interstellar5555 | ☆MINGLE IN THE CITY

Who: NEWBIES FROM EVERYWHERE.
What: More rescuers and musicians have arrived. This is a non specific mingle log for whatever you want to do that is intro related!
When: March 9th, 2055
Where: Anywhere in Vista City!
Warnings: Could be anything, or possibly nothing.

☆VISTA CITY

You'll quickly notice that Vista City comes with multiple levels - the ground level, that actually touches the earth, and then a second level of streets and walkways that occurs halfway up the mountainous buildings. Cars streak down both sets of speedways, and the signs of life scatter every inch of the towers surrounding you. At the same time, though, a city of this magnitude leaves a lot of nooks and crannies left frequently unseen - something you'll definitely have to take advantage of. In the outer ring of the city the population is less dense than it gets towards the center, so at the least it gives you the opportunity to get your bearings.

You'll find that there is no shortage of people stalking around in the darkness, even as the sun sets and night totally takes hold. A lot of them are dressed pretty funny, too, and any insecurities you had about looking ridiculous can tentatively be put aside. The costumes you were left do allow you to blend in about as well as you could hope. You've been advised to avoid talking to locals as much as possible, at least until you've figured things out better. There is a notable absence of homeless people on the streets, which could mean any number of things.

RESCUERS WILL BE GIVEN THE FOLLOWING LOOT:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING: if your character doesn’t already speak English, they will be given some time with a crown like technological device that seems the be able to psychically teach people languages at a rapid pace. Whatever has been enabling communication so far won’t cover you once you enter the city, so it’s important that you’re prepared. How easily a person’s brain accepts this information will vary based on unseen neurological factors, and can range from perfect fluency to an uneasy second language. (On an OOC level, whether or not your character struggles with picking up English is completely up to you.) Most of this training will be done on the trip to Tera.
THEIR DESIGNATED TOOLS: any items your character was designated on your application will be given to them now. They’ll have some degree of choice in what they get, but everything is limited in supply. There are manuals for everything, but how much you can be fucked to read them will vary. Also, some of them aren’t in English or anything else even remotely recognizable.
COMMUNICATION DEVICES: Everybody will get a communicator, which are worn around the back of your ear and project a holographic field over your eyes when activated. The device itself must be manually switched on with your fingers, and from there on out your exact method of controlling it depends on the settings. Some of the more basic functions can be manipulated with “brain waves” (though nothing very complicated) and the rest is mostly voice or touch activated, though you can also set it up to be controlled with blinking and eye movement if you are a “pro”. Its functions include voice, voice-to-text, and a sort of janky manual text mode that you have to touch the screen to use. Video chat is not available, though it is capable of recording video from your POV to be shared manually after the fact. It can also share still images. Various channels can be set up and accessed, both private and public, much like a Teamspeak server is used in gaming.
HOLO EMITTERS (LIMITED): The amount of these available are limited by “plot convenience.” Do you want your character to have to struggle with their alien appearance to get by constantly? Then imagine there wasn’t enough of them to go around and your character was unlikely or benevolent enough to not receive one. Would you rather they have access to one? Then you can have one. A holo emitter is capable of projecting a holographic image around your character and disguising their appearance, the complexity of which is entirely up to you. The major problems with it are that 1) it can’t conceal things that the hologram doesn’t actually touch – cow horns could be covered in a hologram to look like a hat, but it couldn’t make them look as if there is nothing there at all, and 2) the holograms have no mass, and so if anyone tries to touch them they’ll realize they are just light projections. Also, like most of the equipment, they only work for a few hours before running out of power.
AMERICANA DISGUISES: Clothing, make up, the works – everything the average joe needs to pass themselves off as a resident of Vista City. Outfits are perhaps a bit more eccentric and flashy than you’re used to...or maybe a bit less, depending where you come from. Either way, it’s a specific look, and there should be enough here to accommodate new outfits for all the humanoids. If you’re a horse, you’re sort of on your own. What your character ends up with is up to you, though “space rave” is a good way to describe common aesthetics. There are also a lot of hooded coats, hats, and other articles that would be good for hiding inhuman characteristics.
RATIONS: Enough food at water, tightly compact, to last everyone for a few days. It’s going to start to run out quickly, though, so the group is going to need some breadwinners sooner rather than later.
FAKE IDS: Complete with each individual's image (or a human approximation) and a made up name. It's enough info to get a job with, they'll explain, if you can manage it. Avoid pushing the forgery's limits, though, if you can. Silver and Gold made them themselves so they expect they are excellent quality, but you can never be too careful.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There was no point. Can't get heard unless you belong to a label. Can't be with a label and be free.

