“Oh Lichen. Why did you have to take me so far?”
By the time they climbed up to the higher plateau all the snow had melted from the night before. And Lichen had turned into A. Pond the true traveling companion as Fern was now Dr. Kelp.
“F-ck Dr. Kelp and her two timing ways,” wrote Rose T. in her journal that night, paraphrasing something similar from the morning entry. Two a day until she catches up, she’s determined. Catastrophe set her back.
(to be continued)
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0313, Blue Feather Sea^, Maebaleia/Satori, Montana
“Montana!
“And 4 buttes.”
“Lemme see!” “Lemme see!” “Lemme see!”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0312, Althyria, collages 2d, Maebaleia/Satori, Montana, X-City^
She resided in Dairy so she thought it was appropriate to start her long delayed *diary* here. To begin: renaming the place after the book. Aisle of Diary it is from now on in the writing. Or Isle — either one perhaps, depending on, let’s say, the weather. Sunny right now. Isle, then.
Dear Diary,
Today I begin my life anew. Beautiful day here in the Isle, let’s call it. Edward D. is cooking up breakfast, no dairy. I’m allergic to dairy now. Milk, cheese, all of it. My diary makes it so.
I want to first talk about Dr. Kelp and how the two timing f-er stabbed me in the back and replaced me with A. Pond. I want to talk about the lie that is Edward D., because I made him up, name just off the the top of my head back there. Let’s see, 5 sentences back now. Oh here he comes now, breakfast in hand. “Thank you dearest!” I say to him, putting down the loaded down tray beside the keyboard in front of me, planning to nibble on it for the next hour or so. Writing and dining, two of my favorite activities. 5 sentences, 5 bites (so on). I don’t do dairy. I sip on the glass of milk he also provided (“Thanks again, dearie!”).
The breakfast turns into a sandwich loaded down with at least peanut butter as the sun becomes square and black, Skippy and Jiff both chipping in (skip). Aisle it is.
I think of po man’s George Washington (Carver) not for the first time today. Nor the last.
(to be continued)
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0309, Blue Feather Sea^, Maebaleia/Satori, VOTV, X-City^
Arasaka has a presence here, thought Fern while happening upon their tell tale logo on the back of a hotel in exploring more of the town, this Aisle of Breakfast and Aisle of Dairy at once. Blood red like a tempting apple.
She thinks back to the first time she saw the cursed thing while riding the magnetic levitation (maglev) rail train into Nightsity, obligatory “apple tree” prominent above the name in that case instead of to the side (put in quotes because that’s Fern’s personal name for the emblem due to the tempting aspect and not a colloquial term). Across the river but the distinct cherry red made it pop out again. And immediately afterwards, her destination for tonight, the No Tell Motel. Another hotel/motel, hmm, she ponders. Could one be the same as the other (again)?
She gets off at the next stop and makes her way back to the Kabusie motel.
They indeed fuse as she walks through the front door, past becoming present. But it took a while to match the outfit admittedly, ha.
“I’m here to see Tin,” she said to the front desk receptionist, hoping she didn’t under-dress. But this was, after all, the seedier side of town, past still mirroring present.
“Last name, please,” he said, staring at the outfit but not looking too shocked, she didn’t think. Had to blend in, she consoled herself again. She *is* at least wearing her black swimming suit under the semi-transparent shirt. All she could think of in the moment. Lichen wasn’t there to help her choose clothing, fashion buff that she is, despite the hick look she promotes with the jeans and mouth straw and all. Poor Lichen, she bemoans again. But I’ll find her. “Don’t have one,” she answers. “It’s a number not a name,” she said, even though she knew it was both, phonetically speaking. “Tin (Ten) — only gave me her room.”
“Right, okay, so… 2nd floor, last door to the right,” he says. Good luck, he thinks. That one looked pure chrome and so most likely a cyberpsycho. Probably won’t live through the night.
—–
Well. Here goes nothing *knock knock knock*.
“Come in! It’s not locked!” Ordinary female voice, phew!
Fern draws her gun and opens the door…
She turns.
“You!”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0302, Blue Feather Sea^, C2077, Kabusie, Maebaleia/Satori, Nightsity, X-City^
“Look Lichen. It’s like our black and white lists that started the last photo-novel, 43 in a series (!).
“Lichen?
“Lichen!”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0216, Althyria, Maebaleia/Satori, X-City^
Mr. Middle.
And then, just beyond…
“Cary?”
No, that must not have been Cary, I think, now looking at his sparkly back as I circled around. He didn’t answer me. *Surely* he would remember who I was. Didn’t even look up to meet my eyes. But… maybe he didn’t see me. Maybe he didn’t hear me. “*Cary*,” I tried more levelly and with more volume. He turned.
