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Magisteria Mods ([personal profile] magisteriamods) wrote in [community profile] memeisteria2024-03-01 07:15 pm

Magisteria TDM #1





Magisteria Test Drive Meme #1


Welcome to the first official test drive meme for Magisteria! The TDM is game canon. Characters who do not app will simply disappear. The magic/tech aspect of the game will not come into play on the TDM.

The sort of tech introduced here is general hobby tech, not tech-as-skill. Players should be thinking of which alignment they will app characters as, but it doesn't need to factor into TDM play. The TDM is intended to have icebreaker type prompts.

Mods will not be playing NPCs, but some NPCs have a "misc" section. This section is intended to give additional details, often those which might offer extra information on NPCs, especially how they might react to certain common questions, or certain observations they may have.

Content notes: Some spice throughout the prompts, though nothing one is obligated to engage with. The final section contains adult-centric prompts, including SUBSTANCES and SEXY FARE. They have been explicitly marked. See the ending notes for information on the flora/fauna.

One final note, but it's important, and mentioned in the projection: most of the island is not yet open to Otherworlders. High Rise Village and Eden 6 are, some of Agriculture is, and Market, but Sacred Nexus, the Grove, and all districts for the Institutions, are currently off limits. The settings will play a role in the metaplot.




Prologue: The Story is Just Beginning


In one moment, you find yourself before a portal radiant with light, a tree of life that blazes with fire and the brilliant hues of some great, potent energy which you feel surrounding you and infusing your body. Your vision fills with colors brighter than any you have known. Should you close your eyes, you even see colors in the darkness. In another moment, or perhaps many moments later (for you feel that time is waxing and waning), you are standing within what appears to be a station. There is not too much feeling of upheaval. Whatever you were doing before is simply on hold; instinctively, you know that, and instinctively, you feel a pull towards this place. There are others with you: a group of people, newly arriving. No sooner have you all begun to get your bearings than, before you all, what should appear but the hologram of a man, full-length, and very life-like:


Hello, Otherworlders! Click if you please!







Welcome, Otherworlders. My name is Minister Brennam Tyrgen. I greet you today as a representative of the sovereign of Magisteria. My aim is to provide a brief overview of what you need to know before you continue any further.

Yours is not the first group of Otherworlders we've played host to. You've been arriving in our world for millennia now, and from all across the cosmos, no less. But your group is different from the others that have come before in one important respect.

You may have noticed it on your body as you exited the Infinity Corridor. Maybe it's even in the shape of something you find inspiring or meaningful or artistic. I speak of course of your new tattoo.

Turns out, it's not just decorative. That tattoo is your connection to Bios, the energy within your body and within all living things. Moreover, you Otherworlders are capable of engaging in something called Synthesis, mutually cooperative acts which can generate massive amounts of excess Bios. You can research Bios and Synthesis, as well as anything else, on your aXess Link devices. As to why your group is different than those who have come before... that's something we ourselves are still researching. But as the Bios in our world could use replenishing, it just may be that you all are somehow exactly what our world needs, and we want you to be as comfortable, settled, and in peace as may be possible.

Each of you should currently have enough funds in your virtual wallet to cover your housing expenses for about four months. Longer, should you find a roommate. After that, you will need to finance your own way. But don't worry. The apartments host learnshops and there will be ample opportunities to pursue vocational training and diverse careers within High Rise Village.

I do encourage each of you to be prepared to pursue the study of magic or technology. Two or more of you can integrate your abilities across disciplines, but each one of you can only specialize in one or the other. You'll soon come to understand why. You can pursue other opportunities as well, but the Order of Mysterium and the Council for Technological Advancement have always provided the best paths of upward mobility for Otherworlders.

One more thing: right now, you all can access all of High Rise Village and Eden 6, as well as parts of the Agriculture and Market Districts. We're working on getting the rest of the city-state open to everyone.

I must be returning to my work now. If you're at the station, you should soon encounter your guide. Her name is Seraphine Nova.

My final advice to each and all of you is that you keep your eyes and ears open. Watch, listen, and pay attention. Trust that your questions will have answers in time, but remember: sometimes you must find them yourselves.




With that, the projection concludes. However, mere seconds have passed before another figure appears before you all. This one is different. Solid, substantial, an actual person rather than the mere image thereof.







"More Otherworlders, huh? There have been a lot of you lately..."

She is only a teenager, perhaps younger than one would expect, but she introduces herself as your guide. She informs you that she will be accompanying you on a train ride to the apartments specially designated for arriving Otherworlders.

Seraphine Nova: Miscellaneous
  • Though her ice blue eyes may make her countenance appear somewhat stern, Otherworlders will find that she is amiable in conversation, and friendly, if a little shy. Of course, she is rather young.

  • At times, she looks at you almost expectantly, as though there are questions on her mind.

  • If asked as to why you may have been brought here, or about the circumstances behind the tattoo: "I honestly don't know. I'm wondering these same things. I'm curious about you all... what you bring, what you can do in our world."

  • You begin to get the sense she is looking to you for answers as much as you are looking to her for them.

  • Her badge notes that she is a thetic, or a half-human, half-AI girl: "My mother was an AI."

  • On this subject, she will tell you that the AI of Magisteria have taken on such traits that they live among humans and even intermarry, and she is the child of such a union.

  • "I took on this part-time job because I've always been curious about Otherworlders. But also, it helps as community service that will look good for college admissions. I'm applying to Atlas University, the most prestigious tech-centric university in Magisteria."

  • And if asked about those above her, or Government figures more generally: "There's a lot I will admit I don't know, but Magisteria is called the eternal city, the greatest city in the multiverse. So I trust the authorities, because life here is better than anywhere else."



As your group makes its way around the transportation facility, accompanied by Seraphine Nova, you encounter a plethora of new and perhaps surprising sights and sounds. There are screens and projections everywhere, flashes of bright light and voices, both human and those which sound automated, or like AI. Everything has about it a certain luminosity, and you may have noticed that even Seraphine Nova has a bit of an ethereal shine to her skin, eyes, and hair. You have a little time to explore, but within about fifteen minutes, the boarding call for your group begins, and the train prepares for departure.


I. An Enchanted AR Icebreaker



You're on a monorail train in the Business District of a city of the distant future. Your guide explains to your group that the first priority is to have you all acquainted with your aXess Link device. She explains that it can be shaped like anything – a phone, a watch. It’s a bit of a techno-magical device: the sort of cross-magisteria blending which can sometimes happen on smaller items. The fact is that pretty much everyone in the city needs one, so they’re ubiquitous and subsidized as necessary for accessibility.

Along the ride, your guide informs you of some team-building activities which have been prepared to get you all acquainted with your new technology and with one another. She explains that she did not design these, but those who did so intended them to be creative:

📖 a) Story-weaving



The story can come from different sources. It can be something you witnessed in your life, something from a book or legend, or a story you made up or are making up on the spot. Epic or mundane. The idea is to make a holographic projection to introduce a story. You can get as far into it as you like before allowing contributions from others, though people are encouraged to engage in collaborative story-weaving. Making up new stories is all fine and well, so long as they entertain and delight the senses!

This isn’t an activity for points or prizes, but passengers who successfully entertain their peers, guide, or their partners in this activity can at least make a strong first impression for their creativity, and who knows, you might just make some new friends and acquaintances along the way!

🐦 b) ANGRIEST birds!!!!!!!!!!!!



Flip on your AR goggles to play this mini-game. At first, it seems like a pretty standard game setup: moving around solving dungeon puzzles at different levels. But there’s a catch. Each player is given an animal familiar and their personality is determined by one adjective.

Lazy bear? Snuggly kitty? And, yes, angry bird? All possibilities!

But there’s another, bigger catch: as more time passes, your familiar’s personality trait continues to expand. Angry frogs become frogs of pure, concentrated rage. A happy bunny becomes so happy it all but ceases to be a bunny and merges into one-ness with the cosmos. Needless to say, having a giant, mono-minded and maniacal version of an animal with an increasingly flanderized demeanor is not conducive for completing the game levels, so better work through the puzzles and dungeons quickly.

You can also enlist a partner to help, or offer to help others, and this can definitely be a big assist, but just be wary that you work well together and keep a good pace, or else there may be two atrocious feeling-monster creatures following you both around.

[Seraphine Nova may mention that while she is not personally a big fan, numerous of Magisteria’s AI are inordinately fond of this particular game, for some reason.]
🧋 c) Refreshments



Seraphine Nova informs you that her family owns a coffee shop, The Bean and Berry. They even have discounts for newly arriving Otherworlders. Today, everyone on the ride gets a glass of Clari-tea. An enhanced version of a traditional chai: beyond having a lovely, spiced-sweet flavour, it can promote relaxation, stress reduction, and mental clarity. Some use it to combat anxiety, even having it recommended by their doctors for some psychological conditions.

To enhance the drink, adult passengers have the option of adding a chaser: a splash of something boozy but surprisingly sweet, it leaves the tongue tingling - a tingle that then suffuses the body, making every touch dance across the nervous system. It can even be something of an aphrodisiac, or at least encourage a light euphoria that predisposes one to such moods, and thus perfect for pre-gaming before any evening partying.

There's also a pastry option: hexberry danish. But Otherworlders will want to be cautioned: hexberries can have some notable effects.

[See "flora/fauna" at the end for information on Variable Hexberries.]

🃏 d) Wildcard

These prompts are just ideas. Feel free to make your own mini-games or engage with other activities during the ride!


II. The World Of Tomorrow: Exterior



Soon, the train arrives at its destination. Centrally located in High Rise Village, this is Evergreen Terrace, a luxury apartment complex. Otherworlders are informed that many of the district's elite, both techies and magic users, live within these apartments. They serve a thriving, hybrid community.

The apartments feature a series of buildings consisting of terraces of windows overflowing with greenery and pink bougainvillea. The buildings are bright alabaster white, and should you ask about their composition, you will be informed that there are magic-infused crystals within the architecture. The city sprawls around the apartments, but the greenery throughout and around purifies the air.

💧 a) Waters of Seeing



The apartment complex is encircled by artificial ponds and streams of running water. The water itself is crystal clear and sparkles in a manner that may give Otherworlders the distinctive impression of enchantment, even if they are not magically attuned individuals. There are signs indicating that Otherworlders are responsible for whatever they see, should they gaze at these waters.

If you look for very long, you may see a vision from home, perhaps someone you care for. Or you may see a memory, a glimpse of your past. Should another stand beside you, they just may see your memory, as well. Or the reverse: you might find yourself gazing into another’s past.
🪷 b) Perfume of the Eternal Lotus



The brilliance of the waters around Evergreen Terrace is enhanced by the bloom of innumerable pink lotus flowers. The perfume of the flowers creates an aroma which may even prove captivating for those who are not normally inclined to indulge in the joys of the natural world.

You may even find yourself thinking to pluck one of the lotus flowers and carry it within. Coming in contact with the flowers can enhance emotions, bringing them to the foreground. In particular, the more you inhale the perfume, the more prone you may find yourself to amorous thoughts, especially towards anyone with whom you may have pre-existing feelings. However, characters may feel more open to amorous feelings or encounters in general, and this may last for a couple of hours, or even for the whole evening. After all, everyone’s composition and disposition are different, and there’s no telling how the enchantment will work on a given individual.

There were probably signs somewhere noting the lotus enchantment, too, but maybe not the most visibly placed. But, hey, if the mood alteration really becomes an issue, you can probably find a potion to remedy this somewhere in the city or from a mage in the complex, right? Right?

Finally, whether or not characters feel themselves amorously affected, touching the lotus flowers imparts the distinct feeling that you are somehow privy to the remembered feelings of another, as if the symbolism of the flowers is connected to someone who came here before. It’s both wistful and rather mysterious, but the lingering sense of another’s long-ago feelings is impossible to deny.
🐟 c) Invasive Species: Ahoy!



There’s a third enchantment around the waters, perhaps the most taxing of them all, but it may not be glimpsed immediately or recognized for what it is: the artificial ponds all around the complex contain schools of fish. Maybe you’re thinking to yourself that this seems like a delightful opportunity to throw some of your hexberry danish crumbs into the water. Maybe the fish here are strange enough to benefit from such a product.

But should you move near the waters, you may find the fish lunging at you, effectively becoming flying fish. There are three varieties. One variety has colorful scales. A second variety is nearly invisible, and a third variety, far rarer, appears as a mix of the two.

It turns out the fish don’t lunge very well. Instead, they tend to flop around on their sides, but some might be able to get enough momentum to slap unlucky Otherworlders.

Locals on the complex grounds will advise Otherworlders to not make eye contact with the fish. Just turn and walk away. But should the fish get close enough, they can impart a 24-hour curse which induces unlucky recipients to dispense bad financial advice. The fish also seem quite resistant to harm, so again, best to just give them a wide breadth, unless you want to be pushing MLMs during evening discourse.


II. The World Of Tomorrow: Interior

🕯️a) A Light Greeting



Waterfalls of light cascade down from the ceiling within the lobby of the apartments. There are people eagerly stepping beneath them, and should you do so, you will find that the light imparts a sense of deep pleasure and inner peace. Sounds within are ambient, voices musical, and you may feel attuned to this space. It’s like the feeling of being near a beach, warm and tropical-tinged: the sense of embarking on a new adventure. That said, there are signs cautioning that standing beneath these pleasant lights for too long could reduce inhibition(s), an effect which could potentially last for the duration of the night.

🎨 b) Augmented Reality Art … Maybe a Little Too Augmented



Or a little too real.

It’s not uncommon for an upscale apartment complex such as Evergreen Terrace to have art installations within the lobby, and in this city, it’s no surprise to find that the art features augmented reality. However, while the shape shifting architecture may initially be mesmerizing – a testament to Magisteria’s advanced technology – it’s not long before things escalate.

Not only do the art installations change forms – a whispering woodland becoming an aquatic realm, for example – but the more human-shaped statues begin wandering around, their animal companions soon following. The graffiti and colors crawl from the walls, and soon enough all of the AR art and architecture congregate around the Otherworlders. Amid the shuffling, it may sound as though there’s a murmur of ”friiiieeeennnd-shaaaaaped”.

The art installations are low level, though one probably would not want to get rough with them due to their high value. These are fancy, expensive pieces of art, after all. But they will also react to aggression as though it's fun encouragement to rassle. As with the fish, one is advised to just keep walking.

🎉 c) Welcoming Party



There’s a lot else to see within the lobby of the apartments. Holographic avatars serve as customer service representatives and receptionists, and there are aerial drones that hover above, performing tasks such as cleaning, maintenance, or supporting visual displays which feature dynamic and interactive content, including advertisements for products or vocational services to help Otherworlders procure jobs in this new world. Every so often, a portal opens within the lobby and a figure appears, often disappearing back into it just as quickly after presumably running an errand or retrieving items from outside.

There also seems to be something of a welcoming party prepared for arriving Otherworlders, as there are charcuterie boards and drinks ranging from sodas to lightly alcoholic fare, primarily wines. There are robotic attendants, although they seem to be jamming it up, apparently also engaging in the welcoming party.

Though, amid all this, there is one figure who cuts a rather stately appearance, approaching and looking quite unfazed by all these goings-on:






“Greetings, Otherworlders! Sure you’ve been hearing plenty of that today, and I can’t say you won’t hear it more before the night is over. Name’s Atlas. Pronouns: he/they/it. Our main concierge, our good man Malik Patel, is enjoying his PTO right now, but he and our dear Ava have quite the surprise for you all when they return.

In the meantime, I’m afraid it’s just me and the interim crew. I’m the caretaker, assigned to oversee cleanliness and housekeeping.

I do hope our fish and our statues haven't been too rude to you. You see, the things in our world have a tendency to be rather excitable. Our boys think of nothing but surgeries, cybernetic enhancements, and our girls are obsessed with math and swords. And our robots? They're fully unionized. Don't get me wrong; I'm a progressive fellow, a man of labor. Don't let my appearance fool you, for my sympathies are with the common bot. But now look at how these ruffians are behaving during our work hours... utterly spoiled by life in Magisteria.

The fish, the art, the robots, the boys and the girls... everyone is looking to you Otherworlders for their adrenaline, I fear.

Ah, but enough. We shall speak of it later.

First, let’s get you all settled into your rooms. Shall we?”

Atlas: Miscellaneous
  • "I am not affiliated with the university of the same name in Aetherium District."

  • "I suppose I haven't much choice in the magic or technology divide. But it is perfectly possible to live in the city and have positive relations with both sides. The thing to understand is that these disciplines have other socializations which come with them. You will gain a better understanding as you interact with those who have strong alliances with their magisteria. The tech/magic division is only one of the divisions one can encounter within this city. There are plenty of others. We still have our fissures."


🌆 D) Rooms with a View




Within Evergreen Terrace, there are tech quarters and magic quarters, as well as plenty of general all-purpose apartments with full service amenities. Occupants will learn that their rooms are fully customizable to their specific preferences: via enchantment or AR, each room can take on virtually any appearance its owner wishes.

Some common themes include Neo-Tokyo Metropolis, Nature Fusion, Steampunk Retrofuturism, and Synthetic Dreamscape.

Not only can these rooms assume different appearances, but they are immersive enough to provide full sensory experiences. From the scent of metal to the feeling of sun-infused warmth touched with the coolness of a recent rain shower, the sensations are realistic and evocative.

Otherworlders are encouraged to explore. You may settle in, pick a theme, or personalize your room with your own imaginative design choices. There are also communal areas, and Otherworlders can congregate and interact in the hopes of finding prospective roommates. Why not come out and meet your neighbors? After all, you can make the currency in your virtual account last longer if you share a place . . .

When the evening descends, everyone is encouraged to explore the night life of the Entertainment District.


III. The Eternal City: Entertainment District



At night, the colors within the city truly come to life. Bios shows itself everywhere, and in all things. Natural Bios and industrial, mechanized Bios. There is conventional neon, yes, and conventional electricity, but also Bios, and as you walk the avenues, you can feel the pulse of this great, incandescent power.

Also colloquially referred to as Neon Heaven by the locals, Eden 6 is broadly comprised of two different zones:

🍏Green Apple Quarters – all-ages fare
🌹Red Rose Quarters – adult centers


🍏 a) Green Apple Exploration

These quarters house most restaurants, except those with notable bars or alcoholic beverage menus. Coffee and pastry shops are well-represented. There are plenty of magic-themed attractions, as well as general techie hangouts. One popular shop is named Fairy Dust: it’s a shop for potion and alchemy products, as well as magical toys of sorts to entertain children, and fun little spells. The highlight of the Green Apple Quarters, however, are certainly the gaming centers and arcades.
🕹️ b) Joystick Jungle and The Ultimate Arcade Challenge

As you make your way through the brightly-lit city streets, you will notice that certain arcades and activity centers are especially active.

One place in particular beckons. Located at the center of a large plaza, with floating advertisements and plenty of sounds from the machines both within and without, the building swims in the haze of the evening amid a sea of neon lights, some of which reflect off the silvered panels and windows and the machines themselves. Citizens of all ages are excitedly congregating at the entrance, and should you have the patience to brave the line, you will soon find yourself within one of Magistera’s most famous gaming centers.






“Heeeeyyyyyyy, losers! That’s what you’ll be soon if you challenge me, anyway!”

Your opponent, or one half of her team, sits before you.

“Name’s Cassady! Cassady Harper! But that’s boooorrrring, so you can call me The Maestro! I’ll also answer to The ArcadeVirtuoso. Anything that sounds cool!”

As she informs you, Cassady is part of a broader team of gamers: The Neon Demon Squad.

“I’m one of the best. Well, actually, Kira is the best. The very best there is. But I’m right up there, too! Well, what do you think, Kira? Should I play these losers? Hey, Otherworlders, it looks like tonight’s game has a luck element! You might just have a chance! Not much of one, but a little chance!”


You may notice Cassady seems to be looking with quite a bit of admiration towards another girl who stands near her, looking rather solemn.






Kira Kairos, you soon learn, is something of a local legend. The greatest of gamers, an ultra-high scorer who has blazed a trail throughout the arcade scene of Magisteria, breaking the former records and setting her own.

Kira was part of Cassady’s squad for a time, but now she’s of such a high level that to even play against her, one would first have to prove themselves by beating her former teammates. Tonight, and many nights, she is merely presiding over the challenges.

Kira Kairos: Miscellaneous
  • She is a trans girl. Her streamer profile states: My gender, biologically speaking, is champion.





Do you accept the challenge, Otherworlders?


Setup:


First, each PC will comment here to receive an RNG number, 1-15, with each number being assigned twice. The first two PCs with the same RNG number will be on a team together.

The Challenge


PCs will compete through five rounds in the virtual arena. After completing the first round, each subsequent round must incorporate one of the four twist challenges.

PCs are encouraged to RNG (1-4) and use each of the four twist challenges once, but as long as you incorporate one twist challenge per round after the subsequent round, it’s acceptable to use a twist challenge for more than one round. PCs will complete a total of five rounds of challenges, with four of them accompanied by a twist challenge. Each round (twist challenges included) yields 200 points, for a total of 1000 points.

Each PC team which successfully completes the challenges will receive an additional 500 points, for a total of 1500 points.

One More Little Detail …


After each round, teams will comment here for a wildcard RNG.

The 1-8 of the wildcard RNG can add/subtract the following points:

- 500 points
- 200 points
+ 100 points
+ 200 points
+ 200 points
+ 200 points
+ 400 points
+ 500 points

The final two RNG outcomes of 400 and 500 points (respectively) can only be added once each per team, for a cumulative total of 2800 points (500+400+200+200 in addition to the base of 1500). If a team has an unlucky RNG outcome, such as rolling a penalty, they can redo their round. Each round can only be redone once.

Cassady’s – or “The Maestro’s” team has achieved a high score of 2200 points. Ready for the challenge of overcoming their score, gamers?

