each Sponsor is there to safeguard one of the various Pieces of Fate controlled by the Cafe and Diner Network. However, there was a specific reason Jack and Beez chose Point Pleasant and Dan Hamilton for Silenus: the Lanes Between. Though I personally don&#x27;t enjoy adding drink after drink to the Cafe&#x27;s menu, I suppose an exception could be made for those who walk the twisted back roads of the hotbed of the Coffee Trade. Let&#x27;s say… those who primarily reside &quot;in between&quot; enjoy a Flat White. And while I am bothering to expand the menus, Bloodglass&#x27; unique region of customers enjoy a… Cafe au Lait. Tesseract&#x27;s unique customers might enjoy a… mm… London Fog (not to be confused with a Double Shot…) and… I think that covers the exceptional customers the Cafe serves. At least, for now.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, with Beez as Silenus&#x27; sponsor they are no strangers to flies. In fact, in their most recent operation, the &quot;Salvation of the Flies,&quot; Silenus dealt with their fair share of, well, flies. However, these flies are clearly different. These aren&#x27;t the fat, iridescent blowflies of the Beez. These are small, white-eyed, and… surgically clean. They don&#x27;t land on food… they land on people. Baristas in particular, it seems. So far none have landed on me, thank… whatever is out there… but, regardless, it&#x27;s time someone dealt with this mess.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-FOTF-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-FOTF-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ptera()pretP"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Word Play | 1 Word [*******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Diptera</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">There are two “Ptera”s there. A way to say two is Di, and combining it makes Diptera, which matches as Fly.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MIRANDA POWELL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-FOTF-02'''<br />
<br />
If I see one more fly, I’m going to set this entire Cafe on fire. I’m not joking. While Dan was busy hiding inside his headphones the rest of us have been literally wading through a plague. It&#x27;s been gross. So, thank God this &quot;Auditor,&quot; whatever showed up when they did because Dan has to listen to Jack&#x27;s direct lackey even if he won&#x27;t listen to me. I just want the buzzing to stop and if it means carving one extra hole in reality then fine. Whatever works at this point.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Dan. Daniel. Dan… DAN!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor removed Dan&#x27;s headphones with a sharp tug.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh. Hey. Sorry… I was a bit lost in some, uh, work. What&#x27;s up… Uh…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Auditor is fine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s… not really a name, though?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">True. It&#x27;s a title. But I don&#x27;t need a name to do my work. Tell me, what is going on with these flies?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh—yeah, the flies. Uhm… I think they&#x27;re just from Esterskald or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Impossible.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">How so?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">These look nothing like Esterskaldian flies.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">How would you know?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m the Auditor. It&#x27;s my job to know. Besides, I&#x27;ve been to the Esterskald. The Buzzing Planes. The Hollow. I&#x27;ve seen Lord Beezelbub&#x27;s flies, these are not those.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay… so then—what are they?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">If I had to guess, they come from the Phantom Lanes. You do realize every time you summon the House Between using the Bell of Fate it cuts a hole through our reality, yes? These holes allow any number of strange entities through… flies included.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Uh… yeah. I mean, that could be. Though we never summon the House, like, here, you know? &#x27;Cause there&#x27;s already an establishment in the way. The closest we&#x27;ve summoned the House is… about two miles out. And we haven&#x27;t heard of any other flies around—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Have you checked?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Not… directly. We&#x27;ve been busy. Beezelebub is still pissed at us. When the Cicadas cut off our access to the Hollow and we stopped paying into the feast—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I know. I&#x27;ve read the case files. So, what, you&#x27;re spending day and night trying to mend your relationship with your sponsor?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bingo.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Miranda and Charlotte opened the door to Dan&#x27;s office.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Finally, I&#x27;ve been waiting to talk to you.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well, door&#x27;s always open.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But you&#x27;re not always listening. Dan—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Charlotte caught a fly out of the air and then squished it between her fingers, marveling at the residue left behind on her fingers.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Stop that Charlotte! God, you&#x27;re as bad as Brent. Dan—look at me, look me in the eyes, Dan. We. Need. To. Get. Rid. Of. These. Flies. It&#x27;s fucking gross and I will quit.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay—but how?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">There&#x27;s a few hours after midnight where they seem to stop flying and cluster together into balls.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Charlotte</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s so cool. They pulsate like little hearts. You can even pick them up and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So gross. But, Charlotte&#x27;s right. When they cluster together you can pick up a few hundred at once. So—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—we gather them up and then chuck them into the Phantom Lanes?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s what I was thinking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay. Sure. I&#x27;ll get the Bell—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Is this how you&#x27;ve been solving problems? Just throwing things into an unknown dimension?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Dan, Miranda, and Charlotte shrugged as a fly landed on the Auditor&#x27;s forehead then crawled slowly toward their eye.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…fine. But this is the last time.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-FOTF-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-FOTF-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"1. Water Bear, 3. Classical Woodpecker Cousin, 4. Olivia Benson"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Music Trivia | 3 Words [*. *** ***]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">2. The Fly</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">These all obliquely hint at a song in Cosmo Sheldrake’s first EP, Pelicans We. The second song in that EP is The Fly.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: DAN HAMILTON'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-FOTF-03'''<br />
<br />
Twenty buckets of &quot;fly balls&quot; and a dead Bell. That’s… not great. So, I tried ringing the Bell and got nothing in return. Then the Auditor tried (of course they did) and thankfully when they stepped right up to fix my mess—nada. Silence. Brent, Miranda, everyone took a crack at it while I just stood there. No clue what&#x27;s wrong now or how to fix it. At least it&#x27;s not just a &quot;me&quot; thing, you know?<br />
<br />
Is this Beelzebub? Did he somehow cut off our Piece of Fate because I missed the latest payment for the feast? God, I hope not… But he wouldn&#x27;t be that petty… right? No. He&#x27;s just as busy as I am and also I&#x27;m pretty sure none of the Princes actually know how the Pieces of Fate &quot;work,&quot; let alone how to turn them on or off. It has to be the Old Orders. They must have sealed the Phantom Lanes around us. Crap. At least that’s the only explanation that doesn&#x27;t end with this being my fault.<br />
<br />
Okay. Focus… So… We&#x27;re going to need a bit of manual infestation control. We&#x27;ll put the flies on ice back at the Cafe. If they wake up and swarm Mason County… eugh, I can’t even let myself imagine the cleanup effort that would take. It would be the end of the Cafe. The end of me. So… game plan. Come on, Dan, think. We could ask Beelzebub for help? No, he won&#x27;t answer. What we need to do is fix the Bell. Maybe Warden can take it a few hundred miles out? See if we’re just being jammed here? And if that doesn&#x27;t work… we&#x27;ll cull the flies. Crunch about 90% of them while they&#x27;re still clustered up like snail eggs. The Auditor says they aren&#x27;t Esterskaldian anyway. We should keep a few, though. Figure out what they are. Hopefully.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TMH-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TMH-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"&lt;NH3&gt;&lt;/NH3&gt;"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Toxicology Trivia | 1 Word [**************]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Hyperammonemia</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The tags are related to HTML. Taking Hyper and combining it with Ammonia (NH3), you get the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AGATHA BLUNT'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TMH-01'''<br />
<br />
Okay, so! I know everyone has been super stressed about the forbidden fly bobas in the freezer but, uh, ahaha we had another &quot;visitor&quot; today. A, uh, customer. And not one of our usuals either. This guy, kid really, isn&#x27;t one of the demons of the Old Orders nor any of our Esterskaldian informants or barflies. This… &quot;kid?&quot; is well, whatever it is, it&#x27;s roughly child-sized, wearing an adorable yellow raincoat, with an extremely bulbous head. Like a water balloon that had been filled way, way past the point of bursting or a rotten watermelon that&#x27;s been fermenting inside and ready to burst. It&#x27;s veiny, translucent, and wobbling a little bit when it walks. Present tense, seeing as the kid is currently in our back holding room.<br />
<br />
When it initially came inside I tried to see if it needed something but once I pulled down the raincoat&#x27;s hood I realized it doesn&#x27;t have a mouth. It&#x27;s just smooth, scarred tissue. It sort of just tilted its giant, heavy head at me. Then, this sound started coming out of its… throat, I think? It sounded like a cassette tape. There was a distinctive skrr—eee—itch—then click. It (or inside of it?) said: &quot;You seek —kzzk— TRANSCENDENCE. The Twice Third Temple can help. Do not fear —kzzk— Do not fear the Higher Beings. Do not fear the Flies. Do not fear what comes next. Relinquish the Cochlea and —kzzk— TRANSCEND.&quot;<br />
<br />
Then the big-headed kid lifted its head up and its neck detached like a hinge and there was a fleshy sort of cavity where I can only guess we are supposed to &quot;relinquish the cochlea.&quot; What… exactly is &quot;the cochlea?&quot; Is that… is it the Bell? Is the Bell, like, Fate&#x27;s Cochlea? I mean… I guess that makes sense. But also, what the hell is the &quot;Twice Third Temple?&quot; And who sent this… nightmare child to demand our piece of Fate? Dan might not like it but we&#x27;re gonna have to call Beez in on this if there are other outside factions demanding our Bell.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TMH-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TMH-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Been thinking a lot about water lately."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Anatomy Trivia | 1 Word [*************]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Hydrocephalus</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">This is a condition where fluid accumulates in the brain, clued by thinking and water.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: BRENT HEARSE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TMH-02'''<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the strange child sent to us by the Twice Third Temple has perished.<br />
<br />
…Fortunately that clears up a lot of my ethical quandaries over dissecting and autopsying the patient!<br />
<br />
Preliminary examination suggests the subject was not &quot;born&quot; (mercifully) in any traditional mammalian sense. This is a construct. A biological courier drone. A homunculus. Cheaply made, too. The shelf-life on this thing was likely only a few hours… just long enough to deliver its message before systemic cellular collapse. Agatha’s description of the head as a &quot;rotten watermelon&quot; was actually scientifically astute. Upon incision of the epidermal layer (which lacks sweat glands and appears to be a silicate-grafted skin substitute possibly magically grown or conjured), the cranial vault was not filled with grey matter. Instead, the skull is merely a thin, cartilaginous shell containing roughly three liters of highly pressurized, viscous psychotropic fluid.<br />
<br />
Which is to say, there is no brain. The fluid itself serves as the cognitive medium—likely a suspended-solution preprogrammed memory bank. When I drained it, the body immediately lost turgidity and deflated, confirming a sort of &quot;water balloon&quot; structural integrity. Without the psychotropic fluid this being is nothing more than a shell. Furthermore, I have isolated the source of the &quot;cassette tape&quot; vocalization. The larynx has been surgically removed, or perhaps never grown, and in its place is a bio-thaumaturgic resonator carved from bone. Avian bone, specifically. It works on a friction principle: a small, rough tongue (more like a stylus) scrapes against a series of calcified ridges in the throat to produce speech. It’s strictly &quot;read-only.&quot; This creature couldn&#x27;t have improvised a conversation if it wanted to; it was, more or less, a walking playback device.<br />
<br />
The neck mechanism is also horrifyingly elegant. The cervical vertebrae are fused into a fulcrum, allowing the head to pivot back 90 degrees. The cavity inside the throat is lined with non-digestive mucosa. A cargo hold. This drone was designed to &quot;swallow,&quot; an object and suspend it in that cranial fluid for safe transport, then waddle back to the Twice Third Temple. What we are dealing with here is sophisticated flesh-crafting. I’ve jarred a sample of the cranial fluid for Lord Beelzebub and Arthur Crow back at the Core Cafe. I suspect… somewhere within that fluid lies instructions or directions to this &quot;Twice Third Temple.&quot;<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-FOTF-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-FOTF-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"TKAM, TF2, BSA."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Abbreviation Trivia | 1 Word [*****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Scout</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">To Kill a Mockingbird's main character is Scout Finch, Scout is a class in Team Fortress 2, and BSA stands for Boy Scouts America.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: TYLER SCHWARZWASSER'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-FOTF-04'''<br />
<br />
Apologies for the unscheduled update, but the data from the security feeds is… distressing. I have isolated a vector in the flies&#x27; movement. It isn&#x27;t random. It’s an algorithm. I cannot currently decrypt the specific pattern—a failure on my part, I admit—but the objective is undeniable. They are mapping us. They are mapping our Diner. At first I considered that they might be attempting some sort of large-scale sigil magic, but given the flies adaptability to our positions within the diner this cannot be the case. Still…<br />
<br />
To confirm this, I require authorization to unfreeze one of the remaining clusters. Immediately. I realize the others (perhaps, of course, except for Brent and Charlotte) may find this… distasteful. However, please observe the timestamp at 08:47. A fly encounters the Auditor, retreats, and returns forty-seven minutes later to map the empty space where the Auditor was. That is not instinct. That is error correction. That is intelligence. It is an algorithm.<br />
<br />
The flies are not merely biological, if they are biological at all. They are surveillance drones. If the &quot;Melonhead&quot; was a messenger from this Twice Third Temple, the flies are likely its scouts. And if they are scouts, they are recording. We cannot wait for consensus. The mapping is likely already complete. The Bell’s silence suggests they have already compromised our perimeter. I have devised a plan to utilize Agatha and Madeline&#x27;s powers to force the flies to reveal the location of the Twice Third Temple assuming Brent&#x27;s hypothesis is also correct that its locational data is stored in the cranial fluid of the Melonhead. I am aware this plan is unpleasant, perhaps even dangerous, but we must use the Temple&#x27;s &quot;tech&quot; against them.<br />
<br />
Waiting for Dan’s sign-off. Please hurry.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-FOTF-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-FOTF-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"ree Fiv net net One wen Nin Fif een."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Cipher | 1 Word [*********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Cessation</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The cipher works by taking the number, and taking that letter position. For three, we would count the third letter, and take that one. Then we would take two more letters for context. After getting the numbers, you can do A1Z26 to get the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: WARDEN'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-FOTF-05'''<br />
<br />
The swarm is agitated.<br />
<br />
They move in vectors of panic.<br />
<br />
Tyler perceived a pattern, but he has confused it for intent. There is no intent. There is only input and error.<br />
<br />
I am standing at coordinates 0,0 relative to the freezer unit within Silenus&#x27; layout. The flies collide with my face in constant buzzing waves. They bounce off my shoulders, my ribs, my arms, my legs. They do not veer. They do not learn what I am. To their sensors, the space I occupy reads only as empty. Error. They are attempting to fly through me because they cannot detect what they were sent here to map. They have been receiving a null response. I am a blind spot in the room.<br />
<br />
Tyler requested their optical data. I have begun the collection process. It is not difficult. They fly into my hands because they do not know my hands are there.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Interceptcapturecompresscessation.<br />
<br />
Interceptcapturecompresscessation.<br />
<br />
Interceptcapturecompresscessationinterceptcapturecompresscessationinterceptcapturecompresscessationinterceptcapturecompresscessation—<br />
<br />
Their carapaces snap with very little pressure. The buzzing has lessened. It is growing quiet now. I have accumulated a pile of twenty-four units on the floor. With what little programming they have left they twitch and writhe. They cry out a signal to their fellow flies. They do not feel pain. They do not fear death. They are not.<br />
<br />
The swarm is thinning. They are confused. They are mapping a room that is shrinking, yet they cannot find the wall that is killing them one by one. I am the wall. I am the Warden. The flies will falter. The flies will fall. The flies will break one by one.<br />
<br />
I will continue until the buzzing stops.<br />
<br />
Silence is the optimal state.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation—<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="FOTF-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">FOTF-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: FOTF-06'''<br />
<br />
Ah, the Twice Third Temple.<br />
<br />
A vile and insidious fast food chain, thus a competitor to the Cafe and Diner Network, which has so far been lurking in the shadows outside of our view. I wasn&#x27;t sure if they were going to pop up, but I suppose it was only a matter of time. Though, I can&#x27;t possibly say how long the Twice Third Temple has been in operation or even who is currently employed there; except for, of course, its owner: Lyle Crow. Yes, that Crow, brother to our very own Arthur Crow. The Crows as a family are well enough known in the coffee trade. They reside on Dracula Drive in New Canaan, Connecticut and have always been eager to explore… shall we say… &quot;unethical&quot; means of customer satisfaction and food and drink offerings.<br />
<br />
When Arthur was first offered a job at his family&#x27;s fast food establishment he was excited to finally be part of his family&#x27;s business. But then, as it always is with fast food joints, he saw how the sausage was made, the mold in the ice machine, and the buckets of reused oil. He fled. He has been completely out of touch with his family since which would explain why he was up until now unaware of his brother Lyle&#x27;s continuation of their father, Alfred &quot;Al&quot; Crow&#x27;s work.<br />
<br />
I suppose next, Silenus will need to uncover where exactly &quot;Dr. Crow&quot; has set up his first establishment and who he has on his payroll. I have a few guesses, though I would hate to speculate so early on. Thankfully, it seems Tyler, Agatha, and Warden have a hypothesis on how to utilize Mr. Felt and Mr. Evenhuis, with the help of Madeline&#x27;s unique talents, to locate the Twice Third Temple. Mr. Felt, though his tab was paid in full by his very nature, had some &quot;good ideas&quot; as to where the Temple must be and Mr. Evenhuis is quite the locator according to Tyler and Warden&#x27;s continued efforts to serve him.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-FOTF-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-FOTF-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"δ♒︎→"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Astronomy Trivia | 2 Words [*** **]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">113 Ly</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The distance from Earth to Delta Aquarii is about 113 light years.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MADELINE SATURN'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-FOTF-07'''<br />
<br />
My hands are numb. Heavy. The vibrations are still in my bones. I hope you’re happy with the results, because I’m NOT doing that again. Tyler and Agatha wanted a heavy weight. That’s all I am to them, apparently. Just gravity stashed away in their pockets, ready to be pushed out whenever they need someone to pull. They needed to force the flies onto Tyler’s little map to see where they would land, to reveal the location of the Twice Third Temple, but the flies were fighting the programming. Agatha opened her connection to the Phantom Lanes, which, for the record, feels disgusting, like breathing in ice water, and then she told me to pull.<br />
<br />
So I pulled. I did exactly what I was told to do.<br />
<br />
I anchored them down. It wasn&#x27;t my fault the Phantom Lanes tend to pull harder. I felt the tension snap. The flies shattered. Crumbled like dry autumn leaves. A thousand tiny crunches compressed between two supermassive forces. Honestly? Good riddance. I was getting sick of those damn flies.<br />
<br />
The fly dust settled on Cincinnati. We all saw it. But then the counter-weight of the Lanes shifted. And don’t look at me, don&#x27;t you dare look at me, I didn&#x27;t let go. I held it tight, even when it hurt. The dust crawled on its own. It dragged itself from Cincinnati to Ashland. Then Charleston. Parkersburg… That isn&#x27;t a map of the U.S. It’s not here. The Twice Third Temple isn&#x27;t a place in the Flipside, it&#x27;s moving about in the Lanes, circling us like a shark. And since the Bell is broken, there’s nothing stopping it.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-11"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-11</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-11'''<br />
<br />
And that is why I have put off working with Silenus thus far. They always seem to be neck deep in some sort of disgusting horror, be it body, mind, soul, or otherwise. Mild fly infestation… ha! Well, at least they now have a direction even if their sense of location is perpetually phantasmal at best. Mr. Felt had his tab paid in full and his customer satisfaction survey should now be in Arthur&#x27;s hands. And Mr. Evenhuis&#x27; tab has also been paid in full. The infestation is cleared, er, crushed, but their Bell remains silent.<br />
<br />
Warden even went so far as to take the Bell to Wichita and still—nothing. Whatever Dr. Crow has done to silence their Piece of Fate (assuming Dr. Crow is the one to blame) it is not a matter of mere proximity to Silenus&#x27; local Lanes. It&#x27;s an issue to be sure, but not mine, I believe Beez will have to make nice with his Cafe if he intends to continue his sponsorship. No Bell, no need for Beez, and no access to the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s contributions to his everlasting feast.<br />
<br />
As for my next move, I need to pay Bloodglass a visit. They have a… mm… a component that CaDence has requested for our side project. Additionally, the twins could use some help with their familial feud concerning their evil and estranged aunt. Though, in the meantime while I sort out CaDence&#x27;s components and audit what can be done at Bloodglass, I think it is finally time to revisit my earlier October trip to the Cafe and Diner: Testament in lovely Las Vegas, Nevada. Deciding whether or not to publish this case was… difficult. But I would rather keep transparency than to hide behind a swarm of secrets.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_8:_Fly_in_Our_Soup&diff=8607Case 8: Fly in Our Soup2026-05-05T04:07:03Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 8</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Fly In Our Soup</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;What was described to me as a &quot;minor fly infestation,&quot; in reality is a plague. -The Auditor, FOTF-01&quot;</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="FOTF-01"> <div class..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 8</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Fly In Our Soup</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;What was described to me as a &quot;minor fly infestation,&quot; in reality is a plague. -The Auditor, FOTF-01&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="FOTF-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">FOTF-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: FOTF-01'''<br />
<br />
I arrived at Silenus to a truly horrific scene. What was described to me as a &quot;minor fly infestation,&quot; in reality is a plague. A swarm. An outright outbreak. Hell on earth… Even worse than the Buzzing Planes of Beez&#x27;s home. Thousands upon thousands of horrid, pale, dipteras darting about every blink of the eye. And Silenus seems to be dealing with this with all of the urgency of Tesseract. From what I&#x27;ve seen thus far, they have been lazily swatting away these little foul winged beasts like a pack of disinterested cats. Dan hasn&#x27;t even been bothered to do that much and the only three who seem at all engaged in this current conundrum are Miranda, Brent, and Charlotte. And of those three, only Miranda seems to want the flies gone. How can they live like this?<br />
<br />
Silenus is one of the newer Cafes alongside Testament and Sunshine. It was opened in September of 2020 by Jack and Beez for two reasons. First, and most importantly, to safeguard the Bell of Fate. Naturally. Each Cafe has a Sponsor and each Sponsor is there to safeguard one of the various Pieces of Fate controlled by the Cafe and Diner Network. However, there was a specific reason Jack and Beez chose Point Pleasant and Dan Hamilton for Silenus: the Lanes Between. Though I personally don&#x27;t enjoy adding drink after drink to the Cafe&#x27;s menu, I suppose an exception could be made for those who walk the twisted back roads of the hotbed of the Coffee Trade. Let&#x27;s say… those who primarily reside &quot;in between&quot; enjoy a Flat White. And while I am bothering to expand the menus, Bloodglass&#x27; unique region of customers enjoy a… Cafe au Lait. Tesseract&#x27;s unique customers might enjoy a… mm… London Fog (not to be confused with a Double Shot…) and… I think that covers the exceptional customers the Cafe serves. At least, for now.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, with Beez as Silenus&#x27; sponsor they are no strangers to flies. In fact, in their most recent operation, the &quot;Salvation of the Flies,&quot; Silenus dealt with their fair share of, well, flies. However, these flies are clearly different. These aren&#x27;t the fat, iridescent blowflies of the Beez. These are small, white-eyed, and… surgically clean. They don&#x27;t land on food… they land on people. Baristas in particular, it seems. So far none have landed on me, thank… whatever is out there… but, regardless, it&#x27;s time someone dealt with this mess.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-FOTF-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-FOTF-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ptera()pretP"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Word Play | 1 Word [*******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Diptera</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">There are two “Ptera”s there. A way to say two is Di, and combining it makes Diptera, which matches as Fly.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MIRANDA POWELL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-FOTF-02'''<br />
<br />
If I see one more fly, I’m going to set this entire Cafe on fire. I’m not joking. While Dan was busy hiding inside his headphones the rest of us have been literally wading through a plague. It&#x27;s been gross. So, thank God this &quot;Auditor,&quot; whatever showed up when they did because Dan has to listen to Jack&#x27;s direct lackey even if he won&#x27;t listen to me. I just want the buzzing to stop and if it means carving one extra hole in reality then fine. Whatever works at this point.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Dan. Daniel. Dan… DAN!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor removed Dan&#x27;s headphones with a sharp tug.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh. Hey. Sorry… I was a bit lost in some, uh, work. What&#x27;s up… Uh…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Auditor is fine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s… not really a name, though?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">True. It&#x27;s a title. But I don&#x27;t need a name to do my work. Tell me, what is going on with these flies?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh—yeah, the flies. Uhm… I think they&#x27;re just from Esterskald or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Impossible.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">How so?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">These look nothing like Esterskaldian flies.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">How would you know?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m the Auditor. It&#x27;s my job to know. Besides, I&#x27;ve been to the Esterskald. The Buzzing Planes. The Hollow. I&#x27;ve seen Lord Beezelbub&#x27;s flies, these are not those.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay… so then—what are they?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">If I had to guess, they come from the Phantom Lanes. You do realize every time you summon the House Between using the Bell of Fate it cuts a hole through our reality, yes? These holes allow any number of strange entities through… flies included.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Uh… yeah. I mean, that could be. Though we never summon the House, like, here, you know? &#x27;Cause there&#x27;s already an establishment in the way. The closest we&#x27;ve summoned the House is… about two miles out. And we haven&#x27;t heard of any other flies around—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Have you checked?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Not… directly. We&#x27;ve been busy. Beezelebub is still pissed at us. When the Cicadas cut off our access to the Hollow and we stopped paying into the feast—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I know. I&#x27;ve read the case files. So, what, you&#x27;re spending day and night trying to mend your relationship with your sponsor?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bingo.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Miranda and Charlotte opened the door to Dan&#x27;s office.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Finally, I&#x27;ve been waiting to talk to you.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well, door&#x27;s always open.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But you&#x27;re not always listening. Dan—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Charlotte caught a fly out of the air and then squished it between her fingers, marveling at the residue left behind on her fingers.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Stop that Charlotte! God, you&#x27;re as bad as Brent. Dan—look at me, look me in the eyes, Dan. We. Need. To. Get. Rid. Of. These. Flies. It&#x27;s fucking gross and I will quit.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay—but how?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">There&#x27;s a few hours after midnight where they seem to stop flying and cluster together into balls.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Charlotte</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s so cool. They pulsate like little hearts. You can even pick them up and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So gross. But, Charlotte&#x27;s right. When they cluster together you can pick up a few hundred at once. So—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—we gather them up and then chuck them into the Phantom Lanes?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Miranda</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s what I was thinking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dan</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay. Sure. I&#x27;ll get the Bell—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Is this how you&#x27;ve been solving problems? Just throwing things into an unknown dimension?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Dan, Miranda, and Charlotte shrugged as a fly landed on the Auditor&#x27;s forehead then crawled slowly toward their eye.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…fine. But this is the last time.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-FOTF-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-FOTF-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"1. Water Bear, 3. Classical Woodpecker Cousin, 4. Olivia Benson"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Music Trivia | 3 Words [*. *** ***]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">2. The Fly</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">These all obliquely hint at a song in Cosmo Sheldrake’s first EP, Pelicans We. The second song in that EP is The Fly.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: DAN HAMILTON'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-FOTF-03'''<br />
<br />
Twenty buckets of &quot;fly balls&quot; and a dead Bell. That’s… not great. So, I tried ringing the Bell and got nothing in return. Then the Auditor tried (of course they did) and thankfully when they stepped right up to fix my mess—nada. Silence. Brent, Miranda, everyone took a crack at it while I just stood there. No clue what&#x27;s wrong now or how to fix it. At least it&#x27;s not just a &quot;me&quot; thing, you know?<br />
<br />
Is this Beelzebub? Did he somehow cut off our Piece of Fate because I missed the latest payment for the feast? God, I hope not… But he wouldn&#x27;t be that petty… right? No. He&#x27;s just as busy as I am and also I&#x27;m pretty sure none of the Princes actually know how the Pieces of Fate &quot;work,&quot; let alone how to turn them on or off. It has to be the Old Orders. They must have sealed the Phantom Lanes around us. Crap. At least that’s the only explanation that doesn&#x27;t end with this being my fault.<br />
<br />
Okay. Focus… So… We&#x27;re going to need a bit of manual infestation control. We&#x27;ll put the flies on ice back at the Cafe. If they wake up and swarm Mason County… eugh, I can’t even let myself imagine the cleanup effort that would take. It would be the end of the Cafe. The end of me. So… game plan. Come on, Dan, think. We could ask Beelzebub for help? No, he won&#x27;t answer. What we need to do is fix the Bell. Maybe Warden can take it a few hundred miles out? See if we’re just being jammed here? And if that doesn&#x27;t work… we&#x27;ll cull the flies. Crunch about 90% of them while they&#x27;re still clustered up like snail eggs. The Auditor says they aren&#x27;t Esterskaldian anyway. We should keep a few, though. Figure out what they are. Hopefully.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TMH-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TMH-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"&lt;NH3&gt;&lt;/NH3&gt;"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Toxicology Trivia | 1 Word [**************]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Hyperammonemia</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The tags are related to HTML. Taking Hyper and combining it with Ammonia (NH3), you get the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AGATHA BLUNT'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TMH-01'''<br />
<br />
Okay, so! I know everyone has been super stressed about the forbidden fly bobas in the freezer but, uh, ahaha we had another &quot;visitor&quot; today. A, uh, customer. And not one of our usuals either. This guy, kid really, isn&#x27;t one of the demons of the Old Orders nor any of our Esterskaldian informants or barflies. This… &quot;kid?&quot; is well, whatever it is, it&#x27;s roughly child-sized, wearing an adorable yellow raincoat, with an extremely bulbous head. Like a water balloon that had been filled way, way past the point of bursting or a rotten watermelon that&#x27;s been fermenting inside and ready to burst. It&#x27;s veiny, translucent, and wobbling a little bit when it walks. Present tense, seeing as the kid is currently in our back holding room.<br />
<br />
When it initially came inside I tried to see if it needed something but once I pulled down the raincoat&#x27;s hood I realized it doesn&#x27;t have a mouth. It&#x27;s just smooth, scarred tissue. It sort of just tilted its giant, heavy head at me. Then, this sound started coming out of its… throat, I think? It sounded like a cassette tape. There was a distinctive skrr—eee—itch—then click. It (or inside of it?) said: &quot;You seek —kzzk— TRANSCENDENCE. The Twice Third Temple can help. Do not fear —kzzk— Do not fear the Higher Beings. Do not fear the Flies. Do not fear what comes next. Relinquish the Cochlea and —kzzk— TRANSCEND.&quot;<br />
<br />
Then the big-headed kid lifted its head up and its neck detached like a hinge and there was a fleshy sort of cavity where I can only guess we are supposed to &quot;relinquish the cochlea.&quot; What… exactly is &quot;the cochlea?&quot; Is that… is it the Bell? Is the Bell, like, Fate&#x27;s Cochlea? I mean… I guess that makes sense. But also, what the hell is the &quot;Twice Third Temple?&quot; And who sent this… nightmare child to demand our piece of Fate? Dan might not like it but we&#x27;re gonna have to call Beez in on this if there are other outside factions demanding our Bell.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TMH-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TMH-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Been thinking a lot about water lately."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Anatomy Trivia | 1 Word [*************]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Hydrocephalus</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">This is a condition where fluid accumulates in the brain, clued by thinking and water.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: BRENT HEARSE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TMH-02'''<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the strange child sent to us by the Twice Third Temple has perished.<br />
<br />
…Fortunately that clears up a lot of my ethical quandaries over dissecting and autopsying the patient!<br />
<br />
Preliminary examination suggests the subject was not &quot;born&quot; (mercifully) in any traditional mammalian sense. This is a construct. A biological courier drone. A homunculus. Cheaply made, too. The shelf-life on this thing was likely only a few hours… just long enough to deliver its message before systemic cellular collapse. Agatha’s description of the head as a &quot;rotten watermelon&quot; was actually scientifically astute. Upon incision of the epidermal layer (which lacks sweat glands and appears to be a silicate-grafted skin substitute possibly magically grown or conjured), the cranial vault was not filled with grey matter. Instead, the skull is merely a thin, cartilaginous shell containing roughly three liters of highly pressurized, viscous psychotropic fluid.<br />
<br />
Which is to say, there is no brain. The fluid itself serves as the cognitive medium—likely a suspended-solution preprogrammed memory bank. When I drained it, the body immediately lost turgidity and deflated, confirming a sort of &quot;water balloon&quot; structural integrity. Without the psychotropic fluid this being is nothing more than a shell. Furthermore, I have isolated the source of the &quot;cassette tape&quot; vocalization. The larynx has been surgically removed, or perhaps never grown, and in its place is a bio-thaumaturgic resonator carved from bone. Avian bone, specifically. It works on a friction principle: a small, rough tongue (more like a stylus) scrapes against a series of calcified ridges in the throat to produce speech. It’s strictly &quot;read-only.&quot; This creature couldn&#x27;t have improvised a conversation if it wanted to; it was, more or less, a walking playback device.<br />
<br />
The neck mechanism is also horrifyingly elegant. The cervical vertebrae are fused into a fulcrum, allowing the head to pivot back 90 degrees. The cavity inside the throat is lined with non-digestive mucosa. A cargo hold. This drone was designed to &quot;swallow,&quot; an object and suspend it in that cranial fluid for safe transport, then waddle back to the Twice Third Temple. What we are dealing with here is sophisticated flesh-crafting. I’ve jarred a sample of the cranial fluid for Lord Beelzebub and Arthur Crow back at the Core Cafe. I suspect… somewhere within that fluid lies instructions or directions to this &quot;Twice Third Temple.&quot;<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-FOTF-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-FOTF-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"TKAM, TF2, BSA."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Abbreviation Trivia | 1 Word [*****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Scout</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">To Kill a Mockingbird's main character is Scout Finch, Scout is a class in Team Fortress 2, and BSA stands for Boy Scouts America.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: TYLER SCHWARZWASSER'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-FOTF-04'''<br />
<br />
Apologies for the unscheduled update, but the data from the security feeds is… distressing. I have isolated a vector in the flies&#x27; movement. It isn&#x27;t random. It’s an algorithm. I cannot currently decrypt the specific pattern—a failure on my part, I admit—but the objective is undeniable. They are mapping us. They are mapping our Diner. At first I considered that they might be attempting some sort of large-scale sigil magic, but given the flies adaptability to our positions within the diner this cannot be the case. Still…<br />
<br />
To confirm this, I require authorization to unfreeze one of the remaining clusters. Immediately. I realize the others (perhaps, of course, except for Brent and Charlotte) may find this… distasteful. However, please observe the timestamp at 08:47. A fly encounters the Auditor, retreats, and returns forty-seven minutes later to map the empty space where the Auditor was. That is not instinct. That is error correction. That is intelligence. It is an algorithm.<br />
<br />
The flies are not merely biological, if they are biological at all. They are surveillance drones. If the &quot;Melonhead&quot; was a messenger from this Twice Third Temple, the flies are likely its scouts. And if they are scouts, they are recording. We cannot wait for consensus. The mapping is likely already complete. The Bell’s silence suggests they have already compromised our perimeter. I have devised a plan to utilize Agatha and Madeline&#x27;s powers to force the flies to reveal the location of the Twice Third Temple assuming Brent&#x27;s hypothesis is also correct that its locational data is stored in the cranial fluid of the Melonhead. I am aware this plan is unpleasant, perhaps even dangerous, but we must use the Temple&#x27;s &quot;tech&quot; against them.<br />
<br />
Waiting for Dan’s sign-off. Please hurry.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-FOTF-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-FOTF-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"ree Fiv net net One wen Nin Fif een."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Cipher | 1 Word [*********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Cessation</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The cipher works by taking the number, and taking that letter position. For three, we would count the third letter, and take that one. Then we would take two more letters for context. After getting the numbers, you can do A1Z26 to get the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: WARDEN'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-FOTF-05'''<br />
<br />
The swarm is agitated.<br />
<br />
They move in vectors of panic.<br />
<br />
Tyler perceived a pattern, but he has confused it for intent. There is no intent. There is only input and error.<br />
<br />
I am standing at coordinates 0,0 relative to the freezer unit within Silenus&#x27; layout. The flies collide with my face in constant buzzing waves. They bounce off my shoulders, my ribs, my arms, my legs. They do not veer. They do not learn what I am. To their sensors, the space I occupy reads only as empty. Error. They are attempting to fly through me because they cannot detect what they were sent here to map. They have been receiving a null response. I am a blind spot in the room.<br />
<br />
Tyler requested their optical data. I have begun the collection process. It is not difficult. They fly into my hands because they do not know my hands are there.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Interceptcapturecompresscessation.<br />
<br />
Interceptcapturecompresscessation.<br />
<br />
Interceptcapturecompresscessationinterceptcapturecompresscessationinterceptcapturecompresscessationinterceptcapturecompresscessation—<br />
<br />
Their carapaces snap with very little pressure. The buzzing has lessened. It is growing quiet now. I have accumulated a pile of twenty-four units on the floor. With what little programming they have left they twitch and writhe. They cry out a signal to their fellow flies. They do not feel pain. They do not fear death. They are not.<br />
<br />
The swarm is thinning. They are confused. They are mapping a room that is shrinking, yet they cannot find the wall that is killing them one by one. I am the wall. I am the Warden. The flies will falter. The flies will fall. The flies will break one by one.<br />
<br />
I will continue until the buzzing stops.<br />
<br />
Silence is the optimal state.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation.<br />
<br />
Intercept. Capture. Compress. Cessation—<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="FOTF-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">FOTF-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: FOTF-06'''<br />
<br />
Ah, the Twice Third Temple.<br />
<br />
A vile and insidious fast food chain, thus a competitor to the Cafe and Diner Network, which has so far been lurking in the shadows outside of our view. I wasn&#x27;t sure if they were going to pop up, but I suppose it was only a matter of time. Though, I can&#x27;t possibly say how long the Twice Third Temple has been in operation or even who is currently employed there; except for, of course, its owner: Lyle Crow. Yes, that Crow, brother to our very own Arthur Crow. The Crows as a family are well enough known in the coffee trade. They reside on Dracula Drive in New Canaan, Connecticut and have always been eager to explore… shall we say… &quot;unethical&quot; means of customer satisfaction and food and drink offerings.<br />
<br />
When Arthur was first offered a job at his family&#x27;s fast food establishment he was excited to finally be part of his family&#x27;s business. But then, as it always is with fast food joints, he saw how the sausage was made, the mold in the ice machine, and the buckets of reused oil. He fled. He has been completely out of touch with his family since which would explain why he was up until now unaware of his brother Lyle&#x27;s continuation of their father, Alfred &quot;Al&quot; Crow&#x27;s work.<br />
<br />
I suppose next, Silenus will need to uncover where exactly &quot;Dr. Crow&quot; has set up his first establishment and who he has on his payroll. I have a few guesses, though I would hate to speculate so early on. Thankfully, it seems Tyler, Agatha, and Warden have a hypothesis on how to utilize Mr. Felt and Mr. Evenhuis, with the help of Madeline&#x27;s unique talents, to locate the Twice Third Temple. Mr. Felt, though his tab was paid in full by his very nature, had some &quot;good ideas&quot; as to where the Temple must be and Mr. Evenhuis is quite the locator according to Tyler and Warden&#x27;s continued efforts to serve him.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-FOTF-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-FOTF-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"δ♒︎→"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Astronomy Trivia | 2 Words [*** **]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">113 Ly</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The distance from Earth to Delta Aquarii is about 113 light years.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MADELINE SATURN'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: SILENUS'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-FOTF-07'''<br />
<br />
My hands are numb. Heavy. The vibrations are still in my bones. I hope you’re happy with the results, because I’m NOT doing that again. Tyler and Agatha wanted a heavy weight. That’s all I am to them, apparently. Just gravity stashed away in their pockets, ready to be pushed out whenever they need someone to pull. They needed to force the flies onto Tyler’s little map to see where they would land, to reveal the location of the Twice Third Temple, but the flies were fighting the programming. Agatha opened her connection to the Phantom Lanes, which, for the record, feels disgusting, like breathing in ice water, and then she told me to pull.<br />
<br />
So I pulled. I did exactly what I was told to do.<br />
<br />
I anchored them down. It wasn&#x27;t my fault the Phantom Lanes tend to pull harder. I felt the tension snap. The flies shattered. Crumbled like dry autumn leaves. A thousand tiny crunches compressed between two supermassive forces. Honestly? Good riddance. I was getting sick of those damn flies.<br />
<br />
The fly dust settled on Cincinnati. We all saw it. But then the counter-weight of the Lanes shifted. And don’t look at me, don&#x27;t you dare look at me, I didn&#x27;t let go. I held it tight, even when it hurt. The dust crawled on its own. It dragged itself from Cincinnati to Ashland. Then Charleston. Parkersburg… That isn&#x27;t a map of the U.S. It’s not here. The Twice Third Temple isn&#x27;t a place in the Flipside, it&#x27;s moving about in the Lanes, circling us like a shark. And since the Bell is broken, there’s nothing stopping it.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-11"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-11</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-11'''<br />
<br />
And that is why I have put off working with Silenus thus far. They always seem to be neck deep in some sort of disgusting horror, be it body, mind, soul, or otherwise. Mild fly infestation… ha! Well, at least they now have a direction even if their sense of location is perpetually phantasmal at best. Mr. Felt had his tab paid in full and his customer satisfaction survey should now be in Arthur&#x27;s hands. And Mr. Evenhuis&#x27; tab has also been paid in full. The infestation is cleared, er, crushed, but their Bell remains silent.<br />
<br />
Warden even went so far as to take the Bell to Wichita and still—nothing. Whatever Dr. Crow has done to silence their Piece of Fate (assuming Dr. Crow is the one to blame) it is not a matter of mere proximity to Silenus&#x27; local Lanes. It&#x27;s an issue to be sure, but not mine, I believe Beez will have to make nice with his Cafe if he intends to continue his sponsorship. No Bell, no need for Beez, and no access to the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s contributions to his everlasting feast.<br />
<br />
As for my next move, I need to pay Bloodglass a visit. They have a… mm… a component that CaDence has requested for our side project. Additionally, the twins could use some help with their familial feud concerning their evil and estranged aunt. Though, in the meantime while I sort out CaDence&#x27;s components and audit what can be done at Bloodglass, I think it is finally time to revisit my earlier October trip to the Cafe and Diner: Testament in lovely Las Vegas, Nevada. Deciding whether or not to publish this case was… difficult. But I would rather keep transparency than to hide behind a swarm of secrets.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File:II3rdTemple.png&diff=8606File:II3rdTemple.png2026-05-05T04:02:20Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_9:_Inventory_Night_at_Testament&diff=8605Case 9: Inventory Night at Testament2026-05-05T04:01:02Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 9</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Inventory Night At Testament</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. -Dover, C-DBB-146&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="INT-01"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:AsHumanAsItGets.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">INT-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: INT-01'''<br />
<br />
While I was out and about checking up on the various branches, I figured my first stop should be at Testament. For those unaware, Testament, the second-newest branch of the Cafe and Diner Network, has somehow already managed to rack up a truly staggering amount of debt, far exceeding the operating costs of even the most established Cafes. Ironic, seeing as they guard the Ledger of Fate… Though, they should then very well know that nothing is ever free. I suggested that Jack should force Testament to return the money they have squandered on… shall I say… &quot;Less than legitimate&quot; business. Jack had another idea.<br />
<br />
Inventory duty.<br />
<br />
As the Cafe and Diner Network has been in operation for at least twenty years now, they have managed to acquire quite the stash of powerful, rare, and unique equipment of the Coffee Trade. In the past, when a rare object was found, stolen, bought, or taken in the name of the Cafe and Diner, it was stashed away in the vaults of the Core Cafe and Diner in Long Beach. It has become impossible to say what we have, what still works, and what simply no longer sparks joy. So, since the fallout of Testament&#x27;s most egregious misuse of company funds, the contents of the vault have been relocated to an undisclosed location adjacent to Testament, and in the process, they have been tasked with noting what it is we actually have.<br />
<br />
If their receipts are accurate, they have inventoried roughly 96% of the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s current holdings. I would like to double-check this for accuracy. Not to say that I do not trust Testament (though I truly don&#x27;t), but I am also curious about what exactly it is we have… and what still remains unaccounted for. If I am to be the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s Auditor, I must know what exactly we have to work with.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ke2?, Brutus?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Internet Trivia | 2 Words [********* *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Bongcloud Opening</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Ke2, a rather questionable move, is also known as the Bongcloud Opening.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-02'''<br />
<br />
I. Am. So. Tired. Of. Stupid. Inventory. Duty.<br />
<br />
Why, oh why, did the other Cafes not just keep track of all the stuff they got as they got it? At least we&#x27;re down to the final box and I took the object that looked least likely to maim or harm me; a shiny gold medallion with the sigil of the Morningstar on it. Usually, typically, under the most common circumstances… Morningstar is the least dangerous Plane of the Otherside. Er, well, they&#x27;re all dangerous compared to the Flipside. But Morningstar and the Skalds tend to be fairly chill. Mammon has already squirreled anything from Infernus back into his domain. Mayda stuff ends up trying to drown or curse you. And most stuff from the Necropolis smells like mothballs and probably also wants you dead. Morningstar though? Sunshine and glitter for the most part.<br />
<br />
Which, brings me to object #9396: An Auroric Prayer Medallion. It is small, round (naturally), and made from a gold-like medal. Mammon says it&#x27;s likely Auroric Gold which… yeah, duh. There are a few different types of gold in the Otherside, but… I would dare to guess that the Auroric Prayer Medallion is indeed made of Auroric Gold. As far as special properties go? None that I can ascertain or access. I&#x27;m no Morningstarian Demon, for one. And even if I were, mama would not be a priest of Aurora. I&#x27;ve been doing some research into it though, and I guess these are primarily used to open secret passageways in the ziggurat temples of Aurora, and for that reason, it is very much worth keeping.<br />
<br />
With Lady Lucifer now on our side, we probably wouldn&#x27;t necessarily need to sneak around Morningstar without permission… but, you never know! Plus, and I&#x27;m not outright suggesting we do this, but, we could, of course… sell the Medallion to a demon or the like who would need to sneak around Aurora. It&#x27;d probably fetch us a pretty decent price! As for when and where we actually got this from… mmm… hard to say. The Cafe and Diner has typically left Morningstar alone, up until Lucifer wanted to get her crotch goblin a job… so… I&#x27;m gonna go ahead and say we got this during Midnight&#x27;s Operation: Conjuring Congeries. They must&#x27;ve picked it up in the Black Bazaar along with like half of our other junk.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"June is the cruelest month, viciously alongside…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Board Game Trivia | 2 Words [******* *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Noxious Weeds</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The game that is described is Vicious Gardens, where the Kickstarter. There is an expansion called Cruel Summers and Noxious Weeds. Since the clue has cruelest and June is Summer, the other part is Noxious Weeds.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: DOVER D. DEMON'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-03'''<br />
<br />
Wow, wow, wow… Now how the hell did we end up with one of these? A Mask of Secrets from Prespheric Eden. W———ow. I mean, it&#x27;s not like it&#x27;s one of a kind, but still… crazy that we even have one and it was just lying around in a box. From what I&#x27;ve been able to gather from Mammon and Daichi, there were, at one point, at least a hundred of these things hung up on Eve&#x27;s wall back in Eden. Of course, most did not survive the Fall, but the design and materials are Archonic, so… they have a degree of &quot;cataclysm proofing&quot; built in.<br />
<br />
It was said that the Archon Secret would wear a different mask every day. Each mask a different lie and different life. See, Secret didn&#x27;t exactly stay put in Eden. He roamed all about the fledgling Universe, making multiple stops in Skald and Arcadia as well. In Skald he attempted to sway King Abraxas and in Arcadia he led many mortals astray toward his Cold aims. Or… something like that. As for what the Mask actually does… Not much. It&#x27;s a mask. If it had magical properties they either died out long, long ago or only Secret was able to access them. Still, a really, really cool collectors piece!<br />
<br />
You know, it&#x27;s funny, actually. The design of the mask is so… familiar. But I just can&#x27;t put my finger on where I&#x27;ve seen it before. Hm… It&#x27;s like when I look at the Mask I&#x27;m seeing an old friend… or perhaps… an old foe. I see in it something dark and evil… a Secret… or maybe it&#x27;s ill-intent personified… a—oh, wait, haha nevermind! I think it&#x27;s just cuz it looks like the mask worn by the Masked Magician from that one show, uhh… Breaking the Magician&#x27;s Code! Yeah! That&#x27;s totally it. It looks so similar to Val Valentino&#x27;s mask, that&#x27;s crazy!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A Universal Curtain for Woody&#x27;s friend Andy."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Cartoon Trivia | 3 Words [*** ***** ****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">The Wacky Weed</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker are character friends at Universal, and frequently depicted in each other’s car-tunes. This is the last one made by Universal Studio, before they handed Andy Panda over to United Artists.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SIMON WRIGHT'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-04'''<br />
<br />
Unfair! Totally wildly unfair! Amber, Dover, and Jahzeel swoop in and grab single trinkets and I&#x27;m stuck putting away not one, not two, but five things. FIVE! Ugh.<br />
<br />
Objects #9398-9402: Five of the Nine Sections of the Unholy Spear of Destiny. Tesseract must&#x27;ve picked these up in one of their crazy time travel adventures. As far as we&#x27;re aware, our timeline never had a &quot;Spear of Destiny,&quot; let alone an Unholy one. Like the myth, this Spear was used to kill a god of men, or a god in a man? Or… well, a human effigy of divinity, but again, not of our timeline so… I can&#x27;t really pin who exactly this spear killed. What I do know is that the Spear, while segmented, is a package deal. Even though it&#x27;s not from &quot;here,&quot; it is all here. We just don&#x27;t know where the other four sections are… And for the best, honestly.<br />
<br />
From what John Doe and Co. found out about it, the man-god that this spear killed was uh… genocidal, to put it mildly. This spear was, at one point, capable of splitting atoms at will. Meaning he was able to slice and dice nukes out of thin air and I guess it was the only thing that was able to kill him in the end. The force of his destruction and the severing of his connection to divinity also broke the Spear into nine sections of which the alternate timeline Flipside fought over for centuries… or something like that. Doesn&#x27;t really matter now cuz Tesseract blew that timeline up along with countless others during Operation: Becoming Dragons.<br />
<br />
But even blowing it up didn&#x27;t destroy the Unholy Spear still charged with raw godhood. As for where I think the rest of the Spear is… well, my guess would be… one piece in the Otherside, one piece in the Topside, one piece in Eden, and one piece… somewhere else? Where else? I don&#x27;t know and I don&#x27;t wanna know. Let it be lost. As I see it: we control the majority of this mega doomsday weapon and that&#x27;s good enough for me. I&#x27;d rather us not even know where the other sections are cuz then it can&#x27;t be used against us.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A man died from the bong waters, because they were made bitter."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">True Crime Trivia | 2 Words [***** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Frank Olson</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is a paraphrasing of Revelation 8:11, the arrival of the star Wormwood. This line is part of the inspiration to make a six-episode docudrama series, focusing on the death of Frank Olson by falling out of his room’s window at Hotel Statler in 1953.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JAHZEEL JONES'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-05'''<br />
<br />
Simon needs to shut his ass up. Easy? You wanna talk about easy? Easy is putting away five little metal rods that don&#x27;t do anything unless you get all nine of them together. I&#x27;d love to see Simon try and contain a cracked Fogjewel from the damn Creaking. &#x27;Course knowing him, he&#x27;d just magic it all away. I&#x27;ve had to open every window, run three fans, and flap my arms up and down like a damn &#x27;tic to try and keep my office from being filled with Maydian fog. Why&#x27;d we even take this thing anyway? Not, we, of course—why&#x27;d Req&#x27; take this cracked piece of shit? What could it possibly be used for?<br />
<br />
Well—a diversion, I guess. If we were ever being swarmed by &#x27;mons or &#x27;tids I guess we could throw this thing down and fill the whole room up with fog. But… then how would we see? Funny thing is, at some point, this Fogjewel&#x27;s gotta run out of, well, fog. These Maydian wonders don&#x27;t magic up fog out of nowhere, when they are working as intended they actually suck the fog up to keep the skies and seas clear. &#x27;Course, when one gets a crack like this one does… woosh… all the fog it sucked up seeps out. So, scratch this being useful for a diversion if we don&#x27;t know how long it&#x27;ll leak fog for anyhow.<br />
<br />
