Face of Praetoria [RP Story]

[Yes. There is now a Spirit of Nova out and about. She is a work in progress still but I hope you enjoy the story.]

Nova Praetoria

Perfect. Always perfect. It took awhile for Nova to appear, but when she did, she knew she needed to be perfect. Not a hair, though fake, out of place. Skirt always ironed and smooth. No dirt upon her clockwork body. Perfect. Always because she needs to keep up appearances. The people that live within the city need to see things perfectly. Need to feel safe from the monsters that lurk just outside of the sonic fence. And she knows they feel safe. That many of them feel happy and blissfully innocent of what really goes on.

She stands there at times, near the Civic Center. Watching the new people appear that are working with the Powers Division and running about. Helping in one form or another. Silver and gold is the new body form she takes on, like the very buildings that stand within her boundaries. Yet just like the city she watches over, there are dark parts to her. The cables that allow her movement, that shifts power through her limbs are like the very sewers that lay under the perfect buildings. The sewers are areas she dislikes like her own cables. They are dirty. They are not perfect. And they are filled with people that are upset.

It confuses her. These people that fight against the law and the Emperor. She can see their point, in a way. They want their own lives, their own emotions. But they hurt others to get their way, like spoiled children. She hates them but loves them at the same time. She loves all the people that wander her streets and does her best to look over them. To help them and guide them to the right path. The perfect path.

The others are not welcomed in her streets. Those that are not from her lands. They are evil. She hates them.

Nova wants them all to die and leave Praetoria alone. Because they are not perfect nor clean. They are disorder. They harm her and her people.

((When I read your work I want to make a Spirit of my own. x.x

Darn you and your support of my altitis! :P

Plus I don't know if I can, if there's an application process or... you know.))

((I want to make a Spirit of Neutropolis. I have an idea for a costume already. Unfortunately Spirit of Neutropolis is one character too long, so I reserved the name Ghost of Neutropolis. Something.))

(I have no idea yet for the Spirit of Imperial.Maybe I could rip off a bit of Cole's costume(white and gold)*goes to the costume re-design thread*

Imperial City

She makes her way across the bridge that links her to the other parts of Praetoria. The first is Imperial City.

This part seems so alive. Yet even for all the life, she knows that they have the same dirty sewers that she has. She skirts around the Peoples Park, not wishing to dirty her feet and show that even Nova can be dirtied. Perfect at all times as nervous fingers reach up to make sure her hair is in place.

“Today in the news, little Nova came to see the others of her family.”

Such words take her off guard as mechanical eyes glance up at one of the many screens that litter this part of the city. There is a human on it and the title under it dubs him as John Houston, reporter. Yet those eyes look down upon Nova rather than at the camera. She knows that no one else can see what she sees, hear what she hears. The talk between spirits are for their ears alone.

“Good to see you out and about, little sister.”

“I am little?”

John laughs, resting his chin in his palm as he seems to study her on high. Which causes Nova to brush at her skirt and fix her hair again in nervous reflex.

“You look fine. Like the proper little official we both know of. Like the perfect image for the Emperor. But I am sure you didn’t come over here to get embarrassed by myself. Why have you crossed the bridge into my area, Nova?”

Nova looks about, watching people come and go. Talking about going to different places to have fun while avoiding the people in the black trench coats. Seems that even here, the dirt rises to the surface.

“There are newcomers to the world. People I have never felt before. I was wondering if you knew anything about them, Imperial?”

John scoffs, sitting back in his chair before the screen goes dark. It returns a moment later with a beautiful woman, standing at Tiberian Bluff and looking back into the city. Her face then turns to Nova, nodding slowly.

“They have linked our world with the Pocket D.” Head shakes as the woman turns fully to Nova. “A club of sorts like the Studio 55 but worse. It is linked to the Primal world. Why? Are you scared of them, little Nova?”

“No!” She blurts out at the screen before taking a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. Perfect, always perfect. “They are hurting the people. Our people.”

“They might be hurting yours, but they are helping mine.” The screen grows dark again only to have John Houston reappear again. “They like to party and you should know I like to entertain people. Make them feel good.”

