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

(Omg I'm so glad to hear from u and know that ur doing well 😭 I have def been through A TON. I went to Colorado three times total this past year, idk if u can tell but I may or may not be in love with the state, and I broke up w my boyfriend of almost 4 years bc I realized I was a lesbian but now I'm kinda leaning more toward bi LMFAO and then I changed jobs like three times, I've got an interview tomorrow but they're doing a drug test and there's a chance I won't pass it 👁👄👁 and then this third Colorado trip helped me realize I needed to end a 7 year long friendship because I actually didn't deserve the way I was being treated<3 due to him deciding to date my only other IRL friend and them completely ditching me to pursue the most insecure relationship the world has ever seen bUT ANYWAY I am a COMPLETELY different person nowadays but that doesn't mean i can't write some FUCKING RP LETSGOOOOOOOOO I'm def gonna go try hard with this initial comeback post so I apologize for the writing style I haven't written this kinda thing in a while it's all built up inside me)

The crinkle of the papers were the only sound in Astrid's room as Roger silently looks through them. Some of the drawings were of him, some of his mother and father, some of Jesse. But a few of the drawings were people out on the streets. They were good drawings, too. One was a man asleep against a pile of garbage, his only sense of privacy being the dirty hat that covered his face. Another depicted a mother and two children, both sitting on her knees. One was just a young boy, no older than twelve, with an ancient expression on his face. He'd been through too much at his age. Roger couldn't help but feel moved by these drawings. The way Astrid captured these people's souls and saved it into this little drawing, this little pocket of time. This is their legacy.
As Polly excitedly, but attentively enters the home, her dry nose curiously moves upward as she notices the smell of someone familiar. Her ears perk up as she dives her snout into the carpet, desperately looking for a trail. It was hard to find a lead when you're surrounded in the scent you're looking for, but she found a path where the scent was strongest. Polly makes a beeline for the hallway.
Astrid giggles as she watched Polly sniff around.
"Polly! Where are you goi-"
Her voice gets caught in her throat as she watches Polly turn into Jesse's bedroom. Regardless of any emotions that started bubbling in Astrid's chest, she leans forward and follows the dog.
As she passes her bedroom, Astrid pauses, noticing Roger standing around the mess that was left. He was holding a few of her sketches. She looked at Roger, who held an expression of horror and disgust for some reason. She broke the silence.
"I half expected them to take the drawings of you and mom and dad, considering how involved you all were with them."
Roger didn't look away from the drawings as Astrid stepped closer.
"Did you know them?" He muttered, voice barely intelligible as Astrid frowns.
"Know who?" She looks at the drawings Roger held, which she noticed he was gripping a bit too tightly.
"They were just random people I saw outside. I asked if it was okay to draw them, some of them asked for the sketch when I finished. I told them I wanted to keep them."
Roger remained unmoving and silent.
"Why do you ask?" As Astrid steps close enough, she realizes that Roger is crying.
She looks at the drawing he refuses to tear his eyes away from. It was the sleeping man, arms crossed, using his jacket as a blanket, face covered with the hat.
"He was just trying to survive. Just like you and Jesse. He never hurt anyone."
Astrid furrowed a brow, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"Was?"
Astrid looks back at Roger, reading the overwhelming guilt on his face.
"What happened to him?"

(An eventful time! It sounds like a lot of ups and downs but c’est la vie I guess XD. I’m happy to hear you’re learning more about yourself though! That always takes time and a lot of exploration. I’m also glad you’re seeing your worth and recognizing when relationships (regardless of what type; platonic or otherwise) aren’t good for you. Congrats on that! We all are different now I feel, I’m gunna admit I probs got worse at writing but I’m also ready! (And don’t worry too much about the reply! It’ll be great! And is great!)

Juniper watched the dog go but didn’t follow, instead taking a step out and looking up at the large underbelly of the city above them. The darkened ground below her felt strangely more grounding than the floor of the house. Even after everything they had gone through, June still felt like she belonged to the wretched, merciless wilds of the world - and not in a good way.
She always had felt like the upper cities were too good for her.
It was a shame she yearned for that life so badly. It was a shame they only accepted certain peoples.
June wondered if it smelled any better up there, if the air was cleaner and the grounds weren’t littered with waste and death and rot. Were there trees? Plants? Animals that didn’t want to kill you at every turn? What about the people? Did they scoff as you passed like the guards did down here? Did they beg for their lives and money and food at the feet of everyone who passed by?
Was everything up there really the Utopia the government played it to be?
Were the rest of her family living a good life up there without her? Juniper secretly wished that they weren’t. She wanted the guilt to eat away at them until the day they died. She vaguely remembered a sibling. She hoped they were disgusted by what their parents did.
She hoped she could make it up there one day only to pretend they never existed to her. Juniper would openly wear her scars and modified body and watch as they writhed in guilt and shame and-
And…
She would mourn the life she could have had with them had they let her come with them…

Well. At least she could officially say she would never be in that situation. Not as long as she stayed with Roger and Astrid and the others.
In a strange sort of way, she was glad for that. At least Astrid and the others seemed to care for her.

