Cantabile

[professahhh]

Luke Triton Witches don't really exist. Do they?

[ a bit later ]

Luke Triton Despite all the odd happenings lately, I've been trying to focus on studying. It can get a bit boring, though, especially with the lovely spring weather outside. What's your favorite thing about spring, and is it lamb?

Comments

[professahhh]

I know, but... I meant the actual, spell-casting kind! You know, the type to be able to hurl curses about and turn people into newts.

[curseoclock]

oh yeah, nah, that's fake for sure.

it'd be neat if they weren't, though! idk if i'd wanna curse someone, but being able to would be pretty cool, wouldn't it?

[professahhh]

As long as you could turn them back. Otherwise, you'd end up with a whole jar of newts.

[curseoclock]

pshhh no just turn it into a newt zoo!

what's with the sudden witchy worries anyways? you're not scared of actual curses are you?

[professahhh]

Well, I was talking to a friend about the other day, actually. Someone had found out a secret of his and stuck a sign about it to his back!

He said it had to be magic.

[curseoclock]

oh yeah. that. that happened to me too actually. and a few others i talked to

i don't really have a reasonable explanation for that one myself, so sure, i guess magic is totally a possibility.

[professahhh]

Not you, too!

It's the 21st century, surely we must be able to think of some other solution.

[curseoclock]

yeeeep. it kinda sucked. and my secret was something i never told anyone so i dunno where someone could've gotten it from

yeah you'd think so. but i don't have a better explanation

what i do know is that whoever's going around spreading secrets like this is someone i definitely wouldn't mind seeing transformed into a newt. they're a real jerk!

[professahhh]

It's certainly unscrupulous.

And those reporters! You'd think they had nothing better to do!

[curseoclock]

yeah must've been a seriously slow news day, huh? just going after random people like that.

it's not even celebrity gossip or anything

[professahhh]

The odd thing was that they were treating it as if it was! Photographers and everything.

It's a real puzzle, I'll tell you that.

[curseoclock]

right? i had to deal with a bunch of them. well i dealt with them pretty easily, but they were super persistent

i don't wanna seem like a conspiracy nut or anything but it makes you wonder if someone told them to do that or something???

[professahhh]

I couldn't begin to guess.

But since we're both safe and sound now, why don't we celebrate? I've got a puzzle I've been just dying to tell someone!

[curseoclock]

oh? sure, sounds fun

hit me!

[professahhh]

Alright, then! I've got five pairs of words in mind. Remove the letters 'ba' from the first word in the pair, and you'll get a second word. Naturally, I'll give you a hint as to what one of the words are.

For instance, if I were to say 'Start with a word that means equilibrium', you'd say 'balance'. Take out the 'ba', and you have the word 'lance'. Does that make sense?

[curseoclock]

hmmmm yeah, i think so!

[professahhh]

Wonderful! Now, the first word is a kind of seafood!

[ Mmm, seafood. ]