Floating Cities Are All The Rage (OxO//Closed//Dystopian)

It has been nearly a century since the nuclear fall out of the world. Sixty years since the oil dried out. Fifty-three since the new element, ‘Sinatanium’ had been discovered. Society is barely getting back on its feet and has found Sinatanium can be used as both a metal and an energy source. Cities once laid upon toxic ground are now held miles above the earth resting upon Sinatanium powered platforms.

Few can afford to move into these cities of paradise and so are left in slums and dirty towns filled with crime.

I was thinking of role playing something set in those slums below the floating cities. Radioactive creatures also exist so that can be added. I wouldn’t mind if it was action/romance, etc. My character lives in the slums. Your character can be anything from a person living above or another street rat living below on the toxic earth.

Would prefer no smut.
Also might be some dark themes and gore.

(( May I? ))

((Ahh heck ya))

(( Sick, should I put in a character form first or…? ))

((If you would like. I don’t mind diving in but if you like a form then go for it and I’ll put one up too.j)

(( Well, I don't think I've started an RP without a form, so why not try it now haha, though I might prefer if you start us up to give me a more firm idea of the world and setting ))

((No problem there! I’ll start right away. And it is fun sometimes to just jump in. I’ll be using Juniper Dale, a rather small female with no home or family.))

(( Sick! I'm gonna panickingly try to decide which character I should use until the last minute! ))

(Hahahaha have fun. I’m writing the beginning now.))

To some, the scavenger city of Sire was the worst possible place to find oneself. To others, such as Juniper, the city was loaded with valuables and easy pickpocketing. Located just beyond the boarder of what was considered ‘safe’ to live on, Sire was home to the worst of crooks and to the worst of poor. Many lived homeless, cars out into the streets to fend for themselves. Bodies lined the streets, their decaying corpses picked at by those starving to death. The earth was tormented by the heavy machinery desperately mining for oil. Their large hammers would find nothing. Earth was barren of her resources. The world was dying.

The only way to survive was to pillage what little others had. That was Juniper’s theory. One could only survive if they were smarter than all the rest, and if they had good experience scamming people of their money. Which, more oft than not, was exactly the case.

Juniper hummed a tune from years past as she made her way through the crowded streets. Vendors lined the sides, calling out their products. She wasn’t interested in any of them, only pausing to check her pale reflection in a broken mirror before continuing on. She was after food. They were handing out rations from the clean cities at exactly three. She was going to get those before they ran out

((Sorry If it’s not good enough. I’m still learning myself ^^’))

Astrid took a few glances around her before swiping a roll of bread and waddling into the crowd of people, stuffing the food into her army green, oversized jacket. She wanted to feel guilty for stealing, she knew it was wrong, but after what happened to her family, she only justified herself by convincing herself that she was only taking what she deserved; enough to live. She deserves to live, right?
Astrid hated crowds, and she hated being so squished against the other people, she preferred her personal space, and she despised being touched, but she had to muster through it for a few moments, just to hide in plain sight while she gets as far away from the baker as possible before he finds out he's missing some bread.
She scowled at the people around her, all going one direction. Where? Why were these people, all just as poor and wretched as her, going in the same direction? What are they looking for?
Astrid bumps directly into someone, causing her stress to reach new levels of high, as she avoids eye contact but does her best to look up at their face.
"Sorry.." She utters, pausing.

((Sorry If it’s not good enough. I’m still learning myself ^^’))

(( Actually it's exponentially better than a lot of people I've worked with lol,,,,including me ))

((Sorry If it’s not good enough. I’m still learning myself ^^’))

(( Actually it's exponentially better than a lot of people I've worked with lol,,,,including me ))

((Ah thanks.))

A low growl left Junipers throat. The line was already long. The thief was just cooling her head when a rather flustered female bumped into her. She growled, glancing at the bread thief. “Wait your turn! And watch where you’re going!” She snapped, instantly checking her pockets. Nothing was taken so far as she was concerned.

Juniper was paranoid about that. She hated letting people touch her. If someone just skilled enough we’re to even bump you, you could be out entire life savings. The tattered hoodie she wore was adjusted, the hood lowered to reveal the shocking blue hair underneath. One side was nearly shaved while the other was cut short. Hair was a hassle to take care of when everyone was dying.

Astrid noticed her as she lowered her hoodie, but Astrid still avoided eye contact. She never really could look anyone in the eye. She realized she was staring as she suddenly realized the girl's words that spit out of her mouth.
"Wait my turn? On what?"
She turned to where everyone was going, and almost pushing Astrid and the girl to go, but she could barely see over everyone's heads. Stress started to build up and she could feel herself nearly breaking down, but she took in a deep breath, grounding herself on the moment, looking up into the sky-or at least as much of it as she could see from down here. The bread was still warm and fresh in her pocket, but it was growing cold. She still had to eat it before she got home; if her brother saw that she was still stealing, he'd be pissed.

“Fresh food…” was all Juniper said, eyes focused on the ship ahead. It’s Engines were powered down, but she could easily see they were Sinatanium powered. Everything was now. From the holographic technology to the flying ships that carried people to their day to day business, Sinatanium ruled all. It sold for a high price, and yet could be fabricated in a lab. It wouldn’t be too hard to strip a ship for the precious element.

Eventually the two girls were pushed to the front, where Juniper swiped a food kit and a few medical supplies. She wanted to cry in relief. She would live for another few days. “This stuff isn’t contaminated. No falling ill from poisoning or radioactivity…”

Astrid's eyes lit up as she watched the girl take a pack, a different kind of happiness filling her face; a pure one. Astrid took one glance at the food and various supplies and grabbed as much as her small hands could hold; which wasn't much. Curious and a little lost, her eyes scanned the crowd, landed on the blue-haired girl, and she followed her.
Surely that girl would know her way around, right? Astrid's legs barely maintained themselves, as they've been walking and running all day, but she couldn't give up now. It's not like Astrid has pushed herself past her limit before. Though, those were when she got caught stealing, and had to run from the people chasing her; this time, she's chasing someone else.

