Running Ends in Death.

[Aubs]

Running Ends in Death.

R.E.D.

[/color][/center]

Just a color, right? Wrong, the color red is not just a primary color it symbolizes many things in culture. From emotions such as love and anger, holidays like Valentine's Day, and there's many more things as well. One particular culture though uses the color red for one of the defining features of it's entire existence. It is the meaning of life and death. The structure that holds their group together and strikes fear into the lives of others. The color of Blood.

If you see them, you run. But remember, only a few survive.



Andre Webb is a seventeen year old boy living in the rough streets of Compton, California.


Almost every day is a struggle living in the hood. With many of its familes stuck in the povertous surroundings never given the chace to leave, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know the life motto of those who live there. "You're born here, you live here, and you die here." It's been rinse and repeat for decades and doesn't seem to be getting any better now despite the countless number of claims from the law and the media. No matter how many times you glamorize it, the actual residents are the only ones who truly know what's real.

Crime has always been the hugest topic for the residents of Compton. And while it's recently been reduced down in numbers, there's no denying that it's still happening. Just because the cops don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening. Nothing ever seems to go right for the people who follow the rules. They have to live life on the safe side, fearing to even make their next move. It's horrifying to even walk to the corner store. It's hard for those living the beige life. For those people who have the guts though, the life of crime always seems to have its perks. There's money: something everyone prays for. Then there's protection: what many are found dead without.

At 17, Andre's never really came in contact with the gang in red. While it's something he's thankful for, he's began to notice people around his age falling under the pressure. Out of fear for their own lives, they sign their souls over in blood only to end up doing the bidding of someone else.

Protection is a one sided deal. You only get it if you prove your belonging. Don't, and you're tossed to the dogs, your remains'll be found some tme later. One thing you do get though is a sense of belonging. The knowledge of being aware that there's someone who has your back at all times. Not to mention the gold jewlery, the cars, the hoes, and the cash.

Andre has never belonged anywhere in his life. In and out of Foster care as a child, he never had a family to call his own until six years ago when an eldery woman, Phylicia "Mama" Brown, adopted him after only caring for him for two months. While Mama wasn't young, like many of his other foster parents before, she had still provided him with enough life lessons. For that, he had been very grateful. He just didn't feel the bond with her even though it was obviously there.

That bond was met with a group of young kids from the neighborhood, the A-Team. Andre's friends were made into a little family, with the addition of Mama Brown sometime after of course, allowing them to use her home as shelter.

Everything had been great until some time recently when one of Andre's closest friends was murdered outside of the corner store four blocks from his place. It was discovered that he had been enlisted into the bloods gang not only a few days before and had actually been prepared to rob the store when he had decided to back out and leave. He was soon killed by his counterparts before even getting that chance to sprint off. His dead body lay cold on the hard pavement, the red crimson blood surrounding.

Andre doesn't know what to do. If he runs, his life is on the line. But if he sticks it out and joins, there could potentionally be something in the deal for him. Maybe a big pay off, something his family has always needed.

There's only one choice, but which one will he take? With not a lot of time left, either he risks joining or runs for his life. At the fork in the road, he has to make his decision soon!

How will you help mold this young man's decision?

[Aubs]

Hey, Aubrey here to introduce you all to a rpg that was written very close to my heart, "Running Ends in Death." or simply R.E.D. for short.

In this drama rpg, you will all play a collective part in helping Andre [played by myself] make his decision on whether or not to fall into the pressure of joining a gang.

I understand that this rpg will be out of a lot of you alls comfort zone, but I want to ask you all to please give this a chance before simply writing this off as any other rpg.
However, if you're offended/turned of I urge you to either continue scrolling down the recent 20, or to click that back button to be referred back to the Rpg stuff board as this will be the last time I apologize/bend backwards to please the masses while writing this rpg.

Continuing on... [lol]
I want to let you all know why I decided to write "Running Ends in Death."

During my couple of years as a writer, I've grown to realize how one sided a lot of reality rpgs are. There aren't many stories told from the perspective of someone in poverty and if it is more than likely it's a stereotype.

I've been asking for advice from a few people, who agree that stories about minorities shouldn't be written any differently from any other race. Their stories are just like every other person. They react with the same emotions.

So why isn't their more minority characters in reality rpgs?

That is a question of the past because I plan on changing that with R.E.D.

For a while, I've been doing plenty of research about topics like gangs, violence, and crimes because it all seemed to go perfect for a serious drama rpg. I believe that I have something that mixes the edge and grittiness of an urban environment with a sense of reality as well.

