My eastward neighbor Art Oluja changed out this picture in her installation.
And on the next parcel north: strange critters indeed.
It’s certainly October now. Donnie Darko’s month.
Category Archives: Rubi
Bridge
“Man that’s a long way up.”
“No kidding,” came a reply behind him.
“Wilson? Er, Wheeler?”
He then saw that she herself was just a kidd.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Jeogeot, Rubi
Starbuccaneer Barista is dead.
Killed by a crashed airplane. No onboard casualties listed. Starbuccaneers remains closed indefinitely for a period of mourning and needed repairs.
A grieving Baker Bloch decides to visit Carrcassonnee for spiritual guidance.
—–
Carr.:
Very reminiscent of Donnie Darko. And there’s a time loop involved as well. In one reality she didn’t die. In another she did. It was suppose to happen. And, anyway, she could come back tomorrow, good as new. Good as old. No need to grieve. Something that was suppose to happen at this point in the script is all. Stop your blubbering. Here’s a hanky.
BBloch:
Thank you Carrcassonnee.
—–
Baker Bloch’s father Space Ghost was so upset that he walked around Collagesity all day without his cane, forgetting he was handicapped. He loved Starbuccaneer as well, perhaps even moreso than the son. While they were sitting at Rhoda’s Karl’s bar on Tuesday, he planned on confessing something to Baker but got too drunk to really do it. Let’s listen in again.
—–
Space Ghost:
Another round Karl (hiccup).
Furry Karl:
Maybe you should slow down there Space Ghost old man, old chap.
Baker Bloch:
Great you could take over the bar while Rhoda was dead, Furry Karl.
Furry Karl:
Rhoda? He or she’s right upstairs. We decided to switch bars. Too much blood and shooting down here for him-her. He/she’s prone to it. I don’t attract that crowd, that element. I can better control a situation. PUT DOWN THAT GUN! (dramatic pause) See? Just a joke from me. Still here.
Baker Bloch:
It’s the… sorry Karl, go ahead…
Furry Karl:
It’s the violence from his former bar. That’s also why I removed that cursed picture of him-her and Shark, another him-her actually. Lordshore Bridge pic returned.
(Along with Clock, Baker Bloch then thinks, staring at the far wall. Why did *that* return?)
Baker Bloch:
Well, I suppose things must keep moving forward. It can’t remain February 2nd or 2:22 forever.
Space Ghost:
Well put (hiccup) son. Here’s to time moving forward, moving onward. Up up and away. (he downs his beer in one long swig)
Baker Bloch:
Let’s get you home. Where is your home again? I don’t think that’s quite been established. Carrcassonnee said that you usually sleep in the portal now? Explain Father.
Furry Karl:
Yeah, I’m gonna seal that thing up with a big, grey rock. You better find other digs if that’s your hangout, Space.
Space Ghost:
I live in Muff-Birmingham. In the clouds. Cloud 9. Number 9 Dream. Night night. (he lays his head on the counter)
Baker Bloch (turning to Karl):
Well, I gotta take him somewhere. The other day, I found him sleeping under a rock, speaking of rocks. What rock are you going to seal the passageway with, Karl? Just curious.
(Just then a phone rings. Furry Karl goes around the corner and into the back corridor to answer it. Baker Bloch and his father cannot hear what was talked about through the wall. He returns several minutes later.)
Furry Karl:
Well I may have a place for your father to stay. Turns out this time Rhoda is actually dead. Some kind of symbiosis with Starbuccaneer, along with the ballerina next to that rock outside. 3-n-1. They discovered them all combined together in one body at the morgue, during the autopsy. So, for Space Ghost in the immediate now, he can live upstairs after we clear out Rhoda’s stuff.
Baker Bloch:
That’s *terrible*. We’ve lost not one but three Collagesity entities in one tragic scoop swoop.
Space Ghost (head raised):
I knew that already. I think it’s time to move to the harder (hiccup) booze. Karl, break out that bottle of (burp) Boos Number 10 (hiccup). The one made (hiccup) on Mars.
Furry Karl (correcting):
We call that *Le*Mars in this dimension. It’s a stopover on the way to Neptune. Karoz has been there not once but 3 times now. 3-n-1.
Baker Bloch:
Has he made it to Neptune?
(Another phone call. Furry Karl visits the corridor again. He takes a little longer this time to return.)
Furry Karl:
Sealing’s off for now. Looks like we’re going to have a crowd in here soon. Upstairs boss says the Portal’s opening up from the other side.
Space Ghost:
That’s (belch) *me*! (clunk)
Furry Karl:
Yeah, I don’t think so. Shame about Rhoda. Shame about Starbuccaneer. Shame about the ballerina girl. 3-n-1. Damn shame. And now we’re going to have visitors because of it. Muff-Birmingham.
Baker Bloch:
Oh God.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
Bloch Block
“Rhoda?”
The figure in front of him doesn’t answer. But Rhoda the bartender has, fer sure, disappeared.
“Star?” he tries again.
“I cannot let you pass through the door again, Baker Bloch. It’s the equivalent of being gassed. I love you. I’ve always loved you. Clock knows.”
“Star, I defeated you for mayor of Collagesity a number of years back now.”
“2 1/2,” she said.
“Yeah, and then you went into hiding, never to be heard from again until just the other day when you showed up complete with a namesake coffee shop. And now you’re telling me *this*?”