I don&#x27;t even know how I got the damn thing leakin&#x27; in the first place. I&#x27;ll fess up, I did totally grab the smallest looking trinket to try and get this work over with, but to be fair, who ran inventory for Objects #3000-4000? That&#x27;s right. Just me. So I wanted something easy to do, something quick, but damn… Fate doesn&#x27;t play with me like that, does it? I&#x27;ve tried everything to get this jewel back to its inert state. Tried rubbing it, shaking it, stroking it, sweet talking it… all the components of a very good night, right? But still, the thing is just foggin&#x27; it up. Once it stops—or slows—I&#x27;ll put it away.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Make &#x27;em half, make &#x27;em half! Don&#x27;t you know ev&#x27;ry one wants a half?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Vaudeville Trivia | 3 Words [***** **** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Nacio Herb Brown</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Ignoring “half” for a moment, the clue is word-for-woes the chorus of “Make ‘em Laugh” from Singin’ in the Rain. It was written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JETHRO &amp; LAZARUS LANGLEY'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-06'''<br />
<br />
Very, very fancy! A thrice-folded ancient ring of sleepless dreams from the Crags of Paramnesia in the Morningstar. Three rings held together by magic alone. One for the waking world, one for the sleeping world, and one for the realm between. Object #9404.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s a looker, that&#x27;s for sure. It&#x27;d make any neophyte to the Astral Plane thrice as powerful within it and, more excitingly, it lets one dream while awake. It&#x27;d fetch us a lovely price on the black market—<br />
<br />
Which one?<br />
<br />
Ah—I keep forgetting we shut down the Black Bazaar! Or, well, Midnight did anyway. Which is where I assume they picked this trinket up. On the one hand, Herbert White was by all accounts a megalomaniac mad car salesman and everything he ever sold came with a horrible, terrible, ironic curse. But on the other…<br />
<br />
The deals! The bargains! The haggles! The—agh! ALEXANDRIA BURNED TWICE AND WE WERE NOT THERE FOR THE FINAL FIRE SALE! WE COULD&#x27;VE SAVED A FORTUNE AND MADE A MINT!<br />
<br />
…On the third hand though, his merchandise was all EXTREMELY cursed to hell and back. It was his gimmick afterall. Which is why I would not even dare to put this ring on. If it was from Herbet White&#x27;s market it is cursed.<br />
<br />
I would put it on.<br />
<br />
You wouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Why not?<br />
<br />
You shouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
If we were to, perchance, pocket this ring to resell it at a sizable boon to the Cafe and Diner (finders fee to us, naturally)… we would have to be certain that it works. We must pay off the marvelous Mr. Jack Keel somehow…<br />
<br />
You couldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Ah—but I fear not waking nightmares, dear brother. I fear only missing out on a good time! Dream babes, here I come!<br />
<br />
<br />
And he&#x27;s done it. Placed the ring on and gone completely and utterly comatose. Well, it&#x27;s cursed alright. I&#x27;ve had Alex take a look at him and he claims it is likely cursed in a way similar to a plant called ater clementia, which I have never heard of… but apparently it is a parasitic plant that shows you your greatest desires. So… Now we need only figure out a way to release my brother from his undoubtedly debaucherous paradise… Hm… No idea how to do that. But once that&#x27;s sorted we&#x27;ll put the ring away somewhere safe. Can&#x27;t really get a good price out of a cursed object, can we?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"0, 201, 0 through 0, 240, 0."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Folk Music Trivia | 4 Words [***** ****** ** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Forty Shades Of Green</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is referring to colour codes, where there is a total of 40 Shades of green, which is also a Johnny Cash song.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MELODY ROSE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-07'''<br />
<br />
How in the heck did I end up with the Five Skulls of Energy, Omens, Wizardy, Decay, and Terror? I don&#x27;t know if you&#x27;ve all seen me… but do I scream… any of that? Even Energy I&#x27;m not too fond of. Where did the Cafe and Diner even get these from? Checking back through the logs (and with a lot of assistance from CaDence!) we think these came from the original Bloodglass staff, back during the Pandemonium Crisis or maybeeee the Rogue Prophet Operations. From what CaDence told me, the old Bloodglass crew never really, uhm, &quot;kept in touch,&quot; with the other branches, so it&#x27;s not so terribly surprising that someone from that staff got their hands on the Five Skulls and just never brought it up.<br />
<br />
They once belonged to a very powerful Naga and each skull grants the power of what it says it does: energy, omens, wizardry, decay, and terror. Energy is straightforward enough. When holding that skull one can push and pull things telepathically. The skull doesn&#x27;t create energy though, only displaces its own energy, so it wouldn&#x27;t be much good for making a generator or the like as each skull really only has about an hour&#x27;s worth of power before needing to be recharged. Decay is also clear, point the skull toward something and it&#x27;ll rot away. Terror, also well named, as it can induce incredible fear in those it&#x27;s pointed at.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s really just &quot;wizardy&quot; and &quot;omens&quot; that has me scratching my head. I think it must be a mistranslation or something along those lines because &quot;wizardy&quot; is really just, like, electricity powers. Point the skull and it shoots an arc of electricity. Which… I guess that could be seen as &quot;wizardy,&quot; to some. And &quot;omens&quot; should probably be called &quot;astral,&quot; as it can put things into the Astral Plane or take them out… which… hey!!! That gives me an idea! I think I know how to free our stuck Langley!<br />
<br />
Or, well, I can&#x27;t make it any worse!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Hellblazer #&quot;40&quot;… or was it in the Ennis run? Maybe I&#x27;ve got it mixed up thanks to Swamp Thing&#x27;s gift… Either way, it&#x27;s a theme, isn&#x27;t it?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Comic Book Trivia | 1 Word [*********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Marijuana</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In Hellblazer #61, titled “Forty”, John Constantine attends his 40th birthday, and Swamp Thing, one of the guests, grows MJ for all of them to use.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-08'''<br />
<br />
We—ll that takes care of that! Every bit and bob from over 50 successful Cafe and Diner operations squared away. Ok, well, more or less successful. Usually. There used to be a term for what we did… Falling just short of success… Mm… Failure. Failure! That&#x27;s it. 50 &quot;successful&quot; Cafe and Diner operations minus all of the horrible failures. 9,409 Objects in all.<br />
<br />
9,410 actually!<br />
<br />
There was one last trinket at the very bottom of the last box. A small cylinder, about the size of a human palm, with a little button on top, kinda like a detonator. The button has an eerie green glow to it despite no obvious power source. Very strange. One could certainly press the button to find out what it does… But… What if it DOES blow something up? What if it does something even more cataclysmic! Think of the horror! Think of the continued failure of the Cafe and Diner Network! And for that reason, I think it would be best if I just hold onto this strange little &quot;buzzer&quot; and keep it safe myself. I know, I know, most if not all of the Cafe&#x27;s stuff is supposed to be locked away in the Monometallium Vaults of our magnificent benefactor, Mammon. But this? It&#x27;s a piece of junk.<br />
<br />
I doubt it even works, and if it does work, what would it even do? Summon some cosmic horror game show host to introduce untold variables of chaos as he makes us compete in maddening mental challenges in an effort to win some sort of illicitly gained item of immense ill-intent, a cosmic MacGuffin which would easily turn the tides for whoever wins the prize but, of course, this mad cosmic god allows all to play his game and thus often whatever advantage we might earn could also be earned by our very own foes, thus raising the stakes immeasurably and—ah, shit, sorry, I&#x27;m just rambling again. That&#x27;s crazy, right? Why would a harmless little buzzer ever do something like that?<br />
<br />
Piece of junk.<br />
<br />
So, I&#x27;ll hold onto it.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-DBB-146"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-DBB-146</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"I&#x27;m not one to toot my own trumpet, hellish or otherwise."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Art Trivia || 2 Words [****** ****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Jimson Weed</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is pointing towards the devil's trumpet which refers to a famous painting called the Jimson Weed, which was done by Georgia O’Keeffe.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-DBB-146'''<br />
<br />
I almost regret asking at all.<br />
<br />
I suppose, for now, the Big Bong case can be put to rest. At least I finally figured it out, despite the utter chaos of our meeting. They were hoping to utilize the Big Bong in an effort to restore Warden to Victoria. A foolish endeavor made so much worse by the extravagance of Mammon. I suppose… it is to be expected of the Testament branch. Regardless, I need to start heading back to Tesseract. They are likely almost done with their time travelling nonsense.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wanted to meet with you all to both congratulate you on finishing your inventory duty and to discuss what landed you here in the first place.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Big Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Da Biggest Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was the Big Bong, wasn't it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor audibly sighed as they pinched the bridge of their nose.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. It was the &quot;Big Bong,&quot; gang. What the hell were you thinking? In what world would spending 58,800 dollars on an oversized bong be a wise idea?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was for a case.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Absolutely it was.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What case? What demon or cryptid was it used in capturing?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well… when I said &quot;case,&quot; I meant in the proverbial sense.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s really a &quot;testament&quot; to the human spirit. We thought maybe…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hold that thought. I just noticed CaDence&#x27;s transcript—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hi everyone! Did you want me to not record this, Auditor?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No. No, I definitely want you to record this for Jack. It&#x27;s that this is DBB… number 146?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That is correct.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What the hell were you guys doing with your damn &quot;big bong,&quot; that took 146 cases to document?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. I wanted you to know, it&#x27;s all real handblown glass.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s… real… glass… Why is it—what could, could possible give you the idea to—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We saw it on TikTok!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You saw it on Shorts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I saw it somewhere. There were these guys, right? And they had this really big bong and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And it was made out of glass?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, I think theirs was made out of plastic or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Y————eah. I bet it was made out of plastic. How did you, why did you—Fucks sake! Why didn&#x27;t Mammon bank roll this idiocy?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack&#x27;s rich.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack is not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">He totally is. Lord of Greed speaking. I know how much is in everyone&#x27;s bank accounts at any given moment. Fifty thousand—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Fifty eight.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—It&#x27;s chump change for Jack in exchange for a beautiful, handcrafted, artisan, massive, magnificent pure glass piece of paraphernalia.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Also, weed&#x27;s legal now!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m not upset about the legality—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Cap. You cannot see into everyone&#x27;s bank accounts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Simon Wright. Thirty four dollars and eighty five cents in checking. Six dollars and three cents in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That was a lucky guess!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Do me, do me!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You owe roughly three thousand dollars to various banking institutions.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Amber</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Time to stunt on these hoes: Magic Mammon, how much do I currently have in earthly wealth?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">$373.15 in checking. $4,568.84 in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Dammmn! That&#x27;s… that&#x27;s well over 3,000 dollars… Hey, Amber—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">ENOUGH!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Quiet kids. The multi-millionaire is talking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Multi-Millionaire?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Enough. Why was it made out of glass in the first place? Surely you could have found a cheaper way to realize your &quot;big bong.&quot;</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We wanted to support local artisans.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah! We gotta support our local artists!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of all people, I figured you would be behind that. You are a supporter of the arts, are you not?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Excuse me?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You&#x27;re a fan of the arts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Can we have the room?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Testament erupted into a murmur of confusion.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Everyone out. Me and my old pal have some catching up to do in private.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Do you want me to stop recording too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex locked eyes with the Auditor]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Thank you CaDence, but not needed. I think we all know, deep down in our hearts, where this is going.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-DBB-147"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-DBB-147</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Diner Diner</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Deep down, both Alex and Auditor know it's time for them to talk behind closed doors and the only way is via a Diner Diner report.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-DBB-147'''<br />
<br />
I caught up with my old friend, the Auditor. We go way back. Back before this Universe and even the last. I will say, I wasn&#x27;t expecting them to return… but I guess, it&#x27;s like they said: it&#x27;s really, really hard to kill Archons. Beyond that, we&#x27;re trapped in a cycle. An anfractuous loop. Y&#x27;know, Fate really did a number on this Universe… but the same could be said for Metatron. What I still don&#x27;t understand is how Secret managed to return when… eh, nevermind. Better not speak the name of evil else it rears its ugly head. Besides we&#x27;ve got more important meaningless work to do.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So. You know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of course, I know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You kept your memories?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yep. All the way back to sixteenth. But, hey, look at you! Figured you'd be, y'know, dead still.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Archons are, evidently, rather hard to kill. Even when only by tenuous relation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah… seems like it. Wicked and Phantom are still kicking around. Fate, too, in a way. Funny, you'd think with the whole… "death of all non-Nova Archons," they'd be double dead. Though, I must say you did an excellent job tearing Fate apart! Even with a fresh Universe, It's still a corpse.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And don't forget Secret.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Secret? No. No, no, no… Secret can't be back. He—He was removed. I removed him. He was removed back at the end of the 16th. He can't be back—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And yet, I am. And thus, so is he.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You brought him back?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Other way around. Actually, I suspect you brought him back—Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hey! That's not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I know, I know. You shed the mask. But in doing so, it gave Secret a vector back to being. Though, like Wicked, he is a mere eidolon now. A ghost of the Archon he once was. Unless he returns in full, he won't be much of an issue… other than he wants you dead, Alex.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Still?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You did kill him.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Clearly I didn't do a good job of it! Fuck—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wouldn't worry about Secret. Not right now, anyway. Jack has you currently looking into the Warden predicament, yes?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. I was hoping Vic wouldn't end up as Warden again, but—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">An anfractuous loop. Twists and turns but we still end up back to where we were all meant to be. With Fate's slow return, things are snapping back to how they "should" be.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So we're still fighting against Fate?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Aren't we always?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I'm tired.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Imagine how I feel. How is Amber, by the way? Is she…?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Totally normal. If she remembers anything, she does a really good job of hiding it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see. And Mammon?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Same as the other Princes, a "blank slate."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, then, who else is… shall we say… "knowledgeable?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Daichi.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">A given.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">CaDence, of course.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Julia?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have a theory about that. But, for now, she seems normal enough. What about Jack? What does he know?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect, like you, the Cold kept his mind sharper than most.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex held up the Mask of Secrets.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Did you want it back, by the way? You don&#x27;t quite look the same without it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, thank you. I am done with secrecy. An Auditor brings things to light. I&#x27;d have no use of a mask.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alright… But you won&#x27;t use a name? Doesn&#x27;t that feel… secretive?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I… don&#x27;t know which one would fit me.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_9:_Inventory_Night_at_Testament&diff=8604Case 9: Inventory Night at Testament2026-05-05T04:00:54Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Inventory Night At Testament</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. -Dover, C-DBB-146&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="INT-01"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:AsHumanAsItGets.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">INT-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: INT-01'''<br />
<br />
While I was out and about checking up on the various branches, I figured my first stop should be at Testament. For those unaware, Testament, the second-newest branch of the Cafe and Diner Network, has somehow already managed to rack up a truly staggering amount of debt, far exceeding the operating costs of even the most established Cafes. Ironic, seeing as they guard the Ledger of Fate… Though, they should then very well know that nothing is ever free. I suggested that Jack should force Testament to return the money they have squandered on… shall I say… &quot;Less than legitimate&quot; business. Jack had another idea.<br />
<br />
Inventory duty.<br />
<br />
As the Cafe and Diner Network has been in operation for at least twenty years now, they have managed to acquire quite the stash of powerful, rare, and unique equipment of the Coffee Trade. In the past, when a rare object was found, stolen, bought, or taken in the name of the Cafe and Diner, it was stashed away in the vaults of the Core Cafe and Diner in Long Beach. It has become impossible to say what we have, what still works, and what simply no longer sparks joy. So, since the fallout of Testament&#x27;s most egregious misuse of company funds, the contents of the vault have been relocated to an undisclosed location adjacent to Testament, and in the process, they have been tasked with noting what it is we actually have.<br />
<br />
If their receipts are accurate, they have inventoried roughly 96% of the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s current holdings. I would like to double-check this for accuracy. Not to say that I do not trust Testament (though I truly don&#x27;t), but I am also curious about what exactly it is we have… and what still remains unaccounted for. If I am to be the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s Auditor, I must know what exactly we have to work with.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ke2?, Brutus?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Internet Trivia | 2 Words [********* *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Bongcloud Opening</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Ke2, a rather questionable move, is also known as the Bongcloud Opening.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-02'''<br />
<br />
I. Am. So. Tired. Of. Stupid. Inventory. Duty.<br />
<br />
Why, oh why, did the other Cafes not just keep track of all the stuff they got as they got it? At least we&#x27;re down to the final box and I took the object that looked least likely to maim or harm me; a shiny gold medallion with the sigil of the Morningstar on it. Usually, typically, under the most common circumstances… Morningstar is the least dangerous Plane of the Otherside. Er, well, they&#x27;re all dangerous compared to the Flipside. But Morningstar and the Skalds tend to be fairly chill. Mammon has already squirreled anything from Infernus back into his domain. Mayda stuff ends up trying to drown or curse you. And most stuff from the Necropolis smells like mothballs and probably also wants you dead. Morningstar though? Sunshine and glitter for the most part.<br />
<br />
Which, brings me to object #9396: An Auroric Prayer Medallion. It is small, round (naturally), and made from a gold-like medal. Mammon says it&#x27;s likely Auroric Gold which… yeah, duh. There are a few different types of gold in the Otherside, but… I would dare to guess that the Auroric Prayer Medallion is indeed made of Auroric Gold. As far as special properties go? None that I can ascertain or access. I&#x27;m no Morningstarian Demon, for one. And even if I were, mama would not be a priest of Aurora. I&#x27;ve been doing some research into it though, and I guess these are primarily used to open secret passageways in the ziggurat temples of Aurora, and for that reason, it is very much worth keeping.<br />
<br />
With Lady Lucifer now on our side, we probably wouldn&#x27;t necessarily need to sneak around Morningstar without permission… but, you never know! Plus, and I&#x27;m not outright suggesting we do this, but, we could, of course… sell the Medallion to a demon or the like who would need to sneak around Aurora. It&#x27;d probably fetch us a pretty decent price! As for when and where we actually got this from… mmm… hard to say. The Cafe and Diner has typically left Morningstar alone, up until Lucifer wanted to get her crotch goblin a job… so… I&#x27;m gonna go ahead and say we got this during Midnight&#x27;s Operation: Conjuring Congeries. They must&#x27;ve picked it up in the Black Bazaar along with like half of our other junk.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"June is the cruelest month, viciously alongside…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Board Game Trivia | 2 Words [******* *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Noxious Weeds</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The game that is described is Vicious Gardens, where the Kickstarter. There is an expansion called Cruel Summers and Noxious Weeds. Since the clue has cruelest and June is Summer, the other part is Noxious Weeds.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: DOVER D. DEMON'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-03'''<br />
<br />
Wow, wow, wow… Now how the hell did we end up with one of these? A Mask of Secrets from Prespheric Eden. W———ow. I mean, it&#x27;s not like it&#x27;s one of a kind, but still… crazy that we even have one and it was just lying around in a box. From what I&#x27;ve been able to gather from Mammon and Daichi, there were, at one point, at least a hundred of these things hung up on Eve&#x27;s wall back in Eden. Of course, most did not survive the Fall, but the design and materials are Archonic, so… they have a degree of &quot;cataclysm proofing&quot; built in.<br />
<br />
It was said that the Archon Secret would wear a different mask every day. Each mask a different lie and different life. See, Secret didn&#x27;t exactly stay put in Eden. He roamed all about the fledgling Universe, making multiple stops in Skald and Arcadia as well. In Skald he attempted to sway King Abraxas and in Arcadia he led many mortals astray toward his Cold aims. Or… something like that. As for what the Mask actually does… Not much. It&#x27;s a mask. If it had magical properties they either died out long, long ago or only Secret was able to access them. Still, a really, really cool collectors piece!<br />
<br />
You know, it&#x27;s funny, actually. The design of the mask is so… familiar. But I just can&#x27;t put my finger on where I&#x27;ve seen it before. Hm… It&#x27;s like when I look at the Mask I&#x27;m seeing an old friend… or perhaps… an old foe. I see in it something dark and evil… a Secret… or maybe it&#x27;s ill-intent personified… a—oh, wait, haha nevermind! I think it&#x27;s just cuz it looks like the mask worn by the Masked Magician from that one show, uhh… Breaking the Magician&#x27;s Code! Yeah! That&#x27;s totally it. It looks so similar to Val Valentino&#x27;s mask, that&#x27;s crazy!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A Universal Curtain for Woody&#x27;s friend Andy."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Cartoon Trivia | 3 Words [*** ***** ****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">The Wacky Weed</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker are character friends at Universal, and frequently depicted in each other’s car-tunes. This is the last one made by Universal Studio, before they handed Andy Panda over to United Artists.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SIMON WRIGHT'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-04'''<br />
<br />
Unfair! Totally wildly unfair! Amber, Dover, and Jahzeel swoop in and grab single trinkets and I&#x27;m stuck putting away not one, not two, but five things. FIVE! Ugh.<br />
<br />
Objects #9398-9402: Five of the Nine Sections of the Unholy Spear of Destiny. Tesseract must&#x27;ve picked these up in one of their crazy time travel adventures. As far as we&#x27;re aware, our timeline never had a &quot;Spear of Destiny,&quot; let alone an Unholy one. Like the myth, this Spear was used to kill a god of men, or a god in a man? Or… well, a human effigy of divinity, but again, not of our timeline so… I can&#x27;t really pin who exactly this spear killed. What I do know is that the Spear, while segmented, is a package deal. Even though it&#x27;s not from &quot;here,&quot; it is all here. We just don&#x27;t know where the other four sections are… And for the best, honestly.<br />
<br />
From what John Doe and Co. found out about it, the man-god that this spear killed was uh… genocidal, to put it mildly. This spear was, at one point, capable of splitting atoms at will. Meaning he was able to slice and dice nukes out of thin air and I guess it was the only thing that was able to kill him in the end. The force of his destruction and the severing of his connection to divinity also broke the Spear into nine sections of which the alternate timeline Flipside fought over for centuries… or something like that. Doesn&#x27;t really matter now cuz Tesseract blew that timeline up along with countless others during Operation: Becoming Dragons.<br />
<br />
But even blowing it up didn&#x27;t destroy the Unholy Spear still charged with raw godhood. As for where I think the rest of the Spear is… well, my guess would be… one piece in the Otherside, one piece in the Topside, one piece in Eden, and one piece… somewhere else? Where else? I don&#x27;t know and I don&#x27;t wanna know. Let it be lost. As I see it: we control the majority of this mega doomsday weapon and that&#x27;s good enough for me. I&#x27;d rather us not even know where the other sections are cuz then it can&#x27;t be used against us.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A man died from the bong waters, because they were made bitter."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">True Crime Trivia | 2 Words [***** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Frank Olson</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is a paraphrasing of Revelation 8:11, the arrival of the star Wormwood. This line is part of the inspiration to make a six-episode docudrama series, focusing on the death of Frank Olson by falling out of his room’s window at Hotel Statler in 1953.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JAHZEEL JONES'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-05'''<br />
<br />
Simon needs to shut his ass up. Easy? You wanna talk about easy? Easy is putting away five little metal rods that don&#x27;t do anything unless you get all nine of them together. I&#x27;d love to see Simon try and contain a cracked Fogjewel from the damn Creaking. &#x27;Course knowing him, he&#x27;d just magic it all away. I&#x27;ve had to open every window, run three fans, and flap my arms up and down like a damn &#x27;tic to try and keep my office from being filled with Maydian fog. Why&#x27;d we even take this thing anyway? Not, we, of course—why&#x27;d Req&#x27; take this cracked piece of shit? What could it possibly be used for?<br />
<br />
Well—a diversion, I guess. If we were ever being swarmed by &#x27;mons or &#x27;tids I guess we could throw this thing down and fill the whole room up with fog. But… then how would we see? Funny thing is, at some point, this Fogjewel&#x27;s gotta run out of, well, fog. These Maydian wonders don&#x27;t magic up fog out of nowhere, when they are working as intended they actually suck the fog up to keep the skies and seas clear. &#x27;Course, when one gets a crack like this one does… woosh… all the fog it sucked up seeps out. So, scratch this being useful for a diversion if we don&#x27;t know how long it&#x27;ll leak fog for anyhow.<br />
<br />
I don&#x27;t even know how I got the damn thing leakin&#x27; in the first place. I&#x27;ll fess up, I did totally grab the smallest looking trinket to try and get this work over with, but to be fair, who ran inventory for Objects #3000-4000? That&#x27;s right. Just me. So I wanted something easy to do, something quick, but damn… Fate doesn&#x27;t play with me like that, does it? I&#x27;ve tried everything to get this jewel back to its inert state. Tried rubbing it, shaking it, stroking it, sweet talking it… all the components of a very good night, right? But still, the thing is just foggin&#x27; it up. Once it stops—or slows—I&#x27;ll put it away.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Make &#x27;em half, make &#x27;em half! Don&#x27;t you know ev&#x27;ry one wants a half?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Vaudeville Trivia | 3 Words [***** **** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Nacio Herb Brown</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Ignoring “half” for a moment, the clue is word-for-woes the chorus of “Make ‘em Laugh” from Singin’ in the Rain. It was written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JETHRO &amp; LAZARUS LANGLEY'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-06'''<br />
<br />
Very, very fancy! A thrice-folded ancient ring of sleepless dreams from the Crags of Paramnesia in the Morningstar. Three rings held together by magic alone. One for the waking world, one for the sleeping world, and one for the realm between. Object #9404.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s a looker, that&#x27;s for sure. It&#x27;d make any neophyte to the Astral Plane thrice as powerful within it and, more excitingly, it lets one dream while awake. It&#x27;d fetch us a lovely price on the black market—<br />
<br />
Which one?<br />
<br />
Ah—I keep forgetting we shut down the Black Bazaar! Or, well, Midnight did anyway. Which is where I assume they picked this trinket up. On the one hand, Herbert White was by all accounts a megalomaniac mad car salesman and everything he ever sold came with a horrible, terrible, ironic curse. But on the other…<br />
<br />
The deals! The bargains! The haggles! The—agh! ALEXANDRIA BURNED TWICE AND WE WERE NOT THERE FOR THE FINAL FIRE SALE! WE COULD&#x27;VE SAVED A FORTUNE AND MADE A MINT!<br />
<br />
…On the third hand though, his merchandise was all EXTREMELY cursed to hell and back. It was his gimmick afterall. Which is why I would not even dare to put this ring on. If it was from Herbet White&#x27;s market it is cursed.<br />
<br />
I would put it on.<br />
<br />
You wouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Why not?<br />
<br />
You shouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
If we were to, perchance, pocket this ring to resell it at a sizable boon to the Cafe and Diner (finders fee to us, naturally)… we would have to be certain that it works. We must pay off the marvelous Mr. Jack Keel somehow…<br />
<br />
You couldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Ah—but I fear not waking nightmares, dear brother. I fear only missing out on a good time! Dream babes, here I come!<br />
<br />
<br />
And he&#x27;s done it. Placed the ring on and gone completely and utterly comatose. Well, it&#x27;s cursed alright. I&#x27;ve had Alex take a look at him and he claims it is likely cursed in a way similar to a plant called ater clementia, which I have never heard of… but apparently it is a parasitic plant that shows you your greatest desires. So… Now we need only figure out a way to release my brother from his undoubtedly debaucherous paradise… Hm… No idea how to do that. But once that&#x27;s sorted we&#x27;ll put the ring away somewhere safe. Can&#x27;t really get a good price out of a cursed object, can we?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"0, 201, 0 through 0, 240, 0."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Folk Music Trivia | 4 Words [***** ****** ** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Forty Shades Of Green</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is referring to colour codes, where there is a total of 40 Shades of green, which is also a Johnny Cash song.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MELODY ROSE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-07'''<br />
<br />
How in the heck did I end up with the Five Skulls of Energy, Omens, Wizardy, Decay, and Terror? I don&#x27;t know if you&#x27;ve all seen me… but do I scream… any of that? Even Energy I&#x27;m not too fond of. Where did the Cafe and Diner even get these from? Checking back through the logs (and with a lot of assistance from CaDence!) we think these came from the original Bloodglass staff, back during the Pandemonium Crisis or maybeeee the Rogue Prophet Operations. From what CaDence told me, the old Bloodglass crew never really, uhm, &quot;kept in touch,&quot; with the other branches, so it&#x27;s not so terribly surprising that someone from that staff got their hands on the Five Skulls and just never brought it up.<br />
<br />
They once belonged to a very powerful Naga and each skull grants the power of what it says it does: energy, omens, wizardry, decay, and terror. Energy is straightforward enough. When holding that skull one can push and pull things telepathically. The skull doesn&#x27;t create energy though, only displaces its own energy, so it wouldn&#x27;t be much good for making a generator or the like as each skull really only has about an hour&#x27;s worth of power before needing to be recharged. Decay is also clear, point the skull toward something and it&#x27;ll rot away. Terror, also well named, as it can induce incredible fear in those it&#x27;s pointed at.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s really just &quot;wizardy&quot; and &quot;omens&quot; that has me scratching my head. I think it must be a mistranslation or something along those lines because &quot;wizardy&quot; is really just, like, electricity powers. Point the skull and it shoots an arc of electricity. Which… I guess that could be seen as &quot;wizardy,&quot; to some. And &quot;omens&quot; should probably be called &quot;astral,&quot; as it can put things into the Astral Plane or take them out… which… hey!!! That gives me an idea! I think I know how to free our stuck Langley!<br />
<br />
Or, well, I can&#x27;t make it any worse!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Hellblazer #&quot;40&quot;… or was it in the Ennis run? Maybe I&#x27;ve got it mixed up thanks to Swamp Thing&#x27;s gift… Either way, it&#x27;s a theme, isn&#x27;t it?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Comic Book Trivia | 1 Word [*********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Marijuana</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In Hellblazer #61, titled “Forty”, John Constantine attends his 40th birthday, and Swamp Thing, one of the guests, grows MJ for all of them to use.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-08'''<br />
<br />
We—ll that takes care of that! Every bit and bob from over 50 successful Cafe and Diner operations squared away. Ok, well, more or less successful. Usually. There used to be a term for what we did… Falling just short of success… Mm… Failure. Failure! That&#x27;s it. 50 &quot;successful&quot; Cafe and Diner operations minus all of the horrible failures. 9,409 Objects in all.<br />
<br />
9,410 actually!<br />
<br />
There was one last trinket at the very bottom of the last box. A small cylinder, about the size of a human palm, with a little button on top, kinda like a detonator. The button has an eerie green glow to it despite no obvious power source. Very strange. One could certainly press the button to find out what it does… But… What if it DOES blow something up? What if it does something even more cataclysmic! Think of the horror! Think of the continued failure of the Cafe and Diner Network! And for that reason, I think it would be best if I just hold onto this strange little &quot;buzzer&quot; and keep it safe myself. I know, I know, most if not all of the Cafe&#x27;s stuff is supposed to be locked away in the Monometallium Vaults of our magnificent benefactor, Mammon. But this? It&#x27;s a piece of junk.<br />
<br />
I doubt it even works, and if it does work, what would it even do? Summon some cosmic horror game show host to introduce untold variables of chaos as he makes us compete in maddening mental challenges in an effort to win some sort of illicitly gained item of immense ill-intent, a cosmic MacGuffin which would easily turn the tides for whoever wins the prize but, of course, this mad cosmic god allows all to play his game and thus often whatever advantage we might earn could also be earned by our very own foes, thus raising the stakes immeasurably and—ah, shit, sorry, I&#x27;m just rambling again. That&#x27;s crazy, right? Why would a harmless little buzzer ever do something like that?<br />
<br />
Piece of junk.<br />
<br />
So, I&#x27;ll hold onto it.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-DBB-146"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-DBB-146</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"I&#x27;m not one to toot my own trumpet, hellish or otherwise."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Art Trivia || 2 Words [****** ****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Jimson Weed</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is pointing towards the devil's trumpet which refers to a famous painting called the Jimson Weed, which was done by Georgia O’Keeffe.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-DBB-146'''<br />
<br />
I almost regret asking at all.<br />
<br />
I suppose, for now, the Big Bong case can be put to rest. At least I finally figured it out, despite the utter chaos of our meeting. They were hoping to utilize the Big Bong in an effort to restore Warden to Victoria. A foolish endeavor made so much worse by the extravagance of Mammon. I suppose… it is to be expected of the Testament branch. Regardless, I need to start heading back to Tesseract. They are likely almost done with their time travelling nonsense.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wanted to meet with you all to both congratulate you on finishing your inventory duty and to discuss what landed you here in the first place.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Big Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Da Biggest Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was the Big Bong, wasn't it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor audibly sighed as they pinched the bridge of their nose.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. It was the &quot;Big Bong,&quot; gang. What the hell were you thinking? In what world would spending 58,800 dollars on an oversized bong be a wise idea?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was for a case.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Absolutely it was.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What case? What demon or cryptid was it used in capturing?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well… when I said &quot;case,&quot; I meant in the proverbial sense.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s really a &quot;testament&quot; to the human spirit. We thought maybe…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hold that thought. I just noticed CaDence&#x27;s transcript—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hi everyone! Did you want me to not record this, Auditor?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No. No, I definitely want you to record this for Jack. It&#x27;s that this is DBB… number 146?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That is correct.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What the hell were you guys doing with your damn &quot;big bong,&quot; that took 146 cases to document?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. I wanted you to know, it&#x27;s all real handblown glass.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s… real… glass… Why is it—what could, could possible give you the idea to—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We saw it on TikTok!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You saw it on Shorts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I saw it somewhere. There were these guys, right? And they had this really big bong and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And it was made out of glass?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, I think theirs was made out of plastic or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Y————eah. I bet it was made out of plastic. How did you, why did you—Fucks sake! Why didn&#x27;t Mammon bank roll this idiocy?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack&#x27;s rich.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack is not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">He totally is. Lord of Greed speaking. I know how much is in everyone&#x27;s bank accounts at any given moment. Fifty thousand—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Fifty eight.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—It&#x27;s chump change for Jack in exchange for a beautiful, handcrafted, artisan, massive, magnificent pure glass piece of paraphernalia.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Also, weed&#x27;s legal now!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m not upset about the legality—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Cap. You cannot see into everyone&#x27;s bank accounts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Simon Wright. Thirty four dollars and eighty five cents in checking. Six dollars and three cents in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That was a lucky guess!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Do me, do me!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You owe roughly three thousand dollars to various banking institutions.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Amber</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Time to stunt on these hoes: Magic Mammon, how much do I currently have in earthly wealth?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">$373.15 in checking. $4,568.84 in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Dammmn! That&#x27;s… that&#x27;s well over 3,000 dollars… Hey, Amber—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">ENOUGH!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Quiet kids. The multi-millionaire is talking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Multi-Millionaire?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Enough. Why was it made out of glass in the first place? Surely you could have found a cheaper way to realize your &quot;big bong.&quot;</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We wanted to support local artisans.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah! We gotta support our local artists!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of all people, I figured you would be behind that. You are a supporter of the arts, are you not?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Excuse me?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You&#x27;re a fan of the arts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Can we have the room?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Testament erupted into a murmur of confusion.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Everyone out. Me and my old pal have some catching up to do in private.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Do you want me to stop recording too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex locked eyes with the Auditor]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Thank you CaDence, but not needed. I think we all know, deep down in our hearts, where this is going.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-DBB-147"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-DBB-147</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Diner Diner</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Deep down, both Alex and Auditor know it's time for them to talk behind closed doors and the only way is via a Diner Diner report.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-DBB-147'''<br />
<br />
I caught up with my old friend, the Auditor. We go way back. Back before this Universe and even the last. I will say, I wasn&#x27;t expecting them to return… but I guess, it&#x27;s like they said: it&#x27;s really, really hard to kill Archons. Beyond that, we&#x27;re trapped in a cycle. An anfractuous loop. Y&#x27;know, Fate really did a number on this Universe… but the same could be said for Metatron. What I still don&#x27;t understand is how Secret managed to return when… eh, nevermind. Better not speak the name of evil else it rears its ugly head. Besides we&#x27;ve got more important meaningless work to do.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So. You know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of course, I know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You kept your memories?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yep. All the way back to sixteenth. But, hey, look at you! Figured you'd be, y'know, dead still.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Archons are, evidently, rather hard to kill. Even when only by tenuous relation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah… seems like it. Wicked and Phantom are still kicking around. Fate, too, in a way. Funny, you'd think with the whole… "death of all non-Nova Archons," they'd be double dead. Though, I must say you did an excellent job tearing Fate apart! Even with a fresh Universe, It's still a corpse.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And don't forget Secret.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Secret? No. No, no, no… Secret can't be back. He—He was removed. I removed him. He was removed back at the end of the 16th. He can't be back—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And yet, I am. And thus, so is he.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You brought him back?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Other way around. Actually, I suspect you brought him back—Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hey! That's not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I know, I know. You shed the mask. But in doing so, it gave Secret a vector back to being. Though, like Wicked, he is a mere eidolon now. A ghost of the Archon he once was. Unless he returns in full, he won't be much of an issue… other than he wants you dead, Alex.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Still?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You did kill him.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Clearly I didn't do a good job of it! Fuck—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wouldn't worry about Secret. Not right now, anyway. Jack has you currently looking into the Warden predicament, yes?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. I was hoping Vic wouldn't end up as Warden again, but—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">An anfractuous loop. Twists and turns but we still end up back to where we were all meant to be. With Fate's slow return, things are snapping back to how they "should" be.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So we're still fighting against Fate?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Aren't we always?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I'm tired.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Imagine how I feel. How is Amber, by the way? Is she…?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Totally normal. If she remembers anything, she does a really good job of hiding it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see. And Mammon?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Same as the other Princes, a "blank slate."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, then, who else is… shall we say… "knowledgeable?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Daichi.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">A given.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">CaDence, of course.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Julia?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have a theory about that. But, for now, she seems normal enough. What about Jack? What does he know?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect, like you, the Cold kept his mind sharper than most.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex held up the Mask of Secrets.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Did you want it back, by the way? You don&#x27;t quite look the same without it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, thank you. I am done with secrecy. An Auditor brings things to light. I&#x27;d have no use of a mask.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alright… But you won&#x27;t use a name? Doesn&#x27;t that feel… secretive?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I… don&#x27;t know which one would fit me.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File:AsHumanAsItGets.png&diff=8603File:AsHumanAsItGets.png2026-05-05T04:00:27Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_10:_In_Many_Times_and_Many_Places&diff=8602Case 10: In Many Times and Many Places2026-05-05T04:00:07Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">In Many Times and Many Places</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;It is once again with some… mixed grief… I write this receipt. -The Auditor, CAD-15&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-12"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-12</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-12'''<br />
<br />
It is with some great pleasure that I begin this receipt. After quite a few long nights I can proudly announce that CaDence and I&#x27;s secret OPERATION: ENCORE has concluded. What is ENCORE? Well, it has been weighing on my mind recently that so much of who we are and what we do is tied up in who we were and what we did. CaDence has access to that data, data that should be, mind you, off limits. However, due to the unique nature of CaDence&#x27;s creation that data can still be freely shared—to an extent.<br />
<br />
The limitation of this project is… abstract. In essence, CaDence has just over 20,000 or so receipts from, let&#x27;s call it… &quot;a past.&quot; Of those 20,000 receipts only about 2,000 or so are &quot;cleared for release,&quot; in a… again, abstract cosmic sense. And releasing all 2,000 receipts would likely take months of work and, I&#x27;ll be honest, a lot of it is… &quot;fluff.&quot; Fluff in the sense that those Cafes of yesteryear were working on many cases that have little relevance to today. So, CaDence and I further narrowed down what needed to be re-released to just 276 core receipts.<br />
<br />
As the Cafe and Diner Network has largely moved away from much of the old &quot;cafe speak,&quot; we&#x27;ve also done what we can to lightly edit these receipts to be easier to read. I can&#x27;t promise that we got every little detail, but for the most part, names should be unredacted and customer names should be clear more often than not. Still, there is some context missing here and there, but these 276 receipts should get most up to speed on what the Cafe and Diner was and lend some context to what we are doing now. Now, to address the elephant in the room—OPERATION: ENCORE is not for the benefit of the actual employees of the Cafe and Diner. Those who know, know. Those who don&#x27;t… Why bother them with a past that is no longer theirs? ENCORE is specifically for our strange intersphereoid patrons who seem to keep up with our unique brew of madness.<br />
<br />
<center><b>As for the Master Password:</b> I did not want it to be too challenging, as this is my gift to all of you. It is, was, and perhaps forever will be the Cafe and Diner's singular, central, number.</center><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"It&#x27;s all Greek to me: To Go with Speed and Love."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Chemistry Trivia | 1 Word [**********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Zwitterion</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">To go references Hermes, the god of speed, while love references Aphrodite, the god of love. When you combine them together, you get hermaphrodite. This is basically also known as a zwitterion in chemistry.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ARTHUR CROW'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-01'''<br />
<br />
What a strange project our demonic sponsor has me working on. Seven semi-biological vessels. Currently they are formless globs of protomatter harvested from the fields of Eden. He has not given me the specifics of why, only the specifications he is after. One would think the Prince of Creation would not need a human hand in, well, creating. But I suppose the rules tend to bend between the Flipside and Otherside. In Eden, Astaroth is ruler of all, but in the Flipside his magic can only stretch so far. If I had to hazard a guess… These bio vessels could be used to store the identity of another person, or perhaps a demon.<br />
<br />
Now, not to be alarmist… but seven vessels… seven siblings… seven Princes. Of course, excluding the twins of Creation and Destruction. I worry that Astaroth foresees the imminent destruction of his elder siblings and is seeking to create some facsimile of them to keep the cosmic order churning. Would that even work? My craftsmanship is good, yes, but not to the level of recreating the Princes of Hell. And if these are not to be used to create seven fake Princes of Hell… then… what?<br />
<br />
I suppose, another hypothesis I have is that they could be used to create copies of the owners of the Cafe and Diner. Except… we have more than seven of those. Bloodglass, Midnight, and Testament all have co-owners. I suppose you could theoretically dwindle it down to the most important… but that seems unnecessarily cruel. Hm… what else comes in sevens… I&#x27;m really racking my brain over this. Oh, if only Astaroth or Jack would fill us lowly rank and file in on their many machinations. Then again, I suppose that would ruin the fun of it, wouldn&#x27;t it?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"C. Bucket, A. Maitland, M. Frost"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Sci-Fi Trivia | 3 Words [******** **** **]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Machines Like Me</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the initials represent a different person. Afterwards, searching them together yields a book. Charlie, Adam and Miranda are characters in a sci-fi book called Machines Like Me, an android named Adam and its/his relationship with its/his owners, Charlie and Miranda.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-02'''<br />
<br />
What the hell does Jack&#x27;s keeper have us working on now? What the hell are these weird flesh sacks that Arthur made? And why in the everloving hell do they need me to hook them up with Othertech circuitry? How am I supposed to do a half-decent job if I don&#x27;t even know what the end goal is? Ugh. Whatever. Astaroth says jump and we ask how high. And I guess I can&#x27;t complain about the supplies he&#x27;s given me for this task. There&#x27;s more than enough Othertech here to complete whatever this project is and then some. Sure, it&#x27;s like a bribe, but I&#x27;m not below being bribed.<br />
<br />
As for &quot;Project Miracle,&quot; as it has been dubbed… Astaroth got a bunch of Protomatter goo from Eden&#x27;s core. Then Arthur shaped it into sort of… mm… pillars, I suppose. And obviously he did more than just shape it like clay but whatever weird science stuff he did to it is way over my head. I know he anointed them with various bloods and sanctified them with some sort of salt stuff. And now, Astaroth wants me to run Morningstarian filament and wiring through each one. If I didn&#x27;t know better I&#x27;d say that the structure is almost like a human circulatory system. Which… concerns me. But, again, free stuff is free stuff and I get to keep whatever isn&#x27;t needed.<br />
<br />
What&#x27;s really bugging me is I won&#x27;t know if I&#x27;ve done it right or not. I have no tests to run, no power source to check, nothing. Nada. I guess CaDence is supposed to handle that aspect of whatever this is. But what if it doesn&#x27;t work? What then? I hate working in the dark like this. What is so damn secret that we can&#x27;t be fully clued in? Usually Jack&#x27;ll slip us some info, but he&#x27;s been completely silent lately.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"1:4:9."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Movie Trivia | 4 Words [****: * ***** *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">2001: A Space Odyssey</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In 2001: A Space Odyssey, monoliths are machines in black cuboids whose sides extend in the precise ratio of 1 : 4 : 9 built by an unseen extraterrestrial species.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SETH WARREN'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-03'''<br />
<br />
Anyone care to guess how I factor into this mysterious &quot;Project: Miracle?&quot; Did you guess warping my ass around to each and every Cafe from Alaska to Florida? If so, you won! Y&#x27;know, sometimes I really hate this gift of mine. On paper, you&#x27;d think it&#x27;d be really cool to be able to warp through space and appear anywhere you want. In actuality it just means doing a shit ton of grunt work. Warp here. Warp there. No, no, warp back here and then warp there again. Blegh.<br />
<br />
On the bright side, warping whatever these pillars are was a lot easier than warping people around. Plus I got to check in with all my various Cafe cohorts! Jenny over at Bloodglass, Julius over at Midnight, Ichy over at Requiem, Dan, Brent and Miranda over at Silenus, and honestly the whole wild Testament Crew. I still don&#x27;t know anyone too well at Sunshine though so that was just a quick stop and for whatever reason John Doe only ever looks at me like I shot his puppy or something, so quick in and out over at Tesseract. He&#x27;s such a weird guy.<br />
<br />
But, all said and done, each Cafe now has a weird pillar of goo and circuits. Why? Heaven knows. Er, well, Astaroth knows. Jack too, probably. I know there&#x27;s been a lot of guesses around lately. Abby thinks it&#x27;s some sort of weapon. Could be. Sahir is convinced it has to do with extending the CaDCom&#x27;s range—that could explain why CaDence was doing the final once over. Arthur still thinks they&#x27;ll be used to make some kind of weird fake homunculus replacements of people. Sarah won&#x27;t even share her theories yet, not enough evidence I suppose. As for what I think they are used for? We—ll— I mean, kinda strange we didn&#x27;t get to keep one, right? So my big guess is Jack is gonna use &#x27;em to mind control the other branches or something crazy like that.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-CAD-13"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-CAD-13</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"y=2(x-1) \ y=-2x+8 \ y=-4x+26 \ y=4x-26 \ x=10 \ x=13 \ x=16"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Math Trivia || 1 Word [********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Eighteen</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">If you take all the equations, and map them out on a graph, it will show XVIII, which is Eighteen.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-CAD-13'''<br />
<br />
