A Sparkling Zombie
Meep
Some of them grew up together. They formed a band in their school years. They sucked. They practiced. They got better. Maybe a few of the members didn't last, but the band figured that, in the end, they found the people who mattered.
Each of them dreamed of becoming the next big metalcore act. When Betraying Lions loses their practice space, an uncle's garage, they decide now is the time to pursue more than their humble number of YouTube followers. They will flock from their suburban nests in southwest Ohio to take the scene by storm - if they can weather the challenges they will face.
Be respectful! Stirring OOC drama or exhibiting toxic behaviors will get you ousted from the band.
Be able to use grammar well and write at least two paragraphs per response. Quality over quantity.
Try to post at least once every 2 weeks. In group scenes, players may be skipped after 2 weeks. It's not the preferred situation and life happens, but I'd rather keep momentum than force everyone to wait for a single person, especially if they haven't been communicative. If a two-week period is busy for someone, or they just don't feel up to a proper post, they always have the option of summarizing their character's reaction to things. Players also have the option of asking to be skipped if they feel like they have nothing special to contribute.
I won't enforce a posting order in group scenes, only that players post once per round. We're all smart cookies. We know whom we've given hooks to. Defer to common sense and be communicative, but generally speaking, it's okay for players to post whenever during a round. I find the flexibility is more convenient than maintaining an order that formed only because that was how people happened to post the first time anyway.
Being in a band is a team sport. Be communicative and be willing to collaborate, even with people who might not always cater to your exact preferences.
Respect each person's boundaries.
Be capable of separating IC from OOC. Understand that a character does not equate to the player.
Sometimes we as players discover a character isn't working out for us, and that's okay! A player always has the option of switching to a different character. We can figure out ways to remove the previous one.
Drama and the struggles of the band will be the focus of the game over fluffiness and fulfilling fantasies. Not saying there can't be some of those components, of course! They just shouldn't be the motivation.
Drugs and drinking will happen, or at least be present, so ya should probably consider your thoughts and wellbeing on those matters before ya join. There will also probably be sexual references, and possibly other adult/sensitive themes.
That said, if your post is gonna contain sensitive content, stick a trigger warning on it before you pull the trigger, Tex.
Please include an image of your character in your posts. I'm happy to help those who need it. If you like to use a fancy post format, please make sure it is mobile friendly. I will ask you to change the format if it isn't.
The current plan is that I will play supporting characters to prod the band along - stage crew, managers, talent scouts, fans, journalists, members of other bands, people from the band's former lives, etc. - but the story will be shaped by everyone and their characters. If all players are big on collaboration, or someone really wants this other person to play a fan, or someone really wants to write someone of this other band, that all can be arranged. The structure of the roleplay will be pretty linear, but we'll allow room for breaking out into individual scenes where it works/is desired and fuzzying up the time. Overall, we'll adapt based on the needs and traits of our group, and I as the GM will structure things accordingly.
The plan is that I will prod the story along by playing NPCs/supporting characters - stage crew, managers, talent scouts, fans, members of other bands, etc. It's a loose jurisdiction. Players may help with the efforts. Generally, GM activity is meant to be a failsafe that will be adaptive to the group based on their proactivity and collaboration.
The game is seeking 3-6 players who are interested in a roleplay centered around young adults, their relationships as they develop and decay, their struggles to make a name for their band, and how they cope with fame. The game seeks players who are interested in telling a story with drama and struggles over fluff and fantasy.
Players should be at least eighteen, for the comfort of us adults.
With this being an M/M game, characters should identify as male. The gender of the player doesn't matter.
It should go without saying, but all races are welcome. Just kidding! Only normal Earthlings, but you get the idea.
Celebrity/model images will be used to represent characters.
If a player drops or disappears, I as the GM will do/allow what is necessary for continuity's sake. This includes killing the character, converting them into an NPC that myself or other players may create posts for, or, in rare situations, allowing someone to adopt the character outright. Proper credit to the original creator will be given in the latter two scenarios. I don't exactly enjoy resorting to them, but in a small group where characters are closely intertwined, those solutions often make the most sense. Please join only if you accept this. If you're a character recycler, maybe consider this policy when deciding on your character.
Only one character per player. If someone drops, or if we struggle to fill spots, this may change.
Players have an equal opportunity to score a role in the band, because I feel like that's fairer than someone getting a role just because they happened to come along first.
Only characters who have flaws are beautiful. If your character doesn't have flaws, they're ugly. Ew, gross. Nasty.
Also, characters with story hooks or who seem like they can support drama are more likely to be accepted than those who are just along for the ride.
To join, please PM me the application code below. I may take up to a couple of days to respond. It's fine for someone to tweak their character concept during the creation/discussions with other players, but this will at least establish the basis. Even though a player can have only one character to start, they may submit multiple concepts if they want.
If I give your application the thumbs up, you can start on a character sheet. The format needs to be mobile friendly, and it should be a comfortable width so that the content is convenient to read and scroll through. If it fails either criteria, I'll ask you to find another.
Once you've been given the spot, I'll give you a link to the Discord server. Joining it is required.
All characters will have been with the band for at least a while. No one is expected to have their character's band history figured out in advance, but be ready to coordinate it with your fellow bandies.
We'll begin either with the band arriving to the big city of their choice, or making that goal and pursuing it early on. Some characters could have already flown from the nest, so to speak, but they need to be poised to follow/support the rest of the band in this life change.
All roles below start out as open. I will play supporting characters. The list is a starting point that we'll work out based on how many people show interest and who shows interest in what. Worst case, maybe someone composes for multiple instruments or fulfills multiple roles which may or may not require finding someone to tour with, or maybe one of the group's early objectives is to fulfill a vacant spot because Ted decided to pursue that college degree. (Ugh, what a snooze!)
Lead vocalist - open
Screamer/Rapper - open
Lead guitarist - open
Rhythm guitarist - open
Bass guitarist - open
Drummer - open
Code:[B]Character Name:[/B] [B]Character Age:[/B] 19-23 [B]Role:[/B] What role do you think they would fit in? You can list as many as you think apply. [B]Character Pitch:[/B] What are they like? Have they had any noteworthy experiences? Please also mention their flaws and weaknesses. This doesn't have to be long, just try to give a snapshot of your character. [B]Desired Pursuits:[/B] Are there any arcs, objectives, or themes you want to explore with your character? [B]Connections:[/B] Do you have any friends who you know might be joining? [B]Other:[/B] Anything else you think is worth mentioning upfront?