A long, long time ago, back when I was still fresh meat here at Shokushu, I posted this thread in an attempt to answer some of the questions that were puzzling me at the time, a few of which are still puzzling me to this day. I figured I'd re-post it on the new board to share the responses I had gotten the last time around, and so that others could add their own input and ask a few questions of their own if they so choose.

It will take a few posts to reconstruct the original thread. Once that is done, the thread will be open for comments. I will post at the end to let you know when.

Hopefully this thread will be viewed by those rather more knowledgeable than myself will monitor this thread (hint hint, wink wink), as I will most likely not have all (if any) of the answers other posters may ask here...At least, those answers that may be considered completely accurate.

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There are some things that are puzzling me as I contemplate the strange and wonderful fantasy world that is Shokushu Island and attempt to understand some of the more puzzling aspects(at least, puzzling to me) of it as I try to relate it to the real world.

I don't know if this has been addressed before, but I thought I would bring it up anyway, in case someone would come along and sate my curiosity.

OK, so we students are living on a beautiful (and, yes, monster-infested) island, where we eat, sleep, swim, play, learn, and live. We get our education at a high school filled with everything that both staff and students may ever need in terms of supplies and equipment and so forth. We live in a rather large dormitory that must be much bigger on the inside than the outside to be able house the ever-increasing number of students that live there. There is a shit-load of very expensive equipment in the school and NICE Labs.

I suppose the obvious question is: "Where does the money come from to purchase all this stuff?" And I suppose the obvious answer would be: "The government." But that still leaves many questions burning in my mind, some of them being:
"Who, exactly, pays for all this stuff? The government, yes, but who? And where, exactly does all this cash that the government dishes out come from?"
"Where does the electricity that powers all this stuff come from?"
"Where do we get all the nice, clean water, that comes out of the sinks and the drinking fountains in the school and dormitory?"
"How are all the food, the supplies, the funds, and so on taken care of?"
"How are the campus and the dormitory able to accommodate every single student that arrives on the island?"

Oh, I don't know where this thought came from...but I was also wondering if students who know how are allowed to build robots. I don't mean big bad battle bots or anything like that. I'm sure that type of thing isn't allowed here...unless it's the folks at NICE Labs that are the ones making them, of course. No, I mean just making service bots, little robots that could be used to clean the student's dorm room, do her homework for her...ect.

This all came to me while I was asleep one night, and I couldn't go back to sleep until I had typed this out. I don't know why it came to me that night, or why it would be so important that I just had to jump out of bed at about 2:00 a.m. to type it out on my word processor right away, lest, heaven forbid, I would have completely forgotten about it seven hours later when I was supposed to get up and get ready for work...But, what the hell, sometimes these things just happen, I guess.

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ASWERS


Royoko: I thought it was paid when we're sold as sexual animals in the intergalatic market.
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Sin: Here are some answers based on my interpretations, which are often proven wrong.

First I believe Ryoko is right about the intergalactic sex slave market bringing in any income the school may need. Although I'm sure plenty of monsters would be happy to contribute if needed. My character, for example, could use his powers to summon riches from various sources. Plus N.I.C.E. labs could make a vast fortune by using whatever scientific findings they gain and putting it towards some practical aplications.

Electricity, water and other essentials are probably provided by the advanced technology developed by N.I.C.E. labs and any provided by advanced alien civilizations that the headmaster may deal with. I'm sure beneath the surface of this island paradise is a collection of highly advanced machines that keeps the whole thing running smoothely.
Although N.I.C.E. labs itself is powered by a percentage of the students that have "graduated". They're able to harness the erotic energy of these women and convert it into power.

I'm sure food and supplies could be brought from off world sources easily enough.

The dormitories could house everyone through some smart architecture. I don't know how many students (both PC and NPC) there are, and I doubt anyone would be able to come up with an exact figure, but with a lot of the students sharing dorms it isn't too unbeleivable to have a dorm building large enough to house everyone.

And the robot question will have to be handled by someone that knows the rules better than I do. Although as long as it doesn't give your character an unrealistic advantage and its existance can be easily rationalized then owning/building a robot doesn't seem like a big problem.

These are just my opinions. If you want official answers I'm sure a PM to the right people will get them.
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StormBringer: Though there is no officially published answer, since anyone in authority would deny the school even existed, there is a rumor going around. That rumor suggests that the earth government came to a secret arrangement with the various alien races it encountered. Shokushu Island was to be set up and funded as a neutral ground where those aliens who had a penchant for having sex with earth girls would be allowed to pursue their hobby in peace - with earth providing a suitable supply of girls for the purpose. In return the aliens would stay away from the actual planet itself, as stories about UFOs and alien attacks were causing unrest.