“See here’s where it gets *really* interesting, Lichen,” said observing Fern at their new home near the pit. “Because it’s about to happen again.”
“Mm, mhm, mhmmm,” says Lichen, since her mouth is full of popcorn but she’s still so eager to speak.
“What’s that, dearest?”
*Swallow*. “Ier ssaied, whferef’s Mfr. Middlfe?” Swallow again.
“He’s not in this one. Just watch.”
I was walking up to him again. How was this *possible*?
“Madison?”
(to be continued)
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0214, C2077, Kabusie, Maebaleia/Satori, Nightsity, X-City^
It started with flamingos…
… it ended with flamingos.
And in-between, Fern found a new home for Lichen and herself while they investigate the developing super city of upper right central Maebaleia, the one northeast north and northwest all of its old capital of X-City. 100 lindens a week — quite reasonable. And a pool! Ah the joys of summer in fall, never mind the bit of rain this morning.
Chopper sounds in the distance. Approaching. Fern’s been waiting.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0211, Maebaleia/Satori, X-City^
https://www.reddit.com/r/Voicesofthevoid/comments/1en5q2b/wha_the_hell_is_this/?rdt=43388
Question: what the hell is this?
Best answer (right answer): that’s where the voices of the void come from
And here is where Our Second Lyfe begins outstripping this more modern game in importance. Because this hole… actually comes from that. A whole super city in the upper right central part of the Maebaleia continent of that virtual world is being built around the phenomenon. Lab coat wearing Dr. Kelp and her companion A. Pond look on.
(to be continued)
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0203, Maebaleia/Satori, VOTV, X-City^
“I decided to log into Our Second Lyfe away from my new home ‘at random’ and immediately stumbled across this turtle at Mont Saint Michel, shocking me.
“It tried to run away and hide under a chair, but I’d teleported in just at the right time and place to catch. Much like Turtle Butte before it. Not planned; had other things in mind to do that night. Same situation.
“But then I looked around at the bar, the books, the tables, the maps, the balcony, and figured this might be a new home for Lichen and me, replacing Castle Town from the previous novel (43). 2nd home, along with the also newly found gym in this here photo-novel of 44. Axxion is the name, exercising is the game. Like I did when I got back…
“… and then found the connection between turtle and cow as I unlocked a special aspect of one of their seemingly mundane machines, I to T to E to L becoming I to E to T to L — crucial reversing there in the middle, you’ll notice. Suddenly, *I* found myself in the position of a turtle which was also a cow. The *turtle* — butte (but she pronounced it as butt?) must have sent the cow suit. One and the same here. Wish I had a photo to share.”
But we do.
Exercising at another, better lighted spot.
And yet another.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0111, Comma Islands^, Corsica, Hana Lei^^
So they took him back to Fern’s restaurant, opened almost two years ago. Took a booth in the rear for more private talk. Fern and store manager Lichen weren’t around, having remained in Washington state to explore another lead. Another Soo(e)s waterway had been uncovered, the more correct one as it turned out. And at the conjunction of it and tributary Kabusie Ck., they’d found their Inner Place with the Indians. I’m not sure if they’ll ever get back.
“Soo. Tell me *exactly* how you got here… arrived in this world? I can’t believe I’m asking this,” Mikie said, shaking his head.
“Weellll, I went into the Yellow Jack. You know the joint below Sandy Shores, kind of near the alien…”
“For Pete’s sake, we *know* where the Yellow Jack is, Trevor.”
“Strevor. Philip Strevor,” he repeated once again.
“So you walked into the Yellow Jack, yeah,” questioned more convinced Frank. “Then what?”
“Well, Miss Janet, you guys know Miss Janet I assume.”
“Of course we know Miss Janet, Trevor,” said Mikie. “She’s the one who set us up with Grant Price. For protection that time.”
“Well. She told me who I was. In this world. I mean, she didn’t *tell* me tell me. But just by her words.”
“*What* words?” asked Mikie.
“Well, she said I was still banned.” He leaned back squeakily in his vinyl booth seat. “And that did it.” Suddenly Strevor was fading. Trevor was finally returning, coming down from the mushrooms. “And then I was…”
“Trevor,” guessed Mikie.
“Yeah.” He looked at each one, as if he hadn’t seen them all night. “Trevor.”
He was back.
They went out of the building and turned around. Fern’s restaurant was gone. The old Crucial Fix coffee shop had reappeared in its place, alternate history erased. Fern was never in this reality, nor gal pal Lichen. We can move on to another story in another place.
Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0043, 0702, GTA, Washington
Sunklands 