# Bobbie's Adventures in Talkclassicalland



## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Part One

It was three in the morning and Bobbie was starting to get bored sitting at her computer and seeing the same old, same old. Once or twice she checked out a music site or two, but they had no forum, “and what is the use of a web-site with no forum?” she thought.

She was just thinking she would turn the thing off and go get a book off the shelf (if only it didn’t take so much effort), when suddenly an old British comedian who looked like Mae West appeared on her screen. 

That alone didn’t get her attention, but when he started morphing into various creatures of the Antipodes right before her eyes, she decided to see what it was all about. Then his thoughts appeared on the screen: “I wonder what those people on the other side of the world will have been doing today? Are any of them awake and moving now? If I can’t follow them, maybe some of them will follow me, “ at which he took off with a blaze of speed and a wake of words trailing behind him. Bobbie followed the trail of phrases so intently that she didn’t realize she had been pulled into the computer screen leaving behind just an empty room and an eerie pixel glow.


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## jani (Jun 15, 2012)

Hey when i opened this thread i thought that i was gonna see boobies ;~/.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Bobbie can be a girl's name? What's the short for? :lol:

I LOVE creative writing! Is this going to continue, or what is the plan? Collaboration?


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Bobbie can be a girl's name? What's the short for? :lol:
> 
> I LOVE creative writing! Is this going to continue, or what is the plan? Collaboration?


'Bobbie' is a nick for Roberta.

'Creative' writing?


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> 'Creative' writing?


The writing of fiction. I love to write short stories, I've made like 8-9 now, and currently working on one.


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## MaestroViolinist (May 22, 2012)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> The writing of fiction. I love to write short stories, I've made like 8-9 now, and currently working on one.


I love writing short stories! I can never stick to long ones. I get bored (I'm sure my characters get annoyed at me! ). Although once I was going along well, but then I lost the exercise book I was writing in and I couldn't be bothered to re-write chapters three and four.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Vesteralen said:


> Part One
> 
> It was three in the morning and Bobbie was starting to get bored sitting at her computer and seeing the same old, same old. Once or twice she checked out a music site or two, but they had no forum, "and what is the use of a web-site with no forum?" she thought.
> 
> ...


I wish I could write stories like this.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

PART TWO

It seemed as if she'd been on the trail of the Antipodean Morpher for several minutes, when she sensed that he began to slow down. Ahead of her she could see a flashing sign hanging from the ceiling. It read "G1". As she neared the sign, she noticed a door opening off to her right, and glancing in, she caught her breath.

A cozy fire was crackling in a fireplace. The walls were lined with bookcases of black walnut full of leather-bound volumes that appeared to be at least a couple of hundred years old. And, on the table beside two thickly upholstered chairs was a bottle of some dark red wine. "I'd like to sit down in one of those chairs," thought Bobbie (and maybe have a glass of that wine, too, we might add. But, there were no glasses, and there was no corkscrew in sight).

Then she noticed a small door on the wall opposite to the one through which she had entered. She made her way over to it, slowly turned the handle and pulled it open to find a brilliantly lit chamber with seven crystal chandeliers. Men in powdered wigs and women in gorgeous gowns were facing each other in a line. Music started from some distant stage, and the people began to dance. Then one of the women began to sing...

Bobbie was torn. She wanted to go into that room and spend some time there, but she kept turning back to the other door and the flashing sign she could still see outside of it. With a sigh, she closed the door beside her and retraced her steps. As she stepped out into the hallway again, she could see her guide hurrying on. Following him, she soon turned a corner and was greeted by another flashing sign. This one said "+B1"...and another door stood open beside it.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Bobbie can be a girl's name? What's the short for? :lol:
> 
> I LOVE creative writing! Is this going to continue, or what is the plan? Collaboration?


Well, it isn't really creative writing. It's more like a game full of in-jokes and references. A lot of the references (like the first one) will be easy to figure out. Some will be harder. I'm about eight parts ahead in my mind right now, so though it is a thread and other people are welcome to put in whatever they want, I think I'll probably follow my own script (if I can keep up the pace. And, if Hilltroll doesn't curmudgeon me to death first. )


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

PART THREE

She came to a stop and peeked around the door jamb. She saw a grassy meadow, rolling hills, and a well-tended pathway leading up to a comfortable cottage in the distance. It was far too inviting a prospect not to follow that path right up to the door of the thatched-roof dwelling. The birds were singing merrily, and in the distance, well beyond the cottage that beckoned, she saw what looked like a man on a bicycle riding away, whistling while he rode. 

In a few minutes, she reached the door of the small house and knocked. No answer. She turned the handle, opened the door just far enough to put her head through the opening, and gasped. What she saw was an exact replica of the scene she had viewed when she peered around the door jamb from the hallway. A grassy meadow, rolling hills, a well-tended pathway leading up to another comfortable cottage in the distance.

