Puzzle Notes

Hello cryptic lovers!

This week we have a debut from the talented Nathan Curtis. Although this is Nathan's first puzzle in a major outlet, he has written hundreds of variety puzzles, available to supporters of Tortoiseshell Studio on Patreon. He also enjoys constructing puzzle hunts, with his latest hunt Verwald's Treasures coming out this summer. Nathan lives in the Boston area with his wonderful partner, ridiculous friend, and perfect cat -- and before you ask, yes, those are three different entities. When not working on puzzles he enjoys cooking, board games, and writing music that nobody will ever hear.

We hope you enjoy solving as much as we did!

Claire, Francis & Stella

-- Lucia operates a bit later (4)