Plot Most Wanted!

[houseofcardsmod]

We were discussing how sometimes it can be hard to figure out things for our characters to get involved in or maybe we're not sure what to do to develop meaningful CR with other characters...hopefully this will help.

Basically, the idea is:

1. Post a comment with a list of whichever characters you'd like to develop some kind of plot or CR for.
2. Make sure to put in what you're interested in doing if you've got any ideas
3. Look around other people's comments and if you see something you'd like to get one of your characters involved in...discuss!
4. Make a connection and make the magic happen. :)

Disclaimer: no obligation to do this, just trying to get the juices flowing. :)

So, here's what I've managed to run down in the discussions below. Trying to summarize them all more or less to give folks an idea of what's been come up with and maybe what they can see about getting involved in and just making it easier to remember what was discussed. If I made a mistake or need to add/remove/change something, you can leave a comment here or PM the mod account or whatever floats your boat. :)

• Julien
  • Possibly doing upper-level training for Amy and Sophie (and pissing Säde off by showing Sophie some moves that exploit Säde's theoretical weak points).
  • Sparring with and keeping an eye on Jordan's budding intelligence network (and dropping a line to Katya about the latter).
• Elani
  • Pierre "accidentally" letting her know all the gory details about his "jobs" off-Deck and her reaction to this darker side of being a Face and dealing with it. Elisha possibly linefacing all of the place at Pierre.
  • Learning BSL with Cadogan. (and it occurs to me now: she could practice on/with Sophie? Others?)
  • Possibly learning firearms from Cadogan. Which might get an interesting reaction from her and everyone who knows her and her aversion to martial things. (and again occurs to me now that since the firing range is Maggie's that that could lead to interesting conversations with her too?)
  • Issues with Alasdair regarding trust (the Tess thing, possibly her coming back from Outside-vacation gushing about Evan's lovely roomie, Phillipe that Alasdair can throw back at her. Also the whole 'finding out he's a successful author and has been keeping this a secret from her' thing).
• Justin
  • Somebody's informant. I think we were rolling with Maggie?
  • Also threads with Blythe where she's keeping an eye on him for Theo. May also have similar something happening because of Rowan and head of security and Queen-ness? (should he feel honored by all the attention?)
  • Gets into fisticuffs with one of the older Xiu kids. Has to work for Iggy for a while to make up for it.
• Alasdair
  • Keeping something secret with Tess, thus leading to misunderstandings with Elani about the nature of their relationship. Helping her with her dyslexia? Talking about a vet character for one of his books? Something about getting a service dog for his father?
  • People discover Alasdair's secret successful mystery writer career. Evan, Rita, and Iggy involved? (Riley already knows but also involved somehow?)
  • Teaching/helping Cynric to learn to read.
• Cadogan
  • Because of the sekrit-whatever between Alasdair and Tess mentioned above, also has to work out the nature of his relationship with her.
  • Training Sophie in All the Things?
  • Possibly something with Tess and Thyme having kittens. Or ducklings imprint on her? All the crazy animals go to Diamonds.
• Tess
  • Something about a learning disability and Alasdair and Evan helping? Dyslexia?
  • Some kind of "tired of being the go-to person for the family" thing with Iggy?
  • Learning about serial monogamy with Cadogan.
  • Would like to see her no-account wastrel father (PB'd by Richard Gere?) show up in the game if anyone is interested in playing him.
• Johnny
  • Having to actually have a real relationship with someone. Possibly Rowan. Who can call him on all his bullshit and he has to deal with it. Possibly having girls from his past show up and screw that up for him because he's a hearbreaker, etc. (bonus points if somebody brings in Alasdair's sister, Amelia, and does that).
  • On that note: Cynric calling him on his bullshit and them making a deal that Johnny will help him with reading if Johnny works on growing up.
• Elisha
  • Choosing an NPC Queen of Clubs in June because it's gotten ridic that it's taken him this long to find one. Probably choosing out of the pool of people that have been helping Elani. High-ish Card. Named Lucy Morgan? And then whoever eventually plays the Queen of Clubs can either app her, or app like she's challenging her, or something. And Gideon will be giddy.
• Jordan
  • Building up an intelligence network. Possibly by intercepting returning field-agents when they come back from Outside. Probably keeping Clive in the loop and Katya but also watched by Julien. Possibly Jordan also screws something up in the process of this and drama for all. Getting advice from Maggie.
  • Challenging to Nine in a few months.
• Zoe
  • Uncovering people from several places in the Deck embezzling money. Working with Säde, Iggy, Rita, Monty, and Katya.
  • Finding out details of what Victor does on his work-trips off-Deck and fallout from that.
  • Getting into trouble with Sophie?
• Teresa
  • Gideon helping her with a raccoon cat pisky problem.
  • Family drama?
  • Raphael has to work in the coffeeshop for a while due to working off Cynric (and Johnny's?) coffee bill.
• Leigh
  • Discovering her sexuality. Crushing on Avery. Eileen linefacing about feeling like she's losing her bestie. Säde has a minor freakout. Riley helps her muddle through.
• Cynric
  • Learning guitar from Dillon. And they start a band?
  • The Strad gets scratched and Cynric has a crisis in the middle of Teresa's coffeeshop? Probably with Johnny commiserating. And Raphael dragging Cynric out of the coffeeshop by his ankles and tossing him in the ocean.
  • Harpsichord shopping with Sophie.
  • Fawning over Katya and her bandura?
  • Maggie recognizing him as his twin brother. Or that once upon a time he was a Spade. Or something.
• Eileen
  • Learning more about the Eicheln branch of her family. Getting Rachel to tell her about them.
  • Sees Julien laying a harsh lesson on a younger, female student. Is slightly disillusioned by her mentor seeing him in action in that fashion since she's actually been a little sheltered from seeing it.
• Evan
  • McCartney's come soon to visit for a couple of days him at school. Beginning of June he drops the bombshell that he's moving back to the Deck in July. Much conversations along the lines of, "BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR ~DREAMS~?!?!?! D:" with Elani. Possibly an actual argument between the siblings ensues.
  • Before he comes back for realz..."one last run" to South America (or somewhere) with Monty. Gunshot wounds happen. Family finds out about Evan's sordid adventures Outside (finally).
• Katya
  • Possible Challenge or assassination plot because Old Deck Families don't really actually approve of an upstart-from-Outside Queen who was chosen for the position instead of earning it?
• Sophie
  • Starting a museum for the Deck. Possibly in the tower at the center of the Green (with the option for expansion). Possibly in chateau Berthier. Possibly somewher else. /handwave. She can petition the various Suits for support, etc. Getting help on the subject from Jordan.
  • Training with Julien.
• Maggie
  • Working with Rowan regarding Heart security. (Hence the need for informers like Justin?)
• Rachel
  • Getting in a relationship for real? (with Ben?)
• Rowan
  • Family drama in that the secret about her family's thieving past gets out? In-Suit drama regarding her suitability as Queen of Hearts?
• Adrien
  • Proposing marriage to Sophie.
  • Challenging to Seven.
• Blythe
  • Keeping Justin in line.
  • Fight with Monty about the adventure he has with Evan?

Comments

[onlytolerable]

Gideon: I'd kind of like to do something with his superstitians and/or his drinking problem. The former could be humorous. Though he believes, he definitely realizes most people think he's bonkers for doing so. Maybe a series of fortunate events, as it were, to "prove" his precations true?

