#boroughs.update

[boroughshq]

Greetings! I've finally made some much needed updates to the rules. The majority of these updates are just administrative policies that were not explicitly stated before, with the major changes coming in the form of our diversity and character limit rules. These changes should hopefully encourage and promote the use of more diverse FCs, as well as help prevent inconsistent activity when picking up multiple muses. Please make sure to read the updates below carefully!

ACTION REQUIRED: Members, please like this post after reading. Thank you!

ACTIVITY CHECKS: Activity checks will be held every week. To meet activity, writers must post at least three (3) in-character interactions with two (2) different muns. Writers who have not met activity within the last 7 DAYS prior to the check will be given 48 hours to resume interactions. Failure to do so will result in an unfollow. Writers who are placed on consistent activity checks (3+) may also be subjected to an unfollow. Writers who have consistently been activity checked out of the group (5+) may also be subjected to denial of re-entry into the group.

FC CHANGES: There is currently no limit to the amount of times writers can request a change for the FC of their muses. If a FC change from a white FC to a FC of color is made, the writer will not be allowed to request a subsequent change back to a white FC. We ask that writers be mindful of their requests to ensure each change is in the service of their character. Should an admin feel like a writer is abusing this freedom, they are allowed to restrict the number of additional FC changes a writer can make. DIVERSITY: Every second character must be represented by a faceclaim of color. Please note that white latines (individuals of primarily Spanish or Portuguese descent, such as Pedro Pascal, Ana De Armas, and Chay Suede) are not people of color, and cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. Please make sure to do proper research and keep the ethnicity of your muse in mind when developing them. We also highly encourage the use of age diverse, body diverse, gender diverse, and ability diverse muses! Additionally, if you are writing a trans character, we highly encourage you to consider using a trans faceclaim when portraying these characters. Here is a link to a wonderful directory with over 200+ faceclaims to browse through! CHARACTER LIMIT: The character limit is currently set at 6 muses. Muns are allowed to apply for up to 2 muses upon first joining the group. After this, players must wait one week between each additional character they pick up. Please only pick up characters if you have the time to be consistently active on them. The admins reserve the right to deny applications should there be signs of inconsistent activity. Should the admins notice that members are not maintaining consistent activity across their muses, members may be asked to drop characters to help better their focus. Additionally, members must adhere to the following rules when picking up new characters: -If neither one of your first two characters are BIPOCs (black or indigenous people of color) or dark-skinned, your third character must be. -If none of your first three characters fulfill a listed wanted connection, your fourth character must. -If none of your first four characters are aged 40+, your fifth character must be. -If none of your first five characters are gender diverse, your sixth character must be. Additionally, if only one of your first five characters are a BIPOC or dark-skinned, your sixth character must be as well. This rule was instated on AUGUST 21, 2024, and is not retroactively implemented. Members who have applied for multiple characters prior to this rule will not be expected to change their current characters, but will be expected to adhere to these rules in listed order for each of their subsequent additional characters.

Admin Note: As a woman of color, it’s important to me that we do not have a group of majority white-passing FCs. New York is known as a melting pot, full of different cultures, colors, and ethnicities, and our characters should reflect that. This rule has been specifically adjusted to prevent writers from skirting past the POC rule by only picking up light-skinned and white-passing FCs, and to hopefully encourage diversity and the use of more FCOCs with a wider range of complexions. If you need some help finding new FCs, here are a couple of directories with a ton of beautiful FCs of color to choose from: black faceclaims, indigenous faceclaims, south asian faceclaims.

BLOGS: For your first character, you must submit a main account specifically dedicated to this group. After that, every new character can use a sideblog associated with that main account, or you can make your main account a mumu blog. If writers are using mumu blogs, please make sure to include the names of each of your characters in a pinned post or in the blog’s description. MAJOR PLOTS: Please make sure to run any major plot developments past the admin first. These plots include, but are not limited to: pregnancy, marriage, major injuries, death. LEAVING: If you would like to leave BHQ, please send a message to the main requesting an unfollow. No questions will be asked, no reason needs to be provided. It is simply a courtesy requested by the admins that you at least give the grace of a warning before suddenly deactivating or revamping your account for another rp. Thank you.

