for my doppelgangers
“In looking back — in line with the Blackstar Event — I really, truly think at least an aspect of David Bowie entered Collagesity right after his death, stayed a spell, and then left after flirting with my female counterpart Baker Blinker.”
“I *know* who Baker Blinker is,” countered Merry Gouldbusk, softly playing a Bach piece currently as background music. One of the “Goldberg Variations” I might assume.
The male Baker, Baker Bloch, continued. “This would be January 2016, as told in the first Collagesity photo-novel.”
“Yes. ‘Blackstar’. Amazing album. I know of what you speak.”
“He also said he was there to read one specific book called ‘Blood Curdling Tells of the Rubi Woods’…
“….formerly ‘Blood Curdling Tales of the Rubi Woods’, ha…”
“… about the hauntings of an old forest bordering Collagesity immediately to the west. Through it he learned of a legendary creature called the Tinbaby. At the end of his stay, he used the power of the Tinbaby in the woods, which can somehow fold up space seemingly, to leave Collagesity and continue his journey through the afterlife. Also afterwards, the woods had to temporarily be erased — purified — because, I believe, Bowie had to become fully separated from the Tinbaby, which was also the same as Dr. Blood or the Ozian Tinman, who shows up next.”
“The woods had to be purified,” spoke wise Merry Gouldbusk, “because David Bowie had to move on, yes. Had to move on from Baker Blinker primarily. Because…”
“… that was Karoz’s girl. Destiny they were to be married. Right in the center of novel 1.”
“But… you go.”
“But the Tinbaby — it never hit me to associate this with a tin can.”
“Tin Machine,” Merry Gouldbusk finished, and then switched from Bach to a different metal after picking up a guitar. “Goodbye Mr. Ed.”
Jim K.
“Aww *man*. And I was just getting use to the cackling…”
—-
“Humansville,” Baker Bloch spoke to the freshly landed Hucka Doobie beside him. “Must mean *something*.”
“Yeah,” said the bee person, staring around. “Should I take a seat? Will this take *long*?”
“No. Shouldn’t,” a mildly disappointed Baker Bloch responded, hoping to encounter more enthusiasm from his best and oldest friend. Besides Baker Blinker of course, who really doesn’t count.
“I’ll take one anyway,” Hucka Doobie stated, knowing Baker Bloch like she did. This might take a short time, but probably not short enough. Best to take it all in while reclining. “I wonder if there’s any objects offering drinks around here?” she then queries after sitting.
“Um. Unsure.”
They both scan the area now, with nothing that looks like a drink machine or dispenser around. “So… this is the new continent,” Hucka speaks after the pause, licking her lips at the same time. So dry.
“Yeah. Bellisaria.”
“Queer name. I wonder how they came up with it?”
“And sims like *Humansville*. On the opposite side of Polk County from Gold… *Tin*.”
“Tin Town, yeah. I see. Like the first post of… is this the new novel?”
“Suppose it has to be, Hucka D. *We’re* here. Talking.”
“Doesn’t have to be. We could just be chatting off the record, as it were. How do you determine what is a legitimate post and what is not? A metaphysical question, I know, but, after all, I’m the spiritual guru for the blog. I’ve been around a long time. Over a decade.”
“I know you have, Hucka Doobie. And I thank you for your service to the blog. It has been *invaluable*.”
“Thank you. Good to be appreciated.” She licks her lips again. “But I don’t think there’s anything *per se* in this Humansville. No Uncle Joe (laugh), no Aunt Zoe (chuckle).”
“When did you start laughing parenthetically, Hucka?”
A sound happened behind them. Keys jiggling. Someone was trying to open a door. “Who’s that?” she asks before turning.
to prove you’re human
The continent is a wheel, The Man About Time thinks on the upstairs balcony of the 9th house he tried. Success finally? But 12:37: *time* for dinner.
—–
So I’ve marked that place with the filling recipe. You *still* want the apple pie, don’t you dear? ‘Cause I’m going to a lot of trouble with this.” She calls over while still washing her hands. “Dear? (pause) *Dear??*”
“Oh, sorry.” He looks down at the place setting and the contents. Apparently I’ll just do with the one apple right now, he thinks to himself, but says: “Sure. Er, since you’ve gone to all the trouble to find the recipe and all.” He again stares over at the lemon and lime on the far table.
The lemon and lime stared back at him.