Not much of a secret these days but there are a few of us who &quot;remember,&quot; even without the aid of A&#x27;s ENCORE. Though, funny enough, I&#x27;m not actually one of them. I wasn&#x27;t really all there for the 16th and by the time I was really waking back up to things my so-called friend literally stabbed me in the back. Don&#x27;t remember a lick of the 17th, but Astaroth has filled me in alongside CaDence. Which just leaves Alex, Daichi, and Alaric as those who I know remember something of their past lives. So, figured I should make sure we&#x27;re all on the same page about it.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Welcome, welcome, my dear friends of the past.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What's so important you had to drag Alaric and I from Florida? And what's Alex doing here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I was invited, Mr. Snake. Same reason you two were, and Auddy and CaDence. We all know what happened in the past, isn't that right, Jack?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bingo.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hey—Phrasing.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack playfully threw his hands up, as if to say &quot;you&#x27;ve caught me.&quot;]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay, so what&#x27;s the Auditor doing here? Are we trying to catch them up to speed on our old affairs now too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect they already know, seeing as they are the reincarnation of the original Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">WHAT?! No way—how? Shaka killed himself to destroy Fate.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that worked so very well, didn&#x27;t it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No shit. You&#x27;re really him, aren&#x27;t you? And for that matter…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Daichi pointed his tail at Alex.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I thought you were supposed to be Shaka. Or Indrid. Or… what the hell?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t even get me started.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, are you immortal now too? Or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hard to say… probably not as immortal as any one else is… but, you&#x27;d know as well as the rest of us Daichi, we&#x27;re all stupidly &quot;fated&quot; to persist. Universe after Universe. Every member of the Cafe and Diner. If any one of us died today we&#x27;d be back tomorrow in another Universe regardless.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Very philosophically put, man. Anyway—I called you all here because A and CaDence are planning on re-releasing some of the old 16th Universe&#x27;s receipts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Won&#x27;t that be dangerous? Fate, Phantom, Wicked… Secret. They&#x27;ve all come back, to an extent, because they conceptualized themselves beyond death. I can think of another who tried to do the same and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We removed any mention of him. He is, was, and will remain a no one. A foolish mortal who overreached.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…and refusing to use his name doesn&#x27;t &quot;conceptualize,&quot; him?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No more than his three daughters do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suppose. But, why call us here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I just wanted to give you three heads up, that&#x27;s all. Also to confirm that you all still do remember what happened. I don&#x27;t, for the record. I mean, I&#x27;ve picked up bits and pieces from CaDence, but I&#x27;m nothing like you guys.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well… I remember, in so much that I have vague memories of every Universe. But I wouldn&#x27;t say I have the sharpest memory out there.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">As the Guardian Angel of the Cafe and Diner, I remember only what pertains to the establishments. Nothing outside of that.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Same as me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I remember more of the 17th than I do the 16th. But, I mean, as a once-Shaka I did my homework on the 16th too and it feels like a far off memory for me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, I&#x27;m the only one who remembers it all then? Except for the 17th.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Seems like it. Which is exactly why I wanted you as the Cafe&#x27;s Auditor. Speaking of which… I wanted to discuss something with you a bit more privately…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">In the Diner Diner?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You still use Diner Diner?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It serves its purpose.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ugh. Wayyy over my head. Come on Angel. Let&#x27;s get back to Florida.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Daichi and Alaric left my transcription range.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You gonna kick me out too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">They politely left.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m comfortable here.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alex…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What happened to the new transparent you? I thought—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Look—I don&#x27;t care if you know Alex. I understand you have had quite the history with the Auditor. With Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack shut the door to his office. From behind his desk a pool of vivid light blossomed and out stepped Astaroth, the Demon Prince of Creation.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ah—shit. Asta.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Formerly.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well then, let&#x27;s move to a more private channel, so we can discuss what made Shaka, Shaka.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-CAD-14"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-CAD-14</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Seven Miracles</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In CAD-12, Auditor states the phrase “data, data”. Additionally, in CD-CAD-13, Astaroth says “Well then, let's move to a more private channel, so we can discuss what made Shaka, Shaka.” In RE:CORE-257, Shaka says that what made him Shaka was the Seven Miracles.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-CAD-14'''<br />
<br />
Jack and Astaroth haven&#x27;t exactly been happy with the Auditor&#x27;s ability to only be in one place at a time. There are eight Cafes now, and only one Auditor. Luckily, Astaroth is the Prince of Creation and anything he dreams can be. While the Auditor and I were busy working on the past, it seems that Jack and Astaroth were planning for the future. …I just hope this plan works.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Channel secured, Sunshine?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fantastic.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Astaroth slapped Alex across the face. Hard.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fuck!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You deserved it. Traitor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Former traitor! Geez! I—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect Alex did what a Shaka needed to do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And good riddance to the concept of Shaka. No offense, Auditor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">None taken. Shaka was a dangerous element in the Universal Order. No man nor woman should be burdened with the Seven Miracles.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Yeah… So, uh, Asta… mind telling the Auditor what he&#x27;s won?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack wants to give you back a Miracle.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Absolutely not.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hang on, hang on, hang on—A, it&#x27;s not like that—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I knew you&#x27;d find a way to bring them back. To make me &quot;useful,&quot; to the cursed mantle of this hellish establishment. No. I won&#x27;t.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s really not like that, man. It just—you&#x27;re stretched thin. It&#x27;s not a Miracle, Miracle. Not with a capital M. It&#x27;s just a… y&#x27;know… it&#x27;s a feather in your cap. A trick. A gift of Creation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I will not be beholdened to anyone, man, Prince, or God. Not again.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It comes without strings. Other than that I see it as a boon to the Cafe and Diner Network to have a well functioning Auditor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">If the Auditor doesn&#x27;t want it, I&#x27;ll take it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Astaroth glared at Alex with a hatred that transcends the prior Universe.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Or not. Which Miracle are you trying to restore, anyway?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bilocation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No… I can&#x27;t. I shouldn&#x27;t. No one should ever use the Miracles—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But it&#x27;s not really a Miracle. It&#x27;s a trick. It&#x27;s nowhere near as strong as your old powers. In fact, it would really only let you split yourself into eight separate locations. And even then you aren&#x27;t truly in two places at once… you&#x27;d only ever be in one place while your doubles would be in theirs. You wouldn&#x27;t share a mind, except through CaDence. It&#x27;s like, uh… like…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Robert the Doll&#x27;s power?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Eh—kinda. Yeah. Asta made seven vessels that can mimic a person. We already have them set up in each Cafe, currently inactive. We need someone to &quot;control&quot; them, and then receive their information and direct them through CaDence&#x27;s link. So, bilocation without all the cosmic rule breaking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I see. That would help me conduct my business. No more bouncing around.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s what I was thinking. And, hey, maybe you wouldn&#x27;t have to be from a &quot;none&quot; Cafe. You could rightfully be from &quot;all.&quot; You&#x27;ve been there from the beginning, after all.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alright. I&#x27;ll do it.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-15"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-15</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: ALL'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-15'''<br />
<br />
It is once again with some… mixed grief… I write this receipt. It would seem Jack no longer wants me to be a stateless representative of the Cafe and Diner Network, instead he wants me to be a member—a full member—of each and every Cafe and Diner. On paper, this is more or less a symbolic change. I will still visit each Cafe and Diner and help as much as I am able to in their various Operations. Though, I suppose what Jack really wants is for me to be more hands on. Less of a passing figure chastising the various Cafes for their shortcomings and more so an active participant in our collective shortcomings.<br />
<br />
This also presents an opportunity to change how the public repository functions. While I have enjoyed jumping around from Cafe to Cafe, I think it would be more fruitful if I were to stay focused on just one Cafe at a time, until that Cafe&#x27;s current business is sorted out. As such I will be grouping the Cases into nice, neat Sections, and this receipt will cap off the end of Section 1. I&#x27;ve also gone through and added fun little names to each case, for the sake of aesthetics.<br />
<br />
Starting soon, I&#x27;ll be heading off to join the Midnight Cafe in full to help them deal with their rather &quot;giant&quot; issue. This will be chronicled in Section 2: Vernal Eternal. After that is sorted, who knows where I&#x27;ll be off to next, though I suspect what lurks under Pontchartrain&#x27;s surface can scarcely wait much longer. Something you might pick up on though, moving forward, is this nagging sense that chronologically things just don&#x27;t quite line up. How could I be working at Midnight, Requiem, Bloodglass, etc. all during the same few months? To that I say, why worry about it? The date field in the header is a rough approximation at best, and better to keep it that way.<br />
<br />
As for future Case Files, CaDence and I are working on Case File No. 1… though it is impossible to say when or if that will see the light of day.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_9:_Inventory_Night_at_Testament&diff=8601Case 9: Inventory Night at Testament2026-05-05T03:59:15Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Inventory Night At Testament</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. -Dover, C-DBB-146&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="INT-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">INT-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: INT-01'''<br />
<br />
While I was out and about checking up on the various branches, I figured my first stop should be at Testament. For those unaware, Testament, the second-newest branch of the Cafe and Diner Network, has somehow already managed to rack up a truly staggering amount of debt, far exceeding the operating costs of even the most established Cafes. Ironic, seeing as they guard the Ledger of Fate… Though, they should then very well know that nothing is ever free. I suggested that Jack should force Testament to return the money they have squandered on… shall I say… &quot;Less than legitimate&quot; business. Jack had another idea.<br />
<br />
Inventory duty.<br />
<br />
As the Cafe and Diner Network has been in operation for at least twenty years now, they have managed to acquire quite the stash of powerful, rare, and unique equipment of the Coffee Trade. In the past, when a rare object was found, stolen, bought, or taken in the name of the Cafe and Diner, it was stashed away in the vaults of the Core Cafe and Diner in Long Beach. It has become impossible to say what we have, what still works, and what simply no longer sparks joy. So, since the fallout of Testament&#x27;s most egregious misuse of company funds, the contents of the vault have been relocated to an undisclosed location adjacent to Testament, and in the process, they have been tasked with noting what it is we actually have.<br />
<br />
If their receipts are accurate, they have inventoried roughly 96% of the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s current holdings. I would like to double-check this for accuracy. Not to say that I do not trust Testament (though I truly don&#x27;t), but I am also curious about what exactly it is we have… and what still remains unaccounted for. If I am to be the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s Auditor, I must know what exactly we have to work with.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ke2?, Brutus?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Internet Trivia | 2 Words [********* *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Bongcloud Opening</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Ke2, a rather questionable move, is also known as the Bongcloud Opening.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-02'''<br />
<br />
I. Am. So. Tired. Of. Stupid. Inventory. Duty.<br />
<br />
Why, oh why, did the other Cafes not just keep track of all the stuff they got as they got it? At least we&#x27;re down to the final box and I took the object that looked least likely to maim or harm me; a shiny gold medallion with the sigil of the Morningstar on it. Usually, typically, under the most common circumstances… Morningstar is the least dangerous Plane of the Otherside. Er, well, they&#x27;re all dangerous compared to the Flipside. But Morningstar and the Skalds tend to be fairly chill. Mammon has already squirreled anything from Infernus back into his domain. Mayda stuff ends up trying to drown or curse you. And most stuff from the Necropolis smells like mothballs and probably also wants you dead. Morningstar though? Sunshine and glitter for the most part.<br />
<br />
Which, brings me to object #9396: An Auroric Prayer Medallion. It is small, round (naturally), and made from a gold-like medal. Mammon says it&#x27;s likely Auroric Gold which… yeah, duh. There are a few different types of gold in the Otherside, but… I would dare to guess that the Auroric Prayer Medallion is indeed made of Auroric Gold. As far as special properties go? None that I can ascertain or access. I&#x27;m no Morningstarian Demon, for one. And even if I were, mama would not be a priest of Aurora. I&#x27;ve been doing some research into it though, and I guess these are primarily used to open secret passageways in the ziggurat temples of Aurora, and for that reason, it is very much worth keeping.<br />
<br />
With Lady Lucifer now on our side, we probably wouldn&#x27;t necessarily need to sneak around Morningstar without permission… but, you never know! Plus, and I&#x27;m not outright suggesting we do this, but, we could, of course… sell the Medallion to a demon or the like who would need to sneak around Aurora. It&#x27;d probably fetch us a pretty decent price! As for when and where we actually got this from… mmm… hard to say. The Cafe and Diner has typically left Morningstar alone, up until Lucifer wanted to get her crotch goblin a job… so… I&#x27;m gonna go ahead and say we got this during Midnight&#x27;s Operation: Conjuring Congeries. They must&#x27;ve picked it up in the Black Bazaar along with like half of our other junk.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"June is the cruelest month, viciously alongside…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Board Game Trivia | 2 Words [******* *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Noxious Weeds</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The game that is described is Vicious Gardens, where the Kickstarter. There is an expansion called Cruel Summers and Noxious Weeds. Since the clue has cruelest and June is Summer, the other part is Noxious Weeds.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: DOVER D. DEMON'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-03'''<br />
<br />
Wow, wow, wow… Now how the hell did we end up with one of these? A Mask of Secrets from Prespheric Eden. W———ow. I mean, it&#x27;s not like it&#x27;s one of a kind, but still… crazy that we even have one and it was just lying around in a box. From what I&#x27;ve been able to gather from Mammon and Daichi, there were, at one point, at least a hundred of these things hung up on Eve&#x27;s wall back in Eden. Of course, most did not survive the Fall, but the design and materials are Archonic, so… they have a degree of &quot;cataclysm proofing&quot; built in.<br />
<br />
It was said that the Archon Secret would wear a different mask every day. Each mask a different lie and different life. See, Secret didn&#x27;t exactly stay put in Eden. He roamed all about the fledgling Universe, making multiple stops in Skald and Arcadia as well. In Skald he attempted to sway King Abraxas and in Arcadia he led many mortals astray toward his Cold aims. Or… something like that. As for what the Mask actually does… Not much. It&#x27;s a mask. If it had magical properties they either died out long, long ago or only Secret was able to access them. Still, a really, really cool collectors piece!<br />
<br />
You know, it&#x27;s funny, actually. The design of the mask is so… familiar. But I just can&#x27;t put my finger on where I&#x27;ve seen it before. Hm… It&#x27;s like when I look at the Mask I&#x27;m seeing an old friend… or perhaps… an old foe. I see in it something dark and evil… a Secret… or maybe it&#x27;s ill-intent personified… a—oh, wait, haha nevermind! I think it&#x27;s just cuz it looks like the mask worn by the Masked Magician from that one show, uhh… Breaking the Magician&#x27;s Code! Yeah! That&#x27;s totally it. It looks so similar to Val Valentino&#x27;s mask, that&#x27;s crazy!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A Universal Curtain for Woody&#x27;s friend Andy."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Cartoon Trivia | 3 Words [*** ***** ****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">The Wacky Weed</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker are character friends at Universal, and frequently depicted in each other’s car-tunes. This is the last one made by Universal Studio, before they handed Andy Panda over to United Artists.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SIMON WRIGHT'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-04'''<br />
<br />
Unfair! Totally wildly unfair! Amber, Dover, and Jahzeel swoop in and grab single trinkets and I&#x27;m stuck putting away not one, not two, but five things. FIVE! Ugh.<br />
<br />
Objects #9398-9402: Five of the Nine Sections of the Unholy Spear of Destiny. Tesseract must&#x27;ve picked these up in one of their crazy time travel adventures. As far as we&#x27;re aware, our timeline never had a &quot;Spear of Destiny,&quot; let alone an Unholy one. Like the myth, this Spear was used to kill a god of men, or a god in a man? Or… well, a human effigy of divinity, but again, not of our timeline so… I can&#x27;t really pin who exactly this spear killed. What I do know is that the Spear, while segmented, is a package deal. Even though it&#x27;s not from &quot;here,&quot; it is all here. We just don&#x27;t know where the other four sections are… And for the best, honestly.<br />
<br />
From what John Doe and Co. found out about it, the man-god that this spear killed was uh… genocidal, to put it mildly. This spear was, at one point, capable of splitting atoms at will. Meaning he was able to slice and dice nukes out of thin air and I guess it was the only thing that was able to kill him in the end. The force of his destruction and the severing of his connection to divinity also broke the Spear into nine sections of which the alternate timeline Flipside fought over for centuries… or something like that. Doesn&#x27;t really matter now cuz Tesseract blew that timeline up along with countless others during Operation: Becoming Dragons.<br />
<br />
But even blowing it up didn&#x27;t destroy the Unholy Spear still charged with raw godhood. As for where I think the rest of the Spear is… well, my guess would be… one piece in the Otherside, one piece in the Topside, one piece in Eden, and one piece… somewhere else? Where else? I don&#x27;t know and I don&#x27;t wanna know. Let it be lost. As I see it: we control the majority of this mega doomsday weapon and that&#x27;s good enough for me. I&#x27;d rather us not even know where the other sections are cuz then it can&#x27;t be used against us.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A man died from the bong waters, because they were made bitter."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">True Crime Trivia | 2 Words [***** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Frank Olson</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is a paraphrasing of Revelation 8:11, the arrival of the star Wormwood. This line is part of the inspiration to make a six-episode docudrama series, focusing on the death of Frank Olson by falling out of his room’s window at Hotel Statler in 1953.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JAHZEEL JONES'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-05'''<br />
<br />
Simon needs to shut his ass up. Easy? You wanna talk about easy? Easy is putting away five little metal rods that don&#x27;t do anything unless you get all nine of them together. I&#x27;d love to see Simon try and contain a cracked Fogjewel from the damn Creaking. &#x27;Course knowing him, he&#x27;d just magic it all away. I&#x27;ve had to open every window, run three fans, and flap my arms up and down like a damn &#x27;tic to try and keep my office from being filled with Maydian fog. Why&#x27;d we even take this thing anyway? Not, we, of course—why&#x27;d Req&#x27; take this cracked piece of shit? What could it possibly be used for?<br />
<br />
Well—a diversion, I guess. If we were ever being swarmed by &#x27;mons or &#x27;tids I guess we could throw this thing down and fill the whole room up with fog. But… then how would we see? Funny thing is, at some point, this Fogjewel&#x27;s gotta run out of, well, fog. These Maydian wonders don&#x27;t magic up fog out of nowhere, when they are working as intended they actually suck the fog up to keep the skies and seas clear. &#x27;Course, when one gets a crack like this one does… woosh… all the fog it sucked up seeps out. So, scratch this being useful for a diversion if we don&#x27;t know how long it&#x27;ll leak fog for anyhow.<br />
<br />
I don&#x27;t even know how I got the damn thing leakin&#x27; in the first place. I&#x27;ll fess up, I did totally grab the smallest looking trinket to try and get this work over with, but to be fair, who ran inventory for Objects #3000-4000? That&#x27;s right. Just me. So I wanted something easy to do, something quick, but damn… Fate doesn&#x27;t play with me like that, does it? I&#x27;ve tried everything to get this jewel back to its inert state. Tried rubbing it, shaking it, stroking it, sweet talking it… all the components of a very good night, right? But still, the thing is just foggin&#x27; it up. Once it stops—or slows—I&#x27;ll put it away.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Make &#x27;em half, make &#x27;em half! Don&#x27;t you know ev&#x27;ry one wants a half?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Vaudeville Trivia | 3 Words [***** **** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Nacio Herb Brown</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Ignoring “half” for a moment, the clue is word-for-woes the chorus of “Make ‘em Laugh” from Singin’ in the Rain. It was written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JETHRO &amp; LAZARUS LANGLEY'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-06'''<br />
<br />
Very, very fancy! A thrice-folded ancient ring of sleepless dreams from the Crags of Paramnesia in the Morningstar. Three rings held together by magic alone. One for the waking world, one for the sleeping world, and one for the realm between. Object #9404.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s a looker, that&#x27;s for sure. It&#x27;d make any neophyte to the Astral Plane thrice as powerful within it and, more excitingly, it lets one dream while awake. It&#x27;d fetch us a lovely price on the black market—<br />
<br />
Which one?<br />
<br />
Ah—I keep forgetting we shut down the Black Bazaar! Or, well, Midnight did anyway. Which is where I assume they picked this trinket up. On the one hand, Herbert White was by all accounts a megalomaniac mad car salesman and everything he ever sold came with a horrible, terrible, ironic curse. But on the other…<br />
<br />
The deals! The bargains! The haggles! The—agh! ALEXANDRIA BURNED TWICE AND WE WERE NOT THERE FOR THE FINAL FIRE SALE! WE COULD&#x27;VE SAVED A FORTUNE AND MADE A MINT!<br />
<br />
…On the third hand though, his merchandise was all EXTREMELY cursed to hell and back. It was his gimmick afterall. Which is why I would not even dare to put this ring on. If it was from Herbet White&#x27;s market it is cursed.<br />
<br />
I would put it on.<br />
<br />
You wouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Why not?<br />
<br />
You shouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
If we were to, perchance, pocket this ring to resell it at a sizable boon to the Cafe and Diner (finders fee to us, naturally)… we would have to be certain that it works. We must pay off the marvelous Mr. Jack Keel somehow…<br />
<br />
You couldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Ah—but I fear not waking nightmares, dear brother. I fear only missing out on a good time! Dream babes, here I come!<br />
<br />
<br />
And he&#x27;s done it. Placed the ring on and gone completely and utterly comatose. Well, it&#x27;s cursed alright. I&#x27;ve had Alex take a look at him and he claims it is likely cursed in a way similar to a plant called ater clementia, which I have never heard of… but apparently it is a parasitic plant that shows you your greatest desires. So… Now we need only figure out a way to release my brother from his undoubtedly debaucherous paradise… Hm… No idea how to do that. But once that&#x27;s sorted we&#x27;ll put the ring away somewhere safe. Can&#x27;t really get a good price out of a cursed object, can we?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"0, 201, 0 through 0, 240, 0."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Folk Music Trivia | 4 Words [***** ****** ** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Forty Shades Of Green</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is referring to colour codes, where there is a total of 40 Shades of green, which is also a Johnny Cash song.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MELODY ROSE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-07'''<br />
<br />
How in the heck did I end up with the Five Skulls of Energy, Omens, Wizardy, Decay, and Terror? I don&#x27;t know if you&#x27;ve all seen me… but do I scream… any of that? Even Energy I&#x27;m not too fond of. Where did the Cafe and Diner even get these from? Checking back through the logs (and with a lot of assistance from CaDence!) we think these came from the original Bloodglass staff, back during the Pandemonium Crisis or maybeeee the Rogue Prophet Operations. From what CaDence told me, the old Bloodglass crew never really, uhm, &quot;kept in touch,&quot; with the other branches, so it&#x27;s not so terribly surprising that someone from that staff got their hands on the Five Skulls and just never brought it up.<br />
<br />
They once belonged to a very powerful Naga and each skull grants the power of what it says it does: energy, omens, wizardry, decay, and terror. Energy is straightforward enough. When holding that skull one can push and pull things telepathically. The skull doesn&#x27;t create energy though, only displaces its own energy, so it wouldn&#x27;t be much good for making a generator or the like as each skull really only has about an hour&#x27;s worth of power before needing to be recharged. Decay is also clear, point the skull toward something and it&#x27;ll rot away. Terror, also well named, as it can induce incredible fear in those it&#x27;s pointed at.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s really just &quot;wizardy&quot; and &quot;omens&quot; that has me scratching my head. I think it must be a mistranslation or something along those lines because &quot;wizardy&quot; is really just, like, electricity powers. Point the skull and it shoots an arc of electricity. Which… I guess that could be seen as &quot;wizardy,&quot; to some. And &quot;omens&quot; should probably be called &quot;astral,&quot; as it can put things into the Astral Plane or take them out… which… hey!!! That gives me an idea! I think I know how to free our stuck Langley!<br />
<br />
Or, well, I can&#x27;t make it any worse!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Hellblazer #&quot;40&quot;… or was it in the Ennis run? Maybe I&#x27;ve got it mixed up thanks to Swamp Thing&#x27;s gift… Either way, it&#x27;s a theme, isn&#x27;t it?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Comic Book Trivia | 1 Word [*********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Marijuana</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In Hellblazer #61, titled “Forty”, John Constantine attends his 40th birthday, and Swamp Thing, one of the guests, grows MJ for all of them to use.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-08'''<br />
<br />
We—ll that takes care of that! Every bit and bob from over 50 successful Cafe and Diner operations squared away. Ok, well, more or less successful. Usually. There used to be a term for what we did… Falling just short of success… Mm… Failure. Failure! That&#x27;s it. 50 &quot;successful&quot; Cafe and Diner operations minus all of the horrible failures. 9,409 Objects in all.<br />
<br />
9,410 actually!<br />
<br />
There was one last trinket at the very bottom of the last box. A small cylinder, about the size of a human palm, with a little button on top, kinda like a detonator. The button has an eerie green glow to it despite no obvious power source. Very strange. One could certainly press the button to find out what it does… But… What if it DOES blow something up? What if it does something even more cataclysmic! Think of the horror! Think of the continued failure of the Cafe and Diner Network! And for that reason, I think it would be best if I just hold onto this strange little &quot;buzzer&quot; and keep it safe myself. I know, I know, most if not all of the Cafe&#x27;s stuff is supposed to be locked away in the Monometallium Vaults of our magnificent benefactor, Mammon. But this? It&#x27;s a piece of junk.<br />
<br />
I doubt it even works, and if it does work, what would it even do? Summon some cosmic horror game show host to introduce untold variables of chaos as he makes us compete in maddening mental challenges in an effort to win some sort of illicitly gained item of immense ill-intent, a cosmic MacGuffin which would easily turn the tides for whoever wins the prize but, of course, this mad cosmic god allows all to play his game and thus often whatever advantage we might earn could also be earned by our very own foes, thus raising the stakes immeasurably and—ah, shit, sorry, I&#x27;m just rambling again. That&#x27;s crazy, right? Why would a harmless little buzzer ever do something like that?<br />
<br />
Piece of junk.<br />
<br />
So, I&#x27;ll hold onto it.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-DBB-146"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-DBB-146</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"I&#x27;m not one to toot my own trumpet, hellish or otherwise."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Art Trivia || 2 Words [****** ****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Jimson Weed</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The clue is pointing towards the devil's trumpet which refers to a famous painting called the Jimson Weed, which was done by Georgia O’Keeffe.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-DBB-146'''<br />
<br />
I almost regret asking at all.<br />
<br />
I suppose, for now, the Big Bong case can be put to rest. At least I finally figured it out, despite the utter chaos of our meeting. They were hoping to utilize the Big Bong in an effort to restore Warden to Victoria. A foolish endeavor made so much worse by the extravagance of Mammon. I suppose… it is to be expected of the Testament branch. Regardless, I need to start heading back to Tesseract. They are likely almost done with their time travelling nonsense.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wanted to meet with you all to both congratulate you on finishing your inventory duty and to discuss what landed you here in the first place.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Big Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Da Biggest Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was the Big Bong, wasn't it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor audibly sighed as they pinched the bridge of their nose.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. It was the &quot;Big Bong,&quot; gang. What the hell were you thinking? In what world would spending 58,800 dollars on an oversized bong be a wise idea?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was for a case.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Absolutely it was.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What case? What demon or cryptid was it used in capturing?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well… when I said &quot;case,&quot; I meant in the proverbial sense.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s really a &quot;testament&quot; to the human spirit. We thought maybe…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hold that thought. I just noticed CaDence&#x27;s transcript—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hi everyone! Did you want me to not record this, Auditor?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No. No, I definitely want you to record this for Jack. It&#x27;s that this is DBB… number 146?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That is correct.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What the hell were you guys doing with your damn &quot;big bong,&quot; that took 146 cases to document?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. I wanted you to know, it&#x27;s all real handblown glass.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s… real… glass… Why is it—what could, could possible give you the idea to—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We saw it on TikTok!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You saw it on Shorts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I saw it somewhere. There were these guys, right? And they had this really big bong and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And it was made out of glass?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, I think theirs was made out of plastic or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Y————eah. I bet it was made out of plastic. How did you, why did you—Fucks sake! Why didn&#x27;t Mammon bank roll this idiocy?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack&#x27;s rich.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack is not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">He totally is. Lord of Greed speaking. I know how much is in everyone&#x27;s bank accounts at any given moment. Fifty thousand—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Fifty eight.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—It&#x27;s chump change for Jack in exchange for a beautiful, handcrafted, artisan, massive, magnificent pure glass piece of paraphernalia.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Also, weed&#x27;s legal now!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m not upset about the legality—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Cap. You cannot see into everyone&#x27;s bank accounts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Simon Wright. Thirty four dollars and eighty five cents in checking. Six dollars and three cents in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That was a lucky guess!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Do me, do me!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You owe roughly three thousand dollars to various banking institutions.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Amber</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Time to stunt on these hoes: Magic Mammon, how much do I currently have in earthly wealth?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">$373.15 in checking. $4,568.84 in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Dammmn! That&#x27;s… that&#x27;s well over 3,000 dollars… Hey, Amber—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">ENOUGH!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Quiet kids. The multi-millionaire is talking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Multi-Millionaire?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Enough. Why was it made out of glass in the first place? Surely you could have found a cheaper way to realize your &quot;big bong.&quot;</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We wanted to support local artisans.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah! We gotta support our local artists!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of all people, I figured you would be behind that. You are a supporter of the arts, are you not?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Excuse me?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You&#x27;re a fan of the arts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Can we have the room?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Testament erupted into a murmur of confusion.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Everyone out. Me and my old pal have some catching up to do in private.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Do you want me to stop recording too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex locked eyes with the Auditor]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Thank you CaDence, but not needed. I think we all know, deep down in our hearts, where this is going.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-DBB-147"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-DBB-147</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Diner Diner</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Deep down, both Alex and Auditor know it's time for them to talk behind closed doors and the only way is via a Diner Diner report.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-DBB-147'''<br />
<br />
I caught up with my old friend, the Auditor. We go way back. Back before this Universe and even the last. I will say, I wasn&#x27;t expecting them to return… but I guess, it&#x27;s like they said: it&#x27;s really, really hard to kill Archons. Beyond that, we&#x27;re trapped in a cycle. An anfractuous loop. Y&#x27;know, Fate really did a number on this Universe… but the same could be said for Metatron. What I still don&#x27;t understand is how Secret managed to return when… eh, nevermind. Better not speak the name of evil else it rears its ugly head. Besides we&#x27;ve got more important meaningless work to do.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So. You know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of course, I know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You kept your memories?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yep. All the way back to sixteenth. But, hey, look at you! Figured you'd be, y'know, dead still.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Archons are, evidently, rather hard to kill. Even when only by tenuous relation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah… seems like it. Wicked and Phantom are still kicking around. Fate, too, in a way. Funny, you'd think with the whole… "death of all non-Nova Archons," they'd be double dead. Though, I must say you did an excellent job tearing Fate apart! Even with a fresh Universe, It's still a corpse.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And don't forget Secret.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Secret? No. No, no, no… Secret can't be back. He—He was removed. I removed him. He was removed back at the end of the 16th. He can't be back—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And yet, I am. And thus, so is he.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You brought him back?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Other way around. Actually, I suspect you brought him back—Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hey! That's not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I know, I know. You shed the mask. But in doing so, it gave Secret a vector back to being. Though, like Wicked, he is a mere eidolon now. A ghost of the Archon he once was. Unless he returns in full, he won't be much of an issue… other than he wants you dead, Alex.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Still?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You did kill him.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Clearly I didn't do a good job of it! Fuck—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wouldn't worry about Secret. Not right now, anyway. Jack has you currently looking into the Warden predicament, yes?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. I was hoping Vic wouldn't end up as Warden again, but—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">An anfractuous loop. Twists and turns but we still end up back to where we were all meant to be. With Fate's slow return, things are snapping back to how they "should" be.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So we're still fighting against Fate?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Aren't we always?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I'm tired.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Imagine how I feel. How is Amber, by the way? Is she…?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Totally normal. If she remembers anything, she does a really good job of hiding it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see. And Mammon?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Same as the other Princes, a "blank slate."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, then, who else is… shall we say… "knowledgeable?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Daichi.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">A given.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">CaDence, of course.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Julia?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have a theory about that. But, for now, she seems normal enough. What about Jack? What does he know?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect, like you, the Cold kept his mind sharper than most.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex held up the Mask of Secrets.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Did you want it back, by the way? You don&#x27;t quite look the same without it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, thank you. I am done with secrecy. An Auditor brings things to light. I&#x27;d have no use of a mask.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alright… But you won&#x27;t use a name? Doesn&#x27;t that feel… secretive?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I… don&#x27;t know which one would fit me.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_9:_Inventory_Night_at_Testament&diff=8600Case 9: Inventory Night at Testament2026-05-05T03:55:58Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Inventory Night At Testament</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. -Dover, C-DBB-146&quot;</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="INT-01"> <div class=..."</p>
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<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Inventory Night At Testament</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. -Dover, C-DBB-146&quot;</div><br />
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</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="INT-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">INT-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: INT-01'''<br />
<br />
While I was out and about checking up on the various branches, I figured my first stop should be at Testament. For those unaware, Testament, the second-newest branch of the Cafe and Diner Network, has somehow already managed to rack up a truly staggering amount of debt, far exceeding the operating costs of even the most established Cafes. Ironic, seeing as they guard the Ledger of Fate… Though, they should then very well know that nothing is ever free. I suggested that Jack should force Testament to return the money they have squandered on… shall I say… &quot;Less than legitimate&quot; business. Jack had another idea.<br />
<br />
Inventory duty.<br />
<br />
As the Cafe and Diner Network has been in operation for at least twenty years now, they have managed to acquire quite the stash of powerful, rare, and unique equipment of the Coffee Trade. In the past, when a rare object was found, stolen, bought, or taken in the name of the Cafe and Diner, it was stashed away in the vaults of the Core Cafe and Diner in Long Beach. It has become impossible to say what we have, what still works, and what simply no longer sparks joy. So, since the fallout of Testament&#x27;s most egregious misuse of company funds, the contents of the vault have been relocated to an undisclosed location adjacent to Testament, and in the process, they have been tasked with noting what it is we actually have.<br />
<br />
If their receipts are accurate, they have inventoried roughly 96% of the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s current holdings. I would like to double-check this for accuracy. Not to say that I do not trust Testament (though I truly don&#x27;t), but I am also curious about what exactly it is we have… and what still remains unaccounted for. If I am to be the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s Auditor, I must know what exactly we have to work with.<br />
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</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ke2?, Brutus?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Internet Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">BONGCLOUD OPENING</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: AMBER INGRAM'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-02'''<br />
<br />
I. Am. So. Tired. Of. Stupid. Inventory. Duty.<br />
<br />
Why, oh why, did the other Cafes not just keep track of all the stuff they got as they got it? At least we&#x27;re down to the final box and I took the object that looked least likely to maim or harm me; a shiny gold medallion with the sigil of the Morningstar on it. Usually, typically, under the most common circumstances… Morningstar is the least dangerous Plane of the Otherside. Er, well, they&#x27;re all dangerous compared to the Flipside. But Morningstar and the Skalds tend to be fairly chill. Mammon has already squirreled anything from Infernus back into his domain. Mayda stuff ends up trying to drown or curse you. And most stuff from the Necropolis smells like mothballs and probably also wants you dead. Morningstar though? Sunshine and glitter for the most part.<br />
<br />
Which, brings me to object #9396: An Auroric Prayer Medallion. It is small, round (naturally), and made from a gold-like medal. Mammon says it&#x27;s likely Auroric Gold which… yeah, duh. There are a few different types of gold in the Otherside, but… I would dare to guess that the Auroric Prayer Medallion is indeed made of Auroric Gold. As far as special properties go? None that I can ascertain or access. I&#x27;m no Morningstarian Demon, for one. And even if I were, mama would not be a priest of Aurora. I&#x27;ve been doing some research into it though, and I guess these are primarily used to open secret passageways in the ziggurat temples of Aurora, and for that reason, it is very much worth keeping.<br />
<br />
With Lady Lucifer now on our side, we probably wouldn&#x27;t necessarily need to sneak around Morningstar without permission… but, you never know! Plus, and I&#x27;m not outright suggesting we do this, but, we could, of course… sell the Medallion to a demon or the like who would need to sneak around Aurora. It&#x27;d probably fetch us a pretty decent price! As for when and where we actually got this from… mmm… hard to say. The Cafe and Diner has typically left Morningstar alone, up until Lucifer wanted to get her crotch goblin a job… so… I&#x27;m gonna go ahead and say we got this during Midnight&#x27;s Operation: Conjuring Congeries. They must&#x27;ve picked it up in the Black Bazaar along with like half of our other junk.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"June is the cruelest month, viciously alongside…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Board Game Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">NOXIOUS WEEDS</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: DOVER D. DEMON'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-03'''<br />
<br />
Wow, wow, wow… Now how the hell did we end up with one of these? A Mask of Secrets from Prespheric Eden. W———ow. I mean, it&#x27;s not like it&#x27;s one of a kind, but still… crazy that we even have one and it was just lying around in a box. From what I&#x27;ve been able to gather from Mammon and Daichi, there were, at one point, at least a hundred of these things hung up on Eve&#x27;s wall back in Eden. Of course, most did not survive the Fall, but the design and materials are Archonic, so… they have a degree of &quot;cataclysm proofing&quot; built in.<br />
<br />
It was said that the Archon Secret would wear a different mask every day. Each mask a different lie and different life. See, Secret didn&#x27;t exactly stay put in Eden. He roamed all about the fledgling Universe, making multiple stops in Skald and Arcadia as well. In Skald he attempted to sway King Abraxas and in Arcadia he led many mortals astray toward his Cold aims. Or… something like that. As for what the Mask actually does… Not much. It&#x27;s a mask. If it had magical properties they either died out long, long ago or only Secret was able to access them. Still, a really, really cool collectors piece!<br />
<br />
You know, it&#x27;s funny, actually. The design of the mask is so… familiar. But I just can&#x27;t put my finger on where I&#x27;ve seen it before. Hm… It&#x27;s like when I look at the Mask I&#x27;m seeing an old friend… or perhaps… an old foe. I see in it something dark and evil… a Secret… or maybe it&#x27;s ill-intent personified… a—oh, wait, haha nevermind! I think it&#x27;s just cuz it looks like the mask worn by the Masked Magician from that one show, uhh… Breaking the Magician&#x27;s Code! Yeah! That&#x27;s totally it. It looks so similar to Val Valentino&#x27;s mask, that&#x27;s crazy!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A Universal Curtain for Woody&#x27;s friend Andy."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Cartoon Trivia | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">THE WACKY WEED</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SIMON WRIGHT'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-04'''<br />
<br />
Unfair! Totally wildly unfair! Amber, Dover, and Jahzeel swoop in and grab single trinkets and I&#x27;m stuck putting away not one, not two, but five things. FIVE! Ugh.<br />
<br />
Objects #9398-9402: Five of the Nine Sections of the Unholy Spear of Destiny. Tesseract must&#x27;ve picked these up in one of their crazy time travel adventures. As far as we&#x27;re aware, our timeline never had a &quot;Spear of Destiny,&quot; let alone an Unholy one. Like the myth, this Spear was used to kill a god of men, or a god in a man? Or… well, a human effigy of divinity, but again, not of our timeline so… I can&#x27;t really pin who exactly this spear killed. What I do know is that the Spear, while segmented, is a package deal. Even though it&#x27;s not from &quot;here,&quot; it is all here. We just don&#x27;t know where the other four sections are… And for the best, honestly.<br />
<br />
From what John Doe and Co. found out about it, the man-god that this spear killed was uh… genocidal, to put it mildly. This spear was, at one point, capable of splitting atoms at will. Meaning he was able to slice and dice nukes out of thin air and I guess it was the only thing that was able to kill him in the end. The force of his destruction and the severing of his connection to divinity also broke the Spear into nine sections of which the alternate timeline Flipside fought over for centuries… or something like that. Doesn&#x27;t really matter now cuz Tesseract blew that timeline up along with countless others during Operation: Becoming Dragons.<br />
<br />
But even blowing it up didn&#x27;t destroy the Unholy Spear still charged with raw godhood. As for where I think the rest of the Spear is… well, my guess would be… one piece in the Otherside, one piece in the Topside, one piece in Eden, and one piece… somewhere else? Where else? I don&#x27;t know and I don&#x27;t wanna know. Let it be lost. As I see it: we control the majority of this mega doomsday weapon and that&#x27;s good enough for me. I&#x27;d rather us not even know where the other sections are cuz then it can&#x27;t be used against us.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"A man died from the bong waters, because they were made bitter."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">True Crime Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">FRANK OLSON</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JAHZEEL JONES'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-05'''<br />
<br />
Simon needs to shut his ass up. Easy? You wanna talk about easy? Easy is putting away five little metal rods that don&#x27;t do anything unless you get all nine of them together. I&#x27;d love to see Simon try and contain a cracked Fogjewel from the damn Creaking. &#x27;Course knowing him, he&#x27;d just magic it all away. I&#x27;ve had to open every window, run three fans, and flap my arms up and down like a damn &#x27;tic to try and keep my office from being filled with Maydian fog. Why&#x27;d we even take this thing anyway? Not, we, of course—why&#x27;d Req&#x27; take this cracked piece of shit? What could it possibly be used for?<br />
<br />
Well—a diversion, I guess. If we were ever being swarmed by &#x27;mons or &#x27;tids I guess we could throw this thing down and fill the whole room up with fog. But… then how would we see? Funny thing is, at some point, this Fogjewel&#x27;s gotta run out of, well, fog. These Maydian wonders don&#x27;t magic up fog out of nowhere, when they are working as intended they actually suck the fog up to keep the skies and seas clear. &#x27;Course, when one gets a crack like this one does… woosh… all the fog it sucked up seeps out. So, scratch this being useful for a diversion if we don&#x27;t know how long it&#x27;ll leak fog for anyhow.<br />
<br />
I don&#x27;t even know how I got the damn thing leakin&#x27; in the first place. I&#x27;ll fess up, I did totally grab the smallest looking trinket to try and get this work over with, but to be fair, who ran inventory for Objects #3000-4000? That&#x27;s right. Just me. So I wanted something easy to do, something quick, but damn… Fate doesn&#x27;t play with me like that, does it? I&#x27;ve tried everything to get this jewel back to its inert state. Tried rubbing it, shaking it, stroking it, sweet talking it… all the components of a very good night, right? But still, the thing is just foggin&#x27; it up. Once it stops—or slows—I&#x27;ll put it away.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Make &#x27;em half, make &#x27;em half! Don&#x27;t you know ev&#x27;ry one wants a half?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Vaudeville Trivia | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">NACIO HERB BROWN</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JETHRO &amp; LAZARUS LANGLEY'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-06'''<br />
<br />
Very, very fancy! A thrice-folded ancient ring of sleepless dreams from the Crags of Paramnesia in the Morningstar. Three rings held together by magic alone. One for the waking world, one for the sleeping world, and one for the realm between. Object #9404.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s a looker, that&#x27;s for sure. It&#x27;d make any neophyte to the Astral Plane thrice as powerful within it and, more excitingly, it lets one dream while awake. It&#x27;d fetch us a lovely price on the black market—<br />
<br />
Which one?<br />
<br />
Ah—I keep forgetting we shut down the Black Bazaar! Or, well, Midnight did anyway. Which is where I assume they picked this trinket up. On the one hand, Herbert White was by all accounts a megalomaniac mad car salesman and everything he ever sold came with a horrible, terrible, ironic curse. But on the other…<br />
<br />
The deals! The bargains! The haggles! The—agh! ALEXANDRIA BURNED TWICE AND WE WERE NOT THERE FOR THE FINAL FIRE SALE! WE COULD&#x27;VE SAVED A FORTUNE AND MADE A MINT!<br />
<br />
…On the third hand though, his merchandise was all EXTREMELY cursed to hell and back. It was his gimmick afterall. Which is why I would not even dare to put this ring on. If it was from Herbet White&#x27;s market it is cursed.<br />
<br />
I would put it on.<br />
<br />
You wouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Why not?<br />
<br />
You shouldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
If we were to, perchance, pocket this ring to resell it at a sizable boon to the Cafe and Diner (finders fee to us, naturally)… we would have to be certain that it works. We must pay off the marvelous Mr. Jack Keel somehow…<br />
<br />
You couldn&#x27;t.<br />
<br />
Ah—but I fear not waking nightmares, dear brother. I fear only missing out on a good time! Dream babes, here I come!<br />
<br />
<br />
And he&#x27;s done it. Placed the ring on and gone completely and utterly comatose. Well, it&#x27;s cursed alright. I&#x27;ve had Alex take a look at him and he claims it is likely cursed in a way similar to a plant called ater clementia, which I have never heard of… but apparently it is a parasitic plant that shows you your greatest desires. So… Now we need only figure out a way to release my brother from his undoubtedly debaucherous paradise… Hm… No idea how to do that. But once that&#x27;s sorted we&#x27;ll put the ring away somewhere safe. Can&#x27;t really get a good price out of a cursed object, can we?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"0, 201, 0 through 0, 240, 0."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Folk Music Trivia | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">FORTY SHADES OF GREEN</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: MELODY ROSE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-07'''<br />
<br />
How in the heck did I end up with the Five Skulls of Energy, Omens, Wizardy, Decay, and Terror? I don&#x27;t know if you&#x27;ve all seen me… but do I scream… any of that? Even Energy I&#x27;m not too fond of. Where did the Cafe and Diner even get these from? Checking back through the logs (and with a lot of assistance from CaDence!) we think these came from the original Bloodglass staff, back during the Pandemonium Crisis or maybeeee the Rogue Prophet Operations. From what CaDence told me, the old Bloodglass crew never really, uhm, &quot;kept in touch,&quot; with the other branches, so it&#x27;s not so terribly surprising that someone from that staff got their hands on the Five Skulls and just never brought it up.<br />
<br />
They once belonged to a very powerful Naga and each skull grants the power of what it says it does: energy, omens, wizardry, decay, and terror. Energy is straightforward enough. When holding that skull one can push and pull things telepathically. The skull doesn&#x27;t create energy though, only displaces its own energy, so it wouldn&#x27;t be much good for making a generator or the like as each skull really only has about an hour&#x27;s worth of power before needing to be recharged. Decay is also clear, point the skull toward something and it&#x27;ll rot away. Terror, also well named, as it can induce incredible fear in those it&#x27;s pointed at.<br />
<br />
It&#x27;s really just &quot;wizardy&quot; and &quot;omens&quot; that has me scratching my head. I think it must be a mistranslation or something along those lines because &quot;wizardy&quot; is really just, like, electricity powers. Point the skull and it shoots an arc of electricity. Which… I guess that could be seen as &quot;wizardy,&quot; to some. And &quot;omens&quot; should probably be called &quot;astral,&quot; as it can put things into the Astral Plane or take them out… which… hey!!! That gives me an idea! I think I know how to free our stuck Langley!<br />
<br />
Or, well, I can&#x27;t make it any worse!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-INT-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-INT-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Hellblazer #&quot;40&quot;… or was it in the Ennis run? Maybe I&#x27;ve got it mixed up thanks to Swamp Thing&#x27;s gift… Either way, it&#x27;s a theme, isn&#x27;t it?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Comic Book Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">MARIJUANA</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-INT-08'''<br />
<br />
We—ll that takes care of that! Every bit and bob from over 50 successful Cafe and Diner operations squared away. Ok, well, more or less successful. Usually. There used to be a term for what we did… Falling just short of success… Mm… Failure. Failure! That&#x27;s it. 50 &quot;successful&quot; Cafe and Diner operations minus all of the horrible failures. 9,409 Objects in all.<br />
<br />
9,410 actually!<br />
<br />
There was one last trinket at the very bottom of the last box. A small cylinder, about the size of a human palm, with a little button on top, kinda like a detonator. The button has an eerie green glow to it despite no obvious power source. Very strange. One could certainly press the button to find out what it does… But… What if it DOES blow something up? What if it does something even more cataclysmic! Think of the horror! Think of the continued failure of the Cafe and Diner Network! And for that reason, I think it would be best if I just hold onto this strange little &quot;buzzer&quot; and keep it safe myself. I know, I know, most if not all of the Cafe&#x27;s stuff is supposed to be locked away in the Monometallium Vaults of our magnificent benefactor, Mammon. But this? It&#x27;s a piece of junk.<br />
<br />
I doubt it even works, and if it does work, what would it even do? Summon some cosmic horror game show host to introduce untold variables of chaos as he makes us compete in maddening mental challenges in an effort to win some sort of illicitly gained item of immense ill-intent, a cosmic MacGuffin which would easily turn the tides for whoever wins the prize but, of course, this mad cosmic god allows all to play his game and thus often whatever advantage we might earn could also be earned by our very own foes, thus raising the stakes immeasurably and—ah, shit, sorry, I&#x27;m just rambling again. That&#x27;s crazy, right? Why would a harmless little buzzer ever do something like that?<br />
<br />
Piece of junk.<br />
<br />
So, I&#x27;ll hold onto it.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-DBB-146"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-DBB-146</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"I&#x27;m not one to toot my own trumpet, hellish or otherwise."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Art Trivia || 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Jimson Weed</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-DBB-146'''<br />
<br />
I almost regret asking at all.<br />
<br />
I suppose, for now, the Big Bong case can be put to rest. At least I finally figured it out, despite the utter chaos of our meeting. They were hoping to utilize the Big Bong in an effort to restore Warden to Victoria. A foolish endeavor made so much worse by the extravagance of Mammon. I suppose… it is to be expected of the Testament branch. Regardless, I need to start heading back to Tesseract. They are likely almost done with their time travelling nonsense.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wanted to meet with you all to both congratulate you on finishing your inventory duty and to discuss what landed you here in the first place.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Big Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Da Biggest Bong.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was the Big Bong, wasn't it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor audibly sighed as they pinched the bridge of their nose.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. It was the &quot;Big Bong,&quot; gang. What the hell were you thinking? In what world would spending 58,800 dollars on an oversized bong be a wise idea?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It was for a case.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Absolutely it was.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What case? What demon or cryptid was it used in capturing?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jethro</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well… when I said &quot;case,&quot; I meant in the proverbial sense.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Lazarus</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s really a &quot;testament&quot; to the human spirit. We thought maybe…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hold that thought. I just noticed CaDence&#x27;s transcript—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hi everyone! Did you want me to not record this, Auditor?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No. No, I definitely want you to record this for Jack. It&#x27;s that this is DBB… number 146?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That is correct.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What the hell were you guys doing with your damn &quot;big bong,&quot; that took 146 cases to document?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well—uh, I was thinking we could circle back to the pain point of the price. I wanted you to know, it&#x27;s all real handblown glass.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s… real… glass… Why is it—what could, could possible give you the idea to—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We saw it on TikTok!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You saw it on Shorts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I saw it somewhere. There were these guys, right? And they had this really big bong and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And it was made out of glass?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, I think theirs was made out of plastic or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Y————eah. I bet it was made out of plastic. How did you, why did you—Fucks sake! Why didn&#x27;t Mammon bank roll this idiocy?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack&#x27;s rich.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack is not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">He totally is. Lord of Greed speaking. I know how much is in everyone&#x27;s bank accounts at any given moment. Fifty thousand—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Fifty eight.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—It&#x27;s chump change for Jack in exchange for a beautiful, handcrafted, artisan, massive, magnificent pure glass piece of paraphernalia.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Also, weed&#x27;s legal now!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m not upset about the legality—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Cap. You cannot see into everyone&#x27;s bank accounts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Simon Wright. Thirty four dollars and eighty five cents in checking. Six dollars and three cents in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Simon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That was a lucky guess!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Do me, do me!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You owe roughly three thousand dollars to various banking institutions.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Amber</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Time to stunt on these hoes: Magic Mammon, how much do I currently have in earthly wealth?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">$373.15 in checking. $4,568.84 in savings.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Dammmn! That&#x27;s… that&#x27;s well over 3,000 dollars… Hey, Amber—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">ENOUGH!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Mammon</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Quiet kids. The multi-millionaire is talking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Melody</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Multi-Millionaire?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Enough. Why was it made out of glass in the first place? Surely you could have found a cheaper way to realize your &quot;big bong.&quot;</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jahzeel</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We wanted to support local artisans.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Dover</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah! We gotta support our local artists!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of all people, I figured you would be behind that. You are a supporter of the arts, are you not?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Excuse me?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You&#x27;re a fan of the arts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Can we have the room?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Testament erupted into a murmur of confusion.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Everyone out. Me and my old pal have some catching up to do in private.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Do you want me to stop recording too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex locked eyes with the Auditor]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Thank you CaDence, but not needed. I think we all know, deep down in our hearts, where this is going.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-DBB-147"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-DBB-147</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">DINER DINER</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALEX GÁLVEZ'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: TESTAMENT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-DBB-147'''<br />
