Rainbow*Storm’s idea. Her description:
In the future, an evil anti-Muser organization has taken over most of the world, crushed all forces of creativity and learning, and created a Cakesaccharine World where mind control reigns and those who don’t conform to society mysteriously vanish. Only a small band of rebels, the Kokonspiracy, have escaped the brainwashing and are plotting to overthrow the evil government and free the masses.
Ooh, sounds cool! I’d like to join this. Which type of role-playing/writing is this? (RRR, RPW, or RPG) If it’s still up for discussion, I’d vote for RPG.
Hmm… I wonder if we’ve all been stamped (tattooed?) with “Property of the Kokonspiracy”. You know, to warn people that we’re SCARY DANGEROUS CRAZY PIE THROWERS. Maybe people call us “Props”. /tangent
Also: how far in the future? (Ten years or less sounds good to me.)
I vote RPG, too.
Yeah! Like slang. Or Kokes. Like, an insult too.
I vote RRR, if it’s that kind of thread. We never get any great RRR’s.
I think it should be in the future- I think ten to twenty years sounds good. It would be cool to have new technologies, but not so far that it gets far-fetched.
Technology: No teleportation or time-travel, but some new things (e.g., more advanced than iPods, less advanced than aformentioned concepts). Should there be space travel? Not that we’d be in space, but just moon bases and stuff being a common thing.
I like Koppar’s idea of being called “props”.
This definitely sounds like fun! I would love to take part in this. An RRR would be fun, but the RRR we had before fizzled out before it got started. *coughcoughsteampunkrrrthreadcoughcoughcoughcoughhackcoughhairballcough* RPGs seem to work better. I’m fine either way, at any rate.
Koppar–What if everyone was stampedtatooed by the evil government organization, for various purposes, such as to show where you worked, your birthdate, where you lived, whatever? When things changed it would be tatooed over. People who were charged with crimes had the information about it on them. Every year the population had to go to their local goverment office to have their information updated (or, if you wanted, you could go there when, say, your address changed. And, of course, criminals would be required.). The flow of people would be staggered over a week.
Any suspicious persons thought to have the merest ounce of independent thought in their head would be labeled as an Extremely Dangerous Folk (EDF.) The Kokonspiracy, being an organized party of these EDFs, had their own label. Warnings were posted to beware any person[s] bearing the label
Property of the Kokonspiracy…Do you need a cough drop? If you need one, I’m sure I could rustle up a post on certain threads if you promise to post too.
Back to the dystopia…People there have their occupations labeled on them too. Some have higher status than others, but you can’t choose. You must do what he government tells you and not what you like. And ALL the work is horrifically mind-numbing. It is in fact one of the ways they use to control the populace. Those few higher-status jobs are given only if you are very very loyal to the government, and they come with perks attached so everyone has reason to betray any fledgling resistance movement. The Kokospiracy, being a bit more established, doesn’t quite have this problem.
Teh few bits of this world that are not controlled by the government re lawless, crime-infested places filled with mercenaries and the last few outposts of a free world. It is here the Kokonspiracy’s base hides. (I vote that it be underground. And deep, so we can’t be detected by infrared sensing. )
So with the tatooing, does the Kokonspiracy do it themselves our is it done by the government?
I vote RPG. I’m feeling nostalgic…
I’ll post too (and then maybe more people will!) but I’m leaving for 1-2 weeks so I can’t post until then.
I think maybe it shouldn’t be tattoos; it would kind of take a lot of space to fit everything, and re-tattooing would be sort of cumbersome. Plus, couldn’t people just tattoo over their exisitng tattoo to adopt a fake identity? I think perhaps it should be some sort of barcode-ish thing, or maybe an implanted chip, but criminals and EDFs would have a tattoo id’ing them as such in addition.
Or, hmm. Maybe the tattoos would be relatively compact if they used symbols rather
than words…?
Re- Technology: I would not have space technology, that doesn’t seem realistic to me for just 10-20 years in the future, but supercomputers definitely, and other somewhat realistic technologies
I would vote for an RRR, personally, and I like FF’s ideas of government populace control.
Should we, as the kokonspirators, have access to high end technology somehow? Like we have a spy in the government, or know how to make them ourselves, or regularly steal them? Or should we survive on past (currently modern) weapons?
I think technology-wise, we’d have a mix–things that have just recently become obsolete, things that are ten years old, things that are brand-new, and all kinds of things in between, as well as things we built ourselves. Although, in a heavily monitored dystopian society, they probably keep very close tabs on weapons.
Some things to consider: after ten(-ish) years of resisting an oppressive government, and having our every move watched, and being prejudiced against, how will we have changed?
And where are the GAPAs? Have they been arrested, and if so will we have to break them out of an ultra-super-maximum-high-security prison? (<– that sounds like a good subplot to me!) Or are they masterminding our movements from a very secret base in Iceland?
Also: I made a poster in CorelDraw warning the populace of people marked "Property of the Kokonspiracy".
I'll send it in tomorrow. …Or later today, rather.
We’d be badass.
Well, more so than we are already.
I vote RPG, by the way.
This sounds awesome! *would like to join*
This sounds amazing! Can I join?
I do have some ideas on who owns what technology. My thoughts are that since it’s a dystopia, the government would have strict weapon distribution laws, and whether you could get a weapon – an how powerful a weapon you could get – depends on your job and social standing. Criminals – like the Kokonspirators- would not be allowed any weapons at all. It seems to me that with any item banned this way, there would of necessity be a black market in selling such weapons. But they would be very expensive. So the Kokonspirators would have a mix of obsolete weapons from before the dystopia, home-made weapons, and whatever they could afford on the black market, which would likely be the less powerful of the modern weapons.
I really like Koppar’s subplot with the high-security prison.
KA- Of course we have access to high-end technology; we built it ourselves or stole it, I think.
I like the idea of barcodes. What I think should happen is that the barcodes stay the same; each one is unique. The tattoos don’t change, but the barcodes can be scanned into a database, where personal information is changed. So if you were trying to identify, say, a body, you could scan the barcode (assuming it is still intact) with a scanner (in the Kokonspiracy’s case, either reverse-engineered or stolen) and their information would pop up on the database.
Where would these tattoos be? I assumed that they would be on the arm, but if someone’s got a different idea, please share.
Will we have a big secret base in some obscure location, hidden from the government, like we did in Bunny Apocalypse, or will it be like a secret network, with safe houses and coded messages sent out in newspapers to alert members? I’m kind of leaning toward the second one; it would be something new, and we’ve already got two RPGs with resistance bases. I think it would be cool to have an underground network for a change.
As for format:
I think, so far, that’s four votes for RPG, and two for RRR, and one neutral? I may have miscounted… but as far as I’m concerned, the polling isn’t closed until the action starts.
As far as characters go, are we going to use our usernames or make up character names? I have no opinion here.
Leaders: I suggest some master leader somewhere, but nobody really knows where/who en is. Meanwhile, if we end up implementing my idea of an underground network, local sectors should have their own leaders.
I like the prison idea too, and I vote RPG.
