ohthehumanities | catchall; wolfwood

[ We're finally here... at week 3... which is the halfway point but because of how deceptively it's numbered it feels like it should not just be 'week 3'. ]

I... guess not.

[ Wolfwood does kind of more or less look okay, but he is in a black hoodie instead of his usual blazer and open shirt combo. ]

What is it?

[We made it but at what cost. Also he's proud(?) of you for wearing new clothes Wolfwood]

One of the new places here--it has devices that let you change your surroundings. I'm told it's called "virtual reality"? It's not real, of course, but I thought I could show you some of Sumeru, if you'd like.

[He's curious about what Wolfwood's world looks like, but he hasn't decided if he wants to be bold and ask or not yet. This is easier, since Kaveh loves showing off his city, especially the parts of it he worked on himself.]

Oh. Yeah, sure, I can go with. It's pat of that "don't touch grass" thing?

[ While I once again seriously debate whether virtual reality would be a thing Wolfwood is familiar with. ]

[The "would they know this" struggle is so real

But he perks up a little, pleased! He waves Wolfwood after him and starts to lead the way.]

Yes, that's right. I have no idea why it's called that, though. [He doesn't get the joke...] But the technology is pretty impressive. I've tested it out and I haven't run into that many limits.

[ *Part, my r key. ]

Didn't know you handled tech on top of being a builder. I guess some of those things might've come hand-in-hand in my world, but I think our case is pretty unique.

Oh, yes. It's a core pillar of my Darshan--er, my field of study at the Akademiya. Technically, Kshahrewar's specialty is technology, but it really expands into any field that makes major use of it. I went into architecture, but some of my seniors research ancient mechanical life forms, puzzle mechanisms in ruins, or ways to make advancements in more localized fields, like the textile industry.

[He sighs.]

They're criminally underfunded, though. I graduated a while ago, but I still go in to represent them sometimes. Ever since our senior's accident, we've had to fight tooth and nail to get anything approved without turning to Dori.

[ These are such big words... internally he's thinking wow, he really is a nerd. ]

Who the hell is solving puzzles in ruins?

[ Your silly little RPG elements. The localised fields part do sound good to him though, practical and for the everyday man. ]

Guessin' that's your local rich guy. [ Dori's a lady. ] Is education free or something, is that why?

[He even graduated with honors, that's how nerdy he is]

Researchers, treasure hunters, stupidly lost tourists trying to get out...

[He waves a hand. Jrpg life.

But then he shakes his head.]

No, not fully. The Akademiya is Sumeru's main source of income, and it grants stipends and subsidies and such, but it's all based on their budget and how well you can convince them that your proposal is more widely beneficial than someone else's. It's like selling yourself to a client, except you're young, sleep-deprived, and every rejection feels like the end of the world. [He looks disgruntled.] After the accident, Kshahrewar advocated for stricter control regarding machines and technology--it was the right thing to do to keep people safe, but it means it became much harder to make major breakthroughs. I do what I can, but I'm just one person.

Huh. Guess maybe it's not that much more stupid than a bounty hunter gettin' in way over their head then.

[ Or a small fry robber thinking he's got big britches and trying to break into an extremely secured vault, which depending on the organisation, may as well be like solving puzzles in a ruin. Except with a lot more guns. ]

Sounds real competitive. What even is it that you want to do there?

Something like that, I'm sure. I can't say I'm all that familiar with them, but I've run into Treasure Hoarders myself here and there. The security mechanisms are typically more dangerous, though.

[Sometimes your enemy npcs are easy to beat up

But here they are, at VR-town. He leads the way inside!]

At the Akademiya, you mean? Or as an architect?

Both now that you've asked.

[ Wow, everything is shiny with VR. Kaveh is definitely going to have to take the lead because Wolfwood does NOT know how to deal with high-end tech that isn't guns. ]

[That's fine, he'll take the lead. He can do this because he spent so much time fiddling around with it yesterday and he learns fast.]

Well, I graduated from the Akademiya a while ago, so mostly I go back to lecture or to mentor some of the current students. Or if I'm looking for Alhaitham. [Tch. He fetches the headsets, holding one out to Wolfwood.] Oh--you might have to take your sunglasses off, I'm not sure how well this will fit with them on. Anyway, if you're asking me about my goal as an architect...

[He quiets for a moment.]

There are a lot of reasons. I told you my mother was an architect--I can't really say why I followed in her footsteps and not my father's. It's just something I always had a passion for. But while I was in school, I got so frustrated with the general attitudes of society, especially the eradication of the arts. So it became my goal to create things that are safe and functional without sacrificing beauty in the process.

