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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).


floweroftheapex: (13)

[personal profile] floweroftheapex 2024-03-02 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
Musashi gonna show off her elite gaming skills.
diabatties: (94)

[personal profile] diabatties 2024-03-02 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
Hit me!!
repeteres: (013)

akemi homura | puella magi madoka magica

[personal profile] repeteres 2024-03-02 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ ooc: Homura is taken post-Rebellion! ]

1c. refreshments


Despite the greeting from Minister Brennam Tyrgen, despite the shy girl that led the group of them onto the train, despite the faces she can see and the clear history of the city, Homura can only come to one conclusion.

This is her fault.

As she stands at a window of the monorail train, the sun is sinking low through the city skyscrapers, blazing orange and neons at a sharp contrast, but Homura isn't appreciating the view. Dead-eyed, she takes a sip of the provided Clari-tea (without the chaser, thank you), and bites back the urge to audibly sigh. Anybody else will see a fourteen year old girl in a school uniform gazing dismissively at the view, but inside a tempest rages. Her Soul Gem is gone, and she can feel her soul sitting where it hasn't been for so long: inside her own self, writhing like a foreign agent. She cannot transform, she cannot use her magic.

Once, she rewrote the universe with the sheer will of her emotions. Twice, she has awoken in new universes. Akemi Homura is no stranger to this, and yet, all she feels is exhaustion. She had ensured that her friends had the peaceful lives they so desperately deserved, she had condemned herself to hell for that, and now... she has to start all over again.

She will claw her way out of this universe one way or another.

"I'm sorry," she says to the passenger standing next to her, voice soft and tired. "I don't know who you are, but I must have dragged you into this mess. I will fix it, I promise."


2b. augmented reaity art


Stepping inside Evergreen Terrace had been a riot of the senses. Homura had seen people staring into the water outside like they could see something, fish that didn't quite seem to be there -- and when she'd stepped into the lobby, something awful had happened. Everything had settled in her soul, like she had nothing left to do, nothing left to fight for, and it the worst most confusing sensation Homura had ever felt. Needless to say, she leaves the lobby fairly quickly.

Or at least, she tries to. She's caught up in a sight out of the corner of her eye, a massive statue laden with locusts abruptly starts shapeshifting, red stripes crawling off it as it becomes a dolphin in a fiery ocean.

Somebody's standing too close to it. Homura grabs their arm, and uses all of her strength to haul them away and stash them behind a pillar. Grim-faced, with all the seriousness of a security guard protecting their charge, she keeps them there with a hand on their shoulder.

That could be a Witch, which means they're all in serious danger. And she doesn't have her powers.

"Careful," she says lowly. "I've seen this before. I don't know if you're a figment of my imagination, or a fake construct of this world, or a real person I accidentally involved, but I won't tolerate any more hurt. Stay where you are. Do you have a weapon? A gun would be best."


3a. green apple exploration


Much like the last time Homura had found herself in a new universe, she sets out to explore and test the boundaries of this strange city.

She finds herself in the Entertainment District, the Green Apple Quarters. There are flyers racing overhead, restaurants packed full of people with wings or glowing tongues or scales. She walks past a gaming arcade, and fights back the twinge of nostalgia the bright lights and video game sounds instill in her.

The promise of magic lures her into a shop called Fairy Dust, and to her surprise, it's a kind of magic that she wasn't expecting. It's potions and alchemy, things out of storybooks, and while most people might be enchanted for the sake of whimsy, Homura wonders how these things might be used to puzzle out the nature of this reality. She browses the shelves, examining the products carefully. There are love potions, healing potions, potions of flight, potions of water breathing, like something right out of a video game or children's novel. There are toys, too, but Homura ignores those even as they sparkle and pop and zing merrily behind her.

If she did create this universe, she has to give credit to herself. It's fascinatingly imaginative. More so than the fake version of Mitakihara City her mind had concoted.