Ideas: Let’s not be rescuing the GAPAs first thing. We always end up trying to rescue them, but if we did, the whole plot would be resolved and the story would be over, which is why various stories die at that point.
As far as the barcodes go: what if every person had a minature screen/computer thingy implanted in their arm. It would display all sorts of data about the person as well as tracking them. Kinda like the tattoo idea, except that it doesn’t need to be redone and if would display all the info on the person and be used to monitor suspicious people. The Kokonspirators have found ways to remove them and replace them with tattoos, wearing fake or hacked ones only when they need to blend in. We could be led by the GAPAs but we don’t know them as such; we just get mysterious messages and (concrete) warnings from them, either via letters of screens that suddenly change to the Koko-pies-you thing from the ‘phytes thread, except that instead of “Welcome” it might say “Duck!”. I like the idea of prisons and safehouses. I also think we should have a double set of names: our usernames are our Kokonspirator names the others use so that they can’t give our exact identity away, but we also have “normal” futuristic names for everyday use. And I’m in!
We’ll need to come up with some backstory around the dystopia… Like, what let them take power? Who is the leader? How long has the dystopia been around?
In addition to the hatred of Kokonspirators, the dystopia and its supporters despise everyone who lives in the free, crime-infested slums. Especially those who were born there, and don’t have a barcode/tattoo/whatever. They should have an insulting nickname too.
KA- I think there should be *some* space travel- after all, we have some right now. Like, there shouldn’t be a moon base, but there should be the ability to go to the moon, even if no one does very often. And perhaps a space station? Although, maybe the dystopia, being evil and all, considers space unimportant?
Backstory idea 1: While the world was locked in the throes of an economic crisis, a new political party took power, appearing to be interested in saving the world by uniting it etc. Then, as they were called upon to produce results, they overthrew all the heads of state with help from mysterious, yet-to be confirmed furry, pink allies that are/were largely considered an urban myth and now serve, wearing disguises, as the secret police. However, the sluggishness of various governments to respond to orders allowed those on the newly issued wanted lists to escape and some communities, especially the poorer ones with high crime rates and the slums largely avoided by law enforcers, were able to create strongholds against the new orders. Sooner or later, all those who openly opposed the government were destroyed, but not before information on the invaders technology and methods were gathered and safehouses were established (there should also be a sort of underground railway). Numerous organizations emerged. Some were only little more than territorial gangs, protecting their own inside their turf and perhaps hiding a resistance fighter for a day or two; others concerned themselves with creating chains of safehouses and secret routs to smuggle agents and political refugees through government-controlled areas, provided they knew the right passwords. And some created secret communities, concealed from the government, but these were mostly concerned with remaining hidden and living their lives in peace while outlasting the current government, though many had large weapons caches. Only one organization dared openly oppose them: The Kokonspiracy.
Idea 2: Some form of brainwashing through media. Everyone is bunnified. More later.
I think I like the first backstory.
As do I.
I like the barcode idea, although research (read: a Google search) reveals that it’s not possible to tattoo a working barcode. So maybe the barcodes are on plastic bracelets that fit tightly around your wrist and can’t be removed? And they would probably have GPS tracking things in them.
I sent the poster in!
Yay, thanks GAPAs! *pleaseeveryonedon’tletthisthreaddie*
Random ideas:
To avoid confusion, could our characters’ names just be our blognames, like on BA? (Or shortened versions like Rainbow, Enc, Kai, etc.) We could come up with some kind of justification for this in-universe, like they’re our code names or something.
Space: Wouldn’t the evil government have shut down such awesome things as NASA? Or maybe they took it over and are now focused on claiming all space land instead of discovering things.
I vote for RPG.
15- Hence the little chip thingies. I know a lot of people who seem welded to their cellphones already, this would just be slightly more permanent (and waterproof).
16- I agree. Like I said, they should be our codenames.
Space: Perhaps there still is space exploration, but it’s being abused horribly for the governments nefarious schemes.
I think that we should have a bunch of underground branches, with their own leaders. And some of the GAPA’s are in branches, and maybe one is in jail. How about we could all have barcodes and scanners, the scanners allow you to see al personal information when you scan a person. I like the coded messages. Maybe pies with messages inside?
I like the Blogname codename thing. We can make up names for aliases for the characters. Maybe our real first name?
How about this: It can be you’re real first name, but it doesn’t have to be, and you don’t have to tell anyone whether or not it is, although you can if you want to. If there’s ever a point in the story where your last name has to be used, make it up.
I say RPG.
How about microchips embedded in everyone for the tracking devices? I know that it’s something of a cliche but I’ve always liked it.
I think that the government wouldn’t be claiming space land; rather, they would use the knowledge of space we have now to launch more GPS sattelites in order to track everything and broadcast signals.
I like the idea of the tattoo barcode because it seems more sinister than a plastic bracelet; also, if the bracelets are impossible to take off and are GPS devices, the Kokonspiracy members would be too easy to track. And this is the future- I think if we want to, we should be able to tattoo barcodes. Also, the point of the tattoo being a barcode is that when it scans onto the database, it would be the most updated information. So the tattoos would stay the same; the information they scan into would be updated as neccessary. Just wanted to make this clear.
Names- What if the names are somehow variations of our blognames? For example, for my name it would be Alina Lectra or something. (same initials) These we could use to implement bookgirl’s idea and use these as “everyday” names when we wanted to go undercover? This way it would be a bit easier to make the connections, hopefully?…
Intelligent ink!!!
(Sorry, I was thinking about that all day but then forgot. Hence the exclamation points).
Hmm, I think I like the tattooed barcode idea. It seems like it wouldn’t be extremely hard to get off a really tight bracelet with the right tools. Also, the tracking chips…perhaps, but it seems like it would be far too easy for them to catch us. How have we survived for this long, with the underground network (YES by the way) if they can just find our location? They should at least have some sort of drawback…
If we do go with the minature-computer like thingy, then we could make fake ones or hack them. Besides, I already have a backstory for them!
I’m slightly confused. Do the Kokonspirators live undercover in the dystopia, or do they live in the slums, or some combination of the two?
I like the ideas of the tattooed barcodes, space GPS satellites, rescuing the GAPAs from a high-security prison, and our normal names being variations on our blognames.
Maybe the Kokonspirators have several branches, some in the slums and some undercover in the dystopia? That might make it too hard to stay together, though …
Maybe our characters could mostly be in one branch- a branch which moves around between them a lot.
I guess the general idea would be that there are branches all over the world, communicating via hacked technology/secret messages sent by messengers in covert ways, like they did during the French Resistance/ discreet messages in flyers or newspapers that only mean something if you’re a Kokonspiracy member.
Rosebud- I like that idea, although once we start planning a plot, some of us may want to be in other branches to support the plot (e.g. if two branches meet and somehow this is important to the plot, we might want a PC in this branch. Of course, once all the characters are set and the plot starts, we’ll just have to invent NPC’s.)
Yeah, that’s why I said “mostly.”
