Sooo...this is what happens when you have too much free time on your hands? Or more precisely, you cheat and buy your costume for Halloween instead of making one yourself.

Cue another City guide. HELP, PEOPLE! THERE'S MUUUCH MORE TO ADD.

So far, we have...

An Idiot's Guide to: The City [Version 1.1]

Hey there, newcomer. First things first, I've got to say the obligatory "Welcome to the City". By now, you're probably wondering one of three questions.

1) Where am I?
2) What's going on?
3) What the hell is that ticking?

We've all been there before, so let me try and help by clearing a few things up for you.

( [Read on] )

If anyone has aaanything else they want to add, I'm all ears. Also, that whole 'advertising for jobs' thing, and...uh...yeah. Whatever I've missed, just give me a heads up.

Tiiired.

Eeedeeen. We're out of coffee!

Economy

So, you think you've gotten your head around everything that's going on? Well, maybe it's time for you to try and settle yourself in a little. The first step would be finding yourself somewhere to stay. Plus, it helps with that annoying ticking to boot.

The only trouble is, finding that luxury pad? Kind of costs money. And that change you have in the bottom of your pocket? That credit card sitting in your wallet? They don't mean a thing here. There's no way to access any kind of funds unless you've earned them here.

Currency

The currency in place in the City is unlike anything more people have seen before. They use a series of multicoloured coins that run in a pre-determined order.

One Orange coin=price of one cup of coffee.
Red=1/10 of an Orange.
Orange=10 Reds.
Yellow=5 Oranges=5 cups of coffee.
Green=10 Oranges=10 cups of coffee.
Blue=50 Oranges=50 cups of coffee.
Violet=100 Oranges=100 cups of coffee.
Indigo=500 Oranges=500 cups of coffee.

Under 18's

Children in general are exempt from paying rent or for their basic needs. Whatever you want, you get. Within reasons, of course. Take advantage of it while you can, because the moment the City considers you an adult? They're slapping you with full charges for everything you need.

Earning money

Obviously, money doesn't grow on trees. Though the paper that notes are made from… So you're going to want to find yourself a source of income as soon as you can.

There are plenty of places around the City that are hiring. All you need to do is go and look for it. Head in to the stores. Advertise on the network. Ask around, and something is bound to turn up.

The Police Force here is always hiring, so if law enforcement is your kind of thing, be sure to go check them out.

Employment opportunities:

If people want to advertise any employment opportunities here, just drop me a line below.

[ooc: infosite]

Curses

This is a term that you'll learn about first hand before you even know it. 'Curses' are the names given to certain events that occur whilst living in the City. They are days in which the 'Deities' choose to take some time out to play with the rest of us.

If you don't believe in magic, give it a week.

Generally, the curses occur every few days, and most last twenty-four hours, beginning at midnight. However, as always, there are exceptions to the rules. Some curses may go on for a number of days at a time. And some weeks may be void of curses completely. Whichever causes the most uneasiness.

These curses can affect citizens in a number of ways. Some curses may alter the mentality of those affected. Some may alter the very layout of the City. Some may physically affect the citizens. And some may remain completely in the affected's mind.

Whatever idea you can think of, there's a possibility of it coming true.

Examples of curses we've had so far include days were people have reverted to their younger or older selves. Days in which the geography of the City has changed to another timeframe. Days where people are forced to relive past memories. Days where people competed against each other non-stop.

And those are the tamer of the curses.

As a warning though, not everyone is affected each time. So it's a good idea to make yourself some friends, and quick! If one of you manages to keep in their right mind, then they get the job of keeping your ass out of trouble.

[ooc: curse calendar]

Layout

The City is divided in a number of ways; the easiest of which being Overground and Underground. Maps have been made available to those who need them. But don't be afraid to ask for directions if you need them. Some people aren't going to bite.

Overground

The Overground is where the majority of people live, work, and generally spend their time. It's where you'll find the twelve apartment buildings. It's where you'll find the majority of the stores, shops, and amenities. That isn't to say you wouldn't find them Underground too, but this is just where most of it is.

The Overground is also home to Xanadu and we're not talking about Newton-John which is home to the Gardens and the Zoo. Really, don't knock it till you try it. You'll see things that you'll have never seen before.

Apartments

There are twelve apartment blocks, each containing more apartments than you can count. There's always a free one if you need it, so take a look round and you should find something you like.

Some places come fully furnished. Some come half built. Some may just be a vast open space. Like I said, just take a look round. There are plenty of places in the City that sell furniture, so it wont take long to set up your perfect pad.

[ooc: infosite]

Underground

The Underground may well span beyond the reaches of the City. There likely isn't a single person who's explored every inch of the Underground before. Despite that, the major paths have been mapped out for you already, as you can see in the above map.

The Underground contains a number of different bars, clubs, and the…less than legal types of stores. [Legal in terms of US law; not City law] It also carries with it the possibility of becoming food for some of the creatures that prey down there. But don't let that put you off! If you're careful, and you're prepared, then you can find all sorts of awesome stuff down there.

Stores and amenities

You can find a list of most of the City destinations here. Again, if there's something you need, go ahead and ask. If one store doesn't sell it, someone else will. And they may well know where to send you.

Citizens

You will find, in no time whatsoever that turning up here isn't the strangest thing to happen. Take a look round.

Now take another look.

Caught on yet?

A lot of people here come from worlds that you will probably have never heard about before. Unless you're a complete dork who's apparently seen more television, movies, and games than is safe to do so. There are also a lot of people from alternate versions of worlds you may be familiar with.

I've kind of lost count of how many versions of Earth there are now.

Now. Firstly, I should probably warn you. A lot of people here are dangerous. I mean really dangerous. Those self-defence classes you may've taken after work don't mean a thing when there are creatures around who can turn invisible or move instantaneously. And when you're top of their menu, you really need to start watching your back more often.

I didn't mean that to try and scare people. It's just important that you know, before anything happens.

You may also come across creatures that you never thought existed before. In my world, there are no such thing as vampires, werewolves, and aliens that we know of! But here, you can find them everywhere. And no one will give it a second thought. The sooner you get used to this, the better.

Now.

This alternate universe stuff.

You may find that you'll meet people who exist only in books or movies back in your own world. LET ME MAKE ONE THING CLEAR: THEY'RE NOT THE SAME. Trust me. Some of the best friends I've made here I had once known from movies. But they aren't the same people. Don't hold that kind of information over them. They deserve better than that.

You might also find that there are people here who look identical to you or other people you know from your world. I had an identical, but unrelated twin in the City a while back. It's kind of creepy, but it's not all that strange, for this place. Name badges are a good idea sometimes though!

Also, you may come across people from your past or your future. They may be people who have passed away, or people you haven't met yet. But to them, they may've just spoken to you the day before they arrived here. Before you go in, fists flying, talk to the person. Time discrepancies are one of the most common problems that people here face when they have others from their world turning up here.