She's in the middle of examining a dark black potion that promises to kill all of your emotions when someone comes to stand next to her. "One wonders what would happen if one threw all of these into a giant cauldron and drank it," she muses, faintly curious though her tone is flat. "Would they explode from too many conflicting magics? Or would everything simply cancel each other out? What are the magical rules of this universe?"
aneffingpencil: (johnicon3)

Refreshments

[personal profile] aneffingpencil 2024-03-02 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
John's taken a seat on the monorail near to where Homura is standing, the dog sitting next to him, resting his head on his knee. He politely refused the Clari-Tea, and has turned away from the city. He's still trying to decide if this is a dying dream or not. Feels like one.

He'd registered Homura but had sat in silence near her until she speaks and he looks towards her. "Doubt this is your fault." He replies.

The dog raises his head and gives a few exploratory sniffs towards her, possibly detecting the opportunity for pets.
Edited 2024-03-02 21:08 (UTC)
infinitejustice: (Default)

[personal profile] infinitejustice 2024-03-02 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
Bring it!
floweroftheapex: (Default)

Miyamoto Musashi (Berserker) | Fate/Samurai Remnant

[personal profile] floweroftheapex 2024-03-02 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
1c. Refreshments

Well, Musashi's been to her fair share of worlds, probably more than her fair share to be honest, but this place really has to take the cake. At least the other Earths had been...Earths. Branched timelines of Proper Human History, but still recognizably Earth.

This place though? This is place is all kinds of new, and Musashi is here for it. And her Spirit Origin hasn't changed back either...or at least, it doesn't feel like it has. She's so weak at the moment she wonders if she still even really counts as a Heroic Spirit, but she still feels like she did as a Berserker during the Waxing Moon Ritual...and honestly, she'll take it. She likes being a Berserker.

She has no trouble taking a seat on the monorail, one arm spread along the back of the row, the other holding a Clari-Tea (with chaser) that she sips as she watches the city go by. "This monorail's nice and all, but wouldn't it have been more fun to walk?" She muses to no one in particular, whoever happens to be closest. "Look at those streets! I'm raring to get down there, what about you?" She waves you closer. "Come on, come on! Join me! It's no fun drinking alone, and this is good tea."

[She can be feeling the aphrodisiac if you're up for it, otherwise I'm good with whatever!]

Invasive Species

At first she wandered over to the pond because, hey, cool pond. The fish were pretty interesting to watch...and even more interesting when they start hurling themselves out of the water at her. Fortunately, Servant or or not, she is still Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Harunobu, creator of the Niten Ichiryu, and her reflexes are that of a swordswoman who has fought and lived through hundreds of battles. She spins out of the way swiftly, gracefully. "Oops! Not even close!" Watching the fish flop around, she turns back to the pond in consideration...

By the time someone else comes by, Musashi is busy dodging through a storm of fish flinging themselves out of the water at her. So far, none of them seem to have been able to connect. Her movements are graceful, practiced, swift, able to adjust on a split-second's notice to avoid another scaled bullet shooting towards her.

"Hey, you want to get some exercise in? It's fun!" She asks, noticing she's not alone. "Pretty sure it'd be bad to let them touch you though!" Which is going to be more of an issue, since the area surrounding where Musashi is currently "exercising" is...fairly full of flopping fish that missed their (initial) mark.

Joystick Jungle (Closed to Odette)

Now this is some nightlife. Even on its rowdiest evenings, Yoshiwara in Edo couldn't compare. Oh yeah, Musashi thinks she's going to like it here. And when she was so brazenly challenged to test her skill, how could she say no? She's never backed down from a worthy challenge...even a gaming challenge.

It seems it's a doubles-competition though, so she needs a partner (for just a brief moment, she recalls Samson, and smiles at the memory. The Twin Berserkers of Yoshiwara.) if she's going to make Cassady eat her words. One is randomly assigned to her, so she didn't even have to go looking! She's paired with a demure young woman named Odette, and after brief introductions, the games begin.