I vote for an RPG. I have some more opinions to share:
Living arrangements-
If we were well-known, we’d all get thrown in jail and the Kokonspiracy would be over. I think the best way to handle this is to have an every day alter ego, and to keep all Kokonspiring coded and secret. I vote we invent a “normal” name for our characters and use it for day-to-day activities, then use our blognames when sending messages about the Kokonspiracy. In my opinion, if we all lived in the slums, high-crime sectors, etc., we’d have too narrow a view of the world we’re essentially trying to save. I think that there should be Kokonspirators in all possible levels of society (though not in the government or highest social ranks, of course).
Communication/Codes-
Kokonspirators will need to be able to post a message to any and all other Kokonspirators at any given time. My solution? The internet. Say we took the computer tracking device a bit further and made it a sort of earbud-type-thing (like a hands-free set for a cellphone). We could essentially create a worldwide social network. Of course, being the internet, some pages will require passwords. Like the section the Kokonspiracy uses. Since the government would almost certainly have access to all of the internet at any given time, the Kokonspirators would have to use codes even when in their private website.
Now, the Kokonspirators would probably have to have a normal internet-link thing so the government doesn’t get suspicious, but they would each also have one without any sort of tracking device that isn’t registered with the government, like a normal link would be. That way, the government wouldn’t be able to track where they are, and they also wouldn’t be able to tell who posted what on the Kokonspiracy’s website.
Now, I have one last random idea. What if, for added security, all posts on the website (assuming that idea gets used), were devoid of all references to appearance or gender? That could make it even harder to connect the people being talked about to their everyday alter egos. Just a thought.
Or we could use our blognames on the Internet. That would make the actual RPing easier, and hopefully less confusing. I mean, they are blognames…
Hmm, maybe we’ve figured out a way to disable the tracking devices. That way each member would only need one.
I like this idea. Don’t really have anything else to add at the moment…
Oh yeah! What are our usual activities? So obviously we have spies, but what do we usually do against the government? Guerrilla warfare, disrupting communications, liberating political prisoners? We can’t just put out flyers with our ideological opposition to them, we need something tangible.
Find ways to turn different parts of the government against one another?
Ohhh yeah. We could do…really interesting things with interdepartmental paperwork…
Losing, destroying, and altering papers actually is a great way to mess up bureaucracy.
The fact that the government still requires everything to be filed in triplicate despite the existence of online databases is part of its evilness.
Also, as per a “sabotage handbook” created by the CIA for use in some Latin American country (Nicaragua? Not sure.), disabling and otherwise messing with the typewriters, printers, and computers needed for the paperwork.
YES.
I vote RPG. I also have a couple of other ideas/questions:
I think that we should all be in different parts of society including a few in the government/high society. It makes it more interesting.
How would a secret internet link work? I mean, the government would be looking for the sort of thing. We’d need to
put the Imperius Curse on everyonehave some way to prevent them from finding it.I like the idea of messing with the government.
Will all the PCs be Kokonspirators, or should we have some that get recruited/work for the government/are normal?
The ‘internet link’ could be a closed network and not actually connected to the internet proper at all. Or it could require the downloading of special software, which needs to be given in person to all the members of the Kokonspiracy.
I want to be a Kokonspirator. I don’t know if there’s anyone who doesn’t want that.
Agent Lightning- I apologize. I meant that we would use our blognames for anything invoving Kokonspiracy communications. Including the internet. When our characters are doing something public, we invent a normal name for them. For instance:
TINA~
I spoke to my friends. I got online.
Randomosity101: “I found them.”
Or something like that…
Robert- That’s a great idea!
SilverLeapord- I assumed that everyone would have access to the internet. Any internet would have password-requiring sites, or possibly pages within a site that are password-required. Even MuseBlog has threads like that. We could essentially hide in plain sight, and if the government tried to shut down the site, the Kokonspirators in positions of governmental authority could secretly re-open it. I agree with that idea, by the way. Do you suppose that the Kokonspirators in the government could be GAPAs? It would explain why they know more than the other Kokonspirators.
Sounds good. I like the idea of GAPAs in governmental positions.
I guess it beats being in prison, although in some ways it might be hard to tell the difference.
I like the idea of hiding in plain sight. Our webpage should have some “cover page” if you just go on the site, but if you type in a password, you get to the real page. What would the cover page be? Would it be something really boring (Smith’s Appliance Repair) or something with slightly more character (e.g. Museblog-ish)
Speaking as someone who probably won’t be involved in this:
How about you have THREE cover pages:
BORING BUSINESS
(Enter a login)
(false)KOKONSPIRACY BLOG (with utterly silly plans and useless info!)
(Govt. attempts to remove the site/ we log in to it)
YOU FOUND OUR APRIL FOOL’S JOKE! CONGRATUATIONS!
(They ignore it. We, on the other hand click any of the Gs, As, Ps, and then As.)
(real)KOKONSPIRACY BLOG (preferably entitled the same name as the BORING BUSINESS page.)
Mehehehehe.
I think it should be something that appears massively dull, so as not to provoke further investigation from outsiders.
I like Enceladus’ idea.
If the GAPAs are going to be in government positions, maybe we could still have the prison-rescue subplot with random political prisoners?
Or other Kokonspirators?
With the Internet stuff, have any of you guys ever read the book Little Brother by Cory Doctorow? It’s basically about how a hypothetical terrorist attack in San Francisco leads to new security measures to keep people “safe” – but that also rob them of their privacy. American society is on its way to dystopia. (Chrome does’t know the word dystopia?) Anyway, teenagers end up rebelling by using a secret Internet based through Xboxes, and they have to work through a lot of the same security issues (encryption, aboveground networks as cover, infiltrators, who can you trust?) that I think the Kokonspirators would have faced in our decades underground, particularly if our organization is going to be run through the Internet.
With a quick search, I just found out that the book is actually available to download free from the Internet. I highly recommend you all read it, since I think it is very relevant to our own story here.
Oh, I read that! It was interesting; I like it.
I’ve read that too, and I believe the story is relatable to this. I also think this thread looks great, count me in. I vote RPG.
Enceladus – I think that’s perfect!
31 and 31.1 – Maybe when one of us knows in advance that we can’t post for a while, we let our characters get arrested and sent to prison. Then when we get back, we can post that we’re back, provoking a succesful prison rescue?
I like that! Plus, once en gets back they can RP from inside prison if they haven’t been rescued yet.
That would probably be the best way to signal that en’s back and ready to be rescued.
That, and posting ((I’m back!!)).
So if we’re going to infiltrate all different levels of society, but most of us are going to be in one sector, then from where are we going to roleplay?
Wouldn’t it make sense for most of us to be spread through the lower and low-ish middle classes? I mean, in most societies, don’t the upper-class usually have least reason to go against society?
Not always, though. There were aristocrats fomenting the American Revolution and Civil War.
Very true. So, a fairly even spread then?
Would it work to have GAPAs in government positions, perhaps each in a seperate branch, and the rest of us could choose which of the non-government rankings of society we wish to reside in?
Also, considering the setting, would the conventions of each branch of society be different than the comparable branches of our respective societies?
Whatsay we get this moving before it dies?
Seconded. LET”S NOT LET THIS DIE!!!
(Part of it might be that there’s now another RPG forming.)
Hmm, time for character bios yet?
35.1: Yeah, let’s start making them
Name: Ramaus
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Description: About average height at maybe 5′ 6″, Dark brown hair, light white skin, wears short and a t-shirt every season but winter, and even then only a sweatshirt and pants
Personality: Paranoid, but confident. Takes every possible security measure, but is confident that we can handle anything even if it does arise.
Okay, character bio! (Okay, hopefully this won’t be too Mary-Sue-ish. Not that she won’t turn out to be a Mary Sue. *sighs*)
Name: Agent Lightning (Angela Lektra)
Age: 13-ish
Gender: Female
Appearance: Messy brownish blonde hair, green eyes. Height: 5’9″. Wears jeans, ponchos, and rainboots. Usually has hair tied back.
Personality: Slightly random and quirky. Usually nice; sarcastic the rest of the time. Slightly obsessive-compulsive.
Abilities: Is good with computer hacking, software, and secret communications.
Disabilities: Is not so good in a fight. All athletic abilities are pretty much negative. She can run fairly quickly, but gets tired really fast.
Wait- what level of society is our sector in again? (The sector where most of us will be RPing from, I mean. If we’re still using that idea.)
Wait, I’m confused. Are we RPing as us or other characters? (if our blognames are their codenames, then *confusion*)
I got the general idea that we were going to have our blognames as Kokonspirators, but variations of our blognames for when we needed cover identities. (post 20.) I got the vague impression that we were going to do this, but maybe it was just me. Anyway, I put up my blogname and a different name, so I guess I’m prepared whichever way we end up doing the names thing… #cluelessness
38.1- I thought the same thing, only the covernames could be anything we wanted.
Should we post what level of society our character is in, since there will be Kokonspirators in all levels of society? I’m going to post as if the answer is yes, but if not, please disregard it.
-Name: Feyla Marisso
-Kokonspiracy Name: Randomosity101
-Gender: Female
-Age: 16
-Societal Level: Kinda the lower end of middle class.
-Appearance: Tall-ish, messy brown hair, grey eyes, fairly androgynous clothing most of the time (though she will occasionally dress feminine for extremely important events), wears short-sleeves year round and never dons a jacket.
-Personality: A bit of a loner, she can usually be found browsing the e-library, but she almost always has time for her friends. Despite her general snark and sarcasm, her friends have found her to be reasonably trustworthy, and as a result she tends to know more than others would expect about the people around her.
Sigh… It had so much potential…
Whatever do you mean?
REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE REVIVE
is what I believe he meant. This thread might not be dead yet- once BA Reboot settles down, this thread might have a chance. I think we should start RPing soon if we want this thread to survive.
((I refuse to beleive that a thread so young and so awesome-sounding could need reviving.
Agent Lightning and Koko’s Apprentice, would you mind posting what level of society your characters are in? I’d like to see how likely an encounter between various characters would be. Since nobody has answered in the negative, I assume that we’re allowed to have characters at any level of society (although perhaps not in the government. No-one has yet answered as to whether that should be reserved for only the GAPAs or not.))
FEYLA~
I sit on the plastic bench and wait for the school bus to arrive so I can ride home. As I wait, I brush my fingers against the internet link in my right ear. I almost got arrested for this, once. I think to myself, smiling slightly at the memory. I’ll have to remember to keep it in my ear. I don’t want to be caught without identification again. Since people are identified by having their link scanned by a portable scanner, not having it in their ear at all times is a minor criminal offense. I was lucky the guy scanning people was nice, and let it slide since it was in my pocket and I could immediately put it in my ear.
Just as I thought that thought, the bus arrived and I got on to go home.
((SFTDP. Sorry, that last sentence was supposed to be in the present tense.))
(( Sorry, late profile: mind if I jump in?
Name: Julia Hill
Kokonspiracy Name: Mikazuki
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Societal Level: Wealthy family.
Appearance: Around 5’7″, light brown hair, gray eyes. She has a slightly long and crooked nose, tan skin covered with freckles, and long fingers.
Personality: Julia plays the flute, and is in a band with three other friends. They are fond of mournful, beautiful music and practice often. Other than her band (called the Quaking Aspens) she doesn’t do anything really social. She reads a lot of e-books, and is a computer genius, but she also enjoys writing by hand and calligraphy. She seems quiet, but is a good student and is really boiling over with passion for the Kokonspiracy.
Notes: She attends boarding school and has since sixth grade. She and her parents don’t get along very well. ))
((May I join this as well? It seems interesting.
Name: Jayne (Jay-nee) Ayez
Kokonspiracy Name: Fireandhemlock
Age: 16
Societal Level: Average middle-class
Appearance: About 4’6″, black hair, blue eyes. Proportionally, her arms and legs are extremely long and skinny.
Personality: Writer, guitarist, singer, and dancer– Jayne likes to read and spends a lot of time at the computer, an accomplished hacker and rulebreaker although at school she is the perfect star student. She is easily mistaken to be a lot younger than she actually is, but with the right clothes and makeup can also look a lot older, making it easy to get almost anywhere.))
((Speaking of interesting RPGs, if you are still are interested in the Demigod RPG I have an idea concerning post 173 that could bring Aki and Jook Uh back into the plot… or at least give the thread some life. What do you think of that? Okay if you don’t want to.))
((fireh fireh fiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhh))
((R_D- Ah! Sorry about that. School’s been keeping me busy. That sounds great. I’ve been wanting to get back in but haven’t been sure how to.))
((Great!))
((We need some people in the slums! And who aren’t hackers))
Name: Ethan
Kokonspiracy Name: R_D
Age: 15
Societal Level: Slums
Appearance: 5″5′ ((I’m gonna be tall! :D)), black hair, hazel eyes, always wears a leather jacket
Personality/background: He never knew his father, and left his drug-addicted mother when he was eight. Ethan still visits her sometimes, making sure she’s okay. Has a little sister that he loves more than anything in the world and tries to keep from harm. Lives on the streets, and has a tough attitude because of it.
Skills: Okay at street fighting (carries a switchblade), but wouldn’t stand up to a trained fighter for long. No technological/hacking skills whatsoever.
((Am I interpreting the slums right?))
((I have no idea, but I suppose it’s all right if you’re a little off; this is the future, and hypothetically things could have changed.))
((Slight revising and editing of character:
**she was(is? let me know) kind of Mary Sue-ish, so giving her a weakness**
Name: Julia Hill
Kokonspiracy Name: Mikazuki
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Societal Level: Wealthy family.
Appearance: Around 5’7″, light brown hair, gray eyes. She has a slightly long and crooked nose, tan skin covered with freckles, and long fingers.
Personality: Julia plays the flute, and is in a band with three other friends. They are fond of mournful, beautiful music and practice often. Other than her band (called the Quaking Aspens) she doesn’t do anything really social. She reads a lot of e-books, and is good at codes (the non-computer variety) and conveying information stealthily. She seems quiet, but is a good student and is really boiling over with passion for the Kokonspiracy.
Unfortunately she’s kind of “lost in her own world” and sometimes fails to notice what’s going on around her. This makes her rather easy to lure into a trap, especially since she isn’t particularly wary of people.
Notes: She attends boarding school and has since sixth grade. She and her parents don’t get along very well.))