Katya: I know Katya's a BAMF and I hope others think she is. The problem is that she never really has the opportunity to show it. As Queen she tends to keep hands off (or as she says, never have any fun) and delegate matters. My head canon says not all the old families are happy with an upstart Outsider being handed Queen rather than killing for earning it. Could there be an assassination plot that unravels? A challenge? Word of advice, all Katya's challenges one way or the other ended in her opponant's death (read, she engineered any that weren't outright kills). Therefore, a challenger would need to be a dropping character no one really cares about or an NPC, which then makes it look like I'm engineering things. I suppose I sort of am since I obviously want her to retain her rank!

Maggie: How does her garden grow? Is someone stealing from her personal plants? Her medicinal weed? I've always thought of her as their self-appointed spy and enforcer when the powers that be were unwilling to go that route. Perhaps someone found out and talks to her about it? Perhaps she needs to take care of a certain problem (this could tie in with someone else's plot if wanted).

Monty: Really needs plotty stuff because I'm at a loss for stuff to do with him. He's a con man, so it takes one to know another. Maybe he stumbles upon something? Maybe the people who've been trying to kill him Outside finally track him down. (Meh. That sounds an awful lot like the last big plot [Outside finding the Deck] so that probably wouldn't work?) I got nothing. Help?

Sophie: Sophie will be giving up the library proper when she advances to Nine (i.e., when I write up her challenge). She would love to start a deckwide Museum, and I probably will have her do something with that (proposing the idea, working out the logistics, convincing the Suits to contribute, etc.). I'm open for any ideas if you'd like to see her do something. She hasn't had much conflict in her life lately.

Tess: I need some other things for Tess to do. She's begun a tentative Thing with Cadogan, something which she has absolutely NO experience with. She's more the flirt and good times sort of person. I'd love for someone to pick up her no account biodad, Marc (PB tentatively Richard Gere). He's a flirt and a wastrel and has populated the entire Deck with his byblows. Tess finds him infuriating and embarrassing, but he is family. Problems with her mom, Bridget (she of the 5' nothing frame who decked Marc when he knocked her up) who's main goal in life right now seems to be trying to marry her daughter off would be cool, too.

Mainly, I need something else other than work and avoiding her family for her to do. As usual, got nothing.

[intotherough]

For Maggie, it might be interesting if she and Jordan developed CR, considering what he's planning to do with his life. He hasn't really been trained in espionage, necessarily, though he was trained to, well, be King, and thus in how to supervise intelligence. I don't know that he'd ask directly or just beat around the bush.

Monty - maybe he could stumble on an angle in the embezzlement plot? Overhear things in one of the bars, perhaps?

Sophie - There's always the possibility of her "checking" on the library frequently and irritating whoever takes over from her. Of course, that only works if that's a PC. Jordan was supposed to put together a museum when he was a Heart, after he and Ceiro found the artifact, so he's done some work there and could help.

Tess - if we figure out what she and Alasdair are secretly doing? XD

[onlytolerable]

Maggie: That would work. She and Laureline didn't get along, but she's known Jordan and his brother since they were young. I imagine it feels comfortable to be around a Spart. Hade? I'd guess he'd beat around the bush and Maggie would allow that until she got fed up with dancing around the subject and brought it all out into the open. (Or he decided to.) She does enjoy visits from handsome young men.

Monty - And if it dealt with the Spades, he'd bring it to Zoe's attention. They're friends and he knows it deals with her job. He'd also mention it to Elisha because spy.

Sophie: Yeah. Right now it looks like an NPC so not much fun to play out. She talked around teh subject to Jordan once. Has he ever visited Chateau Berthier or just the town house? She could ask him to look it over. Plus there's the working out of the place on loan and not being given to the Deck. She'd love for them to one day build something or donate from a no longer existent family to house it. She can't 100% give away her birthright since she feels it's not hers to give.

Tess: I thought it should do with his teaching skills somehow? Which makes no sense because she did go to college. Maybe she has a learning disability that she's kept secret because she's embarrassed by it and never passed a particular course or he could discover her problem and offer to teach her ways to deal with it? If it wasn't a secret that he's a writer, I'd say he could have a vet character and want to pick her brain/observe how she did things so he could write about it accurately. Then again, he could do that without telling her (though she'd wonder why he was shadowing her).

