Apopka Lights
| Apopka Lights | |
|---|---|
 "A Skyline of Delights" | |
| Location | The Land |
| Exports | Media/Entertainment, Jewelry and Luxury Goods, Coal and Oil |
| Values | First Impressions, Influence, Hedonism, Winning, Novelty, Independence |
| System of government | Illiberal democracy, presidential system |
| Leader | Boy Smiley™ |
| Demonym | Apopkan |
Apopka Lights is a city-state in the Land. It is known as a flashy city of highest highs and lowest lows. The city is bursting with both competition and creativity, and many things ranging from TV shows to common household objects originated here.
History
Apopka began as a mining town near the base of The Land’s mountain range, excavating portions of diamonds and minerals for use in other cities. Resources proved to be a towering amount, and more people began migrating to the town to grab a little bit of success for themselves during the Gold Rush. The town’s new bustling community grabbed the attention of those who could give townsfolk a reprieve from their busy days of work— and nab a little bit of dough without all the hard labor. Soon Apopka became a bustling place for entertainment, and people came from all around to experience what these entertainers and salesfolk had to offer.
It began growing outward, but with the mountain range taking up space, it began to get a little clustered as the town continued to grow. The solution, then, was to just start to build the city up vertically.
The city improved quickly with investments gratefully gifted by some who had gained a mass of wealth, and the foundation of the city that everyone knows and loves today gained the first glimmers of its bright future. Those who deemed themselves unfit for places like Cytopia and Draywood migrated to this new, hopeful place, showcasing rejected (but exploitable) talents that merged well with the entertainment classes already in swing. The once mining town had developed a new, brighter culture of improved life, fashion, and an endless pursuit for success and power.
Apopka still maintains their ethics of hard work, but the age of Marks has given rise to an entirely new standard to compete against, and not all hard work is honest work. Now people push toward lives of glamour and passion shown to them on every screen, hoping one day it can be their face layered atop every surface. Monopolies have dominated the markets, and it isn’t rare to find the same logo flashing seven times in a row on TV.
Geography
The city of Apopka Lights is broken up into 5 sectors. The sectors are based on both historical divisions and economic divisions.
Old Sector
The Old Sector is historic Apopka-- where the Gold Rush originally hit.
New Sector
The New Sector is pretty much Downtown, main Apopka where the majority of the population lives.
Lollywood Sector
Lollywood is the entertainment business sector, where stars live and work.
Luxury Sector
The Luxury Sector is a business-based sector around the luxury exports Apopka is known for. There's a very large shopping district here.
Factory Sector
The Factory Sector is where most of the oil refinery and coal business work. It's directly next to the Old Sector, and is the second oldest sector in the city.
Criminal Activity
The crime market in Apopka Lights is a mixed bag of degrees. From basic counterfeit sales to dubiously legal business schemes, it’s not hard to see money as the main culprit in most cases. Virtually nothing can contest the will of the companies that loom proudly over the city, and while it may be a well-known fact, people aren’t very inclined to change the power structure. Taxes are primarily paid by the citizens, businesses shielding themselves under a garble of laws and maybe-not-actually-laws that are incomprehensible by anyone who isn’t a lawyer. The police are awfully corrupt too, letting many get away with crimes both small and large. What constitutes as “criminal activity” officially is unclear, but scams and cheats run rampant.
Apopka’s prisons are notable for their amenities, like tennis courts, single roomed cells, television and internet access, and even a pool. The rich and famous criminals across the Land always try to be transferred into them, to the point where secret bids for slots have become a thing. Some even use it as a resort getaway, to bide their time somewhere safe when the world gets too hot on their backs. It's a safe place!... as long as you're cool with one of the prison gangs.
Marked Sentiment
Many Marked are trendsetters, seen everywhere— advertising the best facial creams, newest shows, hottest fashion. Marked are often pressured to pursue a career related to their Mark, and exploit their power to the fullest, or else you’re seen as lazy and wasteful. If you can breathe underwater, your profession/lifestyle better incorporate that, unless you want to be met with eyerolls and disappointment.
Stance on Superheroes
There’s a strong divide between heroes that appeal to the working class and those that protect the elite. Hero work is common, corrupt law officials means true justice takes a third party and there’s plenty of private funding to support professional heroes. Many heroes have agents that help assign work and find endorsements deals. Overall, the city sees heroes as something to market, with the second biggest scene (following Draywood) of career heroes. Apopka believes heroes should be strong, first and foremost.
Culture
Apopka is well known for its culture of stardom and celebrity worship, as well as its push of industry and importance of capital.
Apopka Lights is big on gambling, and some people stream their games to get even more money to bet at the tables. Of course plenty of things can be used for betting if you go to the right places. Juice boxes, cheat sheets, clothes, tickets to sold out events, cars, houses, company stocks— once you learn how to count, it’s all up for grabs.
Apopka has a small and mostly ignored “Anti-Gambling” crusade that comes out certain times of the year to spread their message on the dangers of the games, but most people just tend to ignore it and cite them as sore losers.
Apopkans have four, smaller meals a day, compromised mostly out of snack foods. Lunch breaks are seen as ‘weakness’, as you just eat granola bars on the job. Most things are to-go, instant, or frozen. Food trucks and carts are very common. Convenience store readymade meals and common and favorites. Some shops in Apopka are notorious for selling exclusively cosmetically pleasing food that is physically impossible to consume, such as the 'Triple Unicorn Snuggle Party Sundae'.
Apopka Lights is not unfamiliar with superstition. In Apopka Lights, sliding down the handrails of stairs is supposed to take 7 years off your lifespan. Walking up a flight of stairs, though, adds 1 year to your life span every time you do it. They like their stairs, man, what can I say. There’s a lot of them in the city, after all.
The Token of Heart Festival is Apopka’s biggest celebration. Occurring late spring, citizens celebrate with wild parties and give each other anonymous gifts in the process. People can send lavish gifts of admiration to friends and family, and awful, terrible nuisance gifts to the people they despise. Apopkans are rather creative during this time.
Intercity Relations
Cytopia
The two cities respect each other, and often work with each other on business ventures. Cytopia develops, Apopka sells! Apopka thinks Cytopia could stand to be more ambitious, though.
Draywood
Considered to be a bunch of hippies and pretentious vegans stuck in their old ways. Who also happen to be the most avid fans of their movies and shows. Slightly mixed bag on those guys.
New Chiti
Once a great competitor, now barely on Apopka’s radar. Assumed to have been completely abandoned after that horrid explosion unless told otherwise. But the knowledge tends not to stick for very long.
Republic of Randwell
Amazing film sets, spectacular beaches for the best shots and vaycays, and one of the city’s most loyal supporters. Love you Rand ;)
Important Places and People
You can check Apopkans for a more comprehensive list of people from Apopka and In Apopka Lights for a more comprehensive list of places, organizations, and events in Apopka.