IGN:
My IGN is robinzee. I also have a college professor alternate account, robinaye.
Previous bans/warns/kicks:
I've not received any bans, warns or kicks for any reason.
Describe your activity on the server:
Hi, I'm Robin. I began playing about a year ago now, with me joining earlier than that.
I was (or rather, my character was) accepted into Fight Club in the role of bartender. There, I worked my way up the ranks and became a referee, head referee, and am now acting as manager. During my time there, I missed a very small number of openings. All missed openings were noted in advance through inactivity logs. @/Toto can confirm my activity.
Crime-wise, I took part in Toto & Springwood's Fight Club Tournament Season One as a supporting character. In the final confrontation, I played the role of the hostage. I took part in the Yamaguchi-Gumi VS Akihito Clan War. I also served as manager in 2/3 openings of Fight Club's Second Tournament Arc. I am currently an IC commander and one of the OOC organisers of Keikaku Maihemu as part of my FC Season 3 duties. I helped Toto streamline many of the systems of FC, such as the employee payout system, the betting station and the new stat-based fighting system. So far, we have seen nothing but acclaim from the fighters who have used it, calling it "fun", which is important to me.
I joined the Faculty Faction as a Modern History Professor on my alternate account, robinaye, in September 2022. Through character development, I switched to teaching Criminology in November, but due to real-life issues, I had to leave the faculty faction in January.
In January, I joined Toto's Furukawa family on my alternate account. At the same time, I joined Keikaku Maihemu as a higher-up to help organise and write for it.
Besides the above-listed, I am active on the forums where I have no issues providing my opinion on suggestions with proper reasoning. I'm also active on the Karakura Crime Discord where I am always willing to engage in conversation.
I am active on the server in a healthy way. While I may not spend 5 or more hours a day on SRP, I usually hop on for at least an hour a day. If there is an event scheduled, I'm always there.
Specify your Discord username (USER#0000) and if you have a microphone:
My Discord username is robbishbin#4860. I have a microphone and have no problems using it.
Specify your country of origin and time zone:
I will not specify my country of origin for personal reasons, but I live in the Central European Time Zone.
What are your motivations in applying for the black market dealer role?:
I am interested in the Black Market Dealer role because I find the crime faction fascinating. Unlike the Faculty faction or Police faction, any player is free to start their own group and begin making their way up in the crime world. These little groups are often on opposing sides of a conflict which leads to interesting roleplay and out-of-character dynamics. I'd like to delve deeper into the faction by planning and running events, writing lore and bringing the reputation of the crime faction up instead of letting it rot due to the unfortunate reputation it has in some circles of SRP.
My character, Ridley, has also had enough character growth in the crime world to the point where becoming a Black Market Dealer is a natural step in her progression.
What helps you to stand out from other applicants & what can you uniquely provide to the team?: I think myself a part of the "New Wave" of crime roleplayers who value good writing above permissions or K/D ratios. I act in SchoolRP as a writer first, and do the same in the Crime Faction. I have experience running, writing and taking part in literate roleplay community events which will no doubt prove beneficial to the team. I'm also a very positive person in general and I think that's often lacking in Crime and GangRP. I may not know a lot, but I know we have to treat people with kindness. As a person, I am very inquisitive, always looking to hear both sides of an argument before looking for a shared result people are satisfied with.
What previous experience do you have in working with a team?:
I am an independent videogame developer which means I have experience working with a team. I also work as a hotel assistant over the summer, meaning I have to communicate with a large number of employees to ensure the operation functions.
Roleplay-wise, I am on the curator team of many literate roleplay communities where, besides to moderating chats (locations) and reviewing posts, I work with the rest of the team to write lore, devise events for the communities to partake in, review Original Characters and more. On SchoolRP, as a manager of Fight Club, I am asked to coordinate a semi-large group of anywhere between 5 to 9 people including fighters per opening, assigning stations, paying out paychecks, keeping an eye out for intruders, letting people into the VIP area and more. I believe it's a very understated part of that specific business, but when it's done well, people won't notice anything is being done.
What suggestions do you have to help better the crime faction?:
The Karakura Crime Faction is the one with the most potential for storytelling opportunities. At this point, it's become my catchphrase - if it expands roleplay opportunities, I'm down for it.
Giving gangs the option to run their own side businesses or criminal ventures like the way the Karakura Crime Business Sector operates would be a brilliant way to tap into the potential of KC, as it would give Verified Gangs more benefits and Unverified Gangs more incentive to work harder to become Verified. These businesses could work as money laundrettes (giving KPD access to bank statements), as a front for other criminal activities or as a simple meeting place for associates besides the hideout assigned to them. I'd really like to open a darker casino business with people being able to bet more than money in back-room games. High risk, high reward.
I'd also like to see more interaction between the Crime, EMS and Police Factions outside of the standard triangle. Blur the lines - moles in the KPD, spies in gangs, underworld doctors... the possibilities are endless. Listening to the Crime Podcast with Yonio, I found out that he does allow certain officers to be dirty, but it is one-sided regardless.
