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fhplotterywheel2010-05-23 09:26 am
notquitewright.livejournal.com) wrote in fhplotterywheel2010-05-23 09:26 am
If you dream them they will come: Plots from the Other Side
Awhile back, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
grand_fallguy suggested in a brainstorming post that those the Fandomites have loved and lost be able to come for a visit. This caught my imagination, so I tweaked it a bit, stole a teeny snippet from Field of Dreams, apped a plot…and here it is!
Basic summary
At sunset on Thursday, July 15 people whom the Fandomites have loved and lost will arrive to visit. They will not be ghosts or apparitions; they will be themselves, in body and mind, physically present, can eat and drink and sleep. They are as they were before they died, capable of physically interacting with others the same as any other living person (to whatever extent they were able to do that before they died, anyway). They are not the undead; they are the temporarily alive. (Unless they were undead before they died, in which case they'd still be undead.) They will have come voluntarily, in response to an invitation, knowing they have to leave again on Saturday July 17 at sunset. During that time they cannot leave the island.
How is this going to happen? Well, on Monday there will be a small tremor. It will shake loose an ancient artefact, cunningly disguised as a stone, which is covered in writing. This stone has the power to invite the dead for a temporary visit, but it has to get to know them first. It will do this through the Fandomites: by causing them to dream/daydream of those they have lost and by compelling those who can be compelled into coming out and touching the stone. They will also sense/hear the words: 'If you dream them, they will come'.
The power will increase throughout the week until, come sunrise Thursday, it simply stops. At that point, the stone will turn the power inwards to open a path for the dead to come through.
Beyond the basics
The easiest way to set out the detail of the events and what those events will cause (and keep this post from being seventybillion words long, which it just about is anyway) was to put together a spreadsheet, which is over here.
I want to know about the stone and how it's going to feel
Think of the stone as a bit like a big, calm, patient dog - one of those giant furry ones that herds sheep way up in the high mountains. Friendly, but with a job to do. The power it emits will not be frightening in and of itself, it will feel neutral to warm/friendly/calming - this does not mean it won't frighten/worry/upset your character. The compulsion will feel like a friend at your shoulder, urging you to go forward and reassuring you - which may just make your character as suspicious as hell. If your characters has powers/abilities that relate to the dead, the stone's power/influence/compulsion may feel/taste familiar.
The stone's power has a particular feel, but it is entirely up to you how your character reacts to that feel.
What about these dreams, then? And this touching the stone business?
The dreams are the key to the stone being able to find your character's people. Your character will need to dream or daydream about them at least once, however briefly, during the lead up to the Thursday evening arrival - so by Thursday dawn.
Your character does not have to have touched the stone in order for the stone to find their people, so those characters who wouldn't be influenced by the compulsion, or would fight it, or ward against it, or have friends who would stop them going out into the woods will still be able to play.
My character would definitely go looking for the stone, especially if people go wandering in the woods
Go for it! Go singly or get together in groups to hunt down the source of the power/dreams or track where people are going. It can't be found, but I think people could have afrustrating good time trying. The stone has a job to do, and those who made it didn't want it being interrupted until it was done. Let's just say it employs a dimensional phase shifting perception filter, so that it can avoid anyone and everyone.
-If someone comes looking for the stone who isn't being drawn by the stone's compulsion they won't be able to find it.
-Someone who's been there under the compulsion who tries to go back won't be able to find it.
-Once a person has touched it, the second they look away it will be gone.
-If someone following the compulsion brings an unaffected friend along, or is tracked, they won't be able to find it [please arrange this OOC, though].
-Trails, whether scent, physical or magical will simply lead the tracker along twisty paths that double back on themselves.
So, characters can't talk about any of this stuff?
Of course they can! The stone hides itself from being found, it doesn't in any way try to hide its powers or what it's doing. Talk about all of it: the dreams, the weird urge to go out into the woods, actually going into the woods and touching a stone, wonder what the heck is going on or what 'if you dream them, they will come' means and why whoever's saying it didn't get a better writer, people off the island call Fandom, people in Fandom call people off the island!