[Aubs]

Suspect Name:

- Photo of Appearance -

Age: [16-23, 68.]
Sex:
Ethnicity:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Distinctive Facial Features:
Height:
Weight:
Personality:
Brief History:
Extra:

Pretty simple, no?
For your bios I would prefer that you all create a character that is of a minority race [African American, Latino, Asian ect. However African American would be the most desired.]

As for certain characters, I want his group of friends which are four males and one female character. Mama Brown is also a character that could be filled.

I will remind you all that your characters should not be a stereotype of what you feel is someome from an urban environment. If you need inspiration I advise you all to try watching television shows, researching, or just asking me! I'm willing to help with characters.

If you would want to play a member of the bloods, private message me and we'll talk about it.

If there's something I think you need work on in your bio, I will let you know asap. Any questions, like I said, don't be afraid to ask me.

-Aubs <33

[Aubs]

Suspect Name: Andre Webb.

Age: 17.
Sex: Male.
Ethnicity: African American. [Black]
Eye Color: Brown.
Hair Color: Dark Brown.
Distinctive Facial Features: Freckles all over face. Specifically on the bridge of nose, eye lids, and forehead. Cuts in eyebrows.
Height: 5'10.
Weight: 142.
Personality: Unlike a lot of young people around his age, Andre is a very intelligent guy. He's constantly thinking about all aspects of his life, from simple things like what he wants to eat to deep thing such as where he sees himself in ten years. What many people don't realize is being placed in foster care caused him to have to find himself at a very young age. There was a time in his life where he didn't think he would be loved by another person, let alone an entire family. He was a very angry little boy because of that. He's stolen things he shouldn't have, did drugs out of stress, and hurt many people for the satisfaction. He actually does have a record with authorities for burglary, possesion of drugs/firearms, and domestic disturbance, all of which were at different times. Surprisingly, he had been taken back under custody of the State and placed in another foster home before finally settling at Mama Brown's house. He's definetly grown more and matured now at seventeen. Andre is somewhat responsible, but is reminded a lot that he is a teenager so mistakes are common. There are times where he feels that he's more of an adult than he gets credit for. One aspect of his life he appreciates a great deal is poetry and literature. His friends don't know he loves reading, however they are aware that he loves rap [another form of poetry]. Being from a place where education isn't taken advantage of, Andre definetly sees an education as a way to better himself and eventually get out of the hood. However, money is another way to get out as well. He doesn't have much, but doesn't mind working for it.
Every now and again Andre goes through a place of mind where he finds himself going back to the violent boy he used to be. He can't be trusted during those times because he does anything he wants. During those times, he's easily influenced to do things he normally wouldn't, which is something many people don't realize.
Overall, Andre is a troubled teen, who is looking to better himself but always succumbs to pressure/temptation. He's a fighter though who refuses to die in sorrow.
Brief History: Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to a very young single mother, Carolyn [19], and an undetermined father, little Andre's biological family was very disfunctional. With the man under claims of being his father placed in jail, his mother moved out to California in the hopes of bettering her life with her son. Rough times hit, causing young Carolyn to turn to both prostituton and drugs. One afternoon she and Andre walked into a Walmart, Carolyn recently high on cocain and other drugs at the time, she left Andre, four at the time, at the store and left never to be seen again.
Taken in the custody of the State, he lived in and out of many foster care housing facilities. No family was willing to adopt him, which caused him to lash out on a lot of the families he began living with. He went from throwing tantrums at six, to physically harming them at thirteen. He was headed down the wrong path until he moved in with an elderly woman who went by Mama. Mama Brown, age 68, certainly didn't plan on adopting any kids but she fell in love with the boy. It took some time for Andre to fall in love with Mama, but with the introduction to new friends and family friends, he soon did. No matter how old Mama Brown gets, he feels as though she's more of a mother than anyone could ever be. Life seemed pretty great until a few weeks back though with the death of his close friend, Ben. Now, things are beginning to complicate Andre. He isn't coming home during the nights, he's began to act out for the hell of it, and he's worrying those around him.
Extra: Doesn't have a car or license so Andre finds ways to get around the city with his skateboard, low-rider bicycle, bus, and other public transportation. He's very creative, and can be found writing and drawing when alone. He doesn't have a job, but with the streets any hustle can award with with small amounts of cash to get you by.

[Aubs]

Suspect Name: Calvin Leonardo Greene Jr.

Age: 21.
Sex: Male.
Ethnicity: African American, Dominican, and Cherokee Indian. [On father's side supposedly]
Eye Color: Dark Brown.
Hair Color: Black.
Distinctive Facial Features: None.
Height: 6'1.
Weight: 156.
Personality: Simply putting it, Calvin is an underachiever. He never graduated high school so there were no dreams of college, he doesn't feel the need to work a job to earn his money, causing him to find other ways [which will be stated in history.] Despite not finishing high school, Calvin knows a lot and has a wide array of street smarts, something he finds to be much more valuable in the hood. He is very knowledged in facts about cars, drugs, and many other things a pretentious person would found pointless. He has a big habit of cursing to express his emotions and says the "N-word" quite often even though he dispises the history behind it. He is extremely lazy, unmotivated, and constantly has the munchies for food even if he isn't hungry. He's somewhat of a joker, but only when he's lifted. Overall, he's a child at heart who has a lot of growning up to do.
Brief History: Calvin and his family were born and raised in Compton. By the looks of it, he doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon either. He started selling drugs at the age of 15, after dropping out during his freshman year. Although his parents disapproved, he continued to do so until this very day. Calvin doesn't realize how dangerous it is, but he does it anyway for the money and the thrill.
Extra: Has a son [8 months]. Nephew of Phylicia "Mama" Brown.

[Weremouse]

I like this idea and you're right, it's challenging. Currently brainstorming a character, your RP is not being overlooked. (By me anyway.)

[Eva]

Suspect Name:

Rita Miguela Hernandez
-

Age: 17
Sex: Female
Ethnicity: African American/Latino.
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Dark brown, sometimes blackish.
Distinctive Facial Features: Circles under eyes, slight laugh lines under eyes.
Height: 5'5
Weight: 126 lb.
Personality: Rita, AKA Ree, has always been a girl of action. She's not super-smart, but she's got a solid head on her shoulders and is very dependable. Ree doesn't make excuses for herself, and never blames her upbringing for her failures. She's 100% certain that if she truly wants something, she can work at it.
Ree is not without faults, though. She's very temperamental at times and is known to lash out at others for small mistakes when she's aggravated. Ree is also very mean towards anyone she believes has something 'against her', and once she makes up her mind about someone it's very hard to get her to change it. She is also critical of almost everyone, and if they do something she disapproves of, Ree can be downright unbearable.
Ree's interests are varied. She loves sports, mostly football, and although she's not physically imposing she can play well thanks to her great hand-eye coordination and fast legs. Her teachers have tried to get her involved in track, but Ree finds it boring. Ree is very comfortable around males, and doesn't find it odd that her closest friends are all boys. Ree does have female friends, and she is feminine, but she just feels more comfortable around men.
Ree absolutely hates slurs of any kind, and if she hears someone say them, she's likely to get violent.
Brief History: Ree has lived in Compton most of her life. Her parents, Miguel and Angela, met when they were in high school and married at 18. When Ree was first born it was a good life, as good as it got where they lived. Both parents worked, but they had time for their daughter and were building up a family. Three years after Ree was born, they had a son, Diego.
When Ree was fifteen, Miguel lost his job, and was unable to find another one. They had to make do on Angela's pay, and that put a strain on everything. To help ease things, Ree began to look for a job. She began to work for Angela's aunt, or great-aunt, or something like that, Phylicia "Mama" Brown. Mama Brown owned a small restaurant, nothing great, but there was a job open and Ree snapped it up. She soon became good friends with the boys who often hung around her place, and before long, they were almost inseparable.
Extra: Ree alternates between living with Mama Brown and her parents.

[Aubs]

Supporting Characters:

Phylicia "Mama" Brown.

- Adoptive Mother of Andre. She owns her own restaurant, named after her deceased daughter, Carolyne. It isn't a big place, but she she's service. Mama is a life long resident of Compton and is quite disappointed in the current condition of the city. While she isn't afraid of being in the face of a criminal, she worried about the young children. [Her daughter was murdered by a member of the bloods gang.] Mama has taken it upon herself to motivate every young person in her life to do better for themselves. Out of her own responsibility of taking cares of the streets, Mama offers shelter to any person looking for it. She is truly an inspiration.

Naomi Sutton.

- Naomi is a local girl from the neighborhood who all the guys want to hook up with, or have lied about hooking up with. It's rumored that she is very easy, although that couldn't be any further from the truth. She seems quite snobbish, but that would be from her reserved nature. It takes a while for her to open up and for Andre, that was one of the toughest situations he's ever been faced with. The two currently seem quite smitten.

Sasha and Malia Williams.

- Naomi's two closest friends. Sasha and Malia are the two biggest divas of the neighborhood. They know everything about everyone because of their nosiness. They're known for starting lots of arguments, fights, disputes, ect. They can be really fun, but most people hate them with a passion and because of that Naomi is pushed into the hate as well. Malia is a little more outspoken than Sasha is.

