Transcript | [UNTITLED] SMP

[On a warm Corroded evening, Joco heads up into the Wizard’s apartment, announcing their arrival like they often do after seeing the Wizard’s lights on in the window.]

[21:02:05] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Knock knock, Wizard, I'm comin' up!

[The Wizard stirs from deep concentration on a small device in his hands. He blinks like a man waking up from a coma, taking off the small pair of glasses he was wearing and rubbing his eyes.]

[21:02:10] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Hmm?

[21:02:12] <✦[rp] The Wizard> What?

[21:02:17] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh Joco hello!

[The Wizard stumbles, standing up realizing that he really hasn’t moved in a few days.]

[21:02:22] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I'm so sorry for the mess

[21:02:35] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Quite a project you've got going on, yes?

[21:02:44] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh, yes indeed, did I tell you about it at all?

[21:02:51] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I've been...clearly quite focused

[21:03:15] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> No, I just poked my head in a bit ago and saw what looks like old tech.

[21:03:24] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Old man, old tech, that's bound to be an adventure!

[21:03:32] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes indeed!

[Joco raises his eyebrows at the Linter the Wizard set on the table. The Wizard claps his hands and nods, pointing at the device.]

[21:03:40] <✦[rp] The Wizard> That there is Null

[21:03:46] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Are you familiar with Linters?

[21:03:55] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I am! Lovely little camera fellows, yes?

[21:04:06] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Tools of. One of the branches of Unknown

[21:04:10] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Indeed!

[21:04:20] <✦[rp] The Wizard> This one is Ollie's

[21:04:40] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Ahh, I supposed it would make sense that Ollie would have something of that sort.

[21:04:34] <✦[rp] The Wizard> He lent it to me so I could use it to read Doc's code, in order to find a way to send him home-

[21:04:51] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Doc, as in the current president of Wisteria?

[21:04:56] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> That Doc?

[21:05:07] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Indeed, he and I have gotten to know one another recently; we had tea.

[21:05:21] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Tea is good.

[21:05:09] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I'm going to hazard a guess and say you haven't heard the news yet.

[21:05:13] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh?

[21:05:18] <✦[rp] The Wizard> What news?

[Joco draws in a breath and replies flatly]

[21:05:21] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Doc's getting married soon.

[21:05:30] <✦[rp] The Wizard> WHAT?!

[21:05:34] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Wait to who?

[21:05:38] <✦[rp] The Wizard> He never mentioned-

[21:05:41] <✦[rp] The Wizard> When did this happen?

[The Wizard musses his hands up in his hair, as if he really was a man coming out of a coma]

[21:05:46] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Was I gone for that long?!

[21:05:45] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Oh, it's not something he wanted

[21:05:50] <✦[rp] The Wizard> WHAT?!?!?!?!

[The Wizard pauses, blinking, before drawing in a breath and settling back into his chair]

[He mutters]

[21:06:00] <✦[rp] The Wizard> What in tarnation?!

[21:06:00] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Tell me everything.

[21:06:31] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> A few days back, maybe a week. I'd heard that Wisteria was having a meeting, and I'd also heard that Malfaction was having a... special? meeting, so I went to observe.

[21:06:45] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Of course, as you do

[21:06:47] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I was going to tell you, but you were up to your shoulders in that Linter

[21:06:53] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes...seems I was

[21:07:09] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> And I hadn't been given an invitation to the town meetings, so I grabbed a dozen invis pots and headed over.

[21:08:09] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Wisteria was having a meeting discussing faction relations and other sorts, and a party of Malfactioners arrived, spying on the meeting as much as I was! After a couple minutes, Ceph announced presence, small talk was made, and they bullied Doc into marrying Ceph

[21:08:17] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Honestly, it was quite entertaining

[21:08:29] <✦[rp] The Wizard> By the VOID…

[21:08:47] <✦[rp] The Wizard> So the Malfaction King is marrying the Wisterian President...against his will...

[21:08:51] <✦[rp] The Wizard> However did that happen?

[21:08:52] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> At one point there was a bit of a skirmish, a few temporary deaths, Flick almost bumped me out of my hiding spot.

