Karoz moves over to the Red Umbrella just next door. “There’s Story Room again. Showing up in a collage at my college that almost was real to us! But not quite,” he then follows, still muttering to himself. “Collage and Second Lyfe remained separated (and that’s probably a good thing).”
“I’m in this one. Multiple me’s.”
Unfallen Karoz.
Fallen Karoz. Equals Scatman Crothers.
Boos gallery is next for Karoz.
Mars images abound.
This one would become especially important a bit later on.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, collages 2d, Heterocera, Rubi^
Hope neighbor Art Oluja isn’t pulling out already. Need to get over to her other parcels and see what amazing things she’s been up to. Soon!
Karoz inside Fal Mouth Moon studying the Falmouth series. “Story Room.”
“Moss like me,” he says upon spying Boss Moss in what might be the most complex collage of the series. Actually that would make a good title for an autobiography. He remembers that door beside him from another collage just viewed involving Lisa the Vegetarian and The Beatles. The one with a prostrate Shadowy Figure.
“I’ve got to get back in there!” Karoz declares (meaning Stonethwaite).
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, collages 2d, Heterocera, Rubi^
“I’m so sorry, Hucka Doobie. I went to the bar instead of the diner here. Carrcassonnee didn’t correct her speech in the blog until after I left. But the bar was closed — no sign of Furry Karl or anyone else there. I checked the portal very quickly to make sure it remained unblocked. I figured you were down here.”
“No sign of Starbuccarina[ either]?” Hucka Doobie was still irritated but getting over it. Her left eye twitched nervously, but she had the glasses on. No weakness shown.
“No,” answered Karoz. “The great 3-n-1 must be in mothballs once more.”
“You work for me, right?”
“Yes, Hucka Doobie. I’ve worked for you for a long time.”
“I’m going to give you your next assignment. You will go into the collages, the nexus. Inside Spider will become a horse. Ride that horse to the next town over and dismount. Don’t look to the left. Don’t look to the right. Just straight ahead. Go to the end of the road. Enter the bar or diner or whatever is there. Don’t speak to anyone. Just go over to the person who doesn’t have a head and ask where you are. Because he’s the only one who can’t tell you. When you get that information, go into the back room and lie down and wait for sleep. When it comes you will be in the place he incorrectly told you about. This is the nexus. Wait for Spongeberg. That is all.”
“Hucka Doobie, I have so many questions about Baker Blinker and Wheeler and Furry Karl…”
“All that will have to wait. Go into the nexus. Lie down and wake up in a better place. The green, green hills. We have ended.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi^
Karoz Blogger:
We must send Spider back into the collages, Carrcassonnee. There is no other choice.
Carr.:
I agree. But I cannot separate from my eye [at the same time]. Collagesity will collapse.
Karoz:
Then I will have to take it — you — with me.
Carr.:
I cannot move. I am immobile.
Karoz:
We’ll have to figure out a way.
Carr.:
Hucka Doobie wants to speak with you tonight. She says to meet her at the bar diner at 20:00 o’clock.
Karoz:
That’s 3 minutes from now!
Carr.:
You better hurry. She doesn’t like to wait.
—–
“Where is the f-er,” she thinks.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi^
They didn’t talk about the flattie culture like Baker Bloch desired. He didn’t know where Karoz and Baker Blinker lived together. Oh, well it’s actually, most likely, the old gothic castle in the western part of town, next to Flat Ebbe Linden’s[ or Jim’s] greeting station. And also perhaps they’ve broken through the wall and inhabit the neighboring Edwardston Building, hmm. So Karoz doesn’t live above the Bodega market any longer. Baker Blinker doesn’t really live in Gloomy Gus. They’re together, thanks to the Assimilation. Still, Karoz is troubled. It’s all splintering into so so many realities. Peter SoSo warned us about this?
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi^
Baker Bloch decides to talk to Karoz about all these ideas tonight, if he’s available. Turns out — big surprise — he is…
… but it takes him a minute to, as he put it, get ready. He had a surprise for Baker, but Baker was forewarned by Furry Karl about this.
—-
“What do you think, eh? Better eh? Huh?”
“Let me turn your seat toward me some more,” Baker responds to Karoz. He then takes a closer look…
… but before Baker can weigh in with an opinion, Karoz is giving more details.
“From now on I will [also] be called Xilted, after the greenest sim there is, at least in its lowest part. The green, green hills of Xilted. You’ve heard that old song.”
“Have I?”
“Past, present, future,” Karoz replies. “That’s where we are now. We are, ahem, sitting in the middle of the future TILE college grounds of Collagesity, Baker Bloch. This is where it all starts. This is where the rooting takes place. And I’m not talking about just routing for the college football team this go around. This time it’s real.”
“Fascinating,” says Baker. “And as I take a closer view I certainly approve of the new look, Karoz. And I see you have an earring too in your, ah, left ear.
“Yes, Baker Blinker has [a duplicate] one in the other ear. We are a symmetrical match, just like with our souls. I guess you’ve heard about that too.”
“You mean the new stuff with the whole Assimilation dealie? Yes I’ve heard. I bought Baker Blinker a present today. Did she tell you?”
“No,” came Karoz’s answer. He suddenly looked annoyed. Baker Bloch can read Karoz’s expressions better now (!). Baker decides to drop that particular subject.
“Well… give me more details about the college then, Karoz. Are you talking about assimilating the new structure over there into it?” Baker points behind Karoz to the new Collagesity building I mention in the “Plane Clash? 01” post.
“Yes,” says Karoz. “And also where we sit. Something will happen. Something *is* happening. Can you feel it?”
Just then, Baker Blinker rang up Karoz and told him the news of the purchase Baker Bloch mentioned earlier. Karoz had known this was going to happen. But he still didn’t seem prepared.
“Okay, duplicate people, right,” he spoke rather tensely into the phone. “Right. I know that.” Baker Bloch couldn’t make out what Baker Blinker was saying. “Yes, I know that already. (pause) No, I’m here with Baker Bloch in the center of my new college. (pause) Yes, it’s already here. Future is present. (pause) Um huh. (pause) Yeah. (pause) I’ll pick that up on the way home. (pause) Okay, I’ll see you shortly.” Karoz ends the call. Baker Bloch is very curious but sticks to the script. The script says to be silent for 23 seconds and not speak. He waits.
15 seconds later, Karoz speaks. “I’ve got to get home. Baker Blinker wants me to pick up some milk at the Bodega market.”
“Okay.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi^
“I mean it’s silly,” Karl says. “How can Starbuccarina and Space Ghost get married? He’s old as the hills; she’s young and also *not* really alive. She died, along with Rhoda. 3-n-1. Remember the plane crash?”
“I remember the plane clash, when 2 flattie realities started interfering with each other.” Baker shuffles some papers on his lap. “Was that your line, Karl? I’m lost again.”
“LOST, that was it. The show that began with a plane clash.”
“Crash.”
“Right.”
“Snow?” Curled Paper then asks out of the blue. “Did you say snow? Snow Crash? I know that book.”
—–
“It was like Fleep said. Just virgin Linden forest for, really, miles and miles. Chilbo chopped a path through the wilderness. All the way to Norum. And when they got to Norum they discovered the reality before *their* reality. Queen Sapphire and all. And Karoz. Karoz is starting to remember how it was, then. [At last] he’s becoming [rebellious] Aqua Teen beyond Sapphire’s precious Aquamarine. Put him on top of that green, green hill. Start him there. Or her. Remember how it *was*.”
“Thank you Carrcassonnee.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi^
“Well, what do you think Blinks? Everything’s opened up quite a bit more. I like it.”
“The little blue robot is a bit too close to me. Otherwise: wonderful. I’m so proud of you Baker Bloch. You really are the best janitor money can buy.”
“I try.” He smiles. “But what about you and Karoz? *You* guys are the center.”
“I… well, you know, we’re working on our separate things.”
“You still live down in Gloomy Gus, right?” Baker Bloch studied her expressions.
“Yeah, we still haven’t decided on the living arrangements. Karoz is up in his [Bodega] apartment for now. We’re comfortable with this arrangement. Plus, Wheeler trains in GG sometimes, so there’s that.”
“Hmm,” responds the male Baker. “So you guys are okay. You can be honest with me.”
“You mean Karoz and I or Wheeler and I? Just kidd’n. Karoz and I are fine. He has TILE, and I have my thing.”
“The wrestling thing,” Baker Bloch offers.
“Yeah.” Baker taps her fingers nervously on the table. “I’ve picked out our first mat. The confederation may be forming after all.”
“Is that the one you spilled wine on?”
“No, that was something else. That was Karoz’s fault. Just kidding again. It was both our faults. It got accidentally spilled all over a file in my cabinet.”
“The Wheeler file.”
“Yes,” Baker Blinker said. “The Wheeler file.”
—–
“The Wheeler file?”
“That’s what she said,” responded Baker Bloch to Karoz. “Just 1/2 an hour ago. I was showing her the new town vistas. How’s it’s all opened up now. I also really like the way the headwaters of the Confluence Stream are exposed.”
“That’s actually called Middle or Central Stream, Baker Bloch. Confluence hasn’t been used in a long time — maybe way back in VWX Town days. I wasn’t around too much then. Thank you and your user for bringing me back in Collagesity, and for also reviving Baker Blinker in such a strong way.”
“You bet!” replied Baker. “There’s no sending you guys away again, believe you me. Baker Blinker is crucial. You two are married so that makes you safe as well.” Baker Bloch then thinks he should have worded that differently.
“I’m admittedly — how do I say this…”
Baker Bloch helps him out. “You’re worried about Wheeler.”
“Well… yes and no. 1/2 and 1/2, as Carrcassonnee might say in her Mouse-speak.”
“She was created as a warrior. A wrestler she be. You’re not upset about the projected mat?”
“No, no, it’s not that. Not really.”
“Then what?” Baker Bloch waited for an answer. Karoz took his time. Baker tried to aid him again. “Is it the wine, the spilling?”
“Yes, I suppose. I’d rather talk about TILE. My side of the story.”
“Alright, let’s talk about TILE.”
—–
“So we just talked about TILE for a while and he said he needed to do some stuff at home and he left, Hucka Doobie. And Baker Blinker went to her own home to do her own stuff. It’s strange.”
“Like the 3 Pearls?” Hucka Doobie stated. “Like the 3 Stars?”
“What’s up with that?”
“There are worlds that want to remain separate but are actually linked in the darkness. The pitch black. Karoz Blogger and Baker Blinker are 2 such worlds. *Were*.”
“Yes.”
“And now there’s a new world and new links spreading out. Thus the link to Nautilus and The World. The Dancer. I’m an expert on Nautilus if you remember.”
“I do, Hucka Doobie. You predicted the coming of Nautilus City. You predicted the coming of the Leviathan. You were a very active blog spirit at the time I was exploring Yd Island, exploring Austra around Mystenopolis. You know a lot. That’s why I asked to meet with you tonight. We interacted so much in the White Palace through our users — well, your user is you and my user is Baker B.”
“It’s complicated,” Hucka Doobie admits.
“Yeah, but I wanted to speak to both of them beforehand. And you’re right. The link isn’t really there any longer.”
“No,” Hucka Doobie spoke plainly.
“So there’s…”
“… the spilt wine,” Hucka Doobie completes. “You better think about BoB some more. Respond to Quito. You’ve responded to Maggie in Chilbo and that’s great. She doesn’t think Chilbo missed out on the boat. She departs from Fleep on this subject. And since you allied yourself with Fleep, at least in your mind…”
“Something about Sapphire being the queen of all of Jeogeot. There’s a bit of Fleep in Sapphire.”
“Yes,” Hucka Doobie answers. “But there’s more. Return to Karoz.”
—–
Baker pauses to look at The Thinker fronting his namesake rock.
—–
“Thank you for meeting with me again, Karoz. Hucka Doobie said you wouldn’t mind and she’s almost always right on these things.”
“No, that’s fine. I couldn’t sleep anyway. I’m having trouble with that lately. I keep seeing lights over at Sikkima, at the old sinkhole. I think it may be the ghost of Collagesity past. Or whatever it was named at the time. VWX Town? No… New Pietmond, that was it. How could ghosts occur there? The past is leaking through, I feel. We are becoming unstable again. I worry about our future.”
“Another round for you guys?” Furry Karl chips in.
“No, we better cap it at one for me,” Baker Bloch responds.
“No thanks,” Karoz replies in turn.
“Well… I’m closing in about 15 minutes just to warn you. I have a party to attend.”
“Where’s that?” asked a curious Baker Bloch.
“Over at my other bar, actually. The one next to the woods. It’s a private thing, if you get what I mean. Flatties only. No 3d-ers. No true avatars. Just guys and gals like me. Nothing smutty mind you. Just conversation. And, yeah, some nudity. But not much. Just a shirt pulled off here, some pants there. But nothing else. Just freedom, you know.”
“Well,” responds Karoz positively, “whatever curls your whiskers, Furry. Whatever turns you on and makes you happy. You Flatties have a hard life serving us third dimensionals. You deserve a break to unwind.”
“Here’s to Furry Karl,” Baker also adds. “The best bartender money can buy.” He raises his glass to Karl and downs the last bit of beer. Karoz also polishes off his Heinny bottle in the same toast.
“So what were we talking about Karoz?” Baker then says after Furry Karl goes in back to start closing up.
“I haven’t the foggiest.”
—–
“You about ready to head out doll face, hehe? Just joking. You’re not invited.”
“I just had to make sure that door wasn’t phantom still.” Furry Karl checks the orange portal door — indeed locked. “Don’t wait up for me, sweets.”
“I won’t,” Star replied, shocking the flattie bartender.
“Well I’ll be,” says Furry Karl. “Hey guys,” he calls through the wall. “She’s alive. She’s alive! Star’s alive!” The other two came running. It was a joyous night for all. And after hearing the news, Space Ghost forgot all about his cane again in rushing to the bar.
—–
The very next day they got married. Who? you ask? Why Starbuccarina and Space Ghost! Jorondip was, once more, the honeymoon destination. And Star made sure Space didn’t leave anything behind this time.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0002, Heterocera, Rubi^
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^
“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^
Sunklands 