“Um, *dear*?”
“Yes, husband of mine?” She was washing the last fingers.
“Do we still have that copy of ‘Floydada’ laying around somewhere?”
“Floy-*whata*?” She finally turns. It was then that Newtonia Kashkow realized the man sitting at the table with all the apples wasn’t her husband atall.
—-
“And *stay* out!” SLAM.
Oh well. On to the 10th!
10th (Danny’s Abode)
Game over, already? Aww. And I was just starting to enjoy myself.
—–
I’ve got to get on it and start to clean up this place, thought handyman Danny Pajamy after the fact, Mr. Clean outside his humble abode but totally slack within. Bob Dobbs would be proud.
Keys jingle somewhere — perhaps on the video he left, um, running? Then they jingle *again*. Someone… someone at the door! he thinks in a panic, remembering what just happened.
Yeah, cleaning. That’s what he’s doing. Cleaning.
“Hellooo? Anybody home?”
lime lemon (orange) apple
It’s the first artwork he encountered when entering House Greenup. Lemons and limes again, staring him right in the face. And eyes… The Man About Time is reminded that a sim called Residentia exists beside the Humansville one he just examined today. Our Second Lyfe, which now includes the newest continent of Bellisaria with its Humansville, Residentia, and many more sims, is inhabited by Residents according to Linden definitions. *The* Residents are an experimental rock group who disguise their identity through giant eyeball masks. One wonders if Philip Rosedale, creator of Our Second Lyfe, had them in mind when applying this specific name to the inhabitants of his realm. After all, both hail from the streets of San Francisco. But I digress…
7 Stones townspeople have a decision to make soon. Whether to keep the separated groundside galleries of House Greenup, SoSo, and Gallery Jack holding the entire “Art 10×10” of 100 collages baker b. produced between 2004 and 2009, or whether to combine the 3 galleries into a skybox (literally in this case: a box in the sky) traditionally called the Edwardston Station Gallery, dating back to 2009 and the end of the series. The Man About Time has an important vote in the matter. He doesn’t take citizenship — *residency* — in the virtual village lightly. It’s an honor to be here, he says to town owners Baker Bloch and Baker Blinker the next Wednesday after the third Monday of the month, when he paid his first rent for a Kidd Tower apartment. Almost at the very top: how lucky was he? Only [delete name] lives above him and [delete name] is rarely at home. But, then again, the Man About Time is out and about a lot as well. Best to cast his vote today, before something else comes up in Bellisaria, etc., that demands his immediate attention, past present or future. Thus the visit to House Greenup today, and, afterwards, Gallery Jack, SoSo, and then up in the sky to see the whole displayed in ESG.
But in staring around at the other collages hanging in the lower floor of House Greenup after ungluing his eyes from the first (which is actually the last: Greenup 20 instead of Greenup 01, although they make an animation with each other and The Man About Time is not the first visitor to make this last-for-first mistake), he’s already made up his mind basically. This house should stay, which means, domino effect, that SoSo must stay which means that Gallery Jack must stay.
“Ahh. ‘Floydada’,” coos The Man About Time after walking around the stairs. “What I’ve been looking for.”
penthouse
“See? It’s all about Greenup, Mr. Babyface. This Floydada Lime it’s called.”
“All (sections) named after fruit?”
“That is correct my fine neighbor.” His voice was mild and youthful; his neighbor’s gruff and aged, countering the babyface appearance.
“Well… if you’re Pierre, as you say, then this town is in for a lot of turning upside down soon. Do you plan to bring back Carr?” Carr was short for Carrcassonnee, the former, alien ruler of Collagesity/7 Stones before the 2016 coup.
“It all depends,” he replies to the babyface man with the gruff, aged voice. “Tell me all about this Wheeler.”
—–
“Damn eyesore it is,” Mr. Babyface suddenly declared, pausing in his spiel about present town ruler Wheeler. “Look at that thing looming up in the air.” He indicated out the window at the boxy Edwardston Station Gallery, the skybox everyone in town is voting on whether to keep. We have two naysayers in the matter sitting here in Mr. Babyface’s lower floor of his Kidd Tower apartment. Mr. Babyface decided “no” the minute he set eyes on the cube; The Man About Time’s choice came a little later. And now he had “Floydada.”