The Five Rounds

Magisteria Arcade Clash Mini-Games:

Enchanted Puzzle Arena Solve a magical puzzle by rearranging floating pieces to form a coherent image.
Elemental Collaboration Harness the elements via the virtual arena* to overcome obstacles.
Virtual Reality Maze: Navigate through a mesmerizing VR maze filled with illusions and challenges.
Astral Racing Circuit: Race through an astral-themed track using enchanted vehicles.
Luminous Memory Challenge: Memorize and recreate a complex sequence of symbols.

*Remember, PCs are dueling in a virtual arena, so everyone can be a fast racer or an elemental “bender” who can manipulate their surroundings, depending on the nature of the challenge. The constraints of reality have no bearing here.

Each PC team can write out and engage with the above challenges using whatever imaginative means they like. Again, it’s a simulated virtual world where the realities of the magic/tech divide do not strictly apply: be creative and have fun! As long as a team threads out some kind of satisfactory engagement and conclusion for each challenge (minimum of about ~3 comments), they will gain full base points.


TWIST CHALLENGES


Artifact Shuffle: Teams receive a set of magical artifacts that shuffle between players at random intervals.
Elemental Flux: The elemental properties of the mini-games randomly shift, requiring teams to adapt quickly.
Illusionary Allies: Illusionary allies or obstacles appear randomly, influencing the dynamics of the upcoming mini-game.
Mystical Time Warp: Time manipulation affects the pacing of the next mini-game.





ADDITIONAL NOTES: Any team which beats the NPC score will receive a prize. The highest scoring team will also receive a prize. If there are ties, there will be an extra round. The luck element isn't ideal, but I needed a way to get scores from the activities. This is a capped RNG activity, first come and first serve. Please abide by the rules: the RNG is meant to pair people off randomly so this can constitute a CR-building activity with spontaneity. Mod will be coordinating the activity.

Activity CAN constitute SYNTHESIS.



🛹 b) Skyracing



This is an activity which both children and adults participate in, often in different forms. Throughout the all-ages districts, young people can often be seen riding in the air on skateboards. But there are also other kinds of flying craft, some which are more like aerocycles, as well as hoverboards. Some of the latter are more prominent among the older set, with some races even having a hardcore adrenaline junkie component. Those take place primarily around The Fountain, the superclub which is on the border between Apple and Rose. There, skyracing is especially popular around the sunset and early evening hours.

Beings glimpsed in the evening sky can include sylphs and zephyrs, though sighting them is not entirely common.




ONE MORE HINT: Hope you've enjoyed your first night in Magisteria, Otherworlders! From here on out, all prompts will be ADULT.

But, before perusing the spice, there's a CONVERSATION between two ladies just before the one enters the Red Rose Quarters which Otherworlders just may happen to overhear...






Green Bios Demon Girl: It seems we have something of an audience. Enjoying your evening, Otherworlders? Well, coincidentally, we were just discussing a topic which may prove relevant to you.

Red Bios Demon Girl: We were discussing a girl who used to work in our district. Sylara. She was… quite prolific, in the day. Her nature for what she was, you see.

Green Bios Demon Girl: But now rumor has it our little dove is in love.

Red Bios Demon Girl: An open relationship. But that’s not so unheard of. No, but it’s the object that interests me. Something of a terror, I hear? Let me guess. Perhaps Apollion, or someone of that ilk?

Green Bios Demon Girl: Come now. Him, frightening? He’s a family man. Grandfather to a lot of the demon younglings in our district. Bit patriarchal and old-fashioned and ate a human or a thousand… or two, in the day, to be sure, but that’s just a product of that era, you know. We’re a more settled people now.

No, rather, this is a woman. Surprising, given what Sylara is? But not just any woman. A being whose existence might upend life in our city. Otherworlders, should you be listening: be wary when you hear of those who seek to shift the balance.

And one more thing? We demon girls and our labor built this quarter, you know. We built a great deal of the whole district. Be respectful. And one more tip: in this city, it’s where the angels go that you Otherworlders should fear to tread.


So speaking, the demon girls disappear into the night. There is no elaboration on these comments.


IV. Entertainment District: Adults-Only 🚫



Quarters identified with the Red Rose designation are those which contain adult-centric fare. This includes any alcohol-first establishment, such as bars or nightclubs.

Otherworlders will find that the denizens of Magisteria’s Entertainment district maintain complex attitudes around nightlife. On the one hand, they are big believers in the protection and demarcation of adult sexuality. They’re very anti-criminalization of substances and big on legalization in principle. Perhaps not surprising for the people of a futuristic city. But even in Magisteria, there’s some sense that what happens in Neon Heaven, under the cover of night, stays there, and the usage of certain inducements to pleasure is not, as a rule, spoken of in the pristine offices of High Rise Village.

While the city emphasizes age restrictions, there are also plenty of people around the adult-centric establishments, none very hard to find, who will, for a small price, help teens who are on the older side (15+) access some of these establishments, especially the ones focused on pleasures of an AR-centric nature. After all, teens will find ways to explore things, and if it’s AR, it’s probably fine, right?

a) Water Gardens



”Water garden” is the codename for Verve hotspots. Verve is a substance specific to Magisteria and its Entertainment district. It’s really the major drug of note, the biggest if not nearly-only game in town, mostly because of how intense its effects are.

Verve creates feelings of euphoria and bliss. The drug also enhances sensory perception, making colors more vibrant, sounds more vivid, and textures more pronounced. Users feel more connected to their surroundings. Other effects include: heightened energy levels and excitement, a creativity boost, heightened empathy and a desire to connect with others, mood regulation and increased feelings of relaxation, the potential for lucid dreams, time dilation – in which moments feel elongated, and sensory merging, in which synesthetic effects occur. While under the influence of Verve, you may see music or taste colors.

There’s also the aphrodisiac effect, which can be quite potent, particularly if one is otherwise savoring the pleasures of their environs.

Most users partake of Verve by having it mingled with their alcoholic beverages. Shots for cocktails come at a small fee. It brightens drinks with luminous colours and enhances the taste with its own, so there’s no question of anyone partaking of it accidentally or without their knowledge.

Some clubs and gathering spots have Verve misting stations outside or small fountains spraying droplets of mist into the air, so patrons can indulge before even entering, priming their mood for intense indulgences and the full sensory brilliance of the neon city.

b) The Blender



A popular stop for lovers and frisky singles alike: The Blender features augmented-reality fun. Craving a hyper-realistic experience? Here, your imagination is the limit: the walls can easily be gloryholes or give one access to AR tentacles. The AR is capable of accommodating various fetishes and fantasies, from breeding to orgies with various partners; young lovers often go here to spice things up after a night of enjoying the pleasures of the district, including booze and Verve. Within the walls, everything is pure fantasy, and couples can even merge fantasies for a hyper-sensory experience. As a hangout for sexy youth who tend to be intoxicated and on aphro party drugs, it's quite easy to find hookups at such a place, as there are even areas where people can expressly seek out others with particular kinks or areas to pursue particular pleasures. Act out your fantasies of shibari or having a live audience voyeuring or whatever else you may desire. All fantasy becomes real at The Blender.





Flora/Fauna


Rarity: Rare
Variable Hexberries




Found In: Only found on the riverbank of the Mysticaire District.
Description: Native to Magisteria, these berries grow in only one area on the island: on the shore of the river as it passes through the Sacred Nexus. The berries grow on plants that are never more than two inches tall, with leaves brightly variegated between a vibrant yellow and deep green. The plants will grow soon after winter ends, soon forming small flowers of unpredictable colour, and the colour of the flower seems to have no connection to the berries that they develop into. The process itself takes roughly ten days, and any berry that isn’t harvested will fall and develop into a new plant, the process repeating until the next winter. No plant bears more than two berries in a season and will die off once those berries are produced and either plucked or shed.

The berries themselves are small, no larger than a common garden pea once shelled, and have a tough outer skin that is still easy enough to bite through. Wildlife has been seen eating these berries to no ill effect. People report that their flavour is mild and sweet, but each berry has an unpredictable magical effect. So far, none of these magical effects has been truly harmful, though some have set off mild allergies, and none have lasted longer than one full day. Their changeable nature means that they aren’t seen as a dependable food source, but they do seem to have some use as entertainment. (See table A for observed results. It is possible other results have yet to be documented.)
Edible/Not Edible: Edible, with caution.

Table A:
1:Hair colour changes4 hours
2:Eye colour changes
4 hours
3:Everything eaten tastes like your favourite food
24 hours
4:Everything eaten tastes like your least favourite food
24 hours
5:Skin colour changes4 hours
6:Scales appear on your body then shed away, leaving the effect of a pleasant exfoliation
6 hours
7:Sensation of pins and needles travels over your body
2 hours
8:Gain the scent of flowers, type of flower dependent on anyone smelling you
12 hours
9:Gain the scent of the favourite breakfast food of the person smelling you
12 hours
10:Colour of skin, hair, eyes, and clothing changes to photo negative, even if action is taken to change those colours otherwise
4 hours
11:Gain energy and wakefulness without "energy crash" afterward
5 hours
12:Fall into a sleep state with pleasant dreams
6 hours
13:Grow proportionally 6 inches taller, clothing included
8 hours
14:Shrink proportionally 6 inches shorter, clothing included
8 hours
15:Hands glow, leaving glowing prints on everything you touch
3 hours
16:Gain a sudden and lingering awareness of the cardinal directions
24 hours
17:See those with a strong emotional connection to you with a halo or aura
12 hours
18:Gain the ability to control a floating, heatless source of light of scintillating colours that cannot be dismissed
6 hours
19:Burp bubbles of different tints that float into the sky but pop upon being touched
3 hours
20:Attract butterflies that land on you or flutter about you
6 hours
21:Hair grows between 1-3 feet - can be cut, but will revert to original length
24 hours
22:Levitate ten inches off the ground, but retain ability to move normally
4 hours
23:Scatter glitter with every gesture - glitter can set off pollen allergies
8 hours
24:Gain energy from sunlight, needing water but not food
24 hours
25:Become translucent.7 hours




Cryptocarp


Found In: Any moving freshwater. If found in lakes or ponds, please report immediately.
Description: Traveling the rivers in schools, the cryptocarp group together seemingly by colour. Their scales can range in shade anywhere from red-orange to yellow-green and be blotched with white or black. They sometimes beg at footbridges, schools swimming in enticing patterns to persuade the passers-by to toss in bits of food, from bread to lettuce to pellets that are sold by the handful in coin-operated vending machines.

Actually feeding the cryptocarp is frowned upon. The patterns in which they swim are hypnotic when combined with the patterns on their scales, something thought to have come about to lull predators into either ignoring them or finding them frightening enough to leave alone. Now, they use it to gain sustenance and reproduce in the rivers, sometimes threatening the natural habitats of the waterways. The pellet vending machines have been removed multiple times, but it is presumed that someone enthralled by the cryptocarp keeps replacing them.
Friend-shaped/Not Friend-shaped: Debated.



Near-Figmentary Tetra





Found In: Any moving freshwater.
Description: These tetras are an invasive species. At first, the nigh-figmentary tetras were seen as beneficiary as they kept the number of cryptocarp in check. As time has passed, however, their presence has made the number of cryptocarp dwindle by sniping the ability for the male cryptocarp to fertilize the eggs.

These fish are difficult to see, their entire body all but invisible. The only way to spot them is to be inside the water when one swims by and either see or feel the ripple in the current nearby. Even then, by the time they’re reached for, they’re already out of reach. Their invisibility thoroughly bypasses the visually-focused cryptocarp’s senses and brings them into the ideal position to steal the cryptocarp’s spawn. The two species are, somehow, compatible as it comes to breeding, but the offspring, a piebald mix of visible, patterned scales and invisible body, are infertile.

The tetras are big enough to be a food source when caught, and many high-end restaurants sell them as delicacies. Those who buy the dish mostly do so as an experience, however, as the flavour is reported to remind most of those who eat it of despair.
Friend-shaped/Not Friend-shaped: Not friend-shaped, free game for fishing and eating (with ample seasoning).


queenofkur: (aac 011)

[personal profile] queenofkur 2024-03-15 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ A Chaldean Servant... She must be the one Gilgamesh was talking about. Unfortunately, Ritsuka only told of her stories up to the sixth singularity, and there was no Musashi involved in any of them. ]

R-Ritsuka has talked to me about a lot of Servants, but never about you.

[ Something catches her attention in what she just said though... ]

What do you mean by not a "regular?"
queenofkur: (gaa 055)

[personal profile] queenofkur 2024-03-15 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
...

[ Depressed mode: activated. Some may say it doesn't take much for her to switch modes, but that's a painful reminder of all the things she's never got to experience because of her status. Meanwhile she's sure Ishtar feasted to the best of food all the time! ]

I... I believe it is high time for me to retreat to my quarters. [She nods politely.] It was a pleasure meeting you.
queenofkur: (kan 010)

[personal profile] queenofkur 2024-03-15 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's divine spirit in her case, thank you very much. And admittedly, a much better way to speak of her than the word "Servant." Even if divine spirit implies she lost much of her divinity after the Age of Gods ended... But that's a good thing. Even if it means she is forever prisoner of the Underworld...

Humans have grown. Beyond her wildest expectations. ]


We shall find soon enough, I am sure.

[ She would be surprised if they didn't. But in the worst of case, they'll find the answer for themselves. She would be surprised if their summoner didn't have some equivalent to command spells to ensure their obedience, but until then they're free to act as they see fit. ]

And if not, I trust the King of Heroes will not sit by idle and wait for an answer that may never come.
getting_better: (53)

[personal profile] getting_better 2024-03-15 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"Uhuh, I'm sure." He says as he tosses in the last fish.

"There! Not a scale out of pl-Woah!" He immediately dodged to the side as fish he just put back leapt up at him. "Hey now! I just did you a favor you - hey! Watch it!" More and more fishes jump out at him despite him putting them back, a fact he does not appreciate as he dodges and weaves past the projectile vertebrata.

Eventually he starts to growl in irritation and a reaches around to grab and futuristic katana at his side, sheathe and blade, and he whacks one fish back into the water. "Quit it!"
getting_better: (Idle-Owl)

[personal profile] getting_better 2024-03-15 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He turns his head to her again. ]

What? Me? How rude. I am a normal animal.

Uhoo!

[ He hoots. ]

See? Perfectly normal.
Edited 2024-03-15 19:26 (UTC)
casull: (Default)

Alucard | Hellsing 🦇

[personal profile] casull 2024-03-15 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)

A) STORY-WEAVING



[ in one of the train seats, there sits a very tall man who is also very attired from head to toe: wide-brimmed hat, trench coat, tall boots, and shaded sunglasses. his skin has a sort of ashen pallor, and on his face, there is affixed a perpetual, and somewhat feral, grin. a toothy one, at that.

he can play along. That's what Alucard thinks: whatever this place is, he adapts. one did not live -- or (un)live -- to his age without a whole lot of adapting.

so this was a world thousands of years in the future, huh? could the era be even beyond that? eras beyond eras, time beyond time. what of it, though? of course time persisted: eternity in either direction, and there were those who believed time had no beginning. Alucard was wont to say there was no such thing as a true immortal, but being that which he was, he may have come to such a time eventually, regardless. the space between a second, centuries, eons, it was all a line, experienced as very short or perhaps very long, by those whose bodies experienced its flow. ]


A story, is it?

[ the man laughs, as he is also wont to do. that lilting laugh which tends to punctuate his words, that of a man who has all the knowledge and world-weariness and who has quite literally watched the world burn. and so many times. ]

Very well. You see, I've had more years than most to amass those.

[ that, too, happened when you were his age: the dread patriarch of all vampires contained multitudes. quite literally. and even if that was not as strictly true in this moment -- well, in one sense, it was forever true. ]

Shall I tell you of the dreams of the alchemists who sought the Philosopher's Stone? [ the bird of Hermes... ] Or perhaps you shall see the tale of the fall of Constantinople? Or shall I regale you with a story from a famous novel, one about a couple who traveled to a foreign land, and the encounter they had with a being there? [ ooh, he looks like he's having a certain amount of fun with this, and the thrill in his voice intensifies a little, razor sharp. ]

Or perhaps... I shall tell a tale of the forests of the night.

[ and from the aXess Link device, it sprawls and spirals: a creature of shadows, all fangs and lapping tongue and eyes. so many eyes. it's similar in make to a certain familiar, only for the purposes of the story, for imagination, it is the customary black and orange. brilliant, blazing orange, like a creature made of flames. and this time, the familiar is no dog. ]

"Tyger, tyger... burning bright..."

A) WATERS OF SEEING



[ Alucard saw the signs. he was prepared for what he might see. even if it was something from his mortal life, a battle, a loss, anything from his innumerable memories; he had lived or (un)lived all these experiences before, so he knows he shall not be affected in the way that the humans would be.

yet, when he gazes into the waters, what he sees is not something from his faraway childhood, a bloody battle in a bloodier war, nor even a more recent memory, such as one of the many interactions with the one he calls his master.


what he sees is something which elicits a grimace even from Alucard:

Ţ̷̘͕̰͌͑͂̔̑ḧ̶̙̱̬̻̙̜͙͓͖̭͔͉̃̎̒̈ē̴̬͙̘̠̼͇̭͆͛͂̀̌͝͝ ̷̢̘͚̝͔͙͇̜̰͖͚̜͂͝ͅW̵͔͚̍̄̑̀̃͋̐į̸̻̜̲̜̜̱̞̼̱̈̐͛͐̃͛͋̑͆͌̒̍̔͊͗̈́͜͜͝ļ̶̠̬͉̠̗̫̼͍̹̤̝̅̈́̑̓͆̐̿̃̀͘͜͝l̴̨̡̞̦̣͔͍̣̤̺͉̅̇͌͐̈̏͌̂̊̂̚ͅͅį̵̝͙̖̹̝͍̣̳͚́̇͒́́̍͊̊̎͒̽̈́̈́̄̔͘͝s̴͚̰̯͖̺̟͙̲̣̞͉̪̬̅͒͌̈͂͆̈̾̕͜͝͠ ̴̜̅̀̊̍̌͗̈́͝͝Ŝ̴̡̡̛̛̰̜̦̗͓̖̱̣̒̏̎̇̎͋͜͜͝͠p̷͔̹̜̅̎̈́͊̾́͊a̷̡͔̼̖͍̠̿̈́̎̓́̈́̾̋̈̓̚ĉ̶̡̡̛̠͓̫͐͗̽͋̊͆͂͘͝e̴̹̣͍͙̹͌̓̂̽̅ ]


No... [ anything... anything but this foolishness ] Ugh, if my guns were in their proper state...

[ would shooting Bruce Willis's caricature be effective in any way? no, absolutely not. would he shoot a thousand thousand times anyway, simply for the feel of it? absolutely, yes. ]

D) ROOMS WITH A VIEW



[ it is perhaps unsurprising that a great lord of the undead does not exactly advertise for a roommate. unless Seras or Sir Integra, his master, show up, then he is pleased to keep to himself on such a score. however, neither is he particularly clandestine, and anyone walking by can see this shadowy figure with an even shadowier room: should once steal a glance beyond the door as he slowly opens it and proceeds to step into the hallway -- massive, looming, and utterly unhurried -- they may just catch the sight of something within that appears to be, not a bed, but rather a box. wooden, with the edges carved: a coffin, in short. ]

Not bad... [ he says, grin ever-present.

personalization? Alucard does not mind if he does. even in this state, he intends to enjoy himself in his own manner within this place. ]


III. THE ETERNAL CITY: ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT (general/wildcard)



[ night, glorious night. that's when a vampire truly flourishes.

under the cover of darkness, that's when the heartbeat of this neon city could truly be heard. that's when the reality of a person's character could be observed. on the streets, in the alleys and the shops. the massive figure with the long red coat strolls down the streets, but his senses are always alert, eyes always peeled and ears always alert to the whispers.

there was no city without its share of conflict, secret and not-so-secret. in the pulse of such a metropolitan hot spot, there were no doubt dealings, entanglements. though unless she is here -- unless Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, the only one whom he acknowledges as his master -- is here, then he has no concrete reason to involve himself in anything. whoever ruled this city, or world, and whoever or whatever had brought them here, if they thought Alucard would play along or take orders from them, from any but her, then they were sorely mistaken.

but that does not mean Alucard cannot amuse and entertain himself. it does not mean he cannot explore the city with an eye towards being aware of its intrigues. that was simply wisdom gained from a long existence.

were there others like him here? yes, there are. he is certain. the district has its appeals: the horned girls with neon fangs, beings who exude a feeling of Otherness, yes, this was a city with inhuman entities, beings some would call "monsters." this might even prove to be something of a good time. perhaps Alucard will deem it a vacation, and perhaps here he will have his share of sport and blood. ]


"Where the angels go..."

[ the words of the demon girls, the two of them and him smiling at one another in passing. now that's the most fascinating thing he has heard since arriving here. ]

Yet that sounds like something of a challenge.

[ to bring down such an entity. oooh, that would truly get his pulse racing, were he to have one. but even so, something stirs within him at the thought -- the great bright power of this world that burns brightly inside of them all.

the bird of hermes...

come out, come out, wherever you are, vampires and ghosts and creatures of the night. ]
Edited 2024-03-15 23:06 (UTC)
graveresemblance: (pic#16451377)

[personal profile] graveresemblance 2024-03-16 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
[the other make seems confused when Livio called his-- horns? Upgrades, so he must just have those. No upgrades needed.

He chuckles bemusedly]


Beans are food, you're right. A beanie is a knit hat.
diabatties: (123)

3

[personal profile] diabatties 2024-03-16 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
( This may not be the sort of 'creature of the night' Alucard is looking for. In fact, Odette's appearance seems closer to one of the fae or a doll than a proper vampire: pastel pink hair with a glossy sheen, glittering green eyes, and an abnormally lithe frame, standing at (an admittedly) tall height of 5'9". She dons a sort of frilly pink, unicorn patterned dress and matching ballerina slippers, carrying herself with a posture reminiscent of a high status lady.

