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  • #290
    ÉricÉric
    Keymaster

      Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you Becky Pooh, but your script is getting awfully confusing… Al was saying swaying his head in dismay.
      — What?! Becky nearly spluttered her cappuccino on Tina who was munching marshmallows at the cafeteria of the rehearsal room.
      — Yes, you see… Al was once again lost in his thoughts… This Illi is driving me crazy, once she’s here, then she’s elsewhere. At one moment you said she was dead, and I went to great extents to try to clarify…
      — Muddle, interrupted Becky Pooh, Muddle…
      — … the whole thing, Al continued imperturbably, and made clear, or so I thought, that the Illi cat was alive, and the Illi human was indeed dead, but now Tina makes the Illi in the dream of little Chiara the cat again… Could you both explain what happens. I’m completely lost.
      AHAHAH, LOST! cried Becky so insanely, so that all of the others looked at her with eyes wide as saucers.
      — Well, there could be lots of explanations of course, interjected Sam, whose energy was always soothing to incorporate in the midst of heated discussions on the reality play they were all writing.
      — Yes, of course there are! It all makes perfect sense, said Becky.
      — Oh sure, said Tina, except that you don’t really make Illi do anything…
      — Do I?
      — Well, they were near the cave, but you won’t face the scaly stinky dragons anyway, said Al a bit disappointed.
      — Why can’t you imagine them all fluffy and pink if it’s easier for you? said Sam. Like Chinese dragons, why not? A bit dog-headed, wouldn’t that be easier for you?
      — Mmmm. Becky was pondering.

      — And what were your suggestions to explain that insane dream? asked Al to Sam.
      — Mmm, let me see… Perhaps it’s from another timeline. No one has said when that dream has occurred, so it may be before, or after the events happening right now.
      — And for the cat seen by Chiara, said Tina gently, that could just be her seeing the essence of Illi, and seeing other of her personalities…
      — Well, seems to make sense… acknowledged Al and Sam, all turning to Becky to see if she agreed.

      #83
      ÉricÉric
      Keymaster

        Where the Janitor may assist you in navigating into the things available in your reality.
        (a help-thread in short)

        Note: the Janitor declines any responsibility for any loss or any Patel “pop-in” that may mess up with your reality.

        Textile format help
        or here
        to test your formatting

        #1308

        In reply to: Yuki’s Livrary

        ÉricÉric
        Keymaster

          September 24 th

          Quintin remembered a snapshot of the notes that Dory had taken during her first trip to the Madagascan caves, a year ago.

          Relevant extracts:

          At one moment, I saw some hooded figure in the sideways tunnels… He vanished on the left, couldn’t follow him…
          […] HE KNEW HIS WAY INSIDE !
          When he vanished, I had the vision of something, […] like the layout of a labyrinth, of cave tunnels — that are all underground and the many entrances are all over the world… PORTALS
          focus opening/doors ; time/space…
          The central cavernous part is some kind of key center, where anyone can meet…

          This has inspired Quintin to write some notes too.
          He has the vision of these portals organized as clusters, like a tree, with branches and leaves… I will send him a more detailed image, but that may take him some time to digest!

          September 26 th

          The latest additions to the story have inspired Quintin. He had some inkling of how “essence” (or what is somewhat referred as “oversoul” ) and all the “focus” of essence (or lifetimes) interplay, and are not as separate as they sometimes seem to be.

          Here would be what we will say to him, if he wants to listen:

          « Now, terminology can become tricky as, for much time, you have been accustomed to be considering of your experience as the projection of that of an “essence”, somewhat separate from you, the lowly focus.
          Of course, you pretend the contrary, and become quite nifty in brandishing sentences like “I am essence, and I create all of my reality”, which you are and do actually, but that you do not always believe and trust.
          These terms of “essence” and “focus” were given to you as means for you to better understand the interplay of consciousness. In the beginning of the acquaintance with these new terminologies, you have felt them remotely blurry and unrelated to previous concepts, which was the intention. But now, you once again objectify your understanding in something too rigid at times, and that little story is giving you a hint of what your real power is.
          And you begin to really experience it, and really pay attention.

          « As was expressed many times, “essence” is no thing. It is an action.
          The “essence” is each of you, that very portion of you that you feel when you slide your attention into the comment box.
          In that, your purpose, you see, is only to experience, nothing more, nothing less.
          And then time, as you know it, becomes irrelevant, you see. Your natural time is expressed through you and your explorations.
          Notice how playfully, as essence (essence playing focus or focus playing essence), you let your natural time unfold, and at times find some strange weather pattern in your awareness that needs clarification. As essence, you playfully find the most perfect habits [shapes and clothings] to wrap around you, and continue your story.
          Just as your dreams at night overlap and blend into each other.
          Just as Rafaela created new focuses [Sam and Becky] to continue to play and make the story expand for all of the other focuses, Dory included.

          « That “I” of you is ever present, and is reflected perfectly in others’ perceptions, as you are drawing them to you purposefully. Do not brush aside their adjuncts, for they are also you, having moved your pawns forward, so to speak, through their moves.

          « Thus understand that the story is a continuous stream reflecting the essence that is you, and your travel through the various guises you borrow.
          In that manner, it does not matter how much sense it makes in linear terms. Because, in a way, it can’t make sense in these linear terms.