“We went into corrider 2130 together. You know me and I know you. Better than anyone else.”
“I don’t really remember what happened there,” admits Baker Bloch. “Something about Messiaen… seeing God. Um… blinded?”
Star shows him.
Spooned.
“So what just happened,” an illuminated Baker says, “is what happened then. Just now, just then.”
Star keeps smiling as her eyes turn black once more. DEMON.
—–
Also: equivalence of Collagesity’s Hunger/Thick/Think Rock with WH Crossing’s Pocket Rock?:
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
Which 04
It was weird. Karoz manifested as a 2nd barman for the lower bar. We had to begin again. Wait! Baker Bloch crashes out of Second Life. Karoz is able to switch from server to served. He checks the picture beside him to make sure it was the correct Rhoda.
It was (blood splatter removed). We can continue.
—–
“A beer for my new friend Wilson-Wheeler, Rhoda. The special one with the, ahem, secret foam.”
“Sure thing Karoz.”
Karoz looks over as Rhoda serves the beer and Wilson drinks. He nods approvingly. “Yeah, that’s the one.”
“It’s time to take you out back, Wilson-Wheeler. To see what happens.” Karoz gets up and walks toward the rear of the bar. “We’ll be back in just a moment, Rhoda. Maybe.”
“Okay, take your time. Get me some more snickers while you’re back there.”
“Alright, I’ll try Rhoda,” Karoz responds as he rounds the corner. “Interesting.”
“What is it?” a following Wheeler asks.
“Why are you sitting like that?” Karoz questions when turning toward Wheeler.
“I don’t know. Do you think it will matter?”
“*Probably*,” Karoz answers. Then he thinks this to himself: Starbucarrina Barista was suppose to be standing in this passage, standing in harm’s way and professing her love for Baker Bloch. That’s in the script. He then realizes that Baker Bloch himself has to be in-world for this to take place. A quandry! Can’t – get – off – script; that’s the rules.
“I have a solution to this,” he then says to Wheeler. “I need you to try real hard on this. It’s the first time it’s happened, if so.”
“What?” Wheeler was curious. And getting nervous. She wished she could stand up and run out of the front door of the bar. Run toward the stone again. She wanted freedom! But there was only one way out.
—–
She reaches deep into her mind. Wilson-Wheeler, she thinks. Who came first, what came second, pheh. Nautilus was her home, her native environment. And yet here she was, stuck in Collagesity once more. Trying to turn back into Baker Bloch. But it wasn’t Baker Bloch. But now Karoz wants it to *be* Baker Bloch. That means…
“Anything?” Karoz asks impatiently, tired of watching Wheeler zone out. “Anything at all? We’ve got all day. I don’t have anything else to do. We have all day and then all night and into the day tomorrow and tomorrow night. I have nothing on the schedule. The script is blank.” He wants to fold his arms and tap his left foot impatiently but just ends up having a belly laugh.
“Damn scripts,” he says afterwards while trying to frown.
Then it happened. The impossible thing.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
Which 03
“We’re going to try it again, Wilson.”
“Yes we are.”
“That’s already been done. In the old, normal Collagesity. The one that was filmed. This one is different. We have to find out how.”
“Certainly.”
“I’m going to change things up a little bit. When you enter the bar now, Karoz will be sitting at the end with the computer game. Karoz may stabilize a volatile situation. He’s been there before. He likes Rhoda, Rhoda likes he.”
“Got it. Go up to the road. Scan west, scan east. Look at the cannon, then enter the bar.”
“Did you do all that in the correct order before?”
“Yes.” But Wilson then realized he was lying.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Go ahead and insert Karoz into the picture. I think it will work this time.”
—–
“What’ll it be sir?”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
Which 02
The wrong one moves forward, surprising me.
On Old Cannon Road. He scans to the west.
He scans to the east.
Then enters the bar, forgetting his mission or who he is.
“What’ll it be, Baker Bloch?” a now animated Rhoda asks. “Put down that gun!”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
Which 01
“So go try it again, Wilson,” Baker suggests.
“Wake up Wilson.”
“Should I change this time?” he asks.
“Wouldn’t hurt,” Baker replies.
“Just go into the bar again the front way?”
“Sure.”
“Which one of us is which again?”
“Umm…”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
Starbuccerina
“I’m afraid this is all my fault son.”
“I figured as much.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
Recovery
Baker Bloch continues to sit with his father into the night.
“Why’s that meteor attached to your hand for son?”
“I can’t really see it from my angle. I see a *Wheeler.*” Baker Bloch waits for a response which never comes.
Instead: “Open the other door. You’ll see.” Baker Bloch does as his father tells him and opens the other door to the Boos gallery.
“Nope. Still can’t see. Back of collage in way. I still see Wheeler, though.” Baker Bloch doesn’t get a response again, despite the additional prompting.
“It’s the Boos collage. Not Boos as in booze. I’ve had enough of that for a while!”
“I know. Good you can yell again,” Baker returns. “Means you’re getting better.”
“I sure am. And… I think I’m finally ready. Help me to my feet. I’ve been sitting a long time. Let’s go see that new girlfriend of yours. My partner as well. Starbucanneer. What a gal!”
Baker Bloch agreed but was still thinking of something else.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi
