Dodgey City bookkeeper Gemilly “Jem” Johnson (or Johnston) manifested at a 4th wall of town.
“Duck duck duck,” she said, walking like such. “Cluck cluck cluck,” she improvised, making director Kurt Strawb (he got a 4th!) cringe off-screen. “Now *where’s* that John? I’m ready for my close-up!” she called in the air while waddling. “I’m *ready*… for my CLOSE-UP!”
Close enough.
“We’re getting closer to something Hucka. I can feel it.”
“Jigsaw pieces,” she responds monotone-like. “Obvious resonance, yes. Keep going.” Her arms were still crossed.
“I’m going to look out the (endless) window again. Explosions! Larger, then smaller.”
“The car, right.” She threw up her hands in a gesture of something blowing up, but still kept the same look. Baker Bloch knew he didn’t have much time before she left again.
“I’m going to figure it out tonight.”
“Riiight.” And then, poof. Gone.
Filed under **VIRTUAL, 0023, 0118, Apple's Orchard, Black Ice, Canada/Picturetown, NWES Island^
“*You* again,” Jane the barmaid spoke across the counter, not seeming very pleased to see Magus Ellen once more in her place of business. “Where’s, um, your sidekick this time?”
“Sidechick? He couldn’t make it.”
“Are you going to ask about that castle again?” added Jane rapidly, not wishing to talk any more than needed to this — *intruder*.
“Nah, all that’s done.” He waves his hand in gesture.
“Because all that investigation last year got you *banned* from the property.”
“I know.”
“And *your* Princess is not *our* Princess. I’ve found out some things in the meantime. Who is this Merry Gouldbusk? Why is her skin colored gold and not normal? Who are King Tully and that Queen of his? Not *our* rulers (once more). Never have been and never will.”
Nothing more seemed to be said. Magus Ellen rose from the stool. The castle was gone, or at least changed — morphed. This was not Murdochh’s Castle in resonance with the Loch Ness castle any more. *That’s* when it changed, he realized. A moment in time. He thought from this video that *Murdock’s* castle in the realm of Rosehaven was open to the public. Apparently it was all a misunderstanding.
That’s an important key. Misunderstandings can be smoothed over. He donned his hat.
“I will speak to the Princess before leaving,” Magus Ellen then called back while walking away.
“Make sure it’s the *right* one!” she insisted with bile. The door slammed behind him.
Filed under **VIRTUAL, 0017, 0118, Rose Heaven^^
“Isn’t it adorable Nancy? Why keep renting at that expensive hotel when we — I mean I — can have a place of my own. Want to take a look inside?”
“Maybe later Bettie,” replies Nancy. “I have a date!”
“With whom?” Bettie could hardly conceal the venom.
“Danny, that’s who. Daniel. The guy in the play.”
“I know who Danny is. What do you expect to happen?”
“I don’t know,” states a puzzled Nancy, wondering about Bettie’s concern. “The usual. Dinner, dancing, maybe a couple of drinks mixed in. Then…”
“Then *what*?”
“I don’t know. He’s *cute.*” Nancy smiles and tries to nudge Bettie in the ribs. Bettie skillfully avoids the jab.
“This is not good. Remember the curse attached to that book, that play? You must always keep that foremost in your mind. The play’s the thing. Any extracurricular activity connected with it could spell trouble. Look at the protesters. This towne is like a ticking bomb.”
“Ridiculous,” responds Nancy. “It’s just a harmless date.”
But Bettie was right. The events of the play were repeating in real life, just reversed or inverted from before. Concealed in a way. The pattern remains, though. Now Bettie doesn’t have a gun but she has other weapons at her disposal. Poison, just like with the joke back at the hotel. Because, deep down in the depths of her soul, she was only half joking anyway.