[he lifts the beer bottle] Cheers.

[as for his music well. He wasn't sure if it was anything he really wanted to share to begin with]

[Lifts his own glass to clink against Sabo's.] Kanpai.

Actually...

Freedom can be staring you right in the face and you don't even know you have it. Don't miss out on it seeing a glass ceiling that isn't even there.

[It doesn't... it's not...]

[And yet...]

[He can't put his finger on it. The years between seventeen and twenty where that applied. The missing years. And yet... It was a lesson he already learned. Wasn't it?]

[A hand goes to his temple on the side away from Sabo to rub it in small circles. He can feel it, and yet he can't remember it. Like a dream. And the harder he tries, the more it fades away.]

Freedom's doing whatever you want right?

[His heart feels like it's being choked again. That burning sensation from the back forward all over again. Something about his brothers. He doesn't even want to look at it too much, it clearly hurts more than should be necessary.]

Caged birds need to fly, but they still have to know where they're going first.

[He laughs quietly suddenly.] Labels are just like your stupid knockoff sunglasses. A little sticker on the front so people who don't look beyond them don't see. They shield, but not much. If everything's too dark for you, take them off. Unless you're afraid. [STICKS HIS TONGUE OUT.]

[Sabo smirks a little. He has no doubt that this guy will find the freedom under the label to do whatever he wants. In face he kind of hopes for it. As for himself-- there's something missing. He knows that and yet-- and yet it's not enough somehow. The music is good, it's all he knows, but there is a piece of him that longs to do something different. That craves something that's connected to this place only he can't understand what it is]

You focus too much on the surface. [he pushes the sunglasses up and drinks his beer] This is just a look. I like it, but it doesn't mean anything. Otherwise I need to do what I need to do.

[fear had nothing to do with it. And sometimes it was easier to see in the dark]

You think so?

[There's a sort of smirk at that.]

[But he wonders.]

[Does he? Or does he just want others to assume so? Is that the same for this guy?]

And you don't? Or is this all a disguise then?

Isn't everything? [it is but it isn't. He feels it is even as he feels like dressing this way. It's expected and it's easier to do as he likes if people think they know what he's going to do... and that's the point, isn't it?]

Sounds like an excuse for not living the way you want to.

If you can't find freedom then you need to know who's holding you back. Are you sure it's not yourself?

It is myself and you don't need to worry about it, pinhead. [though he is mildly surprised to find his voice almost fond. Where the hell is that coming from]

I've got it covered.

[MAKES A FACE.]

Who says I'm worried for you, moron? I'm still mocking you. Get it right.

Got it, dumbass. [but also what he has is a lot of work to do. So to the ramen vendor he just scribbles a number out on a sheet of paper and hands it to him]

Just charge it here. Both meals.

[he's got to go back and actually get some tactile practice with the guitar]

See you around. Hopefully not in the most wanted list.

At the top. Either way.

[But ehhhh since Sabo actually paid for his meal, ruining his eat'n'run plans, he gets up and bows.]

Thank you very much for the food.

Now that's surreal. [he laughs weakly] Don't worry about it, kid. [pushes Ace's hat down in lieu of a hair ruffle. Okay he's being patronizing on purpose but...]

[Punches.]

I very much doubt I'm younger than you. Don't treat me like a child asshole.

[manages to dodge that mostly, laughing a little and holding up his hands]

Okay sure.

[he could tease him more but that's for later]

Enjoy.

Tch.

Thanks! I will. [Beams, and sits back down to eat some more.]

[And hopefully not drown from a narcoleptic fit oops.]

☆MINGLE IN THE CITY

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