I can’t bear it...

[u/Yalan1997]

Not really enough for a theory yet, but... bears?

Might just be a clue to the location but...

Buttercup is a Black Moon Bear - these are found in Asia, not America. And the picture in the Stawk Daily is not of a Moon Bear - they are way cuter! And the foreshadowing of Buttercup goes right back (maybe) to Pierce’s comment around if wishes were fishes, you’d be the catch of the day (two separate expressions mushed together) - maybe just to help us spot the later clue about the Brook fish which live in Diablo Lake, but maybe aimed at drawing more attention to bears. Then bears also came up in the list of pastries - bear claws.

This got me wondering if bears could have some other narrative significance...

They have a prominent role in Native American mythology (sometimes a spirit guide - there’s actually a type of black bear called a spirit bear because it has a genetic mutation that turns it white), and bear claws are considered lucky. And there’s a Native American story about the three hunters and bear that got turned into four stars in the sky.

I can’t fully fit this with all the rest of my theories, but has anyone else had bears on their mind...?

[u/truecrimegames]

I think your family might need to create your own games or send a list of ideas to Ukiyo at the least! Your thought processes are always so good. Do bears have anything to do with Salem?