Current State of Mind: 2!
Adventures of the Krazi Kamra!

Kimiko's Journal:
Day 1:
Kam got a new camera! She calls it her Krazi Kamra. It's a Polaroid. You press the button and whoosh, instant picture! Nifty!
Picture subtitles; "Kimi testing. Not so good at this, everything's blurred." "Kam's Thumb." "Close up" "Woa, too close"

Day 2:
Show and tell at school! Guess what Kam's taking?
Picture subtitles: "This one's wobby. Note to self; Do not take picture when rollerblading to school...."

Day 2 cont.:
Appear to have fallen down deep manhole while going to school. Sydney must be wierder than I thought. There's whole caves under the roads apparently. Tiny little men here with bushy beards and axes. Dwarves, they say. Seem quite shocked when me and Kam fell out of nowhere. Lucky, was not too badly injured as landed on a round chubby fellow named Littlebottom. I shall not comment.
Picture Subtitles: "Rock" "Another rock" "Littlebottom says this is a good example of a rock." "Interesting rocks" "Very dark in here, Kam worried about batteries running out."

Day 5:
Have said "good bye" to short little men. Funny though, I didn't see any females in that mine, but Kam tells me that there is no distinction between males and females for dwarves. Freaky.
King was dreadfully upset about us going, seemed fascinated by glasses and rollerblades, which I have hung on my bag, one can not rollerblade underground. Kam says we should head towards Ankh Morpork, and I asked her why. She mumbled something about finding our way to school from there, but I think she just wants to check out the sights.
Dwarves have given us journey bread, am very glad we will have something to eat on the way as I did not have breakfast this morning. Littlebottom said something about bandits, but Kam says we need not worry, we have dwarvish cooking with us. Littlebottom seemed to take this as a compliment.
I will never understand these creatures.
Pictures: "Lo, and Behold; Another Rock" "A Rock and a chunk of dwarf bread. Can't tell the difference? Neither can I."

Day 5 cont.:
I think I understand why Kam said we need not worry. I won't see those bandits again in a hurry. Atleast, not the one where Kam hit him in the ---- with a loaf. I swear it made a crack. But Kam showed me the bread afterwards and it didn't even have a dent! Amazing stuff, dwarf bread.
I don't think I'd eat it though.
Pictures: "Grass" "UFO, maybe" "Bandit running, er, limping away"

Day 6:
I hate sleeping outside.
But good news, we finally got to Ankh Morpork! I can't describe it, this city has too much personality. Kam said this city has everything, beggars, assassins (I wanna see one!), thieves (we'll be alright, Kam still has the dwarf bread) and wizards! She said there's even a talking dog somewhere!
Kam reckons we should check out the University first, but I wanna see the Assassins' Guild. Kam says there's a giant library in the Uni that contains every single book ever written, and will be written, and probably never be written. She says I can find the last book of WoT and Obernewtyn series there.
She always did know how to convince me.
Pictures: "AM from a distance" "This is me rollerblading on the river Ankh" "The Shades, I wanted to go in but Kam said I was an idiot and that I didn't want to die"

Day 6 cont.:
Have sneaked into University via the back door, the one the students use. There was a great big note outside saying no females allowed, but me and Kam aren't in the mood for revenge.
I don't know what Kam puts in her school bag, but she used the banana to bribe our way into the library. The Librarian only said "ook" when we walked past him, and I asked Kam what he wanted. Kam said she doesn't know but he's working on it. I wonder what that means.
Pictures: "A book. Times this by infinity and you'll get the UU library."

Day 8:
We're lost. I'm hungry. Not hungry enough to eat drawf bread. Yet. Oh why did I listen to Kam in the first place? I haven't seen a single cover of WoT but I have seen several copies of "101 Uses For A Dead Cat."
How odd.
Pictures: None, Kam says not to waste batteries on rows and rows of books. She can't hear them whispering apparently.

Day 9:
Finally have seen end of shelves. (I never want to see another book again, on plus side I now have in my bag all of WoT and Obernewtyn and Kam is bent double with the weight of WoLaS)
Kam is worried because this place doesn't feel like Discworld anymore. I can't tell the difference, but I'm taking Kam's word for it. We seem to be in a garden of some sort. Kam thought that maybe we should turn around and walk back (No~!) but there was only thick shrubbery where we came from.
Am confused, since when did people (or orangutans) start building great big nature reserves in middle of libraries? But this place is too quiet to be a nature reserve, there's no birds around here....
Kam says she has a bad feeling about this, and I do too. Although that could just be my stomach cramping up in hunger.
Dwarf bread starting to look edible.
Pictures: Only trees and grass around here. What do you want to see?

Day 10:
Have I mentioned I hate sleeping outside? Was afraid of snakes, but this place doesn't even seem to have insects of any sort, let alone animals. Kinda eerie.
Kam says we should start moving, I said: "To where?"
Good question. Where are we? I'm kinda scared, but being a stick figure, nothing can possibly harm me. Not even malnutrition, it's not like I can get any skinnier.
Picture: Same as above

Day 10 cont.:
This place is worse than I thought. There seems to be giant statues of dragons and other winged beasts lying around here. They're carved really nicely and realistically, but they feel too real. It's like they're actually alive but only sleeping..... This place feels like a cemetry.... Wai... Kam says this place is too freaky, and she wants to go home. So do I!
Picture: Are you crazy? I don't want pictures of these things, they freak me out as it is!

Day 10 cont. cont.:
Have come upon a black road, feels and looks like marble except it's black. And nothing falls on it. There's no weeds, or branches, or leaves on this road even though we're surrounded by forest and this place seems pretty empty. No bird calls either.
But this place is perfect for rollerblading. Weee~!
Pictures: "Long black road......"

Day 10 cont. cont. cont.:
Kam showed me this wierd black pillar on the side of the road, it has all these funky symbols carved all over it.... I wonder what it does?

Never am I listening to Kam again. "Touch this rune here" she says, as if she knows what she's doing!
Pillar seemed to have teleported us away to some place..... underwater. Stupid books were weighing me down, so had to drop all of them before even having chance to read any! Am very thankful for attending swim school last year, but then remembered that Kam didn't.
Silly biddy. Made her drop all her books, (she dug her fingernails into the cover of the last WoLaS book - obviously did not wish to let go) so she floated a bit more, and pulled upwards towards air. Made it just in time, any longer and would have had to breath in H20. Kam is unconscious, does not have very large lung capacity.
Good thing Kamra has strap, so still around Kam's neck.
When reached air discovered ship right next to spot where we were drowning, and some twit was standing there on board watching but he called for someone to get a rope to pull us up.
Kam coughed water on deck and dripped water very pathetically all over the place, suppose I did not look much better. Took this time, while twit was busy watching Kam gag, to study him. Very familar he is. Green eyes and black hair, looks arrogant.
Man: What is your friend doing to my deck?
Throwing up, duh.
Me: Erm. She's hydrophobic.
And there was this shift in character, from snobby bastard to worried parent.
Man: Is she alright? Does she need anything? Some herbs? A bed?
Me: Food would be nice, as long as it's not dwarf bread.
Man: ?
So we have a room now and food~! Well. I have food. Kam fainted again after she coughed up her breakfast (water). I hope she's alright.
Pictures: I nearly drowned, you can't expect me to be taking photos 24-7!!! Some tomorrow, I promise.

