[ master post]People come here to do business and get a job done. They're usually looking for something in particular, or have a vague idea of it at the very least ( Read more... )

[ master post]Portions of the marketplace are covered. The vast majority of it isn't ( Read more... )

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On Santo, nobody has heard of the Delicate Flowers.

Some of these similar institutions aren't run nearly as well. They're not as high-class.

Could you get a Companion on Santo? Maybe. The vast majority of men and women will have to try the regular old red-light district.

[ master post]This is what Santo is known for ( Read more... )

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The point of parks is to give people a place to meet, to play, to relax, under a bright blue sky. There are even breaks of forest in one park -- meadows, too.

And playgrounds. Really good ones. And fountains for playing in, and statues for posing with.

Also, ice cream.

And shrubbery.

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Over on the west side of the metro area, and about ten klicks from the ocean, there's a group of stately buildings on a wide avenue.

These are museums. You'd be surprised what people think is worthy of conservation these days. Admission tends to be either cheap or free, so why not take a look?

[ master post]You have to walk down a ramp to get to the sand. The ramp stretches over sand dunes, with sea oats dotting them, blowing in the near-constant breeze. On the same level as the ramp: a boardwalk, dotted with places to get sketchy-looking fried food, to try your luck at a number of games of chance, to watch performers, to ride roller ( Read more... )

Before the war, Santo used to be a playground for the rich. Now it's just a playground.

Tourism still drives the economy -- focusing on the people who need to get in and out. That means a thriving urban center where nobody actually lives. The suburbs are still full of people, and on the weekends, they'll go to the beaches with the visitors to the ( Read more... )

Daniel is nearing Whittier, maybe 5 hours out, when he sends the wave to Serenity. He isn't sure how far they are, or if the ship's outdated comm system will send the message right, but he has to try ( Read more... )

It's evening when Daniel lands on Praxed, the main streets of the town crowded with workers heading home for the night, shopping for dinner ingrediants, socializing and gossiping in doorways. It's a pleasant night and people are in the mood to be sociable. A good night for a man to sniff out information.