((I am going to change a few things about my character; also, I shall post my level of society. Err… I was going to post from the slums, but I would probably interpret them incorrectly. Hey Mika, is Julia’s band anyone in particular, or can I join? Just a thought; if you don’t want to that’s totally fine with me; it’s just that I’ve never had a musical RPG character before. (I’ll still carry around a trombone though.)
Name: Casey Watterson
Kokonspiracy Name: Agent Lightning
Age: 13-ish
Gender: Female
Appearance: Messy brownish blonde hair, green eyes. Height: 5’9″. Wears jeans, ponchos, and rainboots. Usually has hair tied back. Wears knitted hats; unfortunately, she’s not a very good knitter so the hats have bulges in odd places and dropped stitches.
Personality: Slightly random and quirky. Usually nice; sarcastic the rest of the time. Slightly obsessive-compulsive.
Abilities: Is good with computer hacking, software, and secret communications. Carries a trombone case around (I’m sorry, I’ve always wanted to carry a trombone everywhere; now I’ll have to make my character less Mary-Sue-ish.) which can be used as a musical instrument or a weapon. Also, she can hide things in it in a secret compartment. The trombone case is pretty much her only weapon. (The case is a really strong material and has been treated to be fireproof.)
Weaknesses: Is not so good in a fight. All athletic abilities are pretty much negative. She can run fairly quickly, but gets tired really fast. Gets distracted a lot. Gets annoyed easily and is angry half the time about who-knows-what.
Society Level: Her cover story is that she lives in an orphanage, which is rather Oliver Twist-esque. The orphanage is actually a cover for a small sector of the Kokonspiracy. So I guess lower class. ))
((It’s not anyone in particular, and you are certainly welcome to join. (And please do, that would be so much fun!
) Julia does attend boarding school though, and she is an upper-class citizen, so how about the orphanage and school are near each other? That could also be how Julia gets involved in the Kokonspiracy. What sort of music should we play? I’m sort of debating whether to have Julia play flute or clarinet (although I said flute); do think that has any importance to the band?))
((Thank you!
This could be really fun!))
Traditionally, flute is a melody instrument; clarinet can have melody or harmony. (We’ll assume that they arrange their own music for their ensemble.) Really, it depends on what the other two NPC’s play. (Are they also Kokonspiracy members?) Clarinet cases are slightly bigger, about the size of a tin lunch box; maybe a little bigger. Flute cases are about… hmm… I’d say seven to nine to thirteen inches long, an inch thick, and maybe three inches tall. Just saying… Sorry if that was too detailed. To the band, I think three people on winds and one on rhythym section (drums, guitar, or piano) would be okay; also if two people were on rhythym section that would be okay too. I definetly think since Casey plays trombone, we should have an alto voice (alto sax, I think). That should be okay; if you don’t want a rhythym section then I would say probably the two NPC’s should play, hmm, maybe alto sax and trumpet? Alto sax and bass clarinet?Although Casey is on trombone, so we might not need the bass clarinet. If it matters, Julia can play the flute or clarinet; personally I’d reccomend the flute because its sound on the high notes really makes itself heard and cuts up to the top. Then we won’t need a trumpet… yeah, it’s up to you but my personal preference would be flute.
*when I say you, I mean Julia
Sorry if that was a bit of an overload of information.
((Okay! Julia’ll play flute then. I used to play clarinet, so I know a little bit more about clarinets than flutes. (Moral dilemma: should I or should I not reveal my nonknowledge of flutes?) I wasn’t really planning on going into the technicalities of the band, which is why I asked; but it’s going to be so much fun to! (I only quit clarinet because band was fairly torturous: no-one payed attention to the teacher, people talked, the teacher just yelled and lectured us…it was bad. I enjoyed playing an instrument.)
((I can help you with technical stuff; my friend plays flute. I’m sorry you had such a bad band experience!))
((Thanks!))
((So when do we start RPing? I know R101 started, but nobody has since…))
((May I join? Here’s my character:
Name: Liva Dorspelt (SilverLeopard)
Age: 15ish
Social Class: Upper middle
Appearance: About 5′ 8″, with short black hair. She’s pale and skinny, from all that time sitting inside and reading books and she has the type of face that’s hard to remember. She usually wears rather strange combinations of clothes, like a skirt on top of jeans, that sort of thing.
Personality: Liva loves to read, write (vaguely morbid) stories, and draw. She’s sort of athletic, but not really enthusiastic about sports. Her favorite thing to do is sing, and play her guitar. She’s a loner and she really likes the angry-Green-Day-sort-of music, and she’s an angry person inside (most people don’t notice). Her friend group includes all sorts of people. but very few know each other directly, only through Liva.
Back Story: She lives with a housekeeper, a middle-aged woman who has connections in the Kokonspiracy (she’s an NPC), and she has a couple of friends at school in the Kokonspiracy (anyone want to be Liva’s friend???) Her parents are home infrequently, and usually only one at a time, due to business trips (both are representatives for large corporations).
Abilities: She’s good at disguises, and is remarkably eloquent and persuasive when she needs to be, but she has no fighting skills, and isn’t very good with technology.))
((Of course! Anyone can join!))
((Okay, I think it’s time we started RPing to get this moving along because I WILL NOT LET THIS THREAD DIE.))
Julia
I sighed and brushed my hand lightly along the top of the wooden desk. The cover melted away, revealing a large screen.
THURSDAY, SIXTEEN O'CLOCKblinked up at me.I hate Thursdays. Mostly because it’s when I call my parents.
I touched the internet icon and felt the link in my ear connect. I typed out the address for my parents’ site using the keys on the touch screen and then opened a new page.
Before I could type in the address, I felt my ear vibrate. I clicked over to the other page and found a live video feed waiting for me. My mom. Click.
“Julia, sweetheart. Hello.”
I don’t remember my mom ever being this friendly when I was at home. I suppose it’s easier to do over the computer. Plenty of time to practice her performance.
“Hello.”
“How’s school been?”
“Fine.”
“Dad wishes he could say hello, but he’s got a meeting.”
Mmm-hmm.
“Tell him I said hello.”
“I will. Now tell me Julia, what is your IQ?”
“I haven’t had a test recently.”
“Well, we’ll have to arrange one. Don’t want you slacking.”
“Yay. Another brain scan,” I mumbled.
“Julia.” Her voice becomes sharp. “Your dad and I pay good money for that school and if we aren’t sure that you can keep up with the work then you’ll have to go to reform school.”
“I’m keeping up, Mom. In fact, I was just doing my homework.”
My mother didn’t reply for a few minutes, and just as I was about to click off I heard her voice telling someone to hang on.
I waited.
And waited.
“I’m sorry Honey, I’ve got to go. Problem at work.”
“Bye,” I said to the light blue blank screen, and clicked out of the page.
Down to business. First the Kokonspiracy, then homework, then band practice. At least I’d see Casey.
I typed in the address.
((SilverLeopard- Since our characters are similar in age and social status, it seems to me that they could easily go to the same school. Can Feyla be freinds with Liva?))
