spellbinders | [WORLD TWO

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.

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:

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He nods, producing his notepad and writing it all down. It’s about what he figured they would need. It’s good to hear they’re on the same page. He adds a note about the first aid to bring up later.

Then he pauses, glancing back down at Airis. Her joy is still there in his mind. Bright and shining in a way that reminds him faintly of the happier members of his team.]

...you sure we coukdn’t find the jelly here?

[It wouldn’t hurt to have more if they could find it. But he won’t over step her authority. He’s a soldier. Not a parent.]

We should pick up a small tool kit too. There’s no telling what will happen and I know enough to repair the tech around here. Most of it.

Ah, the jelly she's talking about is made from the fruit back at the island we were in. You know, the apple with melon flavor?

[A fruit she believes can only be found in that particular island, but.]

I am thinking of getting some apple and melon flavor ones. Maybe they'll have the same flavor she may like.

[The last thing she wants to do is introduce her to something new that will be unavailable once they return. As much as Airis was usually good behaved, her pouts of fits could last for days. Airis was feeling very content at the moment.]

Tool kit?

[When he explains the reason for it, Nike will look astonished, realizing.]

Ah, you know how to fix the advance inventions of this world!?

It's about the same as my world. There could be some slight differences, but the basics are about the same.

...If I'm right, I can show you how to do it too. [He doubts there are that many differences in plumbing and basic electronics. Computers will probably be a different story. He's no Pidge.]

What are you used to?

I wouldn't mind the lessons! It'd be great to learn to use and fix some of them too.

[It may even give her a better understanding of the way everything works too.

With a sheepish smile.]

Candles and natural light? I...I think I come way before any of this stuff even exists....

[If they'll come to exist in her world, but she has faith it will.]

And how much of this tech have you been shown how to use? I don’t want to cover something you already know.

[He gestures for her to follow him as he slips out of the living room and snatches his coat up off a chair. He misses the ease of wearing armor, but this isn’t so bad.]

...it’s been a while since I had to worry about the seasons. Where I came from we made it to the stars. Not many seasons out there.

I know light switches are usually safe to use. Flashlights are more convenient than candle light. I'm trying to learn about whatever is affecting the atmosphere of the room though. We can't have it remain too cold for Airis.

[The AC is what she may be referring to. All she knows is it has a switch too. Nike was very new to anything beyond the usual technology that may seem normal to everyone. She learned to accept the lights and AC from the last world she was in before being taken to the floating island in space.]

Really? You haven't seen rain or mist or rainbows? Don't tell me you're from a place similar to the island we were in. I think it's floating through space, isn't it?

[She did witness amazing sights in the last few weeks before the heavy rain storms and spirits ruin the visibility.]

No, I've seen them. I took a mission off planet and haven't been back since. Some planets don't have rain. They have other weather or even none.

[It takes a moment to figure out what she means and he crosses over to the panel for the air conditioner. That's right the Palai are lizard-like. Should have thought of that, but]

And the way to control the temperature of the room is right here.

No rain or weather!? How is the planet alive? Do people live in those type of places? How do they survive? Better yet, how does nature survive in such a climate? Are the animals okay? What about plant life? What does it look like?

[There was a lot of questions! So many to ask. Nike has never heard of such a thing. Worlds without rain or weather. When those very foundations are important! Nike couldn't help wonder if they'll ever end up in a world like it. Would she be able to use her original magic?

But after watching him head to a panel, Nike will head on over to take a closer look at it. Her attention will be on her surroundings, realizing.]

Oh! It isn't as cold as before. [Turning to the panel.] So that's how it's done! I should've known. Amazing. How is such a tiny thing able to do those sort of things?

It contains a type of technology that allows it to store specific settings for the machines inside the wall. Think of it like a latch on a door. You use this, and it opens the way for the information to go to what does control it.

[She has a lot of questions and he only has some answers. Shiro holds up a hand to forestall any more questions as he sorts through what she'd ask.]

The planets are alive in their own ways. Not all life is the same and not every planet has the same weather. Some are living creatures that allow others to live on them. I've seen a lot of different plants. Some look like ours and some don't. I don't remember them all but later, I could draw some of them so you could see.

[She'll blink a few times at his explanation, trying to make sense of it. All she understood was: a machine did it by using a button? Nike wasn't much when it came to technology, but she did try to understand the gist of it all.]

Okay. I think I got it. An invention makes it possible because it was designed to do that.

[She can definitely understand this much! But it was clear her interests were very much on the worlds he has gone to. Her eyes will sparkle at the thought of him drawing all the plants he has seen while at the same time...]

Are you sure? I don't mind receiving images through telepathy. I have seen other people's worlds through it and all.

[She didn't want to be a bother, no matter how excited she was to learn about other worlds.]

[He pauses. He hadn’t thought of that.] Then I can show you after we’re done.

[While He doesn’t like telepathy he uses it. Only way to guard against something is to use it and get good at it. He peels away from the wall and heads for the door.]

It shouldn’t take long. ...just curious but how familiar were you with magic before you became part of the Coven?

[WORLD TWO | INTRO LOG]

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