… is not a tree.
Category Archives: Novels
Topper
Recommended by my friend Veyot, I had already visited the gallery of Karly Twine through Old Grey earlier in the day, but a lingering trace of my avatar’s demonic status ruined the snapshots I took then. So I returned through her late at night. Very late. You see, she was invited by Robot Derak Jones to the New Island Community College faculty dance and stayed until five am cutting the rug. In her younger days she could shake and shimmy for a week solid. Now it was down to mere hours, but more than even the youngest and most fit professors and administrators at the event could handle. In the end she was dancing alone. Typical. I should also add here that the walking cane she favors is only an outfit prop.
Very beautiful photographs here by Karly (who I also met earlier) — go to Veyot’s tumbler site for more information about the gallery — but Old Grey was admittedly more looking for clues about how to move ahead with the “Collagesity 2016-2017 Winter” storyline. Since the parcel was called Da Vinci Gardens, she was hoping for Mars again; instead Karly’s gallery was set in the midst of a winter wonderland. Still, this structure found outside in the ice and snow seemed to knit the two concepts together.
Old Grey had seen a variation of it before on her way to spy on Baker Bloch in Martian Jacksboro this past November. The spiral based building sat on a plateau beside an amphitheater of dancing automatons. Old Grey had landmarked the place and returns every once in a while to prance amongst them, sometimes as a ballerina in the Nutcracker. Very limber bones she has, but of course that has more to do with the demon inside than any exercise regiment.
Up she strides around the building’s external spiral path.
She pauses to take in the view. Snow seems to be getting heavier.
She reaches out to pet this wildcat (Old Grey has no fear) and the feline disappears (!). Shades of Jorondip and its quantum cat here. This is clearly a magical place.
Finally she reaches the top. Even the very fit Old Grey is slightly winded by the long trip up.
Well, tempted as she is, Old Grey hasn’t got time for sledding or skiing. She senses someone inside. An ancient nemesis.
Vicky Diamond? No not you Vicky. But you might come in handy anyway.
Books. Surely not Professor Jones. She’s just been with him and knows his wheezy ways. He wouldn’t have a hideout so difficult to reach.
No, there was only one deity who would summon Old Grey to such environs. Well, two maybe. But turns out it was both. Snowmanster and Satan Santa sat next to each other on the couch to her left, eating popcorn and, hmm, sharing frequent, buttery kisses.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0602, New Island
The late Mrs. Squaredpants.
Snowmanster sat on her couch, soaking it all in. Home again… so good. But where was everyone? Spongebub? Snowbob?
After a while the truth began to settle in. She was late. She had missed something. But what? Snowmanster went to the window; stared out at the familiar Rubi Woods. The purple hummingbird below her outside twittered loudly.
“Meeting Place,” she mutters, staring at the appropriate flat spot of the forest. “That’s where I’ll find out.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0601, Heterocera, Rubi
Hearts 02
She was back at Cry I. but underwater now. Down to a putter: end of hole.
This was the night she met Dr. Low with red and blue eyes. Splitsville.
But first… some lemonade at the conveniently placed Joker’s Wild bar to her left. Old Grey awaits through the Red Door.
—–
“Guess it’s time for that heart to heart, Old Mabel,” she starts. “Lemonade’s on me tonight. Karl!” she then yells, banging her cane on the bar counter. She waits just a second and bangs again. “Rhoda! Whoever!”
“Oh it’s you. ‘Bout time. Well… a 24 oz can of Pabst Blue Ribbon for me and the little lady will have a lemonade. Start a tab.”
“I’m 113 years old, *Old* Grey,” the Martian proclaims defiantly. She then glared at Snowbob behind the counter. The last time she saw the hybrid being was in the mystery cabinet or closet or whatever. She didn’t really like what was happening there, but perhaps it was all a dream.
“Yellow is missing,” he said, staring back. “Replaced by green!”
“He’s right this time, you know,” agreed Old Grey. The Martian now noticed the lemonade already in front of him.
Splitsville.
—–
Snowmanster exits the closet.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0517, New Island, Rubi
Log in.
Robot Derak Jones distinctly said this was where the other end of the pipe is, its “far side” as he called it. But there’s a log here instead. He said it was a disguise. “You must use your new eyes,” he implored. “Your New *Island* eyes. This is how things often work here.”