Michael "White Mike" Veer.

- What would any place be without it's token person? And for everyone, White Mike is what Tiger Woods is to golf, what Uhara was to Star Trek. Just imagine it spinned around though. To everyone, Mike is just any other person. It might be implied that he pretends to act a certain way to be liked, but he doesn't.

Milan Veer.

- And what would the token be without their even more beautiful sister? Milan, unlike her brother definitely has ambitions. She just isn't a pretty face. Working in Mama Brown's restaurant will only be able to get her so far, but she has dreams of getting out of the hood and going to college in the up coming year. Thing is, she can't afford it. She doesn't want to resort to means that would degrade her, but has been thinking about so for some time now. Thankfully, she has Ree, her best friend to keep her level headed, while she herself exchanges lessons in being girly to the tomboy.

De'Juan King. "Juan."

- One of Andre's ex-friends. De'Juan is a current member of the bloods gang and seems to rival Andre in everything they do. He dropped out of school four years back and since then he's began to live the life of a criminal. He's been threatening people to join the gang, or face the consequences if they don't. While he isn't the leader of his set, he's the muscle which means he gets the job done. He's not afraid of ending a life.

[Fallendire]

Will post a bio soon. I'll be writing for a prostitute living in Compton's Chinatown (assuming there is one) and possibly another female character . . .

[Aubs]

*claps while smiling hard* Yay! I'm excited!

--Auburn

[Fallendire]

Suspect Name: Soo Yung "Chen-Chen" Huang



Sex: Female

Ethnicity: Chinese

Age: 18

Height: 4'11"

Weight: 89 lbs

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Black

Distinctive Facial Features: Dark circles under eyes, thin scar running from cheek to behind ear on left side

Personality: While she may act dumb and coquettish, for Soo Yung it's just that: an act. In reality, she is an inteligent yet beaten down, miserable young woman. She is a fatalist, and believes she can do nothing to change her lot in life. She suffers from severe undiagnosed depression and self-medicates with easily obtainable drugs like inhalants or over-the-counter meds. A pessimist to the core, Soo Yung resents those who are better off than she is, often to the point where she attempts to sabotage them. She doesn't respect herself at all, and she's been so damaged mentally by her work as a prostitute that she thinks nothing of sleeping around, and often views it as a form of self-injury: rather than, say, cutting her wrists, she'll go have sex.

History: Soo Yung's parents were poor, and ran a tiny restaurant in Compton's Chinatown. Her father was killed by the Bloods when he was caught in a store they were robbing - simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her mother, who was frail to begin with, suffered a swift mental decline. When it was apparent that her mother could no longer take care of Soo Yung or her two younger sisters, Lan Lee and Ran Mei, Soo Yung called her uncle for help.
This was the worst thing she could have done.
While her mother cried and gibbered to herself in a back room, Soo Yung's uncle transformed the restaurant into a bar. She, her sisters, and a few of her cousins were expected to work there - waiting tables and entertaining the customers. This "entertainment" started off as jokes and singing, then quickly became calculated, rehearsed flirtation, then sitting in the men's laps . . . and from there, it swiftly became something far more sinister. Within a few months, Soo Yung's uncle had roped all the young women in her family and several girls in the neighborhood into his prostitution ring. The rest of the community turned a blind eye, refusing to help the girls or their families. One gitl's parents found out what was going on and tried to free her. They were found dead the next morning.
There is no hope for these girls.

Extra: Soo Yung goes by the name "Chen-Chen" because her uncle decided her real name wasn't attractive enough. All the other characters in the story know her by this name.

[Weremouse]