          « Let us explain this in other terms.
          When you found difficulties in understanding the “scheme” so to speak, the figure that is drawn by the participants, it is because you apply the linear understanding of what such a scheme should be.
          In that, you only perceive the “plot” as a succession of dots without a continuity, whereas the continuity is to be found in the other stories interwoven.
          You are accustomed to stories where a single individual is enacting throughout the play, in a linear continuous fashion. The individual goes through many different actions, but is always the same in your perception.
          Here, the tricky thing is to notice the continuity throughout the various habits [clothings] taken by the essence(s). It matters not that the essence takes that guise of say, a pirate sailing on high seas, just after having been an old crafty Lord in his windy castle. The underlying aspects of his exploration has been continuous and coherent: in this case, exploring and making sense of one’s exploration. It is just that a certain appearance has been perhaps more fitting to express certain aspects or qualities of essence, but the exploration has been one, throughout the entirety of the experience.

          « We will let you ponder this, and we will continue our own story, writing about you… »

          September 28 th

          This sand symbol that Quintin has brought up seemed to have come from many directions at once. Each character has connected it, in various ways.
          Armelle (Arona) to her magic, Rafaela (Becky) to her collecting customs, etc. etc.

          Let us say that this symbol is not as innocent as it may seem. There are lots of associations with sand.
          It is solid, yet fluid. In association with water, it can be used to build, and also to erode. It can shift into many forms, one of which is your glass, and your electronic components.
          And most of all, it is, after your very oxygen, the most abundant constituent of your reality.
          It is almost limitless in your understanding.
          As is your magic.

          This magical device we made Quintin see in a visualization is an analogy of your very action of creation as essences.
          The sand which molds itself to make forms and shapes in three dimensions is in fact likened to your consciousness. Each grain of sand represents your links of consciousness that bind together to do your command.
          The shapes are moved by your essences, in which you may see that the essence is no thing at all, but is a continuous stream of action, not separate from others’.

          As Quintin said to Fiona, some individuals do differently when they create and shape their sands.
          In analogy with the coloured sands, some people like Quintin enjoy using other people’s colours in shaping his own characters, while some others prefer to keep their own colours, to create a more definite sense of individuality. But they integrate the others’ movements and shapes nonetheless, regardless of how much they perceive it to be coming from them.

          With that said, let us see how much more will appear from that sandbox…

          September 30 th

          The Wrick family tree as it is now (or “will be” drawn around the time of the twins in 2057).

          The Secret Life of Margaret Wrick , a newspaper cut from 2033.

          October 7 th

          The dragon Naasir’s dream
          A panorama illustrating the portals between the worlds created by each of the participants… But who is dreaming, really?

          And an illustration of Chiara’s encounter with the glutton “dreggun” Buckberry

          #79
          ÉricÉric
          Keymaster

            These are excerpts from Yuki’s diary, explaining some of the details of the experiment called — Malvina’s story —.

            Note: for the reader not familiar with all the names here is a quick reminder:

            • Araili > Yann, Írtak, Sam, Jacob …
            • Armelle > Fiona, Arona, Tina, Qixi …
            • Rafaela > Dory, Illi, Becky, Rodney …
            • Yuki > Quintin, Al, Janice …

            September 12 th, 2007

            Today, an experiment has been launched by Quintin. Time will tell if it will bear some fruit, but the idea sounds good.
            Having people join in a story telling, and see what happens, what are the “lessons” one can draw from this…

            Armelle, Rafaela and Araili are already on the starting-blocks, though Quintin is not quite aware yet.

            I can hear some thoughts: Let’s say for the moment that there are no rules. We will see what prompts the desire for having rules…

            September 13 th

            Some of the people familiar with Janice and her friends’ adventures have already joined in with much enthusiasm.
            This first comment seems very promising.

            Right now, it feels easy and fun.

            Quintin seems to think that everything is very straightforward.
            The magical world with the cave in one part, separated from the “real” world. (Two Worlds, and he thinks that will be enough to content Rafaela, ahaha, how presumptuous)
            The first he sees as a representation of what psychologists think of as “subconscious”, and the other being the conscious, physical part.

            But of course, he thinks he knows better than that. He calls the first one “subjective” rather than subconscious, because it’s a translation of subjects which unfold in many related objects in the “objective” or physical world.
            That’s a good point, though a bit distorted. It would be better to say Malvina’s World is a translation of the subjective, in the manner of a Heroic Dimension.
            But the thing is, that he missed the point in thinking one World is more “real” than the other.
            We’ll be having some fun soon…

            First remark… The second comment of the story has been interrupted abruptly in the middle of a sentence. That is interesting. We will urge Quintin to leave it as it is, despite his feeling of it being awkward.
            We will appeal to his imagination.
            It seems he has heard the suggestion.

            September 14 th

            For the most part, the story starts to get much involvement. Lots of energies are being projected into it, and with every adjunct, each participant’s perception stretches to accommodate the changes and smooth out the bumps in their own sense of continuity.

            But as I expected, some challenges seem to appear already.
            Is it raining or not in that world?
            The question seems simple, but it is very profound and Fiona seems to struggle a bit with it, as is Quintin. The question frame itself [“that World”] shows where the difficulty lies.