And, this rule did not change, but is included here as a reminder, since it is perpetually broken:

STARTERS: Please be sure to respond to at least 2 open starters before posting your own starter. This includes before posting closed starters, and this rule does apply to new characters, too. 

Admin Note: To reiterate, new characters are not allowed to post any starters (closed or open) until they've responded to at least 2 open starters FIRST. It's important that we are showing love to the open starters in the tag. "What if there's no new starters?" There are always open starters available on the bhqextra's starter reel in need of replies. Just because a starter is a week old does not mean it does not deserve replies, especially if it barely has any to begin with. So long as the mun has not capped or closed the starter themselves, it is still open for replies and available for you to respond to. Please make sure we are replying to at least 2 open starters before posting ANY new starter when we bring in new characters.

And that's all! None of these changes are targeted at any one individual, but rather are a result of multiple patterns I've noticed over the many months of operating BHQ.

Members, please remember to like this post to signify that you've read the updates. Thank you!

[boroughshq]

A new form has been added to the forms page: a bulletin event form! Is your character throwing a social party? Is their business hosting a special event? Maybe you want your influencer muse to attend a brand party this month! Whatever the occasion, you can now fill out a form and the event will happily be added to the community bulletin for the month. While it's most ideal to send these in before the bulletin drops, you're welcome to submit events in for the month even after the bulletin has been listed, and it'll still be added to the bulletin with a post made on the main to bring attention to the update. Furthermore, events do not need to be hosted by your muse in order to be submitted to the main. Nor are events limited to the locations on the locations page - if you'd like the event to take place at your character's home, or a business not listed, you're more than welcome to do so. The form can be found on the forms page, or under the cut.

bulletin event form

name of the event:

date of the event:

location of the event:

borough:

description (no longer than a paragraph!): please use proper capitalization!

once your form is completed, please submit it HERE.

[boroughshq]

Greetings, loves! I'm popping in with a tiny announcement about a new page update. The page in question is our locations page! The page itself has the exact same layout, the only difference is an additional 30 locations have been added to the page! Hope that adds a bit more variety for our members and their threads and character careers. The specific locations are listed below by borough for convenience!

Manhattan:

Bluebirds - brunch resturaunt

Bark Park - membership dog park

Pegasus - gay club

Muse - lounge

Luxury Nails - nail salon

Zenith - rooftop bar

Toastery - bread bakery

Brooklyn:

Brownstone Books - bookstore

Diva Diner & Drag Show - drag restaurant

Vault - upscale bar

Sappho's - women's cafe

Gilded Gallery - sculpture gallery

Etoile - ballet studio

The Bronx:

Vino e Cucina - italian restaurant

Santiago's - bodega

Riot House - concert hall

Bronx Dog Park - public dog park

The She Shed - lesbian bar

Queens:

Inkwells - writer's cafe

Sugar & Spice - lesbian club

Flushing Subs - sandwich shop

Casa de Tacos - taco shop

The Blue Note - jazz club

Antiques -antique store

Staten Island:

The Well - dive bar

The Snug Mug - cafe

Tailgaters - sports bar & grill

Bit Bar - arcade bar

The Tool Shed - gay bar

Crab Cabana - seafood shack

[boroughshq]

Greetings! This is a tiny notice that I will be traveling this weekend, and thus returning to Travel Admin mode soon! The laptop will be staying at home, but I will have my mobile devices with me, as per usual. No changes will be made regarding my activity — I’ll still be checking in daily to answer anything that comes through the inbox, just from a theme park instead of my home! There are only two updates needed to accommodate the traveling. One, we will be conducting a simple interest check in lieu of an activity check this Sunday (9/22). This is just to make things a bit easier on me post-traveling. Second, the pinned post will serve as my one-stop shop for all theme updates from 9/20-9/22, since I can't make any theme updates via mobile. Outside of those two changes, everything will be business as usual!

