Keld causiously looks around. He extends a tenative hello and welcome to KitNzink, he wonders will he be able to associate with this new arrival, or will he become pixelated in short order. Over coming his fear he passes a travel brochure and informs the newcomer that the natives are freindly and the climate here is balmy.
KitNzinc Registered User
Posts: 2
(10/4/01 9:30 pm) Reply
Re: re: The Trip
The entirety of the market place, plus the new arrivals who respectfully tempered their aching curiosity with respect for their hosts, quietly observed as the wispy entity known as KitNzinc, was greeted by the lady in charge.
Despite the many angles that were afforded to view KitNzinc, none could discern any telltale clue to assist Mimesis to settle the question that remained unanswered. Alas, the indeterminate gender remained just that – indeterminate.
Or wait! “Alas?” Was that a hint?
“I’ve come to visit the caves,” remarked the androgynous newcomer.
Re: The Caves
A shadow moves and unfurls into a small man.
"Caves?", asks Tjeb, "Tjeb, he does not know caves. But, if it is unmapped then Tjeb should have a look-see. KitNzinc, he can follow Tjeb. Manniac, he is right-nothing to be afraid of around here, but it is unmapped for a reason."
Tjeb grabs a burning branch from the fire and start walking into the darkness. He stops, takes a decent look at KitNzinc, and ask: " KitNzinc, did he meet a German warden somewhere along his walk?" KitNzinc looks baffled. Tjeb shakes his head and continues walking.
Re: The Caves A dark grey mist swirls around those gathered, then tightens and focuses on a single spot next to Manniac, spinning faster, and faster, before it solidifies into Wurdulac.
"I heard you talking about caves. Since they are unexplored, they are unmapped, no? Then, why don't we all map them?"
He takes a step towards KitNZinc and Tjeb.
"You are new here? Well I am as well, but hopefully time shall pass and our situations will by then have changed from students to teachers. If anyone else would like to join me in exploring these caves, please, come. I never acquired a skill for drawing maps, and someone who has would be most useful."
We are all alike in that we want to be different.
-David Nolvin
KitNzinc Registered User
Posts: 3
(10/9/01 9:37 pm) Reply
Re: The Caves
KitNzinc quietly considered the moment. Perhaps it was foolish to announce the purpose of the visit. The caves would not yield their precious holdings easily, under the most ideal circumstances. A host of curious and adventuresome spelunkers-come-lately could only obscure an already complex mission.
As the intrigued spoke forth, KitNzinc considered his potential partners.
There was manniac, who’s brow was furrowed in thought. Did this old acquaintance recognize him in this dark forum? Or was a deep blue font, cast against a black emptiness enough of a disguise?
The time to ponder anonymity was not now. This curious tjeb who refers to himself as Tjeb may be passing a secret message. A flaming branch? A German Warden? He is marching off on this project with no more preparation than this?
And to whom does this Wurdulac align himself? He appears from the mist with one and steps to join the others? What should be inferred in one who wishes to learn new skills in a new environment?
So the first to speak are an “Undecided Apathist”, “Bushman Tracker”, “dharma explorer”, and an “Image Maker”. Perhaps the welcoming “Zetetic” and his glossy brochures of many colours will count himself in as well. But I, yes I am at least a “Registered User”. Surly such an officious status like that, would open many doors.
Nous watches with a bemused expression as Mimesis darts to a dark corner of the clearing, fumbles about for a pencil......
fumbles about for some paper......
...and most embarrassingly....fumbles around for the dreaded (sssshhh...don't tell her I told you)... reading glasses(!).
Her pockets in disarray, clothing frumpled, she stands squinting in the darkness through frames which keep sliding, lopsided and precarious, down her nose.
The dry scratch of a pencil is heard alongside the occasional curse as she swats away swathes of her hair which interject themselves between the specs and the paper.
Nous can hear each letter being puzzled over.....
"A-L-A-S....hmmmm....S-L-A-A....as in Coleslaw? Nonononono. Uhm....S-A-L-A...hmmm...salaam? salsa? salad?...uhm....L-A-S-A...erm...apso? Lhasa Apso? Nononono.
Ah! A LASS! A LASS! I get it! Nous!!!! Come here!"
"All that for nothing, Mim, come read."
Mimesis peers into the sky for the keystrokes which comprise the story of her existence and the existence of others....far off in the left quadrant...somewhere near pisces...she spys the telltale sign: "his".
Disappointed that her code breaking has come to naught, she begins to chew on her pencil in a classic example of a Freudian manoeuver no woman likes to be accused of performing....that is until I, (Nous) remind her that she might need the pencil at the ready if she is to transcribe the name which will supplant KitNzinc's "Registered User" title.
Embarrassed as I am by having my every movement transcribed by my chronicler in *more than* sufficient detail, I thought I would stop by and tell you and my fellow posters the story of naming.
It is said that when the angel of death comes, she/he will ask for the name of the one to go with her/him.