Day 11:
Kam finally woke up because her stomach called for food. I gave her some dog-like biscuits and lemon juice, but after a three day fast this tastes like heaven. Kam agrees.
Went outside cabin. Sun very bright, feel like a mole. Kam asked me where were we and I told her about yesterday. I made her apologise. *smug grin*
Asked Kam if Twit looked familar. She stared at him.
Kam: Excuse me, what is your name?
Man: You may call me Arithon.
Kam: *faint*
Man: ?
Me: Erm. She's light-headed.
Suddenly remembered that the Arithon in WoLaS that Kam gets washy (and annoyed) about also has black hair and green eyes. Am greatly amused. Wonder what Arithon would think if I told him he has his own little fan group back where I live.
Pictures: "Floorboard" "Cloud" "Kam annoyed at me for taking pictures of pointless objects" "Arithon looking surprised when Kam stuck Kamra in his face and pressed the button, only to remember she didn't turn off the flash" "Arithon asking me if he was supposed to have an afterglow effect on his vision" "Me shaking my head" "Me being whacked over the head with dwarf bread"

Day 11 cont.:
Arithon told Kam not to do that again, and she laughed at him. Good for her.
Meet rest of the crew including Dakar. Kam told me she likes him in a vague sort of way. Kam said it was because he saw the Error of His Ways and repented. Told Dakar this and he said: "@#$!$@*&^%! Knew I shouldn't have hugged him." Dakar says he only goes for girls and I pointed out that there was a lack of them on this ship. Dakar did not reply. I think CLAMP is getting to my brain.
Arithon says he's going to drop us off at Alestron, and we can find our own way from there, even though he says he feels a little guilty about letting two girls wander by themselves. Kam told him not to encourage his angst, ("You'll only develop an addiction") and that we'd be fine. After all, we have what no one else has on this continent: dwarf bread. Besides, we might get to see Mearn.
Pictures: Arithon banned all use of the Kamra on board His ship. He says it hurts his eyes.

Day 12:
Nothing much to do aboard ship.
Am kept entertained by watching Kam harass Arithon. "Tell me what happened after you went through Davien's tunnel, and then? And then? And then?" I think she's still upset about those books we dropped in the ocean.
At night Arithon sings, sometimes. He has a nice voice and you'd be amazed at the range! Dakar says Arithon can do nasty stuff with his voice, but I don't see what (apart from blowing your eardrums by going too high).
Kam wanted to climb the mast but Arithon said that he'd never forgive himself if she fell (he uses this excuse alot, Kam always gives up if it threatens his unstable angst levels), Kam replied that she wasn't afraid of heights. Although I seem to remember one time when we went up Center Point Tower, Kam got dizzy because she looked down out of the window and might have fallen except the glass got in the way. Either way, Arithon won.
Pictures: We sneaked Kamra out a few times when Arithon wasn't watching. "I get sea sick, right? You shut up and leave me alone"

Day 15:
Hoorah! Alestron in sight! It's a pretty big port town and there's a fortress like castle thing. Arithon says that's where the s'Brydion brothers live but we shouldn't invite trouble by seeing them. Kam thinks we won't be able to get in anyway, but secretly I reckon there's always a way.
Dakar seems very interested in our gear - rollerblades, school books, glasses, Kam's doraemon like bag, my CD player etc. He says he thinks they're some sort of forbidden evil the Fellowship has sworn to protect Athera from. Pfht. Dakar has such a wierd imagination.
Pictures: "Dakar took this, when we showed him the Kamra he glared at us suspiciously. Me and Kam with Arithon looking very uncomfortable."

Day 15 cont.:
Arithon's ship sailed off again, he said he shouldn't stay on land for too long. Kam told him that if she met Elaira she'd be sure to give her his message. (I didn't hear about any message but Kam wouldn't tell me and Arithon ran off when I asked.) Am kind of sad to see Dakar go, after 5 days together, I feel that we have a odd sort of friendship. After all, Dakar was the only other one who suffered from sea sickness.
We're in the market place right now. Kam is wandering around looking at everything. There's nothing much around here, but Arithon gave us money to buy food with (yummy!!!!!) and Kam's trying to decide what'll last longest. Kam has given me a lump of dwarf bread to protect myself with. Amazing stuff, dwarf bread. Arithon couldn't even cut it with his sword! Kam gave him a loaf as well, she said he could always hit Lysaer over the head with it, or eat it if he wanted to commit suicide. I hope she was joking on that last one.