At the same time, she felt rather than saw that the scene behind her had turned to darkness. She slowly turned back around to encounter an empty room with only the flickering light of the "+B1" sign showing beyond the first door. With her heart in her mouth, she raced back through the empty room and out into the hallway. In the distance, her erstwhile guide was still making his way ahead of her and had just reached another flashing light. It looked like this one read: "+N1".


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Vesteralen said:


> [...]
> And, if Hilltroll doesn't curmudgeon me to death first. )


Not going to happen. I am not part of your target readership.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Hilltroll72 said:


> Not going to happen. I am not part of your target readership.


a backhanded reassurance indeed.... 

I consider myself gently put-down...

now, if I could only figure out who my target readership _is_...

do I have a target readership? ah..life's imponderables...


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Is the change from part one mentioning my alter egos on TC to part 2 mentioning "powdered wigs" a metaphor for:

- a discussion going from contemporary classical to its merits compared to the wigs (happens here every day...well almost...getting tedious as hell)
- someone moving from modern to old music (or the reverse? - eg. some of our members have gone from wigs to post-1945 musics in a flash)
- I usually put a third thing for 'balance' (like the movements of a concerto) but I can't think of anything, so here this waffle is just for 'balance.' 

Is this brilliant deduction my dear Watson or not? Do I get a Presidential Medal of Honour (or better, of Freedom?). Or become Australian of the Year?


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Sid James said:


> Is the change from part one mentioning my alter egos on TC to part 2 mentioning "powdered wigs" a metaphor for:
> 
> - a discussion going from contemporary classical to its merits compared to the wigs (happens here every day...well almost...getting tedious as hell)
> - someone moving from modern to old music (or the reverse? - eg. some of our members have gone from wigs to post-1945 musics in a flash)
> ...


Sorry, Sid. The powdered wigs element of Part Two is probably the least important of the four clues. The flashing sign (yet to be completed), the bottle of wine, and the woman singing are the really important elements in this part of the puzzle. 

If it still isn't working for you, try Part Three - it should be more obvious when you see the pattern developing for this part of the "Adventures".

But, regardless, you're still "Australian of the Year" in my book.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

^^Sounds like a painting by Hieronymus Bosch. All those symbols. Or Debussy's piano music! Well at least I am using the grey matter up top for what its there for: thinking!


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

PART FOUR

"What will I find inside this doorway?" Bobbie thought, oddly more curious than scared. Before she even got a glimpse of the room she could hear fantastic runs and flourishes from a grand piano. Naturally, she expected to see the instrument when she looked in, but to her surprise, though the music continued, there was no piano in sight.

There was a laptop on a desk, however, with its back facing the door. So, Bobbie was obliged to enter the room if she wanted to see what was on the screen. Before she got that far, though, she stopped in amazement. Like the first room she'd entered, this room was lined with bookcases. On the left side of the room, all the books were lined neatly on the shelves, orderly and precise. The furniture and carpet were immaculate.

On the right side - pure chaos: books strewn everywhere, papers all over the floor. "I wonder what happened here?" she mused. And, like the orderly little girl she was, she went to pick up a book at random and put it back on one of the empty bookshelves. But, the minute she put it in place, off it fell with a crash.

It was a bit frightening, even for as intrepid a person as our heroine, so she rushed from the room without further investigation. Down the hallway to her right she could see Mae, but as she gazed at her, the star of the 1930s morphed into a strange looking creature that looked like a cross between a dog and a rat. It opened its enormous mouth wide and pointed to another doorway, outside of which was another flashing sign. This one said: "+F3".


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

*Part five*

The room she entered this time turned out to be merely an observation deck. In front of her, but separated from her by three large windows, were three smaller rooms, into each of which she peered in turn.

The first chamber, to her left, was empty but for a clock whose three hands pointed stubbornly to 12:00 and never moved. When she stood in front of the window, she was sure she could detect a faint whiff of the barnyard, at the same time hearing something like a voice from an old horror movie. It was all too puzzling for her, so she moved on to the second window.

In the second chamber, a tired looking man sat slumped in a chair, his head in his hands, while another figure, moving with lightning-like speed ran in continual circles around him. Perplexed as ever, she moved on.

The third chamber contained a dark figure with his back to her, apparently listening to some kind of vinyl discs on an old-fashioned portable record player. At the moment, the sound she heard was something electrical and wailing. As she watched, the dark figure carefully lifted the tone arm, removed the disc, and placed it lovingly in a protective sleeve and set it down. Then, he picked up another disc and put it on the turntable. Sweet, orderly sounds eminated now, but the figure didn't wait long. Careless of the possibilities of scratching the disc, he roughly removed it and threw it against the wall. "Wet!" he cried. Then, to her horror, she saw that, through his hair, the figure had eyes in the back of his head. "I see you!" he cried.