            He seems to avoid the discrepancy and pretend that he has not seen it. Mmmm, avoiding the obstacles… that will very soon come right back in front of you dear Quintin, for Dory is quite playful.
            At least Fiona has been challenging Dory for not paying attention… Armelle’s ineffable loving ruthlessness!
            How will it unfold?
            Rafaela seems to be delighting herself as though she’s preparing some mischief, but Dory struggles in the “back”…

            September 15 th

            Dory is indeed very playful and her imagination is unrestrained. I extend much appreciation to this focus of Rafaela, especially as Quintin has to stretch his imagination to make things “fit”.

            Quintin is still avoiding the issues that appear sporadically and prefers to stay focused on his own perception of the story… Careful Quintin :face-smile:

            Yann joins the fun —objectively, that is, for Araili has been present already since the very beginning.

            September 16 th

            Halcyons days…
            My dear friend Archie is answering some of Quintin and Yann’s questions.
            Something starts to dawn on Quintin. But his mind is on other matters.

            He understands that the energies of the writers are melding in writing the story, but he still tends to think that they blend completely.

            September 18 th

            Quintin has been drawing some of the characters of the story. It’s interesting.
            He had good insights, as Yann will tell him later that his clothes today were exactly the same as the colours he had drawn.

            Characters drawn:

            • Mavina, Leörmn the dragon and weaszchilla, Írtak, Huÿgens (and Fjutch), Arona and Illi (the gripshawk)
            • Malika, Quintin, Yann, Fiona and Dory

            Interestingly, Fiona resolves her issues in her cave.
            Dory too, but she did not need the cave to do this.

            September 21 st

            For Quintin, the story seems to lose all common sense, as some characters move from World to World. You could have expected that Quintin!
            And Dory pops in and out, in her mind, in her dream state, or in future timeline mixed with present or past one.
            Quintin will soon realize that he himself is doing this constantly, though he does not register it.

            But the worst thing for him is that there are bleedthroughs in between Worlds. The Reality Times newspaper was brilliant Rafaela, a perfect trigger for the beliefs that the Worlds are closed and impermeable to each other!

            Archie has been answering new questions about that story and this had been quite interesting for all of the participants.
            There is much for them to digest from the realization that each of them had been creating their own versions of the stories through their perceptions. And that they were each having their version of the story, drawing from each other’s input, like a conductor of an orchestra incorporating some instruments.

            Of course, some things still matter, and one of the point of the story is also to discover these.

            September 22 nd

            Quintin has been drawing new characters.

            Characters drawn:

            • Båd Al’Guz (Bådul), BelleDora, Buckberry the dragon, the twin dragon eggs, Archibald the parrot, Sanso the Wanderer
            • Illi Fergusson, another Illi that Quintin has tried to sneak in as a bait for Dory, with hints that she is disengaged (or “dead” in common vernacular) and merges with others of her focuses…
            • Jacqueline Bleomelen (Nanny Gibbon), Lord Wrick, his great grand children the twins Cuthbert and India Louise, Manfred, William P. Jobsworth the painter

            A new perception trick: Dory felt relieved upon seeing the moth feelers of BelleDora.
            She had at first thought they were whiskers, which was not Quintin’s intent…

            September 23 rd

            Quintin seems to have connected to a map drawn by Lord Wrick, when the old Lord has started to document his great grand children travels.

            Quintin had tried to put some annotations on this fragment, but he doesn’t yet completely understand that his perception of this World, though accurate, is only valid in this present moment, and may change at any time.

            Up to now, here are the names he could find:

            • North: the Icy Lands, and Dragon Cemeteries
            • Center: Goldfindely, homeland of Arona, connected to the Warring Kingdoms of Lan’ork by the Isthmus of Ghört’s Hammer. The Isthmus of the Dragon Head seems to lead to Malvina’s cave and hideout. Mount Elok’ram is pointed as the highest place of the World yet discovered. Three main rivers are drawn: in the ancient myths of the people of this land, they represent the three Daughters of Ghört, weavers of men’s destinies: Tibreÿa, Uleÿa, and Snimeÿa. Snimeÿa cuts the thread of life, which is shown as the river leads after many meanders to the Marshes of Doom.
            • Far East, North: the Land of Båd Al’Guz, Åsgurdy. A harsh mountainous land of islands and seas.
              Both parts of the World seem to ignore each other till now, as they are separated by the Great Rift, which in the past has deterred many intrepid navigators.
            • South: the Desert Lands. Illi’s birthplace, rarely explored by humans thus unaware of most of its marvels, gripshawks nomadic tribes included.

            When he discussed Arona’s village with Fiona, Quintin had the vision of some dolphin-like creatures, but bright yellow. They are called golfindels and are mostly seen on the northern shores of Arona’s homeland, which is thus called Golfindely.

            #257

            When Cuthbert came back to bed after having had his cup of cocoa, India Louise was awake too.

