acatamods: (Default)
acatamods. ([personal profile] acatamods) wrote in [community profile] acatalepsy_logs2018-07-11 12:02 am

World Jump #2: Struxta









welcome to
the collected nations of struxta.
It will happen at random- you could be asleep, or wandering the Temple, or a variety of other options. It will feel a little strange, like a sudden warmth spreading across your skin, and then your bracelet will light up. When you blink again, everything has shifted - changed, developed, like in that blink of an eye you have advanced thousands of years into the future.

Around you is a city, a technological marvel. Buildings rise up from the dirt and through the clouds, figures of all shapes and sizes buzz around you. They seem to pay you little mind - a quick glance, maybe a pause, and then they will continue on their away. Ahead, there is a low rumble of thunder, a dim flash of light. It doesn't seem to be raining, but there is an electric hum in the air.

A NOTE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH


But before anything too weird can happen . . . your watch flashes again, beeps once, and on it has a new message, a hologram-sparkly image with a young woman who (to some individuals!) looks a fair bit brighter than she did a few weeks ago. To those who are new, you will recognize the voice -- Astoria, the guardian of the Temple (or, if you're a bit more pessimistic, your effervescent kidnapper).

"Hello, my beloved travelers ♥ and new ones, too! My name is Lady Astoria the Witchess-san." The way she says it, though, it is very clearly something of a joke. "I'm so glad you are settling in, adjusting to your new powers . . . I apologize for not coming forward and greeting you all like last time. But I am feeling much more like myself, and ready to send you to a new world ♥

This one is named Struxta . . . Struxa? No, I think it's Struxta. It's very metal. I'm not sure what's wrong in this world . . . but I can feel something building. Pulsing, it's very chaotic. I'm afraid I can't be more detailed than that, I did have a headache earlier . . . Akira told me I was fine ♥" And, again, you can likely guess that Akira definitely did no such thing. Astoria clasps her hands, her bright blue eyes shining, with a bright smile. "Now! Please be safe, and please mind your manners, and tell me all about it when you return! I'll see you soon. ♥"

And, just like that? The humming in the air grows louder, you feel an odd tug in your stomach, and before you can properly adjust yourself to the sensation of being cast across the universe . . . you find yourself in Struxta. (Astoria, it seems, did have it right the first time.)





THE HOSTEL
Just as it was in El Minha, it appears that upon arrival, each character is outfitted with a room at one of the largest, arguably most impressive skyscrapers in the city. Nearly two hundred stories tall, and with each floor containing nearly sixty rooms. Every floor, every room, every door is of the highest tech and the more advanced security. The watches that Astoria has given each of the Circle Members act, in many ways, like a key, a credit card, an ID, and any other form of identification the players will need during their stay.

The rooms themselves are simple - one bed, roughly full sized, with a light, a desk, a chair, and a variety of plugs and buttons. Characters are welcome, if they are able to find the appropriate plug, to charge any and all devices they may have. There is a TV of sorts in the room as well, with access to all manner of shows and news stations.

The bottom floor of the building is almost as large as a city block. It is open, sleek, and clean-cut. A kind of open meeting room, which has - upon inspection - been modified to include what appears to be a restaurant. Which, given the fact the group of Circle members who have arrived in the city are the only natural bodies around? Includes the fact you are the only members of the city who have to consume food and nutrients. Upon even closer inspection, the technology used to make the food seems a few decades behind that of the rest of the city, but it still works, and the food can still be produced. It might taste a little weird and turn out to be some sort of glorified goop, but it has some nutritional value.

The rest of the floor has a variety of seating arrangements and places to sit and chat with your other Circle members, but beyond the Welcome Committee, who is set up on the far northern corner, there doesn't seem to be many of the natives walking through.
THE SUPER CENTER
Have you ever wanted to go shopping in the most technologically advanced superstore possible? Here is your chance! It appears that if you use your watch, you have been given a moderate amount of credit to buy clothing, toys, electronics, items, and anything else that might suit your fancy. You will not have enough to buy anything significant, such as limbs, organs, advanced computer technology, etc. But you are more than welcome to find a job to help collected more credits! Many of the stores within the Supercenter are hiring - greeters, cashiers, manual labor, errand runners, and everything in between!

The Supercenter is attached, as most of the buildings seem to be in this city, by a roadway of interlocking bridges and stairways- to a point that you could, if you wanted to, move about the entire city without stepping foot outside. There are bridges on every level of the Supercenter, as well as a network of pathways and semi-roadways within the center itself.

There are no restaurants or bars, but there are plenty of areas to relax and people robot watch if you so desire. Otherwise, shop, explore, find weird mechanical devices of the likes you could never imagine back home. There are all manner of stores, some art galleries, music centers, arcades, and more here. There is no limit to what you can find and what you can experience.

Everything is automated, but there are still helpful employees of various appearances at each of the stories to help you decide and browse- small, flying blocks that speak in primarily beeping noises that (thanks to Astoria's wonderful watches) you can somehow understand, completely human-appearing androids of the utmost style and elegance, and everything in between. Take your time, do a little shopping or go to work, and enjoy the pique of futuristic capitalism.

THE RACES
In the south-eastern district of the city, a large section of the city has been modified into a multi-level, vast, complicated race track of sorts. Think Tron, meets Speed Racer, meets a type of racing that is something all their own. It's fun as hell, fast as hell, and dangerous as hell. Sounds great, right?

What is simply known as ‘Racing’ here in Struxta is complicated, but at its heart is exactly what it says: it is a race. A race of cars, bikes, and everything in between through an obstacle course of everything you can imagine. It seems to all be linked, electronically, to a motherboard that decides - each race - what the drivers will find. Each race was drastically different, with dangers galore. One day you might find that the road is full of spikes, the next it might be slick as oil, there could be loops that defy gravity and breaks in the road that seem to be impossible to cross, but that's what the modifications and specialists in the garages are for, right?

The rules are simple: if you have a vehicle, and you have a driver, you are allowed to race. First one to complete the track, wins.

Surrounding the main track is an entire industry of shops, stores, garages, meeting places, lounge areas, and viewing rooms. There are robots who make entire livings on the industry surrounding the Races, without ever having to step food onto the course. Some of the areas will be cleaner, like the rest of the city, while others may air on the side of back-house garages. While there won't be any dirt or natural life forms, for the first time you might catch sight of rusted metal, oil slicks, broken down previous versions of what's out on the road. There are some practice tracks, some experimental safety sections to test out new additions, etc.

The one thing that holds everyone together, here, is the excitement around watching. The excitement around the competition. There are Races every five days, so that gives you just enough to get settled. And maybe find a car.
THE LIBRARY
As many have already come to hear, there are plenty of libraries and museums all across Struxta. However, there is one that is known as The Library, which archives anything and everything in the history of all of Struxta, spanning back its entire history, over thousands and thousands of years. The building itself is as large and impressive as The Hostel, nearly two hundred stories tall, possibly more, and as wide and long as a city block. But where in the Hostel each floor had been made up of rooms, each of these floors are large, open areas, with dark, imposing servers held behind tight, clean cabinets.

No one else seems to be here, which gives the impression that The Library is not open to just any native of Struxta, and that in fact - as members of the Circle you are being given special access to what would normally be off-limits.

In the middle of each floor, there is a small collection of tables, with large screens. These touch-screens will be your access into the Library archives. And that is the thing - you will have access to everything, but as it turns out, everything really means everything, and with backups spanning the course of thousands of years in the past, it will take a lot of time and a lot of energy and a lot of research determination to find anything of use. Not because it is difficult, just because it is so massive and so overwhelming.

The only natives you will find will be on the first floor, as a kind of secretarial position for the building. They are more than happy to try and help guide you through the search process, but they will not follow you up to any of the other floors, and there is a distinct feeling of being entirely alone when you do go up to begin your search. Alone, but watched, somehow.

Remember- if there is something that you wish to look up specifically, please ask over on the world interactions post so we can be sure that the correct information is shared! The best way to go about finding something in the Library will be going at search terms in teams, as there is so much information there is no way one person will be able to wade through it all.


Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the mod questions thread back in the OOC post from before! And if you have any ideas regarding how your character will interact with the world, also feel free to check back into the world interactions comment from the OOC post from before, as well!

From this point forward, the Circle has become involved with the Collected Nations of Struxta. What your character finds out, decides, and does from here on out will affect the future of this city- one way or another! But what you do is completely up to you. What you discover, explore, and uncover will be yours to discover, explore, and uncover. Who knows what you might find? :)
flyingsolos: (You buttdialed a booty call?)

4

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-13 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Rion is also outgoing enough to start up a conversation, but given that she's juggling a few bags at the moment, she's a little too preoccupied to strike first. Still, after the first shaky few minutes of a first impression, she's decided she likes Ryuji well enough. She's got a smile ready when he approaches her, and even though it falters a bit in surprise--

Well. She can roll with anything. ]


Like a yes or no question, or asking it about my chances of finding money in the future?
ryuji: (285)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-14 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[Smiling widely with the cube in his hand, he almost feels bad about this, but he figures Rion's the type that won't get too miffed about this sort of thing. He was rifling through her school uniform when she caught him, yellow handed, and man, that de-escalated fast enough that he assumes she's probably find this funny? Maybe not. It's just a hunch, and he really does love making people smile.]

I mean. You can ask it anything your heart desires, dude. Just put your heart into it and dig out the deepest thing you've been burnin' to ask. The math shit that's goin' on inside of it is like. Off the charts. It's got a response for everything.

[Oh god.]
flyingsolos: (I can say fukkleducks too)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-14 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ "Dude"...

But okay then, Rion faces him (and his cube companion) with a very dramatic air of solemnity. Is it genuine? No, not at all, but she's at least refraining from grinning just yet. The deepest thing she's been burning to ask, huh? ]


All right. O Magical, Mysterious Cube--

What is my destiny?
ryuji: (361)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-15 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
[It's a good thing Rion is going down the route of bribing the cube with pleasantries. It definitely cares about this sort of stuff. In fact, this little thing is kind of a fickle bitch at times.

He sets the toy down on the table when she asks her question, and each of the panels of colors begin to light up in various formations, as if it's properly processing her question, taking it into account and calculating out an infinite string of possibilities.




Or, it's just fucking with them. Either way, the query returns with a mechanically soft spoken voice:

A new pair of shoes is in your future.]


Huh. Well that's the most neutral one I've seen yet.
flyingsolos: (Did you just admit something dere?)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-15 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
... Huh! Well, if that's the case, I'm definitely okay with that kind of future.

[ What a surprisingly nice cube?? Or a troll of a cube, but it's hard to say just yet. It seems to have behaved itself, at least. ]
ryuji: (256)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-16 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
[He's really confused about this whole thing. The last time he asked the thing something about his future, it flat out told him something abysmally dumb and useless- that he would eat something that gave him a stomach ache.

And listen, maybe it was wish fulfillment, but Ryuji wanted to prove the damn thing wrong, and here he was, the next day, still recovering.]


I don't trust it. What if it just means you're gonna break the soles of your shoes or somethin'. This thing is pretty creepy.
flyingsolos: (Yes do continue fucking up)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-16 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe you should try asking it a question, then? I'll be sure to let you know if I ruin a pair of shoes, but until then...

[ Go on, Ryuji. Show her how demonic this happy little cube is. She's very curious. ]
ryuji: (162)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-16 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
[He rolls up the sleeves to his Standard Issued Mechanic Jumpsuit, to prove a proverbial point, and rubs his chin. He figures if he's going to showcase how absolutely effin' rude this thing could be, he might as well go for the easy route.]

How will I meet the love of my life?

[It seems to think, the light patterns start to flicker in a different motif than when Rion had asked the question- and maybe, it's running a different sort of algorithm here, or maybe it's just engineered to be random so that people think it's going through some serious processing, but then the cube lights up like a christmas tree, all red.





You will die a virgin, Ryuji Sakamoto.]


See?

[Wait a gosh darn second.]
flyingsolos: (Kill me now ehe)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-16 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
...

[ Rion stares at the cube. For a very long time. Okay, so she could have joked about it being a random, oddly smart version of a Magic 8 ball, but you know, it had just said his name and damned him for life in the same sentence and that's rude.

And kind of creepy, so she's just going to gently pluck up the cube to cradle in her hands and-- ]


Want me to leave it on top of a building somewhere?
ryuji: (256)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-16 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[He has a pang of guilt here- even if his oversized d6 is completely and utterly useless, he's not sure sending it to its death would be unconscionable or not. He narrows his eyes at it, thinking for a second. They've had some good times together, him and ol' cubey.

Outlook not so good.]


Oh. Uh. Well, no shit? I mean, if you're gonna get dropped on your head, I guess you should be kinda worried. She means serious business. Look at that face.

[The lights glow in a flustered panic of rainbow.

What do you want to hear?]


Buhhhh....

I think this thing's alive.
flyingsolos: (I'm so gonna write about this later)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-16 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
... Where exactly did you find this thing?

[ Sorry, Cubey. Rion's staring at you rather suspiciously. Not that they've ever really encountered cube monsters in Eclipses, but it never hurts to be cautious.

She probably won't drop it, though. Threats just happen to be highly effective on occasion. ]
ryuji: (068)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-19 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
Uh. I think it was in one of the junk shops. I asked the dude how much he wanted for it and he kinda just... put it in my hands and told me to take it.

[Ryuji Sakamoto does not turn down free stuff.

Which might come to bite him in the ass one day, but. Habits die hard.]


I don't think it was 'sposed to be used for this at first though. I dunno, I ain't no engineer.
flyingsolos: (Allow me to demonstrate orz)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-19 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
... He gave it to you for free.

[ oh, boy. ]

That maybe should've been your first warning sign?
ryuji: (155)

why did... i courier... font that

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-19 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
He gave it to me for free.

[Ryuji parrots Rion, not thinking anything of it. Was there an echo in this room?]

Yeah, I mean. I guess I coulda turned 'em down, but that's not really that hospitable of me. Besides, asking this dumb thing questions is a pretty good distraction from everything else, all things considered.
flyingsolos: He'll be dead tomorrow anyway (Can't be helped)

Ryuji demonstrating a hidden talent

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-19 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
... You're a good guy, aren't you?

[ Ryuji, that's endearing. But-- ]

Buuuut maybe don't call this guy dumb when we just figured out he might be alive.
Edited 2018-07-19 04:55 (UTC)
ryuji: (170)

he's useless

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-19 12:52 pm (UTC)(link)
... Am I? [He's never really put a ton of thought into that, specifically. Considering that, of course, back home... the stuff that they all did was pretty criminal, even if the outcome was to course correct the wrongs that society refused to punish. And that's not even on Ryuji's mind when she asks, it's more a question of how she perceives him to be. And if that's a 'good guy,' shit, he'll take it. He smiles at her, brightly.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And your eyes could use a wash.

Sunnova. BETRAYED.]


Okay, dunk that thing from the tallest building in this place.
flyingsolos: (I'm so gonna write about this later)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-19 01:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I never said I was going to dunk it, you know. Just leave it up there. You know, to reflect.

For a very long time.

[ Cubey. Why are you like this, Cubey. Stop dooming yourself. ]
ryuji: (269)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-20 01:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Holy shit, she's kind of terrifying.

And you know what? He loves terrifying girls. They keep him on track. Ryuji smiles, scratching the bridge of his nose.]


Wow, you're really gonna dole out the punishment like that, huh? I wonder if this thing can reflect on mucha anything.

[My surface is made of a non-reflective substance, Ryuji

GOD, STOP REFERRING TO HIM BY NAME, HE DOESN'T WANT TO GET ATTACHED.

More attached than he already is.]
flyingsolos: (Oh you and your Scooby gang)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-20 01:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Ryuji gets easily attached, doesn't he?

Which means this cube is doubly smart if it's already playing on that, but Rion shrugs with a rueful little smile. In the end, after all-- ]


Well, it's up to you. If you want to hold onto it, that's fine. I'm just saying, the option? It's there.

[ And she will totally do it, if she has to. Because Ryuji's absolutely right, Rion (and pretty much every other girl in the XRC) can be terrifying. ]
ryuji: (154)

[personal profile] ryuji 2018-07-22 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[That's entirely true. He finds something he likes or feels like is an underdog and the next thing he knows, he's offering to sacrifice his life to protect them. That's how it worked with the Phantom Thieves, and... okay, maybe not that he'll ride or die for this cube, but it was sassy and kind of reminded him of Futaba in a way.

Huh.


Well that. That's one hell of a revelation.]


Maybe. Uh. Maybe it can learn to get better manners.

[Unlike SOME PEOPLE.]
flyingsolos: (We got this!)

[personal profile] flyingsolos 2018-07-22 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
You can just say you're getting attached, you know. Even if I don't really get it.

[ Yeah. The cube just seems rude to her, but who knows. Maybe it's endearing? Ryuji's spent more time with it than she has, and honestly, she's dealt with snarky little party members and grown fond of them, so!

Sure, why not? ]