Nova looks away from the sly wink Imperial gives her. Imperial is the city for the people while Nova is the city for the officials. Such things like plays and night clubs do not belong among the perfect buildings. So the people come here for that.

“You know, seeing you this upset makes me wonder if you get out enough.”

Eyes shoot back to the image, her mouth gaping open while hands clench into fists.

“Little Nova. Your mask is slipping.”

The image flickers and for a moment, just a moment, she swears she sees a monster. Something deformed and mutated. Something that should be behind the fences. It flickers back to a normal looking human face but the chill of what that monster could be still runs down her clockwork spine.

“Tell those newcomers that they are not wanted. Tell them to stay in their own world.”

“Would if I could. But I won’t. Because, you see, they feed the people in my area with things to do. They give Neuron new test subjects.” John leans forward, grinning from ear to ear though his skin seems a bit redder? “Besides. When the Emperor finally launches the war on their world, they will end up here. And then the real fun can begin, no?”

Nova quickly makes her way through the city, wanting to get away from the rift that lets these people she hates in. And away from the laughing face of John, flicking from screen to screen until she finally crosses the bridge.

She will take the train back to her own area.



[Hehe. Well, I have been working on the Faces of Praetoria for awhile. Just never got them onto the computer. If you wanted to make the different spirits of the city, I won't be against it. Just when I first quested in Praetoria, I fell in love with it. Either way, the last two parts of the city are coming!]

Neutropolis

The moment her foot lands upon the area of the eldest of the Praetorian spirits, she knows she is being watched. The clockwork are out in force around here, cleaning and tending to the many technological systems that litter this part of the city. Nova feels out of place even though she is housed in a clockwork form.

“Little sister Nova!”

She just barely turns to look as the massive clockwork mender lifts her up into the air with ease. There is a smile upon his face as he tosses her up and down like a child. She cannot help but laugh at the more joyful meeting between the two. Finally Neutropolis places her back upon the ground and wraps an arm about her shoulders.

“What brings you to this side of the city, my little sister?”

They walk along the sidewalks of Neuron's Reach, the smooth and perfect buildings bring her comfort. The people in the black trench coats are still lurking about, but they are not what cause her discomfort. The clockwork are.

“I wanted to know if you have been feeling the newcomers as well.”

Eyes cast to a group of clockwork, all huddled together. They stare at her as well as her and Neutropolis cross another bridge and move into Lambda Sector. His arm now moves to clasp his hands behind his back, his walk seeming to stiffen as he does.

“We have.”

Head shakes for a moment, turning to look up at the elder spirit.

“We?”

“Yes. We. But we are doing everything we can to get the most out of them. See?”

He motions to what appears to be a manhole cover lifting up. A deformed face peeks out, spying on a young man that is walking along. In almost a blink of an eye, the creature leaps out of the hole and grabs the man, dragging him kicking and screaming down. Down into the sewers. Down to where the man might die.

“That. That thing is one of the newcomers?”

“Was.” Finger lifted up to her face, a very wicked looking grin on his face. It makes Nova uneasy.

“What do you mean was, big brother?”

“Some have the habit of turning up on the tables for Neuron, little Nova. He changes them. Trying to make soldiers for the war against the Primal Earth.”

Nova moves closer to Neutropolis though not touching. She needed to remain calm and perfect even though this news is a bit unsettling. They walk in silence for quite awhile, Nova looking at the military building that seems to dominate the Lambda Sector. She knows that he is the eldest. He was the first. He is the one that helps protect the rest of the city. They move across the long bridge into Keyes Island, darkness seeming to cling to the air while reactors pump out strange green plumes of smoke.

“How are you otherwise, Neutropolis?”

They stop just near the reactors, his head turning to look down at Nova. The smile is gone. She gets the feeling he is upset with her yet unsure why. A little smile breaks out onto her face, trying to get him to smile back again.

“You have the gall to ask me that, Nova.”

The smile wilts under his glare and harshness of his words.