[21:10:12] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> It was in Wisteria, and Malfaction were not planning on leaving any time soon, so yes, the Wisterians gave in. Ceph brought gold to bargain with, but in the end it wasn't too hard to make Doc say yes. Took less than half an hour, I'd guess

[21:09:18] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I'm guessing Malfaction came out on top then, I know Wisterians are many but they're often a bit pushoverish

[21:09:21] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Malfaction is more, how should I say, combat oriented? Ready to fight for their king?

[21:11:15] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes, seems Malfaction is very well versed in the art of the steel tongue

[21:11:43] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> "Art of the steel tongue" my dear Wizard, their tongues were more failingly seductive than made of steel

[21:12:13] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Ah yes, that Malfaction Ruler is known for being quite the seducer, aren't they?

[21:12:38] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Ceph tried to seduce Alex Scifi. It didn't work well.

[The Wizard laughs]

[21:13:00] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh Void I'd forgotten about that

[21:09:39] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Well, fascinating...They do have a whole Court over there as far as I've been able to tell

[21:09:50] <✦[rp] The Wizard> And I don't think much of the Wisterian Council likes each other very much

[21:10:05] <✦[rp] The Wizard> It's been a while since I talked to Flick, but...oh did you hear about that?

[21:10:30] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Did I hear about Wisteria not getting along, or about you talking to Flick?

[21:10:47] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I was talking about Flick, and everything having to do with the Wisterian election

[21:11:12] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, the one Flick backed out of, didn't want to be president after all

[21:11:35] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Then you did hear, yeah, Doc was saying Flick back out at the last minute, and he had purposefully tried to keep himself from being elected

[21:11:48] <✦[rp] The Wizard> A lot more of his answers at the debate make more sense now

[21:12:20] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I do so enjoy how Wisteria, a group that believes they need a leader, have nobody that wants to be that leader.

[21:12:37] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes indeed! Many of them seem like they'd be better off here with us!

[21:13:01] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Honestly, if Wisteria gave up the whole democracy thing, they wouldn't even need to move here!

[21:13:16] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Very fair! Ditch the politics, keep the aesthetic!

[21:13:27] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Such a quaint town, that Larkspur

[21:14:11] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Honestly, I can't help but love the warmth and greenery, reminds me all too much of my old garden

[21:14:37] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, and the humidity feels much nicer on the skin

[21:14:45] <✦[rp] The Wizard> It really does!

[21:14:59] <✦[rp] The Wizard> It's so damn dry here, it's gotten to the point that I almost miss the rain

[21:15:33] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> The rain that sometimes falls over the rivers is nice, sometimes I just spend time on my porch down by the river and watch it fall.

[21:15:45] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> And then the thunder starts, and I scurry back indoors!

[21:16:02] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh yes, it can get quite loud with no trees to muffle it!

[21:16:14] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Anyway, strange things are happening on the server for certain

[21:16:24] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Oh yes indeed!

[21:16:28] <✦[rp] The Wizard> First the election, now this impromptu wedding, what next!

[21:16:43] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Well, the great next thing might be sending Doc home

[21:16:55] <✦[rp] The Wizard> The more I learn about him the stranger I realize he really is

[21:17:00] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> At the firework party, skulk sensors kept appearing, even a shrieker or two, I don't know if you caught that. I kept destroying them.

[21:17:23] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh, I may have noticed you running about, but I was so busy keeping everyone together that I did not notice that

[21:17:29] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Then, in Larkspur, once Malfaction showed up, the same thing happened! Sensors popping up in corners!

[21:17:36] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Fascinating...

[21:17:43] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Do you think something's connected there...?

[21:17:55] <✦[rp] The Wizard> To Malfaction or Wisteria?

[21:18:01] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Perhaps, I caught a picture of one of the Malf folk holding just a block of sculk.

[21:18:08] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Hmmm....

[21:18:22] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Here, I'll send you the pictures I took (comms can do that probably)

[The Wizard puts on his glasses and squints, doing the perfect “old man looking at cellphone meme” image]

[21:18:31] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh, well…

[He taps the screen]

[21:18:35] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Is that one of the new folks?

[21:18:41] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, the blue cat person.

[21:18:47] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Named Prince, I believe.

[The Wizard leans back and removes his glasses]

[21:18:49] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I was hoping things between the factions would remain peaceful...but Malfaction's plans with the wedding and now this...

