fhplotterywheel | Brainstorming!

BDEs, daily events, events of a fun yet non-plotty nature. Whatever.

You've got an idea for a plot you'd like to do but need help fleshing out the details. Mmm, flesh...

Answers' fun friends!

Because I'm not ending the world when Tim Gunn's delivering a smackdown to Kenley tonight.

Legos! Fandom and everyone in it turns into legos!

What???

Just because my kids have been addicted to this (http://starwars.lego.com/en-us/Funzone/Default.aspx) lately. *ahem*

Okay, BDE idea. (I know, I'm INSANE, but shh.)

I would love to do a BDE where we don't win, where the best Fandom can manage is a strategic retreat before losses are too great.

The specific idea I was playing with -- and I admit this needs work -- is that Fandom's being targeted by some villain (and it's an open casting call on who, since no one I can think of quite works) who is feeding off the island by sucking away its magic and the powers of its citizens, little by little -- so slowly that it takes days or weeks for Fandomites to realize anything is wrong beyond that they individually don't feel quite right. To involve non-superpowered characters, "powers" might be defined broadly, here, and include things like Romeo's skill with a handgun.

Of course the nefarious plot is discovered, and we have the usual research cycle. Meanwhile, the villain, aware it's been discovered, sends some kind of drones for Fandom to fight, which it has to do without powers. That battle rages (and there could be casualties -- the drones are strong and Fandom is weak) while the away team goes to the villain's lair and ends up bargaining with or fighting him/her/it.

The end result: Most of the powers are stolen back and the drones are withdrawn, as Fandom puts up a barrier against the villain. But it's far from a clean victory -- some people are dead, some people's powers have been permanently lost or weakened, and the head villain gets away. But "the battle's done and we've kind of won, so we sound our victory cheer."

Because this would be dark, there'd be an option for people who want to avoid it entirely -- maybe an evacuation order that packs the willing (or unwilling, depending on how you look at it) away to a resort in Mexico with swings at the bar.

And that's the outline, and I'm throwing it open for comments, critiques, or suggestions on who the villain might be. I can only think of Sylar, and I would assume most muns want their characters to keep their tasty braaaaaains.

The thing that popped into my head, about the power/magic stealing?

It feels very... grandiose, scary Disney villain, to me. Not like, Queen of Hearts, but more like... Ursula or Maleficent.

Maybe? I don't know Disney at all, beyond having seen the movies when I was 15 and younger. (Irrational personal aversion, cause boils down to "It's a thing.") If a Disney witch could do it that might work really well, as they always have drone-type minions for the fighty bits.

I'd vote Maleficent, honestly, rather than Ursula. Ursula would be able to do it, but she's more effective underwater which would make it a lot harder for her to swing the plot.

Yeah, I think Maleficent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficent) fits the bill, but there's definitely a lot of room for other suggestions, too.

I totally agree. But I figure, making suggestions, variety is the spice of life and all that :D

I'm looking at the Wiki page and I definitely like Maleficent a lot.

Especially the dragon bit.

Thanks for your vote.

Edited 2008-09-24 14:46 (UTC)

I'm going to see what other ideas come up, but she seems pretty much exactly right based on Wiki alone.

Thank you!

Edited 2008-09-24 14:47 (UTC)

I love this idea a lot. If we go the Disney villain route, I also put a vote in for Maleficent.

There's also the idea -- I may have read too many Dungeons and Dragon novels as a teenager and actually now that I think about it, I'm getting it from the Forgotten Realms book Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad and so I blame Troy Denning for this too -- of something roughly along the lines of artifice vs. magic. Maybe someone who wants to prove that human/superhuman/what have you invention and ingenuity is equal, if not superior, to arcane/innate powers? And maybe they invent something, some kind of purely mechanical device that somehow siphons off people's powers?

This could be something pretty insidious and harmless looking -- maybe there's a new fad going around the island in, like, I don't know, wristwatches of a certain kind or ridiculously affordable MP3 players or something (yes, I am thinking of the Fatboy Industries U-Master from The Middleman right now)? Where the devices are remotely linked to the Main Power-Sucking Machine of Doom?

I don't even know how feasible that is, but it's a thought. A pre-coffee thought, so take that as you will.

Oooh. That's a different direction and I like it -- it takes the powersucking from opt-out to opt-in, if you will.

I'm tempted to say Dr. Horrible could do it, and not just to make Barney flail. Or, well, Sylar was a watchmaker -- maybe he makes something that works as you describe.

I approve of your pre-coffee thought.

*vetoes Ursula just because I'd be singing Poor Unfortunate Souls all weekend*

WHAT?

Edited 2008-09-24 15:43 (UTC)

Hahahaha! Way to go, you've just gotten that stuck in my head!

And, see, now I'm thinking of something like Kingdom Hearts, where there were... seven? big bads in the first game, all from different Disney worlds, who joined together... led by Maleficent. Maybe something like that could work here? Sylar, for example, being a watchmaker and making the devices, with Dr. Horrible providing the initial technology to be used, all under the governance of Maleficent?

They'd need to have someone really personable on the team too, to handle marketing and persuasion. Because, really, 'Maleficent' doesn't inspire a want to buy something, and neither does 'Dr. Horrible'. XD;;;

And, well, Sylar--we've got people from his canon here, so that'd be, well, interesting.

Manservant Neville! I mean, we're talking comparison to Fatboy Industries anyway.

Or even evil!Dub-Dub. Since we've already established her involvement with Fandom, maybe we could have a return?

Oh, definitely. Who all from different canons is an evil corporate type? Lex Luthor maybe?

DAMN YOU YOU BEAT ME TO MANSERVANT NEVILLE. :D

That's because I'm made of win. :)

I don't think I'll be that much help with the evil-corporate types, really. ^^; My fandoms don't tend to have them.

But, I'm just wanted to elaborate. When I say personable and marketing, I don't just mean the 'top guns'--I mean the people that'd go out and about and actually get the product out. Because, yeah, fads are shiny, but we've got a goodly number of characters who probably wouldn't pay much attention to, say, a wristwatch fad.

I was wondering if we could work in Lex Luthor!

So -- okay. Maleficent is the big Head Evil. She employs Luthor, Sylar and Dr. Horrible. Dr. Horrible does R&D and finds a way to strengthen and channel Sylar's power through a shiny something-or-other, with Sylar's assistance. Luthor then takes the shinies to Fandom and does a hell of a sales job, posing as a benign townie.

Eventually Maleficent gets impatient and orders them to start more directly attacking people -- maybe Dr. Horrible has by now invented a handheld power-sucker that doesn't require physical contact -- which allows people who would be oblivious to trends IC to have their characters opt in. And then we go to research/fightiness/resolution. Which includes fighting Maleficent in dragon form, because that's waaaaaaaay too cool to pass up.

Is that too elaborate?

Oooh yes, perky persistent grunt types. I can probably think of a few of those.

And now I have this terrifying picture of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner pestering people into buying things. Except the Warners wouldn't be evil.

But that could be an opportunity for people to volunteer guest NPC salespeople for a few days maybe?

I seem to be playing in Heroes Fandom a lot on this (Hi, TBQ), but there's a villain, Eden McCain, who has the power of persuasion. You do what she wants you to do.

In Sandman, Desire has the power to make people want things, though s/he is driven more by his/her own whims than evil. (Technically all the Endless can do the Jedi "These aren't the droids you're looking for" thing, Desire's just the only one who would use it for bad.)

I like that. Here's one way it could play out.

We might be venturing into the Land of the Too Elaborate, but that's what brainstorming is for.

Ooooooh, I like that. Elaborate, but plausible, I think? It'd be a slow building plot, I think, not just a week long one, or a weekend one though. You'd want to have the shiny-something-or-other to have a chance to thoroughly get around the island. If it was a really slow power sucker, at least at the start, that'd be doable, I think. People, say, wouldn't start noticing their lack of skills/powers for a bit, it'd be gradual.

(And, yes, DRAGON.)

Yay! This definitely isn't a weekend plot, or even a week-long -- it's, like, a month, minimum, most of which is just the villains cackling and lurking while the watches have their effect.

It might also work to leave Luthor out, and have persistent, persuasive, perky salespeople in his place. I know the Smallville version best, but even that Luthor isn't so much with the perkitude.

