21 traps filled

[ectobabble]

[good morning, Paradisa. when everyone's journals jumped into their hands, this particular Ghostbuster was asleep ... so he woke up with a journal tucked under his arm instead of his stuffed Mr. Stay Puft. now that he's over the initial confusion, he's perusing the new transcriptions in the library, with a big mug of cocoa]

I know a lotta people are talking about this, so I'm sorry if this is beating a dead horse - no offense, Equestrians, oops - but the PKE reading on my journal is just the same as it was yesterday, and the baseline castle energy levels are the same. From a strictly statistical point of view, it doesn't look like we're in any trouble. It's just that we've lost old data... but knowing Paradisa, that'll turn up eventually, anyway. I'm in the library right now, if anyone wants to come and help me look....

Comments

dictated; you knew it was coming

[checklist]

Beating a- what!?

[psych0p0mps]

so that means everything else is normal then?
weird

[dictated]

[demonologist]

What data do you believe was lost?

Finally doing this

[modernholmes]

PKE reading? Really?

yes I did, and I regret nothing

[ectobabble]

Ohhhh, Twilight, I'm SO sorry! I didn't think before I said it - it's a figure of speech where I'm from ... it -- well --

Horses back home aren't anything like you and your friends, and I --

Ugh. [he sighs, utterly mortified]

It's supposed to mean "doing something useless that doesn't do any good". But it's .... it really is kind of an ugly expression. I guess humans have been using it for so long that we don't really think about how awful it is anymore. I'll be more careful ... I really am sorry.

[ectobabble]

So far, so good, yeah ... I don't get it either. But I'm gonna keep checking things. Let me know if you find out anything?

[ectobabble]

Well, everything people had in their journals! I mean, a lot of us researchers keep separate notes, yeah, but - oratory records are completely SHOT, and sometimes those can be invaluable in backing up fact!

[ectobabble]

Yeah, really! --- Wait, you know what it means?

[modernholmes]

Only that it something mentioned in those ridiculous hoaxes.

[ectobabble]

Well, maybe it's a hoax where you're from, but in my dimension of origin, PKE valances are just as real as they are here. ... Maybe even more so, since around here the castle's the biggest ambient source of energy.

[modernholmes]

[Conan was about to continue scoffing. He'd had more than enough of idiots throwing around terminology like that as explanations for perfectly ordinary murders. But that last part caught his attention.]

You managed to measure something from the castle?

horrible!

[checklist]

W-Well.... I suppose can see why beating a dead anything would be useless, but... [ Still, why? /sob ]

[ectobabble]

Yeah, I've got a baseline psychokinetic energy output that I've managed to calculate from nine months' worth of daily readings ... and modified my meter so that I can detect if the castle's energy is affecting something or someone. So far I've been able to scope out people on losses - it'll come in really handy for instances where people start behaving oddly ... we can use it sort of like a lie detector for losses. That way, if people say "The castle made me do it", but it's just an excuse? We'll know. It's got tons of other great implications, but that's the biggest one, I think.

[ectobabble]

I know, it's -- I really really didn't even realize what I was saying. I'm so sorry, Twilight, I really am...

Can I make it up to you?

[checklist]

No... No, it's all right. You didn't mean anything by it, and you apologized.

Just please watch your... choice in phrases from now on... please.

[ectobabble]

I will, I promise. [HE IS SO SERIOUS I don't even]

How's everything going with Spike? Any luck getting everything returned?

[checklist]

Oh! Spike just woke up not too long ago, actually.

We'll be returning everything I wasn't able to. We... actually have quite a bit left of his hoard, but I can't tell what belongs to somepony, and what was wished up from the castle. He amassed quite a bit that way.

[ectobabble]

Maybe you could write up like, an inventory? I could help you. And we could put it in the lobby so that everyone could look at it. I mean - not everyone would notice right away that they had stuff missing, depending on what it was.

[checklist]

That's a great idea! I love making lists!

[ It's sad how excited she sounds by that. Because she does. WHAT A NERD OMG... ]

[ectobabble]

Yeah? That'll be the perfect project for you, then. [he sounds almost as enthusiastic, really]

D'you want help?

[checklist]

Oh, yes, I could use the help. I would need to catalog all of the books, after all, and I'd rather not bother Spike right after he woke up. [ And her loss would keep her from reading the titles... /sob ]

[ectobabble]

Books? Yeah, that's perfect, I can help with books. I used to run a bookstore. It was actually my job in Paris, too - were you here for Paris?

[checklist]

No, I arrived right after it. [ Literally the second they got back from Paris, actually. ]

I ran the Books and Branches Library back home, though. It sounds like we have a little in common.

[ectobabble]

Yeah, I guess we do! Tell you what, once I'm done up here, I'll come by Spike's room and we can start the inventory. [he thinks a second about this. something is missing from this plan -- OH RIGHT]

I'll bring the snacks!

Written

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

'So far as I've surmised, the castle is simply giving everyone a clean slate. I'm not entirely appreciative, since I had notes, but I suppose those can all be re-written.'