FEYLA~
When I get home, I intend to finish my homework quickly so as to get to read sooner. I’m getting to a really good part in my e-book (illegally downloaded, since the government deemed it “likely to cause villainous behavior” – aka, thought-provoking – and banned it). I flick my link to log onto the internet and the school’s site, and start working on my History homework. I open chat interface to the side in case one of my friends wants to talk.
((Cake! I had a bunch of stuff typed up, then somehow I lost it… Where does the band practice? I’ll add no descriptions as to where they practice for now, until that gets sorted out. For now, I’ll assume that the other two musicians are a drummer and a pianist, until further notice.))
CASEY
I arrived at band practice two minutes early. With tightened security, I usually left for practice earlier to allow for detours. Today, however, that precaution hadn’t been needed. I knelt on the floor and unlocked my trombone case; it had a security system that would have been outrageously over the top if all the case held was my trombone, which was dented as it was. But when you’re carrying black-market items and belong to a secret society that’s defying the government, you can never be too careful. I lubricated my slide and buzzed the mouthpiece; then, standing up, I played a B flat scale to warm up.
“You’re a little sharp.” Julia was standing by the entrance, flute in hand. She looked tired.
“Parents call?” I guessed. She nodded. “I’m so sorry. That must be really cakey.”
Julia
“Oh, well.” I attempt a grin. “Time to practice.” I type in my password in the security lock I have on my bag and pull out my stand, music, and flute. If anyone looked too closely at the case, they would see that it’s a little too big for a conventional flute. I mostly carry papers in the secret compartment; or small weapons. It’s not big enough for anything else. I set up my stand that I got from the thrift shop on the corner that has a name scrawled on it in pink nail polish and place my music on it. I begin my scales, sounding a little shaky; before I’m finished, the other two members of the band walk in.
((I guess we should probably decide on them now; a drummer and pianist are fine. Perhaps we could practice in the music room of Julia’s school; it’s a large school with not many kids, so they would be relatively undisturbed. Are the other members going to be Kokonspiracy people too?))
((Hmm, I guess so. It would be easier to not have to keep secrets from them, and if the whole band was in the Kokonspiracy, then it would be like its own small branch. Hmm, what sort of music should we play?))
((All sorts! We can have some of the members play more than one instrument–like, Julia can play clarinet but only a bit. Or [name] can play the piano and usually does but prefers to play trumpet. hat sort of thing.))
((SilverLeopard, could my character and yours be school friends, please?))
I get to my last homework of the day: math. Yeerrgh. I don’t hate math, necessarily, but the math they teach in class is so boring. And I can’t practice interesting math in public, because then people will wonder where I learned it. I glance at the chat interface again. Still none of my friends are on chat. Grr.
I helped the pianist drag the keyboard out of the corner, and the drummer warmed up on the set.
((Can’t post more-got to go-will post tomorrow hopefully))
((Erm… what type of music does our band play?))
((HEY!!!! WE’RE NOT LETTING THISDIE!!! OR ELSE I WILL KEEP SHOUTING!! LOUDLY!!! SOMEBODY HELP ME REVIVE THIS!!! OR ELSE IT WILL DIE!!!))
((I’M NOT POSTING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I’M STILL HOPING FOR AN ANSWER FROM SLIVERLEOPARD FIRST. BUT I’LL STILL POKE THIS THREAD. POKE! POKE POKE! POKE POKE POKE!))
Julia–
“So…what are we going to play today?” I ask, after I’m warmed up.
((*joins in poking* Mika- I have some sort of vague experience with jazz and really I should be practicing right now… that’s what I’d suggest for now…))
“I dunno. I was kind of hoping we could work on improvisation today.” I play a B flat blues scale on my trombone experimentally.
“Did you want to improvise or did you just forget your music again?” asks Julia.
“No, really! I’ve got it right here!” I hold up a one- inch three ring binder stuffed with different charts and songs.
Julia
I laugh. “Okay, then.” We begin to play.
((SilverLeopard, are you there?))
I now move onto Hisory homework. I have to write a paper titled “Acheivements of Our Glorious Country”. This is going to be a long afternoon…
((Cake, sorry I haven’t been on this thread in so long!!!
Ackpbbth, we really need a full rythym section for this song… I’ll just improvise. *snort* Bad pun intended.))
CASEY
I pulled out my chart for “Footprints” and the drummer pulled out ens brushes. The pianist . “One, two, three, four, five, six.”
((Oh, cake.
I didn’t mean to do that…))
((Didn’t mean to do what?))
((The pianist . I meant to write something there but forgot. The thing is, our band only has two rythym section people, and I think I’d like a full rythym section for this tune. I was trying to figure out who should play what.))
((How about random non-Kokonspirators that anyone can powerplay?))
((That’s the idea. I was apologizing for my typo in post 63.))
((Ah. OK. Sorry, I misunderstood.))
FEYLA~
I finally finish my homework and put it away. I pull up my e-book and start reading, setting the chat interface to ding if anyone messages me. This really is a very fascinating e-book. It was written before the current government was in power, and the social commentary provides an interesting perspective on what our government calls “the Barbaric Age”. If this same story had been written in the present, it wouldn’t have been banned. I think to myself, But if it had been written in the present, it wouldn’t be so informative.
((FUTURISTIC MEGA-POKE!))
((I’M GOING TO REVIVE THIS THING IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO! *EVIL CACKLE*))
“One, two, three, four, five, six!” The strange meter was one of my favorite things about this chart, ‘Footprints’. It was from a long time ago, in the ‘Barbaric Age’.
The bass player began vamping and the drummer and pianist entered. With a nod at each other, Julia and I began to play, me taking the harmony lines and her the melody. It was comforting to be able to play in such a serene, safe environment. Our band was the one thing that kept me sane, I decided. If it weren’t for this illegal music I would have subjected myself to brainwashing long ago.
Julia took the first solo, staring out with a slow melody. During the second chorus she cresendoed, and the rythym section with her, into a series of syncopated rythmic patterns on a single note. The intensity grew, and I smiled at the freedom of it all. That was what I loved about improviastion: total freedom to create your own melodies.
Of course, this freedom included the responsibility to not create dissonance.
The solo ended just as a knock sounded on the door, two harsh, staccato raps that resonated on the thick wood. Julia and I exchanged glances of horror. The song fell apart.
((Thanks so much for posting, AL!
I’m worried this post may cast too extreme of a negative light on the government this takes place in. If this is so, please inform me and we’ll all disregard the post, OK?))
FEYLA~
By now I’m totally absorbed in my ebook. Some parts of it I don’t make much sense to me; what exactly is a holiday? But I try to understand as much as I can from the context.
((This takes place in an anti-Kokonspiratorial dystopic government. I would imagine they would have some sort of dystopic holidays, but if they don’t I get that too, I guess- it makes sense.
))
((Dead Thread Alert!!!))
LIVA
I put down my math textbook, ready to bash my head against the wall. I’m saving my “Achievements of Our Glorious Country” paper for later (read: procrastinating). Writing the essay wouldn’t be too hard — rearrange and reword sentences in the textbook, add in some meaningless patriotic blabber, and I would have a paper that would score at least a Satisfactory. But the tedium of writing a paper is mind-numbing, and I am feeling too lazy to even get up and try to contact Feyla.