Of course that neutrality only extends to the actual island itself. That is why the ADD doesn't operate there. Away from the island and the planet earth, anything goes in the war between that organisation, the space pirates and the varied races of aliens.

If you study the school layout, you will find that the dorms are located as part of the student's campus area in a tower block set apart from the school itself. This can easily house hundreds of girls and of course there is a turnover of students, with some 'leaving' as others arrive.

For the technological aspects, remember that the island also houses a spaceport which uses technology far beyond that known on earth, plus of course the Labs themselves. If the rumors about the school's existence are correct, it could be assumed that alien technology was acquired in order to make this neutral location function correctly. Equally it could be assumed that the Labs have been pursuing research covertly by making use of aliens captured by the ADD.

I won't answer the robot question as I know NICE has equipment set up around the island which prevents advanced devices from working, thus disabling students from building weapons. I'm not certain if that equipment would also prevent anything more complex than a calculator from functioning. So I'll leave Niceman to answer that.


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Keahi: Thanks for the long explanation. Stormy wormy.
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Royoko: Uhm, so the school is a kind of learning center established by creatures who have a thing for bipedal human shaped female creatures. Uhm --whenm I read your explanation of the school, Mister Stormnbringer, I had an image of the establishment of Spirit World and Demon World from the anime YU YU YAKUSHO.

Uhm--so there are beings in the cosmos who have created a market for both the breeding oif us human girls and the possible selling of our prgasms as fine wines for discrimainating monsters! Uhm, so could you --uhm tell me what the market value of a bottle of Ryoko Orgasmic Wine is worth on the monster market?

I --I guess having a body that gets excited sexually with little effort makes my wine quite accesssible! Uhm--ubnless I am floddinmg the market and devaluing the vintage! Uhm--my air is not as cool as it is at home so my mind is a bit--you know!


Uhm--plesae don't make me graduate to bring up the value of Ryoko Wine due to a stoppage at the source!

Oh --oh this is now too crazy!

Bye bye!

(Buy stock in Ryoko Wine from the Shokushu Wineries!)
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Pirajincto: The thing that would make the most sense to this is....that it's a rp. It doesn't matter.
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StormBringer: The concept of 'flooding the market' brings up some interesting mental images......
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((Sorry 'bout that, Madison. Thanks for moving it for me.))

Sondra:



A while ago, Trixy told me there was a map of sorts in the Shokushu website that shows the school layout. I tried to look for it, but I couldn't find it anywhere on the site. Could you direct me there?



Mmm...I wouldn't mind trying some of that wine sometime, Ryoko.



I know that. I was just curious. And it's very interesting and informative to read the responses.
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Keahi: Better not use me in those mental images.
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Kite: not to nag, but just an incosistency i wanna confirm as far as explanations.. i was under the impression that the island itself, while on a planet climactically similar to tropical earth, was in fact nowhere NEAR earth, and was way off bajillions of lightyears away, so that there wasn't the possibilty of a sneaky monster goig "why have jsut one course, when a short swim yields and all i can fuck buffet?"

so.. is the island on earth, or way off elsewhere? (mainly only important to me since i've been slooowly but steadily working on a story set pseudo here for the past year and a half, and i wanna get it right after all this work.)

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Noriko: As far as I knew it was on Earth, that's the premise I had when I first created my char. It's not "cloaked" but no one outside the school knows it's true purpose (and even some inside the school don't know it's true purpose).

NICE labs does a very excellent job keeping up appearances and altering things so nothing looks amiss to the outside world. NICE labs also prevents the usage of more advanced things than perhaps a laptop, if I recall correctly, and contact with the outside is managed and faked as needed so the students don't suspect that they're forever trapped on the island.

Of course this is all what I've garnered from being around a while. Niceman is the final authority on the matter.
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Ryoko: Uhm --aren't the best hiding places the ones in plain sight? What is more innocuous than an exclusive school on a tropical island with a lot of buildings and a laboratory setting? Uhm--and there are always radar jamming devices or mind control devices that could cauise any approaching airplanes to move to a different location through a veering of a degree in their flights to send them away from the island!