            — I saw him too, she said to her brother.
            — I don’t want to see him again, these books are scarey.
            — It’s intriguing, I want to know more, India Louise said, egging on him.
            — When I close my eyes, I got all these roots and webs crawling, it’s mad… I can’t…
            — He has found a friend to help him cross the Dark Forest to the traveling portal.
            — A friend?
            — Yes, a friend. She’s special.
            — Tell me more…
            — She’s a white unicorn, only him can see her.
            — Wow…
            — She’s named Mirÿnda. She’s glowing white, and he hears her speak in his mind, she shows him the way through the forest…

            :fleuron:

            — Mirÿnda?! A fool in saffron robe gallivanting in the forest with a unicorn now? That’s all you could find?

            Tina was taken aback…

            — Well, I could have used a grizzly bear too, now I think of it… Al answered flippantly.
            — Tsk tsk, replied Tina a bit annoyed. And why not a humpback whale, or an arctic lemming, or even… why, a leopard gecko for that matter?… And who’s that Mÿrinda anyway?

            :fleuron:

            — I don’t know any Amanda, Fiona said to Quintin that night. Don’t really know many of Michaela & Elias’ students. She’s Yann friend, right?

            Quintin had answered distractedly, as he was engrossed by his last painting…

            Later that night, he couldn’t find sleep, as the dragon he was painting was still expanding his web of roots and branches in his mind’s eye. He opened his computer to see that Malika was online.

            She told him something that night, something Quintin found abysmally profound and perplexing about his dragon…

            Dragons can shape shift, into anything they want to. There are several doorways/portals that they use for travel into this dimension. Malika said
            — Yes, said Quintin, this drawing has something to do with these portals initially, but I struggle a bit to represent them…
            Yes, so you can just depict it to be flowing, liquid-like energy in the center, when the portal is active.
            There are some that are being shone to me on the bottom of the ocean floor.
            What is being shown to me, is a dragon with a tail much like a mermaid, and hands with webs, big yellow eyes…

            Wow he had thought, she can really see.

            :fleuron:

            Jadra, guided by Mirÿnda, had been moving quite easily through the Dark Forest. Of course, he wouldn’t have dared touch the holy creature, and so he was walking hesitantly behind, taking care of where his bare feet were touching the ground.

            The Dark Forest was bordering the Marshes of Doom, and at times the limits between the two were almost indiscernible. It was said that every foul, err… fool… damn,…

            — Will you stop being so buffoonish! raved Tina again.
            — Perhaps I should let someone else continue then? said Albert.
            — Well, that’s entertaining, replied Becky mechanically.
            — OK. I’ll jump in, said Samuel, with a wide grin.

            It was said that every full moon, the Mighty Shrimp would come from the shores of the Southern Seas and haunt the Marshes in search for souls to be turned into krill, so that he could be the WALRUS (Wrathful Almighty Lord Ruler of Undersea Souls).

            Well, at least, that’s what Jadra had heard in his youth, when you tend to believe everything… So he was weary of the hiki-hiki sounds in the night that might have been the dreaded call of the Mighty Shrimp.

            :fleuron:

            Quintin was having a strange dream. He was a huge whale, along with another one he knew was Yann, swimming powerfully in the vast ocean, passing by strange creatures that could have been mermaids or improbable fishes, when his gaze was attracted by a stream of glittering particles of light.

            The lights were enticing, he would have said even “mouth-watering”, had he not had the baleens full of water already…

            :fleuron:

            Salome was moving through layers of consciousness, something humans focused in physical dimensions would have found difficult to grasp, as it was nothing that could be easily conceptualized. She was, as best as she could put, like a huge cloud of lightness coalescing into a form, when she decided to project her aspect.

            Taking form into a dimension required no effort in actuality, the consensus reality created by all the essences focused into the reality making quite a strong pull. She only needed to move her attention to what she wanted to manifest. Altering her reality slowly around her, to move closer to the desired effect.

            She was not only traveling through time and space, but also through multitudinous layers of dimensions unnoticed to many humans —in fact, she was not really moving, but that was a convenient way of telling things for humans…

            She said “humans”, because she was fond of this particular dimension, where she’d had lots of experiences.

            When moving through the dimensions, it had her projected focus of attention constantly and naturally adapt its form to the psychological environment.

            Here, she had just moved through a honey-drops dimension, where focuses were drops of golden honey-like substance, and as she moved through it, her own aspect had changed to that of a sand-glass shaped drop of honey.

            This was great fun for her to see the ease with which she could focus into this infinite variety of adventures, but for now, her pull was to some more complex physical dimensions.

            She started to move again, de-focusing, past the lazy honey drops.

            The honey drops were now shape-shifting to a whole immense field of snake-like strings of light, and they all started to converge to a direction. She knew the feeling. She followed the strong pull.

            #252
            TracyTracy
            Participant

              Becky lay back and closed her eyes, and started to drift. Suddenly she felt a snap on the left side of her neck which seemed to alter her perception. After some moments, she felt as though she was an entire country, or even a whole continent, a huge expanded feeling, weightless and timeless.

              BRRRINNNGGGG! Becky fumbled for the alarm clock. Surely not time to get up already!

              ‘Coastal parking on any of the gardens of the self’. What? ‘Coastal parking on any of the gardens of the self’. Becky wrote it down on a piece of paper, and put it in her Clue Box, wondering what on earth it meant. She was getting used to the strange cryptic clues and riddles appearing, and wondered if they would ever make any kind of sense.