Of course, I am also open to discussing any ideas others may bring to the table.
Are you familiar with all rules pertaining to weapon profiles, combat, permissions, and player conduct on the server?:
I am familiar with all rules pertaining to weapon profiles, combat, permissions and player conduct on the server.
Are you familiar with that if you leave the black market at any point, the black market lead will have permanent kill permissions on your character?:
I am familiar with the fact that if I were to leave the black market at any point, the black market leader will have permanent kill permissions on my character.
Are you familiar with that if your character(s) is/are killed or permanently arrested twice, you will be removed from the black market?:
I am familiar with that if my character is killed or arrested twice, I will be removed from the black market.
Are you familiar with that you cannot reveal any out-of-character plans or potential addition to the black market to others?:
I am familiar with the fact that I cannot reveal any out-of-character plans or potential additions to the black market to others.
Character Information:
| Full Legal Name | Ridley Akiyama (秋山リドリー ) |
| Criminal Alias | 'KARASU' Japanese for 'The Crow'. |
| Age | 26 |
| Occupation | Self-employed. At least, that's what it says in her paperwork... |
| Gender/Marital Status | Identifies as female. Unmarried - love is a fool's game to her. Any such relationship would be for strategic purposes only. |
| Ethnicity/Race | Japanese-American, Asian |
| Known Languages | Japanese, English (Native) |
| Former Associations/Occupations | Karakura Fight Club - Head Referee, Manager Kabuki Corporation - Majority Shareholder |
| Highest Level of Education | Juris Doctor (PhD), Karakura City College |
| Physical/Mental Ailments | High-functioning Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), diagnosed No physical ailments. Combat-capable. |
Known Family Members:
| NAME | RELATIONSHIP | STATUS | PLAYER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hana Akiyama | Biological Mother | Alive | Non-player character |
| Ryunosuke Akiyama | Biological Father | Unknown, presumably deceased | Non-player character |
| Asa Morrison | Biological Aunt | Alive | Non-player character |
| Iki Saitō | Confidant | Alive | Played by @reifumo |
| Goya Niiyama | Confidant | Alive | Played by @houndrats |
Describe your character's appearance to the greatest detail:
The Crow of Karakura -- as magnificent as her namesake.
Ridley has a naturally curvy body, but it's not something she flaunts. She keeps her black hair at armpit length, though it isn't too difficult for her to tie it up into a shorter length. Her fringe frames her picture-perfect face, adorned on her left cheek with a scar in the shape of an inverted cross. Her brown eyes are often drawn to things other people may look away from. Her clothing is almost always formal, preferring to wear a suit and tie. This winter, she took a liking to a long coat, making her shoulders seem broader than they actually are. When performing criminal actions, she wears a gas mask to conceal her identity.
Describe your character's personality to the greatest detail:
(Taken from Ridley's Biography)
The Crow of Karakura -- as solitary and mournful as her namesake.
Ridley is a charismatic, driven young woman with ambitions to make everyone happy and fulfilled and make the world a better place. Seemingly, she has a strong sense of justice and believes that all people should be free from suffering and torment. She's always willing to help people and will do whatever it takes to ensure that justice is served. Despite this, Ridley is not without her flaws; she can be arrogant at times and does tend to speak before thinking. However, these are only small quirks in Ridley's personality. When push comes to shove, she'll never let others suffer for no reason.
Or so they think.
On the inside, she is a cold, calculating monster who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She has a dark outlook on life, considering nihilism "an ultimately hopeful philosophy". Ridley is very manipulative, nudging people into doing what she wants them to do and using their positive emotions against them by poking logical holes in their reasoning. Fortunately for her, unfortunate for the vast majority of those who get in her way, she was blessed with great intellect, capable of impeccable planning. Chess is something she enjoys.
A graduate of law, she believes that the punishment should fit the act, and she takes this notion with her into the criminal world. Homicide is, to her, one of the less severe punishments she can give out. Most issues she can simply move past - albeit after removing a limb or two. She finds murder too simple, too old-fashioned, too quick. If she were truly to punish someone... well, perhaps it's better to keep that to ourselves, no?
Describe your character's backstory to the greatest detail:
Has she always been like this...? Ridley doesn't remember.
The first thing she remembers is the feeling of disconnect she felt upon entering this world. A bright light, followed by chants. "It's a girl! Oh, how wonderful!"
That is the only thing she remembers from her childhood firsthand, though she must have had one since her mother was alive and there to tell her of the life she was dragged through. Her own story through the eyes of another, her childhood must be, by all accounts, taken with a grain of salt.
She was born on the 25th of December, a wonderful Christmas present to the Akiyama family. The history of the Akiyamas is irrelevant in Ridley's personal history since she now considers herself distant from them - no ties that bind, she is chainless. She was, allegedly, a very smart child from a young age, a girl with an affinity for logic, affection for chess and speaking, always the centre of attention. The child of a dentist, Ridley grew up around her mother's solo practice, where she gained a basic understanding of the tools of her mother's trade. She became no stranger to probes, anaesthetics, drills, syringes and the like.
