Baker Bloch:
These Krings beers are pretty good Karoz. Maybe you should get one of those.
Furry Karl:
Yeah, sorry about the cake, Karoz. My refrigeration unit broke along with the heater. Everything was too hot and too cold at once.
Baker Bloch:
Isn’t that life, Furry Karl. Isn’t that life.
Furry Karl (laughing):
I suppose it is Baker Bloch. So Karoz… hit you with another beer?
Karoz:
I’ll just nurse my somewhat flat wine, yeah. I’ll hold you to that beer later.
Baker Bloch:
A shame you couldn’t have that Absinthe in your inventory. Probably an old object.
Karoz:
Ah, I’d already had 4 beers while I was shooting target practice below the Kidd Tower. At that pond. Does it have a name?
Furry Karl:
Are you talking about Poppy Pond? Yeah, the one where the gazebo use to be. You see, there were once two identical gazebos the same as Carrcassonne’s one now, isn’t that right Baker Bloch?
Baker Bloch:
Yeah. Facing… you tell it Karl.
Furry Karl:
Facing opposite directions. Same latitude, same elevation, everything. Except the turning. This town is freak’n wacky! (laughs)
Karoz:
Hmm. Do you have a gun, Karl?
Furry Karl:
Of course. You don’t know how many times I’ve loaded up with liquor and shot into those woods.
Baker Bloch:
What if it’s another avatar!?
Furry Karl:
Never seen a body the next morning, animal or human.
Baker Bloch:
Have you read Karl’s book, Karoz?
(Karl clears his throat loudly)
Uh, ahem, I mean the book Karl has over there in his bookcase.
Karoz (looking around):
What bookcase?
Baker Bloch (ignoring the question):
It’s by this fellow named Blood Curdling, who tells tales of the forest.
Karoz:
Tell-tale tales? (smiles) Anyway I know Karl wrote it. Spongeberg told me. Spongeberg told me a lot of things. Everything about this mother flipp’n town except the name of that pond. (smiles again) Now I know everything. What to shoot at, what not to. Ah heck, I’m getting pretty drunk off this additional beer and wine. Maybe I better head back home and crawl in bed. Anyway, congrats again Karl on the new location of the bar. It’s a tricky walk down here but I’m sure you’ll get 5 times the business now you’re in Collagesity proper.
Baker Bloch (snickering):
Collagesity proper. You and your fancy college expressions.
(Karoz pulls out his wallet and hands Furry Karl a bill.)
Furry Karl:
Whoa, a whole linden dollar. Yeah, you come back anytime Karoz, an-y-time.
Baker Bloch:
See ya later, Karoz.
(Baker Bloch and Furry Karl watch a tipsy Karoz leave the bar to head back home.)
Furry Karl (after Karoz is seemingly out of earshot):
Cheap bastard.
Baker Bloch:
He can’t help it. He’s fallen on hard times. Listen, we have to prop him up.
Furry Karl:
Why? He’s not a flattie like me.
Baker Bloch:
No, I mean emotionally prop him up. He’s obviously a little depressed in my eyes.
Furry Karl:
Ah, he’s got his new gun. He’s okay. He’ll be okay, I mean. Give him time. More target practice time (laughs).
Baker Bloch:
He was once president of Sam Parr College in Collagesity, Furry Karl. But the Collagesity over in Noru for a spell. Same town, though. You weren’t there, I don’t suppose.
Furry Karl:
No. I was *here*. I’ve *been* here for years. Over next to those blasted woods. Now I’m blasting away back. I’m tired of it.
Baker Bloch:
Now, now Karl. Now you live *here*. With us. In Collagesity.
—–
Baker Bloch and Furry Karl talk into the night about town business. Afterwards, Baker walks out of the bar to find Karoz Blogger at the bottom of the pool just outside. Drunk and asleep, not dead, because Second Life avatars don’t need to breathe air, of course. Sleeping with the fishes, still.
Baker decides something *must* be done.
Sunklands 