Musashi rubs the back of her head ruefully. "You know, I was sort of hoping it would be a fight..." She admits, looking at the array of colourful blocks they have to move into a picture. Logical thinking isn't exactly her strong suit right now as a Berserker.

"Isn't it usually best to start with the corners, Odette-chan?" This may not be quite the video game deathmatch she imagined it was, but like hell she's gonna lose! They're gonna figure this puzzle out and it's going to be magical!!
asaviorshand: (Default)

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd | Fire Emblem: Three Houses

[personal profile] asaviorshand 2024-03-02 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Story-Weaving

[It was unlike anything Dimitri had ever seen before.

Dimitri has only ever seen cities in Fódlan. He hasn't even seen Shambhala yet. So, ending up in a futuristic city, even by 21st-century standards, was a massive case of culture shock for the man. Everywhere he looks, he sees new and unbelievable things. Hell, even the very monorail he's on at the moment is unlike anything he could have imagined.

And then there's the link device. To say that Dimitri was taken aback when he first heard that he could use it to communicate with people without being there in person is an understatement. And, as someone who hasn't even the faintest clue as to how the technology behind it works, he'd been asking anyone willing to help for some assistance in learning how to use it. It was a lot to take in, but Dimitri began to feel more confident about how to use it as people gave him some demonstrations.

That's behind him for the moment. For now, he's trying to do this visual storytelling thing. The question is, what kind of story should he tell? Dimitri ruminates indecisively; he has many stories to tell, but most of them are very heavy. He hasn't had an easy life, and he knows it.]


I... [Sigh.] I suppose I could try telling the story of my agreement with Sylvain, a friend of mine. You'll probably enjoy it more than I, however.


Waters of Seeing

[Well, there's certainly one thing in this city that Dimitri recognizes. A pond, artificial though it may be, is a welcome sight in a strange landscape. Dimitri sits at the edge of the pond, gazing into the water, calmness overcoming him as he does. It's nice to have some downtime and just look into the blue, and clear his mind of thoughts.

However, that doesn't last. Suddenly, an image begins to form in the pond. He sees a familiar face, one that causes a jolt of electricity to run through his body.]


El!?

[Shocked, Dimitri leaps to his feet, and he feels a wave of adrenaline surge into his veins. The pool depicts a young woman with white hair, clad in red clothing, laid out on the floor. Dimitri's breath hitches in his throat; he's seen this before. Yes, this was at the end of the war. He had just run Edelgard through with his spear after she'd flung the dagger into his shoulder. It was something that he hadn't wanted to do, but his arm had moved on its own in self-defense. It was, in a way, a suicide, and Dimitri didn't like that he'd played a part in it.]

Why am I seeing this again? Why is there a memory of mine in the water? For that matter, how?

[Alternately, he could be seeing a vision of your character's past. Your choice!]


Rooms With a View

[Since the newcomers have the chance to see what the apartments are like with different themes, Dimitri is checking those out with interest. It's incredible to him how these apartments can look so different despite the external surroundings. In one apartment, everything seemed to be made of steel; in another, every corner was lit with red, green, and blue lights. There was one where everything was sleek and seemed to have no apparent method to interact with them, and then one that looked like a hollow built into a forest hillside.]

This is incredible...I never could have even dreamed that anything like this was possible!
lunardreaming: (Default)

[personal profile] lunardreaming 2024-03-02 07:11 am (UTC)(link)
So for a character with various cybernetic implants, like weapons and neuro-hacking abilities, I assume those capabilities are going to initially be offline, the same as various kinds of powers being disabled?
lunardreaming: (002)

lucy kushinada | cyberpunk: edgerunners

[personal profile] lunardreaming 2024-03-02 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
1a. story-weaving


Unlike many of the other passengers, one could easily mistake Lucy for a local, blending in seamlessly with the neon and the unrelenting metal of the city with her bodysuit and loose jacket tugged over top. Ports in her skin are easily spotted if one looks close enough, subtle line identations marking cyberware.