Stephan paused as he passed by to enter the house, letting Atlas pass him by. He stared at Juniper, brows furrowing at the distant look in her eyes.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked her softly as he moved to her side, glancing up at the marvel of engineering he had once had the privilege of working on.
Juniper gave him a once-over before she sighed gently and shook her head. “Nothing of interest. I just kind of wonder if they’re doing well.” Stephan gave her a strange look, shrugging a little.
“Who cares if they’re doing well or not. They sure as hell haven’t done anything for us.” He replied bitterly. Juniper deflated and Stephan immediately felt guilty. “Buuuut… I’ve seen the schematics for those cities, their layouts and the likes. It’s a safe place up there. A good life for those who love there…”

(Anyone alive in here? I made some RPs in Character Chats that anyone's welcome to join!)

(HEY TOXIC I'M ALIVE AND IT HAS BEEN SUCH AN ABSOLUTE UNIT OF A YEAR !! Funny story about Astrid ! She was gonna be my character that had autism so I did a lot of research of autism in women which eventually led to my self diagnosis 😭 I've grown so much in the past and I hope you are doing well!! I'm still trying to figure out myself and my autism (also turns out, not bi! Ace/Arospec<3) but I'd still love to continue this RP! I had no idea how burnt out I was from everything else it always took me so long to respond :') but I still love and adore my OCs and have thoroughly enjoyed our endeavor ! Wow okay imma go ahead and write my response since I'm over here using fancy words)

Astrid swallowed the lump in her throat as Roger's shaky breathing filled the silence.
"You were just doing what you were told, it's not the same." She muttered, trying to hide the fact that she's talking more to herself than to her brother.
Roger felt the weight again. The heavy guilt from anger and obligation forcing his hand.
"Yeah but it was, though." He huffed out, biting his cheek.
Astrid could feel the tension rising-unless Roger's mechanical parts were heating up-and she wanted to change the subject before either of them dwelled too long.
"I'm going to check on Polly."
As she turned toward Jessie's room she paused, looking at Polly who stood in the doorway with a leather sack between her jaw, spilling with coins.
"What do you have in your mouth, Polly?" Astrid inquired accusingly.
Instinctually, and maybe a bit playfully, Polly turned around and darted down the hallway.
"Polly!"
The dog burst through the front door with the sack in her mouth, currency dropping out with each bouncy step. She ran circles around the front yard, turning and wagging her tail inviting Astrid to chase her.
Roger, dumbfounded by the amount of money Polly just uncovered, began collecting what spilled out, looking to the others for some miraculous answers. Jessie had saved up enough to buy himself and Astrid food for months.

((HELLO! WELCOME BACK! :D Y’know what, that is a mood and a half, did the same with ADHD. Neurodivergent baaabeeeyyy, it’s a fun time out here 😆 Thats exciting tho!! I’m glad you’re figuring it all out!! Later diagnosis’s can be both rough and really nice. On one hand you know what’s up with your brain, on the other hand, you know what’s up with your brain! Y’know? (Also, as a fellow Ace leaning Aro as well, WELCOME TO THE GROUP! It’s pretty chill, albeit confusing cuz do I just like how they look or is it more?!) Definitely take the time you need for burn out. That is rouuuggghhh and the time is needed. I’m glad to hear from you again tho!! Glad to see you doing well :)))

“I guess you’re right… but I can’t help but want them to live good, maybe then it’ll feel like leaving me behind was needed or some worthy sacrifice. Doesn’t feel like it currently.” She sighed deeply, turning to head back into the doorway.

June was nearly knocked over when Polly barreled through the doorway, moving out of the way of the path of chaos just in time to catch a glimpse of the glittery currency.
Her eyes widened when she realized what it was, turning to look at Astrid with a look of disbelief.
“That’s… a lot of coins…” she muttered, jumping at the opportunity to help Roger pick up the money left behind.
Atlas was nearly jumping with joy at the sight, the wicked grin on his face betraying how excited he was about it all.
Stephan had moved to stop Atlas from doing anything stupid, watching Polly run circles around the yard.
“Where did it all come from?” He asked, looking to Astrid for answers.

(Ahhhh I'm so glad to hear back from you omg !! Hell yeah love how the aces always seem to flock together don't we lolol also yeah going back and looking at all my characters I had no idea just how much i was foreshadowing my own life LMFAO anyway have I added you on any other socials? Still computer-less so I won't be on notebook as often as I am anywhere else :') but if you want you can follow my ig @/theonlyaloe <3 )

Astrid suddenly felt all eyes on her to which she shrugs aggressively.
"I don't know, Jessie said he's picked up a few jobs here and there, but I thought we were barely scraping by. I mean, it's not like we had three full meals a day?"
The more she talked, the more confused Astrid grew. Why didn't Jessie tell her about this? Is this what they trashed their house looking for? Does it even have anything to do with the organization?
Roger didn't seem to have any answers on his expression either. Astrid even noticed a tinge of frustration in his face.
"What should we do with it?" Astrid finally asked, looking at Polly who's patiently waiting for someone to chase her.

