Category Archives: X-City

September 7, 2019 · 9:04 am

castle

“Ahh. Good to be home.”

—–

“What is that enchanting music, eh?

“And how are you tonight, Ms. Teebestia. Long time no see!”

“H-how did *you* get here?”

“And good to see you too(!). I got here the same way everybody does. By logging in and changing clothes if needed.” Axis inspects Teebestia more carefully. “But, hmm, I see you don’t have that need. The logging in, I mean. You are just a prop!”

“Shhh. Baker Bloch is listing in.”

Axis turns toward the piano; sees a large, pale, somewhat blood splattered vampire playing the tune he was so admiring before and after entering the castle. So captivating. He must ask the name. But: Baker Bloch?

He calls over to the vampire. “Baker Bloch?”

The piano playing screams to a halt. Literally: a scream, a very high pitched one and nothing like Pitch’s actual voice. He was channeling a certain spider, but the spell has ended. He doesn’t know how to play the piano. He lifts his suddenly non-talented hands away from the keyboard. Pitch Darkly no more.

—–

“W-what are *you* doing here?”

“Exactly what I said,” Teebestia quickly followed.

“Well,” Axis replied after a pause. “Aren’t *we* a fine 3-n-1, eh?”

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September 7, 2019 · 8:37 am

absence

“Still not here,” Axis lamented, blue curse purse painting propped to one side. “She must still be at the school. A short drive from here, despite the name. Yet — I think I’ll visit Teebestia first. Something inside me, yes, says to tick that off my list first.”

He stares over at the modified artwork again. “I was such a beautiful little girl before becoming such a handsome man, hehe.”

—–

“Should be just over there.”

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September 7, 2019 · 8:07 am

XXX dance

“They think they are the X, Pitch. But they’re only the western edge: Long Drive. There’s Middle Game left, and there may even be Sink X itself, formerly holding Chip Shot, to complete the game.”

“But the X, the actual crossroads I mean, lies between Long Drive here and Middle Game, which I assume is a destination coming up shortly.”

“But first,” Buster clarified, “The X itself as you put it. Teebestia.”

“Cool.”

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September 6, 2019 · 9:19 am

school

“So can anyone tell me where this word comes from?” Kyao Suki tried not to look down at his chalk dusted hands, wanting to wash them. Instead he projected forward, toward his audience, his pupils. All except Kevin A. (Kevin Orchardsity), who was asleep in the front row, slightly snoring even.

Vaulter Valerie Kempbill would have raised her hand if she had any. Instead she spoke up. “Piedmont,” she uttered proudly from her headless head. She had read all of 2 hours the night before. Such interesting material!

“Very close, Valerie. It’s *Pietmond*. Like the artist Piet Mondrian.” Kyao could tell this flew over everyone’s head so he let the resonance drop. He briefly thought about the 3 chalk disaster that was suppose to be a rendition of his “Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow” and decided not to go down that path as well. Leave art for the artists, he decided. Like Peggy Bartholomew up on the 5th floor. Ahh: Peggy. But enough of that. Back to teaching!

“Do you know why *Pietmond* was the source of Sinkology, Valerie… anyone?”

Garfield Hatfield looked around the room, thinking they were all a bunch of losers; castoffs. Well, *he* was. Seeing no one else speak up, he offered: “Because it existed in a sinkhole?” He almost said *stinking* sinkhole but backed off at the last second. What was this thing he had about biting remarks? He wasn’t like this as a kitten.

“Correct, Hatfield. Very good. Pietmond existed in one of the 6 legitimate sinks of the continent of Jeogeot, which we covered yesterday. As you recall, this is also the Southern Continent or the 3rd created by our makers. Does anyone remember the other continent we spoke about yesterday, hmm?” No immediate answer. “The one with the 2 other sinks that all Sinkologists agree are legitimate — real? 7 and 8?”

Valierie Kempbill was thinking something like “Concrete” but decided to keep quiet, already embarassed about the presence of one mispronunciation.

“Corsica,” Kyao Suki pronounced clearly. “Corsica,” he repeated. “And *today*, we’re going to discuss the one we’re on now to complete the survey of our sinks.” *Surely* they know the continent they live on currently, he though to himself, but decided to ask anyway.

Half said Satori, half said Maebaleia after Kevin A. woke up enough to chip in. Even split between Northerners and Southerners we have here, Kyao Suki realized, taking a better look at his assembled class.

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September 5, 2019 · 7:47 am

grass talk

Buster knew she would be looking in through the secret window. Some called her Blurmaid, half blue, half (mer)maid. She was what Craighead Phillips dreamed about regularly in the aquarium at the center of the X, Maebaleia/Satori’s only true crossroads. And they *were* at one, as we, (the reader) and I, are. This is so top secret that I’m almost inclined to make the remainder of the posts of this current Collagesity novel private. I believe Buster Damm would feel more comfortable if this were so.

—–

“The X is a portal,” he spoke through the bamboo to his old friend Pitch, his best mate for, well, centuries I suppose. This is secret stuff between two old pals, old buddies. “You found the blue rose by the sign — you know that now.”

“Ahh, blue rose. Should’ve known.”

“Novalis, yes. But the blue rose is close yet again.” He peers at the door he cannot see through once more. “We are — being monitored,” he measured in his high pitched voice.

Pitch let this sink in before responding bassly from his reclining position. “Cathy A. I know about her and the blue rose that once was red. Like, er, Marcus Fox Smartville’s. What — happened to them?”

[delete 5 exchanges]

“We will compensate by editing…”

[delete 3 exchanges]

—–

Annaliza appeared from around the corner. “We have had enough of discussions today if you please. Mr. Pitch sir, you will follow me again to the pool room where we will talk more tomorrow. Mr. Dang, if you will excuse us.”

“Sure, sure.”

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September 5, 2019 · 6:40 am

(last?) straw

“Alright Mr. Pitch Darkly darling. You have suffered enough on the America’s flag. You are allowed to see Mr. Burster Dang in the bamboo park this morning.”

“*Finally* You hear that down there Mary?”

“I heard,” she gurgled upward.

—–

“So what gives, Burster? I mean, Buster?”

“Just lay there and don’t move. And talk *through* the bamboo as much as possible. The bamboo is sacred, the bamboo is healing.”

Pitch Darkly intuits he wants to add on something like, “All Hail the Wild Green Grass,” even if Buster doesn’t say it out loud. What made him think this? Then something else came in his mind. “Is — this an audition?” he asked.

Buster became even more serious. “Annaliza. Will you kindly leave Pitch and me alone for a moment.”

Annaliza hesitates, but then acquiesces, bowing deeply before departing in silence. Pitch wanted to shout, “Are you all right down there!” to Mary, but knew she couldn’t hear through the floor. She wasn’t allowed (again). This was very, very wrong.

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June 24, 2019 · 5:47 am

Blue

It was the more unusual of the buildings at the X marking the center of X-City. Well, what was left of it. Orange it was, and elongated. With circular sides ghosting a circular front in my opinion. For I’ve surmised what this building actually is. We’ve seen the address before.

The X marks the portal between Real and Second Lyves. Sign.

I knew who the mermaid inside was at the bottom of it (bottom writing). But she was something else. Not a whale, although that’s part and parcel of the legend. Not quite a jellyfish, but that was closer. Squid? I haven’t quite connected the dots. Dot dot dot…

If only she could tell us herself.

Oh dear. Oh bloody hell.

—–

There was only one other character I could introduce to attempt to put a face on it. We’ve seen *him* before.

It’s a matter of time. Does the face remain (2) full and smiling or does it become (1) smaller and then (3) wink out, leaving us with nothing.

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June 16, 2019 · 7:36 am

centering 02

Oops!

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June 16, 2019 · 6:23 am

centering

We better get back to the ‘X’.

He was dreaming of that creature again who lived at the bottom of the Blue Feather Sea. Olivia. With aspects of Tracy but also different. Obviously a mermaid, yes, but something else as well. Whale? He can’t quite put his finger on it. But — different. Unique, even.

Something about the patterns.

—–

The Mermaid it’s been called for many long years now, son,” spoke Uncle Barnacles to Craighead Phillips later on. “It’s why, it’s why…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. But Craighead could translate: It’s why he can’t remember what year it is, let alone century. Craighead tested him later. “17th?” UB ventured.

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June 14, 2019 · 3:23 pm

X marks

PIPERSVILLE (CHIP SHOT) and SINK X

MIDDLE GAME.

LONG DRIVE.

“It’s the only X the Linden roads make on Maebaleia,” I speak to my avatar who stands beside this very crossroads. Or at least a rendition thereof.

“Satori,” he calls up in a small voice.

“Right,” I boom down. “What I said. Anyway, it’s between the two X’s we’re calling Middle Game and Long Drive. These 2 smaller X’s…”

“Smaller,” echoes Baker Bloch down below.

“Yes,” I say in a bigger way. “They must be part of one larger X, then. Logical?” I query.

There was a pause. “What about Sink X?” he says in such a small voice that I didn’t hear him at first. He was looking in the distance.

“What’s that?” I boom down.

“Sink X!” he pipes up. “Pipersville! Chip Shot!!”

—–

“I was sitting right over there on that bench, Baker Bloch — my Gaseous Bench — when the (Tarsus) attack began. Poor Tealy.”

“But… he’s still alive,” a puzzled Baker responds, seeing the colorful raccoon just this morning.

“Oh yes. I rebuilt him. Just a mechanoid, see. Not a real raccoon. Hence the color, silly.”

“Good. I’m glad he’s still alive. But I was thinking…”

“Karoz?” Tillie guessed. Both were contemplating the common teal color now. Or blue-green. “That would make me…”

“The Other Baker, yes. The female.”

“But I’m…”

“I know who you are.” Pause. “Now.”

“Well.” She threw up her hands. “It’s a mystery, then. Another one.”

Baker emits air (as well?). “We better speak about Chip Shot; and Middle Game; Long Drive,” he finished, further away from the beginning of this sentence than ever.

“Pretty easy. Chip shot, even. Sink X is a green that’s also a sand dune or bunker. Paradox. Two opposite things in one. Two *bordering* things, but getting on the green, especially with a long drive, is good, while hitting a sand bunker…”

“Bad,” completes Baker Bloch. “Two neighboring opposites combining into one.”

“And Chip Shot just a chip away from either. Perched on the lip.”

“Chip Shot… Pipersville’s original name?”

“A variant, historical name,” Tillie offers, coming into synch with her fellow core avatar. Another 2n1.

—–

“What next? Will you leave Rubisea now, Tillie? You and Tealy? Perhaps go on a journey to find seed in Grasslands which is Toppsity? Passing Golden Sink on the way? Where it all ends according to both me (as Pitch) and, let’s see, I think it was Dave. Firesign’s Dave.”

“David Ossman,” Tillie recites. “Archer.”

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