[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]

The same scanner that detects a user's card should be set up to scan the individual too, once I'm done. Now the problem is I can't get it to access any databases without getting unwanted attention around here...

[And they're supposed to avoid that, right?]

[splinten]

Sitting down and dismantling a vending machine might also get you that.

[Like. It occurs to him.]

[deem]

At least I'm helping, right? And there's no magic to it or anything.

[Seriously he's not sure why they didn't have these features to start with]

[splinten]

You are technically fucking with property that doesn't belong to you. I'm pretty sure that's bad in this culture.

[He, personally, thinks that's stupid, because 9S is improving it!

But he is aware that others may not agree.]

[deem]

[That, at least, gets him to pause]

You think I should leave it alone?

[Dirk would know more than him, wouldn't he?

Nevermind the fact that he's already taken the thing apart]

[splinten]

I think it's a little late for that.

[Since. You know. He already took it apart.]

You might want to seek clearance on it though.

[deem]

Clearance? I'm not sure who I'd even ask around here.

[He glances around, not that there's anything helpful to find in their immediate surroundings]

[splinten]

There might be signs about who owns them somewhere on the machine. Like a number to call or something.

[fuck if he knows though]

[deem]

I think I saw something about maintenance...

[He sifts through parts, picking up a plate of exterior paneling]

[splinten]

[Dirk starts looking too. When he finds it, he holds it out to 9S.]

Maybe this.

[deem]

That does look like contact information. I guess I'd need a phone...

[How impractical]

[splinten]

Can your blindfold not access the network? [Weird.] Well, maybe it's better we not let them trace it back to something we're keeping. We should grab a disposable or a phone booth or something. [If they have those.]

[deem]

I could probably hack into anything they've got here, but...you know.

[Who knows what people in this place might deem sorcery?]

A phone does seem safest.

[splinten]

But hacking draws unwanted attention no matter how fun it is. A lesson my friend never seemed to learn.

[He loves you Roxy Lalonde but why.]

Okay, we should probably get this reassembled before we go look for one.

[deem]

Usually it's how I go unnoticed, but I don't see that working out in a place like this.

[No more than Dirk does, which is to say he agrees with the assessment. They're probably under more than enough scrutiny as-is]

Just like I found it, right?

[Like any good Scanner, he's gathered data on the device's structure, and he taps at the air to prompt a holographic screen to appear and display those schematics for Dirk's use]

[splinten]

Nice. [Regarding the holoscreen.] Just like that, yeah. Want a hand?

[deem]

If you wouldn't mind, it'd go a bit faster.

[9S wouldn't want to impose, but it does sound like it's best that no one else sees the disassembled vending machine]

[splinten]

No problem. [Dirk immediately settles down and starts getting to work. Team 'whoops, shit' here at work.]

[deem]

Thanks.

[At least between the two of them, the only real challenge is not improving he vending machine at all]

[splinten]

[It is a very difficult task. Consider: the vending machine could RAP at people. But he forces himself to resist so that they don't get arrested or whatever for being awesome.

After a time,]

That looks like the other machines.

[deem]

Hopefully no one notices.

[How disappointing, being unable to improve such an inefficient unit.

But at least they shouldn't get into trouble for being better at tech]