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There is hardly such a thing as a standard life on
Pellicia. A variety of factors determine how and where a furson may live. Nonetheless, there are
some lifestyles that are more popular than others, and -- in a grossly over generalized
fashion -- can be described. Life for the middle of the middle
class is fairly consistent despite some geographical and structural
differences.
Home
Home is a highly subjective statement for all the
cultures. At its base, home is still a sanctuary and a place for a
furson to let their tail swing where it may. Home size and shape
depends on the family, a furson's level of wealth, and of course,
geographical location. Most non-apartment style homes are largely
self-sufficient or hooked into systems that make them more
self-sufficient. Doors tend to open and close by touch or
proximity. Standard fare for a house includes a
number of bedrooms, hygiene closets, kitchen/cookrooms,
a multipurpose room, and a utility room.
The bedroom has a variety of names depending on
species. Some like to refer to it as their 'den', their 'cove', or
their 'sanctuary'. But whatever it is called, it is the designated
location where a furson sleeps. Beds are often simple flat
surfaces with a mattress of varied technological level. Bedrooms often have a manually refreshing water basin off
to the side. Closets are often also connected
directly to the bedroom.
The hygiene closet, or H.C., is another essential feature
of the home for waste removal. For the most part, this area remains the same
regardless of location. There is a waste chair with as many affectionate names
as you can possibly imagine. A self-refreshing water
basin is often directly across from the chair. Most HCs also have
a shower in it, though a bath can be included despite how expensive it
is. Near the bath/shower item is a fur dryer that blows warm air
from whichever direction it happens to be installed. Nearly standard fare for every bathroom is a
full-length mirror that allows a furson to inspect their fur and
facilitate the brushing process.
Kitchens/cookrooms also vary according to the amount
of monetary effort put into them. Pretty standard are washbasins,
water dispensers, and dish cleaners. Food is also kept in the
cookroom in a large machine known as an Everkeep. Next to, or on top
of the Everkeep is normally a chiller, referred to as 'the chilly',
where items can be made cold (beverages, etc.). Standard eating
utensils are stowed away for those foods that require a little more help
than normal. The latest
trend in herbivorous homes are fresh herb racks that grow on a specially
designed shelf in the cookroom. That way, garnishes and spices are
plucked and eaten right with the meal.
The multipurpose room is often the center for home
entertainment and guest entertainment. Though it is considered entertainment, this is often one of the key
locations in a furson's home. It is where the connection to the
Gen-network is housed, as well as equipment to play music and video
cubes. Sound immersion, one of the latest social fads, is also
compatible with the system to allow fursons to experience audio
therapy.
The utility room is an essential part of most homes
because it is where the power is. Most homes have central climate
control that uses a Celestite crystal for heat. Fortunately, most well done Celestite crystals can last
for upwards of half a century, which is why the special crystals used
for homes are valuable and somewhat expensive.
Gen-Network
The Gen-network is short for the Generic Everyfurson
News- Network, and was started as an effort to provide citizens with
proper and wholesome interactive experiences. Pellician Update, the planet's
premiere news organization, is the most popular site and often
broadcasts live over the Gen-network. Additionally, games and a
variety of other services can be located on this network. Because
a privatized government institution moderates it, it does not have as
many of the same pitfalls as Ikara-net, its predecessor.
Ikara-net is less powerful but not necessarily less
popular. It features some broadband experiences, but the speeds
are much slower than that capable by the Gen-network. The reason
it has persisted is because of its free form and emphasis on freedom of
speech with anonymity. Many Gen-network companies also run lower
scale productions on Ikara-net. Most parents simply keep their young off
it, but it is often the symbol of youthful rebellion because of its
'anything goes' attitude.
Transportation
There are several divisions of vehicles used to get
fursons from place to place. Many large cities have methods of
public transportation that preempt the use of personal vehicles.
However, with the efficiency of personal transport and the variety of
public transport, both are good methods of transport. Public transportation
often consists of both aerial and ground routes. Airbuses often
transport for longer distances, while monorails cover medium to short
distances.
Ground vehicles take on a variety of sizes. The
smallest are the personal vehicles, which are classified as 'hoverable'
and have either one or no wheels under the bottom. Large transport
class vehicles are classified as semi-hoverable, or 'semi-hovs', and
often have two wheels in tandem midline of the vehicle.
Ultra-class utility vehicles, used by some companies for large scale and
special transport, travel on all four wheels or perhaps more, using less
powerful hoverability
as an added level of safety.
The streets are designed to help keep citizens as
safe as possible. Very little manual control is required to
control a vehicle because of specialized onboard computers that allow
programmed locations. Electronic strips embedded in the street
allow for coordination and crash prevention via a complex guidance
system. Inside the vehicle, the Gen-network is accessible for
conversation via voice only. Radio stations dedicated solely to
personal vehicles are also popular listening choices. There are
special permits and programs for those who use the highway system.
Payment for these programs constitutes payment for the use of the
highway, since they are long since paid off.
Education
Primary, secondary, tertiary and advanced schooling
exists. Primary and secondary students have 'academic mentors'
which are personal counselors used to provide a non-institutional point
of contact with every individual student. This job carries high
social responsibility and rather nice monetary compensation for the
short time that one has to work.
Social Customs
Lifemating
Lifemating is a highly personal expression of long
term dedication between fursons. It is not so much a religious
institution as the recognition of a spiritual binding. The
government maintains a registry of lifemates for a small fee, though it
is not required that one join this registry. Its usual purpose is
as a legal recourse to settle mating quarrels.
The lifemating ceremony is just as individual as the
lifemated pairs. It can be private, or public but is always very
individual and personalized. Lifemating usually involves some kind of
symbol of the relationship comprised of
two pieces that are permanently bound during the ceremony.
Crime and Punishment
Depending on the location in the world, crime and
punishment are handled very differently. There is an ITC mandate
against the death penalty, so the state never sponsors the death of an
individual. However, there is no investigation of the mysterious
death of felons, which, though not publicized, can be a technical death
penalty because it sets one's life as forfeit. There are also
penal islands where exiles can be removed from society.
Public Entertainment
Professional online gaming is a popular method of
public entertainment. These are often either broadcast through the
Gen-Network, or for special events, done live in special arenas.
The players do have to maintain a certain physical shape, because
controls for these games have become so details that they often utilize
a full body suit for control.
Professional sports also are a public draw. Vintage
driving draws large crowds for those looking for intricate skill and
engineering, though hoverclass driving does the same thing but adds a
greater level of speed.
Every five cycles in times of non-conflict are
special games that comprise a kind of Olympic competition. Tests
of skill and strength hearken back to the ancestral roots of each
species. This is always a big deal in the Pellician culture
because it is a link to the primal roots that fursons once had.
Another popular but hardcore game is called the
Wausau Survival League (WSL). Teams split into 'predator' and
'prey', and engage in a complex game of tag. Species
is not a determining factor in who can play, as each side switches
between playing the predator and prey for a set number of innings.
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