Kam is right, Alestron fortress is absolutely impossible to enter. Those guards threw us out when we tried to walk through the front gate. They picked us up and tossed us out! I call that racist! Just because I'm a stick figure!!! Kam says that Mearn is an ass anyway, and I shouldn't bother looking for him. I whacked her over the head because I was most like Mearn in that character quizzlet thing Kam gave me. And she knows it.
Maybe we'll go south.
Pictures: Arithon said it would be a good idea to keep the Kamra hidden, people nowadays aren't very friendly about mysterious black objects being flashed in their faces. Kam says we could get burned as witches. (Always wanted to know what it felt like)

Day 20:
We have stumbled across Methlas Lake! We were following this river for days on end, and finally came across this great big lake with a smelly swamp at the north end. Naturally, Kam suggested we avoid that area (Like I'd want to see it anyway)
There seems to be an island in the middle of the lake with some kind of keep on it. Looks a bit... derelict and run down, but Kam reckons we should try and go in. Fine with me, 's'not like I've got anything to do anyway.
~
There was someone in the keep. Says his name is Verrain. Asked if there was anyone else in the keep and he said he's been living by himself most of his life. Kam said to me that she thinks Verrain is around Dakar's age, (aprox. 600 years). I told Verrain later that an old pervert like him would not gain anything by harrassing stick figures. He laughed. I would have thought he'd protest or do something pathetic (i.e. deny it), but he only laughed.
Bweeeee~!!!!!! Cats! CATS! Verrain likes CATS and he's got a whole heap of them in the castle!!!!!! I've changed my mind about him, he obviously is a man of good taste (molesting stick figures is BAD taste) and we should be quite safe with him.
Picture: Kamra safely hidden in Kam's bag. People around here reckon burning witches is good taste.

Day 22:
Verrain says he is a spellbinder. Although he did not like of any of our stuff, he said we look too outlandish. Actually, he said something else, but me and Kam have no idea what it means or how to spell it so I'm translating it as "outlandish." Verrain said Sethvir would not approve either, and Kam said Sethvir was too much of a sweetie to do anything about it. (Verrain laughed - he laughs alot) I feel strangely out of place.
We showed him the Kamra, but he said to put it away. I think he was a bit frightened by the flash, he asked Kam if she had to ask permission of the air to do that. Kam said in "her" world people took want they wanted of the earth without asking. He took this as a grave offense until Kam told him that people always drew back what they took, so it was alright. I don't think he understood that.
Verrain told me that he had been in contact with the Fellowship. I asked "So?" and he said they wanted to see us, the "strange kids from the never-to-be future and the far distant past." (yeah, I don't get it either) Kam asked him if we were going to have to travel to Althain Tower and Verrain said that we'd go by the Lanes since it's quicker. I asked Kam if he meant that brand of biscuit, but she hit me over the head for being stupid (I suppose not then.)
Other good news, cats are very friendly and Keep has small area of flatness that one can rollerblade on, cobbles make a bit of a bumpy ride, but it's still alright. Kam asked Verrain if he wanted to rollerblade but he said those shoes where way too small for his feet.
Picture: "This was that pratice one we did for Verrain, it's blurred but we only wanted to show him how the Kamra worked. It's a wall."

Day 25:
Leaving Meth Isle Keep today. Verrain has some kind of magic circle in his basement: REAL MAGIC! NIFTY!!!!
We're both abit upset about leaving Verrain by himself, but he says he's used to it. Such a nice fellow, pity he's all alone. Ah well, he has the cats to keep him company.
Verrain says we're quite the handful, two girls even though we're stick figures. He says he's never talked so much and we've only been here four days! I think it's good that he gets to use his voice for something other than scolding cats and poisonious mutants.
I'm going to see some real socerery at work! Lights, runes, mystical mists - "Beam us up, Scotty."
Bye bye, Verrain!
Picture: Even though we're leaving, Verrain says it's best for us not to take out the Kamra. Kam is such a goody goody...

Howling at the moon on Sunday, May 5, 2002 [12:52 p.m.]