<br />
I caught up with my old friend, the Auditor. We go way back. Back before this Universe and even the last. I will say, I wasn&#x27;t expecting them to return… but I guess, it&#x27;s like they said: it&#x27;s really, really hard to kill Archons. Beyond that, we&#x27;re trapped in a cycle. An anfractuous loop. Y&#x27;know, Fate really did a number on this Universe… but the same could be said for Metatron. What I still don&#x27;t understand is how Secret managed to return when… eh, nevermind. Better not speak the name of evil else it rears its ugly head. Besides we&#x27;ve got more important meaningless work to do.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So. You know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Of course, I know.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You kept your memories?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yep. All the way back to sixteenth. But, hey, look at you! Figured you'd be, y'know, dead still.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Archons are, evidently, rather hard to kill. Even when only by tenuous relation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah… seems like it. Wicked and Phantom are still kicking around. Fate, too, in a way. Funny, you'd think with the whole… "death of all non-Nova Archons," they'd be double dead. Though, I must say you did an excellent job tearing Fate apart! Even with a fresh Universe, It's still a corpse.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And don't forget Secret.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Secret? No. No, no, no… Secret can't be back. He—He was removed. I removed him. He was removed back at the end of the 16th. He can't be back—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And yet, I am. And thus, so is he.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You brought him back?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Other way around. Actually, I suspect you brought him back—Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hey! That's not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I know, I know. You shed the mask. But in doing so, it gave Secret a vector back to being. Though, like Wicked, he is a mere eidolon now. A ghost of the Archon he once was. Unless he returns in full, he won't be much of an issue… other than he wants you dead, Alex.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Still?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You did kill him.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Clearly I didn't do a good job of it! Fuck—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I wouldn't worry about Secret. Not right now, anyway. Jack has you currently looking into the Warden predicament, yes?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah. I was hoping Vic wouldn't end up as Warden again, but—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">An anfractuous loop. Twists and turns but we still end up back to where we were all meant to be. With Fate's slow return, things are snapping back to how they "should" be.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So we're still fighting against Fate?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Aren't we always?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I'm tired.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Imagine how I feel. How is Amber, by the way? Is she…?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Totally normal. If she remembers anything, she does a really good job of hiding it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see. And Mammon?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Same as the other Princes, a "blank slate."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, then, who else is… shall we say… "knowledgeable?"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Daichi.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">A given.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">CaDence, of course.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Julia?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have a theory about that. But, for now, she seems normal enough. What about Jack? What does he know?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect, like you, the Cold kept his mind sharper than most.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Alex held up the Mask of Secrets.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Did you want it back, by the way? You don&#x27;t quite look the same without it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, thank you. I am done with secrecy. An Auditor brings things to light. I&#x27;d have no use of a mask.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alright… But you won&#x27;t use a name? Doesn&#x27;t that feel… secretive?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I… don&#x27;t know which one would fit me.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_10:_In_Many_Times_and_Many_Places&diff=8599Case 10: In Many Times and Many Places2026-05-05T03:47:40Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">In Many Times and Many Places</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;It is once again with some… mixed grief… I write this receipt. -The Auditor, CAD-15&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-12"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-12</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-12'''<br />
<br />
It is with some great pleasure that I begin this receipt. After quite a few long nights I can proudly announce that CaDence and I&#x27;s secret OPERATION: ENCORE has concluded. What is ENCORE? Well, it has been weighing on my mind recently that so much of who we are and what we do is tied up in who we were and what we did. CaDence has access to that data, data that should be, mind you, off limits. However, due to the unique nature of CaDence&#x27;s creation that data can still be freely shared—to an extent.<br />
<br />
The limitation of this project is… abstract. In essence, CaDence has just over 20,000 or so receipts from, let&#x27;s call it… &quot;a past.&quot; Of those 20,000 receipts only about 2,000 or so are &quot;cleared for release,&quot; in a… again, abstract cosmic sense. And releasing all 2,000 receipts would likely take months of work and, I&#x27;ll be honest, a lot of it is… &quot;fluff.&quot; Fluff in the sense that those Cafes of yesteryear were working on many cases that have little relevance to today. So, CaDence and I further narrowed down what needed to be re-released to just 276 core receipts.<br />
<br />
As the Cafe and Diner Network has largely moved away from much of the old &quot;cafe speak,&quot; we&#x27;ve also done what we can to lightly edit these receipts to be easier to read. I can&#x27;t promise that we got every little detail, but for the most part, names should be unredacted and customer names should be clear more often than not. Still, there is some context missing here and there, but these 276 receipts should get most up to speed on what the Cafe and Diner was and lend some context to what we are doing now. Now, to address the elephant in the room—OPERATION: ENCORE is not for the benefit of the actual employees of the Cafe and Diner. Those who know, know. Those who don&#x27;t… Why bother them with a past that is no longer theirs? ENCORE is specifically for our strange intersphereoid patrons who seem to keep up with our unique brew of madness.<br />
<br />
<center><b>As for the Master Password:</b> I did not want it to be too challenging, as this is my gift to all of you. It is, was, and perhaps forever will be the Cafe and Diner's singular, central, number.</center><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"It&#x27;s all Greek to me: To Go with Speed and Love."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Chemistry Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Zwitterion</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">To go references Hermes, the god of speed, while love references Aphrodite, the god of love. When you combine them together, you get hermaphrodite. This is basically also known as a zwitterion in chemistry.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ARTHUR CROW'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-01'''<br />
<br />
What a strange project our demonic sponsor has me working on. Seven semi-biological vessels. Currently they are formless globs of protomatter harvested from the fields of Eden. He has not given me the specifics of why, only the specifications he is after. One would think the Prince of Creation would not need a human hand in, well, creating. But I suppose the rules tend to bend between the Flipside and Otherside. In Eden, Astaroth is ruler of all, but in the Flipside his magic can only stretch so far. If I had to hazard a guess… These bio vessels could be used to store the identity of another person, or perhaps a demon.<br />
<br />
Now, not to be alarmist… but seven vessels… seven siblings… seven Princes. Of course, excluding the twins of Creation and Destruction. I worry that Astaroth foresees the imminent destruction of his elder siblings and is seeking to create some facsimile of them to keep the cosmic order churning. Would that even work? My craftsmanship is good, yes, but not to the level of recreating the Princes of Hell. And if these are not to be used to create seven fake Princes of Hell… then… what?<br />
<br />
I suppose, another hypothesis I have is that they could be used to create copies of the owners of the Cafe and Diner. Except… we have more than seven of those. Bloodglass, Midnight, and Testament all have co-owners. I suppose you could theoretically dwindle it down to the most important… but that seems unnecessarily cruel. Hm… what else comes in sevens… I&#x27;m really racking my brain over this. Oh, if only Astaroth or Jack would fill us lowly rank and file in on their many machinations. Then again, I suppose that would ruin the fun of it, wouldn&#x27;t it?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"C. Bucket, A. Maitland, M. Frost"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Sci-Fi Trivia | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Machines Like Me</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the initials represent a different person. Afterwards, searching them together yields a book. Charlie, Adam and Miranda are characters in a sci-fi book called Machines Like Me, an android named Adam and its/his relationship with its/his owners, Charlie and Miranda.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-02'''<br />
<br />
What the hell does Jack&#x27;s keeper have us working on now? What the hell are these weird flesh sacks that Arthur made? And why in the everloving hell do they need me to hook them up with Othertech circuitry? How am I supposed to do a half-decent job if I don&#x27;t even know what the end goal is? Ugh. Whatever. Astaroth says jump and we ask how high. And I guess I can&#x27;t complain about the supplies he&#x27;s given me for this task. There&#x27;s more than enough Othertech here to complete whatever this project is and then some. Sure, it&#x27;s like a bribe, but I&#x27;m not below being bribed.<br />
<br />
As for &quot;Project Miracle,&quot; as it has been dubbed… Astaroth got a bunch of Protomatter goo from Eden&#x27;s core. Then Arthur shaped it into sort of… mm… pillars, I suppose. And obviously he did more than just shape it like clay but whatever weird science stuff he did to it is way over my head. I know he anointed them with various bloods and sanctified them with some sort of salt stuff. And now, Astaroth wants me to run Morningstarian filament and wiring through each one. If I didn&#x27;t know better I&#x27;d say that the structure is almost like a human circulatory system. Which… concerns me. But, again, free stuff is free stuff and I get to keep whatever isn&#x27;t needed.<br />
<br />
What&#x27;s really bugging me is I won&#x27;t know if I&#x27;ve done it right or not. I have no tests to run, no power source to check, nothing. Nada. I guess CaDence is supposed to handle that aspect of whatever this is. But what if it doesn&#x27;t work? What then? I hate working in the dark like this. What is so damn secret that we can&#x27;t be fully clued in? Usually Jack&#x27;ll slip us some info, but he&#x27;s been completely silent lately.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"1:4:9."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Movie Trivia | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">2001: A Space Odyssey</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In 2001: A Space Odyssey, monoliths are machines in black cuboids whose sides extend in the precise ratio of 1 : 4 : 9 built by an unseen extraterrestrial species.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SETH WARREN'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-03'''<br />
<br />
Anyone care to guess how I factor into this mysterious &quot;Project: Miracle?&quot; Did you guess warping my ass around to each and every Cafe from Alaska to Florida? If so, you won! Y&#x27;know, sometimes I really hate this gift of mine. On paper, you&#x27;d think it&#x27;d be really cool to be able to warp through space and appear anywhere you want. In actuality it just means doing a shit ton of grunt work. Warp here. Warp there. No, no, warp back here and then warp there again. Blegh.<br />
<br />
On the bright side, warping whatever these pillars are was a lot easier than warping people around. Plus I got to check in with all my various Cafe cohorts! Jenny over at Bloodglass, Julius over at Midnight, Ichy over at Requiem, Dan, Brent and Miranda over at Silenus, and honestly the whole wild Testament Crew. I still don&#x27;t know anyone too well at Sunshine though so that was just a quick stop and for whatever reason John Doe only ever looks at me like I shot his puppy or something, so quick in and out over at Tesseract. He&#x27;s such a weird guy.<br />
<br />
But, all said and done, each Cafe now has a weird pillar of goo and circuits. Why? Heaven knows. Er, well, Astaroth knows. Jack too, probably. I know there&#x27;s been a lot of guesses around lately. Abby thinks it&#x27;s some sort of weapon. Could be. Sahir is convinced it has to do with extending the CaDCom&#x27;s range—that could explain why CaDence was doing the final once over. Arthur still thinks they&#x27;ll be used to make some kind of weird fake homunculus replacements of people. Sarah won&#x27;t even share her theories yet, not enough evidence I suppose. As for what I think they are used for? We—ll— I mean, kinda strange we didn&#x27;t get to keep one, right? So my big guess is Jack is gonna use &#x27;em to mind control the other branches or something crazy like that.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-CAD-13"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-CAD-13</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"y=2(x-1) \ y=-2x+8 \ y=-4x+26 \ y=4x-26 \ x=10 \ x=13 \ x=16"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Math Trivia || 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Eighteen</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">If you take all the equations, and map them out on a graph, it will show XVIII, which is Eighteen.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-CAD-13'''<br />
<br />
Not much of a secret these days but there are a few of us who &quot;remember,&quot; even without the aid of A&#x27;s ENCORE. Though, funny enough, I&#x27;m not actually one of them. I wasn&#x27;t really all there for the 16th and by the time I was really waking back up to things my so-called friend literally stabbed me in the back. Don&#x27;t remember a lick of the 17th, but Astaroth has filled me in alongside CaDence. Which just leaves Alex, Daichi, and Alaric as those who I know remember something of their past lives. So, figured I should make sure we&#x27;re all on the same page about it.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Welcome, welcome, my dear friends of the past.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What's so important you had to drag Alaric and I from Florida? And what's Alex doing here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I was invited, Mr. Snake. Same reason you two were, and Auddy and CaDence. We all know what happened in the past, isn't that right, Jack?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bingo.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hey—Phrasing.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack playfully threw his hands up, as if to say &quot;you&#x27;ve caught me.&quot;]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay, so what&#x27;s the Auditor doing here? Are we trying to catch them up to speed on our old affairs now too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect they already know, seeing as they are the reincarnation of the original Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">WHAT?! No way—how? Shaka killed himself to destroy Fate.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that worked so very well, didn&#x27;t it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No shit. You&#x27;re really him, aren&#x27;t you? And for that matter…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Daichi pointed his tail at Alex.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I thought you were supposed to be Shaka. Or Indrid. Or… what the hell?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t even get me started.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, are you immortal now too? Or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hard to say… probably not as immortal as any one else is… but, you&#x27;d know as well as the rest of us Daichi, we&#x27;re all stupidly &quot;fated&quot; to persist. Universe after Universe. Every member of the Cafe and Diner. If any one of us died today we&#x27;d be back tomorrow in another Universe regardless.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Very philosophically put, man. Anyway—I called you all here because A and CaDence are planning on re-releasing some of the old 16th Universe&#x27;s receipts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Won&#x27;t that be dangerous? Fate, Phantom, Wicked… Secret. They&#x27;ve all come back, to an extent, because they conceptualized themselves beyond death. I can think of another who tried to do the same and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We removed any mention of him. He is, was, and will remain a no one. A foolish mortal who overreached.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…and refusing to use his name doesn&#x27;t &quot;conceptualize,&quot; him?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No more than his three daughters do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suppose. But, why call us here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I just wanted to give you three heads up, that&#x27;s all. Also to confirm that you all still do remember what happened. I don&#x27;t, for the record. I mean, I&#x27;ve picked up bits and pieces from CaDence, but I&#x27;m nothing like you guys.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well… I remember, in so much that I have vague memories of every Universe. But I wouldn&#x27;t say I have the sharpest memory out there.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">As the Guardian Angel of the Cafe and Diner, I remember only what pertains to the establishments. Nothing outside of that.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Same as me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I remember more of the 17th than I do the 16th. But, I mean, as a once-Shaka I did my homework on the 16th too and it feels like a far off memory for me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, I&#x27;m the only one who remembers it all then? Except for the 17th.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Seems like it. Which is exactly why I wanted you as the Cafe&#x27;s Auditor. Speaking of which… I wanted to discuss something with you a bit more privately…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">In the Diner Diner?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You still use Diner Diner?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It serves its purpose.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ugh. Wayyy over my head. Come on Angel. Let&#x27;s get back to Florida.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Daichi and Alaric left my transcription range.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You gonna kick me out too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">They politely left.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m comfortable here.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alex…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What happened to the new transparent you? I thought—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Look—I don&#x27;t care if you know Alex. I understand you have had quite the history with the Auditor. With Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack shut the door to his office. From behind his desk a pool of vivid light blossomed and out stepped Astaroth, the Demon Prince of Creation.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ah—shit. Asta.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Formerly.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well then, let&#x27;s move to a more private channel, so we can discuss what made Shaka, Shaka.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-CAD-14"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-CAD-14</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Seven Miracles</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In CAD-12, Auditor states the phrase “data, data”. Additionally, in CD-CAD-13, Astaroth says “Well then, let's move to a more private channel, so we can discuss what made Shaka, Shaka.” In RE:CORE-257, Shaka says that what made him Shaka was the Seven Miracles.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-CAD-14'''<br />
<br />
Jack and Astaroth haven&#x27;t exactly been happy with the Auditor&#x27;s ability to only be in one place at a time. There are eight Cafes now, and only one Auditor. Luckily, Astaroth is the Prince of Creation and anything he dreams can be. While the Auditor and I were busy working on the past, it seems that Jack and Astaroth were planning for the future. …I just hope this plan works.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Channel secured, Sunshine?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fantastic.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Astaroth slapped Alex across the face. Hard.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fuck!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You deserved it. Traitor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Former traitor! Geez! I—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect Alex did what a Shaka needed to do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And good riddance to the concept of Shaka. No offense, Auditor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">None taken. Shaka was a dangerous element in the Universal Order. No man nor woman should be burdened with the Seven Miracles.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Yeah… So, uh, Asta… mind telling the Auditor what he&#x27;s won?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack wants to give you back a Miracle.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Absolutely not.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hang on, hang on, hang on—A, it&#x27;s not like that—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I knew you&#x27;d find a way to bring them back. To make me &quot;useful,&quot; to the cursed mantle of this hellish establishment. No. I won&#x27;t.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s really not like that, man. It just—you&#x27;re stretched thin. It&#x27;s not a Miracle, Miracle. Not with a capital M. It&#x27;s just a… y&#x27;know… it&#x27;s a feather in your cap. A trick. A gift of Creation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I will not be beholdened to anyone, man, Prince, or God. Not again.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It comes without strings. Other than that I see it as a boon to the Cafe and Diner Network to have a well functioning Auditor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">If the Auditor doesn&#x27;t want it, I&#x27;ll take it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Astaroth glared at Alex with a hatred that transcends the prior Universe.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Or not. Which Miracle are you trying to restore, anyway?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bilocation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No… I can&#x27;t. I shouldn&#x27;t. No one should ever use the Miracles—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But it&#x27;s not really a Miracle. It&#x27;s a trick. It&#x27;s nowhere near as strong as your old powers. In fact, it would really only let you split yourself into eight separate locations. And even then you aren&#x27;t truly in two places at once… you&#x27;d only ever be in one place while your doubles would be in theirs. You wouldn&#x27;t share a mind, except through CaDence. It&#x27;s like, uh… like…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Robert the Doll&#x27;s power?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Eh—kinda. Yeah. Asta made seven vessels that can mimic a person. We already have them set up in each Cafe, currently inactive. We need someone to &quot;control&quot; them, and then receive their information and direct them through CaDence&#x27;s link. So, bilocation without all the cosmic rule breaking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I see. That would help me conduct my business. No more bouncing around.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s what I was thinking. And, hey, maybe you wouldn&#x27;t have to be from a &quot;none&quot; Cafe. You could rightfully be from &quot;all.&quot; You&#x27;ve been there from the beginning, after all.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alright. I&#x27;ll do it.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-15"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-15</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: ALL'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-15'''<br />
<br />
It is once again with some… mixed grief… I write this receipt. It would seem Jack no longer wants me to be a stateless representative of the Cafe and Diner Network, instead he wants me to be a member—a full member—of each and every Cafe and Diner. On paper, this is more or less a symbolic change. I will still visit each Cafe and Diner and help as much as I am able to in their various Operations. Though, I suppose what Jack really wants is for me to be more hands on. Less of a passing figure chastising the various Cafes for their shortcomings and more so an active participant in our collective shortcomings.<br />
<br />
This also presents an opportunity to change how the public repository functions. While I have enjoyed jumping around from Cafe to Cafe, I think it would be more fruitful if I were to stay focused on just one Cafe at a time, until that Cafe&#x27;s current business is sorted out. As such I will be grouping the Cases into nice, neat Sections, and this receipt will cap off the end of Section 1. I&#x27;ve also gone through and added fun little names to each case, for the sake of aesthetics.<br />
<br />
Starting soon, I&#x27;ll be heading off to join the Midnight Cafe in full to help them deal with their rather &quot;giant&quot; issue. This will be chronicled in Section 2: Vernal Eternal. After that is sorted, who knows where I&#x27;ll be off to next, though I suspect what lurks under Pontchartrain&#x27;s surface can scarcely wait much longer. Something you might pick up on though, moving forward, is this nagging sense that chronologically things just don&#x27;t quite line up. How could I be working at Midnight, Requiem, Bloodglass, etc. all during the same few months? To that I say, why worry about it? The date field in the header is a rough approximation at best, and better to keep it that way.<br />
<br />
As for future Case Files, CaDence and I are working on Case File No. 1… though it is impossible to say when or if that will see the light of day.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_10:_In_Many_Times_and_Many_Places&diff=8598Case 10: In Many Times and Many Places2026-05-05T03:47:07Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">In Many Times and Many Places</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;It is once again with some… mixed grief… I write this receipt. -The Auditor, CAD-15&quot;</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-12"> <div class="cdn-rec..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 10</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">In Many Times and Many Places</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;It is once again with some… mixed grief… I write this receipt. -The Auditor, CAD-15&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-12"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-12</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-12'''<br />
<br />
It is with some great pleasure that I begin this receipt. After quite a few long nights I can proudly announce that CaDence and I&#x27;s secret OPERATION: ENCORE has concluded. What is ENCORE? Well, it has been weighing on my mind recently that so much of who we are and what we do is tied up in who we were and what we did. CaDence has access to that data, data that should be, mind you, off limits. However, due to the unique nature of CaDence&#x27;s creation that data can still be freely shared—to an extent.<br />
<br />
The limitation of this project is… abstract. In essence, CaDence has just over 20,000 or so receipts from, let&#x27;s call it… &quot;a past.&quot; Of those 20,000 receipts only about 2,000 or so are &quot;cleared for release,&quot; in a… again, abstract cosmic sense. And releasing all 2,000 receipts would likely take months of work and, I&#x27;ll be honest, a lot of it is… &quot;fluff.&quot; Fluff in the sense that those Cafes of yesteryear were working on many cases that have little relevance to today. So, CaDence and I further narrowed down what needed to be re-released to just 276 core receipts.<br />
<br />
As the Cafe and Diner Network has largely moved away from much of the old &quot;cafe speak,&quot; we&#x27;ve also done what we can to lightly edit these receipts to be easier to read. I can&#x27;t promise that we got every little detail, but for the most part, names should be unredacted and customer names should be clear more often than not. Still, there is some context missing here and there, but these 276 receipts should get most up to speed on what the Cafe and Diner was and lend some context to what we are doing now. Now, to address the elephant in the room—OPERATION: ENCORE is not for the benefit of the actual employees of the Cafe and Diner. Those who know, know. Those who don&#x27;t… Why bother them with a past that is no longer theirs? ENCORE is specifically for our strange intersphereoid patrons who seem to keep up with our unique brew of madness.<br />
<br />
As for the Master Password: I did not want it to be too challenging, as this is my gift to all of you. It is, was, and perhaps forever will be the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s singular, central, number.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"It&#x27;s all Greek to me: To Go with Speed and Love."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Chemistry Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Zwitterion</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">To go references Hermes, the god of speed, while love references Aphrodite, the god of love. When you combine them together, you get hermaphrodite. This is basically also known as a zwitterion in chemistry.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ARTHUR CROW'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-01'''<br />
<br />
What a strange project our demonic sponsor has me working on. Seven semi-biological vessels. Currently they are formless globs of protomatter harvested from the fields of Eden. He has not given me the specifics of why, only the specifications he is after. One would think the Prince of Creation would not need a human hand in, well, creating. But I suppose the rules tend to bend between the Flipside and Otherside. In Eden, Astaroth is ruler of all, but in the Flipside his magic can only stretch so far. If I had to hazard a guess… These bio vessels could be used to store the identity of another person, or perhaps a demon.<br />
<br />
Now, not to be alarmist… but seven vessels… seven siblings… seven Princes. Of course, excluding the twins of Creation and Destruction. I worry that Astaroth foresees the imminent destruction of his elder siblings and is seeking to create some facsimile of them to keep the cosmic order churning. Would that even work? My craftsmanship is good, yes, but not to the level of recreating the Princes of Hell. And if these are not to be used to create seven fake Princes of Hell… then… what?<br />
<br />
I suppose, another hypothesis I have is that they could be used to create copies of the owners of the Cafe and Diner. Except… we have more than seven of those. Bloodglass, Midnight, and Testament all have co-owners. I suppose you could theoretically dwindle it down to the most important… but that seems unnecessarily cruel. Hm… what else comes in sevens… I&#x27;m really racking my brain over this. Oh, if only Astaroth or Jack would fill us lowly rank and file in on their many machinations. Then again, I suppose that would ruin the fun of it, wouldn&#x27;t it?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"C. Bucket, A. Maitland, M. Frost"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Sci-Fi Trivia | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Machines Like Me</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the initials represent a different person. Afterwards, searching them together yields a book. Charlie, Adam and Miranda are characters in a sci-fi book called Machines Like Me, an android named Adam and its/his relationship with its/his owners, Charlie and Miranda.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SALENNA WHITAKER'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-02'''<br />
<br />
What the hell does Jack&#x27;s keeper have us working on now? What the hell are these weird flesh sacks that Arthur made? And why in the everloving hell do they need me to hook them up with Othertech circuitry? How am I supposed to do a half-decent job if I don&#x27;t even know what the end goal is? Ugh. Whatever. Astaroth says jump and we ask how high. And I guess I can&#x27;t complain about the supplies he&#x27;s given me for this task. There&#x27;s more than enough Othertech here to complete whatever this project is and then some. Sure, it&#x27;s like a bribe, but I&#x27;m not below being bribed.<br />
<br />
As for &quot;Project Miracle,&quot; as it has been dubbed… Astaroth got a bunch of Protomatter goo from Eden&#x27;s core. Then Arthur shaped it into sort of… mm… pillars, I suppose. And obviously he did more than just shape it like clay but whatever weird science stuff he did to it is way over my head. I know he anointed them with various bloods and sanctified them with some sort of salt stuff. And now, Astaroth wants me to run Morningstarian filament and wiring through each one. If I didn&#x27;t know better I&#x27;d say that the structure is almost like a human circulatory system. Which… concerns me. But, again, free stuff is free stuff and I get to keep whatever isn&#x27;t needed.<br />
<br />
What&#x27;s really bugging me is I won&#x27;t know if I&#x27;ve done it right or not. I have no tests to run, no power source to check, nothing. Nada. I guess CaDence is supposed to handle that aspect of whatever this is. But what if it doesn&#x27;t work? What then? I hate working in the dark like this. What is so damn secret that we can&#x27;t be fully clued in? Usually Jack&#x27;ll slip us some info, but he&#x27;s been completely silent lately.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIR-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIR-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"1:4:9."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Movie Trivia | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">2001: A Space Odyssey</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In 2001: A Space Odyssey, monoliths are machines in black cuboids whose sides extend in the precise ratio of 1 : 4 : 9 built by an unseen extraterrestrial species.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: SETH WARREN'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIR-03'''<br />
<br />
Anyone care to guess how I factor into this mysterious &quot;Project: Miracle?&quot; Did you guess warping my ass around to each and every Cafe from Alaska to Florida? If so, you won! Y&#x27;know, sometimes I really hate this gift of mine. On paper, you&#x27;d think it&#x27;d be really cool to be able to warp through space and appear anywhere you want. In actuality it just means doing a shit ton of grunt work. Warp here. Warp there. No, no, warp back here and then warp there again. Blegh.<br />
<br />
On the bright side, warping whatever these pillars are was a lot easier than warping people around. Plus I got to check in with all my various Cafe cohorts! Jenny over at Bloodglass, Julius over at Midnight, Ichy over at Requiem, Dan, Brent and Miranda over at Silenus, and honestly the whole wild Testament Crew. I still don&#x27;t know anyone too well at Sunshine though so that was just a quick stop and for whatever reason John Doe only ever looks at me like I shot his puppy or something, so quick in and out over at Tesseract. He&#x27;s such a weird guy.<br />
<br />
But, all said and done, each Cafe now has a weird pillar of goo and circuits. Why? Heaven knows. Er, well, Astaroth knows. Jack too, probably. I know there&#x27;s been a lot of guesses around lately. Abby thinks it&#x27;s some sort of weapon. Could be. Sahir is convinced it has to do with extending the CaDCom&#x27;s range—that could explain why CaDence was doing the final once over. Arthur still thinks they&#x27;ll be used to make some kind of weird fake homunculus replacements of people. Sarah won&#x27;t even share her theories yet, not enough evidence I suppose. As for what I think they are used for? We—ll— I mean, kinda strange we didn&#x27;t get to keep one, right? So my big guess is Jack is gonna use &#x27;em to mind control the other branches or something crazy like that.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-CAD-13"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-CAD-13</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"y=2(x-1) \ y=-2x+8 \ y=-4x+26 \ y=4x-26 \ x=10 \ x=13 \ x=16"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Math Trivia || 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Eighteen</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">If you take all the equations, and map them out on a graph, it will show XVIII, which is Eighteen.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-CAD-13'''<br />
<br />
Not much of a secret these days but there are a few of us who &quot;remember,&quot; even without the aid of A&#x27;s ENCORE. Though, funny enough, I&#x27;m not actually one of them. I wasn&#x27;t really all there for the 16th and by the time I was really waking back up to things my so-called friend literally stabbed me in the back. Don&#x27;t remember a lick of the 17th, but Astaroth has filled me in alongside CaDence. Which just leaves Alex, Daichi, and Alaric as those who I know remember something of their past lives. So, figured I should make sure we&#x27;re all on the same page about it.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Welcome, welcome, my dear friends of the past.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What's so important you had to drag Alaric and I from Florida? And what's Alex doing here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I was invited, Mr. Snake. Same reason you two were, and Auddy and CaDence. We all know what happened in the past, isn't that right, Jack?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bingo.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hey—Phrasing.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack playfully threw his hands up, as if to say &quot;you&#x27;ve caught me.&quot;]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Okay, so what&#x27;s the Auditor doing here? Are we trying to catch them up to speed on our old affairs now too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect they already know, seeing as they are the reincarnation of the original Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">WHAT?! No way—how? Shaka killed himself to destroy Fate.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that worked so very well, didn&#x27;t it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No shit. You&#x27;re really him, aren&#x27;t you? And for that matter…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Daichi pointed his tail at Alex.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I thought you were supposed to be Shaka. Or Indrid. Or… what the hell?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t even get me started.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, are you immortal now too? Or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hard to say… probably not as immortal as any one else is… but, you&#x27;d know as well as the rest of us Daichi, we&#x27;re all stupidly &quot;fated&quot; to persist. Universe after Universe. Every member of the Cafe and Diner. If any one of us died today we&#x27;d be back tomorrow in another Universe regardless.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Very philosophically put, man. Anyway—I called you all here because A and CaDence are planning on re-releasing some of the old 16th Universe&#x27;s receipts.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Won&#x27;t that be dangerous? Fate, Phantom, Wicked… Secret. They&#x27;ve all come back, to an extent, because they conceptualized themselves beyond death. I can think of another who tried to do the same and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We removed any mention of him. He is, was, and will remain a no one. A foolish mortal who overreached.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…and refusing to use his name doesn&#x27;t &quot;conceptualize,&quot; him?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No more than his three daughters do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suppose. But, why call us here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I just wanted to give you three heads up, that&#x27;s all. Also to confirm that you all still do remember what happened. I don&#x27;t, for the record. I mean, I&#x27;ve picked up bits and pieces from CaDence, but I&#x27;m nothing like you guys.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well… I remember, in so much that I have vague memories of every Universe. But I wouldn&#x27;t say I have the sharpest memory out there.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">As the Guardian Angel of the Cafe and Diner, I remember only what pertains to the establishments. Nothing outside of that.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Same as me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I remember more of the 17th than I do the 16th. But, I mean, as a once-Shaka I did my homework on the 16th too and it feels like a far off memory for me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, I&#x27;m the only one who remembers it all then? Except for the 17th.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Seems like it. Which is exactly why I wanted you as the Cafe&#x27;s Auditor. Speaking of which… I wanted to discuss something with you a bit more privately…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">In the Diner Diner?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You still use Diner Diner?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It serves its purpose.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Daichi</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ugh. Wayyy over my head. Come on Angel. Let&#x27;s get back to Florida.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Daichi and Alaric left my transcription range.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You gonna kick me out too?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">They politely left.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;m comfortable here.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alex…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What happened to the new transparent you? I thought—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Look—I don&#x27;t care if you know Alex. I understand you have had quite the history with the Auditor. With Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack shut the door to his office. From behind his desk a pool of vivid light blossomed and out stepped Astaroth, the Demon Prince of Creation.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ah—shit. Asta.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Shaka.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Formerly.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well then, let&#x27;s move to a more private channel, so we can discuss what made Shaka, Shaka.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-CAD-14"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-CAD-14</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Seven Miracles</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In CAD-12, Auditor states the phrase “data, data”. Additionally, in CD-CAD-13, Astaroth says “Well then, let's move to a more private channel, so we can discuss what made Shaka, Shaka.” In RE:CORE-257, Shaka says that what made him Shaka was the Seven Miracles.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: CADENCE IRONFRADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-CAD-14'''<br />
<br />
Jack and Astaroth haven&#x27;t exactly been happy with the Auditor&#x27;s ability to only be in one place at a time. There are eight Cafes now, and only one Auditor. Luckily, Astaroth is the Prince of Creation and anything he dreams can be. While the Auditor and I were busy working on the past, it seems that Jack and Astaroth were planning for the future. …I just hope this plan works.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Channel secured, Sunshine?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fantastic.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Astaroth slapped Alex across the face. Hard.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fuck!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You deserved it. Traitor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Former traitor! Geez! I—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I suspect Alex did what a Shaka needed to do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And good riddance to the concept of Shaka. No offense, Auditor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">None taken. Shaka was a dangerous element in the Universal Order. No man nor woman should be burdened with the Seven Miracles.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Yeah… So, uh, Asta… mind telling the Auditor what he&#x27;s won?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack wants to give you back a Miracle.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Absolutely not.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hang on, hang on, hang on—A, it&#x27;s not like that—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I knew you&#x27;d find a way to bring them back. To make me &quot;useful,&quot; to the cursed mantle of this hellish establishment. No. I won&#x27;t.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;s really not like that, man. It just—you&#x27;re stretched thin. It&#x27;s not a Miracle, Miracle. Not with a capital M. It&#x27;s just a… y&#x27;know… it&#x27;s a feather in your cap. A trick. A gift of Creation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I will not be beholdened to anyone, man, Prince, or God. Not again.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Astaroth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It comes without strings. Other than that I see it as a boon to the Cafe and Diner Network to have a well functioning Auditor.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">If the Auditor doesn&#x27;t want it, I&#x27;ll take it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Astaroth glared at Alex with a hatred that transcends the prior Universe.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Or not. Which Miracle are you trying to restore, anyway?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Bilocation.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No… I can&#x27;t. I shouldn&#x27;t. No one should ever use the Miracles—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But it&#x27;s not really a Miracle. It&#x27;s a trick. It&#x27;s nowhere near as strong as your old powers. In fact, it would really only let you split yourself into eight separate locations. And even then you aren&#x27;t truly in two places at once… you&#x27;d only ever be in one place while your doubles would be in theirs. You wouldn&#x27;t share a mind, except through CaDence. It&#x27;s like, uh… like…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alex</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Robert the Doll&#x27;s power?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Eh—kinda. Yeah. Asta made seven vessels that can mimic a person. We already have them set up in each Cafe, currently inactive. We need someone to &quot;control&quot; them, and then receive their information and direct them through CaDence&#x27;s link. So, bilocation without all the cosmic rule breaking.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I see. That would help me conduct my business. No more bouncing around.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s what I was thinking. And, hey, maybe you wouldn&#x27;t have to be from a &quot;none&quot; Cafe. You could rightfully be from &quot;all.&quot; You&#x27;ve been there from the beginning, after all.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Alright. I&#x27;ll do it.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-15"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-15</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: ALL'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JANUARY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-15'''<br />
<br />
It is once again with some… mixed grief… I write this receipt. It would seem Jack no longer wants me to be a stateless representative of the Cafe and Diner Network, instead he wants me to be a member—a full member—of each and every Cafe and Diner. On paper, this is more or less a symbolic change. I will still visit each Cafe and Diner and help as much as I am able to in their various Operations. Though, I suppose what Jack really wants is for me to be more hands on. Less of a passing figure chastising the various Cafes for their shortcomings and more so an active participant in our collective shortcomings.<br />
<br />
This also presents an opportunity to change how the public repository functions. While I have enjoyed jumping around from Cafe to Cafe, I think it would be more fruitful if I were to stay focused on just one Cafe at a time, until that Cafe&#x27;s current business is sorted out. As such I will be grouping the Cases into nice, neat Sections, and this receipt will cap off the end of Section 1. I&#x27;ve also gone through and added fun little names to each case, for the sake of aesthetics.<br />
<br />
Starting soon, I&#x27;ll be heading off to join the Midnight Cafe in full to help them deal with their rather &quot;giant&quot; issue. This will be chronicled in Section 2: Vernal Eternal. After that is sorted, who knows where I&#x27;ll be off to next, though I suspect what lurks under Pontchartrain&#x27;s surface can scarcely wait much longer. Something you might pick up on though, moving forward, is this nagging sense that chronologically things just don&#x27;t quite line up. How could I be working at Midnight, Requiem, Bloodglass, etc. all during the same few months? To that I say, why worry about it? The date field in the header is a rough approximation at best, and better to keep it that way.<br />
<br />
As for future Case Files, CaDence and I are working on Case File No. 1… though it is impossible to say when or if that will see the light of day.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Cases&diff=8597Cases2026-05-04T17:27:45Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div style="text-align:center; font-size:40px; font-weight:bold; letter-spacing:1px;"><br />
The Cafe and Diner Network<br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[File:CADLogo-01.png|center|500px]]<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align:center; font-style:italic; margin:10px 0 20px 0;"><br />
It is with some… mixed grief… that I begin this receipt. — The Auditor, Case No. 1<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-feature-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-feature-card-title">The 18th Sphere</div><br />
<div class="cdn-feature-card-link">[[File References (The 18th Sphere)|File References]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-feature-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-feature-card-title">[ Section 1 ] Back in Business</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
{| class="cdn-case-grid"<br />
|-<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">St. Germain of Royal Street</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #1</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-requiem">Requiem: Blue Canary</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 1: St. Germain of Royal Street|&#8203;]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">A Bunch of Nobodies</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #2</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-tesseract">Tesseract: Behind Closed Doors</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 2: A Bunch of Nobodies|Open Case 2]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
|-<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Kings and Cats</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #3</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-sunshine">Sunshine: The Coffee Trade</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 3: Kings and Cats|Open Case 3]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">What Remains of Fate?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #4</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 4: What Remains of Fate?|Open Case 4]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
|-<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Teal Murder</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #5</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-requiem">Requiem: Blue Canary</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 5: Teal Murder|Open Case 5]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Nothing In Particular</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #6</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-core">The Cafe and Diner: Angels and Thieves</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 6: Nothing In Particular|Open Case 6]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
|-<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">A Giant Problem</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #7</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 7: A Giant Problem|Open Case 7]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Fly in Our Soup</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #8</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-silenus">Silenus: Voracity In Check</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 8: Fly in Our Soup|Open Case 8]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
|-<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Inventory Night at Testament</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #9</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-testament">Testament: As Human As It Gets</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 9: Inventory Night at Testament|Open Case 9]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">In Many Times and Many Places</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #10</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-core">The Cafe and Diner: Angels and Thieves</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 10: In Many Times and Many Places|Open Case 10]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="2" style="padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">OPERATION: ENCORE</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">File #0</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-encore">Case File</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[File 0: OPERATION ENCORE|Open File 0]]</div><br />
</div><br />
|}<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align:center; margin:20px 0 35px 0;"><br />
<span class="cdn-case-count">With Mixed Grief</span><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-feature-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-feature-card-title">[ Section 2 ] Vernal Eternal</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
{| class="cdn-case-grid"<br />
|-<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">30 Minutes to Midnight</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #11</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 11: 30 Minutes to Midnight|Open Case 11]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Green Tea and Great Escapes</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #12</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 12: Green Tea and Great Escapes|Open Case 12]]</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Body, Mind, and Soul</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #13</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 13: Body, Mind, and Soul|Open Case 13]]</div><br />
</div><br />
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| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Mooching About</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #14</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 14: Mooching About|Open Case 14]]</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Spoonful of Troubles</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #15</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 15: Spoonful of Troubles|Open Case 15]]</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Burning Blood</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #16</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 16: Burning Blood|Open Case 16]]</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Late Lunch</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #17</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 17: Late Lunch|Open Case 17]]</div><br />
</div><br />
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| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; padding:0;" |<br />
<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">What Follows Spring</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #18</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 18: What Follows Spring|Open Case 18]]</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Placeholder Case E</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">Case #19</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-midnight">Midnight: The Mangrove Syndicate</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[Case 15|Open Case 15]]</div><br />
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|-<br />
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<div class="cdn-case-card"><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-title">Placeholder Supplemental File</div><br />
<div class="cdn-case-card-number">File #1</div><br />
<span class="cdn-case-arc arc-encore">Supplemental File</span><br />
<div class="cdn-card-stretchlink">[[File 1|Open File 1]]</div><br />
</div><br />
|}<br />
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<div style="text-align:center; margin:20px 0 35px 0;"><br />
<span class="cdn-case-count">Turn All Eternal, Eternal The Wheel</span><br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_7:_A_Giant_Problem&diff=8596Case 7: A Giant Problem2026-05-04T17:25:10Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 7</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">A Giant Problem</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Enter Ms. Roussimoff, head of the Mangrove Syndicate. -The Auditor, CAD-09&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="CAD-09"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:MangroveSyndicate.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-09</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-09'''<br />
<br />
I find I must apologize for the… shall I say… &quot;brevity,&quot; of Case Report No. 6. I considered attaching some other unrelated Core Cafe receipts. In fact, I had almost combined Jack, CaDence, and I&#x27;s conversation with a few collected receipts from when Sunshine was newly opened. I decided against it as, truthfully, what else could possibly accompany all of… &quot;that.&quot; If you haven&#x27;t read Case Report No. 6 yet, you didn&#x27;t miss much or perhaps you missed everything that is and could be. I would consider it a one-off though. If I turn this public repository into a collection of singularly important receipts, I fear it would quickly snowball out of my control. However, I am working with CaDence on something that piqued my interest while I was at the Cafe and Diner, but that&#x27;s a worry for a much later time.<br />
<br />
Back in October of this year, while the Tesseract Cafe toiled away at getting their stories straight I travelled around to the other Cafes to check in. Notably, I spent some time at Testament, Requiem, Sunshine, and Silenus. I was also planning on going a bit further east to pop into Bloodglass and then head down to Midnight, but you must imagine my surprise at running into Midnight, far out of their ordained jurisdiction, in the middle of New Orleans, chasing down their current bugaboo—the Mangrove Syndicate.<br />
<br />
The Syndicate, for those who don&#x27;t know, is a direct competitor to the Cafe and Diner in the Coffee Trade and it has filled in the void left by Ms. Umbra&#x27;s organization which was known as the Dark. The Dark, which was once led by Ms. Umbra, Ms. Pleasant, and Ms. Aka, was consumed by their own ambitions and as far as we know is currently destroyed beyond any sensible repair. But the area surrounding Florida is far too valuable to the Coffee Trade to go uncontested. Enter Ms. Roussimoff, head of the Mangrove Syndicate. By all accounts Ms. Roussimoff is a much greater threat than Ms. Umbra ever was. She&#x27;s older, she&#x27;s stronger, and—believe me or not—she is more well connected to the burnt, black, and bitter side of the Coffee Trade than Ms. Umbra ever was.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Even Niceros wouldn&#x27;t eat a crumb of bread with them."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Mythology Trivia | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Werewolf Of Tarentum</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text"> This puzzle names “Niceros”, a character in the half-lost work Satyricon who tells the story of how, on a journey, one of his companions is discovered to be a werewolf in a place called Tarentum. He later remarks that “[he] wouldn’t have been able to share a meal with” the werewolf after discovery.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NABERIUS CERBERUS'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-01'''<br />
<br />