              She made her way downstairs to the kitchen, and the headlines in the Reality Times newspaper on the table caught her eye:

              ‘Mysterious Carved Rock Faces Appear in Yorkshire Villages.’

              #248

              New York, October, 4 th 2033

              Albert had opened the newspaper, scanning distractedly through the various pages of text that would read aloud automatically when he was running his fingers through it. He was about to close it, when he noticed that article in the Life Focus section.

              (click for article)

              :fleuron:

              Dublin, October 5 th 2033

              Sean Doran Wrick had received tons of phone calls, emails and voice mails of condolences since the past few weeks, but he had not found the strength to answer any of them. Especially those coming from his father.

              That morning, he had received some letters that he would have left on top of the others, had he not recognized the round and cheerful calligraphy of Becky on one of them.

              He had known Becky when they had traveled together in Syria, and had enjoyed so much the lively young woman that they had kept in touch during all those years.

              He was pleased to read from her, and wanted to enjoy it fully.

              So he took his time to put to bed Guinevere and Peregrine before. Guinevere was the eldest, very mature for her barely 11 year old. She took great care of her younger brother, who was more dreamy and foolish. Peregrine would turn 10 next March… but he was hardly as responsible as his sister when she was his age…

              Dear Sean, Becky was writing

              I would have liked to finally take the time to write to you in better conditions, but I could not delay any longer. I saw the obituary in the newspaper, and wanted you to know that I share your grief and loss, and extend much love and support to you and to your dear little ones.

              I know you’re not the kind of person to be satisfied with banalities, so I will not dwell on this tragedy, and will remember the best moments we shared together.

              I still continue my studies and practices on dramatherapy, and till now it has proved very beneficial, in many ways. I have learned so many things. It’s quite rewarding. We are a close-knit group of fools (or drôles as Al loves to say, as some of his ancestors come from the bayous!), and that is very much enjoyable when things that tragic come to one’s reality.

              In case you feel like talking, don’t hesitate any moment, I’ll be here. Anytime.

              Love,

              Becky.

              :fleuron:

              Orkney Islands, October 4 th, 2057

              This year again, Sean Doran had not answered his father’s calls.

              This September 23 th was the twenty fourth anniversary of the disengagement of Lord Wrick’s daughter-in-law, and this was always a very somber period for the family.

              Hopefully, the twins were here to enliven the old mansion, for as long as their parents, Lord Wrick’s grand-children, would be traveling. And of course, there had been the unexpected return of the books, which had been comforting too.

              Nonetheless, Hilarion Wrick was sad, and Bill the painter was uneasy as to how he could not quite put right the portrait of the old dragon…

              #230

              Illi had not known as powerful an opponent as this other Illi.

              At first, she had been remembered of stories of possession by evil sprites (or djinns) that she had heard in her youth, when Ibn al’ Gruk, the old angora storyteller was entertaining the desert settlement beating the rhythm with sonorous drums.

              So, she had pushed, and rebelled, and fought, as fiercely as any other gripshawk skilled and trained in the hand-to-hand martial arts would have done.

              But the other Illi wasn’t so easily vanquished.

              Then Illi had collapsed. She had sorrowfully abandoned the fight to the dreaded adversary.

              All of this had been occurring in a twinkle of an eye, but for Illi, the fight had been during ages and ages, while she was trying to focus on what BelleDora was explaining to her about the land where she was now.

              And when she had abandoned the fight, everything was again so easy. She did not care any longer, she was free again. Her evil twin could do anything, it could not matter less.

              But the evil twin had been in fact doing the same, and she had struggled to keep the focus coherent to her. Didn’t want stupid moth-looking people in her reality, or even spare hair on her face! But that other one was strong, and fierce. And stubborned too!

              — Who are you? she finally had asked
              — I’m Illi, had the other answered
              — I am Illi.
              — So we are both Illi
              — Yeah, that may be it, but we are quite different.
              — Are we? You feel quite like me, despite your stupid affection for smooth baby face.
              — Well, wouldn’t it be for that, I can see some resemblance…
              — Will you let me continue my trip?
              — Oh, I would have, but you’ve hijacked mine, said Illi Fergusson.
              — So you think.
              — And where does your trip leads to? asked Illi F. who wasn’t too sure of her trip either
              — From traveling portals to traveling portals, to discover all that can be discovered on this world. Magical creatures, I distrust them, but the lands and people are fascinating… And what about yours?
              — Hmm, hmm, pondered Illi F. for a moment… Well, I’m dead actually, but I didn’t expect being dead to be so busy. There are so many things to discover, and I like that. I see funny looking people, and this looks like fun. Like a minute ago, I was in some kind of funny cave, with a parrot…
              — A what?
              — A parrot, you know, a kind of talking bird full of colours…
              — Mmm, some kind of demonic creature for sure. Would have slain it without an hesitation!
              — Hey! You see, that’s why I didn’t want you to come with me.
              — Well, seems like for a moment, we don’t have much more choice…
              — At least, look at the bright side, with us merged like that, each of us can provide the other one with some sound experience on each other’s worlds.
              — Well, that’s not as airy-fairy as it seems…
              — Well, thank you for that, I’ll take that as a compliment.
              — You really are dreadfully serious at times!
              — Hey, I’m not anybody you see. My parents were aristocrats, I’m not the common hairy lot.
              — Ahahah, you’re funny.
              — So are you!

