Rosedale

Rosedale is the titular city of the Rosedale universe as well as the central location in which the key events of said universe take place in.

Description
Rosedale is the name of an intermediately sized city of ambiguous geographic location. Its ambiguity is due to the inspirations it takes, not only from Central Europe and North America, but also South-East Asia and its urban areas, with brown-brick post-industrial housing complexes, urban areas littered with small shops and other independent businesses while also showcasing characteristics of urban American influences.

History
During its initial prime at the peak of industrialization, Rosedale, due to its convenient placement and proximity to mining sites, became a hotspot for coal and metal processing as well as mineral refinery. These mining sites were either in the far outskirts of town or a few towns away, shipments reached the city via train tracks. While the mines were in more desolate areas, production sites were in more populated areas in the midst of Rosedale. There, the materials were transformed for its desired use, with metal production for industrial as well as casual use, in form of tools, cutlery, etc., being the dominant industry in the city. With the introduction of the international market though, Rosedale' industrial success plummetted, as products of the same caliber were now able to be imported for much cheaper, leading to the closure of many mines, factories, etc., resulting in Rosedale's initial downfall. In current times, the remains of Rosedale's industrial sector can still be seen, with its primarily refurbished architecture, abandoned train tracks as well as empty mines and production sites, taken over by a sudden spurt of flora growth.

With a population predominantly based in the city's booming metal industry, a community of sculpters and other artists has formed, initially using excess metal for artistic purposes. This community of artists grew and evolved, expanding towards painting, printing and later on music, theater. A vast number of game-changing creative breakthroughs were achieved in the city of Rosedale, until the downfall of the industrial complex has lead to the citizens seeking out new living locations with more sustainable job security, leaving Rosedale as an empty husk of what it used to be.

For generations, Rosedale was inhabited by the poorer population of the country, with the abandoned industrial buildings and ruins of the city keeping the cost of living rather low. Towards the 1980s though, a new scene of artists has emerged in the city which down the line caused the implementation of an arts university as a measure to revive the city of Rosedale, backed by its century-long artistic culture. A decade or two in the making, the Rosedale University of Arts (a.k.a. RUA) was officially opened towards the end of the 1990s and lead to an eventual influx of art students moving to the city throughout the subsequent millenium.

Unlike the average person who deems the empty buildings and abandoned outskirts as unattractive, this new wave of young people were thrilled with the opportunities ahead of them, [...]

Rosedale University of Arts
The key driving point for many young people to move to the city, Rosedale's University of Arts promises to teach up-and-coming creatives the necessary skillset to make a head start into a future profession or just a personal passion. What RUA makes up in easy entry with low costs attached, it lacks in current-gen tech and pristine accommodations, in most cases leading to school-unaffiliated student housing.

Medusa
These days this former steel factory serves as one of the most popular night clubs in town. It gets its name from the large, two-story-tall statue of Medusa emitting light beams from her eyes onto disco balls and other reflective spaces.

The Lagoon
A less fortunate example of the city's nightlife, the Lagoon is a small, independent bar run by a married couple. Due to its unfavorable location, not as many people show up, making it the preferred place for the less extroverted nightlife enjoyers of Rosedale. Each day of the week a different genre of music is played.


 * 'The Lagoon' is derived from 'SOAP LAGOON', a song by MASA WORKS DESIGN featuring the Vocaloid Hatsune Miku, who's hair slightly resembles Sasha's.