[network] @LELRIC; audio; night 315 [open]

[armoured]

There's been a lot of talk recently about this discovery that we might not really be us, that we might be digital copies downloaded into random bodies, and I know that it's been bothering a lot of people to think that they might not be "real". I don't know whether it's true that we're not the original people that we think we are or if we're copies, though I guess it would explain a lot of what happens here and how we're altered or brought back from the dead.

[In a way less horrifying way than he has been imagining this whole time.]

But I just wanted to say that I think we're real. Maybe not the originals, but real all the same. It doesn't matter where I came from, I'm still me with my own memories, experiences, and feelings. And all of you are real, you've had real impact on the lives of other people here, friends and enemies alike. That has to count for something.

[He's struggled with the thought that he might not be real before, when Barry the Chopper taunted him about being a puppet. It tore him apart then, it nearly broke Ed in the accusing, but he learned a lesson from that. He won't forget that lesson easily.]

So-- so I thought it might be nice if we could talk about the things that are real to us, not just here, but back home. Talk about the worlds we remember and the people that were there, and share them with other people who might never have heard of anything like it. We could even add it all to Mr. Carsen's library, an encyclopaedia of worlds. If you'd like to share, I'd love to hear it. So, um, that's all.

Comments

@Iwillnot; video;

[absentconstellation]

I could tell a great many stories from my world, though I'm not much of a bard.

[ He's better at being cryptic than detailed. ]

perma audio

[armoured]

[He feels a surge of warmth for the Cat, he was influential in helping Al get back on his feet before and Al won't forget it any time soon.]

It's okay, the way you tell it will be fine, I'm sure.

permavideo

[absentconstellation]

[ He's only doing his self-imposed job... though he's glad to see that Al hasn't lost hope again. ]

Then what would you like to hear first?

@gravedigger; voice

[harlequinofhate]

Yours truly is from the exotic land of New Jersey.

[armoured]

[Urgh, why him of all people?]

Then I feel sorry for New Jersey.

[spoileralert]

New Jersey appreciates your sympathy.

@hotstud_xxx; text

[rubikscomplex]

you and half the people here
what is it about jersey?

@Wayne, perma-audio

[gothamiteknight]

Maybe you should work for the tourism bureau.

[He's figured it out by now. Despite the...implications about their very existence the kid was talking about, there were other important things to worry about right now. Like this guy.]

@clowncutie92; voice

[clowngirl]

[Wistfully, to the tune of "There's no place like home":]

Be it ever so crummy...

@standardissue; audio

[deus_ex_phs]

Hmm, something you've never heard of before...

[He's rubbing his chin here in thought, even if you can't see it.]

Well, I could always tell you about some of the notable creatures I've seen and heard of in my world. Giant snakes? Birds that can turn you into stone? Frogs that can turn you into a frog? Anything like those ring a bell?

[armoured]

I've definitely not heard of any of those, I'd love to hear about all of them!

[Giant snakes they might have, depending what Kunsel means by giant, but the others are totally alien to him.]

@guardian; audio;

[phaseshifter]

I'm still not convinced that we aren't our original selves, but you're one hundred percent right about whether that matters or not. People are people, whether they were born, built, programmed, or - Iunno, grown in a vat. I guess it's easier for someone to believe that when they're from a world like mine, though.

[armoured]

Mm, I guess you're right. A lot of people are really scared about it, though, like it makes them less worthwhile to not be the 'original'. I want to help with that if I can, even if it's just a little.

@featherydouche; text;

[mrcreamsicles]

man are people STILL on about that
how many times do people have to experiment and ask winter or the admin or who the fuck ever if were the real versions of ourselves before people stop trying to follow the white rabbit and take the red pill
wait you dont get that ref
point is
im tired of it
i was tired of it for different reasons before i even came here
but i dont want to go into that so tell me about your world instead

@godsend, text

[termineur]

Really? The whole fact that Sherlock moved his consciousness into another person entirely via blood transfusion doesn't bother you?

