Homunculus

"What a coincidence." And definitely not something she noticed earlier in the week which had prompted this little rendezvous. "Just in time for our shopping trip~"

"First thing's first: new brush to replace the one Katy got confiscated." He's hissing that name as deserved! An entire collection, GONE, all 'cause that lady couldn't stand a little backtalk. ( and a week's worth of missed curfew, but that didn't make it right! )

// I'm not the only authority on what Eclipse looks like but its' very, very much based around Metro City from Tetsuwan Atom: Astro Boy, at least in terms of being 'layered' and having balconies/platforms with spoking pathways for pedestrians.

... BUT ALSO, there's aesthetic cues from certain parts of Boston.

like in my heart the Eclipse City version of RGR has a front that kinda looks like this:

Send 🔞 for a NSFW headcanon.

// No muse specified? Perfect! Let's talk about robots & sex in Eclipse City.

Culturally speaking, sex with robots is a taboo topic in Eclipse City. Romantic relationships aren’t unheard of — but the scrutiny placed on them increases tenfold once physical intimacy comes into the equation. It’s been less than a lifetime since sentient robots were introduced to Eclipse City’s populace — and misconceptions about sentient robots, their intelligence, their emotional capacity and their autonomy are still excruciatingly common.

Many humans don’t look kindly on those who sleep with robots. For many, the appeal is strictly inconceivable — its a machine, built from steel, rubber, plastics, what’s there to lust after? They don’t even have what many consider the necessary parts for sexual activity. Beyond that, the core assumption people tend to make of humans sleeping with robots is exploitation. They can’t score with a flesh-and-blood person, so they take advantage of a naive machine-being to scratch the itch.

Send “📂“ for a random yet completely useless headcanon I have

At its core, Eclipse is a humanitarian society. It cares deeply for the welfare and enrichment of its people, and allocates its resources accordingly, with education and advancements in the sciences among its chief priorities. Schools, universities and other educational institutions not only enjoy robust monetary support from the state, but also a passionate workforce, eager to nuture curiosity and share their field's intellectual wealth. The proudest citizens of Eclipse would tell you that loving to learn is a defining trait of their culture.

( There is no society whose populace universally meets its own ideals, but we will let them have that for now. )

Eclipse is, naturally, full of museums, libraries, research centers and scientific institutions. The Ministry of Science is its crown jewel; an enormous, meticulously-constructed building with entire wings dedicated to various scientific disciplines. Though research is conducted throughout all of Eclipse, all threads of the scientific community meet at the Ministry to exchange discoveries and resources. Much of the building is open to the public; there are lecture halls where science communicators give presentations, classes of all sorts, and lavish exhibits in its museum rooms -- all with free admittance.

It is the unspoken policy of Eclipse's legislation to eliminate as many barriers to knowledge as possible. There is no price of admission for a real education.

On the note of civilian welfare: businesses in Eclipse find themselves under far more scrutiny than the ones in our world; not only will the law refuse to concede its consumer protections, but there is -- simply put -- not as much for a corporation to gain in a world without a global economy. The forboding forests beyond Eclipse's walls prevent it. Perhaps it ranks among Eclipse's most fantastical elements, but its richest entities are still compelled by some sense of personal responsibility; cutting corners may mean their neighbor suffers, and they will have to see it.

And so, in accordance with that pro-consumer perspective, and Eclipse's relative resource-scarcity, most products are built to last -- from household essentials to farming equipment to home entertainment devices. Safety inspections and product testing are taken very seriously.

It's not unusual to hear things in the maze-like tomb of the Labyrinth. The shrieking of beasts, the moaning of abaominations, even the quiet song from days long past. They'd been in this place for a month now with no issue, not even a nightmare. But today, having gone deeper than ever before, was different.

"I can hear it. It's like someone humming a lullaby a few rooms over." Which would be find if it were just that but it's obvious from her enraptured expression it's more than that. Whatever she's hearing is different from what the others normally hear.

Perhaps because she's organic or maybe there's something targeting her. Whatever the case my be it has stolen all her focus. She takes a single solid step in that direction.

Despite how many floors they were below the surface, he'd relaxed. The immediate vicinity was cleared of active threats, and so Fourth Squadron settled down for the moment to recuperate. Rest, record, maintain. With no pressing concerns of his own, Dust Man spent that time hypothesizing how to extract a fossilized specimen embedded in the wall without disturbing the surrounding mural's structural integrity.

"Where-?" But he doesn't bother finishing the question, because the certainty of San's steps tell him they're not going to listen. His optics flare up from the surge of panic as he hurries to grab her arm before she can book it.