(no subject)

[themurderbird]

I have a lot of information to share. I hope all of you have also been keeping careful notes and sharing everything you have discovered!

That was something at Pompel & Swint’s yesterday. Ice does seem to do the trick. Whatever this force is, certainly seems out to do harm, but why did it target Swint? I would talk to him, but I don't know him very well, so I'm not sure it would do much good. Would someone like to volunteer?

We spoke to Pocket. She called me an "incandescent little scholar". She repeatedly mentioned "him". I'm not sure who she is referring to precisely, but I assume he's the one behind the vines and the fire, or at least aligned with it. She said they thought they had to see all of him to defeat him, but the weeds (he is the weeds?) grows like a bad rumor that gets worse the more he's talked about. "The only way to stay safe is not to look." They (?) used her to catch him, and she was bound. Now, she has to talk around it to say anything at all. The muggles (she called them the humans we hide from) sought "infinity" but found it "somewhere strange". She said something like that is hungry, that it eats and eats. I believe this is perhaps what happened to Paw Paw. She said they pushed it back and "knit its mouth closed" (she used the word knit specifically, perhaps relevant to mentions of tailors etc?). She said it cost a lot and she has held it closed alone. But then recently, something like her in a place with a heart died. She had to help fill the wound it left, and something slipped out. "They" told her that the only way to prepare was to stay in the dark, though. Which, frankly? No thank you.

I almost forgot, I heard Ms. Altizer and Dr. Huang talking to Mr. Qualls on Friday, before Mr. Zahidi had to fill in in the computer lab. He was glitching and asking whether anyone in his extended family was left in Elflock Falls. Bryce is safe, but Marilynn's brother is still there? Does anyone know the relevance of that? Why would his extended family matter?

Another odd thing. I tried to talk to Lir Liu about the history of the bowling alley. Aside from the moonshine running, brawls, wand duels, foiled robberies, gunfights, and sentient bowling balls, there was a fire in the late 80's. That seems relevant. Additionally, when I mentioned the kidnappings, he seemed like he almost didn't remember them? He had that "oh yeah, that!" sort of attitude. Frankly, it was very offensive. I suppose it's possible he's on some mind altering drug, though I haven't seen any evidence of it. More likely something odd is at play.

I'm going back down into that basement. I work at the bowling alley, so it shouldn't be hard for me to find a way in. I will need at least one person from each house to accompany me, because I plan to experiment with the hatch. At a minimum, you should be capable of freezing charms. If you would like to accompany me, please reply below and detail your relevant skills. I can't take more than a few, or we'll be caught. I'll let the winners you know in a few days if I'd like you to join. And remember, as Snoop Crupp says in "Keepers Got Game", snitches get stitches!

Comments

[numerologest]

Yeah. [...] Or, well, her brother.

[necrodanseuse]

I happened to have a vision about her last night. Right when the fire was happening. She was crying. [...] I mean I think it was her, and all. Then I flashed back to what I’d seen before.

And then my cicada left me, which I’m a little bitter over, it could’ve at least remained a necklace.

[numerologest]

Saw Pocket do something to Swint after they pulled him out of the fire. The older brother was like, "You gotta give it back to him..." Maybe she took it back?

Sorry about that. Was a nice necklace.

[necrodanseuse]

That stands to reason.
The memories must exist with Pocket but also here, in our shells. Safekeeping, something like that?

Ah, it’s all right. Everyone grows out of bug jewelry.

Also what was the personal cost? Was Ms. Altizer mean to you? Shall I water bomb her again?

[themurderbird]

Are the shells little memory flash drives?

[necrodanseuse]

With awfully strange password protocol

[themurderbird]

Pretty secure, though.

[nublada]

Ohhhhhhh.

Curious that Mr. Potkin dropped one when we [...] spoke with him. Was someone actively removing his memory??

[themurderbird]

Ohh, maybe?

[quidditched]

Thwip.

[numerologest]

2-Factor Authentication, maybe? Leave it to the bugs to have good security.

Oh, she [...] I just had to [...] perform the version of the verse I had to her satisfaction.

[themurderbird]

You what?

[numerologest]

I had to [...] rap the version you wrote out for me until she "remembered" what I was talking about.

[necrodanseuse]

Sort of good. It begs the question why we’re finding them this year.

Oh, encore. Please

[themurderbird]

Because something like Pocket died, and she had to fill the wound, and something slipped out. Whatever that means.

Seconded!

[numerologest]

Like Trudy said, apparently. More metaphors.

It'll cost you.

[tristfully]

Do you think we're allowed to give them back then?

I have Mr. Crockett's but I doubt he wants to talk to us right now.

[quidditched]

Think we should.

[...] Or at least open the ones we've found.

[quodpotted]

uugghhhhhh

[tristfully]

Do you think we're putting them in danger? By forcing them to remember?

[themurderbird]

If it were my memory, I would want it back.

[tristfully]

Mr. Crockett and Mr. Trullinger both told me they gave up their memories willingly.

[numerologest]

Pocket seemed reluctant to give them back, but I think she saw it was the right thing, in the end.

Wish there was a way we could [...] see if they want em.

[tristfully]

Hey, Mr. Crockett. You want deez?

[merlinpletcher]

What they want can't be our main concern at this point, can it? This is getting to be do or die.

[...]

Shouldn't hide from the past, anyway.