[center][img=http://i.imgur.com/fpOaOKx.jpg][/center]
[center]^I'll edit that and make it look cooler tomorrow...>.<[/center]

Media is everywhere. 

It controls us. Our lives are controlled by advertisements. The latest fashion trends tell us what to wear. The celebrities show us how to look. Music preaches how to act. Every day, our brains are assaulted by hundreds, if not thousands, of images and advertisements. Everything is advertised. Food. Clothes. Books. Cars. Films. Music. The list doesn't end. Advertisements are everywhere. Television. Newspaper. Magazine. Social media. Banners. Billboards. All too often, the images that are projected into our minds are less than beneficial. The sight of an underweight model with too much eye makeup ruins the esteem of young girls. Huge billboards featuring men and women in scandalous settings do nothing to enrich the minds of those who view them.

Ten years ago, the city of Northgate took a step towards freeing its citizens from the influence of media. 

As of August 17th, 2058, all public advertisement was declared illegal. Billboards were torn down. Television commercials stopped, and radio ads cut out. Initially, the change was hard to accept. But over time, it became the norm. Today, Northgate is the model city. Crime is at a low, jobs are abundant, and homelessness is hardly an issue within the city limits. Dozens of communities across the nation are following its example. 

[u][b][center]Citywide Surveillance[/center][/b][/u]
[center][img=http://fc01.deviantart.net/images3/i/2004/135/c/7/CCTV_Kills.jpg][/center]
Along with the ban on advertisements, other changes were implemented. The government of Northgate went beyond protecting its people from the effects of media. They took the next step in ensuring safety, protecting people from themselves. The entire city is monitored by closed-circuit televisions. As one can imagine, dozens of jobs as security guards, monitoring the screens during the night. Because during the night, the curfew is active. Between the hours of 11:00pm until 5:30am, no one is allowed outside their homes. 

There are countless other jobs available contributing to the security of Northgate. All data is monitored. Phone calls are tracked and emails are monitored for potentially threatening keywords. The words 'spray' and 'paint', within the same message, are an example of a red flag. Bills must be payed on time. School and work attendance is tracked. Much of the data is entered manually by low-salary interns into a huge computer system, designed to track the citizens of Northgate. Should any red flags go up, security officials are notified. Investigations occur rapidly, thanks to the CCTV systems, and if necessary, law enforcement officers are dispatched. 

[u][b][center]Law Enforcement, Crime, and Prison[/center][/b][/u]
[center][img=http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/277/9/0/prison_by_roon1305-d6p6asu.jpg][/center]
Northgate follows a 'tough on crime' policy. Murders amongst citizens are rare. Robberies are rare. Rape, assault, breaking and entering...all of these are infrequent events, even in such a huge city. However, when they do occur, felonies are punished severely. Jail time and impossibly high fines are imposed for even slight crimes, such as being out after curfew. A Northgate jail is not a place anyone wants to visit. 

Despite the way the city handles crime, its jails are lawless places. Within the walls of a Northgate prison, the authorities hold total power. Anything, and everything, is legal. The rumours are never confirmed, of course, but stories always leak out of its walls. There are tales of brainwashing and torture, both physical and psychological. All, of course, is done in order to force delinquents to accept the wrongness of their actions, and embrace a future where they can once more contribute to society. Many who are imprisoned do not return. It's a taboo subject, one that most citizens don't like to think about. After all, crime is rare. 

[u][b][center]The Sprayers[/center][/b][/u]
[center][img=http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/173/f/c/graff_painter_A5_by_jarbid.jpg][/center]
Just because advertisement is illegal, it doesn't mean it is non-existent. For small businesses or new start-ups, getting their name into the city is a nearly impossible task. A loophole in the law makes it possible to be advertised [i]for[/i]. It's only the [i]creation[/i] of an advertisement that is considered illegal. This is where the Sprayers, highly capable graffiti artists, come in. Anyone can request a Sprayer, from reputable law firms to low-level prostitutes trying to make a quick dollar. When an individual requires an advertisement, they send their request to a Sprayer or the captain of a team. In the middle of the night, after curfew, the crew goes out and paints that advertisement onto one of the city's immaculately blank walls. The work is risky, but the pay for a single piece of graffiti is worth it for many. 

A crew of Sprayers can be seen as a cross between a sports team, a work force, and a family. They are incredibly close, yet still totally anonymous. They function under false names. Many Sprayers choose to 'tag' their work with a small illustration or stencil, symbolic of their pseudonym. Over time, a Sprayer can even become famous under a pseudonym as their work is seen throughout the city. Each crew of Sprayers is sworn to total anonymity. Should one be captured, the unspoken rule says that they don't give up the rest of their crew. However, in the jails of Northgate, who knows how well a person can maintain their composure. 

It's not an easy job. Each Sprayer risks their life and future every time they go out to paint. Even the purchase of spray cans, the medium of choice, is a risky business. But for many, it's worth it. Some do it for the anarchy. Some do it for the money. Some do it simply to see their art. 

[center][b][u]The City of Northgate[/u][/b][/center]
[center][img=http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs26/f/2008/091/9/7/Future_City_Neo_by_DjMerlyn.jpg][/center]
In the year 2068, there are obvious changes from today's society. However, Northgate has been primarily focused on maintaining their state of control and order. This has resulted in a lack of advancement over the past ten years. Walking down the streets, one can see a simple, plain, cityscape. Walking down the streets of Northgate, one will see no bright neon signs or flashing megascreens. There are no billboards or posters. 

The buildings of Northgate consist of undecorated grey walls. In downtown, skyscrapers stretch into the sky. In residential districts, cookie-cutter apartment blocks are frequent. Throughout the city, buildings are close-packed. This results in narrow streets and narrower alleyways; a set-up that allows plenty of hiding places for the Sprayers. Walls are constantly being painted over by the city's authorities, in order to cover up the omnipresent graffiti that keeps springing up. 

Due to the curfew, homelessness within Northgate is virtually impossible. Over the past ten years, the homeless have gradually faded away. Many were arrested, charged with breaking the curfew laws when they couldn't find a place to spend the night. Others fled beyond the walls of the city, forced to start a new life outside of Northgate. 

[u][b][center]Transportation[/center][/b][/u]
[center] [img=http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/288/1/7/monorail_by_kurunya-d30she7.jpg][/center]
The primary method of transportation in Northgate is the large monorail system. The tracks go all over the city, and the number of trains functioning allows for optimum travel speeds at all times of the day. The monorail functions from 6:00am, a half hour after curfew ends, to 11:00pm, when it begins. Two separate sets of tracks run alongside each other. The main one is used by the citizens of Northgate. The second one, noticeably smaller, is used by the city's emergency services. 

During the night, the monorail doesn't run. As a result, the primary method of transportation for Sprayers is foot. Most are capably athletic, a result of running across the city after dark. 

[b][u][center]Rules[/center][/u][/b]
[center][list=1]
[*]No being rude in the OOC.[/*]
[*]If you are going to be unable to post, please let everyone know so that we can work around it.[/*]
[*]If you go 4 days without posting in the OOC or IC, I will have to set your status to AWOL. A week of AWOL, and your character will be temporarily retired. The space will open up for a new character to join.[/*]
[*]No godmodding, no metagaming, all that generic stuff.[/*][/list][/center]

[b][u][center]Characters[/center][/u][/b]
[center][url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/6263]Polyphemus[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/22826/posts/ooc?page=1#post-621977]Lee "Clarion" Brandt[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/6470]Parteebear[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/22826/posts/ooc?page=1#post-622144] Thomas " " Marshall[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/1159] Sam12435[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/22826/posts/ooc?page=1#post-622779]Jace "Free" Damon[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/1244]Gisk[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/623028] William "Gray" Hess[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/5330]Mach2[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/623825]Lauren "Sass" Hedley[/url] and [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/22826/posts/ooc?page=1#post-624658]Mallory Teken[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/2704]Swarley[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/626335] Carissa "Anarcho" Keen [/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/5543]Wreck[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/622538] Tyven "Jager" Gorman Geier[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/1206]Apokalipse[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/626677]Augustyna Repinski[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/6627] The book of bad juju[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/627088[/url] Matthew Van der Gelt[/url]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/3178]Commander[/url] as [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/627568] Trevor Westbrook[/url][/center]

[hider=Character Sheet]Name:
Age:
Occupation: Sprayer? Law enforcement? High ranking security officer? Innocent data-entry intern? 
Appearance: Pictures are great. I [i]love[/i] pictures. If you have a picture, please include a picture. But I'd like to see some text as well. Elaborate on stuff that isn't clear in the image, such as clothing style, height, and composition. 
Gear: Spray paint? The latest firearm model? Cybernetic implants? 
Personality: As brief or as detailed as you wish. 
Background: Anything relevant. If you've got something you don't want everyone in the RP to see, PM it to me. Ex: Your character is a street orphan, but midway through the RP, you reveal that they're actually the abandoned child of Northgate's mayor, and their father is now looking for them....yeah, that's not gonna fly. XD
Extra: In case you've got anything else you wish to add.[/hider]

And, of course, if you guys have more ideas for me, please let me know. I'm only one person with one brain, and there's a limited number of ideas inside that brain. Outside input is always appreciated!

[hider=Days Since Last Post]
[u]Active[/u]: Users who have posted once within the past 4 Days.
Polyphemus: 3
Sam12435: 1
The book of bad juju: 3
Wreck: 3
Gisk: 3
Swarley: 1
Apokalipse: 2
Commander: 0
Mercenary Lord: 2

[u]Awol[/u]: Users who haven't posted in more than 4 days. Don't panic if you see your name here, as you still have a week to post something. It's understandable that sometimes there just isn't anything to post. If that's the case, just make a quick comment in the OOC to let me know you're still here. 
DR_TRAPEZOID: 4
Parteebear: 5
Chantilly: 5

[u]Retired[/u]: Users who have spent a week on AWOL status. These characters are no longer active.[/hider]