((I don’t know what else to write.))
((MIKAZUKI, IF YOU ARE READING THIS THE THREAD IS IN GRAVE DANGER. YOUR MISSION, IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, IS TO HELP ME REVIVE THIS THREAD!!!
By the way, the rythym section (three of them) are NPC’s, but anyone is welcome to join. I guess. No musical experience needed, but we could use some new members if you don’t mind having your background story already written for you.))
The heavy wooden door, covered in expensive dead rainforests to mask the heavy base of steel, resonated with four knocks.
“Do we answer it?” I ask Julia.
The secret knock that the Kokonspiracy had devised- they hadn’t used it.
Four knocks- it came, again, muffled by the heavy steel and amplified by the wood.
We heard a small whimper from the bass player.
((*cough* When I say background story already written, I mean the bit abut being in the band. The rest is yours to create.))
((*GIANT COUGH*
*HACKHACKHACKHACKHACK*))
((Ack! I come back after not posting for a shamefully long time, and I’ve no idea what to say!))
((Sorry I only saw your call to arms today; I’ve been trying to cut down on computer time. So Revivation? TO ARMS! *Battle music*))
I put my hand to my mouth. “It might be the school or something,” I answer. “We have to.”
Since it is probably the administration, I get up and open the door.
“Hello,” I say, before I see who is on the other side.
((AL–did you have any specific person/persons in mind?))
((Nope- just someone vaguely antagonistic, I guess.))
“Julia, does the school know we practice here?”
“We, as in Kokonspiracy members?” She gave me a nervous glance. “No.”
The door opened.
((This thread is sooooooo dead and not even me posting on it will help because I am not at the same societal level as anyone else D:. BUT I have decided to post on all the RPGs I was once involved in to see if anything can happen. Here goes.))
Ethan
The night was cold and the stars were barely visible, literally clouded by the smog and pollution. I sighed, looking down at Rebecca’s face. This was no place for a little girl. Not with the drugs and the smoke and the gangs and the violence. She looked so peaceful asleep, untouched by it all. My baby sister didn’t deserve this, but it was all she had. All we had. I sighed again and glanced at the old analog clock that rested on the side of our tiny shelter. It was solar-powered, an odd combination of both old and new technology, and was one of the only things I could call my own. The big hand hovered above the 6 and the small one was in between the 10 and 11. It was late enough that rest would come easily, but I did not close my eyes, instead looking out into the empty street across the way like I always did when we stayed here. It was familiar, something to hold on to. Things like that were all I had. Well, that and the Kokonspiracy.
Other people I met from the organization, although that number was very small, said that the government was unfair, oppressive, tyrannical, and above all, evil. I certainly didn’t disagree. But I hadn’t been around long enough, or hadn’t been the right places (the wrong places, I suppose) to see much of that. Sure, I wished the administration would do more for the slums, maybe hand out free food, maybe stop kicking people out of the empty building we “squatted” in — but they didn’t do much to hurt me, either. I didn’t have such grand ideals motivating me to be in the Kokonspiracy. I just wanted a better world for my sister.
The empty street brought me back to the day I joined the resistance. I’d heard about the Kokonspiracy, of course, from the independent newspapers people read and discarded. The government-run papers, although more numerous, wouldn’t say anything about the movement, so my knowledge of the Kokonspiracy wasn’t very advanced; in fact, I probably never would have joined at all if things had stayed like that, by lack of opportunity if not by lack of will. Sure, I was intrigued by it — but as a far-off hope, a vision, not something tangible. I viewed it as a rainbow. Fascinating, fun to watch, but perpetually out of reach, with no chance of actually being in it.
That’s when I met Rex. I had seen him around a few times, a tall man with raven black hair wearing a raven black coat and raven black gloves and… well, you get the idea. He looked a little out of place, and I steered clear of him as best I could. I thought he might be a dealer, and the dark way he looked hinted at more high end stuff. It was dangerous to even be near such men, so I wasn’t.
We were spending the night at my mother’s place, which wasn’t the safest thing to do, but the Rovers and the Shakers had recently turned up their turf war and it was even less safe outside. My mother wasn’t the best woman. Far from it. But she was kindly enough when she wasn’t too affected by her “medicine” as she had called it when we were younger. We had one thing in common, and that was that we both loved Rebecca. So we coexisted, for her sake.
I came home late that night. The turf war had just taken a violent turn, and my usual route was right between the territories. I’d had to improvise. Rex was sitting out on my front porch, puffing on a cigarette and watching the smoke waft through the air.
“What are you doing here?” I challenged, trying to sound angry and intimidating, not showing my fear or confusion.
He ignored my question. “Walk with me,” he said, and it was not a request. Rex grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.
“Let go of me!” I started with, and switched to “Where are we going?” when it became clear he wasn’t going to.
“Just for a walk. Don’t worry, you’ll get home safe to your mother and sister.” I glared at him. He shouldn’t know that. But he kept his tight grip on my arm and I had no choice but to continue. I was only 13 at the time, not old enough or strong enough to do much of anything against him.
“What do you know about the Kokonspiracy?” he asked, and I thought he must be a government inspector. I needed to play it cool.
“The Koko-what?” I responded. “Never heard of it.”
“Please. I don’t have much time here and you’re only making this harder.” We turned onto the empty street that I now gazed out at, reminiscing.
“What do you want?” I asked him, and it was not a confrontational phrase, it was genuine confusion. In return, I got the first real answer in our conversation.
He stopped walking and looked at me, letting go of my arm. I glanced at him but didn’t run away, biding my time at least for the moment. “I recruit,” he said. “For the Kokonspiracy. We need people down here. Young people. People who want a better tomorrow. I’ve noticed you reading those newspapers. Perhaps you should consider it.”
It was a lot to handle. “Why…but…why would you want me anyway? I’m just a kid. I don’t have money, connections, and to be quite honest with you I’m not ready to give up my life for a cause like this.”
“I told you, we need youth. And I’ve been observing you for a while. You might not have money or connections, but you’re a survivor. And we need people like that.”
He turned, not giving me a chance to reply. “I’ll be in touch, he said, knowing my answer before even I did. The tall man walked away down the empty street, leaving me to ponder his words.
Of course, I’d ended up accepting, and helping the Kokonspiracy when I could. It could be hard work, or easy work, or somewhere in between, but I nearly always managed to finish the job, whether it was simple observation or complex sabotage.
The street, so full of memories, was still empty of people. It was an out of the way street, and right now was what I had dubbed the “dead time.” People who slept at night were asleep, and those who didn’t were just beginning to get active. In an hour or so the streets would be alive again.
I turned away, glancing at my sister one last time before I closed my eyes and curled up beside her. Tomorrow would officially be here in a short number of minutes, and I wanted to be asleep before it did.
((Kinda long. Oh well. This goes into his back story and means that the next posts (if any) can join Ethan with other characters, other PCs. A few notes:
Rex is an NPC Kokonspiracy official, can be involved or not involved or played by anyone as far as I’m concerned.
The Rovers and the Shakers are just two gangs, I made up names. What gang would call themselves the Shakers? Who knows. But there is one.