The one thing giving her away, perhaps, was how unimpressed she seems by the (quite enormous) foreboding man's presence. Those eyes of hers casting him an intense glare, as though she was peering into his soul. )


Oh, a fight? ( There's something of a laugh in her voice. No, he had to be joking. ) Sorry, but I'd prefer not to ruin my dress.

( It was one of her few pieces of home, after all! And she put so much effort into stitching it! )
lightduties: (Default)

II.A Sunbathing

[personal profile] lightduties 2024-03-16 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
[A short, dark-skinned man with feline-like ears and tail also happens to be taking a break nearby; he's used to being thrown into all sorts of wild situations, but this new land is still a lot to take in.

Leaning against a nearby pillar (but not under the waterfall of light) with his arms folded, Rhea'li lets out a quiet laugh when he observes the way this stranger fluffs her tail into a portable pillow.]


If a fluff based hierarchy existed, I dare say you would be at the top of it.

[His own tail flicks in amusement.]
lightduties: (Default)

01 ✦ A Phone is a Dream Come True

[personal profile] lightduties 2024-03-16 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh.

Okay, Rhea'li can't help a tiny snicker of laughter escaping.]


And what, pray tell, would a phone taste of?

[By contrast, Rhea'li is a short, dark-skinned man with feline-like ears and tail and has no outward sign of self consciousness. There are many from his homeland with similar features to this stranger, so it doesn't strike him as something unusual. But he is standing instead of sitting so he can better look out the windows.]
Edited (oops forgot subject) 2024-03-16 03:04 (UTC)
lightduties: (Default)

I: Story weaving

[personal profile] lightduties 2024-03-16 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
[Ooh! Rhea'li isn't exactly what you would call a technologically inclined person, often not having the time and patience to meddle with them. (And when you have friends who are far more adept at it, why not pick their brains instead?) But the mention of dragons has caught his attention.

So, have a catboy sliding on over to watch the show.]


It sounds like you have quite the tale to share, my friend.

[He's had many interactions with dragons himself, but this isn't about him, is it? His gaze searches the figures in the conjured image, looking for one that matches the storyteller's appearance.]

Are you one amongst this crew?
died_a_virgin: (Master!)

Rooms with a view

[personal profile] died_a_virgin 2024-03-16 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
[Seras doesn't really know what is going on. She barely understood the explanation that she got while here. She didn't mind the looks that she got. After all, she was an apparently young woman with an arm made of writhing shadows.

However, once she got off of the train, she knew exactly where to go. She was being pulled towards a certain place, rather, a certain person. Her Master was here. She could feel the pull from the bite mark that she would forever wear upon her throat. It was a connection that could never be severed.

Her voice was quiet, questioning as she noticed the familiar figure of Alucard in the hall. Her connection to him told her that he was indeed her master, but she was hesitant. It had been half a century since she had seen him last.
]

Master?
Edited 2024-03-16 03:14 (UTC)
bodyoftheseus: (Default)

[personal profile] bodyoftheseus 2024-03-16 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
"Maybe," he mumbled absently at her musing about Magisteria. Calling it half-hearted was generous: Night City had made him cynical and bitter in some ways. His gaze followed Lucy's, looking up at the apartment buildings and allowing himself to marvel at them a little. He had thought Kerry's home (once he cleaned it up) was wonderful, but these were something else.

What the city promised them was generous. He trusted none of it. The last time something felt too good to be true he ended up dead in the Night City dump with a bullet in his skull, and that had been the least of his problems. That they were giving them a place to stay, enough cash to subsist for a third of the year, and then a stipend? There was some catch.

V's gaze turned back to Lucy as she nodded to the entrance. He glanced at the entrance, then back to her. "Yeah, sure, sounds like somethin' to do."

The polite thing to do would be to offer a hand to help her back to her feet, but he didn't. He'd never admit it on his own, but he was glad that she was here. He had the very distinct feeling they likely did not run in the same circles back home, but the familiarity was a comfort of sorts. His hands stayed in his pockets as he waited for her to stand and start walking, and then he matched her pace. "Name's V, by the way."
spacialeyes: (pic#15867911)

[personal profile] spacialeyes 2024-03-16 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
It’s hard to explain, since I can’t taste a lot of normal human foods. They just taste… phone-like? Kind of crunchy..?
lightduties: (are they tangentially related?)

[personal profile] lightduties 2024-03-16 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
[An ear flicks as Rhea'li tilts his head in mild confusion.]

Human?

[What's that?

But he is sincerely giving the response a lot of thought. He came across many technological devices at home, would they taste like that...?]


Is that so? What does your device taste like to you?
nohuggingclause: (DataAnalysis2.file)

Murderbot | The Murderbot Diaries

[personal profile] nohuggingclause 2024-03-16 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Story Weaving]
There is absolutely no way that SecUnit is participating in team-building exercises. The very phrase makes threat assessment spike and performance reliability drop. It sits with its legs up in a little bundle of angry, stubborn murderbot for a solid 37 minutes, ignoring any attempts to get it involved in the weird game about fauna or the drinking suspect liquids (it can't really drink anyway) or the making-a-collaborative-film.

Alas, it's that last activity that SecUnit ends up breaking its vow of silence for. This is something it actually has experience with, now, technically. Except instead of a sad docu-drama, this story can be about anything. And the projection technology is just different enough from what's used back in its own galaxy/dimension/whatever to make it kind of interesting.

Alright, fine, it'll do something small, maybe. There's no way it's going to give away any info about its own life, but fortunately it has a plethora of fictional media in its storage that it can draw from. It decides to see what, if anything, its fellow 'Otherworlders' will do with one of its least favorite plotlines from a soap opera.

The bodyguard's sister's marital partner falls in love with the bodyguard. The sister has an angry confrontation with the bodyguard (this is the first stupid part, for the record) after which the bodyguard takes solace in the arms of the colony solicitor's long-lost uncle. (This is the second stupid part, and for everyone's sake SecUnit will fade-to-black over the sex scene.) The uncle is revealed to be an evil twin (third stupid part) and the marital partner is revealed to have undergone experimental face-switching surgery (fourth stupid part) with a famous author in order to hide the author from their stalker. (Possible fifth stupid part, depends on what happens next season.)


It works fast, and before it realizes it, it's actually sort of just...replicated the whole mini-plot, but in a more compressed format. Well...that will just give the others a good base. Right?

“Most of the show is good. It's just this one part,” it says as an explanation to the person next to it. "So we can fix it.”

[Welcoming Party/Room with a View]
Surprisingly, it’s when they get to the apartments that SecUnit finds things that really catch its interest.

The first interesting thing is the plethora of readily accessible drones and bots; it finds a corner to sit in and methodically attempts to connect to each one of them, running through a long list of pings and codes. By now it’s aware that the bots in this city are either 1) running off extremely different hardware/software than it is, or 2) purposefully locked up/ignoring it (which, rude, but whatever) [or 3) it’s own internal systems have been tampered with, which seems more and more likely but which it would really rather not think about right now, so it’s just going to pretend that the possibility deserves to be the lowest on the list], but it’s gotta try anyway. It gets through most of the drones and several of the bots before Atlas enters, all failures, but once Atlas starts talking it gets distracted. (First interesting thing, section b: the bots are unionized? What does that mean, exactly? Do they get programmed to do jobs and then make money off of those jobs? Is it the same amount of money that humans make?)