[intotherough]

Maggie: Jordan will probably try to figure it out himself first, because he's a boy and a stubborn one at that, but eveeeentually...

Sophie: I think Jordan has prooooobably been to the Chateau, especially if the Berthiers ever threw any dinner parties. He would have been invited, especially since he dated Kat.

Tess: Dyslexia? Something of that nature, perhaps? And he's asked people research questions before. The secret is more that he's a success at it, so we could go for that, too. I might be getting an idea for that, so...

[onlytolerable]

Maggie: Age teaches patience. Not to much, mind. Maggie figures she's been living on borrowed time for about 30+ years.

Sophie: She may invite him over to vet it and talk about her plan. He's a zillion times better with people. She's not sure how to approach them, particularly other Suits. She figures she should get the Diamonds in line first.

Tess: I had thought of dyslexia which makes the most sense. I know someone else used it, though, so not sure. I would need to read up on it. I think your idea with Iggy/Rita is pretty good. It doesn't need to be work related for him. It was the first thing that came to mind. Hmmm, I have read about service dogs for alzheimer's patients? I can see them talking about that.

[lowtohigh]

Monty-- This is a little in its corner, but would Monty be helpful if Evan need to make one last run in South America or Eastern Europe about something, and would he end up telling Evan's parents/sister/girlfriend on him. :|a

Tess-- and Cadogan will clearly have relationship drama, although that's not horribly. Plot-y.

[onlytolerable]

Monty: Not sure he'd tell on him. Monty figures a man's secrets are his own. He'd definitely be up for helping him. Eastern Europe makes him twitchy since it's the Russian mafia who's after him. But he'd help a bro. And if you really wanted excitement they could encounter something like that Outside. Then Evan would have something on him, too.

Tess - No, not very plotty, alas. I am sorry for relationship drama. I know it will exist because they're so different and Cadogan has such trust issues. I'm not sure he managed to explain that thoroughly. And Tess will chafe at not being trusted because she's not going to jerk him around. You realize she and Adrien probably had a fling at some point?

EG Is Thyme fixed?

[lowtohigh]

They could do South America instead. And come up with elaborate stories about gunshot wounds to tell Riley and Blythe. Let me think on it a little more. :|a

...no I had not realized that but Cadogan probably has and that is not a happy thing. But. Probably they'll have to have a better conversation when he can't handle things, and maybe that will help.

I imagine so? That's something that would happen when Cadogan brought her in the first time for her 'look I found a stray' check-up, I would have thought?

[onlytolerable]

Well, Monty definitely has the scars to back up the story.

Poor Cadogan. Sophie will sigh and offer him quiet tea. She, at least, understands the feeling of "i'm talking to this person and I'm pretty sure my partner has shagged them." Tess can explain that there's a reason why they aren't shagging NOW?

I'd have thought so, but the idea of Cadogan thinking she was spayed and being beset by kittens does amuse me.

[thecutdiamond]

Katya: I am kind of interested of possibly doing a thing with a ticked-off Old Spade person :|a I will ponder on this. Do you have any more headcanon thoughts on said irritated Old Family people?

Magge: Possibly something could be done with her and Rowan with the whole self-appointed spy/enforcer things? Not really sure where that would go, though.

Monty: It occurs to me that possibly he could somehow be involved in finding out about Rowan's thief-family past, but. I am not sure if anything would come of that. :|a

Sophie: Totally not useful contribution but I think a Deckwide museum wold be awesomesauce /o/

Sorry that was all just really wishy-washy. Allergies o9

[onlytolerable]

That would be awesome. Prominent family would stay her hand probably unless during a direct challenge. My only other head canon is one old family keeps gifting her with hideous vases that she can't get rid of because she knows they want to twist that to prove how she has no respect for tradition. Athena had one (probably not hideous) after all. It's more of a humor device and always the vase she breaks when she throws tantrums.

Maggie: She has no plans to try to supplant current security at all. I don't think there was anyone really doing that job before Jordan came along and then his successor. In fact, she was off deck when Jordan started in that position. She'd be more than happy to work with Rowan. She understands not every Heart has the stomach for some of the more necessary dirty work.

Monty: Possible. He'd recognize the name if it ever came up. I can also see Maggie ferreting it out. I don't think either one would use the info against her. They're both the sort to file it away for later. If Monty found out, he'd pass it along to Elisha eventually (the whole not-spy thing). Maggie is more likely to destroy the link and later present Rowan with evidence of that. Maybe it would be wiser to keep it as leverage, but at her age, she does enjoy living dangerously.

Sophie: 8D I think so, too! All those old paintings, furniture, weapons, histories, tapestries, writings, no doubt clothing. We could make up stuff like "The dagger Good Queen X used to win her challenge against Evil Queen Y" display, too.

[thecutdiamond]

Katya: Sounds good \o/ I will mull over this and then get back to you on decisions and things. And also, poor, poor vases. D:

Maggie: No, Hearts definitely don't. I almost want something to come up now where it's going to be necessary for Rowan to be like "okay Maggie no one else can do it will you plz" Hm. :|a

Monty: Either one of them figuring it out would possibly be interesting. :|a I should poke Muzy to see if anything would come of it if it got back to Elisha's ears. Probably not. Also, Maggie, why would you cause Rowan a mini-heart attack like that. :<

Sophie: And you know how much we like coming up with more historical/tradition sorts of things /o/ Let me know if you continue with that. Maybe I will see if I can brain a person to be involved with it, or just Rachel as the last Fioro would probably have things to contribute. :|a

Also, is Sophie/the library still doing that thing with the reading to the kids from way back when? I just reread a thread where Rachel was thinking about doing that and it made me kind of want to work with it again. I know Sophie is about to go off and be a big fancy Nine soon, though.

[onlytolerable]

Katya: Do not be crying for vases. They are very, very ugly--the decapitated barbie crocheted toilet roll holder of vases.

Maggie: Obviously we should come up with something. Should probably get Emma's input simply because she plays the king.

Monty: However you want it. Maggie: Easier to prove someone has not been as careful as they thought than to caution them. Besides without proof there's the chance Rowan would have tried to bluff her way through it, and that would have been so tiresome.

Sophie: Yes, indeed! I wonder how many early wars (if any) there might have been between Suits? Did they ever have their own little charter/constitution?

Children's library is still a go. She would love it if Rachel became a reader.

[theacethatmatters]

Sophie should take over the tower at the center of the Green now that all the stuff has apparently been moved out of it, get it cleaned up and the door opened at the bottom and turn it into the first iteration of a Deck Museum.

You know, so it's equidistant from all the Suits.

EDIT: Also because it's sort of a museum piece in its own right.

[onlytolerable]

That's a good idea. I'm not sure if it will be large enough in the end, but it is a good start. It should be part of the museum and/or a historical site of its own. (Nothing to do with that, but we always call them hysterical markers. So hard not to write that.)

Ideally, I don't want her to use Chateau Berthier forever. She simply assumes the biggest argument will be, "Nowhere available; end of idea," so wants to have an option available.

[theacethatmatters]

No, it probably isn't big enough in the end, but since the Green enlarged itself a bit during the Time of Tremors^TM...there's a bit of room for some expansion. And yeah, it's a historical thing in its own right. And I expect nobody else will want to have much to do with it. :)

[messire_messer]

While I was going down the post I had a mini-revelation about Sophie and Julien and Säde. As I said above, Säde's form of being pissed is going to be communicated silently. Which doesn't exclude her being non-verbally possessive of her Diamond like a dog with a bone. Tiny Suit conflict there. /steeples fingers

[onlytolerable]

I admit I did consider that possibility. I'm sure Sade at some point probably advised Sophie to try her hand against a variety of skilled opponents, right? /innocent face

[messire_messer]

In the spirit of the advice was the tiny tiny small print of NOT JULIEN :|

[old_dog]

This is super late but I only just got back xO

I must resist the urge to pick up another father ._. even though Tess's sounds awesome.