[ Just saying. ]

audio;

[armoured]

...yeah, yeah okay.

[He's not going to force Davesprite to talk about things he doesn't want to, that's not the point of this network post at all.]

Amestris is the country that I'm from, it's a really big country and it's mainly known for its military. It's landlocked, and we've had skirmishes with all of the other countries around us at some point, though we're tentatively at peace with all except Drachma at the moment.

@Mnemonsyne; voice

[bookofnope]

[Beckett sounds wistful, distant. Tell him about the world he remembers, Al says...]

I could be here all night.

[armoured]

[His voice is gentle in return. They don't always see eye to eye, but Beckett is just as welcome in this as anyone else.]

That's okay, I'm not doing anything else tonight.

@godsend, audio

[termineur]

Think I've already told you quite a bit.

[ He's been pretty quiet most of the day, but this is a good idea. He appreciates Al's attempt to settle people's minds, and feels much the same way about whether they're 'real' or not. At least he does for the moment. Who knows how he'll feel once they get to the end of this. ]

But I'm glad to go into it. I'm from 2009, in New York City- anyone from the USA will have an idea of what its like, but there are skyscrapers all over the place, and tons of people living next to and on top of each other. We have cars and cell phones- like tiny tablets. I lived in Queens and worked in Brooklyn. I honestly miss the people here, and I never thought that'd happen.

Very few of us were lucky enough to have a gene that would give us some sort of special ability. But the number was growing, and it's probably not going to stay a secret for very long. I'm guessing things were about to get very interesting over there.

[armoured]

[Even though they're in the same place, Al respects and enjoys that Sylar is doing this over the network. It's a small piece of himself to add to the stories of everyone, and that's a big step forwards.

He listens respectfully until there's a small break, trying to imagine this alien world.]

You think that people won't take it very well when it's not a secret any more?

@clowncutie92; voice

[clowngirl]

[Aw, she missed Brooklyn too, sometimes.]

What kind of work didja do? When you weren't off doin' the murder-y kind?

@Ecks | audio | cw vivisection, abuse by father figure, child soldier, torture....

[ecks]

When I was very young, I never went outside. I was always underground in a place that is secret from all of the enemies of the person who made me and his god and his god's followers. When I was very young I did not know any languages or how to do anything except by copying what other people did and I think they did not know for certain if I was a person because real people do not do things only by copying. That is why he had to test my responses and cut me open and find out how I worked after he made me.

Later when I understood languages and I understood how to do things I would go outside. Going outside was not all good because later I understood that when I went outside and murdered other people it was not justified and I did not want to do that anymore. I liked the part about being outside even though the sky was too large and there were dangerous things outside that would murder me if they saw me because I liked the way I could see for a very long distance outside and I liked the way the outside smelled better than the way the inside smelled, and I liked that when I was outside I could not always hear screaming. When I decided that my name was Ecks and that I wanted to leave I waited until they told me to go outside and murder someone else and instead of murdering him I chose a direction and I started walking and did not stop walking. I was very afraid but I was happy. I was still happy when I came here because I could still be outside and I was not required to murder anyone. That is what is real.

[armoured]

[There's a deep silence as Al listens to this sudden outpouring. It's not a good story, there are elements in it that he recognises from other people in his life. Other people he failed to save.

But even as horrific as it is, he doesn't want her to feel like she wasn't welcome to share just like the rest of them.]

Y-Yeah.

[Poor Ecks.]

You're right, what you have now is real. That happiness that you feel being outdoors, and the friends that you've made who you don't have to hurt, that is real and you should hold onto it as tightly as you can.

lilmonix3; audio

[thesystemisdown]

[Monika's feelings on reality are. Complicated. Especially since she went and blabbed her whole backstory in public in a fevered moment of stupidity.

Nonetheless...]

...My world's not all that interesting in itself, but. I miss my friends.

[armoured]

[His voice is gentle, and especially warm to someone that he doesn't know.]

I bet it's more interesting than you think it is, why don't you try me?