Aurevoir

Gark sat on the stairs of Firefly's bar and looked straight ahead on what she called "Main Street". The buildings on Hale's Moon stood there, silently peering at her. She could almost see past Fook's, if she squinted her eyes well enough.

The silence was quite unusual. Even that early in the morning, Mr. Krenshar would sometimes come running to salute her. Even Jayne who stood usually on her spot near the porch was nowhere to be seen. But then Mr. Krenshar had left too it seemed. He too had moved on.

Garkuyan had never considered herself very nostalgic, since the past is something that she, like so many others, has no control and which she cannot change. Genetic factors, cultural environment, human needs,the natural curses occurring that lead to choices, good or bad. The passing of time and it's consequences on everything, on the body first of all, and on the soul too becomes clearer as the birthdays come and go. There is not much to do about it.

But that morning, the notion of time gone by resonated in her head, hammering, hammering, hammering. Days gone by. Ghosts and memories.

Time had come to go. Garkuyan was leaving Firefly's bar.

For some reasons, probably based on her being unaware of her family roots, she dealt very badly with the loss of people leaving her immediate circle. And as much as she was aware that people leaving is a natural process and new people entering one's life is also the nature of things, and is such a very good thing, she missed a lot of people who had decided to go their way, or came once in a while to the bar and not for long.

A few names popped in her head. Sabrina, Belize, Archer, Maikar, Micah, Ben, Lyric, to name some that came to mind. Cholgosh and Amy. She didn't see much of Seana now. Anya had left suddenly. Hollow. Andrew. And some other people she had forgotten the names, but never the smiles.

Maybe, even if on a rational perspective she understood the situation, after all these months she still missed Downporte a lot, the community she had there, the family she had, close-knitted and so very familiar. Maybe she still couldn't cope very well with it's destruction. The void had gotten bigger and bigger.

There wasn't many choices. Silence was the the only way.

"You'll could come back...maybe. No, I'm leaving. You'll be back. You'll miss your friends. They will miss you. They will forget you. Just take a break: you rarely do. You're restless and edgy these days. " The words, crashing constantly in her mind, were bringing on a slight case of a headache and nausea.

Gark stood up and entered the bar. She stood there a while, silent and lost in her world, shivering. She still wondered why her picture never appeared on Mr. Barnes's TV. She shrugged. She wondered if she somehow had missed something.

Her self-pity was a clear indication that a pause was needed. Now.

She turned around, waved to the Firefly spirits and smiled meekly.

"Aurevoir, mes amis."

Gark left the building.

Sunset

Life is slow.

I thought I was strong and find out I am not.

Blackburne is gone and now has been transformed into a nice, hilly, green island with mountains and nice houses with pools and plastic ducks. I see no one there. The place is an uninviting 'burb.

I miss my Blackburne terribly, and it's been many weeks now since "The Last Raid" occured. And still I am stuck, images frozen into my mind, images of my home lost now forever.

I know I am not alone in this hard place. Immy, Lorie, AlisonLynn all miss our moon. Mr Barnes too and Lauralai must talk about it sometimes in their alcove. Others probably too that I am not aware of. LilyBell.

The bar has reopened near Hale's and as far as I know it seems to be going well. Nice people from Hale drop by and it has been quite cheerful.

But still the scar has not healed.

I must wait and live the sunset.

Pause

To all readers, followers or in hiding,

A chapter is closed. I will not be writing in the near future. We will have to wait to see if another one will start.

It was fun and I hope you enjoyed it.

Take care. Life is good, and if not as you wish, it's the only one we have so let's live it up the best we can.

*hugs and kisses*

Garkuyan Koba and typist

Closure

Well, life at Blackburn Downporte is over. Definitively.

A few days ago, I packed up the few remaining things I had in my little Earth Room loft, replacing them in my inventory with a sigh the entire 'Verse population probably heard. Yes I shed a tear and more than one, to be honest. This place had been my home for a long time now, and it had echoed my laughter and my sorrows,and also the sound of my dancing shoes on the bar's floor. In the early mornings or in the middle of the night, I had whispered all my dreams, wishes and secrets to Black Horse as I brushed him in the dry air of Blackburne. I had teased Milo more than once, and ran with him around the shops and dwellings, playing with him until he growled and hid in Sabrina's garage, tired and cranky. But this was over now. As the rumors of an immanent massive raid persisted, I looked in my mirror and was quite honest with myself: I couldn't face it. I had to go.

Last night, as the Reavers attacked the dry sandy moon which what was or had been the home for so many of us, I went to my little loft for a last time, sneaking behind the burning buildings, watching out for snipers and feeling pretty silly in my apricot colored long dress and high heels, while my friends were battling the Reavers and dying or being wounded.

I stood outside a while on the balcony, the sound of gunfire and screaming freezing my blood and paralyzing me near the ramp, at the point where Meyers shouted and asked if I was alright. I muttered "yes" with no conviction at all. I thanked him for having been such a good and patient neighbor. He waved, turned around and returned to the battle zone. I entered the loft. All was in order. As I checked one last time for forgotten stuff I could have left behind, I found under the living room's rug a little piece of paper.

On it, a simple sentence: " Woman, I love you.".

I smiled.

As the fire caught on the porch where me and my family had shared stories, emotions laughs and tears, and the fighting intensified and that I knew the end was near, I realized that as much as I was leaving forever a place that I had called home, I wasn't quitting the most important of all, the friends I cherish with a passion, the loving men and women who care and listen to me with patience and understanding.

Downporte Firefly was going down. Life, Love and Friendship was still there alive and thriving.

"All is well, all is well".

I closed the door behind me, glancing one last time at Downporte that I knew so well. Clutching my little note, I waved, smiled and before TP'ing out to safety, I whispered: "See you soon, pretty people".

Healer

Many human beings, man and woman, never know how to deal with it. Loss. The ultimate trauma. May it be friends that drift apart or family members that part, love or companionship that dwindles and dies, loss can cut deep in one's soul.

After the initial shock, he puts on a brave face. She stops talking. She goes away. He hurts in total silence or almost. She sleeps on it or tries to.

Words transformed into blades, coldness settles in, the damage can be destructive.

Time is the Healer, but memories of laughter, feelings of complicity, reminders of good times will remain, even if the pictures fade slightly.

Time, the Healer.

Life goes on. Life goes on.

Birthday

Happy birthday, Garkuyan!

Today is your Rez day. Two years old...Wow... You've grown quite well since birth. From a shy person that kept mostly to herself, you are now almost sociable *giggles*. Your style has changed a bit, sure enough. You still care about your old friends, and some new people share your life also. Situations have evolved. Life is good.

Remember your coming in the world? What had started as a simple search for software on the Net resulted in my reading an article in one of the Webzine about this Second World. The article was quite informative and dealt also about the casino issue, now banned, with its legal implications.

I downloaded the game, and when you unlogged, daybreak was beginning to look like morning. You pouted. I said "Heck... I need coffee! and have to go to work...*arghhh*".

Remember the first "date", where you received a new "skin" as a gift. Now talk about staying humble here...

And all about the lands rented, owned, and houses you got or bought, rezzed, unrezzed, got built, destructed, re-rezzed etc... If not a shaker, you are at least a mover.

You have been through lots, and most of it good, some very good. You have met great people which I will not list because some people -like yourself- have a problem with lists because inevitably they must end somewhere and you would hate leaving good people out. But they know who they are and what they mean to me and what I mean to them.

What holds the future for you? You have no idea, and frankly you don't care much. Each breath is a new one and you cherish them all.


Take care, have fun, be nice to people, stay real.

*Kisses and hugs*.

Your typist.

Spring

Spring time at Downport...

Chollie was spinning his tunes that night, if I remember well. Only a few patrons had arrived at Firefly's bar, the night being young and all.

While Immy was on stage showing her charms to the beat of Chollie's rockin' music, a few clients unknown to us "regulars" were dropping by, as it's the case on many occasions at Firefly's.

I don't remember the name, but I remember the body. A foxy ladie, cute as a button, and curved like a 67' mustang. She came in, walked around the bar, and came back to the door. Didn't say a word. She looked at Mr. Barnes and then said in a loud voice for such a small avie:

"So ok, let's split from this place."

Mr. Barnes straightened up peering calmly at Foxy. He let go of the rag he was using on the counter top of the bar, and said: "We?"

She stood there, her paws settling firmly on her waist and reiterated her demand: "Yes, you and me. Let's get out of here."

Mr. Barnes: " Well, Ma'am, I'm working now. I can't just leave like the bar."

Silence hit the room.

Mr. Barnes looked at Foxy and pointed slowly to his tag.

Foxy's eyes followed Mr. Barnes's finger.

"Besides, Ma'am, I already have two women, Lauralai and Lorie. I ain't got much time to court someone else even as nice as you."

On that note, she turned her heels and left the Firefly's bar.

At which point, Chollie shaking his head muttered: " Gotta tell you Nack, you must be attractive like hell. Must be a record. In 2 minutes flat, she was ready to take you on and bring you to the altar."

Mr. Barnes looked up, grinned and returned to his rag to his spotless counter top.