I can however offer to pick up someone to mess with Katya if Drea isn't already doing so, since it's more or less guaranteed that the character is going to die x) Let me know if you'd like me to.

Also I feel I should do something with Maggie as I know how tough it can be to work out plot for an older character when just about everyone else is young. I had thought about like weekly drinks or Texas hold 'em or pool or something but I don't know if she'd be interested in that sort of thing. Alternatively for something more current she can get more involved in the Spades' garden if she can see past the Spades part of it XD Or if you would like something more disruptive, I can have Nicholas act out and do something like start a fire in her garden or steal one of her firearms and possibly get her in trouble if he ends up using it and leaving a body in her ranch somewhere or something. I don't really have anything solid but he's a bit of a loose cannon and can start a whole lot of trouble if you'd like that.

Of course Nicholas can do something with Monty too, considering he's not at all different from a con man.

[thecutdiamond]

My character and yours can always mess with the Face(s) together /o/ Especially if we end up doing it as they are part of the Secret Society of Old Families who Hate Outsiders & such. Which I am totally up to doing maybe a little later this month or next \o\ I see there are already dissenting Diamonds :|a

[old_dog]

I'm up for it 8D though my old families peoples are cool with Outsiders so we'll have to see. I'm always happy to pick up temporary characters though if it'll aid with the plot.

I was also going to comment on your post asking about Rachel's family XD If you'd like me to, I can see if I can't get Nicholas killed and pick up your Eric Bana sweetheart in his stead, or whoever it was you had in mind for the role. (Of course if you want to write with someone else that's totally cool too. There's plenty of feels between us with Caleb and Rachel XD)

[thecutdiamond]

Yeah, I'm thinking of picking up a temp. I've always wanted to try a properly bloodthirsty Spade, but don't usually have the brainpower to maintain those characters for more than a brief little while :P

You don't have to kill anyone if you don't want to! (There's always NPC-hood if you really need to drop /o/) But that would be abfab if you wanted to. I am always open to all the feelz and shenanigans forever in all the ways \o/

[maidenthespade]

Marc is a DOG, and that is a definite insult to dogs.

I'm bad to request that. You can always NPC and (I think) avoid the app. I'm not sure how that's handled now, but it's an option.

Maggie says billiards and darts would be lovely. There aren't many Spades around who recall old times (and of those there are, not many she cares to talk to. My head canon tells me they very quietly and nonspecifically expressed their hatred dislike of the practices of the time. I don't think it would be wise for Nicholas to attempt to steal a firearm (she keeps them under lock and key in the cellar) or to leave a body on her property. Mind you, she has it on good authority *cough*hers*cough* that bone and blood meal is wonderful for the roses. I imagine she'd object if someone left a stray corpse lying about. She'd have to look into it and I doubt Nicholas would like that at all.

Though it might be interesting if a body turned up somewhere. Maybe it could be an Outsider--totally unrelated to the other thing, but once people got wind of what was going on, it would muddy the waters. (Have I mentioned I love mysteries?)

[old_dog]

What're you talking about? He sounds like loads of fun! I'll ask about NPCing him after I get my home computer/internet up and running.

I'd pictured both of them to be good at something like pool or darts, or whatever other typical pub games people play, so bonding over that is definitely an option.

No worries re: Nick - just thought if you wanted some crazies that I have someone who can do it, as I'm looking to get him killed. Most likely there will be a body (or bodies) showing up somewhere that Maggie can get involved in if she wants to =) I know Cadogan's definitely in on the plot but there's no reason why more people won't be like 'o_O The fuck is going on?'