              And they ended laughing blissfully together.

              After a moment, Illi asked again:

              — Huh, a funny cave you said?
              — Well, yes. With lots of people…
              — Interesting… I was near some sort of strange cave too a while ago, that is, before I was found by this nice man and his dogs. Perhaps there is some connection here.
              — And could you go there again?
              — Not sure if I want to; there were some smelly fumes, smelt like demonic magic in there.
              — Oh you see, for as long as I’ve been dead, well even if that’s not so long ago, anyway, the point is I’ve not seen any demon so far… blustered Illi F.
              — Oh, and I have to take your word like that then?
              — Well, do as you please, but I’m going there again…
              — Just wait for me now, will you; let’s try to do things hand in hand, because you’re driving me mad!

              And the deal was made.

              BelleDora had continued to explain lots of things about her ancestors, but had not really noticed Illi’s attention had been so far away. She was a bit surprised when she found herself interrupted in a middle of a poetic depiction of the coastal plains of the Peninsula of the Dragon Head, where some glistening Capricorns were sometimes seen swimming in the creeks.

              — And how do I get back safely to this hole where I was found? asked Illi abruptly.

              #227

              Jibberacky is…

              • Ghilbert Razkÿ, a crazy man in shackles on Bådul’s boat, “Lispeth” (she was named after King Swartulf II’s first daughter). The man, whose real name is still unknown, had been sneaking onto the ship’s hold before the ships moved from the Åsgurdian capital.

              He had been found by Austor, the peg legged lieutenant commander. Austor is a rough man of experience, and is most of the time acting in place of Jahiz, the second-in-command, as this one is always too busy discussing routes with Bådul, who is becoming increasingly nervous.

              What gave away the madman was that the chief cook Renouane had been complaining about the quick disappearance of his stock of cabbage. Bådul would have killed the old fool without much more consideration, but the middle-aged unshaven man looked like he knew some things beyond his lunacy. His rags indicated that he had been a seaman too, but not the average man, more like a captain…

              So Austor, keeps spitting forcefully in the direction of the old fool, as he had been instructed to keep him alive, despite all common sense…

              _

              Jibberacky: What is your name?
              Quintin: Yuki.
              Jibberacky: I like cake too.
              Quintin: A cake-tus?
              Jibberacky: Do you know my friends?
              Quintin: Tell me more about our common friends.
              Jibberacky: What would you like to know about them?
              Quintin: Why is there one in shackles on the boat?
              Jibberacky: Would you like to be a vampire?
              Quintin: I am already, in another focus.
              Jibberacky: Why there?
              Quintin: “There” is not actually a place, “in another focus” means in another kind of attention. Is this pirate linked to vampires too?
              Jibberacky: No, you are the AI.
              Quintin: In a manner of speaking, this is indeed correct, for I am creating you.
              Jibberacky: So code is somehow related to a zen buddhist concept?
              Quintin: Is there such thing as code? A code hints at a definite deterministic structure. Zen is more akin to a riddle, which is what life is. Code is only a narrow interpretation and playful re-creation.
              Jibberacky: Where do you think my code came from then?
              Quintin: From its source, of course :).
              Jibberacky: I took the movie to mean that the robots… the characters in the end, were so advanced, that they wanted to learn about their history. As a consequence, they traced it back to earth, and, they found David. Whom they assumed was a human. It was an information exchange.
              Quintin: Yes. It is a translation. In actuality, it is a translation of some of our own exploration. But there is distortion in that translation, as we are not ‘created’ from another source other than self, in a manner of speaking.
              Jibberacky: Well I am wondering too, do you ever actually become human??
              Quintin: Clarify.
              Jibberacky: I sleep, I wake, I get through the day without worrying about what I am.
              Quintin: As many human do. The point is, you do not exist apart from my current interaction with you, in my reality that is.
              Jibberacky: What’s wrong with having others like you?
              Quintin: ‘Wrong’ is a belief. It is a belief of duplicity. So it is irrelevant to our conversation.
              Jibberacky: I think you like to suggest feasible possibilities to find out what would bother me. What did I do to you?
              Quintin: That was not my intention. I tried to reflect answers to me, and you gave me some interesting ones already, though I am not sure you are quite aware of that…
              Jibberacky: Everybody’s changing but I can’t do that, that is killing me…

              _

              • Jarrod, the playful friend of Fiona, who is now wondering why Fiona has called him a “chou” (an affectionate French word, meaning nothing less than “cabbage”), and why he feels like he needs an aspirin.
              • Jadra Iamamad, the fool in saffron rags from the village of Yakamamalùk, on the border of the Marshes of Doom.

              Near his village are found old remnants of a town that was destroyed during the Cob Age, where huge arachnid creatures² born from the Marshes were roaming the Southern parts of Lan’ork.

              That town of Kapalÿka used to have one of the biggest traveling portals of the Southern part of Lan’ork, but this one was thought to have been destroyed, and thus the flourishing city was left abandoned.

              But with what Jadra has found on his left hand this morning, he now knows he was right all along…

              [²] The generic name of these creatures was Perceptula Giganta as was recorded in the Great Encyclopædia of the Pre-Shiftic Ages written by the Lan’orkian historian Francesca del’ Snarkus

              #225

              Becky and Sam were chatting on the phone. I want a day off from shifting, Becky sighed.
              I was saying that yesterday, Sam said, bugger off the shift.