[21:18:51] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> A little bit ironic.

[21:19:08] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Prince, I do remember seeing him at the festival for sure

[21:19:19] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Don't think we spoke all to much, besides just hellos

[21:19:24] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Honestly, it sounds like Malfaction is doing their damndest to live up to their name. "Mal" Faction, indeed

[21:19:40] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes, it does appear that they have some greater plan...

[21:19:56] <✦[rp] The Wizard> We'll have to keep an eye out for them, and be on our guard if any others come to visit

[21:20:08] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> If they kept to themselves, though, I'm sure they'd be prospering. From what I saw, they seemed to love having a king.

[21:20:22] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Mmm, loyalty is important in this world

[21:20:32] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, yes it is.

[21:20:35] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I'm sure good old King Ceph is basking in their attention

[21:21:06] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, they seemed to live quite well with having a few yes-men backing their every word

[21:21:34] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Indeed, they are quite a free spirit though, I am surprised the weight of power doesn't entirely weight them down

[21:21:52] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Maybe this is in part why the wedding is happening, something fun for them to do

[21:22:04] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, perhaps

[21:22:18] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Wouldn't put it past the Malfaction for this to be part drama, part plot to take over the server

[21:22:34] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> That would be remarkably in-character for them

[21:22:45] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> But! Enough about dread politics

[21:22:54] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes, yes indeed, really takes the whole mood down

[21:22:52] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Funny little robot

[21:22:58] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes! Sweet Null!

[21:23:05] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Can you read Code?

[21:23:13] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I can, with Null's help

[21:23:28] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Can't read it straight out of the Void, not anymore, but with it, I absolutely can

[21:23:33] <✦[rp] The Wizard> It's just damn long

[21:23:41] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, it would be, it is the universe.

[21:23:56] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Well when you put it like that, it really does make it seem less trivial

[21:24:30] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Code is sort of like if we were able to see the smallest parts of a substance that still holds its properties, and then see further past that.

[21:24:01] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> What are you searching for with Doc's code?

[21:24:27] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Well, that's a bit complicated, might be better if I start from the beginning, give you the whole picture

[21:24:38] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Alright!

[21:25:00] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Doc's not from this place, and I'm not talking about this world, or other worlds, I'm talking about beyond our universe

[21:25:10] <✦[rp] The Wizard> He got sent here while trying to experiment with...something

[21:25:20] <✦[rp] The Wizard> It wiped his memory, not even he really knows

[21:25:31] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> That's rough

[21:25:43] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Where he's from, it's very different to here

[21:25:51] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Everything is, really, the physics, the mechanics,

[21:26:11] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> What, does sand not fall there?

[21:26:23] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Apparently, it does, but in singular grains...

[21:26:26] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Can you imagine that?

[Joco wrinkles their nose]

[21:26:29] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Messy

[21:26:04] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I figured, he must be from some other universe entirely

[21:26:53] <✦[rp] The Wizard> When his device, portal, whatever it was, activated, he was sent here

[21:27:30] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Odd.

[21:27:43] <✦[rp] The Wizard> The Code...translated him...? That's my working theory, and now he exists as he does here

[21:27:58] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> That must have been a powerful device, to send him, alive, to a universe so unlike his own

[21:28:06] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes, my thoughts exactly

[21:28:09] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I wonder if his world has poop mechanics.

[21:28:14] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I wonder if he misses it.

[The Wizard pauses and blinks. He wonders, for a minute, if he is asleep and this is all a dream]

[21:28:29] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I cannot say I am familiar with that concept

[21:28:51] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Oh, it's an idea where. All of the food you consume leaves your body physically.

[21:29:05] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> As strange brown bits and a liquid.

[The Wizard speaks slowly]

[21:28:59] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Fascinating...

[21:29:24] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Honestly, I spent a couple years in a world with Poop Mechanics, and while there are benefits, it's mostly tedious.

[He nods slowly]

[21:29:35] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes, I cannot say I am familiar with that concept at all

[21:29:51] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> You should probably be glad for it.

[21:29:57] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I think I am

[The Wizard snaps back from slow, confused, pondering]

[21:29:49] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Anyway, what was I talking about?

[21:29:56] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Doc's code being translated, I believe

[21:30:00] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes, right!