Still, there's a subtle uneasiness about her as she makes her way through the train. Her mask is well-worn, but her eyes give her away, a wariness in them as she examines all of her fellow passengers and the city outside the windows.

How did she get here? She remembers a portal, and a feeling of peace, and suddenly-- here she was. A city that looks a lot like her own, except magic sure as fuck didn't exist back in Night City, and she doubts it exists here, either. She'll believe it when she sees it.

Lucy finds herself stopping before a group of people guiding a hologram into visualizing a story. For a while, she lingers at the back edge of the crowd, arms folded across her chest, doing her best to go unnoticed. But curiosity over one story has her drawing closer despite herself, and as the story ends, she realizes that eyes are on her, expectant.

"I don't have any fun stories," she drawls, "unless your definition of fun includes limb removal or cyberpsychosis." Lucy tips her head, gesturing to the person next to her. "How about you. You look like you've got something decent up your sleeve."


2a. waters of seeing


It's been so long since Lucy's seen real, naturally-grown flowers that she can't help but be enchanted by the lotuses, picking one up to tuck into a button hole of her jacket.

Something about it-- makes her think of lost opportunities. A person lost to self-sacrifice. A jacket still draped over her chair back home.

(She also can't stop noticing how ridiculously attractive everybody is. Has she been dosed with something? Ugh. There's gotta be something in the air, she's not normally this... easily distracted by people.)

Lucy stops by one of the ponds outside the apartment complex they're being guided to, and crouches down, balancing on her heels as she touches a fingertip to the water. Ripples disturb bring pink petals resting on the surface, and...

She can see the moon. Its brilliant white surface as she stood on it, the deep black of the sky dotted with a riot of stars everywhere she looked, and the blue marble of Earth in the distance. And for a long time, Lucy is transfixed, until finally she pulls back, scrubbing her jacket sleeve roughly over her eyes. It only catches her attention, then, that someone is standing next to her, looking into the same pond, like they can see the same thing she's seeing. "This is why I hate reflective neuro-connections," she says shortly, dryly. "At least it's not an ad for the local burger joint being blasted in into my eyesockets, I guess."

In fact, she's reasonably sure it's not tech, but magic, and that's just a whole barrel of worms she's not ready to look into just yet.


4a. water gardens


[ if you'd like to play into the aphrodesiac effect or dancing together, f/f 20+ only please! ]


Ending up in a whole new city in a whole new time is a lot to deal with, so Lucy does what any depressed young adult does to take their mind off things: she goes to the clubs.

Her first drink is a luminous lime green concoction, brought for her by a sly demon girl with glowing yellow fangs. It's got Verve in it, she's told, and the demon girl barely gets through an explanation before Lucy's knocking it back. An hour later, and two clubs over, she doesn't know the name of the place she's in and she doesn't care. The music is pounding in her ears and sending red vibrations across her vision, voices of the crowd are curling motes of color in the air, and every single one of her muscles feels relaxed for the first time in years. Fuck, she feels good.

She winds up in deep conversations with a machine and a boy with delicate wings, discussing the merits of human-made music versus AI creations and how a lot of people seem to prefer the ease of the latter these days despite human-made being more authentic. Then, after being gifted another drink -- she hasn't had to buy any of her own, yet -- she watches the crowd from a high balcony for a while, a lone figure among a roiling crowd.

Before long, she joins the crowd again, dancing in a pleasant haze as the music feels like it wraps around her, bodies pressed in on all sides.

Lucy doesn't bump into someone so much as they seem to wind up together, her hands curled around the stranger's bicep and hip, relishing the textures under her fingertips. "Are you new here too?" she asks, just barely heard above the music, pale eyes flashing with every color the lights switch to as they sweep across the crowd.
Edited 2024-03-02 08:04 (UTC)
nightmare_fuel: (Default)

Refreshments

[personal profile] nightmare_fuel 2024-03-02 05:22 pm (UTC)(link)
All too well does Sakura know the feeling of being a young girl and staring, forlorn, out of the window. Her circumstances had been different, of course, but the general demeanor at work here might as well be a mirror of herself in times before.

