ัฆasks
Why are you wearing a mask? Were you burned by acid or something like that?
No, it's just that they are terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future.
-- The Princess Bride
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The year is 1987, and a strange fashion trend has swept through San Marzano's youth; Latex animal masks. This spike in popularity seems to be due to their connotation with gang activity and their frequent use in burglaries and other crimes, as well as their popularity spanning throughout different subcultures. Although wearing masks in the city has recently been made illegal, it is a largely unenforceable law, and so there remains a staggering population of masked youth roaming the city after dark. Known in the media as "Feral Youth", these groups control sections of cities with the same ferocity as animals fighting for territory, and utilize planning, equipment, and sabotage far more advanced than feuding medieval kingdoms.
This RP will focus on the relations, in-fighting, and politics of San Marzano's gang population. Stylistically, I'm trying to blend the ultraviolent 80's worlds of Hotline Miami and Drive with the unrealistically obvious gangs of The Warriors and A Clockwork Orange. Additionally, I wanna get all literary up in here, so anticipate largely Character-Based Roleplaying and Character Arcs. The story as a whole will have certain themes which will be reflected through things that are in and out of the characters' control, and other general symbolism and stuff like that. One such theme is the Cyclical Nature of Life. The Bombers have recently had their leader killed and will soon have to choose a replacement, whereas The Razors are anticipating the death of their last remanding founder, who has acted as the closest thing to a spokesperson for the gang for years. Another theme in the RP is that The Strong Survive. Aside from the obvious violent connotations, only the pesticide-resistant weeds and grass grow in Marzano, and the only birds that seem to visit the dock are large, aggressive, and probably eating all the smaller birds. If you can't tell already, this is one of those roleplays where the characters are all probably high school dropouts, but they're all watching sunsets and dropping philosophical soliloquies and shit left and right.
Whether your character is struggling to keep themselves alive, escape a life they've found themselves in, or are fighting a battle out of loyalty, crime is a major theme in the RP. I think it's worth mentioning here that there are Mature Themes, so try not to be annoying about stuff, I guess. Per sight rules I don't think I can actually plant an 18+ tag on the rp, so just bear in mind that it'll deal with mature themes. Characters can get killed or possibly tortured, but nobody is getting raped. Other than that, the world is kind of a dark place. That's not to say there isn't humor, there totally is, it's just more often then not either absurd or dark. For example, the first post will have a man threatening to engage in sex acts with another man's heart valve over the phone. In terms of how the characters act, think Hotline Miami, Reservoir Dogs, and Drive. Ours is very much a Noir story, and so we're balancing out the capriciousness and vulgarity of neon teenage gangsters slicing each other up with serious suspense, creepy imagery, and a generally dour, unpleasantness to the setting.
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1. Don't insult, flame, cheat, godmod, etc. You know what is and isn't appropriate, so don't be a dick. Certain things can be said in jest, sure, just try not to be unpleasant, antagonizing, or cunt-ish about things.
2. Be on time. If you can't post for X amount of time, that's fine, just let me know so we can advance. Posting order or not, long unspecified lulls in activity kill RPs and make people wait for what is usual no reason, so try to avoid it.
3. There are mature themes, so once again, don't join if that's not your thing. By that, I mean characters will frequently curse, drink, fight, and do other things you wouldn't normally condone. I also mean that characters should (hopefully!) have realistic character arcs and development. Let's all try to write an interesting story here!
4. That being said, try not to go overboard. I'm all for believable, evil villains, but gorn and rampant sociopathy just comes off as tacky. Also, no sex crimes are happening here, so if a post starts with someone trying to commit one, it ends with them being unsuccessful and probably dead.
5. This story has themes, and characters who can roll with them are more likely to stay alive.
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The Circle of Life/The Strong Survive/The Food Chain
These overarching themes all essentially point out the same thing; the world of San Marzano, and thereby the world, is an ugly, unfair place ruled by the cruelest, strongest, and most cunning. Aside from the obvious predator/prey thing with the animal masks, all of the urban wildlife (rats, pigeons, seagulls, stray dogs, alley cats, etc.) are all described as foul-tempered and wild, meaning that any weaker animals have long-since been driven out.
Hope vs. Nihilism
This theme is a little less clear at times, but I'd like to still have it there. Aside from each of the characters wanting things to be different than what they are, themes of Hope will be prevalent throughout the narrative. Many homeless gang members get food and shelter at Our Lady of Hope, and the sunrises -- and the future they represent -- are the town's pride and is regarded to as "The only good thing about San Marzano" that few people ever see. You following?