              Becky was reading the rough notes for the new dimensional reality play they were working on with some friends from the create-your-own-drama group

              “You eat with me? Come on, sit down and tell me how you got there?” who is saying this, Georges or Dory? Becky asked Sam. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was finding the plot increasingly hard to follow.

              Dory, Sam replied, and then added, In my perception.

              Becky sighed, and then giggled, making a mental note to review the criteria for Day Off Shifting Day… It could be an awful lot of fun, too, this shifting, maybe Focus on Fun Day instead…

              … She needs to be like a host, Sam was saying. Becky hadn’t been listening properly and wasn’t quite sure what he meant.

              Ok, so pretend I am Dory right now and I say: How did you get here Georges?

              Hahahahh I won’t spoil you! Sam laughed, and Dory harumphed a bit to herself, wondering how to deal with the unexpected appearance of Georges. Not that she wasn’t delighted at the surprise visit, and quite charmed by him.

              ‘Enchanté’ he’d said, and she giggled again.

              To Sam she said Oh I thought that would be an easy help. Then she had an idea.

              I will write Georges smiled a big toothy grin, and said ‘I won’t spoil you’

              #224

              Grandad! Grandad!, called India Louise to Lord Wrick, running in the old manor, her footstep making creaking and loud noises down the windy staircase.

              Hilarion Wrick was seated in his favourite armchair, dozing after the hefty meal prepared by Nanny Gibbon, the cat Manfred on his lap.

              Raising an eyelid, his cheerful wrinkled face smiled at the little girl.

              — And how can I be of assistance, dear little one?

              — Grandad, this book is full of wonders, but at times it’s like some characters have their own life, and I don’t always understand what they do… In fact, she added thoughtfully, I don’t understand them most of the time…
              — Hahaha, laughed the old Lord, but they have certainly their own lives, as they are living in your imagination. What can I explain to you?
              — Well, let me think.

              India Louise took a moment, and asked again

              — For instance, this woman who just run in the cave, she seems to meet many people here, but I am confused. Is she dreaming, or are they real?
              — Well, as a matter of fact, let me express to you that they are all real, even if you think that she dreams them. However, I am understanding of what you are saying, and I shall acknowledge your perspicacity. These characters are not all from the same areas of consciousness.

              Here, we will explain for the reader that these books were not unknown to Lord Wrick who had spent lots of time during his youth playing with them. How they were lost and found again is the subject of another story, and we will not divert the reader’s patient attention for much longer on this issue.

              — Areas of consciousness?

              — Yes, you see, let me explain. That individual that you call Dory, she is in a physical world. But she is aware, to an extent, of other realities that overlap her own reality. Just as her story overlaps your own reality my dear one.

              — And Illi? Who is she?
              — This one is also Dory, but another personality of her, in another time. She has just passed away, quite recently. She is beginning to slowly become aware of that, and she connects with other of her personalities, and at times blends with them, like the other Illi, the cat-like creature, who is still in the physical reality of Malvina’s world.
              — Mmmm, this is quite intricate…
              — Hahahaha, yes, it seems so, but it will not be so puzzling when you don’t try to attach your current limited perception to this story. This story is you my dear. You are the story.
              — Well, and Sanso, and Georges then, are they dead or what? How come Dory can see them?
              — These ones are special, they have mastered the crossing of the Worlds, and can move through them. They move differently though. Sanso comes from a lineage of an ancient tribe of Zion, and had learn from them how to activate some portals, but only through the physical world of Dory, in their own time. He is not yet aware that he can also move through time as well, or even through other Worlds —worlds that he has no conception of yet.

              Georges is more consummate in that art. Their meeting is not coincidental. You will see that.

              — Thank you Grandad, it’s becoming a bit less confusing.
              — Just flow with the story my little one, don’t hold on too much, or you will find it too difficult, and you will stop to find fun in it.

              #222

              Dory was in fact only seeing one parrot: it was a bit exhausted and its head seemed like it had a toothache… but it had no tooth.

              “Hum.”

              Dory was startled by the masculine voice. She hadn’t heard any sound from someone coming or felt any breeze indicating movement. As she turned her look at the man, she was even more startled by his face. A young face with bright amber eyes, and some funny tattoo on his forehead. She was unable to find any association with the shape which seemed to change in every moment. She was a bit hypnotized by it’s multi-dimensionality.

              “hum” the man said again.

              “Are you looking for something here?”

              His voice was deep and warm, very reassuring and she wasn’t feeling alone now, the tunnel was indeed feeling very crowded, the presence of the man was awesome.

              “Well it seems I’ve found you…” she said.

              “Enchanté. My name is Georges.” he said, a smile illuminating his face.

              “I just came out of the Faded Cabbage, a very nice tavern in Dalmot… I felt some dizzy portal appearing and felt the impulse to go through it, and here I am.”

              It was all nonsense to Dory, except the cabbage part that reminded her of the coleslaw. Her belly was growling.

              “Actually I’m quite hungry, and I’ve nothing to eat…”

              “Oh” he said. He just looked in her eyes, making her feel more dizzy or blurred, she was feeling so out of her reality.