—–
“There’s also a ‘Floydadada’, Mr. Babyface. That’s the one I want next — might even be in SoSo. When I find that I’ll tell the townspeople who I really am, and that I wasn’t killed atall in that giant Lake District gash known as Piers Gill. Instead: Gills Pier. Michigan. 2052.”
But Mr. Babyface knew all about the legend of Pierre Schaeffer. It had been taught in his schools since he was a babyfaced lad.
“Let me show you something, neighbor. *Confidant*.” He scrolls the page down just a bit. “This is me.”
another chance
“Ah so. 7 Stones,” Mr. Babyface mutters to himself after The Man About Time left. “What am I doing here? Where’s Greg or Gregg? What happened to being oiled up all the time. Now I’m like acrylic: too fast to dry. Not fluid any longer. Ah so.”
—–
Like Elton John on the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” cover, we step up and out of Fal Mouth Moon/7 Stones and into another world. A trailer.
—–
I’ve sent Spaced Ghost and Bullfrog away. The gay problem has been resolved here in the heart of Bill Country. Hecklers be gone!
—–
“This is your new home, Danny. Better than the old one in my opinion. And now you’re gainfully employed. You are custodian of a whole, huge gallery!”
“Thank you *so* much. I promise to keep it clean.” He hangs his head down here. “Unlike the old place.”
“Don’t worry about that now, Danny. I have faith in you. I believe in you.”
—–
5th floor now:
“We’ll be installing the new bathrooms (he points) here.”
“I’m ready, sir.”
brand new red blue
Time to pay a visit to the town hall…
—–
Only public bathrooms in town are on the 5th floor of a gallery, ponders Herbert Gold, hunting for art with the wife once more. Strange place.
He turns the page.
Hatfield, hehe.
I’m going to buy one of these pieces, April Mae reinforces to herself in the other bathroom while washing her hands. I don’t know which one, but… something pretty for our guest room. The one without art.
She finishes the last fingers.
—–
It hit her when she exited the bathroom before her husband. He soon joined her in staring.
“Look, dear,” she indicated. “It’s like the statue at the town hall. 7 Stones. And there’s a little man standing before it.”
“Sooo. Is this the one you want? This (he checks the name in the object’s description) ‘Humanvillians’?”
“I think it might be.”
—–
“Back in an hour,” the pink Mossm relayed about the mayor while The Man About Time also stared.
new
“12:37, dear. Time to go.”
—–
The Arkansas meeting, the restored Wheeler thinks just down from the Table Room with her one blue eye and one brown eye. It’s finally here. She wanted to cuss “Bellisaria” but held her tongue.
—–
“Wheeler,” The Man About Time explained….
… then shifted to the next “wheel” sim of Our Second Lyfe, the second of three.
“Wheelhouse,” he then pronounced. “Complete opposite side of continent, northern edge instead of what’s now the southern edge, at least currently. We must act fast!”
“Or else… what?” Baker Bloch queried. “The wheel is, er, *broken*?” No one had said hello to Wheeler. She’d arrived late and missed the similarly paired displays of sims Humansville and Edgar (on opposite sides of a Bellisarian “island”, with Edgar denoting Uncle Joe as TMAT explained), Decker and Deckard (only 2 “deck” sims currently in Our Second Lyfe, directly n. and s. of each other and with Decker next to Wheeler), and Squished Starfish and Squishy Squid (2 of 4 “squish” sims, and again directly n. and s. of each other, with the latter positioned just beneath Humansville this time; more reinforcement).
Baker Bloch unglued his monochromatic eyes from the picture and turned to the newcomer of the group. “Wheeler, you getting all this? Wheel… Wheeler. That means you are involved. *Directly*.”
“Yes,” The Man About Time sitting opposite him quickly followed.
“We have enough evidence already to determine that,” Baker added.
Wheeler decided to insert a joke here. “Game, erm, *over* then?”
Our Second Lyfe winked out.
02
Our Second Lyfe winked on. The other eye had been opened.
“Pierre, I mean, The Man About Time, had come down from Canada to US. He’d used the virtual continent of Maebaleia (alternately: Satori) to great effect, having helped forge an agreement between Lime World and World of Lemon in its central Hills of Bill. From this time forward, they would be sideways to each other, these two I’s.”
“These two eyes?” Grassy Noll interrupted Hucka Doobie. “What does that mean?”
Hucka Doobie pointed back and forth between Grassy and himself. “US.”