<span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;"><b>DIRTY FILTHY FOUL INTERMEDIATOR, THAT DAMNED GREEN EYES.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;">Bah! Is the Giant such a feckless coward that he cannot deign to deliver his own threats in person? Or could it be that he's simply too… too… large, eh? HA! I bet you that is it! He is too fucking fat to fit through our front door! Oh, what a fucking mess this is… Not a week ago the lovely little Miss Livingstone said the cards had called to tell her that the Syndicate was shifting to the west and now, now we know straight from the ass' mouth. Green Eyes showed up at our doorstep—<b>OUR FUCKING DOORSTEP</b>—to tell US, US! Can you believe it? To tell US that we should not, that we CANNOT, interfere in the Syndicate's business in the swamps of New Orleans. <b>THEY SAID—</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;">I need to calm myself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;">No point in riling up my worst third over this, especially if the Giant seems so keen to dismiss us outright. Yes, what I have already penned is unfortunately true. Old Green Eyes, the Mangrove Syndicate's primary enforcer arrived by dead of night to dissuade us from interfering in the Syndicate's constantly expanding enterprise. Ha. And you know what set me off on this? He didn't even bother to threaten us, you know, properly threaten us, like a good antagonist ought to do. Back when we were dealing with the Dark, the Hatman would at least pretend to play the game. He'd rattle his saber, we'd rattle ours… simpler times, I suppose.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;">CaDence, the dear, wasn't in range to pick up my all too brief exchange with Green Eyes, but it was, in essence, "We know, you know, we are on the move. Sit put. If we need to be thwarted, surely your 'Requiem' Cafe </span><span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;"><b>CAN DO THE FUCKING JOB!</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;"><b>THOSE CANE SWINGING FALSE HEALERS! STEALING OUR ANTAGONISTS? OUR WORK? OUR PASSION! DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL AND BACK! I WON'T HAVE IT! I WON'T!</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;"><i>Apologies.</i> It <i>really</i> gets under my collar. Of course, it is what the Giant wants, no? To sow division among the Cafes and her many employees? Naturally, Mr. Blackwood's team would be more than capable of handling the Syndicate's presence in their neck of the woods. However, they are more than kept busy by their own "wicked and vile" little problems. So, no, Green Eyes, Giant, we will not sit put.</span><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Erdnetne Erdnetne."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Language Trivia | 3 Words [******* ****** ********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Reverse Double Entendre</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The puzzle text is two “Entendre” reversed around literally. That's the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: RANOMA L. BOY'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-02'''<br />
<br />
What if it is all just one big trap? Yes, that is what I think, it simply must be a trap! What if, perhaps, and I do think that it could very well be the case that the Syndicate is using reverse, or even double, or perhaps, yes, even perhaps the dreaded reverse double psychology on us! Think about it friends! What if the Giant sent Green Eyes to tell us not to interfere knowing that we simply would have to interfere, and then yes, then we walk right into his very trap by interfering! We simply cannot do that! Now, what this dastardly trap might be, I do not exactly know… It could be a, yes, a set up where we all go to New Orleans and then whammy! We are captured or worse! Or, or, maybe I think it is more likely that the Giant wants us to go so that Florida is free for his villainous taking!<br />
<br />
And because of this, I simply think it makes the most sense you all stay here while I, the brave and chivalrous Ranoma, go to New Oreleans alone. Yes, completely and utterly alone. But not entirely alone! There is the Requiem branch of the Cafe and Diner there, and my many, yes many, very good buddies such as Katherine and Elizabeth. They will take very good care of me, I would think, and this way I could see if the trap is set there while you can all stay here and &quot;hold down the fort,&quot; as they say. Yes, they say that! I&#x27;ve heard it said many times before. I think I would sleep better at night knowing Florida is safe with you all here watching over it and I—<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Julius here. No chance. Not that there is no chance that this is a trap of some sort, it most definitely is, but there is no chance we can send Loveland on his own to handle it. The Syndicate moving is a big deal. It&#x27;s got to be a full hands affair, especially considering the other threats that lurk around New Orleans. If the Giant is seeking a partnership with the Vile or… the <i>Wicked</i>… we cannot allow that to happen. I will not allow that to happen. So, everyone, pack your bags. We&#x27;re going to pay Requiem a visit.</blockquote><br />
…Oh, well, a trip with all my bestest friends is still a very, yes very, good thing! Even if I sleep a little unsteady. (◕‿◕)<br />
<br />
<br />
…Wait… what do you mean I have to &quot;hold down the fort???&quot;<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"&#x27;Tis he—&#x27;tis Conrad—here—as wont—alone; On—Juan!—on—and make our purpose known. &#x27;Tis he—&#x27;tis—"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Urban Legend Trivia | 2 Words [*** *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Jean Lafitte</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The line is from a poem called “The Corsair”, which was rumoured to be written about Jean Lafitte, the pirate.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: INDRID COLD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-03'''<br />
<br />
…We have arrived in the swamps of New Orleans. Funny. In a way. The Black Mangrove Tree, avicennia germinans, is as invasive to New Orleans as invasive as the Mangrove Syndicate is itself. I do not believe that the Mangrove Syndicate requires Mangrove trees to physically move from location to location. The Giant is a Nephilim. The Nephilim are giants. Were giants. The Giant is the last of his kind. All the Nephilim died at the end of the first Universe. First Sphere. All except the Giant. The Giant survived.<br />
<br />
We have arrived in the swamps of New Orleans. Funny. In a way. The Black Mangrove Tree, avicennia germinans, is as invasive to New Orleans as the Auditor is to the Cafe and Diner. I do not believe that the Auditor is required to physically move from location to location. The Auditor is— The— Were— The Auditor is the last of their kind. All the— Seventeen. All except the Auditor. The Auditor survived.<br />
<br />
The Auditor was here before us. The Auditor should have been at Tesseract dealing with Nobody in particular. The Auditor seems to be in many places at once. They said that they were waiting for the Tesseract Cafe to get their story straight and so they came here to check on Requiem. Imagine the Auditor&#x27;s surprise when we were here as well. Since we all arrived here together the atmosphere has been oppressive. Psychic noise? Wicked noise? Vile noise? Nephilimic noise? Hard to say. Though I can tell it has been affecting the others. Jericho has been shaking. Drinking. Shaking worse. Joy is reliving moments I cannot see. Julius has been… aggressive. His fire is burning brightly. In any case I—<br />
<br />
—was here before. I should have been at the Phantom Lanes dealing with the nobody in particular. I seem to be in many places at once. I am waiting for the story to straighten and so I came here to check on the R— Imagine my surprise when the Syndicate was here as well. Since they all arrived here together the atmosphere has been oppressive. Psychic noise. Wicked noise. Vile noise. Cresset noise. Hard to say. Though I can tell it still affects me. I&#x27;ve been shaking. Shaking worse. Reliving moments I cannot see. An aggressive fire burning coldly.<br />
<br />
In any case the Mangrove Syndicate came here for the Ragarou. We have arrived in the swamps of New Orleans—<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="MIL-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MIL-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: MIL-04'''<br />
<br />
To help parse Indrid&#x27;s somewhat cryptic repeating words, I wanted to get my own thoughts down in a Diner Receipt. As we, or, more precisely Indrid, uncovered, the Mangrove Syndicate is in New Orleans in an effort to acquire Mrs. Brown as a customer of their establishment. Mrs. Brown is not a particularly high profile customer, nor is she especially demanding, all things considered. As a matter of fact, during Lent, she forgoes caffeine altogether. However, she is rather… aggressive… to those who aren&#x27;t as steadfast in their Lenten convictions as she and can go so far as to chew their head off over the issue.<br />
<br />
As you might have guessed by her stringent convictions, she is a friend of Behram. Though she is allied to Behram and his meaningless cause she is not actually a fan of Double Shots—she drinks Green Tea. …Which creates some confusion to her station, does it not? If she is a certified Green Tea drinker why waste her time working with Behram? Moreover, it&#x27;s not entirely unheard of for a customer to switch drink orders entirely… it&#x27;s not a matter of a hard-coded genetic predilection, it&#x27;s a way of life. If a customer says they drink Orange Juice or Coffee with Cream, then that is what they drink. Which is funny, in a cosmic sense, because—ah, you had to be there.<br />
<br />
Regardless, Mrs. Brown is most certainly a New Orleans local and Ms. Roussimoff is most certainly not. Or… maybe she is? Was? With someone as old as Ms. Roussimoff, it can be hard to tell where she&#x27;s actually from… I&#x27;m getting lost in my own thoughts. Apologies. The important thing is that the Syndicate wants Mrs. Brown and we can&#x27;t let that happen. The last thing the Cafe and Diner Network needs is to be losing customers to half-baked swamp-bound organizations. Outside of Lent, Mrs. Brown can typically be found in and around the Garden District so that is where we will search for her.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Jericho here. One third of the owners of Midnight, in case you forgot. Funny how Auddy thinks they&#x27;ve got some say in how we operate. I mean, we will go to the Garden District. But on my call, choice? So… yeah, Mrs. Brown can often be found in and around the Garden District. So. That is where my team, Midnight, will search for her.<br><br><br />
Right as radium and sour as brimstone we&#x27;ll be off. Don&#x27;t dare to lead my team, choice? Don&#x27;t. Er, well, we&#x27;re all of the Cafe and Diner though ain&#x27;t we? R—ight, so WHY split hairs, eh Auddy?</blockquote><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-MIL-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-MIL-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Hull of here."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 4 Words [******** ** *** *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Werewolf Of New Orleans</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">“Hull” is a reference to the “Werewolf of Hull”, or “Ol’ Stinker”. The “Hull of Here” would thus be the “Werewolf of New Orleans”.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-MIL-05'''<br />
<br />
Territorial sovereignty is a concept the Midnight Cafe seems to struggle with as of late. However, given the Mangrove Syndicate’s involvement, I was inclined to let this particular violation of jurisdiction play out. Call it professional curiosity. Or perhaps I simply enjoy watching a train wreck in slow motion. If you were hoping for a display of tactical brilliance… well, I suppose you can’t win them all. However, after today&#x27;s display of flame and fury—and given the fact that Wicked haunts this city enough as is—I feel that the Midnight Cafe should be confined to their jurisdiction for the foreseeable future. I&#x27;ll have to bring it up with Jack.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Up ahead, right there! That's it, isn't it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah, that's the wolf alright. What now? Reckon we've been followed?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Do not worry. I do not sense the Syndicate. Do not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Lovely, thanks, Indy. So—what's the play here? We rush 'im?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We should lure the beast.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">With what, big boy? A kindly Catholic who's gone back on their Lenten Vows? Be realistic—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It <i>could</i> work…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It's bloody October. We don't have the time to sit on our hands 'til… 'til…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—not sense the Syndicate. Lent is observed through Wednesday, February 18th through Thursday, April 2nd.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">There's your answer, innit?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You can lure a beast by more than nature. Jericho, prepare a binding circle around the perimeter. I will draw the beast to a focal point. From there we can use silver shackles. …Naberius, head back twenty or so meters. I want you to be ready to catch the Ragarou should the circle falter.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Puh-lease, Jules. It's a simple binding circle. Christ. D'ya really think I can bungle that up?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Right. Best get on it then.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Chalk scratched on pavement, heavy boots shifted, a blade was unsheathed. Julius cut the mark of House Cresset into his palm as the air began to hum with a low-frequency static.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—through Wednesday, February 18th through Thursday, April 2nd. Worry. The Syndicate is observed Wednesday, October—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Hang on. Indrid has changed his message!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Wuzzat?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[A deep, sub-bass rumbled as the pavement cracked. The earth split. Slowly the Giant loomed up from the fissure, displacing the night air with a heavy, suffocating pressure.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Giant</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I could have sworn I told you to stay out of this.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line"><i>Giant</i>… Shit! Hurry it up, Jules!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jericho scrambled to close the chalk circle as Julius raised his bleeding palm.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Byttar hectra!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Sickly yellow fire roared as a blast of xanthic flames erupted from Julius, striking the Giant’s chest—and splashing off harmlessly like water off of ancient stone.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Giant</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What is <i>this</i>? You manage to beat us here and still you are clearly ill prepared.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Giant snapped his trunk-like fingers. The sound created a physical shockwave which was then met with three distinct, piercing screeches. Stikini witches tore out of the earth, blurring past the Giant toward the Ragarou.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Now or never!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The circle—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;ll hold! Do it!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Reszin setexa flanth mesico!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The roar of fire intensified into a deafening scream as Julius unleashed his full torrent. The xanthic flames tore through Jericho&#x27;s circle, shattering what little containment it had. The Stikini scattered upward into the air.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Shit, shit, shit! Jules—Julius! Call it off, mate! Call it off!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oftrpi hekmen ingtjo dranqu! Owfsix lamesi yelbur lownyo XANTHU!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Stop it you big oaf! Lords below me, can&#x27;t you see it&#x27;s—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Giant</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—<i>Over</i>.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[There was a heavy, wet impact. Then, a vacuum sound—like air being sucked out of the room as the Giant scooped the Ragarou up in one massive hand. He sunk back into the earth, dragging the Stikini and Julius’s fire down with him. The street went instantly dark and silent.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Damn it…</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Home is where the heart is."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Crystal Trivia | 1 Word [*********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Moonstone</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Midnight is in Florida, and the official gemstone for Florida is Moonstone.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-06'''<br />
<br />
So… Well, we&#x27;re all okay! And, honestly, isn&#x27;t that always, like, the most important thing? That at the end of the day we&#x27;re all okay? All in one piece. Naberius, Indrid, Jericho, Julius, and I, that is. And Ranoma just sent me a text that everything is fine back at the Midnight Cafe. Still not sure where Daichi and Alarac are though… but how much trouble could those two get in? Er… well, I&#x27;m sure they&#x27;re fine, right? They&#x27;ve been around a lot longer than any of us have! Oh! And the Auditor, they&#x27;re fine too! Though… er, well, I don&#x27;t think they &quot;liked what they saw,&quot; but, you know, that&#x27;s the thing about team dynamics and stuff. We&#x27;re a family, right? And families can be a bit messy! The Auditor just doesn&#x27;t… Well, it&#x27;s okay. I&#x27;m sure they won&#x27;t pass judgement on us from just one lousy service.<br />
<br />
Speaking of… the Service with the Ragarou didn&#x27;t quite go exactly according to plan. But, we couldn&#x27;t foresee—I couldn&#x27;t forsee—that the Giant and his witches would pop right out of the earth like that! I mean, yeah, sure, we kind of figured that some of the Syndicate would be here and we were ready for that… but we weren&#x27;t expecting the Giant himself to show up. How could we have? This didn&#x27;t seem like an issue he&#x27;d have to show up himself to deal with. But, y&#x27;know, besides the unexpected Giant and everything it all went… Well, it went okay, right? We&#x27;re all okay. And I still think that&#x27;s all that matters.<br />
<br />
As for our next steps… The Auditor made it very, very clear that we were to head back to the Midnight Cafe in Palm Beach ASAP. Besides, poor little Ranoma has probably gotten very lonely without us there, so of course that&#x27;s exactly where we&#x27;re going to go! Once we&#x27;re back in Palm Beach we need to look into, er, well, what the Syndicate really wants the Ragarou for, I suppose. I can&#x27;t imagine they want the Ragarou just for some extra muscle, surely the Muck Monsters or the Skunk Apes are enough, right? And, like, the Ragarou is a very specific demon, I don&#x27;t think he likes to stray from his home for long and he didn&#x27;t look super excited to go with the Giant so… Maybe we need to mount a rescue! We&#x27;ll figure it out once we&#x27;re home again!<br />
<br />
Peace, Love, and Joy!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Portrait of Maurice, A Bold Bluff, A Jack In Office…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Animal Trivia || 2 Words [****** ******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Lycaon Pictus</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">All these are paintings of dogs. The scientific name for the Painted Dog is Lycaon Pictus.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-07'''<br />
<br />
The Mangrove Syndicate has a new asset. Of what we know, the Giant employs Old Green Eyes as his second in command, three Stikini Witches known as the Mothers of Malice, Misery, and Misfortune, two Skunk Apes known as Rot and Rancor, and four or five Muck Monsters. And now, the Ragarou, the Werewolf of New Orelans. Though how willing of an asset the Ragarou will prove to be has yet to be determined. From our vantage, it seemed that the Ragarou was reluctant to go with the Giant.<br />
<br />
During our encounter with the Giant and his witches the Midnight Cafe operated at about 70% efficiency due to environmental fatigue. We were running on fumes and without the use of the Spoon of Fate we were unable to operate with emotional clarity. It is to be expected. We are still in the process of detoxing from the Spoon&#x27;s tonics. Despite this, we managed to limit civilian casualties and keep our encounter with the Syndicate contained. This is a good outcome. Thankfully the Syndicate was not interested in engaging us in a direct fight. We were just in their way. Again, this is good. It sends a message to the Syndicate that they cannot operate as they please without interference from us.<br />
<br />
Moving forward we will need to reevaluate our tactics sans-Spoon. Moreover, this could have been a more positive outcome if we were operating with our full team. While some absences cannot be avoided, at the very least Alaric and Daichi need to communicate where they are going, why, and for how long. We will get the Ragarou back but will wait to move until the Angel and Serpent return to us.<br />
<br />
That&#x27;s all.<br />
<br />
—Julius<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-MIL-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-MIL-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Raspberry</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In MIL-04, Jericho states the DD phrase. There are different elements and letter blocks inside his sentences. Radium gives Ra, while Brimstone, aka Sulfur, gives S. Lead is Pb, Er, and WHY. Combining these gives the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-MIL-08'''<br />
<br />
Well, well, well, seems Glean was spot on… it&#x27;s her way though, ain&#x27;t it? To always be spot on. To see the truth. She told me our little Auditor had a hidden channel for extra special receipts, as it were. Not Cafe, not Cafe Diner, and certainly not a mere mundane Diner Receipt. A Diner Diner. A double down, a double dog dare, a dismal destination… Can&#x27;t help but feel like the name itself burns my ears and churns my bile.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Diner Diner.</b></i><br />
<br />
…In any case, its a perfect place to cut the bullshit—we&#x27;re proper fucked, aren&#x27;t we? And I don&#x27;t mean to be dour, I don&#x27;t, but what the hell are we doing? What the hell is Fate doing to us? Bloodglass can&#x27;t use their Lens, Silenus can&#x27;t use their Bell, Tesseract shouldn&#x27;t use their damned watch—hell I won&#x27;t be surprised in the slightest if the Locket or Ledger turns out to be just as evil as the rest of &#x27;em. And don&#x27;t get me started on Jack-y Boy&#x27;s 8-Ball. We&#x27;d be better off if he were seeing the bigger picture through a &quot;taped up&quot; white 8-Ball than whatever the hell that piece of kitsch it.<br />
<br />
Look, we didn&#x27;t lose the Rougarou because the Syndicate is stronger than us. We lost because I was shaking too damn hard to cast a bloody binding circle. We lost because Jules couldn&#x27;t fucking control himself, couldn&#x27;t control that damn Wicked fire that burns in his heart. We took down the Dark for heaven and hell&#x27;s sake. You know how we pulled that miracle off? The Spoon. The sweet, silver Spoon of Fate Itself. Some piece of bone or cartilage of a dead god, of a dead Archon. Being &quot;sober&quot; in this line of work is going to get us right killed, choice? We can&#x27;t beat the Giant if we have to fight ourselves along the way.<br />
<br />
…I don&#x27;t know what the answer is. I don&#x27;t. I want to use the Spoon again. I want to take the pain, the fear, the anxiety, I want to take it all away in a few quick stirs like we used to. But then, what&#x27;ll that leave us as? A buncha husks? Vessels for Fate to return through? Emotionless emissaries of Fate? That&#x27;s what Glean told me, anyway, and you know her, she can&#x27;t lie. She&#x27;s the truth, and all that—Aletheia. She told me that when Fate was still consciously alive, It had this power to, to—&quot;chill.&quot; It could turn a bastard cold. Empty. Emotionless. A perfect conduit for the Threads of Fate. She told me that&#x27;s what Indrid is, or was. She&#x27;s not sure what Indrid is now, seeing as Fate&#x27;s dead and all. But, there&#x27;s a good chance that Indrid Cold is some remnant of Fate&#x27;s power to render a being cold. It&#x27;d certainly explain why when he drinks the Spoon&#x27;s tonic it gives him clarity instead of numbness.<br />
<br />
Point is, I reckon the only one who bothers to read these Diner Diner receipts are two: Jack Keel and our Auditor. I don&#x27;t see why else Auddy would bother putting them out in the public, even if hidden from plain sight. So, Jack, Auddy… what the hell are we supposed to do if we can&#x27;t beat the Syndicate without the Spoon but using the Spoon will empty us out? Shake your 8-Ball on that one, Jack. See if it tries to hollow you out too in the bloody process.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-10"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-10'''<br />
<br />
And that&#x27;s what happened. The Syndicate outnumbered Midnight and was able to steal Mrs. Brown as a customer. With two months of hindsight, and a customer satisfaction survey conducted by Jericho, we know that Mrs. Brown has stuck with the Syndicate, and joined Ms. Roussimoff&#x27;s organization as a full-fledged member. What Jericho has managed to, pardon the pun, glean, since then is that Ms. Roussimoff did not merely want Mrs. Brown as a guard dog. They wanted her to hunt.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Brown&#x27;s keen senses, sharpened by her love of Green Tea, must in some way let her search for something that is out of Ms. Roussimoff&#x27;s massive reach. With Mrs. Brown in the Syndicate they are no doubt one step closer to whatever it is they are trying to achieve. However, this singular step hasn&#x27;t been any great leap. It&#x27;s been two months and the Syndicate is still moving to expand, to recruit, to search, and to control the swamps of the south east. I suspect my path will cross Ms. Roussimoff&#x27;s again, though for the moment my auditorial services are needed elsewhere.<br />
<br />
As I write this receipt, I am headed to the Silenus Cafe at the heart of the Coffee Trade&#x27;s hotbed, Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Its owner, Dan Hamilton Jr., has been dealing with a problem no Cafe nor Diner would ever wish to face: flies. Yes, it would seem that Silenus has been absolutely overtaken by swarms of flies. A quick audit should find the source, I hope. Whether it be improperly stored trash, an unforeseen entry point, or perhaps a more insidious infestation. I suppose it is worth noting that this is not the first time Silenus has dealt with flies, in fact, their Cafe&#x27;s sponsor is quite the lord of them; however, these flies differ quite a bit from Beez&#x27;s from what I&#x27;ve heard.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_7:_A_Giant_Problem&diff=8595Case 7: A Giant Problem2026-05-04T17:23:51Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 7</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">A Giant Problem</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Enter Ms. Roussimoff, head of the Mangrove Syndicate. -The Auditor, CAD-09&quot;</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="CAD-09"> <div class="stamp-image"> File:M..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 7</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">A Giant Problem</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Enter Ms. Roussimoff, head of the Mangrove Syndicate. -The Auditor, CAD-09&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="CAD-09"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:MangroveSyndicate.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-09</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-09'''<br />
<br />
I find I must apologize for the… shall I say… &quot;brevity,&quot; of Case Report No. 6. I considered attaching some other unrelated Core Cafe receipts. In fact, I had almost combined Jack, CaDence, and I&#x27;s conversation with a few collected receipts from when Sunshine was newly opened. I decided against it as, truthfully, what else could possibly accompany all of… &quot;that.&quot; If you haven&#x27;t read Case Report No. 6 yet, you didn&#x27;t miss much or perhaps you missed everything that is and could be. I would consider it a one-off though. If I turn this public repository into a collection of singularly important receipts, I fear it would quickly snowball out of my control. However, I am working with CaDence on something that piqued my interest while I was at the Cafe and Diner, but that&#x27;s a worry for a much later time.<br />
<br />
Back in October of this year, while the Tesseract Cafe toiled away at getting their stories straight I travelled around to the other Cafes to check in. Notably, I spent some time at Testament, Requiem, Sunshine, and Silenus. I was also planning on going a bit further east to pop into Bloodglass and then head down to Midnight, but you must imagine my surprise at running into Midnight, far out of their ordained jurisdiction, in the middle of New Orleans, chasing down their current bugaboo—the Mangrove Syndicate.<br />
<br />
The Syndicate, for those who don&#x27;t know, is a direct competitor to the Cafe and Diner in the Coffee Trade and it has filled in the void left by Ms. Umbra&#x27;s organization which was known as the Dark. The Dark, which was once led by Ms. Umbra, Ms. Pleasant, and Ms. Aka, was consumed by their own ambitions and as far as we know is currently destroyed beyond any sensible repair. But the area surrounding Florida is far too valuable to the Coffee Trade to go uncontested. Enter Ms. Roussimoff, head of the Mangrove Syndicate. By all accounts Ms. Roussimoff is a much greater threat than Ms. Umbra ever was. She&#x27;s older, she&#x27;s stronger, and—believe me or not—she is more well connected to the burnt, black, and bitter side of the Coffee Trade than Ms. Umbra ever was.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Even Niceros wouldn&#x27;t eat a crumb of bread with them."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Mythology Trivia | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Werewolf Of Tarentum</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text"> This puzzle names “Niceros”, a character in the half-lost work Satyricon who tells the story of how, on a journey, one of his companions is discovered to be a werewolf in a place called Tarentum. He later remarks that “[he] wouldn’t have been able to share a meal with” the werewolf after discovery.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: NABERIUS CERBERUS'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-01'''<br />
<br />
<span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;"><b>DIRTY FILTHY FOUL INTERMEDIATOR, THAT DAMNED GREEN EYES.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;">Bah! Is the Giant such a feckless coward that he cannot deign to deliver his own threats in person? Or could it be that he's simply too… too… large, eh? HA! I bet you that is it! He is too fucking fat to fit through our front door! Oh, what a fucking mess this is… Not a week ago the lovely little Miss Livingstone said the cards had called to tell her that the Syndicate was shifting to the west and now, now we know straight from the ass' mouth. Green Eyes showed up at our doorstep—<b>OUR FUCKING DOORSTEP</b>—to tell US, US! Can you believe it? To tell US that we should not, that we CANNOT, interfere in the Syndicate's business in the swamps of New Orleans. <b>THEY SAID—</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;">I need to calm myself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;">No point in riling up my worst third over this, especially if the Giant seems so keen to dismiss us outright. Yes, what I have already penned is unfortunately true. Old Green Eyes, the Mangrove Syndicate's primary enforcer arrived by dead of night to dissuade us from interfering in the Syndicate's constantly expanding enterprise. Ha. And you know what set me off on this? He didn't even bother to threaten us, you know, properly threaten us, like a good antagonist ought to do. Back when we were dealing with the Dark, the Hatman would at least pretend to play the game. He'd rattle his saber, we'd rattle ours… simpler times, I suppose.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;">CaDence, the dear, wasn't in range to pick up my all too brief exchange with Green Eyes, but it was, in essence, "We know, you know, we are on the move. Sit put. If we need to be thwarted, surely your 'Requiem' Cafe </span><span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;"><b>CAN DO THE FUCKING JOB!</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#ffe6e6 !important;"><b>THOSE CANE SWINGING FALSE HEALERS! STEALING OUR ANTAGONISTS? OUR WORK? OUR PASSION! DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL AND BACK! I WON'T HAVE IT! I WON'T!</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#e6e8ff !important;"><i>Apologies.</i> It <i>really</i> gets under my collar. Of course, it is what the Giant wants, no? To sow division among the Cafes and her many employees? Naturally, Mr. Blackwood's team would be more than capable of handling the Syndicate's presence in their neck of the woods. However, they are more than kept busy by their own "wicked and vile" little problems. So, no, Green Eyes, Giant, we will not sit put.</span><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Erdnetne Erdnetne."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Language Trivia | 3 Words [******* ****** ********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Reverse Double Entendre</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The puzzle text is two “Entendre” reversed around literally. That's the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: RANOMA L. BOY'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-02'''<br />
<br />
What if it is all just one big trap? Yes, that is what I think, it simply must be a trap! What if, perhaps, and I do think that it could very well be the case that the Syndicate is using reverse, or even double, or perhaps, yes, even perhaps the dreaded reverse double psychology on us! Think about it friends! What if the Giant sent Green Eyes to tell us not to interfere knowing that we simply would have to interfere, and then yes, then we walk right into his very trap by interfering! We simply cannot do that! Now, what this dastardly trap might be, I do not exactly know… It could be a, yes, a set up where we all go to New Orleans and then whammy! We are captured or worse! Or, or, maybe I think it is more likely that the Giant wants us to go so that Florida is free for his villainous taking!<br />
<br />
And because of this, I simply think it makes the most sense you all stay here while I, the brave and chivalrous Ranoma, go to New Oreleans alone. Yes, completely and utterly alone. But not entirely alone! There is the Requiem branch of the Cafe and Diner there, and my many, yes many, very good buddies such as Katherine and Elizabeth. They will take very good care of me, I would think, and this way I could see if the trap is set there while you can all stay here and &quot;hold down the fort,&quot; as they say. Yes, they say that! I&#x27;ve heard it said many times before. I think I would sleep better at night knowing Florida is safe with you all here watching over it and I—<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Julius here. No chance. Not that there is no chance that this is a trap of some sort, it most definitely is, but there is no chance we can send Loveland on his own to handle it. The Syndicate moving is a big deal. It&#x27;s got to be a full hands affair, especially considering the other threats that lurk around New Orleans. If the Giant is seeking a partnership with the Vile or… the <i>Wicked</i>… we cannot allow that to happen. I will not allow that to happen. So, everyone, pack your bags. We&#x27;re going to pay Requiem a visit.</blockquote><br />
…Oh, well, a trip with all my bestest friends is still a very, yes very, good thing! Even if I sleep a little unsteady. (◕‿◕)<br />
<br />
<br />
…Wait… what do you mean I have to &quot;hold down the fort???&quot;<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"&#x27;Tis he—&#x27;tis Conrad—here—as wont—alone; On—Juan!—on—and make our purpose known. &#x27;Tis he—&#x27;tis—"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Urban Legend Trivia | 2 Words [*** *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Jean Lafitte</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The line is from a poem called “The Corsair”, which was rumoured to be written about Jean Lafitte, the pirate.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: INDRID COLD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-03'''<br />
<br />
…We have arrived in the swamps of New Orleans. Funny. In a way. The Black Mangrove Tree, avicennia germinans, is as invasive to New Orleans as invasive as the Mangrove Syndicate is itself. I do not believe that the Mangrove Syndicate requires Mangrove trees to physically move from location to location. The Giant is a Nephilim. The Nephilim are giants. Were giants. The Giant is the last of his kind. All the Nephilim died at the end of the first Universe. First Sphere. All except the Giant. The Giant survived.<br />
<br />
We have arrived in the swamps of New Orleans. Funny. In a way. The Black Mangrove Tree, avicennia germinans, is as invasive to New Orleans as the Auditor is to the Cafe and Diner. I do not believe that the Auditor is required to physically move from location to location. The Auditor is— The— Were— The Auditor is the last of their kind. All the— Seventeen. All except the Auditor. The Auditor survived.<br />
<br />
The Auditor was here before us. The Auditor should have been at Tesseract dealing with Nobody in particular. The Auditor seems to be in many places at once. They said that they were waiting for the Tesseract Cafe to get their story straight and so they came here to check on Requiem. Imagine the Auditor&#x27;s surprise when we were here as well. Since we all arrived here together the atmosphere has been oppressive. Psychic noise? Wicked noise? Vile noise? Nephilimic noise? Hard to say. Though I can tell it has been affecting the others. Jericho has been shaking. Drinking. Shaking worse. Joy is reliving moments I cannot see. Julius has been… aggressive. His fire is burning brightly. In any case I—<br />
<br />
—was here before. I should have been at the Phantom Lanes dealing with the nobody in particular. I seem to be in many places at once. I am waiting for the story to straighten and so I came here to check on the R— Imagine my surprise when the Syndicate was here as well. Since they all arrived here together the atmosphere has been oppressive. Psychic noise. Wicked noise. Vile noise. Cresset noise. Hard to say. Though I can tell it still affects me. I&#x27;ve been shaking. Shaking worse. Reliving moments I cannot see. An aggressive fire burning coldly.<br />
<br />
In any case the Mangrove Syndicate came here for the Ragarou. We have arrived in the swamps of New Orleans—<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="MIL-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">MIL-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: MIL-04'''<br />
<br />
To help parse Indrid&#x27;s somewhat cryptic repeating words, I wanted to get my own thoughts down in a Diner Receipt. As we, or, more precisely Indrid, uncovered, the Mangrove Syndicate is in New Orleans in an effort to acquire Mrs. Brown as a customer of their establishment. Mrs. Brown is not a particularly high profile customer, nor is she especially demanding, all things considered. As a matter of fact, during Lent, she forgoes caffeine altogether. However, she is rather… aggressive… to those who aren&#x27;t as steadfast in their Lenten convictions as she and can go so far as to chew their head off over the issue.<br />
<br />
As you might have guessed by her stringent convictions, she is a friend of Behram. Though she is allied to Behram and his meaningless cause she is not actually a fan of Double Shots—she drinks Green Tea. …Which creates some confusion to her station, does it not? If she is a certified Green Tea drinker why waste her time working with Behram? Moreover, it&#x27;s not entirely unheard of for a customer to switch drink orders entirely… it&#x27;s not a matter of a hard-coded genetic predilection, it&#x27;s a way of life. If a customer says they drink Orange Juice or Coffee with Cream, then that is what they drink. Which is funny, in a cosmic sense, because—ah, you had to be there.<br />
<br />
Regardless, Mrs. Brown is most certainly a New Orleans local and Ms. Roussimoff is most certainly not. Or… maybe she is? Was? With someone as old as Ms. Roussimoff, it can be hard to tell where she&#x27;s actually from… I&#x27;m getting lost in my own thoughts. Apologies. The important thing is that the Syndicate wants Mrs. Brown and we can&#x27;t let that happen. The last thing the Cafe and Diner Network needs is to be losing customers to half-baked swamp-bound organizations. Outside of Lent, Mrs. Brown can typically be found in and around the Garden District so that is where we will search for her.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Jericho here. One third of the owners of Midnight, in case you forgot. Funny how Auddy thinks they&#x27;ve got some say in how we operate. I mean, we will go to the Garden District. But on my call, choice? So… yeah, Mrs. Brown can often be found in and around the Garden District. So. That is where my team, Midnight, will search for her.<br><br><br />
Right as radium and sour as brimstone we&#x27;ll be off. Don&#x27;t dare to lead my team, choice? Don&#x27;t. Er, well, we&#x27;re all of the Cafe and Diner though ain&#x27;t we? R—ight, so WHY split hairs, eh Auddy?</blockquote><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-MIL-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-MIL-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Hull of here."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 4 Words [******** ** *** *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Werewolf Of New Orleans</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">“Hull” is a reference to the “Werewolf of Hull”, or “Ol’ Stinker”. The “Hull of Here” would thus be the “Werewolf of New Orleans”.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-MIL-05'''<br />
<br />
Territorial sovereignty is a concept the Midnight Cafe seems to struggle with as of late. However, given the Mangrove Syndicate’s involvement, I was inclined to let this particular violation of jurisdiction play out. Call it professional curiosity. Or perhaps I simply enjoy watching a train wreck in slow motion. If you were hoping for a display of tactical brilliance… well, I suppose you can’t win them all. However, after today&#x27;s display of flame and fury—and given the fact that Wicked haunts this city enough as is—I feel that the Midnight Cafe should be confined to their jurisdiction for the foreseeable future. I&#x27;ll have to bring it up with Jack.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Up ahead, right there! That's it, isn't it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yeah, that's the wolf alright. What now? Reckon we've been followed?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Do not worry. I do not sense the Syndicate. Do not—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Lovely, thanks, Indy. So—what's the play here? We rush 'im?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We should lure the beast.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">With what, big boy? A kindly Catholic who's gone back on their Lenten Vows? Be realistic—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It could work…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It's bloody October. We don't have the time to sit on our hands 'til… 'til…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—not sense the Syndicate. Lent is observed through Wednesday, February 18th through Thursday, April 2nd.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">There's your answer, innit?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You can lure a beast by more than nature. Jericho, prepare a binding circle around the perimeter. I will draw the beast to a focal point. From there we can use silver shackles. …Naberius, head back twenty or so meters. I want you to be ready to catch the Ragarou should the circle falter.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Puh-lease, Jules. It's a simple binding circle. Christ. D'ya really think I can bungle that up?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Right. Best get on it then.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Chalk scratched on pavement, heavy boots shifted, a blade was unsheathed. Julius cut the mark of House Cresset into his palm as the air began to hum with a low-frequency static.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—through Wednesday, February 18th through Thursday, April 2nd. Worry. The Syndicate is observed Wednesday, October—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Hang on. Indrid has changed his message!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Wuzzat?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[A deep, sub-bass rumbled as the pavement cracked. The earth split. Slowly the Giant loomed up from the fissure, displacing the night air with a heavy, suffocating pressure.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Giant</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I could have sworn I told you to stay out of this.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Giant… Shit! Hurry it up, Jules!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jericho scrambled to close the chalk circle as Julius raised his bleeding palm.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Byttar hectra!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Sickly yellow fire roared as a blast of xanthic flames erupted from Julius, striking the Giant’s chest—and splashing off harmlessly like water off of ancient stone.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Giant</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What is this? You manage to beat us here and still you are clearly ill prepared.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Giant snapped his trunk-like fingers. The sound created a physical shockwave which was then met with three distinct, piercing screeches. Stikini witches tore out of the earth, blurring past the Giant toward the Ragarou.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Now or never!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The circle—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It&#x27;ll hold! Do it!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Reszin setexa flanth mesico!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The roar of fire intensified into a deafening scream as Julius unleashed his full torrent. The xanthic flames tore through Jericho&#x27;s circle, shattering what little containment it had. The Stikini scattered upward into the air.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Shit, shit, shit! Jules—Julius! Call it off, mate! Call it off!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oftrpi hekmen ingtjo dranqu! Owfsix lamesi yelbur lownyo XANTHU!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jericho</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Stop it you big oaf! Lords below me, can&#x27;t you see it&#x27;s—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Giant</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Over.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[There was a heavy, wet impact. Then, a vacuum sound—like air being sucked out of the room as the Giant scooped the Ragarou up in one massive hand. He sunk back into the earth, dragging the Stikini and Julius’s fire down with him. The street went instantly dark and silent.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Damn it…</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Home is where the heart is."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Crystal Trivia | 1 Word [*********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Moonstone</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Midnight is in Florida, and the official gemstone for Florida is Moonstone.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-06'''<br />
<br />
So… Well, we&#x27;re all okay! And, honestly, isn&#x27;t that always, like, the most important thing? That at the end of the day we&#x27;re all okay? All in one piece. Naberius, Indrid, Jericho, Julius, and I, that is. And Ranoma just sent me a text that everything is fine back at the Midnight Cafe. Still not sure where Daichi and Alarac are though… but how much trouble could those two get in? Er… well, I&#x27;m sure they&#x27;re fine, right? They&#x27;ve been around a lot longer than any of us have! Oh! And the Auditor, they&#x27;re fine too! Though… er, well, I don&#x27;t think they &quot;liked what they saw,&quot; but, you know, that&#x27;s the thing about team dynamics and stuff. We&#x27;re a family, right? And families can be a bit messy! The Auditor just doesn&#x27;t… Well, it&#x27;s okay. I&#x27;m sure they won&#x27;t pass judgement on us from just one lousy service.<br />
<br />
Speaking of… the Service with the Ragarou didn&#x27;t quite go exactly according to plan. But, we couldn&#x27;t foresee—I couldn&#x27;t forsee—that the Giant and his witches would pop right out of the earth like that! I mean, yeah, sure, we kind of figured that some of the Syndicate would be here and we were ready for that… but we weren&#x27;t expecting the Giant himself to show up. How could we have? This didn&#x27;t seem like an issue he&#x27;d have to show up himself to deal with. But, y&#x27;know, besides the unexpected Giant and everything it all went… Well, it went okay, right? We&#x27;re all okay. And I still think that&#x27;s all that matters.<br />
<br />
As for our next steps… The Auditor made it very, very clear that we were to head back to the Midnight Cafe in Palm Beach ASAP. Besides, poor little Ranoma has probably gotten very lonely without us there, so of course that&#x27;s exactly where we&#x27;re going to go! Once we&#x27;re back in Palm Beach we need to look into, er, well, what the Syndicate really wants the Ragarou for, I suppose. I can&#x27;t imagine they want the Ragarou just for some extra muscle, surely the Muck Monsters or the Skunk Apes are enough, right? And, like, the Ragarou is a very specific demon, I don&#x27;t think he likes to stray from his home for long and he didn&#x27;t look super excited to go with the Giant so… Maybe we need to mount a rescue! We&#x27;ll figure it out once we&#x27;re home again!<br />
<br />
Peace, Love, and Joy!<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-MIL-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-MIL-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Portrait of Maurice, A Bold Bluff, A Jack In Office…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Animal Trivia || 2 Words [****** ******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Lycaon Pictus</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">All these are paintings of dogs. The scientific name for the Painted Dog is Lycaon Pictus.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-MIL-07'''<br />
<br />
The Mangrove Syndicate has a new asset. Of what we know, the Giant employs Old Green Eyes as his second in command, three Stikini Witches known as the Mothers of Malice, Misery, and Misfortune, two Skunk Apes known as Rot and Rancor, and four or five Muck Monsters. And now, the Ragarou, the Werewolf of New Orelans. Though how willing of an asset the Ragarou will prove to be has yet to be determined. From our vantage, it seemed that the Ragarou was reluctant to go with the Giant.<br />
<br />
During our encounter with the Giant and his witches the Midnight Cafe operated at about 70% efficiency due to environmental fatigue. We were running on fumes and without the use of the Spoon of Fate we were unable to operate with emotional clarity. It is to be expected. We are still in the process of detoxing from the Spoon&#x27;s tonics. Despite this, we managed to limit civilian casualties and keep our encounter with the Syndicate contained. This is a good outcome. Thankfully the Syndicate was not interested in engaging us in a direct fight. We were just in their way. Again, this is good. It sends a message to the Syndicate that they cannot operate as they please without interference from us.<br />
<br />
Moving forward we will need to reevaluate our tactics sans-Spoon. Moreover, this could have been a more positive outcome if we were operating with our full team. While some absences cannot be avoided, at the very least Alaric and Daichi need to communicate where they are going, why, and for how long. We will get the Ragarou back but will wait to move until the Angel and Serpent return to us.<br />
<br />
That&#x27;s all.<br />
<br />
—Julius<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-MIL-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-MIL-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Raspberry</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In MIL-04, Jericho states the DD phrase. There are different elements and letter blocks inside his sentences. Radium gives Ra, while Brimstone, aka Sulfur, gives S. Lead is Pb, Er, and WHY. Combining these gives the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE OCTOBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-MIL-08'''<br />
<br />
Well, well, well, seems Glean was spot on… it&#x27;s her way though, ain&#x27;t it? To always be spot on. To see the truth. She told me our little Auditor had a hidden channel for extra special receipts, as it were. Not Cafe, not Cafe Diner, and certainly not a mere mundane Diner Receipt. A Diner Diner. A double down, a double dog dare, a dismal destination… Can&#x27;t help but feel like the name itself burns my ears and churns my bile.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Diner Diner.</b></i><br />
<br />
…In any case, its a perfect place to cut the bullshit—we&#x27;re proper fucked, aren&#x27;t we? And I don&#x27;t mean to be dour, I don&#x27;t, but what the hell are we doing? What the hell is Fate doing to us? Bloodglass can&#x27;t use their Lens, Silenus can&#x27;t use their Bell, Tesseract shouldn&#x27;t use their damned watch—hell I won&#x27;t be surprised in the slightest if the Locket or Ledger turns out to be just as evil as the rest of &#x27;em. And don&#x27;t get me started on Jack-y Boy&#x27;s 8-Ball. We&#x27;d be better off if he were seeing the bigger picture through a &quot;taped up&quot; white 8-Ball than whatever the hell that piece of kitsch it.<br />
<br />
Look, we didn&#x27;t lose the Rougarou because the Syndicate is stronger than us. We lost because I was shaking too damn hard to cast a bloody binding circle. We lost because Jules couldn&#x27;t fucking control himself, couldn&#x27;t control that damn Wicked fire that burns in his heart. We took down the Dark for heaven and hell&#x27;s sake. You know how we pulled that miracle off? The Spoon. The sweet, silver Spoon of Fate Itself. Some piece of bone or cartilage of a dead god, of a dead Archon. Being &quot;sober&quot; in this line of work is going to get us right killed, choice? We can&#x27;t beat the Giant if we have to fight ourselves along the way.<br />
<br />
…I don&#x27;t know what the answer is. I don&#x27;t. I want to use the Spoon again. I want to take the pain, the fear, the anxiety, I want to take it all away in a few quick stirs like we used to. But then, what&#x27;ll that leave us as? A buncha husks? Vessels for Fate to return through? Emotionless emissaries of Fate? That&#x27;s what Glean told me, anyway, and you know her, she can&#x27;t lie. She&#x27;s the truth, and all that—Aletheia. She told me that when Fate was still consciously alive, It had this power to, to—&quot;chill.&quot; It could turn a bastard cold. Empty. Emotionless. A perfect conduit for the Threads of Fate. She told me that&#x27;s what Indrid is, or was. She&#x27;s not sure what Indrid is now, seeing as Fate&#x27;s dead and all. But, there&#x27;s a good chance that Indrid Cold is some remnant of Fate&#x27;s power to render a being cold. It&#x27;d certainly explain why when he drinks the Spoon&#x27;s tonic it gives him clarity instead of numbness.<br />
<br />
Point is, I reckon the only one who bothers to read these Diner Diner receipts are two: Jack Keel and our Auditor. I don&#x27;t see why else Auddy would bother putting them out in the public, even if hidden from plain sight. So, Jack, Auddy… what the hell are we supposed to do if we can&#x27;t beat the Syndicate without the Spoon but using the Spoon will empty us out? Shake your 8-Ball on that one, Jack. See if it tries to hollow you out too in the bloody process.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-10"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-10</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-10'''<br />
<br />
And that&#x27;s what happened. The Syndicate outnumbered Midnight and was able to steal Mrs. Brown as a customer. With two months of hindsight, and a customer satisfaction survey conducted by Jericho, we know that Mrs. Brown has stuck with the Syndicate, and joined Ms. Roussimoff&#x27;s organization as a full-fledged member. What Jericho has managed to, pardon the pun, glean, since then is that Ms. Roussimoff did not merely want Mrs. Brown as a guard dog. They wanted her to hunt.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Brown&#x27;s keen senses, sharpened by her love of Green Tea, must in some way let her search for something that is out of Ms. Roussimoff&#x27;s massive reach. With Mrs. Brown in the Syndicate they are no doubt one step closer to whatever it is they are trying to achieve. However, this singular step hasn&#x27;t been any great leap. It&#x27;s been two months and the Syndicate is still moving to expand, to recruit, to search, and to control the swamps of the south east. I suspect my path will cross Ms. Roussimoff&#x27;s again, though for the moment my auditorial services are needed elsewhere.<br />
<br />
As I write this receipt, I am headed to the Silenus Cafe at the heart of the Coffee Trade&#x27;s hotbed, Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Its owner, Dan Hamilton Jr., has been dealing with a problem no Cafe nor Diner would ever wish to face: flies. Yes, it would seem that Silenus has been absolutely overtaken by swarms of flies. A quick audit should find the source, I hope. Whether it be improperly stored trash, an unforeseen entry point, or perhaps a more insidious infestation. I suppose it is worth noting that this is not the first time Silenus has dealt with flies, in fact, their Cafe&#x27;s sponsor is quite the lord of them; however, these flies differ quite a bit from Beez&#x27;s from what I&#x27;ve heard.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_5:_Teal_Murder&diff=8594Case 5: Teal Murder2026-05-04T17:08:14Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 5</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Teal Murder</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Mrs. Montferrat is now dead. -The Auditor, ATD-01&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="ATD-01"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:BlueCanary-2.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">ATD-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: ATD-01'''<br />
<br />
I am currently en route to Requiem once again. It has been four months since my last visit. When I was last there, the Requiem team was still investigating Ms. Sandiego&#x27;s presence on (or under, I suppose) the lake, and were conducting some information gathering from locals. They learned that Behram&#x27;s ghosts (Ursula&#x27;s ghosts? I&#x27;m not quite sure who has &quot;custody&quot; as it were…) had been ferrying illicit goods to Ms. Sandiego via Mr. Fenimore. This critical connection was made in part thanks to Mrs. Montferrat.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Montferrat is now dead.<br />
<br />
I know, I know—Mrs. Montferrat was already well on her way to an early grave with how many Double Shots she would drink. In fact, she had been known to split a sandwich with Behram on occasion and that alone could be seen as a type of death. Undeath? I&#x27;m not here to split hairs about those who partake in Behram&#x27;s contractually binding cuisine. Besides, this is not like that. No. This is nothing at all like that. Mrs. Montferrat is dead, and she died behind a Teal Door.<br />
<br />
Teal Doors, to put it mildly, are not a common cause of death even within the Coffee Trade. To be put behind a Teal Door, to die in a Teal Room—that is death of the highest order. That is a death of body, mind, and soul. A complete and total death. Removal. It is outlawed in all circles of the Coffee Trade. Even the Astorians abhor it and that is saying something. Of course, they abhor it perhaps because they cannot control it. Again, Teal Doors are not a common cause of death. Of the people who could orchestrate such a death, there are very, very few. And two of those few just so happen to work at the Cafe and Diner: Requiem. Requiem who investigated Mrs. Montferrat just a few months ago. Requiem who has an employee who was taken advantage of by Mrs. Montferrat.<br />
<br />
This had better not be what it looks like.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-ATD-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-ATD-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ring, Planets, Innings, Cat Lives, Arachnids, and Reindeer."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research and Cipher | 2 Words [**** ****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Dark Teal</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the items in the clue has a number corresponding to it. If you get all the numbers, you get 189988. The colour code of Dark Teal is #189988.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: PENELOPE CHARBONNEAU'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-ATD-02'''<br />
<br />
It is a rare and beautiful day when the Universe corrects an error such as that bloodsucker Germain so… thoroughly. The news that the parasite of Royal Street had been trapped behind a Teal Door, consigned to absolute bitter nothingness, did admittedly bring a warmth to my chest that no amount of homonymous liquor could match. The Auditor did not share my relief. I suppose they saw a violation of protocol where I saw a tab finally being paid in full. They stormed into Requiem accusing everyone with a pulse. I merely sat back and watched. It is not often one gets a front-row seat to the aftermath of a perfect execution.<br />
<br />
Though, to be clear, I had nothing to do with this.<br />
<br />
And neither did Liz. She stuck his pale pathetic ass behind an Amber Door, and that was more than good enough for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What in the hell were you thinking?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I didn't—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I can't protect you if you're pulling this kind of shit! A Teal room? For some fuckboy vampire?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'm telling you, I didn't—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Who else can make Color Rooms? Ichabod</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Tonton Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">He made one, ONE, Teal Door. Not even a whole room. And last I checked, no one dragged St. Germain all the way to Blackwood Manor. There is a Teal Room on Royal Street—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jade</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Was a Teal Room. Liz closed it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well thank God no one else can walk into pure and utter oblivion. How considerate!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Enough. Elizabeth says she did not do this and I believe her.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Felix Blackwood, you realize you're suspect number two in this mess, right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Put me to the question of peine forte et dure, if you must, but I learned my lesson messing with such forces long ago. While I cannot unmake my own Teal Door, I can assure you it hasn't been used since—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fine—who else could have done this then? Who else can conjure Color Rooms?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The bell above Requiem&#x27;s door jingled, as Sahir Bali walked in.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">More than you might think.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sahir? What are you doing here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack tasked me with taking over. He wants to see you back in Long Beach.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Me? What—I&#x27;m trying to get to the bottom of an incident here that could sink the whole Cafe and Diner Network.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I understand, that&#x27;s why Jack sent me to deal with it. Wrap up your case on it and then get back to Long Beach. Best not to keep Jack waiting.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I—fine. Elizabeth, I still need you to write a formal receipt on this matter.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Wouldn&#x27;t that be an admission of guilt?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No one else knows as much about Color Rooms as you do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor left the Requiem Cafe in a huff.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Thank you, Sahir. I fear that new Auditor of ours is… hm… rather &quot;passionate&quot; about these things, eh?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not without good reason, I suppose. You have a Cresset Archon sleeping beneath your lake and now someone or something that can conjure Teal Rooms running about. In addition to your own Cresset Archon who can conjure Color Rooms.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ah, but I assume you know who is really to blame, no?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Sahir shook his head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not yet. But I&#x27;ll help you get to the bottom of it.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-ATD-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-ATD-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Of Potters, and Sailors, and Drivers, and Gamblers."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Angelology Trivia || 1 Word [*******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Ophanim</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the things in the clue relates to Wheels, whether it be a Potter's Wheel, the helmet, the steering wheel, or a roulette table. The angel of wheels is also known as Ophanim.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ELIZABETH LEWIS'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-ATD-03'''<br />