Filed under **VIRTUAL, 0005, 0118, Heterocera, Lapara^
It was Wheeler’s 3rd trip into VHC *City’s* vast underground that she found Chuckles’ pal Renaldo O’Donnell laying in a pool of his own blood beside the Cursed Washers. “F–k,” she appropriately exclaims, trying to avoid getting her feet red and sticky. Being from the future and all as well, chef/inspector Petty, disguised as gas station attendent Doogie Martin for a spell, had foreseen many elements of the deed and began filling in the missing pieces. Although questioned thoroughly about her relationship with Ms. Greentop, Wheeler was dismissed early on as a suspect. No, this was an inside job, Petty quickly concluded. The people of the underworld who were dead and undead both. This would be a tricky undertaking, he thought, then realized his pun.
Filed under **VIRTUAL, 0004, 0118, Heterocera, VHC City^
The man from the future known as Fisher pulls into the lone VHC Town gas station and beeps his horn for service. “Two and a 1/2 hours to get here from Farmington,” he complains to his riding companion, also from the future. “This car is a piece of junk, Bendy.”
“It’s not the car,” his robot friend returned. “It’s the world. Physics ain’t good here. Language neither. Equilateral gravity is better for locomotion. This is just loco motion. Get it? Loco… motion.”
“I get it.” Fisher feigned a smile.
“Yeah, my former masters got that right. Squaring the circle and all.”
“Well, you’re here with me now Bendy. I won you fair and square in that chess match, circles be damned.”
“You’re not called Fisher for nothing. But I still think the game was rigged. ‘Winesap’?”
“Cash or credit?” It was Doogie Martin the attendant appearing at their side, with head strangely transmogrified from his Collagesity North days.
“Cash, I suppose.”
“Fill her up?” Doogie returned. “Regular? Premium?”
“Yes to all except the premium, haha. Bendy, why don’t you run in and get those crackers you like. Get me a Mars Bar. Use the quarters I gave you earlier.”
“Vending machine’s broke,” says Doogie plainly while removing the gas cap and inserting the pump nozzle. “We have honey,” he offered.
“Honey, Bendy?” queried Fisher to Bendy without much enthusiasm.
“I’d rather eat the bees themselves.”
“That can possibly be arranged,” Doogie deadpanned back to Bendy. “Father’s trying to downsize. We’ll probably be out of here by the end of the month.”
“Oh. You don’t like, um, what’s this place called?”
“VHC *City*. Not town, like some say.”
“All right. What’s wrong with this *city*?”
Gas tank full, Doogie retracted the nozzle and put it back in its carriage without answering. “Comes to L$18.66. You did say you had money.” Doogie then raises an arm and snaps his fingers without turning. A squat marshmallow man squeezes through the door of the station and wallows up beside him. “Trouble here sire?” he speaks in a doughy voice.
Doogie keeps his eyes fixed on Fisher. “I don’t know, Marshall. Is there trouble Mr…?”
“Fisher. But not a first or last name. Just a name. Give them the money Bendy. Withdraw it out of your chest cavity. No trouble here, Mr… Mr…”
“Martin. Like the bird.” A sweating Bendy hands him a 20 dollar bill, which Doogie hands, in turn, to his muscle bound assistant. “Make yourself useful Marshall and go get change for these people while I keep an eye out here.”
“Sure thing boss.”
Doogie starts to look over the car better as Marshall reenters the station. “MK2, eh? Worth the jump up from the MK1 for the money. 1 second faster in the 0-60. Wider rear windshield; synchromesh gearbox. Exhaust system still leaves something to desire.”
Marshall reappears, hands Fisher a dollar and change. Doogie looks up into the sky. “Sun’s setting soon. You best be where you’re heading before dark. When the vampires are out, everyone else stays in.” He and Marshall walk off without saying goodbye, although he does throw up a hand in parting.
“Get the lead out, old chap,” requests Bendy to Fisher, who complies.
“If the vampires do get them, maybe they’ll sell us back that car,” Doogie says to Marshall as they speed away.
Filed under **VIRTUAL, 0004, 0118, Heterocera, VHC City^
Sunklands 