Given that these are caves are yet unexplored and that the writing in the sky is unpredictable, the additional name assures that when the angel of death comes and asks, for example, for Mimesis, Registered User, the assorted company of U&D can honestly tell the angel (for, as you may know, the angel of death can smell a scam a millenium away):
"Sorry, no Registered User Mimesis here! Just Mimesis-A-Nous-meme!"
The angel will be obliged to pick up the chewed pencil from a nearby table, cross the name " Mimesis" off the list and wander forth in search of the next name.
The story of naming at U&D: Here endeth the Gospel according to Mimesis...-A-Nous-Meme Edited by: Mimesis at: 10/10/01 12:55:53 am
KitNzinc Registered User
Posts: 4
(10/10/01 9:52 pm) Reply
Re: The Caves
KitNzinc looked at NousPoetikos with intrigue. Is this another story teller who enters her creations? And what a marvelous analysis of “alas”, to come up with Lhasa Apso.
While the ‘alas’ reference was unintended, there was a time when a shin-tzu – a similar beast was his representation. And why could a Lhasa Apso, or for that matter, a shin-tzu not be identified with the pronoun ‘his’?”
Well, since I asked, I shall attempt to answer: because KitNzinc, like the caves, is new and unexplored. There are simply no maps, only a promise of those about to be drawn.
With that observation, KitNzinc – both in the first voice as well as in the third - acknowledged being the tyro in the group.
Re: The Caves
Upon hearing KitNzinc's new information, Mimesis has to fight the urge to rummage around in her pockets again for the pad and paper to cribble out the unending permutations of "t-y-r-o" .
She is aided by NousPoetikos, who reads her mind and grabs her elbow forcefully as it begins to jiggle about in the process of following a hand and fingers clutching for the pencil.
" tyro", says Nous with a light of reminiscence in her eyes. "Is this the tyro who popped in oh so long ago and strangely begged that I pardon the intrusion even when there was no intrusion? If so, why did tyro feel he was intruding?"
"Do I or my previous incarnations know tyro/ KitNzinc from some incarnation even previous to tyro? Or are both tyro and KitNzinc equally mysterious strangers to me?"
Nous interrupts her long gaze into KitNzinc's eyes for a moment to note the silence in the community of U&D...the sudden void of utter haiku...the sudden absence of long intellectual posts...
She calls out to the assembled members....
"Hey, did Keld and Muggleton board the piggy's spacecraft without us?"
manniac dharma explorer
Posts: 187
(10/18/01 10:09 pm) Reply
Re: The Caves
OH shit!
I just noticed that the cave nearest where we are has a door on it (you know, the slatted, swinging kind of door)
AAAACKK!
KitNzinc Registered User
Posts: 9
(10/24/01 7:42 pm) Reply
Re: The Caves
The locals knew very well about the caves. They had witnessed a myriad of people arrive to remove the wealth that they held. They don’t remember many explorers coming back, and they don’t recall a single success. Indeed, the locals have a love-hate relationship with the caves because they attract more wealth than they give up. But these people were uncomfortable with the ongoing loss of life. In short – they welcomed visitors, but they discouraged any exploration.
Sadly, this attempt to de-emphasize the value of the caves simple spurred people into confirming their importance.
KitNzinc looked over the bay with his binoculars. The cave opening with the old fashioned swinging doors was baffling him. You know the type, ones with the slatted, swinging kind of door. Kit had heard about this before, but it preceded his experience – it was from a time long ago. It was from another cave and another time.
Clearly, help was needed. “Who wishes to join me in this venture?”
Re: The Caves Nous blinked repeatedly to clear her eyes of the sudden absence of KitNZinc....but to no avail.
" KitNZinc?"
It seemed as if the caves had swallowed this curious character before the venture had ever begun...
Or had he been abducted by the north wind...?
Or carried away lickedy split by the army ants...?
KitNzinc Registered User
Posts: 11
(11/30/01 11:00 pm) Reply
Re: The Caves
Or – none of the above!
KitNzinc was no fool. Ok – ok, not a really great fool. That kind of greatness is thrust upon us. The caves and their swinging doors, those slatted ones, were worrisome and Kit had decided that the help of others was a wise approach.
But where were the others?
The tide was receding and the caves were becoming exposed. But what was to be made of the unusual number of ants?
KitNzinc Registered User
Posts: 39
(5/7/06 8:23 pm) Reply
Re: The Caves
And just like that, the door opened.
It’s still very dark and difficult to see, but then, that provided reassurance that KitNzinc was standing in the same place.
But there were no familiar faces.
Some friends known well before arriving here for the fist time, now gone. Some mysteriously, others quietly and graciously accepting their exit
It’s hard to believe how many years it has been. November of 2001 according to the transcripts.
Well now it is spring and there are new faces to know.
Re: The Caves
In many ways this thread is a living fossil, representative of this board. I was talking with another poster this weekend about ways we could breath new life into the strata here, so keep your eyes peeled - the caves might yet echo to the beat of drums once more...
Re: The Caves
It'd be good to have our own little island,
a "mountain in the sea" so to speak,
our own Parnassian peak
with its cumulostratus shading
the midnight sun.
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