C-TBP02 (Oct 13, 1988)
Puzzle
"nil a a b c e h m u…?"
Cipher | 1 Word
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: A1Z26 does wonders here.
Clue 2: It's a very famous sequence.
Clue 3: What's next?
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Thirty-four
Explanation: Translating the letters to numbers yields 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21, with nil acting as 0. This sequence is known as the Fibonacci sequence, where the next number is the sum of the last two numbers before them. In this case, the next one along is 34, or Thirty-four.
Summary of Receipt
Eight shows up again and gives very interesting lore as to how the Otherside (hell) and the regular world interact. Basically it’s dependent on different things, such as ley lines and fault lines, and other phenomena. The moon is very important - based on the placement/phases, you can try to guess what Plane of the Otherworld the regular world will sync with. For the First CaD’s location, at Los Angeles, it’s right next to a fault line, so that’s fun. The CaD will mainly have to deal with Hauntaurskaldian demons, and not need to worry about Ouroboros and Infernus entities. The others come in semi-frequently. Also, the exact location of the First CaD lines up almost perfectly with the 8th Otherworld Plane. Since the Otherworld doesn’t exist yet, I’m assuming this refers to Eden. Eight suspects that this is the work of fate - or Fate.
Transcript
CAFE RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: TBP02
RECEIPT DATE: 10 13 1988
MANAGER TITLE: EIGHT
RECEIPT NOTES:
Alright, I think I’m starting to pick up on the vibe around here, and I gotta say—it’s pretty bleak. So, if you remember from my last note, I mentioned that L.A. sits near a fault line, which allows the Otherside to leak into the Flipside more easily. With that in mind, the next logical question is: what part of the Otherside is leaking into the Flipside at this spot?
For the most part, where the Otherside “is” in relation to the Flipside depends on celestial phenomena. Of course, there are exceptions, and it gets even more complicated when dealing with non-natural links to the Otherside. But if we’re sticking to leylines, fault lines, and other natural connections, it’s fairly predictable. Basically, we’ve got a big ol' celestial pendulum hanging over us all the time: the moon.
Depending on the moon’s phase and position, you can figure out where the Otherside overlaps with the Flipside. This shifts based on where you are, too. All that to say, L.A. is aligned with the Hauntaurskald plane of the Otherside about two-thirds of every month. The only planes that don’t naturally align with L.A. are the Ouroboros and Infernus. Ouroboros isn’t a big shock—only a few places on Earth line up with that plane, and only during rare celestial events like syzygies. And as for Infernus, it’s just on the tail end of L.A.’s alignment rotation. If you ever need to access Infernus, take a trip to Vegas—not that much goes on in the Infernus anyway. :)
So, with our Cafe and Diner set up here, we’ll mostly be dealing with boogiemen and other Hauntaurskaldian demons. It’s definitely the roughest plane to be aligned with, but hey, I guess that’s the price of living on the West Coast, right? Still, I see this as a good thing. It means we’re positioned where the worst of the worst can show up, giving us the best chance to protect the Flipside.
One last thing I wanted to mention—I don’t want to point fingers, but this location wasn’t chosen by chance, was it? The Cafe and Diner sits in a pretty unique spot, almost perfectly aligned with the eighth plane of the Otherside. I can imagine why Lucy might be interested in setting up shop here… But again, not pointing fingers. Who knows? Maybe it’s just Fate?
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