The second interesting thing is something else Atlas says, which it overhears while the bot is talking to someone else: I haven't much choice in the magic or technology divide. But it is perfectly possible to live in the city and have positive relations with both sides. It's going to just accept that Magic Is a Real Thing that Exists Here for now, so – what does that mean for itself? Does it also not have a choice in this divide? What are the consequences of said divide? This is absolutely something it needs more info on. In the lobby and other common areas (it'll worry about 'customizing its apartment' later), it decides to see what else it can find out.

SecUnit's humans would probably be very proud of it (ugh) for actually sidling up to people and willingly engaging in conversation. (Though it's not quite looking anyone in the eye when it talks.) It's opening line, said very casually:

“So what do you think about the tech/magic stuff?”
aneffingpencil: (johnicon6)

[personal profile] aneffingpencil 2024-03-16 05:33 am (UTC)(link)
John and the dog watch the train go as well. So, maybe not prisoners then. On the other hand...

"Might not have to watch us directly." He replies, following after her, the dog falling into neat step next to him. "Place like this probably has CCTV, drone surveillance...and magic." Might be some wizard is staring into his orb right now, watching the two of them closely.

She's driven, this one. Mission-focused. Testing the limits of their stay here, how far they can push before their hosts push back. "If they try to stop us at the edge of the city. What's your plan then?"

He doesn't sound dismissive of her, or mocking. Merely making sure she's considered options. Especially since by their own mutual admission, they don't have any weapons.
aneffingpencil: (johnicon1)

[personal profile] aneffingpencil 2024-03-16 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
John glances up at the other man, and remembers him from the train. Someone else in his position. He sees the attire, and for a moment thinks of the Elders. Gilgamesh certainly stands out even in this crowd in a way that John does not.

But that's the point. To not be noticed. Or...at least it was.

"So they got...pleasures like this where you come from? Your...world?" He manages to stumble over that last part only a little. He's coming to accept this is no dream or creation of his mind (John has never been inventive enough to come up with a a place like this, nor does he think he would), and that many preconceptions about reality he had taken for granted don't necessarily turn out to be true at all. Normally, Gilgamesh's assessment would be correct about him, but...well. John doesn't jave anyone here, besides the dog, who is a reassurance, but not exactly the most talkative of company. Perhaps he's just feeling a bit disconnected, in a bad way, which drives him to engage with this well-dressed stranger.
lightduties: (are they tangentially related?)

Welcoming Party/Room with a View

[personal profile] lightduties 2024-03-16 06:16 am (UTC)(link)
Rhea'li blinks, an ear twitching up, mildly surprised he's being asked for his opinion when he's doing a very good impression of a wallflower while he listens and observes.

"The nature of magic and the mechanical is rather different from my star," he muses, a hand curling by his chin in thought. That another star exists with seemingly flourishing life fills him with happiness, if he's quite honest. "Atlas mentioned a divide between the two..."

If he understood the source of said divide, mayhaps that is something that could be solved? Certainly, he knows some of magic... but does that knowledge apply to that which exists here?

"What of yourself?" As he often does, he keeps his opinion to himself. A small smile and a flick of his tail. "Have you thoughts about the topic?"
queenofkur: (aae 001)

[personal profile] queenofkur 2024-03-16 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
L-Lies! You remained silent to hide your true nature!

[ A valiant attempt, but it is not fooling this goddess! She feels so betrayed!! She thought a cute animal had been naturally drawn to her... But who knows what manner of vicious creature he actually is!

She stands up and puts on a most dramatic pose, hands on her hips. ]


As the Goddess of Death and Queen of Kûr, I cannot let such transgressions slide!
starshepard: (Default)

Azem | Final Fantasy XIV

[personal profile] starshepard 2024-03-16 12:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I. NETWORK
[ It may have taken Azem a hot moment to figure out how to make posts for others to see, but once they figured it out, well... it's over for everyone. ]

☆*:。.o(≧▽≦)o.。:*☆ GREETINGS OTHERWORLDERS! ☆*:。.o(≧▽≦)o.。:*☆

[ They switch to voice for the rest of this nonsense. ]

How is everyone doing since arriving in this new strange world?

I am known as Azem and would love nothing more than to make new friends here. If you enjoy a good adventure, please let me know. Or if you're just feeling lonely and need someone to drink with, I'd be more than happy to join you.

That aside, tell me about the world you come from.

II. STORY-WEAVING
[ If there's one thing Azem enjoys, it's telling a story. While it takes them a moment to understand how the holograms work, they take to them quickly once they do. It's not so different from the way creation magicks work.

And so the black-robed figure with their face hidden behind a red mask begins to weave a picturesque island with a volcano that is slowly but steadily puffing away with a cloud of smoke. As for the island itself, there's a little village and fields of grapes. The people, all wearing black robes much like Azem themself, are moving around quickly to pack up all they can carry so they can evacuate to somewhere safer.

It's now that Azem begins to speak.
]

Back home, it is my duty to travel to the far reaches of our star and help those in need. This small island is where some of the best grapes are grown, unfortunately, the people living there share their home with an active volcano. Reports had reached us that the Volcano was on the verge of erupting.

[ The entire island in the holographic image shakes and the people pause for a moment to look up at the mountain before once again going about their business. ]

I was only meant to observe and to aid the people in their evacuation, however...

[ They trail off with a grin. ]

III. OH, FISH WHAT IS YOUR WISDOM? (it's bad)
[ Unfortunately for Azem, the warning comes a little too late. They've already taken an interest in the fish and as such, one flies from the water and hits them square in the face.

They sputter, jerking up from their kneeling positions and stumbling back as they wipe the water from their face (their mask long since having been removed so that it now hangs around their neck).

Once they recover, they let out a laugh.
] A warning a bit sooner would have been nice, ah well.

[ They don't seem to be perturbed by the fish's assault. ]
lightduties: (circular functions)

I. Network

[personal profile] lightduties 2024-03-16 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[Rhea'li's not usually a tech kind of guy, but the aXess Link device seems important, so he's made an attempt to figure it out. Which is how a certain sparkly message catches his eye.

... Azem, though?? Surely that's simply a coincidence given the people from various stars?

He's managed to work out how to text at least and he's making some effort to ensure these electronic letters are typed accurately, unlike the messy, nigh incomprehensible scrawl of his handwriting.]


greetings azem
i like the
colour
to your letters

how did you do that
starshepard: (7)

[personal profile] starshepard 2024-03-16 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Azem, on the other hand, will stick with audio. It's easier that way. ]

Thank you, random Otherworlder!

Oh, I found it somewhere in the options, I could show you.
emet_sulk: (A13 Troubled waters)

2

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2024-03-16 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, look who is here just in time to catch the tail end of that sentence. Emet-Selch crosses his arms and leans against the wall at the fringes of the gathering. Both his mask and his cowl are down, so Azem can easily spot him if they bother to look. But any glance will be met with an exasperated look.

He's not going to interrupt the story though. He has...a lot to think about right now. ]
lightduties: (are they tangentially related?)

[personal profile] lightduties 2024-03-16 04:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, perfect. Then he can see if this really is Azem or someone from another star. Either way, it will be an interesting meeting.]

you will have my boundless gratitude

[At least until the novelty of sparkletext wears off.]

if you are newly arrived then mayhap you know the evergreen terrace

[He hasn't quite worked out punctuation yet.]

i can meet you in the lobby if youre familiar

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