That was enough for poor Bobbie, and she turned and feld back out into the hallway. As she turned again to the right, she saw her guide ahead of her, and to her relief, what looked like daylight ahead.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

*Part Six*

Mae was Mae again, moving off quickly into a beautiful garden. But, Bobbie was distracted by a clearly marked path to the right. The pathway as it stretched ahead became overgrown and a little ominous, but Bobbie was entranced. She thought she could hear Mae calling "No! NO!", but it was too late. She had committed herself to investigate this path.

As she turned another gentle bend to the right, darkness fell upon her. There was a sound of distant thunder as she began gradually climbing uphill. Almost against her will, she continued putting one foot in front of the other, until at last, the pathway ended in front of a giant mound of earth. And, as she gazed toward the top of the mound that towered over her head, she suddenly saw a flash of silver metal. It moved forward and she got a clearer view - it was a winged helmet, and under the helmet a green...something...that looked a bit like a big worm.

"Why are you here?" asked the worm.

"Please, sir, I think I must have lost my way," Bobbie stammered.

"Didn't you follow the path?" the worm asked, unconcerned.

'Well, yes.." she answered.

"Then you couldn't have lost your way, now could you? Recite the "Gotterdammerung"

"I only know it in the English translation.."

The worm shook his head calmly. "Proceed"

"What dark is settling here? 
Is night yet falling dear?
Laura's legions
Ring the rock with water.
It is still day.
Why haven't we got her?"

"That is incorrect," said the worm. "You mixed it up."

"I guess I'm just confused," said Bobbie. "It's been a long day."

"No it hasn't. It's the same as any other day - no longer, no shorter."

"Well, it's longer for me," Bobbie insisted.

"That's the problem with you. 'For me' is understood. You shouldn't have to say it."

"You're being very stubborn."

"It's virtual my dear. You need to get used to it. Now, how can I make your day shorter?"

TO BE CONTINUED


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

*Part Seven*

"Well, to start with, you could direct me back to Mae West. I'm afraid that by taking this little detour I may have lost her."

"Him."

"Him?"

"Yes, him. And, you won't find him now, I'm afraid. But, you never know. He has a way of popping back up when he wants to."

"Oh dear," lamented Bobbie. "What will I do now?"

"Well, I would suggest that you seek out one of the Curmudgeons. They will be able to give you some excellent directions."

"And, just where can I find them?"

He paused and blinked a few times. "Well, I couldn't say about all of them. One travels about wearing a suit of armor. He may find you. But, if you go back the way you came, and turn right at the main path, you'll soon see a road off to the left that climbs. At the start of it, you'll see a red clapping sign. One of the Curmudgeons lives up that road. Ask him....And, now my dear, it's time for me to go. It's been so unpleasant talking to you. Please don't come again any time." And, with that, the head disappeared behind the ledge again.

Bobbie turned and made her way back to the main path, and soon, as promised she saw the clapping sign. Well, it was actually a sign with concentric red and white circles, a pair of clapping hands in the center, and a big red diagonal slash across it. "I wonder what a Curmudgeon is?" she mused. And, with some apprehension, she began to climb the path.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Vesteralen said:


> Well, it isn't really creative writing. It's more like a game full of in-jokes and references. A lot of the references (like the first one) will be easy to figure out. Some will be harder. I'm about eight parts ahead in my mind right now, so though it is a thread and other people are welcome to put in whatever they want, I think I'll probably follow my own script (if I can keep up the pace.


This is absolutely wonderful :clap:



Vesteralen said:


> And, if Hilltroll doesn't curmudgeon me to death first. )


If he does I'll quirt green gunge down his chimney (Not an idle threat. I know where he lives, you see)


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

It's been suggested that I might want to provide some hints as to the story so far (for those few people who are actually reading it. )

Parts Two through Five are about six historical forum members at TC (united by a phrase starting with the letters GBNF - three of one syllable and one of three). Each room or cubicle stands for one specific poster.

From Part Six on, I've moved into the current world of TC posters (as may be obvious) with each new character standing for a specific member.

I've tried to do all of this light-heartedly and humorously. Nothing serious.

Hope that helps.


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Vesteralen said:


> PART TWO
> 
> ...
> 
> ...


Almaviva? filler


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Klavierspieler said:


> Almaviva? filler


Finally! Somebody got one.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

*Part Eight*

As she began to make her way up the straight, but heavily rutted pathway, Bobbie noticed that the sky was a brilliant blue with pillowy clouds here and there, enough to give it variety, but not enough to obscure the sunlight. Because the path was so uneven, though, she had little time to focus on the sky. If she didn't watch where she was going, she could easily turn an ankle.

