Category Archives: 01

February 16, 2024 · 4:35 pm

00420107 (allies?)

He wouldn’t reach out to him if it weren’t desperate times. “I need your help, Cpt. Americus, with these two loud mouth *goof* balls I’m currently house sitting for. The manor should be mine — *will* be mine. Are you in, wannabe superhero? Or are you out?”

“Let me finish this bucket of grey matter chicken and I’ll be able to decide,” he requests, and takes another bite. Slow chews. Sloooww.

There, he can feel it working again. His brain.

“Count me in,” he said as the last bit of gristle disappeared into his mouth, also the last of the magically produced chicken. Oh look. A whole new batch of pieces to consume when he looks down again. The Mann could be waiting a while. He’d forgotten about the bottomless bucket, an isolated superpower.

“Hold on, I suddenly forgot what we were talking about; remind me of the deal again?” he said as the munching and crunching began anew.

“Never mind Cpt.,” The Mann decided. “I’ll have to get back to you — another meeting, you see.” He didn’t plan to get back to him. This part of the search was to be closed up like an abandoned dangerous mine with its own bottomless pit.

—–

“Spaced Ghost,” he said to the next. “You’ve been with us since before the beginning, it seems. Surely *you* understand the power I desire. You can be there too. Sitting alongside me… and Parasol.” The Mann wasn’t quite sure how Spaced Ghost was young again, since his son Baker Bloch was nearing 67 years old now. Had to be 95-100. But here he is, shiny cape and shiny teeth and youthful physique. He didn’t question it, though. He was told he resided at the Shakespear’s Club in Centre County PA. Maybe the location was magical and gave him youth. He’d heard about such things associated with places named for The Bard. Like that ghost town near Lordsburg NM (revitalized in novel 39).

But when he teleported in to the proffered landmark, the only club he could find was the one slung over Young Spaced Ghost’s shoulder, as in a vintage Shakespear Gary Player Black Knight #2 Wood from the 1970s.

“I liked this place because they had a picture of me up on the wall there,” he started. “Don’t know when it was replaced by these collages or whatever they are.” He stared at one called “Doc’s Art”, wondering what it meant and the technique used.

“Yeah, sorry about that, Spaced Ghost. But about the deal…”

“Me and Zorak and Moltar — all 3 of us together. Boy I miss those days. Ghost Planet.” He sighs.

“So… about those nincompoops I’m dealing with,” directed The Mann again. “The Dynamic Du–”

“Regaltown: gone,” Spaced Ghost continued with the nostalgic lamenting. “Horns of Hatton: energy dissipated. We don’t have much left in Our Second Lyfe to cling on to. Might as well all pack up and head to the Red Dead Planet. Maybe we can make it into another Ghost Planet or something. We’ve already had several tries. I guess you’ve heard about them. Libra Neptune, the owner of the course I’m heading to after this. St. Dennis — son Scorpio Pluto told me all about it. Said they got there through a streetcar and he hadn’t heard back in a while. Said he’s ready to go over too once the portal’s stabilized; sell the golf course here and then recreate it over there in a better way.”

St. Dennis? The Mann thought. Portal? Suddenly he had more to mull over than revenge on some old, irritating neighbors. A whole new world was opening up.

(to be continued)

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Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0107, Corsica, Instabar, Jeogeot, Midlands, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, RDR2

Tagged as Batty Man^*+$, Cpt. Americus^*+, NODAL, Parasol^^+%%, Spaced Ghost^*+$, Superduper Guy^*+$, The Mann^*+$

February 16, 2024 · 8:16 am

Parasol

“Every time I think about Level 02 and the testing that goes on there, my heart grows cold. Military cyborgs we’re developing there. Cold blooded killers.” She wondered again if Shelley’s old husband Arthur Kill (“Old Arthur”) was possibly part of these experiments.

“Let’s just get this visit over,” The Mann said back, concentrating on navigating the tricky staircase down to the basement of the manor, which will become The Mannor soon if he has his ways.

—–

“See?” he said at the cell’s door. “There’s the old hag of a witch. You’re *not* Mid-Hazel or Hazel Wood or whatever she calls herself these days. You’re different.”

“I just remember the–”

“You remember nothing. Dreams, I say. Dreams of a parallel existence perhaps, but… there she is and here you are. Separate but definitely not equal. You are good–”

“I have a red eye,” she quickly countered. “Some call me Red because of it.”

“AND… you have a blue one. Balance. You are not her,” he doubled down.

She decided now was a good time to test the sentence again. “How’s your *girl* today?”