<br />
So, I suppose the Auditor wants me to write up a sort of... &quot;incident report,&quot; well, fine. Here you go. I will do my best to write about an incident which occurred without any of my knowledge or involvement.<br />
<br />
The vile vampire St. Germain of Royal Street was murdered... at the hands of... some unknown entity capable of conjuring Teal Rooms. In case I need to be exceptionally thorough in my write up… &quot;Teal Rooms&quot; are one of the infinite varieties of Prismatically Altered Spaces of which I can conjure. Though, to be clear, I am hardly the only person capable of creating such altered spaces—and furthermore I have never even created a Teal Room. Except… well… there was that one time, way back in December 2019 to contain… er… well, &quot;eradicate…&quot;<br />
<br />
You know what? That doesn&#x27;t matter.<br />
<br />
Even then it was wrong for me to use the power of a Teal Room because a Teal Room is not death, it is the essence of &quot;Void.&quot; It removes whatever is within it from the Universe. Not kills, not destroys, not overwrites, VOIDS. Deletes entirely. And I shouldn&#x27;t have to explain that it&#x27;s not like I have a &quot;delete&quot; button for people I find annoying. To suggest I would waste the sheer, exhausting metaphysical effort required to manifest a Teal Room on a third-rate bloodsucker like St. Germain is honestly very insulting. I put him in an Amber Room. It was stable, it was secure, and most importantly, it was reversible.<br />
<br />
To shift a space from Amber to Teal requires a transition through White Light, a moment of vulnerability where the subject would have been briefly, well, active again. Have we even considered that St. Germain might still be alive? What if he is working with this other entity who could conjure Teal Rooms at will? What then? And, to be frank, we all still clearly remember St. Germain and that&#x27;s not how a Teal Room is supposed to work. If St. Germain was truly trapped in the Teal we wouldn&#x27;t have to suffer his name any longer.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-ATD-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-ATD-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">IRIS</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In CAD-07, it says “Don't Despair, Case No. 5 is still in my top 5 of 5, even as far as Case No. 04 is concerned.” Searching through Case No. 04, CAD-06 has that same alliteration for DD, with “An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place.” In Paragraph 5, when taking every 5th word, you get “The Code is IRIS for later time.”</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-ATD-04'''<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t believe Jack is pulling me off of this case! And to send Sahir in to do it… You know, I don&#x27;t have to Audit the Cafe and Diner Network if Jack is only going to have me be some sort of… lackey. Well, I already set up a Diner Diner password last week, so I might as well put it to some use on my trip back to California. I was intending to write about Color Rooms regardless as I feel they are a little understood piece of the cosmology of our Universe and I had already gathered notes on them in preparation for this investigation.<br />
<br />
Color Rooms, sometimes referred to as Color Doors, are—as I understand them—spaces of filtered Universal law. In our Universe, everything is washed in what is referred to by some esoterics as &quot;White Light.&quot; A harmonious blend of all cosmic laws, mundane and magical. Gravity, time, space, speed, cause and effect and so on, all operate in a unified field of &quot;White Light.&quot; You could also call White Light, Universal Order or perhaps even Universal Truth. But it is helpful to think of this concept as Light because, like light, certain &quot;prisms&quot; can focus and separate this Light into distinct and segmented colors. As it concerns Color Rooms, these specific Colors are then absolutes of singular bands of Universal Truth.<br />
<br />
The most famous of these is, of course, Teal Rooms. Teal Rooms are spaces that have been filtered to be only Void. Null. Emptiness. Anything in a Teal Room, thus, is not. It no longer is. It is death beyond death, it is removal of the highest order. Amber Rooms are filtered to remove all except the present moment. Eleleth most often creates these rooms as they are, to my estimate, fairly benign. It was in an Amber Room she last left St. Germain. Other known colors include: Indigo (perception), Vermillion (acceleration), and Ivory (tabula rasa). Theoretically, there are endless colors possible, but, realistically, most are too arcane or otherwise specific to be of any practical use.<br />
<br />
As for how these filters work, there are a few hard rules that I have been able to determine. First, the effect of a prismatic filter is binary. It either is or it isn&#x27;t. There is no fading into a Teal Room, there is only Teal Rooms and otherwise White Light. These filters also only extend to enclosed spaces. There is no tangible threat of the entire Universe being suddenly flipped into Teal Light. Second, there seems to be an Observer effect in play, at least with manmade Color Rooms. Felix&#x27;s Teal Door in his childhood manor can only shift its interior to Teal if no one is watching. If the door is shut. And lastly, there is a Conservation of Color… you can&#x27;t have one room inside another. You can&#x27;t have a Teal Room expand from within an Amber Room.<br />
<br />
Which… does indicate that someone, possibly Eleleth… possibly someone else, had to first free St. Germain back into White Light before ultimately sealing his fate into the Teal.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-ATD-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-ATD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"June ⛌ 13th"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 2 Words [**** *****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Papa Legba</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Papa Legba is the Voodoo figure of crossroads, and his day is June 13.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-ATD-05'''<br />
<br />
The Auditor is quite the frantic creature, always scurrying after the &quot;how&quot; and the &quot;who.&quot; They look at a Teal Room and see a crime scene whereas I look at it and see just another abomination. You see, the creation of a Color Room by a mortal hand is not a feat of architecture, nor even standard sorcery. Speaking from personal experience, it is an act of supreme theft and little else. In our green youth, my brother and I did not &quot;learn&quot; to fold the White Light. I may be quite the magician but I am no Archon. Instead, we reached into the pockets of Papa Legba and snatched a handful of the raw, prismatic shards that lay at the crossroads. We were rather arrogant, no? We wanted to build a door that led to Nowhere, believing that if we controlled an entrance to the Void, we would be the masters of the All and None. Masters over the terrible Terminus that haunts the core of the Otherside.<br />
<br />
We succeeded, in a way. We fashioned the Teal Door within Blackwood Manor, but we did not create a room of permanent stable Teal. We built a transition, a hinge between Being and Non-Being. When the door is closed, the room beyond is merely a dusty parlor. But should the latch turn with the right... intent, shall we call it, the transition itself becomes the destination of eternal deletion. Anything caught in the threshold when the Light filters from White to Teal is not crushed or killed; it simply ceases to have ever been a part of the conversation. It was this theft of Papa Legba&#x27;s power that turned the Blackwood House to taboo among the Old Voodoo Houses of New Orleans.<br />
<br />
The Auditor suspects me because I have the blood of thieves on my hands and they suspect Elizabeth because she need not steal to harbor such frightful power. But, I fear, the Auditor misunderstands the nature of the sin of Destruction, or, is it Creation? Regardless, the alleged victim is St. Germain, no? Funny we still utter his name—as if this was all but a ruse. A set up. Believe me, St. Germain is likely dead, but he is far from &quot;voided.&quot; What an interesting game is beginning to unfold… Could it be the Wicked&#x27;s Eidolon? Or is this a more Vile crime? Or… perhaps something much… greater.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TBR-14"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TBR-14</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Today."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Celebration Trivia | 4 Words [***** ** ****** *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Feast Of Corpus Christi</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The first Sunday is Whit Sunday, the second Trinity Sunday. Today is the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, making it the Feast of Corpus Christi.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TBR-14'''<br />
<br />
Tonton Felix is a man of heavy secrets. Lord knows he shares only a fraction of what he truly knows. And if he thinks this Teal business is a trick, a bit of trompe-l’œil I would not be one to argue against him. From what he wrote of his… regrettable business… at the crossroads, I got the sense he knows who is behind this but also that St. Germain is dead but not, eh, &quot;deleted&quot; as it were. Those who die by the Teal are removed. Forgotten. Replaced. But St. Germain is still very much here, both historically and in our present thoughts.<br />
<br />
That’s where the Black Roux comes in.<br />
<br />
I cooked up a fresh batch of the Black Roux in the coffin-nail skillet for madmwazèl Wade to consume. We know now that the Black Roux works as theorized, Katherine needs only to consume it to hear the thoughts of the dead. Of course this would be a meaningless venture if St. Germain had been fully removed from this world, the next, and far beyond. But, he is likely only dead. And death is a suggestion at best, especially for the followers of the Dark Lord Behemoth. If the Void is as absolute as Tonton Felix claims, there shouldn’t be a single whisper left for Katherine to catch. No lingering regrets, no last words, just a hole in the air where a vampire used to be.<br />
<br />
So, eat up, chérie. We&#x27;re going to push this little experiment of ours to new heights. I am actually rather curious if we will find out if a Teal Door truly wipes the slate clean. If Katherine tastes nothing but cold iron and ash, then St. Germain is truly gone beyond death, vanished into the Great Null of Terminus and deeper on. But if she catches even a hint of his lingering thoughts, a flash of Royal Street or the bitter tang of his last fears preserved in the Amber Room Elizabeth left him in… then this wasn&#x27;t a Teal Room at all. It was all but a masquerade.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TBR-15"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TBR-15</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Color me surprised, not asceticism nor persecution."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Theology Trivia | 2 Words [**** *********]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Blue Martyrdom</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Martyrdoms have three kinds: red, white and blue. If it's not persecution or asceticism (meaning not red or white), it's blue.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: KATHERINE WADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TBR-15'''<br />
<br />
The Black Roux is always so heavy. Choking, almost. I guess it is mostly dirt, ash, bone, and fat. Ichabod was worried there would be nothing but silence. He kept saying that if it was a Teal Room, St. Germain would be &quot;voided,&quot; and there wouldn&#x27;t be any thoughts left for me to find. But as soon as the Black Roux touched my tongue, believe me, the silence broke. St. Germain isn&#x27;t gone. I was still able to hear and even see his death-thoughts, and they were screaming, just for a second, before they settled into something much, much colder.<br />
<br />
I saw it, or I felt it, through his eyes. It wasn’t a Teal Room. That was a lie, a setup, created afterward. St. Germain was trapped in the Amber, suspended in that soft, golden &quot;now,&quot; when a hand reached in and pulled the color away. I… I don&#x27;t know who it was. It was a man in a flat cap. I couldn&#x27;t see his face clearly, but his voice was like gravel grinding together. He sounded... tired. So, so tired. But at the same time his voice was intoxicating. I wanted to hear more… I still want to hear more. But… It was only a memory, and not even my own. He said, &quot;Germain. Sorry to do this, old friend—but the boss, he wants you out of the picture, you&#x27;ve said too much.&quot; And then the world didn&#x27;t just go empty. It burned.<br />
<br />
It wasn&#x27;t a Teal fire.<br />
<br />
It started as these strange yellow flames with a core as black as coal, flickering and hungry. Then, the man did something, a twist of the wrist, a shift in the air, and the yellow bled away into a deep, rich blue. It wasn&#x27;t the flat, hollow nothingness of Teal. It was… vibrant.<br />
<br />
It was... Azure.<br />
<br />
The color rang in my head like a bell, loud and sharp and terrifying. Everything melted into that Azure.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-07'''<br />
<br />
I pulled some of Requiem&#x27;s other cases for this report because, well, I didn&#x27;t exactly have time to do a thorough job, did I? Don&#x27;t Despair, Case No. 5 is still in my top 5 of 5, even as far as Case No. 04 is concerned. At least Ichabod and Katherine&#x27;s latest experimental recipe tied in well enough, don&#x27;t you think? And the evidence they uncovered is rather striking. Wouldn&#x27;t it be nice to stay and sort out this mystery before being dragged back to home base for… what? The new &quot;artist&quot; in a flat cap? Or is there some other pressing matter Jack needs me for? If he pulled me merely to berate me, I might have to give up this whole Auditing business then and there. I&#x27;ve been around for far too long to worry about playing by some imaginary rules Jack pulls out of his ass on the spot.<br />
<br />
I am getting ahead of myself, aren&#x27;t I? I should at least wait to see what Jack wants before I get too far in my own head about what might be more important than some Teals, Ambers, and, I suppose, &quot;Azures.&quot; What do you think an Azure Room does? Kills, possibly. Azure is not that far off from Teal, all things considered. Ah, but then do the &quot;colors&quot; actually mean anything or are they arbitrary to us lowly employees of the Coffee Trade? A problem for Requiem to sort out in my absence.<br />
<br />
If anything Requiem could call upon the aid of Midnight, as they are roughly in the area due to the Mangrove Syndicate&#x27;s growing sphere of influence. Jericho&#x27;s mistress might know. Ah—I should probably compile my October cases regarding that matter as well. But, God only knows if I&#x27;ll have the time for that depending on what work Jack throws at me. I wonder… could there be a connection between the Syndicate and what lurks beneath the lake? Or is it all connected by the same singular thread of the terrifying, terminal Nil?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_6:_Nothing_In_Particular&diff=8593Case 6: Nothing In Particular2026-05-04T17:06:58Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
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<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 6</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Nothing In Particular</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;So… God's dead. -Jack, CD-CAD-08&quot;</div><br />
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</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-CAD-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-CAD-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"f(0)(rho*(du/dt+u.del(u))=-del(p)+mu*del^2(u)+f)(F=G*((m1*m2)/r^2))(del^2(phi)=0)(F=q*(E+vxB))"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 1 Word [****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Null</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The equations in the puzzle are all different physics equations. The first one is Navier-Stokes, the second is Universal Gravitation, the third one is Laplace's Equation, and the last one is Lorentz Force. Taking the first letters of each equation, gives the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-CAD-08'''<br />
<br />
I&#x27;ve been running interference for a long ass time, man. Meeting with the worst of the worst and the biggest of the bads… it takes a toll on the psyche, you know. Hell, I got eight of the nine Princes of Hell to work with us. But with eight Princes, a shit ton of antagonists, and sixty five employees the board is getting crowded and I needed to know if our special little &quot;Auditor&quot; was ready to stop acting like an employee and start acting like… well, like something else.<br />
<br />
Someone else.<br />
<br />
There comes a time when I can&#x27;t just keep patching holes in the roof when the whole foundation is starting to slide. I&#x27;ve been keeping the heavy stuff close to the vest for a long time… too long, maybe. Though, to be fair, we&#x27;ve made it twenty years thus far. But with the way things are rotting from the inside, I knew I had to level with A a little ahead of schedule. They&#x27;re a bit of a stickler for the rules, sure, but I needed them to see that the rulebook we&#x27;ve been playing by? It&#x27;s been gone man.<br />
<br />
The Universe has been fraying at the seams ever since CaDence was tricked into killing off the Archons in the last cosmic reboot. Well—fuck me—&quot;killing off&quot; for all the good killing Archons seems to do. Killing mortals even. Understatement to say we&#x27;re trapped. And even then, we don&#x27;t have a lot of time to either fix or change things and the last thing I want to do is sit on my hands and wait this all out for another go around.<br />
<br />
The Auditor has been getting hung up on the small stuff. We had to talk about the big picture. The really big picture. CaDence was there too, but hell, she&#x27;s reading this now as I type it. Hard to keep anything from her, so why bother? Far as I&#x27;m concerned, she might even help solve our little inequality. Though… something still isn&#x27;t adding up.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Come in, A.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Why did you take me off of Requiem's case?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Because it's nothing that serious. It was a set up. A fake Teal to mask an Azure. Ugh, you ever get sick of how colorful the Cressets are?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Then why did you drag me out here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">CaDence, would you shut the door please.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Do you want me to leave?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And have this off the record? Not necessary. Besides, you're the only other person here besides A I can trust with this.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[I shut the door and took a seat next to the Auditor.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So… God&#x27;s dead.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That can&#x27;t be true. If God—the Demiurge—was dead, the Universe would…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Start to rot? Take a look at Terminus, man. It&#x27;s already happening.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">W—ell… CaDence… had a part in killing God. And Eve and Abraxas and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I was tricked.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry, When did this happen?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">End of the prior Universe. An event known as the Archonophthora. Death of all Archons in the Universe. Of course, as you are well aware, A, Archons are really hard to kill.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, the Universe isn&#x27;t dead yet, we just need to find a way to bring Demiurge, Abraxas, and Eve back—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes and no. Maybe more no than yes. I… would venture to find a better solution before bringing Demiurge back into power, you feel me?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mr. Keel… that sounds rather cold. Are you suggesting you harbor some ill-intents toward the creator of this Universe?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, no… no. Uh, I just want to explore our options before we throw all of our resources into bringing back a problem. Besides, we only need to bring back one of the three Archons to stabilize the Universe.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But were any of them good stewards of the Universe?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I want to explore our options.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Understood. So how do I fit into this scheme of yours?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You mean you haven&#x27;t figured it out yet?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I believe I understand why I was hired, but to what end does it matter?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack took out his 8-Ball. He gave it a shake and as it shuddered in his palm thin threads of blood seeped out of Jack&#x27;s hand spinning the die in the 8-Ball. He showed it to the Auditor and I and it read: &quot;D=X E=Y A=A.&quot;]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Huh. Y and X remain unsolved?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Seems so.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But A?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Look, I just want to explore all of our options, man. All I&#x27;m asking for. Besides, we could seriously use your help in keeping everything straight while we work on figuring out how to undo our cosmic decline. Besides… you&#x27;re already kind of taking up the role, aren&#x27;t you?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;ll… look into it. Though, while I&#x27;m here, could you share some of your infamous insight on the bigger picture—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—You see it better than I do…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Humor me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fine. The way I see it, man, is like this. Behemoth is our greatest threat. Not just our threat either, he&#x27;s part and parcel everyone&#x27;s existential threat. He seeks destruction of all—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Nihilism, then? A losing bet, I&#x27;d imagine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hardy-har. Anyway, he&#x27;s working with Ursula Langley, the Morbid King, to further his ultimate end.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And what of the Daggers? The Outis Division?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">D.B. Cooper&#x27;s squad? Well—I have to assume they&#x27;re working under the same directive of the Nova Archons, specifically Gleam.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ugh.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fond memories?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not exactly &quot;memories.&quot; Archives.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You have access to the prior Archives?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes and no. Yes. But no. Not for you or for anyone else.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Too dangerous. If CaDence started to slip it could unlock the CaDComs up in Alaska and that—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Would give Gleam what he wants. Speaking of Gleam, what about his twin sister, Glean?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hard to read. I still think she&#x27;s just toying with Jericho. But, for now I&#x27;ll take her help.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And throw the poor washed up warlock under the bus? A bit of a trope, isn&#x27;t it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I can&#x27;t stop Jericho from screwing himself over.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fair enough. And what&#x27;s the deal with this new &quot;Mangrove Syndicate&quot; business?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The last living Nephilim, goes only by the Giant, he&#x27;s soaking up Umbra&#x27;s lost territory and control and I suppose he&#x27;s put together a group of his own to reach his own unique aims.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Is the Giant in Behemoth&#x27;s pocket?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Opposite actually.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Still not good for us, I already tried that angle and I got thrown half way across the room for it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So you&#x27;ve physically met with the Giant?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;ve met with every antagonist of the Cafe and Diner. It&#x27;s my job—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Is it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Maybe it should be yours instead? There is still one Cafe I haven&#x27;t put any effort into.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Testament.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Amen. Though I suspect you want as little to do with that mess as well?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have the utmost faith in Alex and Amber… And Felix, and Dan, and Seth, and Nick and Nikki, and Jericho, Joy, and Julius, and… Julia.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Julia. That reminds me… How is Julia…?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">She&#x27;s doing fine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No. I mean, how is she… here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">She&#x27;s doing fine, man. Let&#x27;s leave it at that.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_6:_Nothing_In_Particular&diff=8592Case 6: Nothing In Particular2026-05-04T17:06:41Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 6</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Nothing In Particular</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;So… Gods dead. -Jack, CD-CAD-08&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-CAD-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-CAD-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"f(0)(rho*(du/dt+u.del(u))=-del(p)+mu*del^2(u)+f)(F=G*((m1*m2)/r^2))(del^2(phi)=0)(F=q*(E+vxB))"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 1 Word [****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Null</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The equations in the puzzle are all different physics equations. The first one is Navier-Stokes, the second is Universal Gravitation, the third one is Laplace's Equation, and the last one is Lorentz Force. Taking the first letters of each equation, gives the answer.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-CAD-08'''<br />
<br />
I&#x27;ve been running interference for a long ass time, man. Meeting with the worst of the worst and the biggest of the bads… it takes a toll on the psyche, you know. Hell, I got eight of the nine Princes of Hell to work with us. But with eight Princes, a shit ton of antagonists, and sixty five employees the board is getting crowded and I needed to know if our special little &quot;Auditor&quot; was ready to stop acting like an employee and start acting like… well, like something else.<br />
<br />
Someone else.<br />
<br />
There comes a time when I can&#x27;t just keep patching holes in the roof when the whole foundation is starting to slide. I&#x27;ve been keeping the heavy stuff close to the vest for a long time… too long, maybe. Though, to be fair, we&#x27;ve made it twenty years thus far. But with the way things are rotting from the inside, I knew I had to level with A a little ahead of schedule. They&#x27;re a bit of a stickler for the rules, sure, but I needed them to see that the rulebook we&#x27;ve been playing by? It&#x27;s been gone man.<br />
<br />
The Universe has been fraying at the seams ever since CaDence was tricked into killing off the Archons in the last cosmic reboot. Well—fuck me—&quot;killing off&quot; for all the good killing Archons seems to do. Killing mortals even. Understatement to say we&#x27;re trapped. And even then, we don&#x27;t have a lot of time to either fix or change things and the last thing I want to do is sit on my hands and wait this all out for another go around.<br />
<br />
The Auditor has been getting hung up on the small stuff. We had to talk about the big picture. The really big picture. CaDence was there too, but hell, she&#x27;s reading this now as I type it. Hard to keep anything from her, so why bother? Far as I&#x27;m concerned, she might even help solve our little inequality. Though… something still isn&#x27;t adding up.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Come in, A.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Why did you take me off of Requiem's case?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Because it's nothing that serious. It was a set up. A fake Teal to mask an Azure. Ugh, you ever get sick of how colorful the Cressets are?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Then why did you drag me out here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">CaDence, would you shut the door please.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Do you want me to leave?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And have this off the record? Not necessary. Besides, you're the only other person here besides A I can trust with this.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[I shut the door and took a seat next to the Auditor.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So… God&#x27;s dead.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That can&#x27;t be true. If God—the Demiurge—was dead, the Universe would…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Start to rot? Take a look at Terminus, man. It&#x27;s already happening.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">W—ell… CaDence… had a part in killing God. And Eve and Abraxas and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I was tricked.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry, When did this happen?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">End of the prior Universe. An event known as the Archonophthora. Death of all Archons in the Universe. Of course, as you are well aware, A, Archons are really hard to kill.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, the Universe isn&#x27;t dead yet, we just need to find a way to bring Demiurge, Abraxas, and Eve back—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes and no. Maybe more no than yes. I… would venture to find a better solution before bringing Demiurge back into power, you feel me?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mr. Keel… that sounds rather cold. Are you suggesting you harbor some ill-intents toward the creator of this Universe?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, no… no. Uh, I just want to explore our options before we throw all of our resources into bringing back a problem. Besides, we only need to bring back one of the three Archons to stabilize the Universe.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But were any of them good stewards of the Universe?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I want to explore our options.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Understood. So how do I fit into this scheme of yours?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You mean you haven&#x27;t figured it out yet?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I believe I understand why I was hired, but to what end does it matter?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack took out his 8-Ball. He gave it a shake and as it shuddered in his palm thin threads of blood seeped out of Jack&#x27;s hand spinning the die in the 8-Ball. He showed it to the Auditor and I and it read: &quot;D=X E=Y A=A.&quot;]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Huh. Y and X remain unsolved?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Seems so.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But A?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Look, I just want to explore all of our options, man. All I&#x27;m asking for. Besides, we could seriously use your help in keeping everything straight while we work on figuring out how to undo our cosmic decline. Besides… you&#x27;re already kind of taking up the role, aren&#x27;t you?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;ll… look into it. Though, while I&#x27;m here, could you share some of your infamous insight on the bigger picture—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—You see it better than I do…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Humor me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fine. The way I see it, man, is like this. Behemoth is our greatest threat. Not just our threat either, he&#x27;s part and parcel everyone&#x27;s existential threat. He seeks destruction of all—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Nihilism, then? A losing bet, I&#x27;d imagine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hardy-har. Anyway, he&#x27;s working with Ursula Langley, the Morbid King, to further his ultimate end.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And what of the Daggers? The Outis Division?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">D.B. Cooper&#x27;s squad? Well—I have to assume they&#x27;re working under the same directive of the Nova Archons, specifically Gleam.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ugh.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fond memories?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not exactly &quot;memories.&quot; Archives.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You have access to the prior Archives?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes and no. Yes. But no. Not for you or for anyone else.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Too dangerous. If CaDence started to slip it could unlock the CaDComs up in Alaska and that—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Would give Gleam what he wants. Speaking of Gleam, what about his twin sister, Glean?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hard to read. I still think she&#x27;s just toying with Jericho. But, for now I&#x27;ll take her help.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And throw the poor washed up warlock under the bus? A bit of a trope, isn&#x27;t it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I can&#x27;t stop Jericho from screwing himself over.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fair enough. And what&#x27;s the deal with this new &quot;Mangrove Syndicate&quot; business?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The last living Nephilim, goes only by the Giant, he&#x27;s soaking up Umbra&#x27;s lost territory and control and I suppose he&#x27;s put together a group of his own to reach his own unique aims.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Is the Giant in Behemoth&#x27;s pocket?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Opposite actually.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Still not good for us, I already tried that angle and I got thrown half way across the room for it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So you&#x27;ve physically met with the Giant?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;ve met with every antagonist of the Cafe and Diner. It&#x27;s my job—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Is it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Maybe it should be yours instead? There is still one Cafe I haven&#x27;t put any effort into.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Testament.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Amen. Though I suspect you want as little to do with that mess as well?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have the utmost faith in Alex and Amber… And Felix, and Dan, and Seth, and Nick and Nikki, and Jericho, Joy, and Julius, and… Julia.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Julia. That reminds me… How is Julia…?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">She&#x27;s doing fine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No. I mean, how is she… here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">She&#x27;s doing fine, man. Let&#x27;s leave it at that.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_6:_Nothing_In_Particular&diff=8591Case 6: Nothing In Particular2026-05-04T17:05:44Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 6</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Nothing In Particular</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;So… Gods dead. -Jack, CD-CAD-08&quot;</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-CAD-08"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-CAD-08</div> <d..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 6</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Nothing In Particular</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;So… Gods dead. -Jack, CD-CAD-08&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-CAD-08"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-CAD-08</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"f(0)(rho*(du/dt+u.del(u))=-del(p)+mu*del^2(u)+f)(F=G*((m1*m2)/r^2))(del^2(phi)=0)(F=q*(E+vxB))"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">NULL</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JACK KEEL'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: CORE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-CAD-08'''<br />
<br />
I&#x27;ve been running interference for a long ass time, man. Meeting with the worst of the worst and the biggest of the bads… it takes a toll on the psyche, you know. Hell, I got eight of the nine Princes of Hell to work with us. But with eight Princes, a shit ton of antagonists, and sixty five employees the board is getting crowded and I needed to know if our special little &quot;Auditor&quot; was ready to stop acting like an employee and start acting like… well, like something else.<br />
<br />
Someone else.<br />
<br />
There comes a time when I can&#x27;t just keep patching holes in the roof when the whole foundation is starting to slide. I&#x27;ve been keeping the heavy stuff close to the vest for a long time… too long, maybe. Though, to be fair, we&#x27;ve made it twenty years thus far. But with the way things are rotting from the inside, I knew I had to level with A a little ahead of schedule. They&#x27;re a bit of a stickler for the rules, sure, but I needed them to see that the rulebook we&#x27;ve been playing by? It&#x27;s been gone man.<br />
<br />
The Universe has been fraying at the seams ever since CaDence was tricked into killing off the Archons in the last cosmic reboot. Well—fuck me—&quot;killing off&quot; for all the good killing Archons seems to do. Killing mortals even. Understatement to say we&#x27;re trapped. And even then, we don&#x27;t have a lot of time to either fix or change things and the last thing I want to do is sit on my hands and wait this all out for another go around.<br />
<br />
The Auditor has been getting hung up on the small stuff. We had to talk about the big picture. The really big picture. CaDence was there too, but hell, she&#x27;s reading this now as I type it. Hard to keep anything from her, so why bother? Far as I&#x27;m concerned, she might even help solve our little inequality. Though… something still isn&#x27;t adding up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Jack<br />
<br />
Come in, A.<br />
<br />
Auditor<br />
<br />
Why did you take me off of Requiem&#x27;s case?<br />
<br />
Jack<br />
<br />
Because it&#x27;s nothing that serious. It was a set up. A fake Teal to mask an Azure. Ugh, you ever get sick of how colorful the Cressets are?<br />
<br />
Auditor<br />
<br />
…Then why did you drag me out here?<br />
<br />
Jack<br />
<br />
CaDence, would you shut the door please.<br />
<br />
CaDence<br />
<br />
…Do you want me to leave?<br />
<br />
Jack<br />
<br />
And have this off the record? Not necessary. Besides, you&#x27;re the only other person here besides A I can trust with this.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[I shut the door and took a seat next to the Auditor.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So… God&#x27;s dead.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That can&#x27;t be true. If God—the Demiurge—was dead, the Universe would…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Start to rot? Take a look at Terminus, man. It&#x27;s already happening.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">W—ell… CaDence… had a part in killing God. And Eve and Abraxas and—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I was tricked.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sorry, When did this happen?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">End of the prior Universe. An event known as the Archonophthora. Death of all Archons in the Universe. Of course, as you are well aware, A, Archons are really hard to kill.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So, the Universe isn&#x27;t dead yet, we just need to find a way to bring Demiurge, Abraxas, and Eve back—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes and no. Maybe more no than yes. I… would venture to find a better solution before bringing Demiurge back into power, you feel me?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mr. Keel… that sounds rather cold. Are you suggesting you harbor some ill-intents toward the creator of this Universe?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No, no… no. Uh, I just want to explore our options before we throw all of our resources into bringing back a problem. Besides, we only need to bring back one of the three Archons to stabilize the Universe.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But were any of them good stewards of the Universe?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…I want to explore our options.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Understood. So how do I fit into this scheme of yours?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You mean you haven&#x27;t figured it out yet?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I believe I understand why I was hired, but to what end does it matter?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jack took out his 8-Ball. He gave it a shake and as it shuddered in his palm thin threads of blood seeped out of Jack&#x27;s hand spinning the die in the 8-Ball. He showed it to the Auditor and I and it read: &quot;D=X E=Y A=A.&quot;]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Huh. Y and X remain unsolved?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Seems so.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But A?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Look, I just want to explore all of our options, man. All I&#x27;m asking for. Besides, we could seriously use your help in keeping everything straight while we work on figuring out how to undo our cosmic decline. Besides… you&#x27;re already kind of taking up the role, aren&#x27;t you?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;ll… look into it. Though, while I&#x27;m here, could you share some of your infamous insight on the bigger picture—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—You see it better than I do…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Humor me.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fine. The way I see it, man, is like this. Behemoth is our greatest threat. Not just our threat either, he&#x27;s part and parcel everyone&#x27;s existential threat. He seeks destruction of all—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Nihilism, then? A losing bet, I&#x27;d imagine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hardy-har. Anyway, he&#x27;s working with Ursula Langley, the Morbid King, to further his ultimate end.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And what of the Daggers? The Outis Division?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">D.B. Cooper&#x27;s squad? Well—I have to assume they&#x27;re working under the same directive of the Nova Archons, specifically Gleam.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ugh.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fond memories?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not exactly &quot;memories.&quot; Archives.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You have access to the prior Archives?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">CaDence</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes and no. Yes. But no. Not for you or for anyone else.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Too dangerous. If CaDence started to slip it could unlock the CaDComs up in Alaska and that—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…Would give Gleam what he wants. Speaking of Gleam, what about his twin sister, Glean?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Hard to read. I still think she&#x27;s just toying with Jericho. But, for now I&#x27;ll take her help.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And throw the poor washed up warlock under the bus? A bit of a trope, isn&#x27;t it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I can&#x27;t stop Jericho from screwing himself over.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fair enough. And what&#x27;s the deal with this new &quot;Mangrove Syndicate&quot; business?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The last living Nephilim, goes only by the Giant, he&#x27;s soaking up Umbra&#x27;s lost territory and control and I suppose he&#x27;s put together a group of his own to reach his own unique aims.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Is the Giant in Behemoth&#x27;s pocket?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Opposite actually.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Still not good for us, I already tried that angle and I got thrown half way across the room for it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">So you&#x27;ve physically met with the Giant?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I&#x27;ve met with every antagonist of the Cafe and Diner. It&#x27;s my job—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">—Is it?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Maybe it should be yours instead? There is still one Cafe I haven&#x27;t put any effort into.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Testament.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Amen. Though I suspect you want as little to do with that mess as well?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have the utmost faith in Alex and Amber… And Felix, and Dan, and Seth, and Nick and Nikki, and Jericho, Joy, and Julius, and… Julia.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Julia. That reminds me… How is Julia…?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">She&#x27;s doing fine.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No. I mean, how is she… here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jack</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">She&#x27;s doing fine, man. Let&#x27;s leave it at that.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_5:_Teal_Murder&diff=8590Case 5: Teal Murder2026-05-04T17:03:45Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 5</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Teal Murder</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Mrs. Montferrat is now dead. -The Auditor, ATD-01&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="ATD-01"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:BlueCanary-2.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">ATD-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: ATD-01'''<br />
<br />
I am currently en route to Requiem once again. It has been four months since my last visit. When I was last there, the Requiem team was still investigating Ms. Sandiego&#x27;s presence on (or under, I suppose) the lake, and were conducting some information gathering from locals. They learned that Behram&#x27;s ghosts (Ursula&#x27;s ghosts? I&#x27;m not quite sure who has &quot;custody&quot; as it were…) had been ferrying illicit goods to Ms. Sandiego via Mr. Fenimore. This critical connection was made in part thanks to Mrs. Montferrat.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Montferrat is now dead.<br />
<br />
I know, I know—Mrs. Montferrat was already well on her way to an early grave with how many Double Shots she would drink. In fact, she had been known to split a sandwich with Behram on occasion and that alone could be seen as a type of death. Undeath? I&#x27;m not here to split hairs about those who partake in Behram&#x27;s contractually binding cuisine. Besides, this is not like that. No. This is nothing at all like that. Mrs. Montferrat is dead, and she died behind a Teal Door.<br />
<br />
Teal Doors, to put it mildly, are not a common cause of death even within the Coffee Trade. To be put behind a Teal Door, to die in a Teal Room—that is death of the highest order. That is a death of body, mind, and soul. A complete and total death. Removal. It is outlawed in all circles of the Coffee Trade. Even the Astorians abhor it and that is saying something. Of course, they abhor it perhaps because they cannot control it. Again, Teal Doors are not a common cause of death. Of the people who could orchestrate such a death, there are very, very few. And two of those few just so happen to work at the Cafe and Diner: Requiem. Requiem who investigated Mrs. Montferrat just a few months ago. Requiem who has an employee who was taken advantage of by Mrs. Montferrat.<br />
<br />
This had better not be what it looks like.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-ATD-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-ATD-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ring, Planets, Innings, Cat Lives, Arachnids, and Reindeer."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research and Cipher | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Dark Teal</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the items in the clue has a number corresponding to it. If you get all the numbers, you get 189988. The colour code of Dark Teal is #189988.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: PENELOPE CHARBONNEAU'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-ATD-02'''<br />
<br />
It is a rare and beautiful day when the Universe corrects an error such as that bloodsucker Germain so… thoroughly. The news that the parasite of Royal Street had been trapped behind a Teal Door, consigned to absolute bitter nothingness, did admittedly bring a warmth to my chest that no amount of homonymous liquor could match. The Auditor did not share my relief. I suppose they saw a violation of protocol where I saw a tab finally being paid in full. They stormed into Requiem accusing everyone with a pulse. I merely sat back and watched. It is not often one gets a front-row seat to the aftermath of a perfect execution.<br />
<br />
Though, to be clear, I had nothing to do with this.<br />
<br />
And neither did Liz. She stuck his pale pathetic ass behind an Amber Door, and that was more than good enough for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What in the hell were you thinking?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I didn't—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I can't protect you if you're pulling this kind of shit! A Teal room? For some fuckboy vampire?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'm telling you, I didn't—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Who else can make Color Rooms? Ichabod</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Tonton Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">He made one, ONE, Teal Door. Not even a whole room. And last I checked, no one dragged St. Germain all the way to Blackwood Manor. There is a Teal Room on Royal Street—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jade</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Was a Teal Room. Liz closed it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well thank God no one else can walk into pure and utter oblivion. How considerate!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Enough. Elizabeth says she did not do this and I believe her.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Felix Blackwood, you realize you're suspect number two in this mess, right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Put me to the question of peine forte et dure, if you must, but I learned my lesson messing with such forces long ago. While I cannot unmake my own Teal Door, I can assure you it hasn't been used since—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fine—who else could have done this then? Who else can conjure Color Rooms?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The bell above Requiem&#x27;s door jingled, as Sahir Bali walked in.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">More than you might think.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sahir? What are you doing here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack tasked me with taking over. He wants to see you back in Long Beach.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Me? What—I&#x27;m trying to get to the bottom of an incident here that could sink the whole Cafe and Diner Network.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I understand, that&#x27;s why Jack sent me to deal with it. Wrap up your case on it and then get back to Long Beach. Best not to keep Jack waiting.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I—fine. Elizabeth, I still need you to write a formal receipt on this matter.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Wouldn&#x27;t that be an admission of guilt?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No one else knows as much about Color Rooms as you do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor left the Requiem Cafe in a huff.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Thank you, Sahir. I fear that new Auditor of ours is… hm… rather &quot;passionate&quot; about these things, eh?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not without good reason, I suppose. You have a Cresset Archon sleeping beneath your lake and now someone or something that can conjure Teal Rooms running about. In addition to your own Cresset Archon who can conjure Color Rooms.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ah, but I assume you know who is really to blame, no?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Sahir shook his head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not yet. But I&#x27;ll help you get to the bottom of it.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-ATD-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-ATD-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Of Potters, and Sailors, and Drivers, and Gamblers."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Angelology Trivia || 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Ophanim</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the things in the clue relates to Wheels, whether it be a Potter's Wheel, the helmet, the steering wheel, or a roulette table. The angel of wheels is also known as Ophanim.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ELIZABETH LEWIS'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-ATD-03'''<br />
<br />
So, I suppose the Auditor wants me to write up a sort of... &quot;incident report,&quot; well, fine. Here you go. I will do my best to write about an incident which occurred without any of my knowledge or involvement.<br />
<br />
The vile vampire St. Germain of Royal Street was murdered... at the hands of... some unknown entity capable of conjuring Teal Rooms. In case I need to be exceptionally thorough in my write up… &quot;Teal Rooms&quot; are one of the infinite varieties of Prismatically Altered Spaces of which I can conjure. Though, to be clear, I am hardly the only person capable of creating such altered spaces—and furthermore I have never even created a Teal Room. Except… well… there was that one time, way back in December 2019 to contain… er… well, &quot;eradicate…&quot;<br />
<br />
You know what? That doesn&#x27;t matter.<br />
<br />
Even then it was wrong for me to use the power of a Teal Room because a Teal Room is not death, it is the essence of &quot;Void.&quot; It removes whatever is within it from the Universe. Not kills, not destroys, not overwrites, VOIDS. Deletes entirely. And I shouldn&#x27;t have to explain that it&#x27;s not like I have a &quot;delete&quot; button for people I find annoying. To suggest I would waste the sheer, exhausting metaphysical effort required to manifest a Teal Room on a third-rate bloodsucker like St. Germain is honestly very insulting. I put him in an Amber Room. It was stable, it was secure, and most importantly, it was reversible.<br />
<br />
To shift a space from Amber to Teal requires a transition through White Light, a moment of vulnerability where the subject would have been briefly, well, active again. Have we even considered that St. Germain might still be alive? What if he is working with this other entity who could conjure Teal Rooms at will? What then? And, to be frank, we all still clearly remember St. Germain and that&#x27;s not how a Teal Room is supposed to work. If St. Germain was truly trapped in the Teal we wouldn&#x27;t have to suffer his name any longer.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-ATD-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-ATD-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">IRIS</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In CAD-07, it says “Don't Despair, Case No. 5 is still in my top 5 of 5, even as far as Case No. 04 is concerned.” Searching through Case No. 04, CAD-06 has that same alliteration for DD, with “An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place.” In Paragraph 5, when taking every 5th word, you get “The Code is IRIS for later time.”</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-ATD-04'''<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t believe Jack is pulling me off of this case! And to send Sahir in to do it… You know, I don&#x27;t have to Audit the Cafe and Diner Network if Jack is only going to have me be some sort of… lackey. Well, I already set up a Diner Diner password last week, so I might as well put it to some use on my trip back to California. I was intending to write about Color Rooms regardless as I feel they are a little understood piece of the cosmology of our Universe and I had already gathered notes on them in preparation for this investigation.<br />
<br />
Color Rooms, sometimes referred to as Color Doors, are—as I understand them—spaces of filtered Universal law. In our Universe, everything is washed in what is referred to by some esoterics as &quot;White Light.&quot; A harmonious blend of all cosmic laws, mundane and magical. Gravity, time, space, speed, cause and effect and so on, all operate in a unified field of &quot;White Light.&quot; You could also call White Light, Universal Order or perhaps even Universal Truth. But it is helpful to think of this concept as Light because, like light, certain &quot;prisms&quot; can focus and separate this Light into distinct and segmented colors. As it concerns Color Rooms, these specific Colors are then absolutes of singular bands of Universal Truth.<br />
<br />
The most famous of these is, of course, Teal Rooms. Teal Rooms are spaces that have been filtered to be only Void. Null. Emptiness. Anything in a Teal Room, thus, is not. It no longer is. It is death beyond death, it is removal of the highest order. Amber Rooms are filtered to remove all except the present moment. Eleleth most often creates these rooms as they are, to my estimate, fairly benign. It was in an Amber Room she last left St. Germain. Other known colors include: Indigo (perception), Vermillion (acceleration), and Ivory (tabula rasa). Theoretically, there are endless colors possible, but, realistically, most are too arcane or otherwise specific to be of any practical use.<br />
<br />
As for how these filters work, there are a few hard rules that I have been able to determine. First, the effect of a prismatic filter is binary. It either is or it isn&#x27;t. There is no fading into a Teal Room, there is only Teal Rooms and otherwise White Light. These filters also only extend to enclosed spaces. There is no tangible threat of the entire Universe being suddenly flipped into Teal Light. Second, there seems to be an Observer effect in play, at least with manmade Color Rooms. Felix&#x27;s Teal Door in his childhood manor can only shift its interior to Teal if no one is watching. If the door is shut. And lastly, there is a Conservation of Color… you can&#x27;t have one room inside another. You can&#x27;t have a Teal Room expand from within an Amber Room.<br />
<br />
Which… does indicate that someone, possibly Eleleth… possibly someone else, had to first free St. Germain back into White Light before ultimately sealing his fate into the Teal.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-ATD-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-ATD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"June ⛌ 13th"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Papa Legba</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Papa Legba is the Voodoo figure of crossroads, and his day is June 13.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-ATD-05'''<br />
<br />
The Auditor is quite the frantic creature, always scurrying after the &quot;how&quot; and the &quot;who.&quot; They look at a Teal Room and see a crime scene whereas I look at it and see just another abomination. You see, the creation of a Color Room by a mortal hand is not a feat of architecture, nor even standard sorcery. Speaking from personal experience, it is an act of supreme theft and little else. In our green youth, my brother and I did not &quot;learn&quot; to fold the White Light. I may be quite the magician but I am no Archon. Instead, we reached into the pockets of Papa Legba and snatched a handful of the raw, prismatic shards that lay at the crossroads. We were rather arrogant, no? We wanted to build a door that led to Nowhere, believing that if we controlled an entrance to the Void, we would be the masters of the All and None. Masters over the terrible Terminus that haunts the core of the Otherside.<br />
<br />
We succeeded, in a way. We fashioned the Teal Door within Blackwood Manor, but we did not create a room of permanent stable Teal. We built a transition, a hinge between Being and Non-Being. When the door is closed, the room beyond is merely a dusty parlor. But should the latch turn with the right... intent, shall we call it, the transition itself becomes the destination of eternal deletion. Anything caught in the threshold when the Light filters from White to Teal is not crushed or killed; it simply ceases to have ever been a part of the conversation. It was this theft of Papa Legba&#x27;s power that turned the Blackwood House to taboo among the Old Voodoo Houses of New Orleans.<br />
<br />
The Auditor suspects me because I have the blood of thieves on my hands and they suspect Elizabeth because she need not steal to harbor such frightful power. But, I fear, the Auditor misunderstands the nature of the sin of Destruction, or, is it Creation? Regardless, the alleged victim is St. Germain, no? Funny we still utter his name—as if this was all but a ruse. A set up. Believe me, St. Germain is likely dead, but he is far from &quot;voided.&quot; What an interesting game is beginning to unfold… Could it be the Wicked&#x27;s Eidolon? Or is this a more Vile crime? Or… perhaps something much… greater.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TBR-14"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TBR-14</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Today."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Celebration Trivia | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Feast Of Corpus Christi</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The first Sunday is Whit Sunday, the second Trinity Sunday. Today is the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, making it the Feast of Corpus Christi.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TBR-14'''<br />
<br />
Tonton Felix is a man of heavy secrets. Lord knows he shares only a fraction of what he truly knows. And if he thinks this Teal business is a trick, a bit of trompe-l’œil I would not be one to argue against him. From what he wrote of his… regrettable business… at the crossroads, I got the sense he knows who is behind this but also that St. Germain is dead but not, eh, &quot;deleted&quot; as it were. Those who die by the Teal are removed. Forgotten. Replaced. But St. Germain is still very much here, both historically and in our present thoughts.<br />
<br />
That’s where the Black Roux comes in.<br />
<br />
I cooked up a fresh batch of the Black Roux in the coffin-nail skillet for madmwazèl Wade to consume. We know now that the Black Roux works as theorized, Katherine needs only to consume it to hear the thoughts of the dead. Of course this would be a meaningless venture if St. Germain had been fully removed from this world, the next, and far beyond. But, he is likely only dead. And death is a suggestion at best, especially for the followers of the Dark Lord Behemoth. If the Void is as absolute as Tonton Felix claims, there shouldn’t be a single whisper left for Katherine to catch. No lingering regrets, no last words, just a hole in the air where a vampire used to be.<br />
<br />
So, eat up, chérie. We&#x27;re going to push this little experiment of ours to new heights. I am actually rather curious if we will find out if a Teal Door truly wipes the slate clean. If Katherine tastes nothing but cold iron and ash, then St. Germain is truly gone beyond death, vanished into the Great Null of Terminus and deeper on. But if she catches even a hint of his lingering thoughts, a flash of Royal Street or the bitter tang of his last fears preserved in the Amber Room Elizabeth left him in… then this wasn&#x27;t a Teal Room at all. It was all but a masquerade.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TBR-15"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TBR-15</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Color me surprised, not asceticism nor persecution."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Theology Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Blue Martyrdom</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Martyrdoms have three kinds: red, white and blue. If it's not persecution or asceticism (meaning not red or white), it's blue.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: KATHERINE WADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TBR-15'''<br />
<br />
The Black Roux is always so heavy. Choking, almost. I guess it is mostly dirt, ash, bone, and fat. Ichabod was worried there would be nothing but silence. He kept saying that if it was a Teal Room, St. Germain would be &quot;voided,&quot; and there wouldn&#x27;t be any thoughts left for me to find. But as soon as the Black Roux touched my tongue, believe me, the silence broke. St. Germain isn&#x27;t gone. I was still able to hear and even see his death-thoughts, and they were screaming, just for a second, before they settled into something much, much colder.<br />