Revive this thread!
))
((I just saw this in the Currently Popular bar. Probably due to spambots, but who cares? I’d completely forgotten about this thread! Time to revive it, because it was headed in such a great direction.
Oh, and Radiant_Darkness? In case you ever read this post, your last post was awesome.))
FEYLA~
I get to the end of a chapter in my ebook and close it for another day. Stretching, I contemplate the new concepts I have just learned. My mother calls me downstairs for dinner, and I flick my link to log off of the internet and head to the dining room. My younger sister is already eating, and my mother has just begun. I take my customary place with barely a quick glance at the one remaining seat.
“Your father is working late today, Feyla.” my mother said, seeing my glance. “I have his dinner waiting for when he gets home.”
“Oh.” I respond, taking a bite.
My mother picks up her e-reader and flicks through the news. “Seems that ridiculous ‘Kokonspiracy’ movement is flinging its useless aspersions around again.”
“Oh really?” I reply, pretending to have no real interest beyond polite conversation.
“Candid Security News mentioned something about sabotaging some expensive piece of equipment in the district branch of the Department of History Education.” she raises an eyebrow as she says that. “Well well, seems the discontented rabble is getting ambitious. Maybe they finally bit off more than they can chew?”
“Maybe this’ll make the government finally get off their butts and arrest those annoying brats!” Gigi chimes in.
“Mother, Candid Security News is a tabloid e-newspaper. They’ll say anything to look exciting.” I reply, completely ignoring my little sister.
“Well, yes, but think what this could mean.” My mother smirks slightly at the thought. “For those Kokes, I mean.”
“Does it mention what equipment they sabotaged? Was any information actually leaked?” I ask.
“Well, no but-”
“They probably shorted out a printer or something and Candid Security is blowing it all out of proportion.” I make sure to sound derisive on the word “they”.
“Don’t be so sure,” says my mother in a warning tone, “this could actually be something big.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s something big.” I say, letting all my scorn into my voice at once. I know that she will misinterpret it as scorn for the Kokonspiracy, and not for the people who would actually believe the drivel I am spewing. “That silly rabble could definitely pull off something big! Oh, I know! They sabotaged the computer system and wiped out the predetermined lesson plans for all the schools in the district! Tomorrow we won’t have history class because our teachers won’t know what to teach!”
My mother’s expression grows stormy. “Sarcasm will not be tolerated, Feyla. Even if it is directed at foolish rebels with delusions of being enemies of the state.”
I look down to hide my annoyance and mumble “Sorry.” The rest of the meal takes place in silence.
After I have put my dish in the washer I head to the park a couple blocks from my house. It is my usual routine to spend the evening there, as long as I am home by curfew. As I sit down on a park bench, I think back to my ebook from the Barbaric Age. Apparently a park used to be a large grassy area with trees and other plants where families gathered for tranquility and play. I wonder what that must be like, instead of a square area of concrete with “soothing” music coming from some speakers in the middle surrounded by plastic benches. I put my link into my ear. It is not the one I was wearing before, though. The link with my ID is at home, and if I am discovered with the one I am wearing now instead I will certainly be arrested at the very least. But luckily parks aren’t very strictly monitored since so few people even go to them.
I flick my trackerless link and pull a portable tablet from my bag. My link connects with a highly secure and unregulated internet connection that isn’t legally supposed to exist. I quickly go to a certain website for an appliance repair shop. There are still plenty of these floating around the internet for people who can’t afford self-repairing appliances. I log in under the “paid member” tab, then quickly make my way through the next two layers of fake sites too. Finally, I appear to arrive at the page I started on.
Randomosity101: “I saw the report in Candid Security. It’s hard to believe we got coverage in an e-paper so obedient to regulations. Can you guys imagine how much rigamarole they must have gone through to publish as much information as they did? Our impact must have been huge! I wasn’t part of that operation, but I take it it was a great success?
On a less important note, I’ve got another word to add to my list of ‘Babaric Age’ terms. ‘Holiday.’ Apparently it’s a widespread commemoration of an event, historically significant person, or moral or religious concept, that takes place over a specified period of time such as a day or a week. Examples include something called ‘Halloween’, where people would dress up in ‘costumes’ (see previous word entries for definition) and eat ‘candy’ (another previously entered word) in order to celebrate… Are you ready for this? Fear! There were some more serious ones too. One of the most interesting I’ve read about is something called ‘Martin Luther King Jr. Day’. Apparently it celebrated a man for, believe it or not, speaking out to try to make the government and society better for certain people who were oppressed! Back in the ‘Barbaric Age’, such people were actually lionized as national heroes!
All right, that’s all for today. Randomosity101 out.”
I close my link and head home.
((Wow, that was waaay longer than I expected it to be.))
((Going to try to boost this. Scrapping the character I had before and starting fresh. Will post profile if you guys need me to))
RENEShe lived off the streets for most of her life; she barely even remembered having parents or siblings. The government had taken them when she was two, leaving her behind as too young to have already been corrupted. They were wrong. She knew it was them who had taken her family, and she remembered.
And oh, did she thirst for revenge.
As soon as she was old enough, about 15 years of age, she had sought out the Kokonspiracy. She had started out as less than a simple messenger, but her lithe frame and slight stature made it easy for her to go unnoticed, as well as years of practice living off the street giving her a feline aura of stealth that no home-dweller would ever gain, and quickly she rose through the system to become a high-ranking spy, spoken of in hushed whispers as “codename ungodly hardcore”; when people dared to speak of her at all. No one knew her real identity, and the people that knew her thought her to be just a low-level messenger in the Kokonspiracy.
Now, three years later, she sometimes wondered how many people around her lead similar lies, doubling their seemingly insignificant tasks with vast, important matters…
((Please don’t let this die, people! This idea is too cool to just lurk in the dusty archives till the death of time, c’mon!))
((Can we add anything we want to your story?))
((Yeah, of course! I’m thinking that she might also have a triple identity as a middle-class kid at school with everyone else, going upon the earlier “the band kids are secretly all in the kokonspiracy” plot introduced earlier))
((Woah, hardcore! You’re sure living up to your name with this character. I like. Very much.))
((SFTDP. I’d like to post here again, but I’m not really sure what to make Feyla do at this point. By the way, ungodlyhardcore, considering how awesome Rene seems to be, do you think she could have been part of the operation my character commented on?))
((Yeah, definitely!!))
((Could you have her post about it, or is her importance to the Kokonspiracy secret even from some of her fellow Kokonspirators?))
((It depends on what level the others are at, I think. For example, if someone’s a living-off-the-street messenger, then that’s who she is to them as well, but to someone who’s actually involved in more complicated things, she’d be a more complicated person.))
((So then I guess she wouldn’t post for all to see?))
((I dunno. I think she’d just have a bunch of different code names.))
((Sorry, I didn’t see this until today. So, can she post something about it under one of her code names then? Speaking of which, you’re back to fireh? Not that I mind, I’m just slightly confused.))
((SFTDP. *POKE POKE*))
((SFTTP. I saw this in “Currently Popular” and thought that meant it was active again.
))