Even so, the words take her aback. She takes a sip of her Clari-tea, regarding this other girl who seemed to be close in age to herself.

"You? But-- I believe we all arrived together."

She wonders whether she missed something. Or was it just that this girl was the sort of person who believes herself responsible for everyone else and for everything that happens to others? If so, well, Sakura certainly knew that sort of personality and individual, too.

"I don't think any of us are responsible." But there was also something else... the way the other girl was speaking... "But still, this place doesn't seem to be so bad, does it?"

True, for Sakura, it was difficult to be away from her beloved senpai, but she was pretty sure there were plenty of worse worlds one could be abducted to. Compared to what she had endured for most of her existence in her own world, this was utterly pleasant.

That said, Sakura was a quintessential mage who was hapless with technology, though her world's versions were different, so this techno-universe certainly was likely to prove a bit of an overload for one of her background, but there did seem to be plenty of opportunities for people with her sort of background in this world. And the locals so far seemed pleasant. They had even been greeted by a young girl, like themselves. Though that was assuming everything was as it seemed on the surface... but for now, at least, things seem all right.
floweroftheapex: (Default)

water gardens (aphrodisiac okay!)

[personal profile] floweroftheapex 2024-03-02 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Musashi has also been eager to see the entertainments this place has to offer, and after a few Verve drinks of her own, had eagerly taken to the dance floor to work out all this excess energy, this excitement that had been building up inside her ever since she tumbled into this world. So when she ends up locked together with Lucy, well, that's all to the good as well. She rest a hand across the other woman's shoulder so her fingers can lightly play at the back of her neck, through her hair and the sensation is electric. As is Lucy's hand on her bicep and hip. They fall into an easy rhythm together.

"Just passing through, yeah." She replies. "Dunno how long I'll stay but I can already tell I'm going to enjoy myself here." Especially if all the company is this fine.
queenofkur: (faf 010)

Ereshkigal || Fate/Grand Order

[personal profile] queenofkur 2024-03-02 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I/ Refreshments
[ If there is someone who can't hold her liquor, it is this goddess. How could she? It's her first time drinking anything that's not from the abyss! She has no idea what this is and took her drink with the optional chaser and all. A bad idea, without a doubt. Yet, the anxiety-riddled goddess looks far more comfortable than she usually does. She's smiling to herself and slowly lolling her head from left to right.

And lo, something miraculous happens: she turns to the person next to her and addresses them, engaging in conversation from her own volition! Anyone who doesn't know her may think this is totally normal behavior, but this is truly a most strange thing for this goddess. ]


Hehehe... [She giggles and smiles brightly before closing her hands together in a most excited fashion.] Isn't the sky beautiful? I certainly think it is!

[ There is, noticeably, no sky to be seen since they're inside the monorail. Maybe she's talking about the sky as seen through the windows? Even though they're neither facing it, nor is she even looking at it.

Maybe it's a hint this goddess isn't in her right mind. ]


II/ Eternal Lotus & Waters of Seeing
[ Those flowers are so beautiful... Of course an avid flower enthusiast like her had to kneel by the pond and pick one up. And yet-- Why is it making her feel so sad? Is it because she can never have any in the Underworld...? Impossible, she got over that a long time ago.

It's like there is a hole in her chest and a pain deep within her stomach. Stress...? No, it's not her usual anxiety. It's closer to the feeling of loneliness she is so familiar with, yet it feels so much worse than usual. Usually she can control herself and make sure to hide in a corner deep within her temple before she starts crying, yet today the tears are already welling up by her eyes.

And the pond... That's not herself any more she's seeing in it, isn't it? That's-- ]


... [A woman. Red hair. A smile that's both reassuring and beautiful.] Ritsuka?

[ Love is a truly beautiful. But what if you deny yourself love? What if the object of your affection is someone who will never reciprocate, someone you have decided to never confess to? Someone who deserves so much better than your gloomy self and whom you decided to remain friend with forever, without ever attempting to go for anything else?