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Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0106, Maebaleia/Satori, Redsland+

Tagged as Arthur Kill/Lemont SanfordGTAV^*+++%%, Marsha "Pink" Krakow^^+, Mid Hazel^^+%, NODAL, Parasol^^+%%, The Mann^*+$

February 14, 2024 · 7:11 pm

00420105

They were preparing for battle, they were preparing for war. The Mann claimed to not be the same as Wayne Bruce who owned the manor but just an old neighbor doing a favor and house-sitting while he and and his “wonder boy” were away chasing arch-villians around the world, specifically Antarctica at the moment and possibly New Zealand. I checked back through the blog and saw that he indeed was a former neighbor over on the Corsica continent (Instabar sim). By the tone of his voice back then it didn’t seem he had much respect for the dynamic duo, this Batty Man and Superduper Guy. Old grudges tend to not alter that much over time.

March 03 2020: Batty Man and sidekick Superduper Guy arriving home in their noisy Battymobile while neighbor The Mann looks on disdainfully.

What else? Oh, the whole war/battle thing. Here’s some pics of the odd assortment of troops from a lower level of Redsland, closer to the ground for easier dispatchment when needed.

The conflict? Some call it the great Green-White War, others Green-Gray. No one knows exactly how or where or when it started but it extends over the entire known Universe by now in ever manifesting pockets here and there. Many are conscripted and don’t return home, either by death or by perpetual service. Martian Mabel’s big brother Little Big from photo-novel 02 was one of these. Mabel will never get over the loss, although she may put on a brave face nowadays. And here we come upon the legend of Plain Wayne, said to be killed in the war as well; slit in the throat by none other than our Wheeler back in her more evil days as directed by the powerful witch Mid-Hazel; event mentioned in photo-novel 03. Is Plain Wayne the same as mild mannered Wayne Bruce, alter ego for Batty Man? If so, why isn’t *he* dead? Mid-Hazel aka Hazel Wood would know if anyone. I’ll make a note to ask her later through some character or another; she now appears to be imprisoned somewhere in the innards of the manor with former formidable powers excised. More coincidence?

And here’s certainly another interesting twist. The Mann is actually Marsha “Pink” Krakow’s father as proven through the plot of photo-novel 19 where she’s 1st introduced. And now they interact again in the current photo-novel. Do either remember the other? Is The Mann, for example, so busy making sure the grounds are neat and tidy for Batty Man and partner Superduper Guy’s return that he doesn’t have time to recall who he really is? And it does indeed look super; Jack and Jill, however shady they are in other ways, are really skilled lawn care people.

And if The Mann is around that means Parasol his wife is too — I’d forgotten about that as well. His perfect Wo-mann, first rendezvousing with each other on the Fruity Islands back in photo-novel 12 and then properly tying the knot in photo-novel 24.

meeting in novel 12

marrying in novel 24

And here she is now, entering the manor room where The Mann is fingering through the first of Schubert’s 4 Impromptus in his own inept way, the only one he can play to any degree atall. He’d admit this ineptitude himself; would say Parasol is the true musician of the family. But then he might also thinks of drums — someone is talented with the sticks as well. Maybe he remembers Marsha during these moments, maybe it lies just beyond his consciousness still.

But Parasol certainly knows, also known as Red and, from the other side, Blue. She’s a bad speller and a wiz at the same in one.

“Where’s your *girl* today?” she tests once more.

“Girl *Friday*,” he responds defensively from the piano, inept fingering temporarily halted. “I hired her as a secretary; I have no interest in her otherwise.”

Still doesn’t remember, Parasol understands through this. She can keep her edge for now.

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Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0105, Fruity Islands, Maebaleia/Satori, Redsland+

Tagged as Batty Man^*+$, BATTYMOBILE, GREEN AND GRAY, LEVEL 02, Marsha "Pink" Krakow^^+, Mid Hazel^^+%, NODAL, Parasol^^+%%, PIANO, Plain Wayne^*++, Superduper Guy^*+$, The Mann^*+$

February 14, 2024 · 3:35 pm

Eddy Valentine

Trapped on a desert isle with only 2 palms for company (slap slap).

But it’s not too bad. He’s been in worse situations.

—–

“Yeah, she’s a smacker,” says The Mann, explaining Red’s marks.

