⇨ THE MATRIX

[ringleaders]

Who: EVERYONE!
When: S1:D22 - S1:D??
Where: Visiting the Matrix.
What: The carnival arrives at its next location, as outlined here. This is a general mingling log for convenience purposes, but players are welcome to make as many other logs for this purpose as desired.
Warnings: Could be a lot of things.

THE MATRIX↴ "What IS the Matrix? The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it." ► INSIDE: On the inside, it all seems so normal. Beyond what you know of the reality you've stepped in, every bit of this place feels just as real as it did back in the carnival. If you were to forget where you'd just come from, would you know any different? The simulation of Chicago is identical to how it would have been in the early days of the new millenia, to anyone who comes from a similar Earth. Humans bustle around you, oblivious to the world outside of the Matrix that they were born into. One bright side to it all is that this hyper realism means the coffee tastes just as good as it does in real life. Anything you could do in real Chicago you can do here - and perhaps even more. ► WHITE ROOM: But before that, you were here. The White Room is a loading program, intended to port objects and people into the Matrix. You arrive as a reconstruction of your true physical form, but common sense suggests that for some of you, entering the mundane world looking like yourself isn't the best idea. It's in this empty world that you will be able to load in whatever physical objects you are, and change the way you present your own body to the system. Changes can be little, or big, but whatever you do, the body has to be able to function according to Earth's physical laws. Don't forget, if you die here, you die in the carnival too. ► DEJA VU: It doesn't matter what you're doing, but at some point you'll notice it - something around you has repeated itself, like a line on a skipping record. Maybe it's the same person bumping into you twice in a row, or the same cab driver yelling at you to get out of the way. It's like reality has rewound and repeated itself, and after the fact you have no proof of it happening beyond the memory of what you saw. You don't know what it means, but something about it is chilling. It may be a good time to find a buddy. ► THE ONE: It won't necessarily come naturally, but in a moment of need you may find yourself bending the world of the Matrix through sheer belief and force of need. How you bend it will always stay without the rules of the universe, at least for now, but when it comes to enhancing your own physical characteristics, just about anything is possible. It will not be easily reproducible, not now, but it could be your first view into the window of what's possible.

Comments

lincoln park zoo

[wild_magic]

[Susan's never even been to a zoo before, but when he heard there were animals he had to check it out. He's still wearing his usual clothes, not even trying to blend in (he didn't know what people here wore or looked like, after all - he even still has pointed half-elf ears), making him stick out like a sore thumb, but no one is paying the kid too close attention.

He's never seen such big cats before, and so he's peering just as curiously at them in their exhibit.]

I dunno, they probably do... They're probably supposed to be able to get out and run around, right? And catch food.

[puddingemote]

[Tamaki glances over at the other boy, noticing the pointed ears. That probably means he's one of the carnival people too, then, unless people in America typically have pointed ears. He doesn't know; he's only met one American.]

Yeah. They hunt and stuff. [He raises his hands like they're paws in the air, giving a swipe.] Like, rah!

[wild_magic]

I thought so! I've seen a bobcat before, and I have a cat too, but I've never seen such a big cat like that.

[He thinks for a second before continuing.]

If they can't hunt, then what do they eat? Do they have to put big deer or something in there just for them to catch?

[puddingemote]

Maybe they give them normal food.

[Like people food? Some kind of meat.]

Steak? Sushi?

[Mmm... sushi. Tamaki looks a little distracted thinking about food.]

[wild_magic]

[Steak he's heard of, vaguely, but sushi? That he has no idea about.]

What's sushi?

[puddingemote]

It's rice. You put fish in it.

[You can put more than fish in it, but Tamaki is a simple boy of simple words.

He could mention the part where the fish is often raw, but it seems like an unimportant detail.]

[wild_magic]

Oh... That sounds pretty good. I'm sure they'd like the fish part, but I don't know if cats eat rice really... I've never seen Fluff do it, at least. [Of course Fluff isn't even a real cat, but still. He's still seen her catch mice and stuff before.]

[puddingemote]

Is Fluff your cat?

[Or maybe he's like Steven and actually has a lion? That wouldn't surprise Tamaki anymore.]

[wild_magic]

Yeah! Well... Most of the time, at least. She can be other things too, like an owl. Or a bat! But mostly she likes being a cat so that's what I let her be.

[He pauses, before realizing that probably makes no sense at all.]

She's my familiar.

[puddingemote]

[The talk about being able to turn into owls and bats is pretty confusing to Tamaki. He knits his brow as he listens, trying to understand what Susan is talking about.

The last part doesn't really clear it up.]

Familiar?

[wild_magic]

[...Okay, so that doesn't explain it then. He always forgets how many people don't know about things like magic and familiars and stuff.]

Um... She's like, a magic animal that can be whatever I want her to be, and she's always with me when I want her to be. And also I can talk to her in my head and she can cast magic if I cast it for her.

[puddingemote]

[Tamaki's eyes go wide.] A magic animal!? Really!?

[He knows he's encountered all kinds of magic and other crazy things since coming to the carnival, but it's still incredible every time.]

Are you a sorcerer?

[wild_magic]

[He nods in excitement at that.]

Yeah, I am! And I'm really good at it, too, my magic's really strong! [He seems very proud of himself for it, too, if his excitement is anything to go by.]

[puddingemote]

Incredible! Show me!

[Is that really the best idea while they're still both in the Matrix?]

[wild_magic]

[He laughs a little.]

I can show you later if you want! Right now I wanna go see more of the animals.

[puddingemote]

Oh, okay.

[Seeing it later is fine too. He looks around the lion house.]

What do you want to see?

[wild_magic]

Hm...

[He looks around too while he thinks.]

I don't really know yet, I'm not sure what there is. I just wanna see animals I've never seen before.

[puddingemote]

Me too! There's a lot I haven't seen.

[He pulls out the map he was given at the entrance, holding it toward Susan so he can see, too.]

There's monkeys near here!

[wild_magic]

Monkeys! [He's not exactly sure what a monkey is, but it sounds exciting either way, so he's happy to see it.]

Okay, which way?

[puddingemote]

Over there!

[Tamaki points, and starts to lead Susan that way. They enter the primate house, the sounds of monkeys calling each other echoing all around.]

Whoa! There's a lot!

[Tamaki actually has seen monkeys before, but it's cool seeing all the different kinds from different places.]