Baker Bloch looks over at the statue of the Great Old One to his right and knows, er, one is related to the other. How’s *that* for new eyes.
Both terminal points of the “pipe” lie at latitude 121 of their respective sims, which are caddycorner to each other. At least at one point along the line, the pipe appears to bend roughly 30 degrees. But that is just assuming we’re dealing with a simple, linear affair. What about the name of the beach here?: Sharp’s Angle. Are there sharper angles within? Is it a complex affair instead, perhaps much more so?
The name given to this log is “[MnM] Forest bed”. Here’s the accompanying description: “Long time ago… She is the guardian of forest… and now, She is the mother of forest…” Could this possibly have something to do with Rubi’s Unch?
—–
Meanwhile, Old Mabel is dreaming again at her Cry Island. Like Baker Bloch, she stands in front of a huge hollow log, one leading to the VWX fairy cottage visited numerous times before. Strangely she’s Old Grey in the dream, Baker’s faux mother who is actually “Wheeler the Complex,” as the Martian has started to call her.
Old Mabel knows that if she doesn’t figure out what’s going on soon enough, they — Baker Bloch, Wheeler, Karoz and herself — will be forever trapped on this infernal island. She’s visited the downtown and the community college Robot Derak Jones teaches at. Nothing is good here, like rotting fruit. Spells abound. It’s a witch island.
The hummingbird flies off Old Grey’s back and into the tunnel…
—–
*Meanwhile*… Wheeler is dreaming about falling asleep while waiting for another phone call from Snowbob over what’s actually going on.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0516, New Island, Omega, Rubi
Blames
They were at Tiff’s Bar, only about 100 yards east from Wheeler’s recently set up house on New Island. A potential local hangout for the gang. Baker was on his second mug of Johnson’s Rye. Old Mabel was studying the the labels of drinks behind the bar but not imbibing.
“Weatherman says Storm Lucy’s cleared out of the area now, Old Mabel,” declares Baker Bloch. “You’ll be able to get back to your Cry I. tomorrow.”
“Wonderful,” is all she could manage.
—–
Old Mabel returned to the house to take a nap, she said, while Baker Bloch explored more of the local environs and snapped pictures.
Baker’s Spookmobile, New Island version, spookily turned into a love bug during Night 1 of their stay. Groovy, I suppose.
The Diagonal House, as Baker Bloch calls it, next to Tiff’s Bar. Vacant right now.
Visiting a paraphernalia shop, Baker again wonders why there are no true mirrors in Second Lyfe.
Lot’s of open, grassy duneland here, courtesy of the Lindens.
Baker found this mystery pipe 2 days back…
… then made friends with the mechanoid who lived next door to it. Robot Derak Jones was his name, a physics and astronomy professor at New Island Community College. Quite the scholar. “What have you been reading today, RDJ?” Baker asks. “You’re sitting on them,” he replies.
And, yes, Robot Derak Jones knows of the very similarly named Cardboard Derek Jones in Collagesity. Turns out they’re 1st cousins. RDJ says he’ll have to go back with Baker Bloch sometime to visit with CDJ again. “Cardboard often stayed at my uncle’s place here during the summers over at Sharp’s Angle,” RDJ explained at the time. “We explored Pipewold. But I don’t want to go back there, and neither do you want to go there the first time. Trust me.”
Baker Bloch’s faux mother Old Grey showed up. “Figured you were down here lazing about. Your supper’s on the table getting cold. Get — home.” She didn’t mince her words. She didn’t greet Robot Derak Jones. Old Mabel speculated they might even have some kind of history neither is talking about. “And afterwards I want you to give the Love Bug a good washing, including underneath it. Don’t want it to rust out like your blame Spook Beetle.”
Baker wondered again about the presence of the Love Bug here and the Spookmobile over in Collagesity. Reality had split asunder. Blame orange.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0515, New Island
Apart
Buurb walks up to the Red Umbrella packed with Baker Bloch’s collages and wonders why he’s here at this juncture of roads. “I *finally* get the courage to enter Collagesity to find my dream lady and she is gone,” he mutters to himself. “New Island is where she went, the furry bartender over at the mall said. New Moon Island.”
Meanwhile…
“I hate this place.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0514, Heterocera, New Island, Rubi
Hearts
Old Mabel was in an unfamiliar place. She tried to get her bearings. “DJ Ned — Heartsdale,” she read. “This must be Heartsdale,” she concluded, and then found herself buying some heart shaped glasses from a nearby store named Blown-Apart.
