My brother's visiting right now so I can push back ze deadline a bit if need be. No beeg deal.
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and ran straight into someone with enough force to knock them both off-balance
Should’ve just gone straight into the “fell down on each other in a 69 position”, like a proper shounen romcom. ;3
@Megatron If she was already an icon of beauty standards, why did she choose to go into Hero work? While Heroes do get actual superpowers and can participate in pretty crazy events, there's still room in Neo-Astraea for regular celebrities too. Think musicians, actresses, models, etc. Being a Hero would also entail having to deal with real-ass (though loosely scripted) pain, which isn't super pleasant for someone in their 30s. Unless that's part of her self-destructive bad-decision-making life.
@Eviledd1984 Explain more why he chose to take up work as a Talent. You kinda glossed that over. If dude is naturally a teddy bear, and doesn't really have a chiselled jaw or devilishly good looks, I don't see why he'd be picked up for that kinda stuff. Also, Extracurriculars is meant for what he does outside of regular fights in order to improve his Fame. Not what he does in his spare time.
@PapiTan Y'know, it's absolutely fucked, how this looks in mobile. Looks good on desktop though! You mentioned that AGC Rising focuses on traditional acts of heroism. Does that mean that, say, she'd be involved in helping out with actual incidents that the police/fire department would handle? Or is it more that they would script scenarios using their Talents where Amaris would like, say, save a kid from getting crushed by a truck (that some other Talent softballed)?
@Digmata Brudda. I dunno if you're intentionally using a picture with a panty flash here. It's nice to see someone go through regular auditioning processes though. Also, Aspera Agency? More like Kurosanji.
Only thing you'll have to change is her name, as it's in violation of one of the three Taboos.
@Asuras@Crimson Flame@Crowvette@Silver Carrot@Yankee@Cu Chulainn@Dark Light@Sanity43217
How's CS creation going for the rest of y'all?
@Eviledd1984 Explain more why he chose to take up work as a Talent. You kinda glossed that over. If dude is naturally a teddy bear, and doesn't really have a chiselled jaw or devilishly good looks, I don't see why he'd be picked up for that kinda stuff. Also, Extracurriculars is meant for what he does outside of regular fights in order to improve his Fame. Not what he does in his spare time.
@PapiTan Y'know, it's absolutely fucked, how this looks in mobile. Looks good on desktop though! You mentioned that AGC Rising focuses on traditional acts of heroism. Does that mean that, say, she'd be involved in helping out with actual incidents that the police/fire department would handle? Or is it more that they would script scenarios using their Talents where Amaris would like, say, save a kid from getting crushed by a truck (that some other Talent softballed)?
@Digmata Brudda. I dunno if you're intentionally using a picture with a panty flash here. It's nice to see someone go through regular auditioning processes though. Also, Aspera Agency? More like Kurosanji.
Only thing you'll have to change is her name, as it's in violation of one of the three Taboos.
@Asuras@Crimson Flame@Crowvette@Silver Carrot@Yankee@Cu Chulainn@Dark Light@Sanity43217
How's CS creation going for the rest of y'all?
Bit of a quick job, but it iz what it iz.
Arashiyama Junko
Arashiyama Junko
Arashiyama Junko
"Ohohoho, well-spoken indeed!"
Prideful. Booming. Like the voice of a thunder deity, reverberating across the classroom in a way that undercut the chatter rather than rising above it. The accompanying footsteps could be felt in the stomachs of all present. Something was approaching, something not quite human. Just as how rikishi were seen as not just athletes, but persons halfway divine, so too was there an inexplicable aura that the woman who rose above the crowds possessed. The light of noontime reflected off her thick lenses and gave a flaxen quality to the silver strands that framed her square-set face. Even in her spring uniform, with its long sleeves, one could not ignore how tautly the fabric was stretched against her shoulders, how well-defined her legs were beneath her black stockings.
In the springtime of youth, amidst the flurry of changes caused by puberty, there were those who became delicate flowers, there were those who became intoxicating blossom, and there was was herself, who became as a tree.
Club activities haven't started yet, so it had been on a whim that she had chosen the cafeteria, rather than the club room, for a light lunch, but to have encountered such a disorderly mob on the very first day...well, she simply couldn't allow herself to be uninvolved, could she? It mattered not if it was in a different classroom. It was her school. And so, there she stood, the very symbol of the newest generation of third years, a titan who had influence on-par with the student council. Lady Arashiyama Junko, resplendent even in her corpulence.
"Second-years, are you now? How uncouth. Have manners fled your grasp in your scramble to satisfy such ulterior curiousities?" She scoffed, the very image of high-class disappointment. "I would suggest you form a line and speak with her properly, but it's lunchtime. Queue in the cafeteria. Unless you seek to not only to bother, but also starve her."
He coughed. He laughed. He breathed.
"Sure it ain't chicken?"
The world continued to unfold its myriad mysteries. The lady he thought was a princess turned to be something far more divine, while the swordsman who he had called out to decided that he neither wanted to use his swords, nor wanted to give others his swords. Greedy fellow, wasn't he? Not that it mattered overmuch when a great striped beast leapt out from who-knows-where and tried to feast upon monstrous prey. He stared at it for a moment, wondering whose pet that was. Better be careful of that guy, for sure.
As for the byproducts of that cursed creature's rampage though?
Fists or timber.
Corpses sprouted feathers, and he kicked up a hefty branch from nearby, taking a step to the side as if covering the girl's retreat. It had a nice weight. It was an excellent weapon. A few experimental swings, and he got the hang of it pretty quickly, rolling the branch over his wrists and arms as he expelled the last bit of that strange addiction of his with some physical activity. A quick run up, a two-handed swing, and...
The branch smashed against the head of the first feather-being, knocking it over. He almost followed through with a stomp to the head, then decided that he didn't know when he'd get a new pair of shoes, so settled for a downwards swing with the branch a second time, the grisly impact felt deep in both hands. More were lumbering forth, pulling themselves out of the piles of corpses and he glanced around him, wondering if there were any else who would participate in the relatively safe fun.
No?
Oh well.
A wordless tune left his lips as he continued to swing away, forming a new pile of corpses just a few meters away from the previous one. If he picked up the pace further, he could even start whacking their heads right as they worm their way out of the pile! Now that would be a proper game.
@Psyker Landshark@Asuras@Crimson Flame@PapiTan@Crowvette@Silver Carrot@Eviledd1984@Yankee@Cu Chulainn@Megatron@Dark Light@Sanity43217
Alright, so I can probably only take 5 to 7 people max, so fill out the CS and apply, ye. Deadline will tentatively be May 3rd. Lemme know if ya got extra questions.
Alright, so I can probably only take 5 to 7 people max, so fill out the CS and apply, ye. Deadline will tentatively be May 3rd. Lemme know if ya got extra questions.
Look outside, kid.
Beyond the bright lights. Beyond the walls. Out there.
There are lands where dragons and wyverns lurk. There is ocean where mountains once stood. A hundred thousand cities, turned to nothing more than elaborate ruins and oversized headstones. In the neon glow, can you see which stars should be there in the sky, and which shouldn’t?
The world outside is in disharmony, and those inside need to forget.
So honestly?
Doesn’t matter if you think it’s a lie or a scam or whatever. You’re a professional now. Keep it together and stay entertaining.
The bottom line of the City depends on it.
After Era Mythos
In 53 AE, belief shapes reality and talent agencies make idols out of mortals.
Neo-Astraea, the City of Heroes, stands as one of the few bastions of civilization left in a world irrevocably altered. Beyond the walls that stand taller than even the greatest skyscrapers, there is nothing but chaos and uncertainty, a bubbling unrest that has given birth creatures once considered mythological in nature. But within it?
The city is a place of peace and plenty, where anyone can become a Hero and gain the adoration of the masses. Through Fame, that combination of broad popularity and fandom fervor, individuals can rise up to become superhumans based off of the populace’s belief that they are. Neo-Astraea craves heroes, and the talent agencies, the PR firms, the self-marketing gurus? They are more than happy to provide.
Fan meetups every day. Bombastic battles every week! The greater a Hero’s Fame, the greater their powers become, enabling them to embody the ideal that rests in the heart of their beloved fans! And, of course, in a City of Heroes, one can hardly be only be someone who punches people hard! There are Heroes who dance and sing, Heroes whose ‘civilian’ alter ego see themselves star in TV or radio dramas, Heroes who invent inventions that unfortunately only they can use! Heroes who you can shake hands with and hug, Heroes whose lives you could read about on tabloid rags, Heroes who fall from grace so dramatically that years after their disappearance, they’re still spoken of! Hero merch, Hero photobooks, Hero vinyls and cassettes, Hero movies on the silver screen!
And of course, where there are Heroes, there too are Villains. Corporate-controlled and managed, feasting off the same Fame that Heroes do, but serving instead as a foil, a counterpart, to further draw the populace’s gaze and attention with their antics. They too have their fans, they too have their merch, they too are performers, acting out what their managers desire and what the people want to see. Following the narratives approved by Neo-Astraea’s Ministry of Self-Actualization, they do dastardly, harmless crimes, engage in heart-stirring battles across all levels of the city and, ultimately, fall dramatically to the Hero’s might.
Predictable stories, but comforting ones.
Neo-Astraea, the City of Heroes, stands as one of the few bastions of civilization left in a world irrevocably altered. Beyond the walls that stand taller than even the greatest skyscrapers, there is nothing but chaos and uncertainty, a bubbling unrest that has given birth creatures once considered mythological in nature. But within it?
The city is a place of peace and plenty, where anyone can become a Hero and gain the adoration of the masses. Through Fame, that combination of broad popularity and fandom fervor, individuals can rise up to become superhumans based off of the populace’s belief that they are. Neo-Astraea craves heroes, and the talent agencies, the PR firms, the self-marketing gurus? They are more than happy to provide.
Fan meetups every day. Bombastic battles every week! The greater a Hero’s Fame, the greater their powers become, enabling them to embody the ideal that rests in the heart of their beloved fans! And, of course, in a City of Heroes, one can hardly be only be someone who punches people hard! There are Heroes who dance and sing, Heroes whose ‘civilian’ alter ego see themselves star in TV or radio dramas, Heroes who invent inventions that unfortunately only they can use! Heroes who you can shake hands with and hug, Heroes whose lives you could read about on tabloid rags, Heroes who fall from grace so dramatically that years after their disappearance, they’re still spoken of! Hero merch, Hero photobooks, Hero vinyls and cassettes, Hero movies on the silver screen!
And of course, where there are Heroes, there too are Villains. Corporate-controlled and managed, feasting off the same Fame that Heroes do, but serving instead as a foil, a counterpart, to further draw the populace’s gaze and attention with their antics. They too have their fans, they too have their merch, they too are performers, acting out what their managers desire and what the people want to see. Following the narratives approved by Neo-Astraea’s Ministry of Self-Actualization, they do dastardly, harmless crimes, engage in heart-stirring battles across all levels of the city and, ultimately, fall dramatically to the Hero’s might.
Predictable stories, but comforting ones.
...
..
.
In Neo-Astraea, there are three Taboos.
The number 2000.
The word ‘Terror’.
The country ‘Japan’.
In Neo-Astraea, there are two Afflictions.
The Self-Propagating Villain.
The Thanatognosis.
In Neo-Astraea, there must be one Absolute.
Good will triumph over Evil.
..
.
In Neo-Astraea, there are three Taboos.
The number 2000.
The word ‘Terror’.
The country ‘Japan’.
In Neo-Astraea, there are two Afflictions.
The Self-Propagating Villain.
The Thanatognosis.
In Neo-Astraea, there must be one Absolute.
Good will triumph over Evil.
Utopian Dissonance
Anyone who was anybody would live in Neo-Astraea, and plenty of nobodies are lucky enough to live there too. A metropolis that five million people call home, it is a city in defiance of nature itself. Grand, semi-opaque walls stretch fifty meters high, forming a clear boundary between the city and the outside world, and yet, paradoxically, sunrise and sunsets can still be seen, and a blustery breeze can still be felt. Winters are mild and wet, casting the city in a somber yet delicate hue, while summers are heady and dry, the perfect day for romance and revelry. In Neo-Astraea, the skyscrapers form the outer rings, residential and industrial complexes reaching just below the top of the walls, while the inner city is flatter, more pastoral, filled with sandy beaches, pleasant parks and gardens, amusement parks, quaint streets with cafes and bookstores, and 'suburban' blocks with proper single-family homes. From above, perhaps, it resembles a storm: chaos abound the boundaries, yet growing more tranquil the closer one is to the center.
At night, the city is bathed in neon. Work-life balance for common citizens is mandated by the Ministry of Civil Bliss, with a universal basic income and free Blocktown housing guaranteed for all citizens. It is a utopia where, at the bare minimum, even the most destitute soul will still have a roof over their head and three solid meals a day, as well as a plethora of options for entertainment, from bars to night pools to concerts to sports matches to, of course, the dozens of Hero events occurring across every district of Neo-Astraea at any hour to day.
No one thinks about where food or water come from, when there's neither space for livestock or agriculture. Indeed, such subjects aren't even taught in an otherwise robust educational system. The City has provided for more than half a century as the population grew. There is no reason to believe it wouldn't continue to do so.
Anyone who was anybody would live in Neo-Astraea, and plenty of nobodies are lucky enough to live there too. A metropolis that five million people call home, it is a city in defiance of nature itself. Grand, semi-opaque walls stretch fifty meters high, forming a clear boundary between the city and the outside world, and yet, paradoxically, sunrise and sunsets can still be seen, and a blustery breeze can still be felt. Winters are mild and wet, casting the city in a somber yet delicate hue, while summers are heady and dry, the perfect day for romance and revelry. In Neo-Astraea, the skyscrapers form the outer rings, residential and industrial complexes reaching just below the top of the walls, while the inner city is flatter, more pastoral, filled with sandy beaches, pleasant parks and gardens, amusement parks, quaint streets with cafes and bookstores, and 'suburban' blocks with proper single-family homes. From above, perhaps, it resembles a storm: chaos abound the boundaries, yet growing more tranquil the closer one is to the center.
At night, the city is bathed in neon. Work-life balance for common citizens is mandated by the Ministry of Civil Bliss, with a universal basic income and free Blocktown housing guaranteed for all citizens. It is a utopia where, at the bare minimum, even the most destitute soul will still have a roof over their head and three solid meals a day, as well as a plethora of options for entertainment, from bars to night pools to concerts to sports matches to, of course, the dozens of Hero events occurring across every district of Neo-Astraea at any hour to day.
No one thinks about where food or water come from, when there's neither space for livestock or agriculture. Indeed, such subjects aren't even taught in an otherwise robust educational system. The City has provided for more than half a century as the population grew. There is no reason to believe it wouldn't continue to do so.
The Subliminal Stream
The largest section of the already massive entertainment industry that seems to seep into every corner of Neo-Astraea, Agencies are controlled by the regulatory body known as the Ministry of Self-Actualization, and are responsible for the simple task of instilling hope and excitement into the lives of the citizenry. Executives make decisions that may influence the livelihoods of tens of thousands of interconnected peoples and businesses, while analysts are one of the few exempt from the work-life balance instituted by the Ministry of Civil Bliss, given the 'privilege' to work around the clock monitoring social media and studying crowd sentiments. Costume designers possess more licenses than Neo-Astraea's police force when it comes to the procurement of weapons and materials technology, while some of the best doctors and surgeons that the city has to offer can be found in the Medical and Beautification Departments of major Agencies.
And of course, who could forget about managers They're the ones that uncover the potential Talents that be showing up on childrens' lunchboxes, the ones that make sure current Talents don't crash out and go so horribly off-script that the Ministry of Silence needs to get involved, the ones that make sure retiring Talents are able to properly separate themselves from their Stage Personas in order to properly go on with their lives. Considering the relatively low average age of most Talents, and the immaturity that often accompanies money, power, and popularity, it becomes ever more important that managers are able to serve as an anchor for their Talents, to keep them grounded.
Fame, after, is a double-edged sword. And it is the Agencies, not the Talents, that best know how to control it.
The largest section of the already massive entertainment industry that seems to seep into every corner of Neo-Astraea, Agencies are controlled by the regulatory body known as the Ministry of Self-Actualization, and are responsible for the simple task of instilling hope and excitement into the lives of the citizenry. Executives make decisions that may influence the livelihoods of tens of thousands of interconnected peoples and businesses, while analysts are one of the few exempt from the work-life balance instituted by the Ministry of Civil Bliss, given the 'privilege' to work around the clock monitoring social media and studying crowd sentiments. Costume designers possess more licenses than Neo-Astraea's police force when it comes to the procurement of weapons and materials technology, while some of the best doctors and surgeons that the city has to offer can be found in the Medical and Beautification Departments of major Agencies.
And of course, who could forget about managers They're the ones that uncover the potential Talents that be showing up on childrens' lunchboxes, the ones that make sure current Talents don't crash out and go so horribly off-script that the Ministry of Silence needs to get involved, the ones that make sure retiring Talents are able to properly separate themselves from their Stage Personas in order to properly go on with their lives. Considering the relatively low average age of most Talents, and the immaturity that often accompanies money, power, and popularity, it becomes ever more important that managers are able to serve as an anchor for their Talents, to keep them grounded.
Fame, after, is a double-edged sword. And it is the Agencies, not the Talents, that best know how to control it.
A Handful of Syndromes
What is Neo-Astraea without its Heroes? What are Agencies without their Talents? Whether Heroic or Villainous, Talents are the ones that have the most direct impact upon weaving the mythos of the City of Heroes. Some went through eight different auditions before being signed on with a major Agency and being sculpted into the perfect Hero. Some shone bright in a single viral moment, and an eagle-eyed gambler of a manager offered them a position then and there, to become a truly distinct Villain. Others started from ground-up, trying to cultivate any image for themselves to stand above their peers, gathering followers and fans until they simply couldn't be ignored by an Agency any more, as they reincarnated to a new form. No matter what their origins, however, upon the Stage, all Talents are equal, and all Talents could equally aspire to become the True Hero of Neo-Astraea.
Or well, they could be as equal as the amount of capital and resources they have on hand for equalizing the playing ground. Empowered as they are by Fame, the population's belief and recognition in the heroic identity they seek to wear, Talents must constantly be promoting and must constantly grasp at the spotlight in a city with a thousand distractions. Brand deals, musical performances, handshake events, merchandise sales, social media posts, collaborations with others, Talent teams, ensemble battles, movie deals, and so much more! It is here that any ambitious Talent would doubtlessly be drawn into the fold of increasingly larger Agencies, who could provide more opportunities, more resources, more manpower to keep increasing the numbers, keep deepening the fervor! Villain or Hero, it matters not! Without public's eyes on you, you may as well not exist!
Of course, there are Talents who are happy where they are, who just work to maintain their own humble fanclub and live their marketable years out as a neighbourhood performer. But those Talents are myths, stories told by fuck-ups. How can one seize the eyes of the crowd without a purpose in their heart, one hot enough that they could burn down the stage with?
What is Neo-Astraea without its Heroes? What are Agencies without their Talents? Whether Heroic or Villainous, Talents are the ones that have the most direct impact upon weaving the mythos of the City of Heroes. Some went through eight different auditions before being signed on with a major Agency and being sculpted into the perfect Hero. Some shone bright in a single viral moment, and an eagle-eyed gambler of a manager offered them a position then and there, to become a truly distinct Villain. Others started from ground-up, trying to cultivate any image for themselves to stand above their peers, gathering followers and fans until they simply couldn't be ignored by an Agency any more, as they reincarnated to a new form. No matter what their origins, however, upon the Stage, all Talents are equal, and all Talents could equally aspire to become the True Hero of Neo-Astraea.
Or well, they could be as equal as the amount of capital and resources they have on hand for equalizing the playing ground. Empowered as they are by Fame, the population's belief and recognition in the heroic identity they seek to wear, Talents must constantly be promoting and must constantly grasp at the spotlight in a city with a thousand distractions. Brand deals, musical performances, handshake events, merchandise sales, social media posts, collaborations with others, Talent teams, ensemble battles, movie deals, and so much more! It is here that any ambitious Talent would doubtlessly be drawn into the fold of increasingly larger Agencies, who could provide more opportunities, more resources, more manpower to keep increasing the numbers, keep deepening the fervor! Villain or Hero, it matters not! Without public's eyes on you, you may as well not exist!
Of course, there are Talents who are happy where they are, who just work to maintain their own humble fanclub and live their marketable years out as a neighbourhood performer. But those Talents are myths, stories told by fuck-ups. How can one seize the eyes of the crowd without a purpose in their heart, one hot enough that they could burn down the stage with?
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