Basically, your characters can do anything you want them to do in reaction to what's going on (within reason--burning down the woods would probably be overkill), with the exception of find the stone or stop it broadcasting. If you want to do something and you're not sure if it's okay, just grab me on email. Chances are it'll be fine.
Enough about the island, I want to know more about how the visitors will feel
The stone issues an invitation to come through. This means that the dead who come to visit have come willingly, knowing that: a) their time is limited to forty eight hours, and b) they know who they are coming to see. Where the dead were before turning up in Fandom is up to each individual canon or, lacking canon details, each player. The dead may simply refuse to say or may remember it only vaguely. The important thing is that they chose to come in response to the stone's invitation, and they are accepting of the short time they have - they don't have to be happy about it, they may be downright pissed, but when it's time to go they will go.
Who can play?
Everyone who wants to can play! The dead will be confined to the island when they arrive, but the stone's power will stretch out to touch Alumni and Expats and those who are temporarily off the island.
As of Wednesday evening the Alumni/Expats can return to Fandom - following the stone's compulsion or a feeling that they need to return or wanting to check up on people still on island or coincidence or whatever other reason you can think of - and it will not count towards the five days allowed per month. Alumni/Expats can, of course, return earlier than Wednesday, but that time will count towards their five days.
Do I have to play? Is the stone's energy going to come busting down my door?
No. All the effects are opt-in only, to whatever extent you choose to have your characters experience them. If you want them to feel the power and have the dreams, but not have anyone come through, go for it. If you want them to feel nothing, have no dreams, have no character come through, that's cool, too. If you want them to ward their mind, or a room, or their friends against the stone's influence, also cool.
The only thing that your character has to experience in order to have someone come through for them is a daydream or dream, however brief or however handwavily, of that character.
The characters who come through will not look any different than they did before they died, so unless your character has the power to tell that someone walking around alive was recently dead, they can simply spend the two days wondering where the heck all these extra people came from.
Shared canons, shared fandoms, shared relationships: the apping rules
All potential characters must be apped using the form which is over hereshall shortly appear, and be approved by our illustrious admin team.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE SATURDAY JULY THIRD AT MIDNIGHT PST.
Who can I app?
You can app any deceased character from your canon that your character had a strong positive bond with: BFF, parent, sibling, lover, mentor, student, partner, etc etc. It doesn't matter if the character never actually appeared on-screen. You can app them even if they were only ever mentioned or only existed pre-canon.
The deceased character has to be played by a current FH player, though.
Who can't I app?
You can't app any enemies, or anyone your character hates/was hated by. This is all about the characters' loved ones having one more chance to see them, not about the continuation of old enmities.
You can't app any FH characters who have died in FH canon, such as FH's Hamlet or FH's Bart Allen.
You can't app a character from your canon who is currently in game, even if the character in game is from a different time stream than your character. For example, Kyle's player couldn't app Marcus even though the Marcus and Kyle in game are not each other's Marcus and Kyle.
What about a different version of a character from a different version of my fandom?
The 'no apping a character currently in game' only applies to actual shared canons and not to different versions of a fandom, such as X-Men Evolution and the X-Men comics. However, if you are going to app a different version of a character currently in game, you need to talk to the player first to make sure it's okay. For example, if your character had a canon connection to the Kitty Pryde from your version of X-Men (presuming she was deceased), you'd need to check with the player of the Kitty currently in game.
What if my character shares a canon and a relationship with someone in game?
If there's another character(s) in game from your canon and the deceased character you want to app had a relationship with them as well as with your character, you will have to check with their player(s) and get their okay before apping. We don't want any nasty OOC surprises on the day.
For example, if Didi's player wanted to app original-Morpheus she would have to check with Delerium's player first, because Morpheus was brother to both of them (ignoring that I'm pretty sure neither of those characters are actually at that point in their canon, but I know so few of FH's many canons). However, if Kyle's player wanted to app Kyle's father there'd be no need to check with me, because while Kyle and Marcus share a canon, Marcus had nothing to do with Kyle's dad.