Uhm Miss Sondra, I'll have you over for diunner sometime! I mean, I'lls erve you some dinner not have you as my dinner ina perverted kinky manner! Oh --uhm you knew that right and did not see that as a lustful comment and --oh I am making it worse! Uhm, I'll --uhm serve the refreshments and --uhm I'll just shut up while I have some respect left!
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Francis Sandoval: It has always been my understanding that the school is on another planet. There were early scores of references to double suns, the second one only being visible when one climbs death mountain. OTOH, Niceman recently revised one part of the school in that he says that 95% of the students in fact go home, which I had not thought was part of the original idea. I dunno (no criticism intended, it works out much better that way.)

I've always envisioned the campus as well...a campus. Buildings are set down here and there, almost randomly in a pleasant parklike environment surrounded by a rough but still inviting forest. One nice feature is several dormitories only yards from a beach. (Are there any real schools like that?) Its far more gardenlike than most campuses, having a plethora of pleasant pathways for students to wander down. New buildings spring up, very literally, as needed.

The food is hearty and excellent. The cafeteria is appointed like a five star restaurant and the fare is of great variety ranging from simple stews and roasts to exotic creations that would do credit to the Iron Chef. Students can buy exta food for their rooms with Shokushu Cash, rewarded for good behavior or academic achievement. No student ever gains one ounce, no matter what she eats.

There is a bookstore, well stocked with multimedia of all varieties and subjects. It also sells school supplies, clothing (each student has a well stocked closet courtesy of the the school but many find the administration's taste a little racy) even nicknacks and gewgaws. Its a huge building and with its own coffee shop, resembles nothing more than a mall. (full of nothing but nubile females in perpetual summer togs) *sigh

The money, of course, is taken from the worldwide black helicopter paint fund.

At least that's how I've always seen it
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Sondra:



That's ok, Ryoko, I know what you mean...and I would love to come over to your dorm for dinner...and possibly a little dessert afterword.



Hmmm...I've never heard of or seen any of this in what I've seen here in the past 16 months I've been a member here. I never heard of 'Shokushu Cash'. And I always thought the food in the dorm kitchens just sort of 'turned up', although I never really figured out a logical explanation for that. Also, I've never heard of any mall, or anything that might resemble one, here on Shokushu Island.

Of course, just because I personally haven't heard of any of this before doesn't necessarily mean it isn't true.


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Okay folks, floor's open!

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So..... what do you actually want to know now?

The island appears to be on Earth but is actually not.

Students arrive by invitation, they don't just turn up and knock on the door. So it's easy to match the intake with the vacancies created by graduation.

It's actually considered a finishing school rather than a normal high school, to ensure everyone is 18+

I think I'll give my thoughts on the last points made. Shokushu may be advanced in more ways than one but will still maintain the appearance of other universities. Meaning that it may havea cafeteria but not of the level of a five star restaurant. Probably not as bad as what you find in younger schools but not overly fancy either. One of the benefits of being a Head Girl or a Prefect is having some access to higher class foods and appliances.

Not sure about Shokushu Cash but I would not doubt they have a sort of credit/check card that may provide a small allowance to students so they can purchase some extra things for themself. My basic training had something similar though the money was taken out of my first paycheck. I mean I know this school provides alot but, an island filled with females and no mall to shop for clothes and whatever may call some questions. It would at least make the students think they are still 'paying' to attend here.

Just my thoughts on it, not sure if any of them are correct so do not take them as set in stone. Hopefully what I said made some ounce of sense as I fight off the black plague (ok maybe its just a cold).

I've all ways thought of Shokushu sort of an escalator school. It’s a learning facility of a tropical island, or an island that is made to look like it is near the earth's equator. The school pays for everything in advance a student might need, and hands out a sort of debit card to students. These debit cards are paid with through the student’s tuition, as all cost is believed to be covered in it. There is the Student Plaza which holds all the shops students need, such as cafe`, lingerie shops, clothing stores, laundry mat, book store, and hobby shops, even a uniform store where students can pick up new/replacement uniforms, school swimsuit, or gym uniform. Students can of course work at these stores part time in order to earn extra money on their debit cards. I'm not exactly sure though if the plaza is in the same building as the dorms, or is in between the two dorms, or stretches under them both.

Well, most of the answers have been answered so far. I just enjoyed the thread last time it was posted, as it got some other members to jump in and ask questions of their own regarding the topics I had brought up, with some interesting, informative, and in one or two cases, humorous (mostly from our old friend Ryoko) answers from the posters.

There were some inconsistencies to be worked out, primarily about the location of the campus, which, between the old posts and the current ones posted by you and Kanoe, seems to have been resolved.

I wanted to re-post this because I thought that the newer members might find answers to some questions that they might have as well, and I kinda figured that I'd use this thread as sort of a one-stop-shop for Q&As, if that's okay with you, StormBringer.
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