She stepped out into the street and had a rethink. “Not Heartsdale,” she said now, “but in the heart of things still.” She recognized the junction of Old Cannon and North roads — barely. “Collagesity. Far in the future.” She looked around. “But where are all of Baker Bloch’s collages?”
A person approached Old Mabel from the south that she soon learned was named Buurb. He will be both familiar and unfamiliar to my many blog readers. Stay tuned!
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0513, Heartsdale+, Heterocera, Rubi
Facets
I must tell the full story of the Facets sometime in this blog. I admittedly lost track of them because, for years, the Collagesity town directory has incorrectly listed them as the Fawcetts. Tom is the custodian for the TILE Tower over in Rubi, once again not to be confused with the Temple of TILE in Collagesity North now. His wife Margorie runs a small museum out of their Gloomy Gus home next door, a duplicate structure to Baker Blinker’s only about 100 yards away to the west. Like many entities who live in or near the woods, the Facets are true demons, although, like so many as well, they desire to become non-possessed avatars one day. But casting out harmful spirits almost always comes at a price, and there’s only so much money I have to spread around. So for now, they’re stuck next to the forest, unable to move far beyond its boundaries. But look how happy they are whilst inside! The unburdening from constrictions there can be likened to hard core nudists with the sudden freedom to shed clothes.
Dancing Facets.
Here they are on the top floor of the TILE Tower, enjoying the view of Collagesity with demonic status locked back in place. Can you dig it?
The centerpiece of Marjorie’s museum is a familiar object to regular blog readers. The Facets have designs to procure the matching LUCKY sign from former Rubi neighbor Furry Karl the bartender, by force if needed.
Wonder where the war between the Greens and the Grays started? Well, in a way, it began right here. The battle for LUCKY.
“Suck on *these* lucky charms, hoop boy.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0512, Heterocera, Rubi
Notes
Obviously lots of fictional writing going on in the blog recently — well, almost the past 7 months solid basically. I anticipate this changing next month, when a return to woodsy type posts will occur. This winter I’ve also been able to create at least the virtual part of the blog archives, found under the Virtual heading here:
This involved quite a lot of work. Its *9 years* worth of posts now. The plan is to add to this archive each month.
The fiction I’ve been working on starting in Dec and esp Jan is a separate work from Collagesity fiction that came before. Basically it seems to be manifesting as a *3rd* work to complement “Collagesity 2015-2016 Winter” (Dec-Mar) and “Collagesity 2016 Later” (Aug-Nov). So a kind of trilogy. Also, esp. since it is being created at essentially the same time frame during the calendar year, this 3rd work seems to act as a type of twin to “Collagesity 2015-2016 Winter”. The latter began in mid-Dec and ended in early March. The title of the new work logically becomes “Collagesity 2016-2017 Winter.”
I could go much further into an analysis of the structures. “Collagesity 2016-2017 Winter” appears to be evolving into 6 or 7 separate parts. I’m in the middle of creating part 5 right now. It’s a strange process, because I can’t seem to anticipate where I’m heading — can’t plan the whole thing out. As “C1516W” ended up on the moon, and its successor “C16L” terminated in a visit to Mars, so the new work could wind down with some kind of et visit (Muff-Bermingham?). Anyway just to drop a note on that. You can follow the progression of the parts here:
The Dec posts (Parts 001 and 002) act as an introduction to “C1617W”, or, in another way, a direct bridge between “C16L” and “C1617W”. Each subsequent part of “C1617W” is composed of around 16 to 18 or 19 blog posts, starting with “Book Muncher?” from the beginning of Jan.
The weather’s been so warm this winter that I’ve been able to get outdoors and hike quite a lot. Frank Park’s Whitehead Crossing has been the most popular destination by far. I already have a queue of photos to share on this blog. WH Xing mythology will most likely develop more this spring, esp after Daylight Savings Time kicks in March 12th. I anticipate creating a Reality archives to complement the Virtual archives very soon. Whitehead Crossing and other Frank and Herman Park destination will feature large within.
And I haven’t forgotten about the Bigfoot location either.
Thanks for reading!
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0003, 0511, BIGFOOT, Frank Park, Herman Park, Whitehead Crossing
Sunklands 