On the flip side, shit always seems to be going down at sundown, dusk, or night, and those are all times non gang members seem to stay inside. The characters all have various degrees of hardened personalities due to their circumstances, and their street-smart intuition more often than not involves assuming the worst of people. Additionally, many townsfolk seem to have more or less accepted their cycle of corrupt cops and violent gangbangers, and have resigned themselves to living in the literal Wild West.
The Cycle of Life and Death
People are always dying. Left and right, the RP will have violence, and will start with one gang mourning the death of their leader and another preparing for it. On the other hand, life is everywhere too. The Bombers' abandoned factory has plants sprouting through the cracks in the walls, and The Razors' nightclub is described as "Buzzing with life". Everybody's always hearing about cousins and nieces and sisters and aunts having babies, because for of the philosophical musings, the story's still in a ghetto, come on.
Passion vs. Stoicism
The Red Oni and The Blue Oni. Left brain and right brain. The Id and The Superego. One gang follows a strict code they sometimes struggle with, and the other have sacrificed organization and unity for personal gain and occasionally cartoonish hedonism. Additionally, poverty begets violent, hardened people, who very often unintentionally project Classical Greek Stoicism, more commonly known as being Street. These characters and others will not only struggle with this, but with their passions and desires, because if you can't tell already, all these themes are all part of the last one, drumroll,
Duality/Cycles
In the most obvious of terms, this story is about the red guys fighting the blue guys, and those of them who struggle with being purple. Neither side is completely good or evil, and neither side is really stronger than the other. Both are kept in poverty due to their systematic oppression, which is also largely cyclical. The Poor stay poor and the rich stay rich, but a cycle of violence and crime keep our characters somewhere in between.
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I'm working on it. It's the last thing here to work on, so if you guys wanna help this get ready sooner, PM me some landmark ideas :B
"A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job."
The evil you know is very often better than the evil you don't, and this old saying rings true in San Marzano. Bombers Social Club, more commonly known simply as The Bombers, are a gang that covers a large portion of East and South San Marzano. Founded roughly thirty-five years ago to keep Cuban, Puerto Rican and Italian immigrants and their businesses protected, The Bombers have gone through two major changes -- They have evolved (Or some might argue, devolved) from a mafia-styled organization to a street gang, and they have branched off to include Bombers MC, a motorcycle-based sect of the gang.
They are Lawful Evil, and operate on a criminal code that has largely stayed the same throughout their existence. The "Four Golden Rules" are; No Women or children, No Drugs, No Sex, and No Cops. No women or children is the age-old rule against killing women or children, or more specifically a victim's family, No Drugs is the gang's rule against selling heroin or crack, which they had deemed too destructive,No Sex is the gang's rule against engaging in prostitution, pimping, or rape, and No Cops is a shorter and less catchy version of "Snitches get Stitches". Loyalty and Honor are important features.
The Bombers are known for favoring Blunt Weapons such as bats, brass knuckles, pool cues, and canes. Most prefer Motorcycles rather than cars, and favor Heavy Metal and Punk Rock styles. With the recent trend in animal masks, many members have chosen Plain Animals. Their headquarters is an Abandoned Factory, and their color is Blue. They view The Razors as bloodthirsty thugs and low-class.
"There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it."
Sometimes you meet a bastard, but sometimes you meet a fucking bastard. Of the two, The 33rd St Razors are very much in the second category. More commonly called The Razors, this gang was brought to San Marzano by Jimmy "The Razor" Lewis and four friends he had met in prison twelve years ago. Though their leader has been serving the beginning of a life sentence for the past eight years, his gang still has a healthy following. Having lost their leader shortly after forming, the gang is largely Chaotic Evil, and operates without a leader or laws. Instead of a code of conduct, the only rule of The Razors is that they do not betray one another. Other than that, Anything Goes is their unofficial motto, and is scribbled in tattoos on the bodies of many members, along with the number 3.
They are known for favoring Bladed Weapons such as knives, machetes, and bottles, and frequently drive tricked-out Sportscars. Many members favor Hip-Hop and New Wave styles, and with the recent trend of latex masks, Exotic Animals. Their turf is North and West San Marzano, and their headquarters is a very extorted nightclub named The Grotto. Many members sell drugs from The Grotto, as it is a safe spot for The Razors at all times, and the atmosphere is always a means to attract new members. Their color is Pink. They view The Bombers as outdated and stuck-up.
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