acatalepsy_logs | World Jump #2: Struxta

World Jump #2: Struxta

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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? :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ann manages to look slightly embarrassed instead of just graciously accepting the compliment, but follows up with a dismissive wave.]

I'm used to it by now, but...

[She smiles wryly, shrugging. It's not about whether or not she's pretty.]

People don't always like it when you stand out. I grew up overseas, so I'm not 'Japanese' enough for a lot of my classmates.

...

Well, that's just dumb. If you're born Japanese, you're Japanese. Just because you look a little different-- that's not bad.

[ Geez. People are idiots. ]

A lot of people don't see it that way, but that's how I feel. I stopped letting it bother me awhile back— otherwise I would have spent all of my time being angry for being excluded.

[It's been a tough balance. People either hate her or intimidated by her because of her looks, and then there's the rumors...]

I decided to stop caring what people think about me. Do my own thing, you know?

Good.

[ And she means that fervently. ]

You don't deserve to have to worry about that kind of thing, and people who don't get it also don't have the right to make judgments.

Would be nice if everyone thought that way.

[She smiles thinly, but hey— she's not supposed to be caring what anyone thinks, right? Still, in an ideal world...]

What about you? Not that you deserve any hate, either, but you're an idol... people you know probably get jealous, right?

...

[ Rion snorts softly, a rather crooked smile appearing on her face as she closes her eyes. ]

It's mostly the people I don't know sending those kinds of messages. You know, that I'm just trying to act cute around guys, or that I'm super slutty. That sort of thing. They haven't even heard us sing, though-- it's just based on what they see and think they know.

[Ann doesn't tell her that she's 'lucky' that it comes from people she doesn't know, even though it's the first thing that comes to mind— no, she's not lucky. Nobody deserves to be treated like that, no matter who's responsible for the mud-slinging.]

I have a 'rep' for being easy and sleeping with teachers.

[Her voice is flat, almost forcefully apathetic as she tries not to let it get a rise out of her even now. It's in the past, but...]

I've never even kissed anyone, but it's the same thing. People take what they see and make assumptions.

It's really stupid, isn't it?

[ Rion is not tactful at times. ]

And no one even bothers to get to know you, or ask you about it, they just-- assume and hide behind those assumptions like it's some kind of lifeline.

[Sometimes blunt is best.]

'Stupid' is right.

[She presses her lips together into a tight line.]

They make up their minds and that's that. There's no convincing them otherwise, and the more you try, the more convinced they are that it's true. All you can do is ignore them and not care what they think, but... that's easier said than done, a lot of the time.

Either you can change their minds or they don't even bother. It's hard to say which will work.

But for what it's worth, I think you're way better than all of that. And it's totally their loss if they can't be bothered to even get to know you.

Thanks.

[She softens some, smiling again as some of the tension that had crept into her stance eases.]

It's nice to be able to talk to someone who gets it. I think you're pretty great, too— this whole thing has been crazy, but I'm really glad I got to meet you.

[She doesn't have a lot of lady friends!]

Aww, Ann!

[ Incoming hug mid-walk? Yep. ]

Me too! You're so much fun, and I love hanging out with you! It's totally their loss, but if it means more girl time for me, I'll take it.

[Oof! It's only momentarily startling; Ann is happy to return the gesture as soon as she gets her bearings.]

Guess we lucked out, huh?

[Both of them being brought here at the same time!]

You really seem to have this whole thing on lockdown— being true to yourself. That's what I'm working on, too— I want my heart to be strong enough that nothing can convince me to be otherwise!

I'm not completely there yet.

[ She can admit that. ]

Kou-kun told me once that he thought the actual me - not the flirty, idol me - was actually more fun, and I'm still having a hard time doing that with other people. But I think if we both work at it, our hearts will be stronger than anything!

Maybe it's better if it's a work in progress for both of us.

[They'll have each other to lean on, in that case— and Ann smiles as Rion continues on.]

I have to agree with Kou. I've never seen your idol persona, but I like you just the way you are.

[CAUSE GIRL YOU'RE AMAZING etc]

... Why are you like the best person ever?

[ It's a very sincere question. ]

Oh, I'm not—

[She doesn't quite know how to respond to that, and she settles for blushing a little, flustered.]

Thanks. Just— I think it, I say it.

I do, too. But a lot of people don't, or if they do, it's not the nicest--

So thanks, Ann.

[ She's such a good friend. ]

You don't have to thank me for that.

[But even as she says so, she takes Rion's arm in her own to start steering her towards those aforementioned Cute Stores. Even if she doesn't find the boots she'd seen earlier, they'll find something.]

It goes both ways, you know? I've said it before, but I'm really glad we met. Back home, my best friend— she moved away a little while back. There are other girls who do the shadow-fighting thing alongside Akira and Ryuji and me, but it hasn't been the same. We're friends, of course— I care about them a lot, but just hanging out and shopping and talking about normal things... it reminds me of how things used to be with Shiho.

[She's grateful for Makoto and Futaba and Haru, as well, but it goes without saying that most of their time spent together has Phantom Thief business attached to it. This is... different. It's nice, and reminds her of when things were simpler, even here in a foreign world.]

[ They sure will. Fashionable (for here) bracelets? Fun LED jackets? The sky's the limit.

Well. The... credit's the limit, but still! ]

... I kind of get that. The girls I fight with are like that too-- really great, fun to hang out with, but only one of 'em's in my year and usually we'll just meet up for... you know, club business. And SPiKA's together a lot of the time, but that's all rehearsal and it's really hard for us to hang out together outside of work without drawing a ton of attention.

So--! This is definitely nice. I needed this.

[But boy, are they going to make excellent use of that credit limit!]

SPiKA— that's the group you perform with.

[Too bad they're not from the same Tokyo. Ann's seen Rion perform on her own, but she'd love to see her with the rest of her group.]

You know, I really needed this, too. I don't know how many chances we'll get to enjoy downtime like this, so we should make the most of it while we can! Bet we can find some great souvenirs!

Remind me when we get back to the Hostel, but I finally managed to get a charger for my Xiphone-- there are a few performances on there I can show you.

[ She loves her unit. ]

But you're right! Let's see what cute stuff we can haul back with us!

[ they're in trouble if they ever end up in a modern world. ]

Sure, I'd love to see them!

[If they hit a modern world, they'll go bankrupt within the first day. Ann smiles as she starts forward again.]

Come on, let's show these androids how we do a girls' day out in Tokyo.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

World Jump #2: Struxta

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fade into cute shopping montage?