Ridley is told she had a regular life until the incident. Following a traumatic event when she was fifteen years old, she lost all memories from before the event and only became armed with her name and her motor skills. She was never told what the incident was, though there are a few things she has deduced have something to do with it. For one, the lack of a father and her mother's unwillingness to discuss him, but Ridley considers this a red herring. Secondly, she appears to receive brief flashbacks while enjoying the beach. And lastly, the scar on her cheek - she doesn't appear to have it in older photos. She was diagnosed with PTSD and retrograde amnesia. Her PTSD diagnosis was not revealed to her.
Ridley sprung into a beautiful young woman, constantly smiling, kindness to others plenty, yet she never seemed to be happy or truly satisfied. Inside, she always felt empty. Upon discussing these feelings of emptiness with her psychiatrist, the psychiatrist and Ridley's mother decided that a change of environment was in order. Ridley was given a list of locales in the US she could choose to go to, but she wasn't able to choose. It all felt the same to her, no risk, no gain, there was no fun in it. New York City, Washington D.C., Salem, San Francisco, they were all the same in her eyes. She stayed there for a few months, then she'd disappear. Nobody would miss her, and she wouldn't miss anyone.
And then, Karakura revealed itself to Ridley, as treasure to a grave digger. A documentary about the South-Japanese town was recommended to her, followed by extensive research... Ridley found her place. A city where the law feared the gangs, many of the town's institutions run by a singular family, rumours of teleportation, ghosts, cults... an unpredictable environment for the girl who loved prediction.
She set out right away.
In Karakura, she enrolled in the local college, primarily studying Criminology to gain an upper hand over the town's many adversaries. During this time, she also began seeing a psychiatrist again - Dr Reina Hamasaki. Hamasaki diagnosed Ridley with high-functioning PTSD, and this time, with all the cards on the table, Ridley felt lost. The emptiness inside her grew ever stronger, her only escape being art. This emptiness manifested itself as the motif of metamorphosis in her art submissions, more often than not in the form of a blue monarch butterfly. She felt as if trapped in a cocoon, wishing for her rebirth. But the only time she felt her shell cracking was when she did something morally wrong.
Her path soon crossed Iki Saitou's and Percival Niiyama's, two highly impressionable street kids. The duo of troublemakers soon fell under Ridley's control after a series of manipulative acts by Ridley designed to get them to trust her more than anything else. Together, they founded The Kabuki Corporation, a shady agency priding itself on values of "fixing Karakura through community service", but selling out contractors to whoever paid the most - usually underworld operations.
Following the disappearance of Fight Club referee Otsuki Kenji (that she facilitated) and FC's fall into illegality, Ridley took over Otsuki's post before continuing on her own rise to FC fame. Skipping the title of Assistant Manager altogether, she became Fight Club Manager at the age of 20, likely the youngest manager in Fight Club history. During her term there (where she remains to this day), she quickly became a trusted figure - Maeve 'TEARLINER' Fitzgerald revealed his identity to her following a close call with the police and 'DRIVER', the director of Fight Club, felt comfortable enough to share his plans for more underground businesses with her, inviting her to join him.
While all of this was going on, she continued to lead a regular life while in the public eye. Ridley graduated College with a degree in law, though she hardly felt like doing anything with it. This world of intrigue, Fight Club, the Black Market, was far more enticing for her. Now, she sets her gaze upon it proper. You cannot stop a star from rising, nor can you stop a star from falling.
Describe an interaction that your character may have as a black market dealer:
In the faint red light of the sewer system, the darkened lenses of The Crow shimmered as a real crow's eyes.
She had caught them red-handed, stealing the produce of her living, weaponry, masks, spray cans. Parasites were now attempting to break into the crate, ceaselessly hacking away at it.
"Gentlemen." The Crow made her presence known.
The two young men swiftly turned their heads to face the woman, exposing their faces in the process. Amateurs, the dealer thought, new to the business.
"What gang are you from?" She asked.
No response. The two high-schoolers looked at each other, then back at her.
"Did you not hear me? I asked what gang... you are from." She repeated her question, not necessarily louder, but with more power. Asserting her dominance.
The duo muttered the name of some low-level unknown gang. Of course it must have been. If they were associates of the Black Market, they wouldn't have needed to resort to stealing.
Karasu walked closer to the two, intruding upon their personal space.
"I suggest you leave right now, with both your eyes. You are lucky you hadn't actually broken in." She got on one knee and examined the damage to the crate. "Be more careful next time, will you? I won't be so peace-loving if I catch you again."
The two boys scampered off into the darkness, leaving The Crow to take the items and gently place them into her leather briefcase. With a soft smile under the mask, she walked to the agreed-upon meeting point.
Describe any other additional information that is notable in considering your character for the role of a black market dealer:
N/A
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