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 HOSTELJust 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 CENTERHave 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 RACESIn 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 LIBRARYAs 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? :) |
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acatamods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
acatalepsy_logs2018-07-11 12:02 am
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He is.]
You've got a good point. It'll be a good testing ground.
[Also.] It'll be fun.
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Or at least something close to it. And yes, [His grin is back, a bright flash.] This is going to be really fun.
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[Keith perks up visibly at this, unable to help but think back to that lifetime ago.] Then we should definitely do that.
[...and then find a way to smuggle it back to the Temple. Or maybe that's a pipe dream.
But more importantly -- racing. Is it strange how he's not only gotten entirely used to riding Shiro, but actually really enjoying it? It's gotten weirdly natural, a new way to operate together.]
We may even stand a chance of winning.
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[He's gotten used to Keith on top of him. He seems to fit there with his body molded to his back as if he always belonged. Every slight movement is accounted for and he's never had a better partner. It's new and exciting.
His eyes are bright with excitement as he leans on the edge of the racer and points to what he knows is the coolant system.]
This is a good bypass. We could probably replace these parts here and here. [He taps the two spots it connects to.] That would keep it from leaking.
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[His competitive streak is showing, clearly. But there are worse things.
And Shiro's right. They've definitely got a fair chance of it. By now he knows by heart exactly how Shiro feels beneath him, knows the subtle signs and shifts that mean he's going to move, has learned to anticipate and compensate.
And also let's face it, Keith's a bit of an addict when it comes to speed.
He's also thoroughly on board with the idea of working on this other racer with Shiro.] Yeah. I bet we could find something in salvage to replace them.
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[He scans the inside and notes what needs immediately replaced. It's a beat-up trash heap compared to its betters but they can fix it. He can already see the ways they can build on what they have until they earn enough to replace used parts.]
I'll keep asking to observe clean up and repair crews. They think I'm trying to improve myself. They're not wrong. But it's not the Lion I'm working on.
[He knows they'll both do their best. Keith has never been one for giving him less than 100%. He usually has to grab him and reign him in before he wears himself out. Their competative steak, one he so rarely indulges, means there might be no restraint at all this time.
He never just lets go but with Keith he's sure they'll make it through to enjoy the aftermath.]
I know a few parts I can trade for today and we can get these pieces, [He taps three points inside.] replaced.
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Great. So we can keep working on this. ...and we can for a couple test rides too, make sure we're in sync for the race.
[Any excuse to let Shiro take him for a ride.
But Keith gets that feeling too, that they're both at the point where neither one of them will be holding anything back. He fully intends to give Shiro everything he has to give in this. Even if they don't win, well, Keith thinks they both desperately need this release.
He hasn't stopped grinning since Shiro agreed.]
Great. And I've got a bit of money, credits, whatever, saved up. So if there's something we can't trade of scavenge, I might be able to snag it used.
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[He isn't going to let him race without being right there with him. His grey eyes glint with barely contained glee.] Another race. This time I won't have any advantages in experience.
[Who will win? He has no idea. The thought makes the thrill dashing through him ignite and his grin wider. They needed this.
He knows when this race is over they'll both be comfortable and stated. Shiro steps backward until he's far enough away and his eyes flare gold. His body changes, the purple light washing out until he stretches on four paws and shoves the side of his face against Keith's side.]
Buckle the harness on. Let's go for a test run right now.
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[Keith's entire expression lights up at this idea. Racing each other, huh? It makes his chest ache with nostalgia in a way. But excitement at the same time, at the idea of taking on Shiro head to head, finding out which of them would come out on top.
The transformation is something Keith is used to enough that he only laughs as he winds up with a giant lion head right against him. Without thinking, he sets his hand on Shiro's metallic head.]
On it.
[No hesitation at all. He's already reaching for the harness and then more or less leaping -- half just under his physical ability, half with his own power -- to settle on top of Shiro, settling himself on his back and making sure the harness is fastened and secured.]
Should be good.
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Shiro turns and walks slowly out of the pit stop and onto the test road. He catches sight of other bots about and makes the usual warning noise. He’s about to run.
Once Keith braces himself he is off, running down the track. He laughs inside Keith’s head as he picks up speed.]
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Shiro laughs in his head, and Keith's laughter is taken away with the wind rushing past as Shiro takes off at speed.
It's the usual thrill that accompanies the speed of it, all adrenaline but also certainty that he knows his friend well enough to keep up, shift to accommodate, move with him based on whatever subtle cues that Keith may not even consciously realize he's reacting to.]
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He pours on more speed as they take a turn and races up the side of the track, using the curve of the road to keep him steady. He misses racing. That had been a good thing to do in the desert. Need to blow off steam? Hoverbike racing.]
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More so with Shiro. Because he's ceded at least some of that control to the other man, trusts Shiro without hesitation, without question, to keep them on track. His laughter has died down now, but the grin on his face lingers, eyes fixed ahead, watching the terrain coming up, no time at all for what they leave behind them. Patience yields focus, but focus comes from other places as well, and with this sort of focus comes something oddly like tranquility. For this moment there's not a problem in any universe that could possibly catch up with him.]
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There's no past or future, there's only the now with himself and Keith tearing down the track. The thrusters in his wings roar to life. Everything blurs and he trusts Keith to hold himself steady as he runs down a straight away.
They're moving so fast just like they had over the forest. He tells himself just once around the track. To get the feel of the road they'll be racing down. But he wants and craves more. Wants to ride down this track on a bike. He misses performing tricks and timing everything down to the second.
Just once. This time.]
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His voice is knocked free in a wordless shout of exhilaration as those thrusters kick. He molds himself to Shiro's back all the more, lips curling into a smirk of a grin.
They really do need to get the racers up and working too. He'd like to race Shiro head to head.]
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It's a really nice track. Not very challenging but, that would be incredible on a hoverbike. With how you ride...I really want to see how you'd handle it when you have direct control.
[He walks to the garage. He has a crash course to show Keith on how these bikes work and are built.]
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And he can't hold back a grin as Shiro speaks.]
And I want to see if you've still got your edge, old timer.
[Keith teases as he moves to slip the harness, floating his way up and off Shiro until he settles on the ground next to him.] You weren't exactly awake last time we were on a hoverbike.
[Shiro slept through Keith's demonstration of a few tricks he'd picked up.]
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That's right. But you better be careful, this old timer still knows how to ride.
[His blood is alive with the speed of the run. He wants to go back out there but getting bikes working will scratch that itch just as well.]
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Yeah yeah, guess I'll see for myself, right?
[And Keith is ready to show what he can do too.]
We'll have to get the racers working soon.
[Soon? Now. Keith isn't the most patient, and it's hard to wait. But the process of fixing up the bikes is exciting too, so that will help.]
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What he sees brings a different kind of grin to his face. Something vaguely nostaglic.]
Keith. We can definitely convert them into hoverbikes. We'll just need to design the wings to compensate and give us greater steering.
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Then Shiro says that and Keith may as well have been told that Christmas has come early and will be sticking around.]
What really? You think?
[Keith leans himself in closer to look before turning to grin up at Shiro.] Let's do it. [Nostalgia is right.]
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We're going to need to do a lot of odd jobs for the material. I think we can definitely handle the workload. This spot needs a lot of investigation anyway.
[It's not a wrong statement. He needs to comb over the tracks. It just sounds like an excuse the way he says it almost like an afterthought.]
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[At all. He never has. Keith has never been afraid of work, and this definitely sounds worth it.
But yes, also investigating. That's important too. Keith manages a sheepish grin because he's aware he's gotten caught up in the excitement of the racing.]
And you're right. We can keep an ear and eye to the ground while we do.