That might work best? Leaving him out, though on the other hand if the perky salespeople had someone to directly report to who got the idea of marketing that might work too--and now, that might be more elaborate.

And, now I'm totally just thinking off the top of my head, but we've already got the perfect way to firstly introduce the plot: Monthly Markets. Luthor and his group of perky sales people could show up one Market time to be 'testing the waters' to see how well the watches/gizmos/things sell (maybe have them have different sorts? Like, watches, bracelets, keychains, etc... ) and after selling a few there (three? four? Prearranged who gets them, or not? ) they decide that there's a good chance of the gizmos being able to do the job on the island. Because, really, if no one is buying then the plot would melt from their perspective.

So, after selling a few and leaving at the end of the Market, he (and/or his perky salespeople) could come back and set up a shop. (Gizmos & Things? I have no idea.) And the plot could go from there with cackling from the more behind-the-scenes villains.

Oooooh, or not even NPC salespeople, maybe get a few to app PC salespersons (just for the plot zomg) for greater movement/characterization and such like. Mmmm.

(And that is a deeply terrifying mental image with Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.)

Edited 2008-09-24 17:48 (UTC)

And now I have this terrifying picture of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner pestering people into buying things. Except the Warners wouldn't be evil.

Says you. My students have been singing Animaniacs' "The Presidents Song" since Monday. EVIL.

Manservant Neville would totally make Zoe go WTF, too.

Oh god, that's been stuck in my head since Monday too.

GET YOUR STUDENTS OUT OF MY BRAIN. D:

I like the Monthly Markets tie-in a lot.

As for specific characters, I think maybe what I would do is throw up a post for sign-ups, and see who wanted a temporary perky persistent type to run/work at Gizmos. If we get a lot, it's a PC store like any other for the duration of the plot. If no one is interested but there is general interest in the plot, then the eeeevil watches, etc., get sold on consignment at T&C, Stuff for Sale, or Pixie Dust.

What's playing at the dollar show?

Everyone is in ~~flatland~~ 2-D for a day instead of 3D.

*nodnod* I think that'd work really well, with both options. It's got versatility to adapt depending on the situation.

...and now you've got me trying to think of a perky persistent type. *ponders*

I like that idea! It sounds like it could definitely work!

And I suddenly have an urge to watch Sleeping Beauty, jut to see Maleficent in action. And I know I have Smallville around here somewhere...

Thanks, now I am too! :P

Well, my suggestion was going to be for a long term plot that has a lasting effect on the island, so I think this is an awesome idea.

I believe Stuff for Sale is gone, having been stomped in the giant bear/IKEAzord fight, but I like these options; they both sound very workable, with lots of flexibility.

There's also the possibility, not involving a quasi-permanent business establishment, of getting a few students roped into a get-rich-quick pyramid scheme sort of thing where they try to sell to their fellow students. Like evil Avon ladies, only with much more pyramid-schemeyness.

Thanks, I didn't know Stuff For Sale was gone. (Obviously.)

Pyramid scheme is another way we could go, though that would give guiltguiltguilt to the kids who'd gotten roped in. Not a bad thingin a dark plot, though.

FEEL MY PAIN!

Um...sorry?

OMG YOU'RE CONTROLLING MY STUDENTS' BRAINZZZZZZZ. STOP IT!

Can you at least make them sing something different? Please?

Inspired by watching one too many of those commercials for slim jim snacks and fond memories of that old tried but true cartoon principle:

People would wake up and have a pint-sized good-self angel and a bad-self angel on their shoulders. Other people can see/hear them or only the 'owner' can see them.

alternatively: people would have polar extreme selves on either shoulder- Geeky side/fashionista side; Pirate/ninja; Whole wheat/Frosted; kid/ancient grouchy jedi

*flees*

More stuff happening on weekdays! Not that I don't love the random events that *do* happen on weekdays, but I mean the kind of stuff that usually lasts a whole weekend. Especially since people seem to be ICly aware of the "it'll be over by the end of the weekend" principle. It'd be nice to shake things up and throw people off their game a little! Besides, I can't be the *only* one out there who has to work most weekends, right? Right?

I'm slow. And behind. My idea is turning all pets into humans for a weekend.

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