—–
A beautiful day was dawning in 7 Stones, Our Second Lyfe. Like always.
“F–k the gallery’s inventory list,” Danny Pajamy decides in his bedroom office. “I’m playing my *new* game again, he he. The one that won’t quit on me.”
Because of this he missed the sale of “Humanvillians” the day before and altered history.
uniques
“So why haven’t you returned to Collagesity, Baker Blinker?” he asks in his surprisingly mild voice. For someone so important. “Or 7 Stones I guess I should say.”
“Just Baker will do, thank you,” she politely replied. The Tillie experiment was over. The classic or traditional Baker Blinker form was back. “Well…”
“It’s Karoz, isn’t it?” guessed The Man About Time, who, like Baker Bloch before her, Baker Blinker knew was Pierre now. He had found “Floydadada”, for what it was worth. The analysis for user baker b.’s “Art 10×10” was more or less complete. He could move forward with his plans. A determination had to be made soon about Wheeler. He’d learned that she couldn’t be disposed of that easily, like a unique key for a storage facility. A safety factor was still involved.
Baker Blinker pondered an answer to The Man About Time’s query. Karoz was in Chilbo still. *She* was in Chilbo. They frequent the giant meditating tree. They take part in a roundabout way with town matters, headed by [delete name]. Karoz worked on TILE a lot still. But somehow, for some reason, they still couldn’t enter the photo-novels in a large way any more. Unlike the early days. Unlike novels 1 and 2. Yes, they were married still. Happy and married. She started with this.
“We are happy,” she replied with some confidence.
The Man About Time leaned over and patted her knee. “Well of course you are.”
—–
He stood outside Home Julia after the meeting was over, taking it in. This is Baker Blinker and Karoz’s residence in 7 Stones for certain, he thought. But they are rarely here. Rarely as in one or two posts per photo-novel, if that. TILE is very valuable, though. Hmmm.
Time to go visit Roger Pine Ridge now. If he’s available.
Jim K. 02
But then he changed his mind, Bellisaria’s Wheelhouse sim popping into his head again. Wheelhouse… Wheeler. Wheeler’s House, he realized. He heads to the Blue Feather instead. Roger Pine Ridge wasn’t home so no loss there anyway.
Inside the Blue Feather, in the Table Room on floor 2 still attached to the Perch Restaurant, just like in Collagesity, another secret meeting was taking place. Hucka Doobie was demonstrating the oddity of Polk County for Baker Bloch. Although Wheeler Wilson still technically owned the Blue Feather, she had always let members of the same named club have access to the 2nd floor. And the first and the third if they wish, but there was less reason to do so, or at least to *linger* there. The Blue Feather (Club) was designed to be an establishment of lemony persuasion, and the roundabout 1-3-2 way of traveling through it was part of this heritage. Its development is traced way back in novel 2, when Wheeler took over the reigns of Collagesity from one-eyed, giant chartreuse alien Carrcassonne in a coup. But now The Man About Time (Pierre) is pondering a return for the deposed former ruler. In some form — he hasn’t decided what or how yet. He’s currently set aside “Floydadada” to study up on how Jacob I. tried to take over the town back in novel 7. It may be handy to track down the similarly one-eyed deity who failed. Last seen in the Gaston estate sim as far as anyone’s best guess goes. But The Man About Time actually checked there earlier today: no luck. Maybe his pet or companion Broken Heart Jackie. Hmmm. Hmmm, again. Many wheels spinning in his head.
—–
“‘Goodnight Violet.’ Like I said goodnight to gallery exhibits in general after that time.”
“She liked me, you know. Violet I mean.”
“I can’t remember. I doubt it. But — you *were* still a man back in those days.”
“Nah,” countered the bee person. “I really wasn’t. I never was a man. You just *thought* I was. I’m not.”
“Well. Let’s head over to Fal Mouth Moon, then. See the related work.”
—–
“Jeepers, Hucka Doobie. It’s *gone*!”
Tin (double)
“Ahh, I found it. The place Roger Pine Ridge was born. Dewey.”
—–
“Tronesisia.”
“In the nuts and bolts!”
“Did I choose well? Did I do right?”
“You are leaning slightly more toward fame than obscurity but (the margin) is acceptable. Your *doppelganger* is balancing you by leaning toward the opposite. You may approach.”
The sweating Man About Time moved forward then bowed.
