Citizen

Henry Division, a citizen of Island Sequence 24.

A **Citizen** is a mortal human who has been abducted from the Real World and is forced to live on an Island Sequence. When an Island Sequence is close to ending, Citizens are sacrificed in the Slaughter Ritual.

The Syndicate keeps the Citizen population as slaves, keeping birth and death records while closely monitoring the life that pervades between, forcing them to either work or worship. Isiah Bullet is responsible for procuring, conditioning, and distributing Citizens across the Island.

The Syndicate frequently conducts social experiments on the civilian population, exploring ways to minimise violence both between citizens and ultimately towards the Syndicate itself. This motivation for this may stem from the memories of the Citizen Revolt back on 7th Island Sequence that was ultimately quashed by Grand Marshal Akiko 14, though a peaceful population is also a more productive one.

Despite the Syndicate's dogmatic surveillance and its attempt at exerting control over every aspect of the Citizen's lives, social issues remain, with evidence of underground markets and presumably illicit trade in commodities such as pornography. Murder appears to be not an uncommon occurrence, with a newspaper reporting on a string of dismemberments that 'often happen during the height of the summer'. Crime clans thrive, similar to the Japanese Yakuza or Chinese Triads. Love Dies can find an insignia bearing a blossom and the kanji for 'love' belonging to a clan ruled by Crazy Davos, a fearful woman with an eye patch.

Various housing options have been explored in an attempt to minimise criminal activities, with the Syndicate finding that the level of violence decreased in the Citizen Housing scheme when compared to the squalor of the Citizen Apartments. Allowing Citizens to feed animals by installing fish ponds on the rooves of some apartments was also found to make the population happier.

There seems to be a limited degree of freedom and personal choice afforded to the Citizens. They are paid in Blood Crystals which they can spend on merchandise authorised by the Syndicate's monopoly company, Dead Nebula, or can be used to purchase drinks at Sam's bar. There are schools and a limited range of careers to which they can be assigned, but Citizens themselves appear to be barred from establishing their own companies and any independent trade is outlawed. Love Dies can find illicitly traded eggs, evidence that even food trade is barred, keeping the Citizens dependent on the Syndicate for all their needs. Ultimately, the vast majority of their life decisions will be dictated by Syndicate whims.

All workers on the Island are prescribed pain medication. Despite the Syndicate's access to advanced technology such as nuclear weapons and gene therapy, Citizens must haul all the goods produced at the Agri Fields and the Deep Factory by hand.

Crimson Acid is vaunted as an Idol for the Citizens to look up to after she was blessed by the Gods. She is marketed as an object of worship but also desire, with keychains, collectables, and figurines crafted in her image found around the Island. Advertisements to win a date with Crimson via a lucky pull of a recently launched beer line are papered all over the Citizen quarters, but the sad irony is that there was never any date to win, no hope to begin with, and so too is the fate of all Citizens.

Various relics can be found around the Island that gives insight into their day-to-day lives; secret cassette tapes that allow communication free from Syndicate eyes, children's stones painted with hopes for the 'next life', imperfect dominos, good luck charms, Dead Nebula loyalty cards, a golden crown for someone who was a particularly exuberant worshiper. Superstition appears rife, with Citizens scattering sequins outside of their homes to ward off demons, skimming rocks decorated with runes into the ocean to ease the consequences of their sins, donating pennies in fountains for favour from the Gods.

Regardless of what they made of their lives, disobedient or pious, all but Henry Division were slaughtered by the time Lady Love Dies returns to the Island.

## Known Citizens

* Henry Division - Inhabitant of Island Sequence 24. He became interested in Demonology during his teens, and was eventually convicted of multiple crimes. He is held in the Desolation Cell under Grand Marshal Akiko 14's watchful eyes, and is the main suspect of The Crime to End All Crimes.
* Rina Division (deceased) - Former inhabitant of Island Sequence 24. She was in a secret relationship with Council member Eyes Kiwami, which resulted in the conception of Henry Division. She was murdered ten years before the events of *Paradise Killer*.
* Anarchic Ghost (deceased) - Former inhabitant of Island Sequence 24. They can be seen in the Citizen Housing area. They ask Lady Love Dies if she'd like to join their fight in ending corruption and freeing the Agri Fields/Deep Factory workers.
* Horrified Ghost (deceased) - Former inhabitant of Island Sequence 24. They can be seen on the Beach by the obelisks. They ask Lady Love Dies to investigate for evidence of vampirism after they were murdered and drained of their blood. Love Dies can find this evidence in Doctor Doom Jazz's clinic.
* Ezra Albertine (deceased) - Former inhabitant of Island Sequence 24. His ghost can be seen in the Reality Folding Drive area, near the Agri Fields and Deep Factory Entrance. He can't remember his identity, but Lady Love Dies can find his employee card next to his fish tank and tell him his name, which leads to Ezra giving her the code to his locker.
* Crazy Davos (deceased) - Former inhabitant of Island Sequence 24. The leader of a Citzen crime clan and is described as a 'fearful woman with an eyepatch. Not one to be fucked with.' Her ghost does not seem to be present.