⇨ 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

[dontpokethat]

He answers with a thoughtful hum and a nod. "Huh... y'know, I see what you mean. This place may be more... artificially constructed, I guess, but the resemblance is there for sure."

[pipers_son]

“It’s all in folks’ heads. I guess if there’s any other differences, it’s that this place has a lot more order ta it.” Chuckling, he tucks his hand back into his jacket. “Consequences stick instead of not makin’ sense or not happenin’ at all.” Of course, that had been for the dreamers and not them, foreign entities passing through as they were for all the worlds they visit, but still.

“Ya would think that with that in mind, the things responsible for all this could at least make it a whole lot nicer instead of just makin’ things as they would be normally, bad bits and all.”

[dontpokethat]

"Yeah... quite a difference, I'd say. But your point remains."

He snorts quietly. "Hah. Yeah, you'd think... but maybe they wanted to reduce the risk of suspicion, you know? If things go too well it starts seeming kind of off."

Or at least, Ginko knows he'd be suspicious after a while.

[pipers_son]

“Even if they grew up in it?” Joker knows all too well about growing up somewhere and assuming things can only be one way. Really, by this point, most of the carnival workers know too. It’s something you learn quick.

[dontpokethat]

"...Ha. Maybe not."

It's a good point, that's for sure. Ginko has seen and experienced enough himself to know that.

"Maybe they're just perfectionists, then. Have to get every detail in place."

Even the bad ones.

[pipers_son]

Like the mature and responsible adult he is, Joker blows out a raspberry. “Trust a machine not ta be any fun.”

Well, that’s not his problem. Time to move away from philosophical talks like this before his ears melt out. “Anyway, ya don’t plan on just standin’ here people watchin’ all day, do ya? We should go get lunch together or somethin’! Enjoy the food, see the sights, all that.”

[dontpokethat]

"Maybe it just has a different idea of fun than us."

A really terrible one.

"I wouldn't say I was planning to." He's not being defensive, just matter-of-fact. Either way, though, he nods after a moment of thought. "Don't see why not. You seen anywhere that catches your eye?"

[pipers_son]

“Oh, a good half dozen at this point.” Yet another one of Joker’s wide grins. Trust him to already have stuck his nose just about everywhere already. When he’s not dying from supervisor duties, exploring their stops is one of his favorite things to do.

“But if ya got any preferences, I’ll let ya know if I’ve seen ‘em around.”

[dontpokethat]

"Uh, let's see... I mean, you already know I'll eat just about anything."

He does stop to think about it, though, brow furrowing. "There was... one cafe I saw a few blocks over, looked like it had hanging plants inside? I can't remember what it was called, though."

Yes, he remembers the presence of plants but not the name, don't judge him.

[pipers_son]

“And I keep hopin’ one day you’ll tell me a favorite.” But he listens carefully to the decription, huffing fondly at Ginko’s selective memory before he slings his arm over his shoulder to start guiding him along. Yes, he knows Ginko is an awkward duck about physical affection, it’s fine.

“Well, it sounds like a peaceful place ta eat at, anyway. Here’s ta hopin’ the food is good, too.”

[dontpokethat]

"Hah. Maybe one day."

Oh no here comes the whole touching thing again. Joker can probably feel Ginko's shoulders tensing under his arm. 'Awkward' is about right, but he does stay alongside Joker.

"--Yeah. Hopefully."

[pipers_son]

Joker isn’t giggling. He definitely isn’t grinning wide as he escorts Ginko like the gentleman he is. “It’ll be a nice change a pace compared ta the cookhouse- which is nice in its own way, but a change of scenery is good for the soul. Good thing we get a lot of that in this line of work.”

[dontpokethat]

Well, at least it's not like Ginko is actually looking at Joker's face. Physical and eye contact at the same time are a little more than he's prepared to deal with.

"Right. 'Course." He manages a short huff. "Dunno how I'd deal with it if we didn't."

[pipers_son]

Ginko really has to stop being so cute, Joker swears. It make it too easy to tease him, which probably makes him a little horrible deep down inside, but, well. It’s just how he shows his love. Joker keeps it up as they cross a road, humming.

“I wonder if we’ll ever cross one another’s worlds? I mean, it’s a bit of a long shot, but there’s a chance, ain’t there?”

[dontpokethat]

Honestly, Ginko is at least pretty sure Joker would stop if he asked him to. It just doesn't really seem to him to be worth complaining about, even if he is completely unused to this.

"Maybe. There is always a chance, even if it's only a small one. ...Though maybe it would be best if we didn't go to my world."

As much as he misses the Japanese countryside sometimes, he can only imagine what kind of trouble some of the carnival workers would manage to get themselves into - not to mention how the number of mushi in the carnival would increase if it were ever that close to their world of origin.

[pipers_son]

Right… Joker can imagine why it’s not a good idea for them to go to his world, considering some of the odd things which have popped up. Contemplating his own homeland, Joker clicks his tongue.

“Probably not the best ta head back inta my England, either. Ha, I think they’re starting to lose a taste for circuses!” And he’s a wanted man who should probably be dead, but, well. There’s never any need to bring that up.

“Still… I wonder how much places like that would change. I mean, we’ve already seen that, ah, other Japan, right?” Well, it called itself Japan, at any rate, and Joker doesn’t know much to say it’s not. “The fancy one with too many really advanced things.”

[dontpokethat]

Well, Ginko can respect the desire to keep all your problems to yourself forever. (Okay no he'd be pretty upset if he knew Joker was doing that but anyway)

"Yeah, that place... from the sound of it, we've got a good few workers from places like that." He's got no idea why that seems to be such a common thing, but here they are. He snorts quietly. "Just imagine England with cars."

[pipers_son]

“Ha.” His arm eases up a bit from where it’s around Ginko’s shoulders, and flopping out to the side with surprising looseness for something made of wood. “As if those bleedin’ streets need ta get any more dangerous. Horses were bad enough, and they weren’t made of metal!” Carriages, yeah, carriages were a pain in the ass too, but at least that was wood.

“I think I’ll stick with the box of hands over cars, if we’re bein’ honest.”

[dontpokethat]

"Agreed. At least that thing's supposed to be safe so long as it's in the box."

From what he's seen cars pretty much CANNOT BE CONTAINED. Awful.