[WORLD TWO | INTRO LOG]

[spellbindmods]

Who: All coven members
Where: In and around the new world’s apartment building where the coven is staying
When: Day (the calendar isn’t syncing for me hELP)
Open/Closed: Open to All

You’re in a room. It’s pretty bright — blindingly so, even. There’s something very stark and very clean about the place, and also the person you’re sitting in front of. You’re sitting? You’re sitting. There’s also a pane of very powerful plexiglass separating you from the uniform-clad person who is now speaking to you. It’s impossible to transcribe what they say verbatim, but here’s the gist of it: - You’re being welcomed to a city called Shehui. Depending on who you are, the level of technology may be light years ahead of you or child’s play. - There’s a very strict policy about magic. While there are measures put in place to prevent magic from happening, this is still something that they reiterate over and over. They don’t want to take chances. - Crime is also frowned upon. Small infractions will result in credit deductions, while major crimes will get you banned. Antisocial behavior is also looked down upon. You’re locked in the city for your initial eight weeks. You can leave afterwards, but trying to break out of the city or cause social unrest will result in monitoring and a potential ban. - This city is supposed to be somewhat relaxing. Is it a free pleasure cruise? No. Is it a self-contained society that runs on community and indulgence? Yes. - You’re being given an allotment of credits in order to stay in the city, which is what the economy there runs on. This goes on for quite some time. - You’re being moved to a housing location. Despite the slotted speaker in the middle of the plexiglass, the only time you have a chance to ask questions is when a small slit opens in the bottom and a package is slid towards you. - What’s in the package? There’s a credit card-like apparatus that has apparently taken a picture of you. It contains a place to write your name, an identification number and barcode. It also has a thin strip near the top that has scrolling script floating by. It states “WELCOME TO SHEHUI. YOUR ID WILL UPDATE WITH COMMUNITY NOTICES AND PERSONAL PINGS FOR JOBS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO YOUR INTEREST.” It’s a lot to take in, but that’s the long and short of it. Have questions? The person will reiterate a few times that there are information desks around the city. That’s all for now…now you’ll be traveling to your next destination: your new home. The floor slowly lowers as if you’ve been in an elevator the whole time. It connects to several other glass containers, much like your own, all suddenly clanking together in a chain. After a short wait, the chain begins to move — quickly. Faster, maybe, than you’ve ever gone before. It’s hard to even make out the scenery when you’re zipping past everything so quickly. Where does this trip lead you? The ground floor of your new apartment building. The plexiglass cases open up and you’re in a hotel lobby. There’s a flashing board on the wall — NEW ARRIVALS, COME HERE. A ▢ So now’s the time to get settled into your new digs. Your name is on the board, and there’s a promise that your things — which, by the way, were mysteriously taken — will be located in your room. No need to fight over bedrooms; those also hold name placards that are digitally installed. Maybe everyone else is already there. Maybe you’re the first person there and need to find a way to stake your claim on the fridge or a bathroom. B ▢ Maybe you don’t want to fuck with anybody right now and are busy exploring the apartment building. You may encounter some aliens, some strangers, some ice machines. There IS that floor that’s nothing but recreational stations. If you’re overwhelmed, the garden is a good place to start. The sport court is pretty empty right now, if you want to have any regrouping meetings.

The apartment building is locked up tight for three hours in order to let new arrivals get their bearings. After that, the ground floor lobby doors open into the city of Shehui. There’s a lot to take in, but let’s cover the biggest bases: C ▢ Right outside this communal apartment building is a large, digital job board. The list of available jobs and credit opportunities are constantly flashing by. Want to pick one out? Just hold up that ID card you were given and the instructions and location will be sent to the ID’s text scroller. D ▢ You’ve got 500 credits to blow on clothes, food, strippers…whatever you’d like? Right next to the apartment complex are tons of local businesses, from bistros to outlet malls. A movie theater, an arcade, a video game store…and the best thing about Shehui? Most everything is dirt cheap. Where are you shopping? What are you buying? Enquiring minds would like to know! E ▢ Right next to the shopping area is a wooded park. It’s akin to a nature trail that’s similar to Yellowstone in scenery and topography. If you’re more comfortable someplace less…tech or modern…then this may be exactly where you’d like to be. F ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[deem]

You want to?

[Color him surprised, but 9S hops down from the platform and offers Jude a hand]

There's another one on the other side, let's see if it's free.

[Casually ignoring attempts to bait him into a(nother) rematch? He sure is]

[talim]

[ hey, they got their turn, okay. jude steps up onto the opposite platform and blinks at the bright, flashing screen in front of him.

he's never seen anything like it. this is is so... ]

So I just move my feet along with the rhythm of the arrows?

[deem]

[9S nods]

Yep. You step in the direction the arrow indicates when it lines up with that indicator there.

[He points at the screen again. It wouldn't surprise him if Jude already had that part worked out too, but just to be safe]

[talim]

[ he could have guessed, but jude is still grateful 9s is showing him the ropes. he nods, once.

he can Totally do this. as soon as 9s is situated on his own platform again: ]

Okay. Three... two...

[deem]

[9S reaches over and claps a hand on Jude's back lightly]

This'll be easy after that snap pivot thing.

[His hand drops as the music starts]

[talim]

[ jude can't help but laugh at 9s' words of encouragement before they're both lost in a flurry of motion.

he's not bad. not by a long shot. jude has the highest agility stat in the game and that snap pivot sure helps a lot. in fact, if he were up against anyone but 9s, he might have a real chance at winning this thing.

unfortunately, jude is not up against anyone but 9s, and 9s is grinding him into the dust. ]

[deem]

[9S hasn't missed a beat yet, but when he notices Jude falling behind, well... He makes some missteps on purpose. He doesn't want to discourage him when this is his first try at the game, and being an android gives him quite an advantage.

Nothing wrong with letting Jude catch up, right? Makes it a little more fun for Jude, or so he's going to hope.

Sure is the first time he's making mistakes on purpose]

[talim]

9S...

[ jude laughs in between heaving breaths. what mode is this thing on, anyway? some rainbow letters in the corner tell him extreme. ]

I see right through you. I appreciate the good intentions behind purposely making mistakes, but—

[ he manages to nail a particularly complex series of twists and turns. ]

—I've got this.

[deem]

[He huffs out a breath in lieu of a laugh]

I was too obvious, huh?

[Ideally he wouldn't have made it noticeable to Jude at all. It isn't that he thinks that he can't keep up, but when it's a first try, the last thing he wants is to make it frustrating.

But it seems he didn't have to worry]

Guess you'll sneak right up on me if I don't watch out.

[talim]

You bet.

[ but unfortunately, with the upbeat song almost over, jude is just a little too slow and makes one slight stumble, catching himself. and then it's over and...

9s has the high score even with the mistakes. jude comes in second. ]

... Next time.

[ but he's smiling, wide and bright. he had fun. it's not like he's ever done this sort of thing before. ]

[deem]

[It's a relief to see Jude smiling, and 9S smiles in turn, wry around the edges]

Gunning for me, huh?

[He wouldn't be surprised if Jude improved at this. The way he fights relies pretty heavily on coordinated footwork, and he's hardly a slouch where stamina or speed are concerned.

Besides, humans have a lot of capacity to grow, as he understands it]

[talim]

Always.

[ you know what? this has earned 9s a fist bump. jude reaches out a curled fist. ]

[deem]

[Well, there's a gesture he knows.

9S curls his fingers into a fist, bumping his knuckles against Jude's]

I'll be watching out for you, in that case.

[After he's let his hand drop, he glances around]

So have you ever seen a place like this before?

[talim]

No. Never. There are so many... lights. Flashing lights. And colors.

[ that's not something jude is remotely familiar with. ]

It's almost overstimulating.

[deem]

[It's sort of a relief to hear, and his smile softens, for one reason]

You know, I had the same impression.

[Something in common, then]

[talim]

[ and jude smiles in turn. ]

We really are alike.

[deem]

[It strikes him as an opportunity to ask—]

Want to check this place out together?

[talim]

... Well, being with you sure beats doing it alone.

[ and they promised they'd stick together, didn't they? despite the housing arrangements, jude wants to keep that promise, although now that he's sharing a room with 2b he expects to see 9s crashing their apartment quite a bit. ]

[deem]

In that case...

[9S hops down from the platform, offering Jude a hand]

Let's see what they've got around here.

[talim]

[ when the hand is offered to him, jude breathes a sigh of relief, but he couldn't tell you why.

maybe because so much has changed overnight, but this hasn't.

he grasps 9s' hand gently and curls his fingers around his before stepping down himself. ]

Where should we start?

[deem]

[Looking around, he hums. There's so much color and sound, and there are so many people here, it's a little difficult to pick out something that stands out.

But since they're both a little overwhelmed by it all, he points out a less crowded section of the arcade]

Why don't we check over there first?

[talim]

Sure.

[ jude sticks close to 9s' side as they traverse through the crowd. there's a long line of what look to be more games — that's jude's best guess, at least — all with multicolored buttons and levers with large plastic knobs to operate them. ]

It looks like it would be way too easy to lose track of time here.

[deem]

Yeah, that's probably the point of a place like this.

[Elective diversion, that is.

As the crowd thins, the air feels less weighted than it did before. Being around so many people in such a confined space is new and, just as Jude said, close to overwhelming.

At least the density of people-traffic lets up around the games they're passing by now, owed in part to a few displaying "OUT OF ORDER" signs in languages 9S doesn't recognize and thus can't read]

[talim]

[ it takes jude a second to realize that 9s doesn't have the magic he does and thus can't read the signs at all. he nudges him gently in the shoulders and points to one of them. ]

It says out of order. Must be broken.

If you want to read anything else, just consider me your walking guide.

[deem]

What would I do without you?

[Go around only reading things in languages he can understand, that's what. At least most general use signs and posters clearly include something he can read, but a handwritten sign like the ones on these machines stands as the exception.

He's lucky that Jude has that sort of ability, because he might miss out on something one of these days otherwise]