(We really do seem to do so. The amount of ace people I had in my life before I figured out that was also what I was is kind of funny. Just sort of gravitate towards the type of people you get along with, I guess XD. That is a big mood lmao, it's always fun to do that, but also feels kinda nice to see that there were signs XD I don't have many socials so I don't think so. Unfortunately I don't really have an active insta, maybe I'll make a new one ^^' rip to computer tho, I understand that frustration all too well.)

June chewed on the inside of her lip, glancing back at the house before she sighed softly. "I don't think this was all 'legal', maybe that's why he couldn't do much with it?" The image of a bloodied bat was all too burned into her memory. She hadn't thought much of it before, mostly because she herself was familiar with the violence one needed to survive. She hadn't judged him in any sense at all for it. It was natural in such a world as this.
"We definitely shouldn't use it all at once. That'd be too suspicious. And not very smart of any of us." Stephan spoke up, looking to Polly for a moment. "It definitely increases our chances of survival out here."

(The funniest part about me and being ace is that when i first discovered what asexuality was for a few minutes I almost didn't want to be ace simply because I hadn't invented it 😭 but then even now there's no allosexual explanation for me so here we are >:) anyway how have you been! What's your life been like these past few hectic years !)

Astrid twiddled her thumbs, but she couldn't help fantasizing about the possibilities opened up to them now that they have this money. They have this house still, and now more very capable friends.
Polly wagged her tail patiently, noticing that the game has ended and gradually shifted her position from sitting to laying.
Roger tried assessing his options. The computer and machinery inside him whirred and clicked as he feels something similar to a headache coming on. As he lifted a comforting hand to hold his temple, he couldn't help but feel the edge of his skin where his face became metal. There was some sort of artificial mixture of keratin used to weld his face. While all the other cyborgs had full faces, Roger's was half-done, interrupted or rushed during operation; they never really gave Roger a straight answer.
"Juniper," Astrid broke the silence with a voice that seemed to surprise even herself. "Haven't you said you wanted to visit the floating cities?" Astrid gave a quick glance at Roger, not giving him a chance to react as she returned her gaze to Juniper's direction. "What if we figure out a way to take you there?"

((XD You know what, thats fair. It made a little too much sense for me as well. I think I sat on it for a few days and went "Well… dang. Guess that's what it is". I've been okay! Had a few health issues with vitamin deficiencies and stomach issues that I'm still trying to deal with but otherwise it's been purely school and work and paying bills XD. Not the most thrilling couple of years. I've been doing a lot of work on myself tho! Been feeling much more confident in myself so that's nice! I also worked a lot on this universe Juniper is from and have also maybe made her a bit more cyborg - Stephan is canonically her biomechanic who repairs her systems so that she doesn't die when something starts to slow down. There's also a lot more about the Upper cities and their plans for the lower cities as well as a lot about the different genetic modifications that are possible. That's been fun!)

An intense flash of excitement crossed June's face at Astrid's suggestion. It was one of the first few strong emotions even Stephan himself had seen from her in a very very long time. There was something so lively about it that nearly made Stephan keep his mouth shut about the idea.
Nearly.
"I… don't think that's a very good idea." He interjected before Juniper could agree to it. He was given a glare in return that bordered on hatred and betrayal. "Listen, we're all wanted by the Upper Cities and I'm sure they'll have us all on some kind of watch list. Even if we do manage to steal an aircraft to get up there I don't think we could get past the amount of security they have."
"But it's the Upper city! If we make it we might be able to find-" She cut herself off, glancing at the others with a slightly suspicious look. "I know you're curious about it too. We have too." There was a pleading tone to the edge of her voice. All it managed to do was make Stephan look guilty.
"Well, we might be able to make it up there… I know for a fact they won't have our faces on wanted posters up there. They like to pretend its a utopia up there, the general populace wouldn't be looking for us. And it's not hard to mimic a supply ship signal, I've managed to get into the reserves they keep at the very bottom of those massive engine and magnet cavities they have to keep it afloat. I also know for a fact they have maintenance corridors that will take us right to the surface. How we get past security from there is something I'm not entirely sure of. Most of their 'Rogers' - no offense to you Roger or anything - but most of their 'Rogers' look and act very human. They don't want 'impurities' to show through but they've definitely been using cyborgs as security for a long time now." Atlas suddenly cut in, crouching down to draw a rather poor map of the maintenance tunnels under the city. "You forget I used to be a fairly decent aircraft pirate, Stephan, I've been places." He boasted, looking up at the group with a stupid grin.