[ I always feel so bad that my tags are so short compared to Kaveh but Wolfwood just isn't super talkative help...

He holds this headset in his hands, glancing down at it. The nature of it makes him feel a bit uncomfortable in a detached way, but he doesn't say anything just yet, glancing back up to Kaveh as he keeps talking. ]

Didn't know they were tryin' to eradicate learning, what's that about?

[LMFKJDHSKGJH IT'S FINE honestly he's the first character I've ever played who's this talkative. Smashcut to lwj who mainly just says "Mn"

Kaveh doesn't rush him, though, happy to chatter as he puts his own on to get everything set up.]

Not learning entirely. Just anything the Sages didn't consider worthwhile. [Tch!!!] It's getting a little better now that Nahida's in charge, though.

Sounds kinda shady to me.

[ He doesn't know what the word for it is, but making sure that schools only teach subjects you personally approve of doesn't sound very gucci of them. ]

What, you're sayin' your literal god of wisdom wasn't always in charge of learning?

[It was, yes. Kaveh pauses for a moment, looking a little disheartened.]

To be honest, I don't really know much about the situation. The Sages were in charge long before I was born, and I was out in the desert when they were overthrown. I'd say you should ask Nahida about it, but I don't know how difficult it would be for her to talk about. [Since it's. Y'know. The story of her centuries of confinement.] But essentially, control of the Akademiya is the same thing as control of Sumeru as a whole.

[And Wolfwood probably understands the lengths to which power-hungry people will go better than Kaveh does.]

--Ah, there we go. Go ahead and put it on, it should show up for you.

[If Wolfwood does, he'll see Port Ormos! More specifically, he'll find himself on a large arch bridge built between two enormous trees, with a river running down below. In the distance, he'll see a lighthouse, the hazy silhouette of desert cliffs visible in the foggy twilight.

Kaveh looks very pleased with himself, surveying the simulation.]

It's a little strange without people, but it'll do.

...So it is shady.

[ It IS the 1% taking control of everything including the educational narrative!! Sumeru corrupt. But he'll leave that be for now since Kaveh has things to show him. There's a last hesitation before he puts it over his head, but here we go.

The Port Ormos link doesn't work for some reason but everything else does!

That being said -- wow. He's stunned. ]

I thought from what you'd told me, it'd be more... sand.

[ This is so much green and blue. ]

[SUMERU CORRUPT!!! But it's fine, they fixed it. Well, everyone else did. Kaveh just showed up at the end to yell about it. BUT OH NO MY LINK it was just this for a better angle.

Kaveh is eagerly waiting for him to say something nice about the lighthouse specifically because he's stupid like that, but he blinks.]

Oh--[SUDDEN INSECURITY] Sorry, did you want to see the desert? I can do that instead.

Uh, no -- I mean, you can show me whatever you want to. It's your home.

It just wasn't what I was imagining.

[ Probably because the only thing he's sort of heard about Sumeru was something about Cyno and the desert. ]

[Oh--well, that makes a little more sense. He relaxes!]

I'll change it and show you later, then. It's not really that difficult. [Through the power of not having descriptions of how it works so we can handwave. But he gestures around, then.] This is Port Ormos, in the south. It's one of the bigger cities on the rainforest side... and one of the first things I worked on after I graduated. [He reaches out, putting a hand on the bridge with a nostalgic smile.] What do you think?

Rainforest?

What's a rainforest?

It's pretty.

[He pauses for a moment, slightly caught off-guard by the idea of not knowing a rainforest. He is truly so concerned about y'all's world at all times.]

Would you like to see it? I can change the simulation.

[He was super ready to start rambling about the bridge and the lighthouse but now he just wants to show Wolfwood nature...]

Yeah, go for it.

[ SORRY MAYBE THEY CAN LOOP BACK AROUND TO THE LIGHTHOUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S RAINFOREST TIME ]

[RAINFOREST TIME it's fine he's happy to do this too. With a little hand-wavey fiddling, the port around them melts away, transforming into a lush rainforest with massive trees, some of which have structures built into their bases. The most impressive thing, though, is the contraption in front of them, sitting idle for now. Wolfwood will probably be able to see and hear the waterfalls in the distance, though it's not raining at the moment.]

This is Apam Woods. I don't come here often, but it's probably the best example of a rainforest I can show you.

[ There's really very little that Wolfwood can say about this other than that it really is like nothing he's ever seen. He reaches out a palm and feels a tree trunk, craning his head to look up at its canopy. His sharp hearing does pick up on the sound of roaring water in the distance, but the weird contraption probably does draw his attention in more prominently. ]

What's that?

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