Suspect Name:
James Wu

Age: 17
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: Chinese
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black
Distinctive Facial Features: None, other than his distinct LACK of distinctive facial features. His skin is perfect, and other from that, there's a SLIGHT nick in his left eyebrow.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 153
Personality: To summarize James' (Or J as he goes by to the people that matter) entire personality, he just goes for it.
He doesn't fear consequences and doesn't care about who he hurts to get his way. He loves the rush of being against the law and being controversial.
He's notorious in the high school he currently attends for randomly grabbing girls and making out with them without any warning, which is why he doesn't have a girlfriend. Nothing really fazes him so he doesn't care either way. He's more of a 'one night stand' kind of guy anyway.
He rarely pays attention in class and almost had to repeat a year, but managed to bully a couple kids to take tests for him in classes he never attended, and managed to barely pass the year.
He'll threaten anyone who even gently opposes him and can stop all hallway traffic if someone bumps into him gently. Most people let him get away with everything he does out of fear for him, and those that stand up to him usually get beaten up by him or his 19-25 year old friends. He used to get out his anger through sports but ever since he joined the Bloods he's just started taking it out on people.
Brief History: James used to live in a pretty well-off family. Upper class, even. He lived in a great neighborhood and went to private school, but his nature was lazy. His father beat him for getting poor grades and when James turned 14 he turned to drugs to cope with the pressure. The beatings after his father found the drugs were so strong that he still has some scars on his back from them. It wasn't long after that that James decided to run away from home.
He ended up in a rough neighborhood and found himself living in alleys before the cops found him and busted him for truancy and drug possession. They stuck him in a foster home and enrolled him in a high school the next town over. He quickly earned the contempt of his new parents through his awful attitude. In sophomore year, he ran away from home again, this time more careful about his tracks, and his foster parents didn't bother reporting his disappearance.
He finds shelter in abandoned buildings, moving places now and then, but his main home is under a fire escape in an alley. It's a pretty wide alley and most of one side of the fire escape has a brick wall, while James pushed a dumpster to cover the remaining wall, leaving one small opening for him to get in. He's salvaged old furniture people throw away and stolen some items and lives relatively comfortably despite a lack of electricity or plumbing. He joined the Bloods two weeks ago.
Extra: Two tattoos on each of his shoulders, depicting skulls, snakes, flames and various other 'baddass' drawings.[/color]

[Gafe]

Suspect Name: Keagan Ray Adison.

Age: 31
Sex: Male.
Ethnicity: African American. [Black]
Eye Color: Dark Brown.
Hair Color: Dark Brown.
Distinctive Facial Features: Mole on left cheek
Height: 6'.
Weight: 174.
Personality: Keagan is a street-smart man, even though he did drop out of high school in his teenage years. While he is usually an evenely-tempered person, he is certainly prone to large fits of anger sometimes. He can be sort of volatile in his temper, perhaps due to the fact that, even though he's 31, he never really grew up. He never had an opportunity to appreciate life from a bigger perspective and, instead, remained with a selfish, enclosed point of view that never considered life outside the streets. This is not something you can really blame on him, however, as he just followed what most young men in his neighborhood did: actions bordering on illegal, intake of dubious substances, and a life without opportunities others had. Then again, when possible opportunities did arise Keagan didn't take them, he was fearful of disappointment and afraid it'd just be a scam of some sort. This is why he dropped out of school.
He grew up experiencing frequent displays of racism and general dislike. His family was okay, though his mother was always absent... he never dared guess as to where she was. He felt he knew anyways.
Long story short, Keagan's actions stopped bordering on illegal when they, in fact, became all-out prohibited by law. He was part of a small gang of mainly African Americans that committed lowly kinds of jobs, mainly for fun. This gang was annexed to a larger one, one which accepted Keagan as one of their major leaders as time went by.
Because of his lifestyle, Keagan's personality can probably be described as a bit bipolar and a tad manipulative. He's calm and midly ordered in his day job, with the appearance of a proper policeman (though not the attitude), while in his other job he can be a downright bastard an a general butt of a person. He has the iron fist required to control those he deems as underlings

Brief History: As previously stated, Keagan was born to a small family with an ever-absent mother. It was alright for protection, but not that much for affection and support. The things he lived through everyday life led him to drop out of high school in his sophmore year. By that time, he was already carrying out illicit activities. It wasn't long before he was invited to join a gang with friends and, naturally, he accepted and his actions became much, much worse.
Back home, his father lost his job and forced everyone to move to his grandfather's. It was a bother, but it was alright. Things got worse, however, when their father forced the rest of his kids out of school and made them all take up jobs to support the family. Just for kicks, Keagan tried taking up a job as a policeman.
He was admitted as one, mainly due to the lack of law enforcers and his ability to have a short criminal record of 'minor shoplifting' at age 12.
He wasn't serious about taking up the chance, until his gang told him the benefits that could arise out of having a member being a cop. Reluctantly he took on the uniform, the permit to carry a gun and a badge.
Then came a time when his gang was annexed by a larger one, by the Bloods. He was 25 at that time and lost no time in moving out from his granfather's. The Bloods, being the smart gang they were, were quick to sever Keagan's ties to his previous gang-colleagues and quicker to exploit the benefits of his job as a cop. Because, quite frankly, it was blatantly obvious that he had more allegiance to his gang than to the corrupt system.
Now, at the age of 31, he's one of the higher ups in the Bloods messy hierarchy and he likes being so.

Extra: His job as a policeman gives him access to information he wouldn't otherwise possess, as well as certain privileges and (though he won't admit it) a larger possibility for failure.