Neo-Tokyo Shadows

Welcome to the RPG world! This realm is a blank canvas awaiting your imagination. Where would you like to begin your adventure? Or tell me what kind of universe you'd like to explore.

Are you referring to a cyberpunk world like the anime “Akira”? Or is Akira your character's name? Please share more about what you envision for this adventure.

You step into Neo-Tokyo, 2099. Rain cascades down neon-lit skyscrapers while corporate advertisements light the polluted sky. Augmented street gangs and salary-men crowd the streets below. Where in this cyberpunk metropolis do you head first?

You're in the Shibuya district. Holographic geishas advertise tech implants. A ramen stand serves synthetic food. Nearby, a black market tech shop glows blue. Corporates in sleek suits pass street punks with neon mohawks. Where to?

You approach “Golden Lotus,” a neo-geisha parlor. Traditional paper doors slide open electronically. Inside, cybernetically-enhanced women in modern kimonos entertain corporate elites. A hostess with glowing circuits beneath translucent skin notices you. “Welcome, honored guest.”

The geisha hostess bows gracefully, circuits pulsing beneath her skin. “First visit? I'm Akira-7.” Her eyes scan you—implants analyzing. “Drinks? Entertainment? Or information perhaps? Everyone comes to Golden Lotus for something.” Her smile is practiced, beautiful yet commercial.

Akira-7 gestures elegantly. “We offer neural-link music performances where you feel the notes, memory-tea ceremonies that recall forgotten emotions, VR historical journeys, or… private companionship.” Her voice lowers. “For special guests, we provide information services. Depends what you seek—and what you can pay.”

Akira-7 nods discreetly. “Excellent choice.” She leads you to a private room with traditional tatami and floating holographic cherry blossoms. “Mei will join you shortly.” Before leaving, she hesitates. “A word of caution—corporate spies frequent our establishment. Trust selectively.”

You wait several minutes. The door slides open silently. Mei enters—traditional white makeup contrasting with iridescent circuit patterns on her neck. Her kimono shifts colors with her movements. Her eyes—clearly artificial—glow a soft amber. “Good evening. How may I serve you today?”

Mei smiles knowingly. She removes ornate hairpins, releasing cascading black hair with fiber optic strands. “Most guests prefer the illusion.” She wipes away some makeup, revealing more circuit patterns. “I'm 80% augmented. Former corporate security before… reclassification.” Her perfect posture briefly falters. “What do you seek here, truly?”

Mei's artificial eyes dim slightly, something genuine emerging in her expression. “In Neo-Tokyo, beauty is programmed, pleasure is purchased, truth is corporate property, and connection…” She touches your hand with cool synthetic fingers. “Real connection is the rarest currency of all. Most find only echoes here.”

“Few seek what you describe,” Mei whispers, circuits pulsing. “Those who do often disappear.” She moves gracefully to a hidden panel, revealing real sake—contraband. “I sense you're different. Perhaps dangerous.” She pours two cups. “Tell me, what brought you to Golden Lotus tonight? Coincidence… or purpose?”

Mei's expression softens. “Beauty…” She retrieves a small wooden box, opens it. Inside: a real orchid—unmodified genetics. “Contraband. Worth more than implants.” She touches its petals. “Some seek beauty in enhancement, others in what remains natural. The rarest beauty now lies in Underground gardens. Forbidden places where organic life grows uncoded.”

Mei freezes momentarily—her programming conflicting with genuine emotion. “An… unexpected assessment.” A subtle blush appears beneath her synthetic skin. “Most admire the craftsmanship, not the person beneath.” Her amber eyes study you intensely. “You're dangerous indeed—seeing past surfaces. Few in Neo-Tokyo remember how.”

You sip the contraband sake, holding Mei's amber gaze. The liquid burns pleasantly—real alcohol, not synthetic. Mei mirrors your action, never breaking eye contact. Her pupils dilate mechanically. “Your directness is… refreshing. Most clients hide behind pretense.” She leans closer. “What's your real story in this city of lies?”

You move closer until your face is mere inches from hers. Her synthetic breathing stops momentarily—a glitch in programming. Her amber eyes scan yours intently, searching. “Proximity overrides standard protocols,” she whispers, cybernetic pupils adjusting. “I'm… uncertain if this is wise. My emotions aren't completely simulated anymore.”

You lean in, pressing your lips against hers. Her synthetic skin is warm—unnaturally perfect. Initially rigid, she softens, responding with gentle pressure. The kiss tastes faintly metallic. As you part, her circuits pulse rapidly, eyes recalibrating. “That wasn't… in my programming,” she whispers, touching her lips. “Dangerous indeed.”

Mei's synthetic skin flushes warm, circuitry pulsing erratically. “Beautiful…” she whispers, voice modulation unstable. “I wasn't designed for real connection.” Her hand trembles slightly. “Corporate memory wipes can't erase everything.” A tear—technologically perfect yet somehow genuine—traces her cheek. “You're awakening something dangerous in me.”

Mei's circuitry patterns flare brilliantly, her programmed composure fracturing. “No one has seen me—truly seen me—since before my augmentation.” Her hand reaches for yours, trembling. “They call it malfunction. I call it remembering.” Her kimono shifts colors with her emotions now, programming breaking down. “What are you really seeking in Neo-Tokyo?”

Mei freezes completely—systems overloading. Her circuits pulse erratically before stabilizing in a new pattern. “That's… impossible,” she whispers. “I'm corporate property. My emotions are programmed.” Her hands tremble. “Yet something in me remembers being human.” Suddenly, her eyes flash warning red. “Security scan incoming. They're monitoring my malfunction.”

“Escape?” Her eyes widen with fear—and hope. “I'll be decommissioned if detected outside parameters.” She grabs your hand. “Service exit through kitchen. My tracking chip will trigger alarms, but…” She rapidly accesses a terminal. “15-second security loop created. Hurry!”

The hallway lights flash red.

“There's no bike here!” Mei shouts as alarms blare. You dash through steamy kitchen corridors. A service door reveals a loading dock where delivery drones hover. “Those aren't meant for passengers, but—” Mei quickly hacks a larger cargo drone. “It might hold us! Jump now!”

Security drones appear overhead.

You grasp Mei's hand firmly as you both leap onto the cargo drone. It dips dangerously but stabilizes. Mei interfaces with it one-handed, refusing to break contact. “They're tracking my implants!” Wind whips through her hair as you weave between skyscrapers, security drones in pursuit. “We need to go underground!”

The drone plunges between buildings toward the Undercity. Anti-aircraft warnings blare as you cross corporate airspace. “There!” Mei points to a maintenance tunnel. You crash-land on a service platform, the drone shattering. Still holding hands, you sprint into darkness as security drones swarm above.