Chapter Text
● Let's start with some info about the book in general.
○ I update whenever I want. Weeks or months may pass between updates, especially if I have little or no inspiration for the headcanons.
○ I do not take requests, sorry
○ I can and will add/remove stuff from chapters I've already posted if I change my mind.
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● Let's start by saying my interpretation of the BS universe can be summed up as just a massive AU.
● To elaborate: while Starr Park exists, it's not a brainwashing society or anything. Most brawlers live outside the park and don't have much to do with its activities. In fact, the only ones who are actually SP employees are the Castle Courtyard, Starr Hub, Souvenir Shop, and Stunt Show Performers (whose connections to the park are unambigous and unavoidable)
● Brawling is a sport. The gems are used to respawn people after they die, as well as keep them from collapsing at the first gunshot wound.
○ Also nope, the gems aren't used outside of brawling arenas, so under normal circumstances they're all as mortal as we are :P
● The gems have also made it possible, in very rare cases, to bring back a person who has just died, at the price of their humanity. More specifically, they get an altered physical appearance and a somewhat shorter remaining lifespan before they die for good of natural causes. Poco and Emz are examples of this.
● Silly me, I've forgot to mention the setting! Okay so, picture an island shaped like a six-point star. Imagine it being located in the gulf of Mexico (or maybe on the opposite side, just south-west of California? idk). Imagine it being a British colony during the age of discovery, then becoming USA territory after the Americans achieve independence, and then again becoming itself independent in-between the World Wars. Its name is Starr Island (due to yk... the shape), but the locals affectionately call it Brawltopia due to its national sport (have a guess what is it).
○ Oh and btw, the park owners named the park after the island, not the other way around ofc
○ Fun fact: together with Singapore, this is the only fully independent and functioning city-state of the modern era
○ The whole place is large enough to be divided in "sections" which basically act like local governments on a micro scale (again think Singaporean planning areas), but also just small enough that you can cross from one end to the other of the island via bus in little more than a couple hours.
● Demographically, Starr Island/Brawltopia has a large Asian population, especially Japanese (it's a little because of the park attracting businesspeople, but mainly due to historical reasons, with many having immigrated to the island during WW2 or slightly after). There are also plenty of Latinos due to its proximity to Central & South America + the Caribbeans; many neighborhoods and streets have Spanish names/are derived from Catholic saints (think Californian cities)
● For more society-related facts: robots exist and have formally the same rights as humans; however, the creation of an automaton requires special permission, in order to prevent overpopulation, slavery, and/or complete replacement of human labor (what a pity the laws weren't there yet when Sam needed them...).
○ Robots haven't always been equals to humans however, having been regularly exploited until a few decades back. Nowadays all the species are considered equals and anti-robot violence is virtually unheard of, but some degree of bigotry still remains (and not just with robophobic humans; there's also plenty of humanphobic bots out there)