<br />
I saw it, or I felt it, through his eyes. It wasn’t a Teal Room. That was a lie, a setup, created afterward. St. Germain was trapped in the Amber, suspended in that soft, golden &quot;now,&quot; when a hand reached in and pulled the color away. I… I don&#x27;t know who it was. It was a man in a flat cap. I couldn&#x27;t see his face clearly, but his voice was like gravel grinding together. He sounded... tired. So, so tired. But at the same time his voice was intoxicating. I wanted to hear more… I still want to hear more. But… It was only a memory, and not even my own. He said, &quot;Germain. Sorry to do this, old friend—but the boss, he wants you out of the picture, you&#x27;ve said too much.&quot; And then the world didn&#x27;t just go empty. It burned.<br />
<br />
It wasn&#x27;t a Teal fire.<br />
<br />
It started as these strange yellow flames with a core as black as coal, flickering and hungry. Then, the man did something, a twist of the wrist, a shift in the air, and the yellow bled away into a deep, rich blue. It wasn&#x27;t the flat, hollow nothingness of Teal. It was… vibrant.<br />
<br />
It was... Azure.<br />
<br />
The color rang in my head like a bell, loud and sharp and terrifying. Everything melted into that Azure.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-07'''<br />
<br />
I pulled some of Requiem&#x27;s other cases for this report because, well, I didn&#x27;t exactly have time to do a thorough job, did I? Don&#x27;t Despair, Case No. 5 is still in my top 5 of 5, even as far as Case No. 04 is concerned. At least Ichabod and Katherine&#x27;s latest experimental recipe tied in well enough, don&#x27;t you think? And the evidence they uncovered is rather striking. Wouldn&#x27;t it be nice to stay and sort out this mystery before being dragged back to home base for… what? The new &quot;artist&quot; in a flat cap? Or is there some other pressing matter Jack needs me for? If he pulled me merely to berate me, I might have to give up this whole Auditing business then and there. I&#x27;ve been around for far too long to worry about playing by some imaginary rules Jack pulls out of his ass on the spot.<br />
<br />
I am getting ahead of myself, aren&#x27;t I? I should at least wait to see what Jack wants before I get too far in my own head about what might be more important than some Teals, Ambers, and, I suppose, &quot;Azures.&quot; What do you think an Azure Room does? Kills, possibly. Azure is not that far off from Teal, all things considered. Ah, but then do the &quot;colors&quot; actually mean anything or are they arbitrary to us lowly employees of the Coffee Trade? A problem for Requiem to sort out in my absence.<br />
<br />
If anything Requiem could call upon the aid of Midnight, as they are roughly in the area due to the Mangrove Syndicate&#x27;s growing sphere of influence. Jericho&#x27;s mistress might know. Ah—I should probably compile my October cases regarding that matter as well. But, God only knows if I&#x27;ll have the time for that depending on what work Jack throws at me. I wonder… could there be a connection between the Syndicate and what lurks beneath the lake? Or is it all connected by the same singular thread of the terrifying, terminal Nil?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_5:_Teal_Murder&diff=8589Case 5: Teal Murder2026-05-04T17:03:18Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 5</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">Teal Murder</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Mrs. Montferrat is now dead. -The Auditor, ATD-01&quot;</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="ATD-01"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">ATD-01</div> <d..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 5</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">Teal Murder</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Mrs. Montferrat is now dead. -The Auditor, ATD-01&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="ATD-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">ATD-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: ATD-01'''<br />
<br />
I am currently en route to Requiem once again. It has been four months since my last visit. When I was last there, the Requiem team was still investigating Ms. Sandiego&#x27;s presence on (or under, I suppose) the lake, and were conducting some information gathering from locals. They learned that Behram&#x27;s ghosts (Ursula&#x27;s ghosts? I&#x27;m not quite sure who has &quot;custody&quot; as it were…) had been ferrying illicit goods to Ms. Sandiego via Mr. Fenimore. This critical connection was made in part thanks to Mrs. Montferrat.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Montferrat is now dead.<br />
<br />
I know, I know—Mrs. Montferrat was already well on her way to an early grave with how many Double Shots she would drink. In fact, she had been known to split a sandwich with Behram on occasion and that alone could be seen as a type of death. Undeath? I&#x27;m not here to split hairs about those who partake in Behram&#x27;s contractually binding cuisine. Besides, this is not like that. No. This is nothing at all like that. Mrs. Montferrat is dead, and she died behind a Teal Door.<br />
<br />
Teal Doors, to put it mildly, are not a common cause of death even within the Coffee Trade. To be put behind a Teal Door, to die in a Teal Room—that is death of the highest order. That is a death of body, mind, and soul. A complete and total death. Removal. It is outlawed in all circles of the Coffee Trade. Even the Astorians abhor it and that is saying something. Of course, they abhor it perhaps because they cannot control it. Again, Teal Doors are not a common cause of death. Of the people who could orchestrate such a death, there are very, very few. And two of those few just so happen to work at the Cafe and Diner: Requiem. Requiem who investigated Mrs. Montferrat just a few months ago. Requiem who has an employee who was taken advantage of by Mrs. Montferrat.<br />
<br />
This had better not be what it looks like.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-ATD-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-ATD-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Ring, Planets, Innings, Cat Lives, Arachnids, and Reindeer."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research and Cipher | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Dark Teal</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the items in the clue has a number corresponding to it. If you get all the numbers, you get 189988. The colour code of Dark Teal is #189988.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: PENELOPE CHARBONNEAU'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-ATD-02'''<br />
<br />
It is a rare and beautiful day when the Universe corrects an error such as that bloodsucker Germain so… thoroughly. The news that the parasite of Royal Street had been trapped behind a Teal Door, consigned to absolute bitter nothingness, did admittedly bring a warmth to my chest that no amount of homonymous liquor could match. The Auditor did not share my relief. I suppose they saw a violation of protocol where I saw a tab finally being paid in full. They stormed into Requiem accusing everyone with a pulse. I merely sat back and watched. It is not often one gets a front-row seat to the aftermath of a perfect execution.<br />
<br />
Though, to be clear, I had nothing to do with this.<br />
<br />
And neither did Liz. She stuck his pale pathetic ass behind an Amber Door, and that was more than good enough for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What in the hell were you thinking?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I didn't—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I can't protect you if you're pulling this kind of shit! A Teal room? For some fuckboy vampire?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'm telling you, I didn't—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Who else can make Color Rooms? Ichabod</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Tonton Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">He made one, ONE, Teal Door. Not even a whole room. And last I checked, no one dragged St. Germain all the way to Blackwood Manor. There is a Teal Room on Royal Street—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Jade</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Was a Teal Room. Liz closed it.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well thank God no one else can walk into pure and utter oblivion. How considerate!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Enough. Elizabeth says she did not do this and I believe her.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Felix Blackwood, you realize you're suspect number two in this mess, right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Put me to the question of peine forte et dure, if you must, but I learned my lesson messing with such forces long ago. While I cannot unmake my own Teal Door, I can assure you it hasn't been used since—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Fine—who else could have done this then? Who else can conjure Color Rooms?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The bell above Requiem&#x27;s door jingled, as Sahir Bali walked in.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">More than you might think.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Sahir? What are you doing here?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Jack tasked me with taking over. He wants to see you back in Long Beach.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Me? What—I&#x27;m trying to get to the bottom of an incident here that could sink the whole Cafe and Diner Network.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I understand, that&#x27;s why Jack sent me to deal with it. Wrap up your case on it and then get back to Long Beach. Best not to keep Jack waiting.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I—fine. Elizabeth, I still need you to write a formal receipt on this matter.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Elizabeth</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Wouldn&#x27;t that be an admission of guilt?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Auditor</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">No one else knows as much about Color Rooms as you do.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[The Auditor left the Requiem Cafe in a huff.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Thank you, Sahir. I fear that new Auditor of ours is… hm… rather &quot;passionate&quot; about these things, eh?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not without good reason, I suppose. You have a Cresset Archon sleeping beneath your lake and now someone or something that can conjure Teal Rooms running about. In addition to your own Cresset Archon who can conjure Color Rooms.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Felix</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Ah, but I assume you know who is really to blame, no?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Sahir shook his head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Sahir</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not yet. But I&#x27;ll help you get to the bottom of it.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-ATD-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-ATD-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Of Potters, and Sailors, and Drivers, and Gamblers."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Angelology Trivia || 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Ophanim</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each of the things in the clue relates to Wheels, whether it be a Potter's Wheel, the helmet, the steering wheel, or a roulette table. The angel of wheels is also known as Ophanim.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ELIZABETH LEWIS'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-ATD-03'''<br />
<br />
So, I suppose the Auditor wants me to write up a sort of... &quot;incident report,&quot; well, fine. Here you go. I will do my best to write about an incident which occurred without any of my knowledge or involvement.<br />
<br />
The vile vampire St. Germain of Royal Street was murdered... at the hands of... some unknown entity capable of conjuring Teal Rooms. In case I need to be exceptionally thorough in my write up… &quot;Teal Rooms&quot; are one of the infinite varieties of Prismatically Altered Spaces of which I can conjure. Though, to be clear, I am hardly the only person capable of creating such altered spaces—and furthermore I have never even created a Teal Room. Except… well… there was that one time, way back in December 2019 to contain… er… well, &quot;eradicate…&quot;<br />
<br />
You know what? That doesn&#x27;t matter.<br />
<br />
Even then it was wrong for me to use the power of a Teal Room because a Teal Room is not death, it is the essence of &quot;Void.&quot; It removes whatever is within it from the Universe. Not kills, not destroys, not overwrites, VOIDS. Deletes entirely. And I shouldn&#x27;t have to explain that it&#x27;s not like I have a &quot;delete&quot; button for people I find annoying. To suggest I would waste the sheer, exhausting metaphysical effort required to manifest a Teal Room on a third-rate bloodsucker like St. Germain is honestly very insulting. I put him in an Amber Room. It was stable, it was secure, and most importantly, it was reversible.<br />
<br />
To shift a space from Amber to Teal requires a transition through White Light, a moment of vulnerability where the subject would have been briefly, well, active again. Have we even considered that St. Germain might still be alive? What if he is working with this other entity who could conjure Teal Rooms at will? What then? And, to be frank, we all still clearly remember St. Germain and that&#x27;s not how a Teal Room is supposed to work. If St. Germain was truly trapped in the Teal we wouldn&#x27;t have to suffer his name any longer.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="DD-ATD-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">DD-ATD-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"???"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">???</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">IRIS</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">In CAD-07, it says “Don't Despair, Case No. 5 is still in my top 5 of 5, even as far as Case No. 04 is concerned.” Searching through Case No. 04, CAD-06 has that same alliteration for DD, with “An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place.” In Paragraph 5, when taking every 5th word, you get “The Code is IRIS for later time.”</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: DD-ATD-04'''<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t believe Jack is pulling me off of this case! And to send Sahir in to do it… You know, I don&#x27;t have to Audit the Cafe and Diner Network if Jack is only going to have me be some sort of… lackey. Well, I already set up a Diner Diner password last week, so I might as well put it to some use on my trip back to California. I was intending to write about Color Rooms regardless as I feel they are a little understood piece of the cosmology of our Universe and I had already gathered notes on them in preparation for this investigation.<br />
<br />
Color Rooms, sometimes referred to as Color Doors, are—as I understand them—spaces of filtered Universal law. In our Universe, everything is washed in what is referred to by some esoterics as &quot;White Light.&quot; A harmonious blend of all cosmic laws, mundane and magical. Gravity, time, space, speed, cause and effect and so on, all operate in a unified field of &quot;White Light.&quot; You could also call White Light, Universal Order or perhaps even Universal Truth. But it is helpful to think of this concept as Light because, like light, certain &quot;prisms&quot; can focus and separate this Light into distinct and segmented colors. As it concerns Color Rooms, these specific Colors are then absolutes of singular bands of Universal Truth.<br />
<br />
The most famous of these is, of course, Teal Rooms. Teal Rooms are spaces that have been filtered to be only Void. Null. Emptiness. Anything in a Teal Room, thus, is not. It no longer is. It is death beyond death, it is removal of the highest order. Amber Rooms are filtered to remove all except the present moment. Eleleth most often creates these rooms as they are, to my estimate, fairly benign. It was in an Amber Room she last left St. Germain. Other known colors include: Indigo (perception), Vermillion (acceleration), and Ivory (tabula rasa). Theoretically, there are endless colors possible, but, realistically, most are too arcane or otherwise specific to be of any practical use.<br />
<br />
As for how these filters work, there are a few hard rules that I have been able to determine. First, the effect of a prismatic filter is binary. It either is or it isn&#x27;t. There is no fading into a Teal Room, there is only Teal Rooms and otherwise White Light. These filters also only extend to enclosed spaces. There is no tangible threat of the entire Universe being suddenly flipped into Teal Light. Second, there seems to be an Observer effect in play, at least with manmade Color Rooms. Felix&#x27;s Teal Door in his childhood manor can only shift its interior to Teal if no one is watching. If the door is shut. And lastly, there is a Conservation of Color… you can&#x27;t have one room inside another. You can&#x27;t have a Teal Room expand from within an Amber Room.<br />
<br />
Which… does indicate that someone, possibly Eleleth… possibly someone else, had to first free St. Germain back into White Light before ultimately sealing his fate into the Teal.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-ATD-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-ATD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"June ⛌ 13th"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Papa Legba</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Papa Legba is the Voodoo figure of crossroads, and his day is June 13.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: FELIX BLACKWOOD'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-ATD-05'''<br />
<br />
The Auditor is quite the frantic creature, always scurrying after the &quot;how&quot; and the &quot;who.&quot; They look at a Teal Room and see a crime scene whereas I look at it and see just another abomination. You see, the creation of a Color Room by a mortal hand is not a feat of architecture, nor even standard sorcery. Speaking from personal experience, it is an act of supreme theft and little else. In our green youth, my brother and I did not &quot;learn&quot; to fold the White Light. I may be quite the magician but I am no Archon. Instead, we reached into the pockets of Papa Legba and snatched a handful of the raw, prismatic shards that lay at the crossroads. We were rather arrogant, no? We wanted to build a door that led to Nowhere, believing that if we controlled an entrance to the Void, we would be the masters of the All and None. Masters over the terrible Terminus that haunts the core of the Otherside.<br />
<br />
We succeeded, in a way. We fashioned the Teal Door within Blackwood Manor, but we did not create a room of permanent stable Teal. We built a transition, a hinge between Being and Non-Being. When the door is closed, the room beyond is merely a dusty parlor. But should the latch turn with the right... intent, shall we call it, the transition itself becomes the destination of eternal deletion. Anything caught in the threshold when the Light filters from White to Teal is not crushed or killed; it simply ceases to have ever been a part of the conversation. It was this theft of Papa Legba&#x27;s power that turned the Blackwood House to taboo among the Old Voodoo Houses of New Orleans.<br />
<br />
The Auditor suspects me because I have the blood of thieves on my hands and they suspect Elizabeth because she need not steal to harbor such frightful power. But, I fear, the Auditor misunderstands the nature of the sin of Destruction, or, is it Creation? Regardless, the alleged victim is St. Germain, no? Funny we still utter his name—as if this was all but a ruse. A set up. Believe me, St. Germain is likely dead, but he is far from &quot;voided.&quot; What an interesting game is beginning to unfold… Could it be the Wicked&#x27;s Eidolon? Or is this a more Vile crime? Or… perhaps something much… greater.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TBR-14"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TBR-14</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Today."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Celebration Trivia | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Feast Of Corpus Christi</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The first Sunday is Whit Sunday, the second Trinity Sunday. Today is the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, making it the Feast of Corpus Christi.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ICHABOD RAMSES'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TBR-14'''<br />
<br />
Tonton Felix is a man of heavy secrets. Lord knows he shares only a fraction of what he truly knows. And if he thinks this Teal business is a trick, a bit of trompe-l’œil I would not be one to argue against him. From what he wrote of his… regrettable business… at the crossroads, I got the sense he knows who is behind this but also that St. Germain is dead but not, eh, &quot;deleted&quot; as it were. Those who die by the Teal are removed. Forgotten. Replaced. But St. Germain is still very much here, both historically and in our present thoughts.<br />
<br />
That’s where the Black Roux comes in.<br />
<br />
I cooked up a fresh batch of the Black Roux in the coffin-nail skillet for madmwazèl Wade to consume. We know now that the Black Roux works as theorized, Katherine needs only to consume it to hear the thoughts of the dead. Of course this would be a meaningless venture if St. Germain had been fully removed from this world, the next, and far beyond. But, he is likely only dead. And death is a suggestion at best, especially for the followers of the Dark Lord Behemoth. If the Void is as absolute as Tonton Felix claims, there shouldn’t be a single whisper left for Katherine to catch. No lingering regrets, no last words, just a hole in the air where a vampire used to be.<br />
<br />
So, eat up, chérie. We&#x27;re going to push this little experiment of ours to new heights. I am actually rather curious if we will find out if a Teal Door truly wipes the slate clean. If Katherine tastes nothing but cold iron and ash, then St. Germain is truly gone beyond death, vanished into the Great Null of Terminus and deeper on. But if she catches even a hint of his lingering thoughts, a flash of Royal Street or the bitter tang of his last fears preserved in the Amber Room Elizabeth left him in… then this wasn&#x27;t a Teal Room at all. It was all but a masquerade.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-TBR-15"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-TBR-15</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Color me surprised, not asceticism nor persecution."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Theology Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Blue Martyrdom</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Martyrdoms have three kinds: red, white and blue. If it's not persecution or asceticism (meaning not red or white), it's blue.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: KATHERINE WADE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: REQUIEM'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-TBR-15'''<br />
<br />
The Black Roux is always so heavy. Choking, almost. I guess it is mostly dirt, ash, bone, and fat. Ichabod was worried there would be nothing but silence. He kept saying that if it was a Teal Room, St. Germain would be &quot;voided,&quot; and there wouldn&#x27;t be any thoughts left for me to find. But as soon as the Black Roux touched my tongue, believe me, the silence broke. St. Germain isn&#x27;t gone. I was still able to hear and even see his death-thoughts, and they were screaming, just for a second, before they settled into something much, much colder.<br />
<br />
I saw it, or I felt it, through his eyes. It wasn’t a Teal Room. That was a lie, a setup, created afterward. St. Germain was trapped in the Amber, suspended in that soft, golden &quot;now,&quot; when a hand reached in and pulled the color away. I… I don&#x27;t know who it was. It was a man in a flat cap. I couldn&#x27;t see his face clearly, but his voice was like gravel grinding together. He sounded... tired. So, so tired. But at the same time his voice was intoxicating. I wanted to hear more… I still want to hear more. But… It was only a memory, and not even my own. He said, &quot;Germain. Sorry to do this, old friend—but the boss, he wants you out of the picture, you&#x27;ve said too much.&quot; And then the world didn&#x27;t just go empty. It burned.<br />
<br />
It wasn&#x27;t a Teal fire.<br />
<br />
It started as these strange yellow flames with a core as black as coal, flickering and hungry. Then, the man did something, a twist of the wrist, a shift in the air, and the yellow bled away into a deep, rich blue. It wasn&#x27;t the flat, hollow nothingness of Teal. It was… vibrant.<br />
<br />
It was... Azure.<br />
<br />
The color rang in my head like a bell, loud and sharp and terrifying. Everything melted into that Azure.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-07"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-07</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-07'''<br />
<br />
I pulled some of Requiem&#x27;s other cases for this report because, well, I didn&#x27;t exactly have time to do a thorough job, did I? Don&#x27;t Despair, Case No. 5 is still in my top 5 of 5, even as far as Case No. 04 is concerned. At least Ichabod and Katherine&#x27;s latest experimental recipe tied in well enough, don&#x27;t you think? And the evidence they uncovered is rather striking. Wouldn&#x27;t it be nice to stay and sort out this mystery before being dragged back to home base for… what? The new &quot;artist&quot; in a flat cap? Or is there some other pressing matter Jack needs me for? If he pulled me merely to berate me, I might have to give up this whole Auditing business then and there. I&#x27;ve been around for far too long to worry about playing by some imaginary rules Jack pulls out of his ass on the spot.<br />
<br />
I am getting ahead of myself, aren&#x27;t I? I should at least wait to see what Jack wants before I get too far in my own head about what might be more important than some Teals, Ambers, and, I suppose, &quot;Azures.&quot; What do you think an Azure Room does? Kills, possibly. Azure is not that far off from Teal, all things considered. Ah, but then do the &quot;colors&quot; actually mean anything or are they arbitrary to us lowly employees of the Coffee Trade? A problem for Requiem to sort out in my absence.<br />
<br />
If anything Requiem could call upon the aid of Midnight, as they are roughly in the area due to the Mangrove Syndicate&#x27;s growing sphere of influence. Jericho&#x27;s mistress might know. Ah—I should probably compile my October cases regarding that matter as well. But, God only knows if I&#x27;ll have the time for that depending on what work Jack throws at me. I wonder… could there be a connection between the Syndicate and what lurks beneath the lake? Or is it all connected by the same singular thread of the terrifying, terminal Nil?<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_4:_What_Remains_of_Fate%3F&diff=8588Case 4: What Remains of Fate?2026-05-04T16:58:57Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 4</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">What Remains of Fate?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. -The Auditor, CAD-05&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="CAD-05"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:MangroveSyndicate.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-05'''<br />
<br />
I have a bit of an older case that predates my employment by a few weeks. I am fairly certain other such cases exist, but considering the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s 20 year history, it&#x27;d be an awful lot of trouble to dredge through all that came before me. And besides, I fear if I spend too much time unearthing the Cafe&#x27;s past I would never have a chance to live truly in the present. However, I&#x27;ll make an exception for these edge cases and for the handful of truly important cases from the Cafe&#x27;s past.<br />
<br />
As for what this case was, Jack had been toying with the idea for a public repository of the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s work for some time now. He said it was like a calling from deep within him that he couldn&#x27;t quite shake—A dormant memory of a life unlived by him. Sure, Jack. Whatever you say. Though, Jack failed to consider that his employees, shall we say, &quot;struggle&quot; with keeping a public record of their work. Both in terms of consistency and secrecy. This is one of the few cases that ever came to light and only because it was directly ordered by Jack himself.<br />
<br />
The Cafe and Diner Network on paper exists to maintain a balance between our world—let&#x27;s call it… The States… and the different but not entirely unrelated northern country of Canada. Most customers come from Canada, and now more than ever Canadians and Americans don&#x27;t seem to get along, do they? Regardless, that&#x27;s the stated goal of the organization. In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. Though we protect these items, we don&#x27;t entirely know what they do, and so Jack ordered a thorough investigation into them, starting with his very own Piece of Fate, the 8-Ball. Here&#x27;s what Midnight put together.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Dear… oh bugger! How did it go again? Gus? Hazel? No…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Shakespeare Trivia | 1 Word [******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Brutus</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Gus and Hazel are characters from The Fault In Our Stars, which has its title inspired by Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, in which the nobleman Cassius says to Brutus: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings."</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JULY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-01'''<br />
<br />
<i>Fate.</i><br />
<br />
Bit of a complicated beast, truth be told. Do we have free will or don&#x27;t we? If there&#x27;s no choice—no true choice—why bother doing anything? Why bother fighting at all? I suppose… if it&#x27;s your destiny, you&#x27;ll fight anyway. But that&#x27;s the hitch, ain&#x27;t it?<br />
<br />
Fate&#x27;s dead and we have pieces of Its bloody corpse to prove it.<br />
<br />
Some time ago—longer than any of us have been around—there was a being named Fate. Fate, as far as we can square it, was an Archon. An ancient pre-Universal entity that should&#x27;ve been immortal. Well… I suppose in some ways It was immortal as Its body isn&#x27;t quite rotting away yet. Its lungs, Its heart, Its eyes, Its bones, Its sinew, Its blood, the whole of what It once was still thrums with the dead God&#x27;s control over what &quot;should&quot; be.<br />
<br />
We, as the Cafe and Diner Network, have quite a few Pieces of Fate, or at least, what we think must be Pieces of Fate. Jack tasked me and my Cafe to study their origins in a hope to understand what exactly each Piece is, was, and currently does. As if we aren&#x27;t busy enough with the bloody bleeding Dark still breathing down our necks… But, I suppose our Cafe is uniquely filled with a wide array of perspectives, a warlock, a vessel, a cryptid, an ouroborian, a high demon, an angel, and whatever the hell Indrid Cold is.<br />
<br />
So, that said, I figured we should start with the Piece that started it all—the 8-Ball.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Absinthe, Raki, Anis, Killepitsch…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Alcohol Trivia | 1 Word [****]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Arak</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Taking the first letters from each of the alcohol, you get Arak, which is a distilled Levantine spirit of the anise drinks family. This fits the pattern as all of these are anise drinks.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE SERPENT, DAICHI'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-02'''<br />
<br />
Damascus, 1538.<br />
<br />
I remember like it was yesterday—roasted coffee beans, sweet tobacco, and rich roses filled the air of a dimly lit no-name cafe in Damascus, where mystic minds had gathered for centuries before the Ottomans had ever laid claim to it. It was here, beneath intricately carved wooden beams and the soft glow of oil lamps, that many late nights and early mornings saw the convergence of the mundane and the miraculous. Scholars with their ink-stained fingers met with thieves speckled in soot and blood to exchange their illicit objects for far illicitier ideas.<br />
<br />
One such thief went by the name Ibreez and one such scholar went by the name Nasira.<br />
<br />
Ibreez was a whirlwind of contradictions. A prince and pauper. A thief and luminary. He always dressed like a peacock on market day. He would drape himself in the richest—and gaudiest—of violet cloaks adorned with gold-threaded sashes that caught light like flies in a web. He&#x27;d started off humbly, hawking saffron and Damascene steel, but his true calling emerged in the trade of heretical texts and otherworldly possessions. Though, in truth, he wasn&#x27;t terribly rich himself, he dressed like a prince to avoid the gaze of the Janissaries. No… he was far from rich; every akçe Ibreez would earn he would spend for an hour or Nasira&#x27;s time.<br />
<br />
Nasira al-Ghazani was a renowned Sufi mystic. Her once rich brown eyes had faded into a stormy gray after she glimpsed what was referred to then as the &quot;Second Horizon.&quot; The Otherside. Her layered robes of ochres and earth tones exuded a fragrant blend of clove, ash, and honey. She had once honed her craft under the tutelage of the Mevlevi dervishes of Konya before Fate guided her to a hidden courtyard which she would later form into a cafe along the banks of the Barada.<br />
<br />
Fate is what brought Ibreez and Nasira together—and it was Ibreez and Nasira who would bring Fate Itself back together, piece by piece. Over the course of forty years, the thief and the scholar had managed to find eight Pieces of the dead God Fate: Its Occipital Lobe, Vitreous Humor, Uvula, Fibula, Cochlea, Pineal Gland, Pancreas, and Pericardium. But it all began with Fate&#x27;s Occipital Lobe, now called the 8-Ball.<br />
<br />
A funny little onyx orb that went shaken gives answers. Naturally the more mundane form it has taken is influenced by the mind of its current holder, Jack Keel. But before Jack ever held it, it still naturally took the form of a ball of inky darkness in which answers came to the surface from the back of the skull where possibility pooled into vision.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"What luck, Frank, Danny, and Jamie are all here."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Animal Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Horseshoe Crab [********* ****]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Frank, Danny, and Jamie are all characters from Blue Bloods. Looking for an animal with Blue Blood, a famous one often caught for their blood is Horseshoe Crabs.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-03'''<br />
<br />
I have seen the 8-Ball only on a few occasions. Unlike the other Pieces of Fate held by the Cafe and Diner, the 8-Ball belongs to no singular institution, organization, or even a Cafe. It belongs to Keel. It is shackled to him—and him alone. This ownership makes any &quot;thorough&quot; examination nearly impossible for us to properly conduct. I have a suspicion that even if Keel were to permit us temporary custody of the 8-Ball, the true depths of its power would remain forever known only to him.<br />
<br />
What whispers circulate about the 8-Ball speak of its terrifying ability to twist the very fabric of Fate with answers far from beyond Fate&#x27;s own domain. It offers guidance when none is wanted. It grants knowledge that should remain buried. Where the Lens may show what horrors await, and the Pocket Watch permits one to flee between doomed timelines, the 8-Ball delivers brutal, bewildering truth. A hazy yes, no, maybe or sometimes an answer so precise it chills the very blood.<br />
<br />
Ah, speaking of blood, it is the only Piece of Fate that seems to have a thirst for it. Not even the Cane or the Spoon require a constant source of blood to operate. In fact, while I would hardly say the other Pieces of Fate are without cost, the 8-Ball is the only one with a tangible, direct, and immediate price. Each question asked draws a pinprick of blood from the asker. Not a terribly steep price, but you should see Keel&#x27;s pocked hands.<br />
<br />
Regardless, it is still the most formidable Piece of Fate.<br />
<br />
Though it may lack the overt spectacle of other Pieces, its true terror lies in its utter lack of restraint. The Lens inevitably corrupts and fractures, revealing futures that drive men mad. The Pocket Watch merely offers escape to other adjacent cycles. But the 8-Ball? It seems to know all, and its knowledge often proves as devastating as the question asked.<br />
<br />
And Keel asks damn good questions.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Greenest, yellow, in the purple, pearl and ruby, black, and pale."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Association | 3 Words [*** ******* ******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">The Haunted Palace</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each stanza of the poem is aligned to a color.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALARIC AUSTERE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE MARCH'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-04'''<br />
<br />
There is a difference between guiding a ship and hijacking the wheel. Lately, the guidance provided by the 8-Ball has felt far too… convenient. Too active to be the passive echo of a mere dead god. To say that I have dealt with Fate, what it was alive, is understatement, and I cannot help but feel that the 8-Ball is not… Well, it doesn’t sit right with me. Any of it. I brought the issue to the table, hoping to get some new perspectives, and Naberius and Indrid are, if nothing else, a multitude of sounding boards, are they not?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have reason to believe that the 8-Ball is not a Piece of Fate.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Are you shitting me, pretty boy? It's the most Fate-y Piece of Fate there is! It tells you what's gonna happen! What's more to Fate than that, huh?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It does not simply tell what will happen next. It guides. It alters. The other Pieces we possess—they allow one to observe Fate, to travel along its currents… to numb the inevitable. They are all passive windows. The 8-Ball, however, is an active hand, pushing the pieces on the board. Its answers so often seem to conveniently defy a pre-written course of action in favor of the asker's desire. That is not the nature of Fate. That is the nature of a rebel—an iconoclast.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… An interesting distinction. Perhaps its function is not to defy Fate, then, but to reveal the most… 'opportune' path. The thread of destiny that one most desires. Even a dead God can have Its favorites, no? And surely we must be favored with so many pieces of Its body.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Besides, all paths end in the cold, silent earth. The 8-Ball merely chooses the most scenic route to the grave. A prettier cliff to fall from. It is a hollow comfort—nothing more, angel.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Different. Yes. It feels… different. Different from the others. The others. The other paths. The other… the other… the Other…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You feel it as well, then. I had suspected as much. Several Universes ago, I was in the presence of Fate Itself. It was an overwhelming resonance, a pressure that defined reality. It was a song that all things were forced to harmonize with. The other Pieces of Fate, they still carry an echo of that song with them. A faint, dying hum of that divine, immutable Archonic power.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh for fuck's sake get to the point, wings! So they hum! What's that got to do with anything?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well, the 8-Ball does not hum. Where the divine ichor of a dead Archon should be, there is… a void. A perfect, polished silence. It feels… hollow. It feels hungry. It does not feel like the corpse of a God. It feels like a cage for something else.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… I see… So, then, it's a forgery? A divine relic that is, in fact, a counterfeit? How deliciously heretical. If you are correct, the implications would be… profound…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But who—or what—could play at being Fate? What darkness would need to be caged in such a manner?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not a cage. No. Not a cage. It's a key. A key that looks like a cage. A key that asks questions. Questions. Questions. Questions—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Precisely. On the surface, the 8-Ball is the answerer of all questions asked, but in truth—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…it is the one asking?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[A heavy silence fell over the room. For the first time, all three of Naberius's heads were quiet, staring at Alaric and Indrid Cold with a shared, unsettling focus.]</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'll see if Jack will let us investigate further.</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"From a Christian perspective to the coming Dawn, 29.975260, 31.137280"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 4 Words [*** ***** ** *******]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">The Wheel Of Fortune</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The coordinates lead to The Sphinx. Regarding Christian, we are following Paul Christian, who developed the Egyptian Tarot. Looking at Tarot Cards made by The Hermetic Order Of the Golden Dawn, The Wheel of Fortune is depicted with a Sphinx above the Wheel.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-05'''<br />
<br />
Daichi is handling the history and the others are bored out of their gourds with heaps of paperwork, but I can’t stop thinking about the, y&#x27;know, the vibe of Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball. Most of the Pieces of Fate feel like, like old stones or old bones… all cold and settled. But this one, the 8-Ball, feels like a weed in a garden. I was trying to find the right analogy for Ranoma, something that wouldn&#x27;t give him nightmares, haha. I wanted him to understand that while the other Pieces are dead things, this one feels like it’s still trying to live. To feed. Eh… that doesn&#x27;t sound much less nightmare-y, does it?<br />
<br />
Peace, love, and cautious Joy!<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that one? What does that one mean, Joy? Is it a good one? A heroic one! It looks very, yes very heroic, very heroic indeed!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It's a very good one, Rani. It means you have a gentle and quiet courage. The kind of strength that comes from being brave and kind at the same time.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Yes, yes! That is most certainly me, I am very, yes, very brave! And very kind! A brave, kind hero! That HAS to be me! Speaking of heroic deeds… How's the report for Jack going? Do you need any help? I would love to be of help! Maybe, yes, maybe there are some old texts that need translating or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Joy shook her head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t worry about that. Daichi&#x27;s got the old stuff covered—apparently he was there? And anyway, Rico and Jules don&#x27;t want us to spend any more time on this than we have to. They think it&#x27;s… T—edious? I guess? I mean, I like the distraction from the Dark, but you know those two.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Tedious! Pish posh, I say! Pish posh!! It is a rather grand undertaking! A noble quest for knowledge! A most important and most very noble quest! Have you worked on the report yet? It&#x27;s about Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes. It&#x27;s about the 8-Ball. The 8-Ball… Hmm. It&#x27;s a tricky one, too. You know how some things just have a… a feeling to them? Like how a warm mug of tea feels comforting, or how a room gets quiet right before a thunderstorm?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I do! I do know! There is nothing, simply nothing, I love more than a warm cup of tea! Or a nice quiet thunderstorm! Is the 8-Ball like that? Comforting?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… We—ll… The other Pieces of Fate, they all feel… old. And very sad. Like an echo in a big, empty house. But the 8-Ball feels different. It&#x27;s not an echo. It&#x27;s quiet, but it isn&#x27;t empty. It feels… parasitic?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Parasitic?! No!! Is Jack going to be okay? Do we need to go rescue him from the 8-Ball?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh, no! Not in, like, a scary way! Not like a monster. More like… like a vine that wraps around a tree so tightly it becomes part of the tree. It feels like a little black hole. It doesn&#x27;t make a big noise or show its teeth. It just… pulls, and pulls, and pulls. It wants to draw everything into it. The other Pieces feel like they just… are what they are. Pieces of Fate. Bones of a long-dead God. The 8-Ball feels like it&#x27;s still listening. Still alive. And, well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jericho and Julius entered the room interrupting Joy&#x27;s tarot reading.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Right then, enough of that. We&#x27;ve got real work to do. Mangrove Syndicate was just reported on the move.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What about the Pieces of Fate report?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We have enough. Besides, we will never know more about the 8-Ball than Jack.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The Mangrove Syndicate is on the move?! We have to go then!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s the spirit, Loveland. Let&#x27;s crack on.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-06'''<br />
<br />
And there you have it. The 8-Ball. An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place. I don&#x27;t exactly have time to add to the case myself as an international incident is brewing at Requiem as I type this.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
I leave them for a few months and somehow, someway, they&#x27;ve gone and bungled it all up to hell and back. A week ago I heard that things were progressing well with their whole vile business beneath the lake. And now? Now everyone, EVERYONE, is swarming around trying to place blame on the Cafe and Diner… and I can&#x27;t say I totally believe in their innocence yet. They couldn&#x27;t help themselves from smacking ANOTHER hornet&#x27;s nest with that damned Cane of theirs. Though this time, I don&#x27;t think the Cane was even involved. What a mess. It&#x27;s funny, in a way, the best case scenario in this matter is still high on my list of worst possible cases. The last thing the Coffee Trade needed was the sword of mutually assured destruction looming over all of our heads bigger than Behram&#x27;s deadly double shot.<br />
<br />
My mind is racing, trying to figure out how this could have happened. I mean, I know how it could have happened… but I, I really hope that it&#x27;s not what I fear. Again, the best case scenario is still quite awful no matter how we untangle this mess. I&#x27;m almost tempted to ask Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball myself. Almost. But before I sink to that low, I&#x27;ll go audit the situation as best as I can.<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t say enough, the Requiem Cafe is in CODE RED now. Gah! This is a problem even for IRIS, Astorians, and Ozhogs! Oh, for Pete&#x27;s sake, this is a total disaster. I&#x27;ll write later about my other thoughts, time permitting, of course.<br />
<br />
…Now, let&#x27;s see if I can help sort this mess out before all of our doors end up slammed shut.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_4:_What_Remains_of_Fate%3F&diff=8587Case 4: What Remains of Fate?2026-05-04T16:55:12Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 4</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">What Remains of Fate?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. -The Auditor, CAD-05&quot;</div><br />
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</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="CAD-05"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:MangroveSyndicate.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-05'''<br />
<br />
I have a bit of an older case that predates my employment by a few weeks. I am fairly certain other such cases exist, but considering the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s 20 year history, it&#x27;d be an awful lot of trouble to dredge through all that came before me. And besides, I fear if I spend too much time unearthing the Cafe&#x27;s past I would never have a chance to live truly in the present. However, I&#x27;ll make an exception for these edge cases and for the handful of truly important cases from the Cafe&#x27;s past.<br />
<br />
As for what this case was, Jack had been toying with the idea for a public repository of the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s work for some time now. He said it was like a calling from deep within him that he couldn&#x27;t quite shake—A dormant memory of a life unlived by him. Sure, Jack. Whatever you say. Though, Jack failed to consider that his employees, shall we say, &quot;struggle&quot; with keeping a public record of their work. Both in terms of consistency and secrecy. This is one of the few cases that ever came to light and only because it was directly ordered by Jack himself.<br />
<br />
The Cafe and Diner Network on paper exists to maintain a balance between our world—let&#x27;s call it… The States… and the different but not entirely unrelated northern country of Canada. Most customers come from Canada, and now more than ever Canadians and Americans don&#x27;t seem to get along, do they? Regardless, that&#x27;s the stated goal of the organization. In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. Though we protect these items, we don&#x27;t entirely know what they do, and so Jack ordered a thorough investigation into them, starting with his very own Piece of Fate, the 8-Ball. Here&#x27;s what Midnight put together.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Dear… oh bugger! How did it go again? Gus? Hazel? No…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Shakespeare Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Brutus</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Gus and Hazel are characters from The Fault In Our Stars, which has its title inspired by Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, in which the nobleman Cassius says to Brutus: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings."</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JULY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-01'''<br />
<br />
<i>Fate.</i><br />
<br />
Bit of a complicated beast, truth be told. Do we have free will or don&#x27;t we? If there&#x27;s no choice—no true choice—why bother doing anything? Why bother fighting at all? I suppose… if it&#x27;s your destiny, you&#x27;ll fight anyway. But that&#x27;s the hitch, ain&#x27;t it?<br />
<br />
Fate&#x27;s dead and we have pieces of Its bloody corpse to prove it.<br />
<br />
Some time ago—longer than any of us have been around—there was a being named Fate. Fate, as far as we can square it, was an Archon. An ancient pre-Universal entity that should&#x27;ve been immortal. Well… I suppose in some ways It was immortal as Its body isn&#x27;t quite rotting away yet. Its lungs, Its heart, Its eyes, Its bones, Its sinew, Its blood, the whole of what It once was still thrums with the dead God&#x27;s control over what &quot;should&quot; be.<br />
<br />
We, as the Cafe and Diner Network, have quite a few Pieces of Fate, or at least, what we think must be Pieces of Fate. Jack tasked me and my Cafe to study their origins in a hope to understand what exactly each Piece is, was, and currently does. As if we aren&#x27;t busy enough with the bloody bleeding Dark still breathing down our necks… But, I suppose our Cafe is uniquely filled with a wide array of perspectives, a warlock, a vessel, a cryptid, an ouroborian, a high demon, an angel, and whatever the hell Indrid Cold is.<br />
<br />
So, that said, I figured we should start with the Piece that started it all—the 8-Ball.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Absinthe, Raki, Anis, Killepitsch…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Alcohol Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Arak</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Taking the first letters from each of the alcohol, you get Arak, which is a distilled Levantine spirit of the anise drinks family. This fits the pattern as all of these are anise drinks.</span></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE SERPENT, DAICHI'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-02'''<br />
<br />
Damascus, 1538.<br />
<br />
I remember like it was yesterday—roasted coffee beans, sweet tobacco, and rich roses filled the air of a dimly lit no-name cafe in Damascus, where mystic minds had gathered for centuries before the Ottomans had ever laid claim to it. It was here, beneath intricately carved wooden beams and the soft glow of oil lamps, that many late nights and early mornings saw the convergence of the mundane and the miraculous. Scholars with their ink-stained fingers met with thieves speckled in soot and blood to exchange their illicit objects for far illicitier ideas.<br />
<br />
One such thief went by the name Ibreez and one such scholar went by the name Nasira.<br />
<br />
Ibreez was a whirlwind of contradictions. A prince and pauper. A thief and luminary. He always dressed like a peacock on market day. He would drape himself in the richest—and gaudiest—of violet cloaks adorned with gold-threaded sashes that caught light like flies in a web. He&#x27;d started off humbly, hawking saffron and Damascene steel, but his true calling emerged in the trade of heretical texts and otherworldly possessions. Though, in truth, he wasn&#x27;t terribly rich himself, he dressed like a prince to avoid the gaze of the Janissaries. No… he was far from rich; every akçe Ibreez would earn he would spend for an hour or Nasira&#x27;s time.<br />
<br />
Nasira al-Ghazani was a renowned Sufi mystic. Her once rich brown eyes had faded into a stormy gray after she glimpsed what was referred to then as the &quot;Second Horizon.&quot; The Otherside. Her layered robes of ochres and earth tones exuded a fragrant blend of clove, ash, and honey. She had once honed her craft under the tutelage of the Mevlevi dervishes of Konya before Fate guided her to a hidden courtyard which she would later form into a cafe along the banks of the Barada.<br />
<br />
Fate is what brought Ibreez and Nasira together—and it was Ibreez and Nasira who would bring Fate Itself back together, piece by piece. Over the course of forty years, the thief and the scholar had managed to find eight Pieces of the dead God Fate: Its Occipital Lobe, Vitreous Humor, Uvula, Fibula, Cochlea, Pineal Gland, Pancreas, and Pericardium. But it all began with Fate&#x27;s Occipital Lobe, now called the 8-Ball.<br />
<br />
A funny little onyx orb that went shaken gives answers. Naturally the more mundane form it has taken is influenced by the mind of its current holder, Jack Keel. But before Jack ever held it, it still naturally took the form of a ball of inky darkness in which answers came to the surface from the back of the skull where possibility pooled into vision.<br />
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<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"What luck, Frank, Danny, and Jamie are all here."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Animal Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">Horseshoe Crab</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Frank, Danny, and Jamie are all characters from Blue Bloods. Looking for an animal with Blue Blood, a famous one often caught for their blood is Horseshoe Crabs.</span></div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-03'''<br />
<br />
I have seen the 8-Ball only on a few occasions. Unlike the other Pieces of Fate held by the Cafe and Diner, the 8-Ball belongs to no singular institution, organization, or even a Cafe. It belongs to Keel. It is shackled to him—and him alone. This ownership makes any &quot;thorough&quot; examination nearly impossible for us to properly conduct. I have a suspicion that even if Keel were to permit us temporary custody of the 8-Ball, the true depths of its power would remain forever known only to him.<br />
<br />
What whispers circulate about the 8-Ball speak of its terrifying ability to twist the very fabric of Fate with answers far from beyond Fate&#x27;s own domain. It offers guidance when none is wanted. It grants knowledge that should remain buried. Where the Lens may show what horrors await, and the Pocket Watch permits one to flee between doomed timelines, the 8-Ball delivers brutal, bewildering truth. A hazy yes, no, maybe or sometimes an answer so precise it chills the very blood.<br />
<br />
Ah, speaking of blood, it is the only Piece of Fate that seems to have a thirst for it. Not even the Cane or the Spoon require a constant source of blood to operate. In fact, while I would hardly say the other Pieces of Fate are without cost, the 8-Ball is the only one with a tangible, direct, and immediate price. Each question asked draws a pinprick of blood from the asker. Not a terribly steep price, but you should see Keel&#x27;s pocked hands.<br />
<br />
Regardless, it is still the most formidable Piece of Fate.<br />
<br />
Though it may lack the overt spectacle of other Pieces, its true terror lies in its utter lack of restraint. The Lens inevitably corrupts and fractures, revealing futures that drive men mad. The Pocket Watch merely offers escape to other adjacent cycles. But the 8-Ball? It seems to know all, and its knowledge often proves as devastating as the question asked.<br />
<br />
And Keel asks damn good questions.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Greenest, yellow, in the purple, pearl and ruby, black, and pale."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Association | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">The Haunted Palace</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">Each stanza of the poem is aligned to a color.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALARIC AUSTERE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE MARCH'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-04'''<br />
<br />
There is a difference between guiding a ship and hijacking the wheel. Lately, the guidance provided by the 8-Ball has felt far too… convenient. Too active to be the passive echo of a mere dead god. To say that I have dealt with Fate, what it was alive, is understatement, and I cannot help but feel that the 8-Ball is not… Well, it doesn’t sit right with me. Any of it. I brought the issue to the table, hoping to get some new perspectives, and Naberius and Indrid are, if nothing else, a multitude of sounding boards, are they not?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have reason to believe that the 8-Ball is not a Piece of Fate.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Are you shitting me, pretty boy? It's the most Fate-y Piece of Fate there is! It tells you what's gonna happen! What's more to Fate than that, huh?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It does not simply tell what will happen next. It guides. It alters. The other Pieces we possess—they allow one to observe Fate, to travel along its currents… to numb the inevitable. They are all passive windows. The 8-Ball, however, is an active hand, pushing the pieces on the board. Its answers so often seem to conveniently defy a pre-written course of action in favor of the asker's desire. That is not the nature of Fate. That is the nature of a rebel—an iconoclast.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… An interesting distinction. Perhaps its function is not to defy Fate, then, but to reveal the most… 'opportune' path. The thread of destiny that one most desires. Even a dead God can have Its favorites, no? And surely we must be favored with so many pieces of Its body.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Besides, all paths end in the cold, silent earth. The 8-Ball merely chooses the most scenic route to the grave. A prettier cliff to fall from. It is a hollow comfort—nothing more, angel.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Different. Yes. It feels… different. Different from the others. The others. The other paths. The other… the other… the Other…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You feel it as well, then. I had suspected as much. Several Universes ago, I was in the presence of Fate Itself. It was an overwhelming resonance, a pressure that defined reality. It was a song that all things were forced to harmonize with. The other Pieces of Fate, they still carry an echo of that song with them. A faint, dying hum of that divine, immutable Archonic power.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh for fuck's sake get to the point, wings! So they hum! What's that got to do with anything?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well, the 8-Ball does not hum. Where the divine ichor of a dead Archon should be, there is… a void. A perfect, polished silence. It feels… hollow. It feels hungry. It does not feel like the corpse of a God. It feels like a cage for something else.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… I see… So, then, it's a forgery? A divine relic that is, in fact, a counterfeit? How deliciously heretical. If you are correct, the implications would be… profound…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But who—or what—could play at being Fate? What darkness would need to be caged in such a manner?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not a cage. No. Not a cage. It's a key. A key that looks like a cage. A key that asks questions. Questions. Questions. Questions—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Precisely. On the surface, the 8-Ball is the answerer of all questions asked, but in truth—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…it is the one asking?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[A heavy silence fell over the room. For the first time, all three of Naberius's heads were quiet, staring at Alaric and Indrid Cold with a shared, unsettling focus.]</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'll see if Jack will let us investigate further.</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"From a Christian perspective to the coming Dawn, 29.975260, 31.137280"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">The Wheel Of Fortune</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">The coordinates lead to The Sphinx. Regarding Christian, we are following Paul Christian, who developed the Egyptian Tarot. Looking at Tarot Cards made by The Hermetic Order Of the Golden Dawn, The Wheel of Fortune is depicted with a Sphinx above the Wheel.</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-05'''<br />
<br />
Daichi is handling the history and the others are bored out of their gourds with heaps of paperwork, but I can’t stop thinking about the, y&#x27;know, the vibe of Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball. Most of the Pieces of Fate feel like, like old stones or old bones… all cold and settled. But this one, the 8-Ball, feels like a weed in a garden. I was trying to find the right analogy for Ranoma, something that wouldn&#x27;t give him nightmares, haha. I wanted him to understand that while the other Pieces are dead things, this one feels like it’s still trying to live. To feed. Eh… that doesn&#x27;t sound much less nightmare-y, does it?<br />
<br />
Peace, love, and cautious Joy!<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that one? What does that one mean, Joy? Is it a good one? A heroic one! It looks very, yes very heroic, very heroic indeed!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It's a very good one, Rani. It means you have a gentle and quiet courage. The kind of strength that comes from being brave and kind at the same time.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Yes, yes! That is most certainly me, I am very, yes, very brave! And very kind! A brave, kind hero! That HAS to be me! Speaking of heroic deeds… How's the report for Jack going? Do you need any help? I would love to be of help! Maybe, yes, maybe there are some old texts that need translating or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Joy shook her head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t worry about that. Daichi&#x27;s got the old stuff covered—apparently he was there? And anyway, Rico and Jules don&#x27;t want us to spend any more time on this than we have to. They think it&#x27;s… T—edious? I guess? I mean, I like the distraction from the Dark, but you know those two.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Tedious! Pish posh, I say! Pish posh!! It is a rather grand undertaking! A noble quest for knowledge! A most important and most very noble quest! Have you worked on the report yet? It&#x27;s about Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes. It&#x27;s about the 8-Ball. The 8-Ball… Hmm. It&#x27;s a tricky one, too. You know how some things just have a… a feeling to them? Like how a warm mug of tea feels comforting, or how a room gets quiet right before a thunderstorm?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I do! I do know! There is nothing, simply nothing, I love more than a warm cup of tea! Or a nice quiet thunderstorm! Is the 8-Ball like that? Comforting?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… We—ll… The other Pieces of Fate, they all feel… old. And very sad. Like an echo in a big, empty house. But the 8-Ball feels different. It&#x27;s not an echo. It&#x27;s quiet, but it isn&#x27;t empty. It feels… parasitic?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Parasitic?! No!! Is Jack going to be okay? Do we need to go rescue him from the 8-Ball?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh, no! Not in, like, a scary way! Not like a monster. More like… like a vine that wraps around a tree so tightly it becomes part of the tree. It feels like a little black hole. It doesn&#x27;t make a big noise or show its teeth. It just… pulls, and pulls, and pulls. It wants to draw everything into it. The other Pieces feel like they just… are what they are. Pieces of Fate. Bones of a long-dead God. The 8-Ball feels like it&#x27;s still listening. Still alive. And, well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jericho and Julius entered the room interrupting Joy&#x27;s tarot reading.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Right then, enough of that. We&#x27;ve got real work to do. Mangrove Syndicate was just reported on the move.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What about the Pieces of Fate report?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We have enough. Besides, we will never know more about the 8-Ball than Jack.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The Mangrove Syndicate is on the move?! We have to go then!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s the spirit, Loveland. Let&#x27;s crack on.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-06'''<br />
<br />
And there you have it. The 8-Ball. An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place. I don&#x27;t exactly have time to add to the case myself as an international incident is brewing at Requiem as I type this.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
I leave them for a few months and somehow, someway, they&#x27;ve gone and bungled it all up to hell and back. A week ago I heard that things were progressing well with their whole vile business beneath the lake. And now? Now everyone, EVERYONE, is swarming around trying to place blame on the Cafe and Diner… and I can&#x27;t say I totally believe in their innocence yet. They couldn&#x27;t help themselves from smacking ANOTHER hornet&#x27;s nest with that damned Cane of theirs. Though this time, I don&#x27;t think the Cane was even involved. What a mess. It&#x27;s funny, in a way, the best case scenario in this matter is still high on my list of worst possible cases. The last thing the Coffee Trade needed was the sword of mutually assured destruction looming over all of our heads bigger than Behram&#x27;s deadly double shot.<br />
<br />
My mind is racing, trying to figure out how this could have happened. I mean, I know how it could have happened… but I, I really hope that it&#x27;s not what I fear. Again, the best case scenario is still quite awful no matter how we untangle this mess. I&#x27;m almost tempted to ask Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball myself. Almost. But before I sink to that low, I&#x27;ll go audit the situation as best as I can.<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t say enough, the Requiem Cafe is in CODE RED now. Gah! This is a problem even for IRIS, Astorians, and Ozhogs! Oh, for Pete&#x27;s sake, this is a total disaster. I&#x27;ll write later about my other thoughts, time permitting, of course.<br />
<br />
…Now, let&#x27;s see if I can help sort this mess out before all of our doors end up slammed shut.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_4:_What_Remains_of_Fate%3F&diff=8586Case 4: What Remains of Fate?2026-05-04T16:53:58Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 4</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">What Remains of Fate?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. -The Auditor, CAD-05&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="CAD-05"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:MangroveSyndicate.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-05'''<br />
<br />
I have a bit of an older case that predates my employment by a few weeks. I am fairly certain other such cases exist, but considering the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s 20 year history, it&#x27;d be an awful lot of trouble to dredge through all that came before me. And besides, I fear if I spend too much time unearthing the Cafe&#x27;s past I would never have a chance to live truly in the present. However, I&#x27;ll make an exception for these edge cases and for the handful of truly important cases from the Cafe&#x27;s past.<br />
<br />
As for what this case was, Jack had been toying with the idea for a public repository of the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s work for some time now. He said it was like a calling from deep within him that he couldn&#x27;t quite shake—A dormant memory of a life unlived by him. Sure, Jack. Whatever you say. Though, Jack failed to consider that his employees, shall we say, &quot;struggle&quot; with keeping a public record of their work. Both in terms of consistency and secrecy. This is one of the few cases that ever came to light and only because it was directly ordered by Jack himself.<br />
<br />
The Cafe and Diner Network on paper exists to maintain a balance between our world—let&#x27;s call it… The States… and the different but not entirely unrelated northern country of Canada. Most customers come from Canada, and now more than ever Canadians and Americans don&#x27;t seem to get along, do they? Regardless, that&#x27;s the stated goal of the organization. In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. Though we protect these items, we don&#x27;t entirely know what they do, and so Jack ordered a thorough investigation into them, starting with his very own Piece of Fate, the 8-Ball. Here&#x27;s what Midnight put together.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Dear… oh bugger! How did it go again? Gus? Hazel? No…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Shakespeare Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">BRUTUS</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JULY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-01'''<br />
<br />
<i>Fate.</i><br />
<br />
Bit of a complicated beast, truth be told. Do we have free will or don&#x27;t we? If there&#x27;s no choice—no true choice—why bother doing anything? Why bother fighting at all? I suppose… if it&#x27;s your destiny, you&#x27;ll fight anyway. But that&#x27;s the hitch, ain&#x27;t it?<br />
<br />
Fate&#x27;s dead and we have pieces of Its bloody corpse to prove it.<br />
<br />
Some time ago—longer than any of us have been around—there was a being named Fate. Fate, as far as we can square it, was an Archon. An ancient pre-Universal entity that should&#x27;ve been immortal. Well… I suppose in some ways It was immortal as Its body isn&#x27;t quite rotting away yet. Its lungs, Its heart, Its eyes, Its bones, Its sinew, Its blood, the whole of what It once was still thrums with the dead God&#x27;s control over what &quot;should&quot; be.<br />
<br />
We, as the Cafe and Diner Network, have quite a few Pieces of Fate, or at least, what we think must be Pieces of Fate. Jack tasked me and my Cafe to study their origins in a hope to understand what exactly each Piece is, was, and currently does. As if we aren&#x27;t busy enough with the bloody bleeding Dark still breathing down our necks… But, I suppose our Cafe is uniquely filled with a wide array of perspectives, a warlock, a vessel, a cryptid, an ouroborian, a high demon, an angel, and whatever the hell Indrid Cold is.<br />
<br />
So, that said, I figured we should start with the Piece that started it all—the 8-Ball.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Absinthe, Raki, Anis, Killepitsch…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Alcohol Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">ARAK</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE SERPENT, DAICHI'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-02'''<br />
<br />
Damascus, 1538.<br />
<br />
I remember like it was yesterday—roasted coffee beans, sweet tobacco, and rich roses filled the air of a dimly lit no-name cafe in Damascus, where mystic minds had gathered for centuries before the Ottomans had ever laid claim to it. It was here, beneath intricately carved wooden beams and the soft glow of oil lamps, that many late nights and early mornings saw the convergence of the mundane and the miraculous. Scholars with their ink-stained fingers met with thieves speckled in soot and blood to exchange their illicit objects for far illicitier ideas.<br />
<br />
One such thief went by the name Ibreez and one such scholar went by the name Nasira.<br />
<br />
Ibreez was a whirlwind of contradictions. A prince and pauper. A thief and luminary. He always dressed like a peacock on market day. He would drape himself in the richest—and gaudiest—of violet cloaks adorned with gold-threaded sashes that caught light like flies in a web. He&#x27;d started off humbly, hawking saffron and Damascene steel, but his true calling emerged in the trade of heretical texts and otherworldly possessions. Though, in truth, he wasn&#x27;t terribly rich himself, he dressed like a prince to avoid the gaze of the Janissaries. No… he was far from rich; every akçe Ibreez would earn he would spend for an hour or Nasira&#x27;s time.<br />
<br />
Nasira al-Ghazani was a renowned Sufi mystic. Her once rich brown eyes had faded into a stormy gray after she glimpsed what was referred to then as the &quot;Second Horizon.&quot; The Otherside. Her layered robes of ochres and earth tones exuded a fragrant blend of clove, ash, and honey. She had once honed her craft under the tutelage of the Mevlevi dervishes of Konya before Fate guided her to a hidden courtyard which she would later form into a cafe along the banks of the Barada.<br />
<br />
Fate is what brought Ibreez and Nasira together—and it was Ibreez and Nasira who would bring Fate Itself back together, piece by piece. Over the course of forty years, the thief and the scholar had managed to find eight Pieces of the dead God Fate: Its Occipital Lobe, Vitreous Humor, Uvula, Fibula, Cochlea, Pineal Gland, Pancreas, and Pericardium. But it all began with Fate&#x27;s Occipital Lobe, now called the 8-Ball.<br />
<br />
A funny little onyx orb that went shaken gives answers. Naturally the more mundane form it has taken is influenced by the mind of its current holder, Jack Keel. But before Jack ever held it, it still naturally took the form of a ball of inky darkness in which answers came to the surface from the back of the skull where possibility pooled into vision.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"What luck, Frank, Danny, and Jamie are all here."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Animal Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">HORSESHOE CRAB</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-03'''<br />
<br />
I have seen the 8-Ball only on a few occasions. Unlike the other Pieces of Fate held by the Cafe and Diner, the 8-Ball belongs to no singular institution, organization, or even a Cafe. It belongs to Keel. It is shackled to him—and him alone. This ownership makes any &quot;thorough&quot; examination nearly impossible for us to properly conduct. I have a suspicion that even if Keel were to permit us temporary custody of the 8-Ball, the true depths of its power would remain forever known only to him.<br />
<br />
What whispers circulate about the 8-Ball speak of its terrifying ability to twist the very fabric of Fate with answers far from beyond Fate&#x27;s own domain. It offers guidance when none is wanted. It grants knowledge that should remain buried. Where the Lens may show what horrors await, and the Pocket Watch permits one to flee between doomed timelines, the 8-Ball delivers brutal, bewildering truth. A hazy yes, no, maybe or sometimes an answer so precise it chills the very blood.<br />
<br />
Ah, speaking of blood, it is the only Piece of Fate that seems to have a thirst for it. Not even the Cane or the Spoon require a constant source of blood to operate. In fact, while I would hardly say the other Pieces of Fate are without cost, the 8-Ball is the only one with a tangible, direct, and immediate price. Each question asked draws a pinprick of blood from the asker. Not a terribly steep price, but you should see Keel&#x27;s pocked hands.<br />
<br />
Regardless, it is still the most formidable Piece of Fate.<br />
<br />
Though it may lack the overt spectacle of other Pieces, its true terror lies in its utter lack of restraint. The Lens inevitably corrupts and fractures, revealing futures that drive men mad. The Pocket Watch merely offers escape to other adjacent cycles. But the 8-Ball? It seems to know all, and its knowledge often proves as devastating as the question asked.<br />
<br />
And Keel asks damn good questions.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Greenest, yellow, in the purple, pearl and ruby, black, and pale."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Association | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">THE HAUNTED PALACE</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALARIC AUSTERE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE MARCH'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-04'''<br />
<br />
There is a difference between guiding a ship and hijacking the wheel. Lately, the guidance provided by the 8-Ball has felt far too… convenient. Too active to be the passive echo of a mere dead god. To say that I have dealt with Fate, what it was alive, is understatement, and I cannot help but feel that the 8-Ball is not… Well, it doesn’t sit right with me. Any of it. I brought the issue to the table, hoping to get some new perspectives, and Naberius and Indrid are, if nothing else, a multitude of sounding boards, are they not?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have reason to believe that the 8-Ball is not a Piece of Fate.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Are you shitting me, pretty boy? It's the most Fate-y Piece of Fate there is! It tells you what's gonna happen! What's more to Fate than that, huh?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It does not simply tell what will happen next. It guides. It alters. The other Pieces we possess—they allow one to observe Fate, to travel along its currents… to numb the inevitable. They are all passive windows. The 8-Ball, however, is an active hand, pushing the pieces on the board. Its answers so often seem to conveniently defy a pre-written course of action in favor of the asker's desire. That is not the nature of Fate. That is the nature of a rebel—an iconoclast.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… An interesting distinction. Perhaps its function is not to defy Fate, then, but to reveal the most… 'opportune' path. The thread of destiny that one most desires. Even a dead God can have Its favorites, no? And surely we must be favored with so many pieces of Its body.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Besides, all paths end in the cold, silent earth. The 8-Ball merely chooses the most scenic route to the grave. A prettier cliff to fall from. It is a hollow comfort—nothing more, angel.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Different. Yes. It feels… different. Different from the others. The others. The other paths. The other… the other… the Other…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You feel it as well, then. I had suspected as much. Several Universes ago, I was in the presence of Fate Itself. It was an overwhelming resonance, a pressure that defined reality. It was a song that all things were forced to harmonize with. The other Pieces of Fate, they still carry an echo of that song with them. A faint, dying hum of that divine, immutable Archonic power.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh for fuck's sake get to the point, wings! So they hum! What's that got to do with anything?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well, the 8-Ball does not hum. Where the divine ichor of a dead Archon should be, there is… a void. A perfect, polished silence. It feels… hollow. It feels hungry. It does not feel like the corpse of a God. It feels like a cage for something else.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… I see… So, then, it's a forgery? A divine relic that is, in fact, a counterfeit? How deliciously heretical. If you are correct, the implications would be… profound…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But who—or what—could play at being Fate? What darkness would need to be caged in such a manner?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not a cage. No. Not a cage. It's a key. A key that looks like a cage. A key that asks questions. Questions. Questions. Questions—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Precisely. On the surface, the 8-Ball is the answerer of all questions asked, but in truth—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…it is the one asking?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[A heavy silence fell over the room. For the first time, all three of Naberius's heads were quiet, staring at Alaric and Indrid Cold with a shared, unsettling focus.]</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'll see if Jack will let us investigate further.</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"From a Christian perspective to the coming Dawn, 29.975260, 31.137280"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-05'''<br />
<br />
Daichi is handling the history and the others are bored out of their gourds with heaps of paperwork, but I can’t stop thinking about the, y&#x27;know, the vibe of Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball. Most of the Pieces of Fate feel like, like old stones or old bones… all cold and settled. But this one, the 8-Ball, feels like a weed in a garden. I was trying to find the right analogy for Ranoma, something that wouldn&#x27;t give him nightmares, haha. I wanted him to understand that while the other Pieces are dead things, this one feels like it’s still trying to live. To feed. Eh… that doesn&#x27;t sound much less nightmare-y, does it?<br />
<br />
Peace, love, and cautious Joy!<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that one? What does that one mean, Joy? Is it a good one? A heroic one! It looks very, yes very heroic, very heroic indeed!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It's a very good one, Rani. It means you have a gentle and quiet courage. The kind of strength that comes from being brave and kind at the same time.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Yes, yes! That is most certainly me, I am very, yes, very brave! And very kind! A brave, kind hero! That HAS to be me! Speaking of heroic deeds… How's the report for Jack going? Do you need any help? I would love to be of help! Maybe, yes, maybe there are some old texts that need translating or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Joy shook her head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t worry about that. Daichi&#x27;s got the old stuff covered—apparently he was there? And anyway, Rico and Jules don&#x27;t want us to spend any more time on this than we have to. They think it&#x27;s… T—edious? I guess? I mean, I like the distraction from the Dark, but you know those two.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Tedious! Pish posh, I say! Pish posh!! It is a rather grand undertaking! A noble quest for knowledge! A most important and most very noble quest! Have you worked on the report yet? It&#x27;s about Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes. It&#x27;s about the 8-Ball. The 8-Ball… Hmm. It&#x27;s a tricky one, too. You know how some things just have a… a feeling to them? Like how a warm mug of tea feels comforting, or how a room gets quiet right before a thunderstorm?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I do! I do know! There is nothing, simply nothing, I love more than a warm cup of tea! Or a nice quiet thunderstorm! Is the 8-Ball like that? Comforting?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… We—ll… The other Pieces of Fate, they all feel… old. And very sad. Like an echo in a big, empty house. But the 8-Ball feels different. It&#x27;s not an echo. It&#x27;s quiet, but it isn&#x27;t empty. It feels… parasitic?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Parasitic?! No!! Is Jack going to be okay? Do we need to go rescue him from the 8-Ball?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh, no! Not in, like, a scary way! Not like a monster. More like… like a vine that wraps around a tree so tightly it becomes part of the tree. It feels like a little black hole. It doesn&#x27;t make a big noise or show its teeth. It just… pulls, and pulls, and pulls. It wants to draw everything into it. The other Pieces feel like they just… are what they are. Pieces of Fate. Bones of a long-dead God. The 8-Ball feels like it&#x27;s still listening. Still alive. And, well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jericho and Julius entered the room interrupting Joy&#x27;s tarot reading.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Right then, enough of that. We&#x27;ve got real work to do. Mangrove Syndicate was just reported on the move.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What about the Pieces of Fate report?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We have enough. Besides, we will never know more about the 8-Ball than Jack.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The Mangrove Syndicate is on the move?! We have to go then!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s the spirit, Loveland. Let&#x27;s crack on.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-06'''<br />
<br />
And there you have it. The 8-Ball. An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place. I don&#x27;t exactly have time to add to the case myself as an international incident is brewing at Requiem as I type this.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
I leave them for a few months and somehow, someway, they&#x27;ve gone and bungled it all up to hell and back. A week ago I heard that things were progressing well with their whole vile business beneath the lake. And now? Now everyone, EVERYONE, is swarming around trying to place blame on the Cafe and Diner… and I can&#x27;t say I totally believe in their innocence yet. They couldn&#x27;t help themselves from smacking ANOTHER hornet&#x27;s nest with that damned Cane of theirs. Though this time, I don&#x27;t think the Cane was even involved. What a mess. It&#x27;s funny, in a way, the best case scenario in this matter is still high on my list of worst possible cases. The last thing the Coffee Trade needed was the sword of mutually assured destruction looming over all of our heads bigger than Behram&#x27;s deadly double shot.<br />
<br />
My mind is racing, trying to figure out how this could have happened. I mean, I know how it could have happened… but I, I really hope that it&#x27;s not what I fear. Again, the best case scenario is still quite awful no matter how we untangle this mess. I&#x27;m almost tempted to ask Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball myself. Almost. But before I sink to that low, I&#x27;ll go audit the situation as best as I can.<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t say enough, the Requiem Cafe is in CODE RED now. Gah! This is a problem even for IRIS, Astorians, and Ozhogs! Oh, for Pete&#x27;s sake, this is a total disaster. I&#x27;ll write later about my other thoughts, time permitting, of course.<br />
<br />
…Now, let&#x27;s see if I can help sort this mess out before all of our doors end up slammed shut.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=File:MangroveSyndicate.png&diff=8585File:MangroveSyndicate.png2026-05-04T16:53:16Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_4:_What_Remains_of_Fate%3F&diff=8584Case 4: What Remains of Fate?2026-05-04T16:52:24Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: </p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 4</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">What Remains of Fate?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Optional quote here.&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card stamp-parent" id="CAD-05"><br />
<div class="stamp-image"><br />
[[File:MangroveSyndicate.png|260px]]<br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-05'''<br />
<br />
I have a bit of an older case that predates my employment by a few weeks. I am fairly certain other such cases exist, but considering the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s 20 year history, it&#x27;d be an awful lot of trouble to dredge through all that came before me. And besides, I fear if I spend too much time unearthing the Cafe&#x27;s past I would never have a chance to live truly in the present. However, I&#x27;ll make an exception for these edge cases and for the handful of truly important cases from the Cafe&#x27;s past.<br />
<br />
As for what this case was, Jack had been toying with the idea for a public repository of the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s work for some time now. He said it was like a calling from deep within him that he couldn&#x27;t quite shake—A dormant memory of a life unlived by him. Sure, Jack. Whatever you say. Though, Jack failed to consider that his employees, shall we say, &quot;struggle&quot; with keeping a public record of their work. Both in terms of consistency and secrecy. This is one of the few cases that ever came to light and only because it was directly ordered by Jack himself.<br />
<br />
The Cafe and Diner Network on paper exists to maintain a balance between our world—let&#x27;s call it… The States… and the different but not entirely unrelated northern country of Canada. Most customers come from Canada, and now more than ever Canadians and Americans don&#x27;t seem to get along, do they? Regardless, that&#x27;s the stated goal of the organization. In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. Though we protect these items, we don&#x27;t entirely know what they do, and so Jack ordered a thorough investigation into them, starting with his very own Piece of Fate, the 8-Ball. Here&#x27;s what Midnight put together.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Dear… oh bugger! How did it go again? Gus? Hazel? No…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Shakespeare Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">BRUTUS</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JULY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-01'''<br />
<br />
<i>Fate.</i><br />
<br />
Bit of a complicated beast, truth be told. Do we have free will or don&#x27;t we? If there&#x27;s no choice—no true choice—why bother doing anything? Why bother fighting at all? I suppose… if it&#x27;s your destiny, you&#x27;ll fight anyway. But that&#x27;s the hitch, ain&#x27;t it?<br />
<br />
Fate&#x27;s dead and we have pieces of Its bloody corpse to prove it.<br />
<br />
Some time ago—longer than any of us have been around—there was a being named Fate. Fate, as far as we can square it, was an Archon. An ancient pre-Universal entity that should&#x27;ve been immortal. Well… I suppose in some ways It was immortal as Its body isn&#x27;t quite rotting away yet. Its lungs, Its heart, Its eyes, Its bones, Its sinew, Its blood, the whole of what It once was still thrums with the dead God&#x27;s control over what &quot;should&quot; be.<br />
<br />
We, as the Cafe and Diner Network, have quite a few Pieces of Fate, or at least, what we think must be Pieces of Fate. Jack tasked me and my Cafe to study their origins in a hope to understand what exactly each Piece is, was, and currently does. As if we aren&#x27;t busy enough with the bloody bleeding Dark still breathing down our necks… But, I suppose our Cafe is uniquely filled with a wide array of perspectives, a warlock, a vessel, a cryptid, an ouroborian, a high demon, an angel, and whatever the hell Indrid Cold is.<br />
<br />
So, that said, I figured we should start with the Piece that started it all—the 8-Ball.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Absinthe, Raki, Anis, Killepitsch…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Alcohol Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">ARAK</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE SERPENT, DAICHI'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-02'''<br />
<br />
Damascus, 1538.<br />
<br />
I remember like it was yesterday—roasted coffee beans, sweet tobacco, and rich roses filled the air of a dimly lit no-name cafe in Damascus, where mystic minds had gathered for centuries before the Ottomans had ever laid claim to it. It was here, beneath intricately carved wooden beams and the soft glow of oil lamps, that many late nights and early mornings saw the convergence of the mundane and the miraculous. Scholars with their ink-stained fingers met with thieves speckled in soot and blood to exchange their illicit objects for far illicitier ideas.<br />
<br />
One such thief went by the name Ibreez and one such scholar went by the name Nasira.<br />
<br />
Ibreez was a whirlwind of contradictions. A prince and pauper. A thief and luminary. He always dressed like a peacock on market day. He would drape himself in the richest—and gaudiest—of violet cloaks adorned with gold-threaded sashes that caught light like flies in a web. He&#x27;d started off humbly, hawking saffron and Damascene steel, but his true calling emerged in the trade of heretical texts and otherworldly possessions. Though, in truth, he wasn&#x27;t terribly rich himself, he dressed like a prince to avoid the gaze of the Janissaries. No… he was far from rich; every akçe Ibreez would earn he would spend for an hour or Nasira&#x27;s time.<br />
<br />
Nasira al-Ghazani was a renowned Sufi mystic. Her once rich brown eyes had faded into a stormy gray after she glimpsed what was referred to then as the &quot;Second Horizon.&quot; The Otherside. Her layered robes of ochres and earth tones exuded a fragrant blend of clove, ash, and honey. She had once honed her craft under the tutelage of the Mevlevi dervishes of Konya before Fate guided her to a hidden courtyard which she would later form into a cafe along the banks of the Barada.<br />
<br />
Fate is what brought Ibreez and Nasira together—and it was Ibreez and Nasira who would bring Fate Itself back together, piece by piece. Over the course of forty years, the thief and the scholar had managed to find eight Pieces of the dead God Fate: Its Occipital Lobe, Vitreous Humor, Uvula, Fibula, Cochlea, Pineal Gland, Pancreas, and Pericardium. But it all began with Fate&#x27;s Occipital Lobe, now called the 8-Ball.<br />
<br />
A funny little onyx orb that went shaken gives answers. Naturally the more mundane form it has taken is influenced by the mind of its current holder, Jack Keel. But before Jack ever held it, it still naturally took the form of a ball of inky darkness in which answers came to the surface from the back of the skull where possibility pooled into vision.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"What luck, Frank, Danny, and Jamie are all here."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Animal Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">HORSESHOE CRAB</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-03'''<br />
<br />
I have seen the 8-Ball only on a few occasions. Unlike the other Pieces of Fate held by the Cafe and Diner, the 8-Ball belongs to no singular institution, organization, or even a Cafe. It belongs to Keel. It is shackled to him—and him alone. This ownership makes any &quot;thorough&quot; examination nearly impossible for us to properly conduct. I have a suspicion that even if Keel were to permit us temporary custody of the 8-Ball, the true depths of its power would remain forever known only to him.<br />
<br />
What whispers circulate about the 8-Ball speak of its terrifying ability to twist the very fabric of Fate with answers far from beyond Fate&#x27;s own domain. It offers guidance when none is wanted. It grants knowledge that should remain buried. Where the Lens may show what horrors await, and the Pocket Watch permits one to flee between doomed timelines, the 8-Ball delivers brutal, bewildering truth. A hazy yes, no, maybe or sometimes an answer so precise it chills the very blood.<br />
<br />
Ah, speaking of blood, it is the only Piece of Fate that seems to have a thirst for it. Not even the Cane or the Spoon require a constant source of blood to operate. In fact, while I would hardly say the other Pieces of Fate are without cost, the 8-Ball is the only one with a tangible, direct, and immediate price. Each question asked draws a pinprick of blood from the asker. Not a terribly steep price, but you should see Keel&#x27;s pocked hands.<br />
<br />
Regardless, it is still the most formidable Piece of Fate.<br />
<br />
Though it may lack the overt spectacle of other Pieces, its true terror lies in its utter lack of restraint. The Lens inevitably corrupts and fractures, revealing futures that drive men mad. The Pocket Watch merely offers escape to other adjacent cycles. But the 8-Ball? It seems to know all, and its knowledge often proves as devastating as the question asked.<br />
<br />
And Keel asks damn good questions.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Greenest, yellow, in the purple, pearl and ruby, black, and pale."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Association | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">THE HAUNTED PALACE</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALARIC AUSTERE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE MARCH'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-04'''<br />
<br />
There is a difference between guiding a ship and hijacking the wheel. Lately, the guidance provided by the 8-Ball has felt far too… convenient. Too active to be the passive echo of a mere dead god. To say that I have dealt with Fate, what it was alive, is understatement, and I cannot help but feel that the 8-Ball is not… Well, it doesn’t sit right with me. Any of it. I brought the issue to the table, hoping to get some new perspectives, and Naberius and Indrid are, if nothing else, a multitude of sounding boards, are they not?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have reason to believe that the 8-Ball is not a Piece of Fate.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Are you shitting me, pretty boy? It's the most Fate-y Piece of Fate there is! It tells you what's gonna happen! What's more to Fate than that, huh?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It does not simply tell what will happen next. It guides. It alters. The other Pieces we possess—they allow one to observe Fate, to travel along its currents… to numb the inevitable. They are all passive windows. The 8-Ball, however, is an active hand, pushing the pieces on the board. Its answers so often seem to conveniently defy a pre-written course of action in favor of the asker's desire. That is not the nature of Fate. That is the nature of a rebel—an iconoclast.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… An interesting distinction. Perhaps its function is not to defy Fate, then, but to reveal the most… 'opportune' path. The thread of destiny that one most desires. Even a dead God can have Its favorites, no? And surely we must be favored with so many pieces of Its body.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Besides, all paths end in the cold, silent earth. The 8-Ball merely chooses the most scenic route to the grave. A prettier cliff to fall from. It is a hollow comfort—nothing more, angel.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Different. Yes. It feels… different. Different from the others. The others. The other paths. The other… the other… the Other…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You feel it as well, then. I had suspected as much. Several Universes ago, I was in the presence of Fate Itself. It was an overwhelming resonance, a pressure that defined reality. It was a song that all things were forced to harmonize with. The other Pieces of Fate, they still carry an echo of that song with them. A faint, dying hum of that divine, immutable Archonic power.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh for fuck's sake get to the point, wings! So they hum! What's that got to do with anything?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well, the 8-Ball does not hum. Where the divine ichor of a dead Archon should be, there is… a void. A perfect, polished silence. It feels… hollow. It feels hungry. It does not feel like the corpse of a God. It feels like a cage for something else.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… I see… So, then, it's a forgery? A divine relic that is, in fact, a counterfeit? How deliciously heretical. If you are correct, the implications would be… profound…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But who—or what—could play at being Fate? What darkness would need to be caged in such a manner?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not a cage. No. Not a cage. It's a key. A key that looks like a cage. A key that asks questions. Questions. Questions. Questions—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Precisely. On the surface, the 8-Ball is the answerer of all questions asked, but in truth—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…it is the one asking?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[A heavy silence fell over the room. For the first time, all three of Naberius's heads were quiet, staring at Alaric and Indrid Cold with a shared, unsettling focus.]</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'll see if Jack will let us investigate further.</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"From a Christian perspective to the coming Dawn, 29.975260, 31.137280"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-05'''<br />
<br />
Daichi is handling the history and the others are bored out of their gourds with heaps of paperwork, but I can’t stop thinking about the, y&#x27;know, the vibe of Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball. Most of the Pieces of Fate feel like, like old stones or old bones… all cold and settled. But this one, the 8-Ball, feels like a weed in a garden. I was trying to find the right analogy for Ranoma, something that wouldn&#x27;t give him nightmares, haha. I wanted him to understand that while the other Pieces are dead things, this one feels like it’s still trying to live. To feed. Eh… that doesn&#x27;t sound much less nightmare-y, does it?<br />
<br />
Peace, love, and cautious Joy!<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that one? What does that one mean, Joy? Is it a good one? A heroic one! It looks very, yes very heroic, very heroic indeed!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It's a very good one, Rani. It means you have a gentle and quiet courage. The kind of strength that comes from being brave and kind at the same time.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Yes, yes! That is most certainly me, I am very, yes, very brave! And very kind! A brave, kind hero! That HAS to be me! Speaking of heroic deeds… How's the report for Jack going? Do you need any help? I would love to be of help! Maybe, yes, maybe there are some old texts that need translating or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Joy shook her head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t worry about that. Daichi&#x27;s got the old stuff covered—apparently he was there? And anyway, Rico and Jules don&#x27;t want us to spend any more time on this than we have to. They think it&#x27;s… T—edious? I guess? I mean, I like the distraction from the Dark, but you know those two.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Tedious! Pish posh, I say! Pish posh!! It is a rather grand undertaking! A noble quest for knowledge! A most important and most very noble quest! Have you worked on the report yet? It&#x27;s about Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes. It&#x27;s about the 8-Ball. The 8-Ball… Hmm. It&#x27;s a tricky one, too. You know how some things just have a… a feeling to them? Like how a warm mug of tea feels comforting, or how a room gets quiet right before a thunderstorm?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I do! I do know! There is nothing, simply nothing, I love more than a warm cup of tea! Or a nice quiet thunderstorm! Is the 8-Ball like that? Comforting?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… We—ll… The other Pieces of Fate, they all feel… old. And very sad. Like an echo in a big, empty house. But the 8-Ball feels different. It&#x27;s not an echo. It&#x27;s quiet, but it isn&#x27;t empty. It feels… parasitic?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Parasitic?! No!! Is Jack going to be okay? Do we need to go rescue him from the 8-Ball?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh, no! Not in, like, a scary way! Not like a monster. More like… like a vine that wraps around a tree so tightly it becomes part of the tree. It feels like a little black hole. It doesn&#x27;t make a big noise or show its teeth. It just… pulls, and pulls, and pulls. It wants to draw everything into it. The other Pieces feel like they just… are what they are. Pieces of Fate. Bones of a long-dead God. The 8-Ball feels like it&#x27;s still listening. Still alive. And, well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jericho and Julius entered the room interrupting Joy&#x27;s tarot reading.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Right then, enough of that. We&#x27;ve got real work to do. Mangrove Syndicate was just reported on the move.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What about the Pieces of Fate report?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We have enough. Besides, we will never know more about the 8-Ball than Jack.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The Mangrove Syndicate is on the move?! We have to go then!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s the spirit, Loveland. Let&#x27;s crack on.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-06'''<br />
<br />
And there you have it. The 8-Ball. An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place. I don&#x27;t exactly have time to add to the case myself as an international incident is brewing at Requiem as I type this.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
I leave them for a few months and somehow, someway, they&#x27;ve gone and bungled it all up to hell and back. A week ago I heard that things were progressing well with their whole vile business beneath the lake. And now? Now everyone, EVERYONE, is swarming around trying to place blame on the Cafe and Diner… and I can&#x27;t say I totally believe in their innocence yet. They couldn&#x27;t help themselves from smacking ANOTHER hornet&#x27;s nest with that damned Cane of theirs. Though this time, I don&#x27;t think the Cane was even involved. What a mess. It&#x27;s funny, in a way, the best case scenario in this matter is still high on my list of worst possible cases. The last thing the Coffee Trade needed was the sword of mutually assured destruction looming over all of our heads bigger than Behram&#x27;s deadly double shot.<br />
<br />
My mind is racing, trying to figure out how this could have happened. I mean, I know how it could have happened… but I, I really hope that it&#x27;s not what I fear. Again, the best case scenario is still quite awful no matter how we untangle this mess. I&#x27;m almost tempted to ask Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball myself. Almost. But before I sink to that low, I&#x27;ll go audit the situation as best as I can.<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t say enough, the Requiem Cafe is in CODE RED now. Gah! This is a problem even for IRIS, Astorians, and Ozhogs! Oh, for Pete&#x27;s sake, this is a total disaster. I&#x27;ll write later about my other thoughts, time permitting, of course.<br />
<br />
…Now, let&#x27;s see if I can help sort this mess out before all of our doors end up slammed shut.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexXhttp://cafeanddinerwiki.arg.codexsecret.com/index.php?title=Case_4:_What_Remains_of_Fate%3F&diff=8583Case 4: What Remains of Fate?2026-05-04T16:51:22Z<p>XxSecretCodexX: Created page with "<div class="cdn-archive-page"> <div class="cdn-archive-hero"> <div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 4</div> <div class="cdn-archive-title">What Remains of Fate?</div> <div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Optional quote here.&quot;</div> </div> <div class="cdn-divider"></div> <div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div> <div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-05"> <div class="cdn-receipt-header"> <div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-05</div> <div class="cdn-recei..."</p>
<hr />
<div><div class="cdn-archive-page"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-hero"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-label">CASE NO. 4</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-title">What Remains of Fate?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-archive-subtitle">&quot;Optional quote here.&quot;</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-divider"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-section-heading">Receipts</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-05'''<br />
<br />
I have a bit of an older case that predates my employment by a few weeks. I am fairly certain other such cases exist, but considering the Cafe and Diner Network&#x27;s 20 year history, it&#x27;d be an awful lot of trouble to dredge through all that came before me. And besides, I fear if I spend too much time unearthing the Cafe&#x27;s past I would never have a chance to live truly in the present. However, I&#x27;ll make an exception for these edge cases and for the handful of truly important cases from the Cafe&#x27;s past.<br />
<br />
As for what this case was, Jack had been toying with the idea for a public repository of the Cafe and Diner&#x27;s work for some time now. He said it was like a calling from deep within him that he couldn&#x27;t quite shake—A dormant memory of a life unlived by him. Sure, Jack. Whatever you say. Though, Jack failed to consider that his employees, shall we say, &quot;struggle&quot; with keeping a public record of their work. Both in terms of consistency and secrecy. This is one of the few cases that ever came to light and only because it was directly ordered by Jack himself.<br />
<br />
The Cafe and Diner Network on paper exists to maintain a balance between our world—let&#x27;s call it… The States… and the different but not entirely unrelated northern country of Canada. Most customers come from Canada, and now more than ever Canadians and Americans don&#x27;t seem to get along, do they? Regardless, that&#x27;s the stated goal of the organization. In truth, the Cafe and Diner Network exists to protect and safeguard the eight known Pieces of Fate: the 8-Ball, the Pocket Watch, the Cane, the Spoon, the Lens, the Bell, the Ledger, and the Locket. Though we protect these items, we don&#x27;t entirely know what they do, and so Jack ordered a thorough investigation into them, starting with his very own Piece of Fate, the 8-Ball. Here&#x27;s what Midnight put together.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-01"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-01</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Dear… oh bugger! How did it go again? Gus? Hazel? No…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Shakespeare Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">BRUTUS</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JERICHO MYERSCOUGH'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE JULY'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-01'''<br />
<br />
<i>Fate.</i><br />
<br />
Bit of a complicated beast, truth be told. Do we have free will or don&#x27;t we? If there&#x27;s no choice—no true choice—why bother doing anything? Why bother fighting at all? I suppose… if it&#x27;s your destiny, you&#x27;ll fight anyway. But that&#x27;s the hitch, ain&#x27;t it?<br />
<br />
Fate&#x27;s dead and we have pieces of Its bloody corpse to prove it.<br />
<br />
Some time ago—longer than any of us have been around—there was a being named Fate. Fate, as far as we can square it, was an Archon. An ancient pre-Universal entity that should&#x27;ve been immortal. Well… I suppose in some ways It was immortal as Its body isn&#x27;t quite rotting away yet. Its lungs, Its heart, Its eyes, Its bones, Its sinew, Its blood, the whole of what It once was still thrums with the dead God&#x27;s control over what &quot;should&quot; be.<br />
<br />
We, as the Cafe and Diner Network, have quite a few Pieces of Fate, or at least, what we think must be Pieces of Fate. Jack tasked me and my Cafe to study their origins in a hope to understand what exactly each Piece is, was, and currently does. As if we aren&#x27;t busy enough with the bloody bleeding Dark still breathing down our necks… But, I suppose our Cafe is uniquely filled with a wide array of perspectives, a warlock, a vessel, a cryptid, an ouroborian, a high demon, an angel, and whatever the hell Indrid Cold is.<br />
<br />
So, that said, I figured we should start with the Piece that started it all—the 8-Ball.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-02"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-02</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Absinthe, Raki, Anis, Killepitsch…"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Alcohol Trivia | 1 Word</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">ARAK</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE SERPENT, DAICHI'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-02'''<br />
<br />
Damascus, 1538.<br />
<br />
I remember like it was yesterday—roasted coffee beans, sweet tobacco, and rich roses filled the air of a dimly lit no-name cafe in Damascus, where mystic minds had gathered for centuries before the Ottomans had ever laid claim to it. It was here, beneath intricately carved wooden beams and the soft glow of oil lamps, that many late nights and early mornings saw the convergence of the mundane and the miraculous. Scholars with their ink-stained fingers met with thieves speckled in soot and blood to exchange their illicit objects for far illicitier ideas.<br />
<br />
One such thief went by the name Ibreez and one such scholar went by the name Nasira.<br />
<br />
Ibreez was a whirlwind of contradictions. A prince and pauper. A thief and luminary. He always dressed like a peacock on market day. He would drape himself in the richest—and gaudiest—of violet cloaks adorned with gold-threaded sashes that caught light like flies in a web. He&#x27;d started off humbly, hawking saffron and Damascene steel, but his true calling emerged in the trade of heretical texts and otherworldly possessions. Though, in truth, he wasn&#x27;t terribly rich himself, he dressed like a prince to avoid the gaze of the Janissaries. No… he was far from rich; every akçe Ibreez would earn he would spend for an hour or Nasira&#x27;s time.<br />
<br />
Nasira al-Ghazani was a renowned Sufi mystic. Her once rich brown eyes had faded into a stormy gray after she glimpsed what was referred to then as the &quot;Second Horizon.&quot; The Otherside. Her layered robes of ochres and earth tones exuded a fragrant blend of clove, ash, and honey. She had once honed her craft under the tutelage of the Mevlevi dervishes of Konya before Fate guided her to a hidden courtyard which she would later form into a cafe along the banks of the Barada.<br />
<br />
Fate is what brought Ibreez and Nasira together—and it was Ibreez and Nasira who would bring Fate Itself back together, piece by piece. Over the course of forty years, the thief and the scholar had managed to find eight Pieces of the dead God Fate: Its Occipital Lobe, Vitreous Humor, Uvula, Fibula, Cochlea, Pineal Gland, Pancreas, and Pericardium. But it all began with Fate&#x27;s Occipital Lobe, now called the 8-Ball.<br />
<br />
A funny little onyx orb that went shaken gives answers. Naturally the more mundane form it has taken is influenced by the mind of its current holder, Jack Keel. But before Jack ever held it, it still naturally took the form of a ball of inky darkness in which answers came to the surface from the back of the skull where possibility pooled into vision.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="C-POF-03"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">C-POF-03</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"What luck, Frank, Danny, and Jamie are all here."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Animal Trivia | 2 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">HORSESHOE CRAB</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JULIUS MENDOZA'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: C-POF-03'''<br />
<br />
I have seen the 8-Ball only on a few occasions. Unlike the other Pieces of Fate held by the Cafe and Diner, the 8-Ball belongs to no singular institution, organization, or even a Cafe. It belongs to Keel. It is shackled to him—and him alone. This ownership makes any &quot;thorough&quot; examination nearly impossible for us to properly conduct. I have a suspicion that even if Keel were to permit us temporary custody of the 8-Ball, the true depths of its power would remain forever known only to him.<br />
<br />
What whispers circulate about the 8-Ball speak of its terrifying ability to twist the very fabric of Fate with answers far from beyond Fate&#x27;s own domain. It offers guidance when none is wanted. It grants knowledge that should remain buried. Where the Lens may show what horrors await, and the Pocket Watch permits one to flee between doomed timelines, the 8-Ball delivers brutal, bewildering truth. A hazy yes, no, maybe or sometimes an answer so precise it chills the very blood.<br />
<br />
Ah, speaking of blood, it is the only Piece of Fate that seems to have a thirst for it. Not even the Cane or the Spoon require a constant source of blood to operate. In fact, while I would hardly say the other Pieces of Fate are without cost, the 8-Ball is the only one with a tangible, direct, and immediate price. Each question asked draws a pinprick of blood from the asker. Not a terribly steep price, but you should see Keel&#x27;s pocked hands.<br />
<br />
Regardless, it is still the most formidable Piece of Fate.<br />
<br />
Though it may lack the overt spectacle of other Pieces, its true terror lies in its utter lack of restraint. The Lens inevitably corrupts and fractures, revealing futures that drive men mad. The Pocket Watch merely offers escape to other adjacent cycles. But the 8-Ball? It seems to know all, and its knowledge often proves as devastating as the question asked.<br />
<br />
And Keel asks damn good questions.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-04"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-04</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"Greenest, yellow, in the purple, pearl and ruby, black, and pale."</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Association | 3 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">THE HAUNTED PALACE</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: ALARIC AUSTERE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: LATE MARCH'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-04'''<br />
<br />
There is a difference between guiding a ship and hijacking the wheel. Lately, the guidance provided by the 8-Ball has felt far too… convenient. Too active to be the passive echo of a mere dead god. To say that I have dealt with Fate, what it was alive, is understatement, and I cannot help but feel that the 8-Ball is not… Well, it doesn’t sit right with me. Any of it. I brought the issue to the table, hoping to get some new perspectives, and Naberius and Indrid are, if nothing else, a multitude of sounding boards, are they not?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I have reason to believe that the 8-Ball is not a Piece of Fate.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Are you shitting me, pretty boy? It's the most Fate-y Piece of Fate there is! It tells you what's gonna happen! What's more to Fate than that, huh?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It does not simply tell what will happen next. It guides. It alters. The other Pieces we possess—they allow one to observe Fate, to travel along its currents… to numb the inevitable. They are all passive windows. The 8-Ball, however, is an active hand, pushing the pieces on the board. Its answers so often seem to conveniently defy a pre-written course of action in favor of the asker's desire. That is not the nature of Fate. That is the nature of a rebel—an iconoclast.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… An interesting distinction. Perhaps its function is not to defy Fate, then, but to reveal the most… 'opportune' path. The thread of destiny that one most desires. Even a dead God can have Its favorites, no? And surely we must be favored with so many pieces of Its body.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Besides, all paths end in the cold, silent earth. The 8-Ball merely chooses the most scenic route to the grave. A prettier cliff to fall from. It is a hollow comfort—nothing more, angel.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Different. Yes. It feels… different. Different from the others. The others. The other paths. The other… the other… the Other…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">You feel it as well, then. I had suspected as much. Several Universes ago, I was in the presence of Fate Itself. It was an overwhelming resonance, a pressure that defined reality. It was a song that all things were forced to harmonize with. The other Pieces of Fate, they still carry an echo of that song with them. A faint, dying hum of that divine, immutable Archonic power.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius I</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh for fuck's sake get to the point, wings! So they hum! What's that got to do with anything?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Well, the 8-Ball does not hum. Where the divine ichor of a dead Archon should be, there is… a void. A perfect, polished silence. It feels… hollow. It feels hungry. It does not feel like the corpse of a God. It feels like a cage for something else.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… I see… So, then, it's a forgery? A divine relic that is, in fact, a counterfeit? How deliciously heretical. If you are correct, the implications would be… profound…</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius III</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">But who—or what—could play at being Fate? What darkness would need to be caged in such a manner?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Indrid Cold</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Not a cage. No. Not a cage. It's a key. A key that looks like a cage. A key that asks questions. Questions. Questions. Questions—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Precisely. On the surface, the 8-Ball is the answerer of all questions asked, but in truth—</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Naberius II</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">…it is the one asking?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[A heavy silence fell over the room. For the first time, all three of Naberius's heads were quiet, staring at Alaric and Indrid Cold with a shared, unsettling focus.]</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Alaric</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I'll see if Jack will let us investigate further.</div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CD-POF-05"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CD-POF-05</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">CAFFEINATED</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Puzzle</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-clue">"From a Christian perspective to the coming Dawn, 29.975260, 31.137280"</div><br />
<div class="cdn-puzzle-type">Research | 4 Words</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Hints</div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 1: <span class="spoiler-text">[Gentle hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 2: <span class="spoiler-text">[Medium hint]</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-hint">Hint 3: <span class="spoiler-text">[Strong hint]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer-panel"><br />
<div class="cdn-panel-label">Answer</div><br />
<div class="cdn-answer"><span class="spoiler-text">THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE</span></div><br />
<div class="cdn-explanation"><span class="spoiler-text">[Explanation goes here]</span></div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: JOY LIVINGSTONE'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: MIDNIGHT'''<br><br />
'''DATE: MID AUGUST'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CD-POF-05'''<br />
<br />
Daichi is handling the history and the others are bored out of their gourds with heaps of paperwork, but I can’t stop thinking about the, y&#x27;know, the vibe of Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball. Most of the Pieces of Fate feel like, like old stones or old bones… all cold and settled. But this one, the 8-Ball, feels like a weed in a garden. I was trying to find the right analogy for Ranoma, something that wouldn&#x27;t give him nightmares, haha. I wanted him to understand that while the other Pieces are dead things, this one feels like it’s still trying to live. To feed. Eh… that doesn&#x27;t sound much less nightmare-y, does it?<br />
<br />
Peace, love, and cautious Joy!<br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-transcript"><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">And that one? What does that one mean, Joy? Is it a good one? A heroic one! It looks very, yes very heroic, very heroic indeed!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">It's a very good one, Rani. It means you have a gentle and quiet courage. The kind of strength that comes from being brave and kind at the same time.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh! Yes, yes! That is most certainly me, I am very, yes, very brave! And very kind! A brave, kind hero! That HAS to be me! Speaking of heroic deeds… How's the report for Jack going? Do you need any help? I would love to be of help! Maybe, yes, maybe there are some old texts that need translating or—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Joy shook her head.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Don&#x27;t worry about that. Daichi&#x27;s got the old stuff covered—apparently he was there? And anyway, Rico and Jules don&#x27;t want us to spend any more time on this than we have to. They think it&#x27;s… T—edious? I guess? I mean, I like the distraction from the Dark, but you know those two.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Tedious! Pish posh, I say! Pish posh!! It is a rather grand undertaking! A noble quest for knowledge! A most important and most very noble quest! Have you worked on the report yet? It&#x27;s about Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball right?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Yes. It&#x27;s about the 8-Ball. The 8-Ball… Hmm. It&#x27;s a tricky one, too. You know how some things just have a… a feeling to them? Like how a warm mug of tea feels comforting, or how a room gets quiet right before a thunderstorm?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I do! I do know! There is nothing, simply nothing, I love more than a warm cup of tea! Or a nice quiet thunderstorm! Is the 8-Ball like that? Comforting?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Mm… We—ll… The other Pieces of Fate, they all feel… old. And very sad. Like an echo in a big, empty house. But the 8-Ball feels different. It&#x27;s not an echo. It&#x27;s quiet, but it isn&#x27;t empty. It feels… parasitic?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Parasitic?! No!! Is Jack going to be okay? Do we need to go rescue him from the 8-Ball?!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Oh, no! Not in, like, a scary way! Not like a monster. More like… like a vine that wraps around a tree so tightly it becomes part of the tree. It feels like a little black hole. It doesn&#x27;t make a big noise or show its teeth. It just… pulls, and pulls, and pulls. It wants to draw everything into it. The other Pieces feel like they just… are what they are. Pieces of Fate. Bones of a long-dead God. The 8-Ball feels like it&#x27;s still listening. Still alive. And, well—</div><br />
<div class="cdn-stage">[Jericho and Julius entered the room interrupting Joy&#x27;s tarot reading.]</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">Right then, enough of that. We&#x27;ve got real work to do. Mangrove Syndicate was just reported on the move.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">What about the Pieces of Fate report?</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Julius</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">We have enough. Besides, we will never know more about the 8-Ball than Jack.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Joy</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">I see.</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Ranoma</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">The Mangrove Syndicate is on the move?! We have to go then!</div><br />
<div class="cdn-speaker">Rico</div><br />
<div class="cdn-line">That&#x27;s the spirit, Loveland. Let&#x27;s crack on.</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-card" id="CAD-06"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-header"><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-id">CAD-06</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-stamp">OPEN</div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="cdn-receipt-body"><br />
'''BARISTA: THE AUDITOR'''<br><br />
'''CAFE: NONE'''<br><br />
'''DATE: EARLY DECEMBER'''<br><br />
'''RECEIPT ID: CAD-06'''<br />
<br />
And there you have it. The 8-Ball. An 8-Ball, more precisely but that devious distinction… will have to wait for another time and another place. I don&#x27;t exactly have time to add to the case myself as an international incident is brewing at Requiem as I type this.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
I leave them for a few months and somehow, someway, they&#x27;ve gone and bungled it all up to hell and back. A week ago I heard that things were progressing well with their whole vile business beneath the lake. And now? Now everyone, EVERYONE, is swarming around trying to place blame on the Cafe and Diner… and I can&#x27;t say I totally believe in their innocence yet. They couldn&#x27;t help themselves from smacking ANOTHER hornet&#x27;s nest with that damned Cane of theirs. Though this time, I don&#x27;t think the Cane was even involved. What a mess. It&#x27;s funny, in a way, the best case scenario in this matter is still high on my list of worst possible cases. The last thing the Coffee Trade needed was the sword of mutually assured destruction looming over all of our heads bigger than Behram&#x27;s deadly double shot.<br />
<br />
My mind is racing, trying to figure out how this could have happened. I mean, I know how it could have happened… but I, I really hope that it&#x27;s not what I fear. Again, the best case scenario is still quite awful no matter how we untangle this mess. I&#x27;m almost tempted to ask Jack&#x27;s 8-Ball myself. Almost. But before I sink to that low, I&#x27;ll go audit the situation as best as I can.<br />
<br />
I can&#x27;t say enough, the Requiem Cafe is in CODE RED now. Gah! This is a problem even for IRIS, Astorians, and Ozhogs! Oh, for Pete&#x27;s sake, this is a total disaster. I&#x27;ll write later about my other thoughts, time permitting, of course.<br />
<br />
…Now, let&#x27;s see if I can help sort this mess out before all of our doors end up slammed shut.<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
</div></div>XxSecretCodexX