|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- PECULIAR LATHER--CUP 10--"CELLAR SIXTEEN" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Peculiar Lather  ||  -------> (Cup SRpl010, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Tanner looked around nervously. "Well Tanner, I suppose I have you at a disadvantage. I am Fluffy Netherfuck of Agoopish, Goddess of Distance." she said as she extended her hand. "Uh, I'm Tanner Utopis Loblolly of Gullia Fair, um, college student and novice occultist." Tanner said, grasping her hand. "Pleased to meet you." Fluffy said as she shook his hand with exaggerated vigor. As they were shaking hands, Tanner got light headed and felt a tingling sensation in his groin. He stumbled backward a little in dizziness. "You okay?" Fluffy asked. "Yeah," Tanner said, regaining his composure, "yeah. I'm fine. Fine." "What's the matter--never touched a goddess before?" "Uh--um--no, I don't think so. I think you're the first one I've ever touched. As far as I know." "Well that's exciting. Your first contact and all." "Yeah." "So anyway Tanner, I'm not especially busy right now, so if you'd like, we could go downstairs and relax and talk about you and Janine and stuff." Fluffy said as she walked over to the elevators and pressed the down button. "Yeah. I mean, sure. Let's go." Tanner said, following her to the elevators. "We can go down to Cellar Sixteen--that's usually a fun little venue." Tanner looked around nervously. "So I take it you're from out of town." Fluffy said. "Yeah. I just got in. I--I mean I just found it really, Agoopish. I never knew it was real. Always thought it was a myth." Tanner said, looking at Fluffy. "Thank goodness most earthlings do. This City's crowded enough as it is." "I don't know how I'm taking this so calmly. I mean, I would have thought I'd totally go spaz finding out Agoopish was real and going there." Fluffy suddenly remembered her long sleep and the mental note she made to be wary for anything out of the ordinary. Could she wind up in some misadventure with this mortal? It was possible, but she doubted it. He WAS apt to get into trouble, however. One of the elevators sounded a bell and the doors slid open. Fluffy motioned for Tanner to enter, and then followed him in. She pushed the button marked C-16, and the doors closed. They began whurring downwards. "So you'd heard stuff about Agoopish before you came here?" Fluffy said. "Yeah." Tanner said "You know--in books and stuff in the school library there are stories and reports on Agoopish and the other Avert Cities. What are the other ones--Blamnoom, Felptash, Ocpadusk--and isn't there a smaller city without any gods, called Boltpike? Yeah. But no one seems to take this information seriously." "Well, the thing is, earthlings are mindwise repelled from accepting such a thing as Agoopish. Even if faced with undoubtable evidence, they'll disbelieve. So the fact that you're here and coping with it makes you a mortal for sure." "Isn't everyone--every non-god--a mortal?" "No--in our semantics, mortals are those who can travel from Earth to the Cities freely, and handle the illogic of it all." The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, revealing Cellar Sixteen, a large open area with plush red carpet, fountains, indoor plants, lounges, and lots of people hanging around. Also, on the far side of the space was a subway platform, and a subway was just pulling out. Tanner and Fluffy exited the elevator. "Well I guess I'm a mortal then. Is that like something great or something?" "Why Tanner my dear--being a mortal's almost as good as being a god--maybe even better." "Huh?" "I can see you've got a lot to learn. Let's go get some coffee." "Okay." They strode across the Cellar toward a coffee bar. "You like coffee?" Fluffy asked. "Yeah, sure. Drink it all the time." Tanner answered. "They have great coffee here." Fluffy said "The best. We call it Tan Venom." "Cool." Tanner said. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----