Ruzwa

https://culturedvultures.com/

In New York City? I am in a large, sparsely furnished apartment. It is bright and airy with a rustic timber floor. The Wu Tang Clan – in name only at this point, none of the members being familiar – are present. They inhabit a large IKEA square shelving-esque white unit. Each member is in his own individual square shelf, and any vacant ones contain a variety of lurid green snakes with white bellies and sneaky bulbous eyes. I am scared of these creatures, as I am supposed to be, as I approach the large unit. One snake eyes me suspiciously, gently shifting it's many coils. Are there dogs too?-

I am then confronting the whole Wu Tang group. They are massed in an intimidating throng in front of me, filling my entire field of vision, as I chuck them out of the/my(?) apartment. I keep wanting to berate them - the word 'belligerent' constantly in my mind (and on the tip of my tongue) – but refrain from doing so (out of 'respect'). We finish up outside where the unpleasant staring match finally dissipates and they head off in taxi cabs, leaving me alone (as requested) with the (actual) RZA-

He and I sit on some 'brownstone' front steps and attempt to trade mobile numbers. My phone, somehow reduced to a tiny, slender piece of fold-out kit, will not, to my absolute frustration, behave. I cannot even recall my own number nor seem capable of using the miniature keypad. I key in 07455 but want 07457 and cannot go back. To add to my annoyance some fans have begun congregating around RZA and I lash out, grabbing a Chinese fan and dragging him right up close to me-

I am now in a (Central?) park lined with green railings. I am being attacked by kung-fu experts. Suddenly the dreamescape pulls back, whizzing through the grass overlooking this scene to where Woody Harrelson is dispatching more henchmen in my direction-

Flizzm

I am examining ceiling tiles in some (office-esque) environment that I know is both owned and under construction by the Disney Corporation. The tiles are quite unusual and seem to consist of three tiles fixed together to form one element – this 'sandwich' effect is visible when one looks at the edge. I look at the black trim/supporting framework and am left with no doubt as it says 'manufactured by Disney' in imprinted letters-

I am then in some sort of wider lobby area (with Kay Emm?). Whoever it is accompanying me is looking at a colourful abstract painting on the wall – a 'Van Doonan'(?) no less! - and, in spite of my spotting his signature, she/they nearly tip it up and off the wall in trying to turn it around to verify. Only my quick reactions save the painting (and day)-

Ghallee

A couch that seems to be, somewhat puzzlingly, saturated with water. I am taking out the sodden seat cushions – they have a curious black fabric lattice make-up that I try to suss out. Alan McGee (of Creation Records fame) is there too. There is a square nub that fits in under the seat back of the couch, presumably the cushions fit back to this and are held in place-

Poddle

Climbing up some enclosed shaky timber ladder, emerging into-

Two small boys and their tiny beds – foldable plastic fabric coated constructs that click together via metal poppers at each corner (presumably so they can be packed down flat between times)-

Now two older boys (aged 8-10-ish) and I am talking to one of them. He has a round face, smiling blue eyes and a shock of short, but scruffy, ginger hair. His nose, by contrast, is like that of a Muppet, round (stuck on!), with a wide nostril to each side. It is bright yellow with round green spots dotted over its surface. Talking to him I notice that the right nostril has a small 'chip' to its left (and I cannot help but think that I 'picked' that away)-

Nofsur

My uneven bottom teeth seem to be fragmenting, slipping and falling forward, tumbling in my gums, almost flaking off in sharp, slender strips. My top teeth are suddenly gone too, replaced by a single, central sliver of a tooth (almost Nosferatu-like)-

Zarple

I am with my good comic artist friends John Miller and Ay Ess. They have both produced wonderful (and wonderfully different) new comic strips. John is working in a strange but beautiful stripped-back pencil style, fluid and rounded. I am puzzled by how unlike his usual work it is. On the other hand Ay has produced a slick, realistic piece – I'm looking at a lovely three quarters splash (page) of a woman with such delicate linework and lovely, sympathetic feathering inks that give it/her superb shape and depth. I'm so happy, if a little jealous (and crushed) that they've both upped their respective games-

On closer inspection John's work becomes almost like a slide, an immersive, layered experience that I am almost inside, a strange, fuzzy, black and white film-esque image that gently shifts as I explore it, looking around within it with my eyes-

Fotrill

Myself, Kay Emm and our baby son are back at our old flat. Having not lived there for over a year we still have plenty sets of keys and have just stayed there overnight. I am anxious to leave before the new owner returns, flying into a panic when I spot her driving into the rear car park. I greet her at the front door and make some (implausible and garbled) speech in an attempt to explain why we still possess keys. She (thankfully) seems to be quite okay with this explanation and, when pressed, does not seem at all annoyed by the hidden 'quirks' we left behind (without obviously telling her about them). We go into the larger of the back bedrooms which, this being the dreamescape, feels more like the front lounge of my childhood home, being spacious with a big bright window. The one exception is in here, a thick 'seam' of green moss that runs along the centre of the floor and rises, curving up like a sharp, thin skate ramp, a few feet. I'm taken aback by this and am shocked when the owner suggests (by simply letting my imagination do the rest) that she's not going to do anything about it... but that, cue raised eyebrow, her lawyer is-

We are trying to leave when an old neighbour, seen leering in at us from outside, is keen to talk (and therefore likely accost) us-