Do I need permission for all of this, or is it just a head's up?
If you're apping a character with a shared canon relationship, you need permission. Everyone has to agree.
If you want to app a different version of a character currently in game, you need to talk to the player about it and see if they have any issues or concerns and you need to respect those. If they really don't want you to app a different version of their character, you should respect that, too. However, if someone comes to ask you about apping a different version of your character, be reasonable. Unless you have serious issues which cannot be resolved, don't say no. We want this plot to be fun for everyone.
How many characters can I app?
Each FH character may have a maximum of two deceased characters visit, and both must be played out of a single 'visitor journal'. If you have a plethora of canonmates in game who share relationships with the same deceased characters, you might want to get together, decide who you're going to app, and just share them out amongst you.
Concerns, worries and trepidations
I acknowledge that the subject matter of this plot could be uncomfortable for some people, and I want to make sure that any discomfort anyone feels is managed and minimised. This is not meant to be a no-good-very-bad-day for the characters or the players and so there is a thread to discuss any issues which people might have, and to help work out how to deal with those issues.
You do know it's not even June yet, right?
I do! But I wanted to give people lots of time to get organised, pick characters, talk to people, set up journals, find PBs, preplay stuff, bribe others into playing characters for them etc etcand I might have been a bit excited.
There will be a few reminders here and there so no one forgets.
Where do I sign up?
There is an application form postgoing up in just a second, with all due credit to those from whom I stole it by whom I was inspired.
…and if you've actually made it through all of thatwill be rewarded in just a moment with you can have some OCD!
grand_fallguy suggested in a brainstorming post that those the Fandomites have loved and lost be able to come for a visit. This caught my imagination, so I tweaked it a bit, stole a teeny snippet from Field of Dreams, apped a plot…and here it is! Basic summary
At sunset on Thursday, July 15 people whom the Fandomites have loved and lost will arrive to visit. They will not be ghosts or apparitions; they will be themselves, in body and mind, physically present, can eat and drink and sleep. They are as they were before they died, capable of physically interacting with others the same as any other living person (to whatever extent they were able to do that before they died, anyway). They are not the undead; they are the temporarily alive. (Unless they were undead before they died, in which case they'd still be undead.) They will have come voluntarily, in response to an invitation, knowing they have to leave again on Saturday July 17 at sunset. During that time they cannot leave the island.
How is this going to happen? Well, on Monday there will be a small tremor. It will shake loose an ancient artefact, cunningly disguised as a stone, which is covered in writing. This stone has the power to invite the dead for a temporary visit, but it has to get to know them first. It will do this through the Fandomites: by causing them to dream/daydream of those they have lost and by compelling those who can be compelled into coming out and touching the stone. They will also sense/hear the words: 'If you dream them, they will come'.
The power will increase throughout the week until, come sunrise Thursday, it simply stops. At that point, the stone will turn the power inwards to open a path for the dead to come through.
Beyond the basics
The easiest way to set out the detail of the events and what those events will cause (and keep this post from being seventybillion words long, which it just about is anyway) was to put together a spreadsheet, which is over here.
I want to know about the stone and how it's going to feel
Think of the stone as a bit like a big, calm, patient dog - one of those giant furry ones that herds sheep way up in the high mountains. Friendly, but with a job to do. The power it emits will not be frightening in and of itself, it will feel neutral to warm/friendly/calming - this does not mean it won't frighten/worry/upset your character. The compulsion will feel like a friend at your shoulder, urging you to go forward and reassuring you - which may just make your character as suspicious as hell. If your characters has powers/abilities that relate to the dead, the stone's power/influence/compulsion may feel/taste familiar.
The stone's power has a particular feel, but it is entirely up to you how your character reacts to that feel.
What about these dreams, then? And this touching the stone business?
The dreams are the key to the stone being able to find your character's people. Your character will need to dream or daydream about them at least once, however briefly, during the lead up to the Thursday evening arrival - so by Thursday dawn.