Love is a beautiful things. But amplifying such strong feelings that she usually tries to repress? That means she can only break down crying. She can't even hide herself right now. All she hopes is that nobody sees that pathetic display. ]


III/ Welcoming Party
[ Her room. She needs to go to her room and bury herself under layers upon layers of blankets! But alas, before she can do this, one final obstacle remains in her way: the party.

So many people. All so alive! She could handle discussing with one or two, but that many? No no no no. That's just too much and now that her emotions are under her control again, she knows exactly what she must do. Leave quietly and without a word.

The goddess is walking very close to the walls, trying to look innocuous as she looks for the exit. But-- What is this? A cake? S-She's never had any cake before! She looks left. She looks right. Okay, if she makes a beeline for it, she may be able to grab a piece of that cake, a modest and reasonable slice, before going to her room. And so she does. But: ]


... ... ... Ghaaah!

[ Alas! What she didn't see is your character. And lo, she crashes face first into them, before falling on the ground face-first. ]

G-Guh...

[ Sniff... Why did this have to happen to her? ]
monklookslikealady: (26)

III

[personal profile] monklookslikealady 2024-03-02 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[Libra's standing by himself, enjoying the party, yet trying to avoid as many people as possible. Big crowds still bothered him, but not as much as they used to. He's enjoying some of the food provided when a blonde woman shouts and runs right into him.

He tries to catch and steady her, but fails. He reaches a hand towards her.]


Miss, are you all right?
gilgamess: (babylonia anime: amuse me!)

Refreshments!

[personal profile] gilgamess 2024-03-02 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Gilgamesh is also quite pleased with the layout of this world. At least, so far. He may be from a different iteration and summoning than his Archer counterpart who went to SE.RA.PH, but the world of Magisteria is still closer to AUO's base preferences than Fuyuki had ever been. Like Musashi, his origins may be within a world of the distant past -- he is, after all, the first of all heroes -- but he is actually perfectly at home with a certain amount of virtualization. It may be that this just suits his flashy personality and his propensity for adventures and treasure-seeking: and one hopes this new world should have plenty of both of those, adventures and treasures.

The King of Heroes, needless to say, also takes his tea with the chaser. This is a wiser and more mature iteration of his personality, but still, a man does like his pleasures in the form of alcohol. And that chaser does have something of a kick to it. After drinking, there's a sort of suffused warmth, a pleasure with which he does feel familiar. His cheeks take on the barest of tints and his face feels a little warmer, evoking something of a playful smirk. So it was like that, then?

"Hmph, I am not one to take on companions." He gazes outside, one arm idly drooping on the armrest of the train seat. "Yet I suppose you have a point. I should not say no to a drink."

And it is of such a quality that he might even consider it for his storehouse. Well, were he able to have his storehouse here at the moment.

Gilgamesh would not say no to walking, either. He is a born traveler, after all, and there's a certain amount of desire for excitement in his blood. Musashi's preferences are not entirely dissimilar from his own... and even if he was supposed to be more responsible in this summong, well neither Chaldea nor his kingdom was here to preoccupy him with labor... should a King not, perhaps, enjoy himself, as in the days of his youth?
repeteres: (003)

Re: Refreshments

[personal profile] repeteres 2024-03-02 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"It usually is."

Homura looks down at the dog, and though her expression doesn't change, she offers her hand for him to sniff. When she's able to give a couple of cautious pats to his soft head, the tiniest of smiles dawns. It's been a while since she did something as simple as patting a dog. It's strangely satisfying.

She can't help but note that, unlike just about all of the other passengers, this man isn't staring at the neon city, or exploring the train, or being verbally anxious. He's just sitting in silence. The contrast between him and the rest of them are interesting. If he is a figment that she's dreamed or something subconsciously created, what is the point of him? If he is a soul she's ensnared like a hungry Witch, why him?