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Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0104, Maebaleia/Satori, Redsland+

Tagged as Daigle Eddy^*+++, The Mann^*+$, TWO PALMS

February 14, 2024 · 5:26 am

00420103

He invited her to play pool with him and she turned out to be a god damn shark. Never mind that, he said internally. I simply need a sounding board for my evil plans. From Neptune he was, he started the explanation after managing a satisfactory break, sinking his own 10, 14 and 15 but also her 2. The same as the Joker, he said about his hometown, the same as the Penguin also before him. But he was a new type of Waynesvillian. He had managed to trap the most powerful witch of all time named Hazel and incorporate her into himself. Hazel Wood.

“Funny name,” she said, sinking the 6, 4, and 5 in a row before barely missing the 1 with a tricky jump shot over his 11. They were playing 8 ball, his favorite. Until tonight.

“Not so funny if you’re face to face with the ancient hag. Down in the cellar she is. I took away her power, made it my own.” He produced a bit of electricity from his fingertips to demonstrate.

“Not so helpful with pool, it seems,” she then opined, watching him miss hitting the 12 in a corner pocket with those same hands. She surveyed the table and predicted a win in her next turn. She promptly sank the 3, 7, 1 and then 8 to accomplish this. “‘Nother one?” she asked about a follow up game while assuming a victory stance with the pool stick.

“Nah not right now. I want you to come back over to my desk. I want you to see something.”

“Alright. But no *funny* business.”

“Why Miss… Krakow isn’t it? Whatever do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.” She’d felt him staring at her while they played.

“No no no, nothing like that. I want to show you the *book*.”

“Oh. Okay I guess.” The mowing became louder outside as Jack edged closer to the house with the John Deere, new shocks in place for a less bumpy ride. Jill’s electric hedge trimmer hummed just beyond the window. Both were hoping to get a glimpse of that book. This is the reason they came back at all after the dual absences.

—–

“Well?” he asked. “What do you think?” The mowing had stopped outside, the trimmer silent along with it.

What *did* she think?

“Biff Carter?” he prompted further. “Does *that* ring a bell?”

“Did you hear that,” whispered Jill excitedly over to Jack. “An actual name from the thing.”

“We have our lead,” he whispered in turn, and they left the scene before being spotted.

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Tagged as Biff Carter^*+++&, CELLAR, Marsha "Pink" Krakow^^+, Mid Hazel^^+%, Nick Barkley^*++, Plain Wayne^*++, POOL, SHOCKS, The Mann^*+$, WINESAP

February 13, 2024 · 5:24 pm

March 19 2024

Sent away for at least a month, Patricia went back to hoeing at the retreat where she was staying.

“Shoo Storkie. Trying to work.”

But then she saw a snake and was glad Storkie hung around. Gobbled it down quick he did, eager for more than just plant food ’round these here parts. Lots of plants for all the vegetarians like Patricia living at the Zen compound; little kosher meat for the rest like the carnivorous animals and birds.

She tries to calm herself after the event by meditating, with Waterbuffaloie looking on and sniffing the air for more possible snakes around, not to eat but just to avoid as well. He’s a herbivore like Patricia. They get along swell and sometimes even eat with each other in the cold winter months, huddling together for warmth. Rhesus the wacky monkey sometimes joins them. Sometimes Fred the rat. But never Gertrude, a snootier cow from one of the Massachusetts super-capes, perhaps Nantucket but also perhaps not. No eating with the common types for her.

Meditation complete and a sense of calmness returned, she watches Storkie roam the garden looking for additional meat. He’d had a taste and he wanted more. One little ribbon snake — not filling enough.

Ribbons, hmm. I think I know how to work Patricia back into the main story. Change of a dress coupled with a change of address. Get her off the farm and back in the city working for The Mann.

—-

“All I can offer you currently is a 2 week temporary slot,” he said, thinking about the weeds that needed hoeing and the grass that needed mowing around his stately manor. Jill the regular gardener had come down with Pill. And lawn care partner Jack fell off the John Deere while mowing that steep hill. If she could do the work of both he’d keep her on, paying her half of what he did Jack plus Jill. The Mann only sees the bottom line, the profit margin. Typical.

“Are there snakes?” she asked.

“Bunches.”

“Sold?” And she extended her hand for a snake to seal the deal which she then fed to Storkie who had come with her from the country. Many more out on the grounds, he knew. Many many more.