“I have *so* much to ask (!).”
“Let’s brighten the place up a little bit first…”
—–
“We should have given it back,” Herbert Gold reinforced to his wife. “The object was obviously set on the wrong permissions. I *told* you at the time.”
“I just thought it was… *fate*(!),” April Mae tried to defend about the stolen art.
“Like the rare atlas that you could have stolen from that library because it was already checked out to someone else, hmph.”
“Y-yes.(!)” She couldn’t pass up another opportunity.
But now they were in *trouble*(!!).
—–
“This is like you and Madame Silver, Herbert Gold,” Tronesisia spoke behind him, referring to one of his exes. “But you had the decency to move beyond her. Question, though: is she silver, or actually — perhaps — *tin*?”
Similarly sweating Herbert Gold, who knew he was in hot water, expressed relief that Tronesisia didn’t say platinum.
“Oh yeah,” Tronesisia corrected with a small laugh. “Pla*tin*um. That’s what I meant, ha.”
Oh boy.
flagged
He had to get it over with. It should have been done yesterday. Danny had to come to Dewey to live. For good. That’s why the names are in his county.
Just right over there.
Better, hrmph, hop to it.
—–
—–
“I don’t know what to say, Man About Time.”
“Jim K., please,” The Man About Time requested about his name. “Call me Jim.”
“Well, whatever, this is a wonderful gift. Thank you!”
“And, as you can see, we’ve copied both your American and Florida flag from the trailer to here. Much more room. And Greyhound Imperial Town is right next door. Hear they have a nice art museum you can clean up. I know you like art.” Not quite enough to save your Fal Mouth Moon job, though, The Man About Time thinks to himself here. Tronesisia’s orders: Danny had to go. The Humanvillians had jumped off the confines of 2-dimensional art and come alive. Herbert and April Mae Humanvillian, ugh. Denizens directly from Mammoth Cave (Kentucky Town) to an art gallery near you. They’ll be in for a while. Hope they like their new neighbor.
—–
“This is *ridiculously* small,” complained a totally pissed off April Mae to her husband. “This door won’t even *fully shut*.”
But Herbert Gold was strangely taking all the upheaval quite calmly. Time for a change, he thought but didn’t speak aloud. I’m tired of servants and groundskeepers. We’ll be better off here. He was beginning to dwell on his exes again. And a new one possibly coming up soon.
Oh, and he didn’t die. Tronesisia brought him back to life. Guess that cheers him up a bit too.
And that’s how the Humanvillians came to Dewey. Soon they would explore the whole West End peninsula, all the way to Sentinel at its coastal terminus. Much more interesting in the days when megaburg WES was around, the musical birthplace of the band Love The Three and its Marty, Lemon and George Harris’ Son. Destined they were for great, star studded things, once Ingor was added.
Ingor “Redman” Ratts in WES, c.2007
Now where *are* they?
on the border
Herbert Gold sat at the terminus of West End Road just before dawn and started his first painting ever, simply entitled “Gold”. Afterwards he gets the strong sense of being boxed in again and realizes he has to end it with April Mae. Wife #4 on the way. He has an inclination to go with a redhead this time. Younger. Red. We’ll see what happens.
This statue commemorates the discovery of sculpted prims in ’06. Found in the prim mines of Heterocera, sculpted prims were immediately recognized as a new category of prim that would change the face of Second Life forever. This statue is dedicated to the brave Moles who delved into the pixelated crust of Heterocera Atoll in order to bring forth these valuable prims.
Fi 01
Dadada Again (!). And I can buy for nothing. Yes, Herbert Gold must stay in this West End for a spell. Try to reconcile with the present wife but, if not, there’s always red. Redshirt red, redhair red. Something red. 4th.
How exciting! West End still has magic, probably due to the lingering effects of WES. From beyond the grave.
—–
“Don’t you think WES could be Joplin, Hucka D.?”
“Could be, baker b.”
—–
Rentals? ponders Herbert Gold, spotting the sign while heading back from the road’s terminus. Sounds intriguing. Maybe April Mae will like it better here than that box in Dewey.
Fi 02
I wonder what all this reference to Metal means around here?
Oh well. Time to clean the bathroom again. I’ll show The Man About Time I’m worth my weight in… *something*.
—–
“I will find you, my friend. I will find you and set you free. I understand a little something about being trapped in the head.”
Sunklands 