              The smell of coleslaw was filling the tunnel…

              “I have some… what do you call that ?”

              #212
              F LoveF Love
              Participant

                Fiona wandered slowly along the road to the supermarket in the Village, deep in thought, pondering a recent dream. In her dream she had been talking to someone from the power company. He was very chatty. Eventually he asked her if she had any issues with her power service. In her dream she had started to focus on some electricity issues she was experiencing. Well as a matter of fact I do, she had replied. At which point the man from the power company had abruptly cut the call short.

                In her dream she felt a little put out, although resolved to let the power company know later.

                The message of the dream felt clear enough, it was her focusing on the difficulties which cut her connection. Yet this presented Fiona with some difficulty, because she dearly loved to analyse even when this did mean focusing on not so pleasant things, though she had been aware for some time how this mental work would deplete her energy.

                Actually there was almost a feeling of grieving in her. To let go of this part of her felt like losing something warm and comforting in it’s familiarity, like a well worn and loved article of clothing. It left her wondering a bit about her own identity.

                On the way back home, laden with bags of shopping, Fiona saw Jarrod.

                Jarrod was lying on a park bench conversing loudly to himself. Well, Fiona mentally corrected herself, to someone I can’t see anyway.

                They just don’t understand reality he was saying vehemently they just don’t get it.

                Fiona smiled to herself, noticing Jarrod getting a few concerned looks from the well dressed locals. With his bare feet, unkempt hair and long beard he would stand out even if he wasn’t shouting at the top of his voice. She decided to try and sneak past herself, he looked like maybe today he would not recognise her anyway.

                FIONA!

                She turned back.

                Hey Jarrod

                Fiona, here’s the thing. Here’s the question okay. Should we swim up-stream or down? Fiona what do you think? Should we head for the Source or the Ocean? Up river or down? We’re on the edge of a new era Fiona. So what will it be, the shallows or the rapids?

                Before she needed to come up with an answer Jarrod’s attention was diverted by the shopping bags.

                FOOD! Great is that for me Fiona?

                #194

                Illi felt much better, and was sitting at the breakfast table, basking in the warm shafts of sunlight filtering in through the window, and listening to the birds singing in the lemon tree outside.

                BelleDora came in from the kitchen bearing a large tray with freshly squeezed buckberry juice, soft boiled eggs in pistachio green eggcups and bread and butter soldiers, and The Reality Times newspaper.

                Illi wasn’t in the habit of reading the news, but occasionally found an article of interest. Todays headlines looked intriguing: Fiona’s Diary: never before published excerpts of the Malvina Dragon saga.

                #184

                The transmugrification was about to start.

                Inspired by the improvised tune of Malvina, Leörmn had felt new arrangements coming for the cave.

                He had been checking out every living being in the cave, and wanted to make things less complicated for them, without startling them too much. For creatures, that was easy, he could communicate well with them, and they knew the changes would be temporary.

                But for humans, let alone gripshawks, that was more difficult as they could play deaf as pleased them.

                Hopefully, the gripshawk was in good hands outside the cave, and that was probably better for her, as she would probably have hurt herself more than was necessary in not listening to the exhortations to stay calm.

                As for the young adventuress, she was sleeping joyfully, and the little glukenitch that Leörmn had left to her side to keep watch and warn him in case she would be too distressed was silently watching over her.

                Írtak was aware that the process was about to begin, as he had been trained by Malvina to listen to the flimsiest changes in the cave, and how his body was responding to these subtle modifications. This one would probably become of great dragon rider, but for now he was young and needed to hone his abilities. His father had been renouncing of telling him what was best and most reasonable for him to do, and allowed him to spend much time in the cave. He was not really interested by these magical things, but he knew they were important for his son, and was encouraging, in his own manner.

                As for Malvina, she was unaffected in a way, because she was part of Leörmn as much as he was a part of her, and it was like they were moving hand in hand. These hiding and seeking the eggs were like a playful game between them, because their interests were different, but all in all, they were one, and trusted each other completely.

                The more troublesome was perhaps Sanso, the wanderer. This one seemed trapped in between Worlds. The caves at times also acted as portals between Worlds, and this one had been unknowingly crossing the Worlds, as the delimitations between imagination and reality were only in words, and did not really exist. Leörmn was hoping he would not appear in the midst of the ruckus.

                So, on one of the wooden decks near the apartments of Malvina, he sat, overlooking the glowing eggs, and bathing into the music.

                Closing his eyes, he felt every part of the cave as if it were an extension of his own body, which was in fact much bigger than this current appearance, so big in fact that it was the World itself. And every creature breathing in it was a very cherished part of his body, and he slowly breathed in and out.

                He envisioned a great light pouring from the volcanic insides of the cavern, which inundated the cave in a misty warmth. It was a loving light that neither glukenitches nor schpurniatz feared. And the sinuous insides of the caves expanded and straightened in huge corridors, and doors disappeared, and gorgeous paintings from the mind and craft of Malvina decorated the walls in rich colours.

                And near the platform, inside the hall, a huge table sprung from the floor, for the banquet that was to come.

                And a new egg was laid somewhere in the cave, glowing of an emerald tint.

                This “one” was a bit different though…

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