[21:30:23] <✦[rp] The Wizard> At first, I thought I might have to find a way to go all the way into the Code and read how he got here, but Ollie suggested using Null instead

[21:30:38] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Which was, indeed, much easier

[21:30:53] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Instead of reading everyone's code, you just scan a singular person and read their code!

[21:30:42] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, I feel like going into the Code would be quite a hassle

[21:31:11] <✦[rp] The Wizard> So, Ollie retrieved Null, let me scan Doc and take it home with me, and that's where I've been ever since

[21:31:28] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Ah, They did that sometimes with my code in the early days, I believe! No idea what they found.

[The Wizard pauses briefly, this peaks his curiosity]

[21:31:45] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Did they....

[Joco continues]

[21:31:46] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> You've been. Reading Code. For Days?

[21:32:03] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I have! We used to do it for much longer back in the day, this is nothing compared to that

[21:31:55] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Have you been sleeping?

[21:32:09] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Well...I have coffee...

[21:32:11] <✦[rp] The Wizard> And tea....

[21:32:15] <✦[rp] The Wizard> And this is too important!

[21:32:21] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Doc has people waiting for him!

[21:32:33] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, if we were in a world with Poop Mechanics, you would be doomed.

[21:32:53] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> You used to pull all-nighters back in the day when you Weren't an old man, gray hairs and all

[21:32:57] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Ah. Well! Sure!

[21:33:09] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Yes...I can say I think all this work has begun to affect me

[21:33:14] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Maybe I should take some time to rest

[21:33:18] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Working on fumes does not Code legibility make

[21:33:25] <✦[rp] The Wizard> It does not, does it

[21:33:43] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I will say, going back to what you mentioned before...

[21:33:49] <✦[rp] The Wizard> With being scanned and all whatnot…

[21:33:58] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Would you like me to scan your Code? Try to read it?

[21:33:55] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Would you like to scan me?

[21:34:13] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I mean! If you are willing! That would be an incredible chance

[21:34:31] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Based on what you've mentioned, I've had rare chances to read Code with excentricities such as yours...

[21:34:37] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Go right ahead, friend. It doesn't hurt, just a bit ticklish if it's a certain model of Linter, which this fella is not.

[21:34:51] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Alright, hold still

[The Wizard inputs some commands into Null, the Linter hums with life, and its large camera-like eyes opens. Joco stands still as the Wizard scans them. The process takes a few minutes, but all of the Code is transported easily.]

[21:35:06] <✦[rp] The Wizard> And...complete

[21:35:10] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Easy as, easy done!

[21:35:19] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Exciting

[21:35:25] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Well...as exciting...as the prospect is...

[21:35:27] <✦[rp] The Wizard> I should really sleep

[21:35:32] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> You should be getting to bed

[21:35:35] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Now that we've spoken I can feel it hit me

[21:35:46] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Yes, I'll be leavin' you to that.

[21:35:54] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> The Code will be here in the morning.

[21:36:26] <✦[rp] The Wizard> It will indeed, won't it

[21:35:50] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Was there anything else you needed to tell me before you headed off?

[21:36:43] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Well, just a warning that when you wake up the barn across the way will be moved, so don't worry if your view seems off!

[21:36:51] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Oh alright!

[21:36:59] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Wait. Joco what do you mean moved.

[21:37:07] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I am removing and rebuilding the barn.

[21:37:32] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> While you were reading, I went out and found some new animals. And they need a pen.

[21:37:22] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Joco I don't think I'm the only one who needs a "when was the last time you slept" intervention.

[21:37:45] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Oh, no worries, I've got the sky to tell me when to sleep for the project.

[21:38:02] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Ah, very fair. You do tend to keep a better schedule than me

[21:38:05] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> I've slept at least every 2 days for the past month.

[21:38:07] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> At least!

[21:38:24] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Well. Better than me, so I can't say anything to either of our sleep schedules!

[21:38:29] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Delightful!

[21:38:40] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Now, I will be leaving for that barn, and you'll be headed to bed!

[21:38:47] * ✦[rp] Joco Serious nods decisively

[21:38:52] <✦[rp] The Wizard> Farewell, Joco!

[21:38:58] <✦[rp] Joco Serious> Good sleeping, Wizard!

Joco / The Wizard - [7-09-23]