[boroughshq]

Happy New Year, BoroughsHQ! With the new year, we’re going to bring about one major activity update, so members, please read the information below carefully!

We’re still on holiday relaxed activity until this weekend, so to my busy bees, no worries! I’m not here to grill you about not rping 24/7 during the holiday season, so have fun, get your affairs in order, and settle into the new year. Just make sure you’re back in time for our interest check this weekend if you want to stay with the group!

What is new is this interest check will be the last interest check this group will be hosting, as we’re going to be switching to traditional activity checks instead! I've always loved the idea of interest checks, but t’s honestly just way easier to manage activity checks, so we’ll be making the switch. With that comes a couple of important changes to the rules, which are now as follows:

The New Rules:

ACTIVITY CHECKS: Activity checks will be held every week. To meet activity, writers must post at least three (3) in-character interactions with three (3) different muns. Writers who have not met activity within the last 7 DAYS prior to the check will be given 48 hours to resume interactions. Failure to do so will result in an unfollow. Writers who are placed on consistent activity checks (2+) will also be unfollowed. ACTIVITY INTERACTIONS: Only interactions between characters (text threads, short threads, paras, etc.) count as activity. Musing posts, inspo posts, pictures, audio, etc do not count as activity. Character tasks such as task prompts from the main or the answering of ask memes on scheduled meme weekends all count as one in-character interaction no matter how many prompts or ask memes are posted. In order to meet the three in-character interaction quota with ask memes/character prompts, members must also engage in at least two in-character interaction threads. Example: Not Meeting Activity: answering 3 ask meme questions only Meeting Activity: answering 3 ask meme questions + 2 thread replies

How will this weekend go?

We’ll be posting the interest check this Friday (1/5). Members will have 48 hours to like the post, or be unfollowed. The mass unfollow will be posted Sunday (1/7), and that’ll be it for our interest checks! We’ll jump on with our first activity check that following weekend, and continue with activity checks from then on out.

And that's all! Members, please either like this post or react to the announcement on the discord after reading.

[boroughshq]

The triggers page has been updated with recent triggers submitted by members. As a reminder, any concerns members have should be directed to the main off anon, as stated clearly in the rules. The triggers list is constantly updated after acceptances with triggers from new members, so this is also a gentle reminder to be continuously mindful of the triggers page when writing threads so we can make sure everyone is having a comfortable writing experience. Thank you!

[boroughshq]

After having a couple players reach out, I've decided to make a small update to the activity rules.

the old rule:

AFTER ACCEPTANCE: upon acceptance, players will have 24 HOURS to submit their account to the main. following acceptance, players must post their first in-character post WITHIN 72 HOURS (not including character intros). if more time is needed, please contact the main for an extension. we are happy to accommodate!

the new rule:

AFTER ACCEPTANCE: upon acceptance, players will have 24 HOURS to submit their account to the main. following acceptance, players must either post their character intro or their first in-character interaction WITHIN 72 HOURS. if more time is needed, please contact the main for an extension. we are happy to accommodate!

Hopefully this relieves some pressure and gives all of our members plenty of time to plot and plan threads before our first interest check! If anyone finds themselves needing a longer extension, please do not hesitate to reach out to main! Please either like this post or react to the announcement on the discord after reading.

[boroughshq]

I'm going to spend some time updating all the pages with the recent changes, and while I'm at it, I'm going to make another small update! Since we're back at mun cap so quickly after the last activity check, feels only fitting to go ahead and bump the mun cap up to 35 instead of 30, since it's always so wonderful to get some new writers into the mix! And with that bump, we now have 4 mun spots available! I'll be around for the rest of the day checking in, and I'd love to have any questions, reserves, or apps thrown my way in the meantime!