No doubt that was the reason she nearly missed the armored figure coming toward her. In fact, when she took her eyes off the path for a moment, the medieval-looking figure was almost upon her. "Oh!" she cried. "Pardon me. Are you one of the cur...?" But, she broke off suddenly as she tried to remember what the worm had said. Hadn't he referred to the armored figure as "he"? This was not a he, but rather a young girl with long red hair (she had apparently eschewed the helmet).

"Cur?" repeated the girl to Bobbie.

"Uh....cursive? curt? curskivaliant?..." she babbled, trying desperately to come up with a word. Clearly, this could not be a curmudgeon....could it?

"Curskivaliant? I suppose that must be a compliment of some kind. Are you lost?" the girl asked.

"Lost? Yes, that's it. I'm lost!"

"Trying to get to any particular place? I might be able to help you, though I'm still kind of new here myself. Curskivaliant? Hmm...I should write that down." And, to Bobbie's surprise she opened a bag she had slung across her shoulder and pulled out a sheaf of pages - a manuscript of some kind - and a pencil and wrote something. She paused in her writing. "Is that 'sci' with a 'c' or 'ski' with a 'k'"? she asked looking up a second.

"Huh?...Oh, a 'k'...definitely a 'k'," Bobbie replied, hoping that was right. "Are you writing a book or something?" she asked.

"Writing a book? Well, I guess so."

"Oooo...so you write?"

"Just a Touch. So, any destination?"

"I was told to go up this hill and I'd find someone at the top who could help me find where I should go."

"Oh, you must mean the MoundGnome. Yep, you're on the right path. Not sure he's home right now, but if you wait, he'll be back soon. He never goes far." And, with that, the girl in armor went on her way, leaving Bobbie to continue her climb alone.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Vesteralen said:


> ...
> The third chamber contained a dark figure with his back to her, apparently listening to some kind of vinyl discs on an old-fashioned portable record player. ...


Is that one of our fans of the pre-vinyl era? Odnoposoff, maybe?



Vesteralen said:


> ... It moved forward and she got a clearer view - it was a winged helmet, and under the helmet a green...something...that looked a bit like a big worm....


Couchie.



Vesteralen said:


> ...One of the Curmudgeons lives up that road....


Hilltroll?


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Vesteralen said:


> No doubt that was the reason she nearly missed the armored figure coming toward her. ... This was not a he, but rather a young girl with long red hair (she had apparently eschewed the helmet).
> 
> ....
> 
> "Just a Touch. So, any destination?"


Huilunsoittaja



> MoundGnome.


Hilltroll


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## TrazomGangflow (Sep 9, 2011)

This is brilliant!


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Sid James said:


> Is that one of our fans of the pre-vinyl era? Odnoposoff, maybe?
> 
> Couchie.
> 
> Hilltroll?


Two out of three, for sure. The guy listening to vinyl was still in the historical section of Bobbie's journey, so he is not a current poster, at least not a very active one (though, you never know, he may be back at any time, hence his warning message).

I've been trying to make the current part of Bobbie's journey a little less obscure in meaning, and it seems to be working.

I really thought the second tunnel room and the first and third chambers of the last tunnel room would be pretty easy to figure out.

Let me help a little with the as yet unidentified historical posters.

The cottage scene - Key clues - the scene itself, the guy on the bicycle. Other clue - the disappearing scene behind her back. The three clues refer to the member's avatar, the member's name and the member's recent history respectively.

The room with the laptop. - This one is pretty obscure. There is significance in the piano music coming out of the laptop rather than from a real piano. The major clue is the orderly, disorderly room. These things refer to a specific event in the poster's history and the poster's overall style of writing respectively. Good luck with this one!

Next room, chamber one - Clues - the clock, the farmyard smell, the scary laughter. These things refer to the poster's name (1) and the poster's avatar (2,3).

Chamber Two - tough one. The two figures are the same person. Split personality? You decide.

Chamber Three - Clues - the eyes in the back of the head, what he's standing on, his actions with the records (not so much that they are vinyl), what he says when he throws one away. These things refer to the poster's name (1,2), the poster's opnions (3), the poster's choice of language to describe his feelings (4).

Hope that helps.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Klavierspieler said:


> Huilunsoittaja
> 
> Hilltroll


Give KS another prize!


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

TrazomGangflow said:


> This is brilliant!


Brilliance is a bit beyond me, I'm afraid. I was merely hoping for "sort of clever". 

But, thank you.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Vesteralen said:


> Give KS another prize!


Yeah, the "just a Touch" gave it away. 

My hair has a tinge of red in real life, but mostly a mixture of blonde/light brown. "Red Gold" you could say. 

Thank you to those who have been following my story, I will continue adding chapters once in a while.


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Vesteralen said:


> The cottage scene - Key clues - the scene itself, the guy on the bicycle. Other clue - the disappearing scene behind her back. The three clues refer to the member's avatar, the member's name and the member's recent history respectively.


This must be Elgarian.


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