“Just give him a fortnight to clean up the place and I’ll return,” came Patricia’s last term, which The Mann, not well versed in Shakespeare and other classics, accepted thinking that fortnight meant one night. Two weeks later she returned but Jack and Jill were back on the job by then and she and Storkie had to retreat again to the compound. “Sorry Storkie,” she said, but Storkie was so full of food he was at a loss for words. Back at the farm he remained stuffed for a while and soon the garden there was also overrun with serpents. If only there was a saint who could take care of this problem for her. She checked the calendar. March 16. One night, she said to herself. One night. 2 weeks later, being a career Shakespearian actor use to adjusting such mistakes, he showed up but Patricia had returned to the city by then.

“Open up in there!” she blared at the Secret Door Bookshelf, our circle of text complete. “Ooh. Penn. Uuupp!”

—–

She sat down. She changed into who she really was, dumping the last of the green and Patricia along with it. The shiny locomotive with the golden front still poked out the side of the ~~Xmas~~ Winter tree on the screen before her. Her index finger wavered over the DELETE key. If the train went, then so did the whole tree. Tree minus train = 1/2 of what it was.

“Do it,” said Tania now behind her on the small sofa. “Finish me off. Do. It.”

PRESS. She was alone in the golden or yellow Room in the center of the manor or villa. Wayne’s villa. And she a legit Waynesvillian now. She recalled Batcorn.

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Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0102, Jeogeot, Maebaleia/Satori, Redsland+, Teepot+

Tagged as BATCORN, Marsha "Pink" Krakow^^+, Nick Barkley^*++, Patricia^^++, Plain Wayne^*++, Tania^^+, The Mann^*+$

February 13, 2024 · 6:55 am

Hazelwood

There’s also what I’ve labelled a blue room and a red room about the place, but let’s start with the yellow or golden one, central in several ways. Tania, a Valentine’s gift from Gladly in days gone by, stares at a computer screen depicting a Rainbow Sphere twirling merrily in on itself. Makes her think of Christmas and her maw. Golden bars stacked on a two tier table beside her. Small sofa with Saints style fleur-de-lis decorated throw pillows behind her of the same color. Her dress is also kind of the same hue. She sits in the middle of the manor, unobserved. The building she’s in twirls in on itself all around her too. One named Wayne, although the description says Wayen. Tania’s boss was never the best of spellers. Plumb pitiful actually, but don’t bring it up to her face or you may get a smack. So this is where we’ll begin.

The Maebaleia continent here is still relevant in Our Second Lyfe. So is Jeogeot, Heterocera, Sansara, Nautilus, Corsica, Gaeta V, Zindra, and, heck, don’t get me started about the various Bellisseria ones, as large now as all the original ones I’ve just listed combined I would suppose. Like Atlantis Rising — again in the middle of it all or between the 2 mainland hemispheres, linking them up in fact. Azores greatly expanded in relative scale.

Her replacement Patricia, a St. Patrick’s gift also from the past, arrives at the Secret Door Bookshelf waiting her turn. Not yet.

Still thinking of Xmas, she changes the screen. She replaces a beloved ornament named Girly Santa with a shiny new train, golden in hue as well up front, the place she decided it would poke out of the tree’s innards.

Her user found it in the woods. Just waiting for him. It turns a Christmas Tree into a Winter Tree proper, extending its life to, say, Arbor Day or thereabouts, he figures. Or at least March 17th.

Thanks “Bigfoot”!

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Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0101, Concreek, Frank Park, Haze County, Maebaleia/Satori, Redsland+, Whitehead Crossing

Tagged as BIGFOOT, NODAL, Parasol^^+%%, Patricia^^++, Plain Wayne^*++, RAINBOW SPHERE, Tania^^+, The Mann^*+$, Wayen^*+

November 23, 2023 · 3:42 pm

00410117 (chosen one (doing white right))

Being Thanksgiving Day already, Marsha “Pink” Krakow started to husk corn for the festival. Now plain June joined her. Tom showed up and did a little work. Christina showed up and did even less, ranting on and on about her miracle recovery from polio as she does. And Stan never showed atall per team leader Donna’s prediction, over at Dick’s sweets and drink stand all the time drinking and sweeting away her worries. Team leaders never subbed for team members according to the rules — she at least had that going. But the corn was slow to be shucked and the cornbread needed to be served by 7, 7:30 at the latest. Something had to be done. Enter Andrew “Biff” Carter from the woods with a black and white shucking machine made from miracles, June’s beautifying witch power transferred to it instead. Marsha was suddenly free to do something else: either Reuben or Steuben, whichever one was the drummer, was lost in action (remember we’ve already heard from the horse’s mouth that one of the two wasn’t real). Marsha felt 2 drumsticks manifest in her back pocket, also part of the magic. She went over to warming up Batcorn beyond the corn and offered her services. She’ll play her way onto the band, she determined then and there, watching the machine spit out husk after husk, leaving naked white ears of goodness in its wake. All team members and all team leaders were happy. The 2023 Amiable Thanksgiving Day Festival would be a success despite the odds.