"Do you have any weapons on you?" she asks politely. "I don't have access to any of mine."
infinitejustice: (Serious)

Athrun Zala | Gundam SEED

[personal profile] infinitejustice 2024-03-02 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[OOC: I have not watched Freedom yet, so no spoilers, please!]

[Story-Weaving]

[Athrun just so happens to hail from a technologically advanced world, so cities that would be futuristic by twenty-first century standards are normal to him. However, he's never seen a city quite like this one before. He can't help but feel impressed when he looks at the cityscape as the monorail he's aboard cruises through it -- this is far more dense and built-up than any of the PLANTs or Orb's capital are. He couldn't begin to guess how many people live in this city.

This ends up temporarily derailed when their guide identifies herself as half human, half AI, and her mother as a full AI. That leaves Athrun completely and utterly baffled. Athrun is intimately familiar with AI, given Birdy and the number of Haros he made as a younger adolescent, so hearing that about his guide confuses the ever-loving hell out of him. How is something like that even possible? AIs can't reproduce biologically! And how could human reproduction conceive anything other than a human? Even artificially-created humans, such as Coordinators like his parents and Kira, still consist of flesh and blood!

Unfortunately for Athrun, he never has the opportunity to ask. Instead, he gets stuck in an ice breaker activity. So, he's supposed to tell a story. What kind of story should he tell, though? He has to be careful what he says, between his Coordinator heritage and having to handle classified information for Orb. Then, he has an idea.]


I'm sorry, but would you mind starting us off? I'm having some difficulty coming up with a story.


[Welcoming Party]

[Athrun has never been one for big parties like this. Fortunately for him, this one is filled with new experiences in every direction he looks. He watches the robots perform and interact with other people with rapt interest

For now, though, he'd like a snack and something to drink. He hails a robot server, and as it so happens, so does a person a few feet away from him. Once the robot approaches:]


Go ahead, after you. I don't mind.


[Joystick Jungle]

[An arcade. Athrun hasn't seen one of these since he was living in Copernicus City six years ago. A sense of nostalgia hits him as he strolls through the aisles, checking out the games available. Maybe it would be fun to shake the rust off a bit after all, even if only just a bit.

He ends up standing in front of a first-person shooting game with gun-shaped controllers. Figuring it's what he's most suited to, he starts it up.

The next thing he knows, half an hour has gone by, and he's led his team to victory in every game so far with the top kills. He may not have access to his SEED factor right now, but his natural talent for gunfighting remains.]


I wonder if I should stop here...
repeteres: (002)

[personal profile] repeteres 2024-03-02 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Someone has to be responsible; the other girl is obviously suggesting that this is not the fault of any of the passengers, but rather, someone's machinations in this world. The Minister had mentioned what seemed to be a long history of 'Otherworlders' appearing in this city, so it could be easily to believe that she is not at fault.

And yet, Homura suspects differently. Until she is given absolute proof otherwise, she will continue to believe that this is her fault. Her history doesn't just suggest it; it screams it.

"A city of technology and magic blended together," she muses in reply. "An interesting concept. I'm familiar with both, but not mingled together so closely."

Homura glances at the other girl out of the corner of her eye. The last time she broke and made a new world, the only real people were her friends -- all of the other people in the city were blank and faceless, like her mind didn't care about them and so didn't flesh them out properly. This time, everybody seems far more realized. There are people she doesn't know, people capable of speaking and having opinions. The world seems more complex.

Interesting. What changed?

"Why do you think it's not bad?" she asks, curious despite herself.
gilgamess: (Default)

story-weaving

[personal profile] gilgamess 2024-03-02 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"It may be that I would."

Gilgamesh does, after all, enjoy stories: being entertained by others. That is why he had asked Mashu and Ritsuka to tell him of their journeys during the caravan ride to the Persian Gulf.

"Yet perhaps not if it is something inspiring of such a dour expression."

It's quite unfortunate, Gilgamesh thinks: stories should induce excitement, after all. His own life was a story unto itself, and a grand legend at that.

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