[boroughshq]

The pages are updated and the inbox cleared, so I'm turning in, but with one tiny notice. I'll now be returning to Travel Admin mode, as I'm be going on a family vacation starting tomorrow, not to return back to my computer until Thursday, 7/25. All this means is I won't be able to update any theme pages, but just like before, the pinned post will serve as my one-stop shop for all updates until I return. Outside of that, everything will be business as usual! I've got my mobile devices, so I'll still be checking in daily (just from a beach!), and the activity check is still planned to go for tomorrow!

[boroughshq]

Now that the activity check has concluded, I'm going to make a small update about the coming week's check. Since it is a big holiday week/weekend here in the states, we're going to be doing a simple interest check in lieu of an activity check this Sunday (7/7). Hope that makes everything a bit easier for everyone celebrating! Anyways, I'll be around for the next few hours updating pages and refilling the queue, so feel free to send in any questions, reserves, or apps now that we have 2 mun spots available!

[boroughshq]

Greetings! This is a small notice to let members know that next week's activity check will be held on Friday (3/29) instead of Sunday like usual. I'll be traveling at the start of next week, so this just makes my life a little bit easier to get this done before I'm on the move! Everything else will remain the same - to meet activity, members will have to have 3 interactions with 3 different muns within the last 7 days (3/22-3/29); anyone placed on the activity check will be given 48 hours to meet activity. The only difference is the dates! The check will be posted on Friday, 3/29, and the subsequent unfollows will be posted on Sunday, 3/31. If anyone is concerned about meeting activity during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to the main for a hiatus or extension request!

[boroughshq]

I have to run off to work now, but before I go, one small change: Since the holidays are over and we're coming off our holiday hiatus, I think it's time for something fresh! The starter rule (needing to respond to 2 open starters before posting your own) will be temporarily lifted for the week so we can allow for more fresh and new interactions!

[boroughshq]

The majority in the poll has spoken, and it looks like we'll be opening for IC interactions tomorrow, December 10th, at 12:00 PM EST.

The following rule will be adjusted for opening:

STARTERS: please be sure to respond to at least 2 OPEN STARTERS before posting your own starter. this includes before posting closed starters, and this rule does apply to new characters, too.

The rule will be lifted until five (5) open starters have been posted in the tag. After that, the rule will be put back into place, and members will have to reply to at least two (2) open starters before posting their own.

Thank you again for joining! We cannot wait to open and write with you all! 

[boroughshq]

tag test.

[boroughshq]

Afternoon loves! I come bearing a small update: we'll be raising the mun cap from 30 to 35. With that change means we now have five (5) mun spots available! So exciting! I'll be around for the next few hours before work to try to knock out more plotting dms, so feel free to send in any fc/character questions or reserves/apps!

[boroughshq]

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE. We are officially open for OOC interactions! Keep reading to learn more about what to expect as we launch this soft opening!

The follow list has been revealed! Please be sure to follow everyone!

Members are now allowed to post character intros! Please be sure to tag all intros with boroughs.intro. Should they get lost in the tumblr tagging system, all intros will also be reblogged onto the @bhqextras account. Be sure to link them in the characters-intro channel in the discord, too!

Members are free to plot! For anyone who wishes to pre-plot with each other, you can now do so to your heart's content! A gentle reminder: plotting is about communication and effort! If you send out plotting messages/react to other's plotting calls, please make sure you are an active participant in the brainstorming taking place! This plotting guide is a wonderful resource to turn to for reference.

Links to the ooc discord will be sent out immediately. Joining is optional, though highly recommended! There is a role option titled "Tumblr Only," should you want to join the ooc discord to be privy to the admin polls and discussion there or want to take advantage of the starter/plotting calls, but not want to plot or chat over the platform.

Please review our trigger list prior to posting. Make sure to tag all triggers accordingly should they appear in any of your intros (and future starters/threads).

Take part in the IC Interactions Opening Date poll. Either via discord or via a link posted to the main, a poll will be conducted to determine the best time to open for IC interactions, and we'd love your input. Please vote for the best times for you so we can make sure to open at the best time for the majority of our members!

Thanks again for joining BoroughsHQ! We cannot wait to plot and get this group open for IC interactions soon!