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Tagged as BATCORN, Biff Carter^*+++&, June Bug Johnston^^+++, Marsha "Pink" Krakow^^+, Phyllis Phox^^++

November 22, 2023 · 3:44 pm

00410116

“I have come from the mound I have come from the corn. Your turn now.”

“From the mound?” still sitting Pamela returned to the person claiming to be Jane as in Plain, even though everyone knew her as June. “From the corn?”

“Yes. From the mound from the corn. Your turn now.”

Pamela pondered what to say next.

In the gap: “Follow me.”

—–

“From the mound…” she said, standing before it with Pamela now.

—–

“… from the corn.”

“*Five* people is all,” exclaimed Donna, leader of the husking team and owner of most of the stuff in town: cows, vineyards, etc. Using the other hand, she counted them off with each finger starting with the thumb. “There’s *Tom* — and he’s all thumbs ironically; probably won’t go through a half a dozen himself; there’s *Stan*,” she continued this with the index, and then freed it so that she could point in the distance. “He lives in *Braggtown*. Do you know how far away *Braggtown* is over those hills? In other words: will take him half a day to get here, half a day to get back. And, let’s see, half + half equals whole, as in, a whole day away from *husking*. If he even makes the effort.”

“I believe that’s where Christina claims she’s from,” offered upbeat Ben beside her, leader of the sweets and drinks team and solid with his own personnel. Scowls all around. “*Christina*, then,” said Donna, holding the middle finger now, “can’t mow grass much less husk corn. And that leaves…”

“Jane,” spoke the person everyone knew as June just back of the white corn mound. Pamela had disappeared beside her. Pamela was never real as it turns out.

“Jane,” said Donna back to her, taking in her plainess from about 10 feet away. “Is that what you go by now.” She didn’t add the “whore” part but everyone knew she wanted to. They had some bad blood between them, namely a man named Bazooka, formerly the police chief of this here little village. Former owner of Biff’s farmhouse before he allegedly came over from Braggtown himself, but perhaps that’s just more Christina talk, Christina’s World.

“And me, Marsha ‘Pink’ Krakow,” she spoke while walking in stage left. Donna let go of her ring finger and took firm grasp of her pinkie. She joined the inner circle; tried to smile cheerfully. Dick to her right (music team leader, replacing stressed out Sitton seen in an earlier blog post here) tipped his hat, a built in gesture. Silently amused Harry (weights and balances) studied Donna’s reaction to this newcomer, this Johnny-come-lately.

“Marsha, huh?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Staying up at Biff’s I understand. Found the secret bedroom. Found the *truth* behind it.”

“Um. Yes, er, ma’am. I suppose I did.” She looked over at olive green Jane beside the unhusked corn, recognizing an old friend from Storybrook. Jane will get her through all this. There *must* be a loophole.

(to be continued)

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Tagged as BATCORN, Christina^^+, June Bug Johnston^^+++, Marsha "Pink" Krakow^^+, Pamela^^+, Phyllis Phox^^++

November 22, 2023 · 2:36 am

00410115

So what of White Rock population places in the Oracle? one may ask (31). Jane pops up.

And then the same for Gotham (2).

White House (10) or Whitehouse (15) only produces itself. There is only 1 White Mound and that’s in Grayson County, Texas. Curiously, the county also contains a Whiterock (or White Rock), which is actually very nearby. And then both in turn lie near a (larger) Whitewright, making a kind of White trilogy in that location.

And then there are 2 separate Black Rocks in Grayson County, Kentucky, the 2nd of 3 counties sharing that name. Notice Kentucky Town in the midst of the White trilogy pictured above, along with Tom Bean.

The 3rd and last Grayson County (Virginia) contains some interesting place names too. We could go on and on.

Dick Grayson was the actual name of Batman’s crime-fighting superhero sidekick Robin.

There are no Blackhouses, Black Houses, or Black Mounds.

Continuing with our story…

—–

“It’s a beautiful view you have here, Reuben, and I can see why you stand here all the time, looking at it.”

No answer.

“I… know something else about you, Reuben.” She looks up at the boy towering above her from this sitting position, the last member of Batcorn, the one supposedly with an identical twin named Steuben. Dream girl Pamela knew better. Instead: Reuben is the same as Steuben, as in a first name paired with a last.