As Juniper walked, she pulled a dirtied, bloody bandage wrap from her arm, discarding it atop the corpse of some unlucky soul as she walked by. The survivor hadn’t noticed she was being trailed, and soon found herself back in her alley, pulling a fresh roll of bandage wrap from the medical supplies she had grabbed. Pulling the arm of the hoodie back revealed a nasty wound.

It oozed a yellow liquid mixed with blood and a small chunk of flesh had been dug away from its center, the white of bone visible. She grimaced as she rewrapped her arm, being careful around the large chunk of missing flesh. It was around then she seemed to notice the other girl. “What do you want? Why did you follow me?”

Astrid watched in slight disgust, her eyes dropping even closer to the ground as the girl uncovers her wound. As the girl notices her, Astrid suddenly becomes self aware.
"What do you want? Why did you follow me?"
When the words hit her, Astrid blinks upon realizing that she isn't sure of the answer herself. She looks up at the girl, studying her as quickly as she can before muttering.
"Um…I…I haven't seen anyone with your kind of hair before."
She struggles, off her game today as she squints her eyes to get a better look at the girl's hoodie. She reaches into her pocket, pulling out the bread, as she ripped it in half, reaching one half to the girl.

Juniper scoffed. “It’s different isn’t it?” She replied, finishing up before looking to the other girl with narrowed eyes. Nobody in Sire was this talkative to a street rat. “I dyed it so it would stand out.” She had no idea why she had done it. Maybe it was to show the people around her she wasn’t to be messed with. Or maybe it was to get the attention of people who could help her.

She eyed the bread carefully, still unsure if she could trust the girl. After awhile, the theif took it, shoving it into her mouth hungrily. She hadn’t eaten in what felt like days. “What’s your name…?” She asked after muttering a soft ‘thanks.’ “You’re really too kind for your own good.”

Astrid let out a gentle smile as the girl took the bread, taking a bite of the other half herself. Even if she was hungry, the bread was too filling for Astrid to stuff down before she got home.
"Astrid…" She breathes, listening to the girl's words, watching her just slightly grow a bit relaxed. Upon receiving the compliment, Astrid looks away, running a hand through her curly hair.
"That's what my brother would say. He said I deserve more than I have, but he doesn't say the same thing about himself."
She sighed, realizing how far she was from home. Does she even know where to start from here?

(( Gtg sleep, be back tomorrow! ))

((See you then!))

“Juniper.” She murmured, finishing the bread quickly. Her eyes slipped closed, a small groan leaving her slightly parted lips. She wanted something cool to drink to wash down the bread. “Lots of people think that way these days. Truth is we’re all just a bunch of dirty theives.” She grumbled lowly, rubbing at her face. A small scar ran along her cheek up towards her green eyes. It looked as though this female had been through Hell and back. “Is he living? Your brother?”

Astrid gulped down the last of the bread as she watched Juniper, a sense of exhaustion emanating from her. Astrid didn't talk to many people, but to her they all seemed empty-minded just as much as they were empty-handed. She furrows a brow and purses her lips as Juniper breathes out another question, leaning against the wall. Astrid stepped closer.
"One of them is. The other is missing, but people try to tell me he's dead."
Astrid knew in her heart that he's not dead, but no one would listen to her. People disregarded her opinion and scoffed at her, even her brother has given up the hope. Astrid assures herself that if her older brother died, she'd know.

Her eyes flickered across Astrid’s face, a look of soft understanding upon her own. “Don’t let them tell you anything.” She replied firmly, sliding over and patting the seat next to her. She trusted Astrid, for now. She seemed harmless. “Hope is a rare thing to have out here. We all used to hope, and then they told us what it would take to get up there,” she pointed upwards, where the platform of the floating city could be seen.

Astrid's eyes trailed upwards with Juniper's words as she sat down next to her. She shrugs her shoulders and returns her gaze to the ground in a sort of laugh.
"I don't really care about that. I just miss the green on the trees and the fields of grass."
Her eyes locked on the dirty, trashy ground below her.
"The world isn't anything it used to be, that's what my grandparents used to say."
Though half of the air wasn't anything close to clean, Astrid inhaled deeply. This moment was such a contrast to the days she spent snatching food from innocent merchants; she didn't feel like she had to run anymore.

“Earth is dead. There’s no sugar coating it.” Juniper replied rather sharply. They never made it to Mars, they never found life on another planet, but they did find new nuclear weaponry. And they did start a war. And they did kill the world. “Though I’ve heard some floating cities have trees and grass.”

She was jealous of those who entered the cities. She wanted a normal life for once. One she could live without stealing. “And their food is supposed to be good.” She murmured, pulling her bag close as if afraid it would walk off.

Astrid glared at the ground, Juniper's hard truth reminding Astrid as she held her breath, feeling her heart rate rise.
"I don't want to live in the floating cities. That just means I'm one of them."
She replies coldly, scratching her elbow almost nervously as she starts to fidget. She certainly didn't identify with anyone down here, with their reeking of alcohol and other foul stenches, but she'd rather hard truth than a happy lie. She didn't want to abandon what little excuse she had to call herself human.
Plus, moving stressed her out.

Juniper grinned wickedly. “Funny how if we go up there, we become mindless. And if we stay down here, we turn into corpses along the roads and are burned.” Juniper laughed softly, shaking her head. “I hate this place. I want to get out of Sire.” Out where the air was cleaner.