Your character does not have to have touched the stone in order for the stone to find their people, so those characters who wouldn't be influenced by the compulsion, or would fight it, or ward against it, or have friends who would stop them going out into the woods will still be able to play.
My character would definitely go looking for the stone, especially if people go wandering in the woods
Go for it! Go singly or get together in groups to hunt down the source of the power/dreams or track where people are going. It can't be found, but I think people could have a
-If someone comes looking for the stone who isn't being drawn by the stone's compulsion they won't be able to find it.
-Someone who's been there under the compulsion who tries to go back won't be able to find it.
-Once a person has touched it, the second they look away it will be gone.
-If someone following the compulsion brings an unaffected friend along, or is tracked, they won't be able to find it [please arrange this OOC, though].
-Trails, whether scent, physical or magical will simply lead the tracker along twisty paths that double back on themselves.
So, characters can't talk about any of this stuff?
Of course they can! The stone hides itself from being found, it doesn't in any way try to hide its powers or what it's doing. Talk about all of it: the dreams, the weird urge to go out into the woods, actually going into the woods and touching a stone, wonder what the heck is going on or what 'if you dream them, they will come' means and why whoever's saying it didn't get a better writer, people off the island call Fandom, people in Fandom call people off the island!
Basically, your characters can do anything you want them to do in reaction to what's going on (within reason--burning down the woods would probably be overkill), with the exception of find the stone or stop it broadcasting. If you want to do something and you're not sure if it's okay, just grab me on email. Chances are it'll be fine.
Enough about the island, I want to know more about how the visitors will feel
The stone issues an invitation to come through. This means that the dead who come to visit have come willingly, knowing that: a) their time is limited to forty eight hours, and b) they know who they are coming to see. Where the dead were before turning up in Fandom is up to each individual canon or, lacking canon details, each player. The dead may simply refuse to say or may remember it only vaguely. The important thing is that they chose to come in response to the stone's invitation, and they are accepting of the short time they have - they don't have to be happy about it, they may be downright pissed, but when it's time to go they will go.
Who can play?
Everyone who wants to can play! The dead will be confined to the island when they arrive, but the stone's power will stretch out to touch Alumni and Expats and those who are temporarily off the island.
As of Wednesday evening the Alumni/Expats can return to Fandom - following the stone's compulsion or a feeling that they need to return or wanting to check up on people still on island or coincidence or whatever other reason you can think of - and it will not count towards the five days allowed per month. Alumni/Expats can, of course, return earlier than Wednesday, but that time will count towards their five days.
Do I have to play? Is the stone's energy going to come busting down my door?
No. All the effects are opt-in only, to whatever extent you choose to have your characters experience them. If you want them to feel the power and have the dreams, but not have anyone come through, go for it. If you want them to feel nothing, have no dreams, have no character come through, that's cool, too. If you want them to ward their mind, or a room, or their friends against the stone's influence, also cool.
The only thing that your character has to experience in order to have someone come through for them is a daydream or dream, however brief or however handwavily, of that character.
The characters who come through will not look any different than they did before they died, so unless your character has the power to tell that someone walking around alive was recently dead, they can simply spend the two days wondering where the heck all these extra people came from.
Shared canons, shared fandoms, shared relationships: the apping rules
All potential characters must be apped using the form which is over here
APPLICATIONS CLOSE SATURDAY JULY THIRD AT MIDNIGHT PST.
Who can I app?
You can app any deceased character from your canon that your character had a strong positive bond with: BFF, parent, sibling, lover, mentor, student, partner, etc etc. It doesn't matter if the character never actually appeared on-screen. You can app them even if they were only ever mentioned or only existed pre-canon.
The deceased character has to be played by a current FH player, though.
Who can't I app?
You can't app any enemies, or anyone your character hates/was hated by. This is all about the characters' loved ones having one more chance to see them, not about the continuation of old enmities.
You can't app any FH characters who have died in FH canon, such as FH's Hamlet or FH's Bart Allen.
