C-EOA05 (Nov 29, 2024)
Puzzle
“-LAND 1949”
Research | 1 Word
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: Literally, 'minus LAND 1949'.
Clue 2: Think about what these shards represent, and who they belong to, if you want to narrow down your research.
Clue 3: What 'land' was removed in 1949?
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Hollywood
Explanation: First created in 1923, the Hollywood Sign used to read 'Hollywood Land' before the bit that read 'Land' was removed in 1949.
Summary of Receipt
Summary
Transcript
[Date: Nov/29/24]
[Cycle: SNOW PRIME]
[Barista: Lavender]
[Subject: Business as Unusual]
[File Reference: C-EOA05]
It’s the same, but it’s not.
The air feels heavier here, charged with a tension I can’t quite place. The Cafe looks just as it did before—the same warm wood tables, the soft hum of the espresso machine, even the familiar squeak in the floorboard by the counter. But underneath it all, something feels… wrong. Not immediately dangerous. Not yet, anyway.
Outside, the parking lot is empty. No cultists, no glittering robes, no chanting. Just an overcast sky and a single crow perched on the neon sign, its head cocked like it knows something we don’t. I stepped out for a moment, hoping the fresh air might clear my head, and that’s when I saw the first undeniable difference: this isn’t Klamath Falls, Oregon. It’s Hollywood. The sign’s kind of a dead giveaway.
The others feel it too. Hazelnut hasn’t stopped pacing since we landed, muttering about how the magical currents “buzz differently” here, and how it’s making his molars hurt. Cherry’s trying to play it cool, but I caught the way her hands lingered over the broken wards by the door. Even Vanilla’s unusually quiet, her sharp focus locked on her CaDCom, which hasn’t stopped beeping since we arrived. Caramel’s curled up in a booth, doing her best not to have a complete meltdown. And Hibiscus? She’s… rebooting, I think. Out cold. But the CaDComs are still working, so she must be okay. Maybe she’s just recalibrating to this alternate Cycle?
I don’t know where we are, exactly. Or when. But one thing is clear: this Cafe’s already been cleared out. And our only clue seems to be a flyer pinned to the corkboard at the back of the Cafe. It’s for the Sutro Baths, still fully intact in San Francisco. Scrawled across it—in what looks like Peppermint’s handwriting—are the words:
“Koleman’s Back—Institute for Socio-Reengineering.”