“I was the first! The first!” Massive hand thumps on metal chest as he towers over her. “They should have stayed with me! But no! No! The Emperor wanted clean and perfect for his people! So they moved away, Nova! They went with you and Imperial!”

Now she shrinks away only to have the larger clockwork stalk her.

“I didn’t know! Please, brother, I didn’t know it would happen!”

Heavy hand reaches out and misses her face by inches as she turns to run away. The heavy footsteps of Neutropolis can be heard, clanking over the bridge.

“You took them away from me! You took the people that should work for me and with me away from me! Look at me Nova! Look at me!”

She turns to glance over her shoulder and she finally sees what he meant. He is rusting on the edges, dirt caked into cracks of his wires while plumes of green smoke and steam rises from broken wires. He is not how he use to be. He is old and forgotten and dirty.

“Nova!”

She sees his hand reach out for her but his face is no longer one of fury. It is worry. It takes but a moment for her to understand why as the ground opens up and she falls into the sewers. Her scream is either unheard or unnoticed by the people walking about up top. But she feels safe because there are clockwork around her.

“You…”

“…would be better…”

“…for her.”

Nova feels something pushing on her mind. Like someone trying to force their way into her home. Hands reach up to clutch at her head, crying out in fear and pain.

“You are not…”

“…like the others.”

“Interesting.”

She surges to her feet and tries to run. But hands, countless hands grab at her. So she does the one thing she knows to do. To fight. It takes only but a moment, but when the dust settles, she is alone. Broken and mangled bodies litter the area around her. Nervous hands reach up to fix her hair and smooth her skirt as head jerks up to hear the heavy sound of clapping from above.

“I guess your all grown up now, Nova?”

Neutropolis is smiling down at her again but she does not like how it makes her feel. Her unease is enforced as the cover for the manhole settles back into place, cutting her off from the streets above. She moves to the ladder only to hear the clanking of clockwork in the tunnels.

“I will…”

“…have you…”

“…for her.”

She runs. But they catch up to her and the battle starts again. But this time, there are numbers on their side and they swarm her and rip her apart. Her shell gone, she vanishes back to her own area.

In Nova Praetoria, the people report all the clockwork suddenly falling to the ground while tears streamed down countless faces. The people don’t know why they are sad. So they drink more Enriche and go on about their lives.

This turned out great. Love what you've done with the place.

(If you're wondering - yes, Nova's player/writer spoke to me a few days ago. I'm glad and flattered to have been of some inspiration to others. I'm also just a little jealous in that she only has to deal with three zones (four if you count the Underground). )

[I plan on putting in the Sewers and even D in. But I envy you for having more than three zones. Going to be hard to level her up while staying in the city, if such can be done. Working on finding that out!]

((I want to talk to you both. I made a Soul of Neutropolis character (since using Spirit is one character too long). I want... to know if I can have permission to play him. If not, that's no worries, I'll just reroll him with a new name. Oddly enough, he's very close to your description. I modeled him after the reactors.

Any thoughts? >.> *knows he's probably getting ahead of himself*))

(( Fine by me; I certainly have no lock on the concept. Amour, what say you? ))

Theres no Praetorian Spirit left for meh?
Ç-Ç

[Hehe. I have no issues with anyone playing the other spirits. Though if you wanted, you could shorten Spirit of Neutropolis to maybe...Spirit of Neutro? I has no clue! Though I do see him having different sides to his personality because of all the different sectors.

And the Sewers and Imperial are still open. I see Imperial as a changer. Never the same face nor gender because it is all about the fun! And a bit insane since there is a bit of devouring earth issue going on >_>]

How about a spirit to,maybe,Cole Tower?

[Ta-da! Nova is getting a VV page in the works. http://virtueverse.net/wiki/Spirit_of_Nova And for those that don't want to go look at her there, here is what she looks like in both normal and 'other' form.]

((Screenies!))




((Any suggestions for costume tweaks?))

About the Spirit of Imperial,I've always seen Imperial City with focus on IMPERIAL.Could I work on it on that direction?

(Not at all binding, but if you're still stuck, consider... DCAU Lex Luthor.)