You can't app a character from your canon who is currently in game, even if the character in game is from a different time stream than your character. For example, Kyle's player couldn't app Marcus even though the Marcus and Kyle in game are not each other's Marcus and Kyle.
What about a different version of a character from a different version of my fandom?
The 'no apping a character currently in game' only applies to actual shared canons and not to different versions of a fandom, such as X-Men Evolution and the X-Men comics. However, if you are going to app a different version of a character currently in game, you need to talk to the player first to make sure it's okay. For example, if your character had a canon connection to the Kitty Pryde from your version of X-Men (presuming she was deceased), you'd need to check with the player of the Kitty currently in game.
What if my character shares a canon and a relationship with someone in game?
If there's another character(s) in game from your canon and the deceased character you want to app had a relationship with them as well as with your character, you will have to check with their player(s) and get their okay before apping. We don't want any nasty OOC surprises on the day.
For example, if Didi's player wanted to app original-Morpheus she would have to check with Delerium's player first, because Morpheus was brother to both of them (ignoring that I'm pretty sure neither of those characters are actually at that point in their canon, but I know so few of FH's many canons). However, if Kyle's player wanted to app Kyle's father there'd be no need to check with me, because while Kyle and Marcus share a canon, Marcus had nothing to do with Kyle's dad.
Do I need permission for all of this, or is it just a head's up?
If you're apping a character with a shared canon relationship, you need permission. Everyone has to agree.
If you want to app a different version of a character currently in game, you need to talk to the player about it and see if they have any issues or concerns and you need to respect those. If they really don't want you to app a different version of their character, you should respect that, too. However, if someone comes to ask you about apping a different version of your character, be reasonable. Unless you have serious issues which cannot be resolved, don't say no. We want this plot to be fun for everyone.
How many characters can I app?
Each FH character may have a maximum of two deceased characters visit, and both must be played out of a single 'visitor journal'. If you have a plethora of canonmates in game who share relationships with the same deceased characters, you might want to get together, decide who you're going to app, and just share them out amongst you.
Concerns, worries and trepidations
I acknowledge that the subject matter of this plot could be uncomfortable for some people, and I want to make sure that any discomfort anyone feels is managed and minimised. This is not meant to be a no-good-very-bad-day for the characters or the players and so there is a thread to discuss any issues which people might have, and to help work out how to deal with those issues.
You do know it's not even June yet, right?
I do! But I wanted to give people lots of time to get organised, pick characters, talk to people, set up journals, find PBs, preplay stuff, bribe others into playing characters for them etc etc
There will be a few reminders here and there so no one forgets.
Where do I sign up?
There is an application form post
…and if you've actually made it through all of that
I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
May we app deceased pets? (I know this is WTFy but, uh, given Robin's dog thing, there's canon here inasmuch as BFFness.)
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
So, someone like Chloe that senses the dead and sees ghosts normally would know that something is up and be a little ill for a couple of days?
I just want to make sure I'm clear. She wouldn't be running and telling everybody because, hi, she's trying to hide that part of herself. :) But something like this probably would affect her?
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
What if your character has an antagonistic relationship with one of their loved ones? Does that count as 'enemies' if they don't get along but love each other in their own way?
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
I'm fine with keeping him in the junkyard or in the sky for the entirety of the visit, if that helps at all.
Re: I have a question about the plot
Re: I have a question about the plot
My only regret is that I can't break Gibbs with this. It would totally send him over the edge.
My other characters however... those I must ponder on.
Re: I have a question about the plot
I have concerns about the subject matter
I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
That being said, ILU.
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
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Re: I have something else to say!
I, on the other hand, love it!
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
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And you've managed to give me a reason to be sad over my canon's lack of dead loved ones.
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
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This idea is so amazingly awesome and I am dead from :O
Re: I have something else to say!
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Re: I have something else to say!
I'm not cackling. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
*wibbles*
*flails*
*wibbles more*
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
Re: I have something else to say!
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OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC