What first?

[Angie]

Okay, let's take some of the plot ideas and try to figure out a very basic plot line for the story so we're not totally lost in all the wonderful twists that have been suggested.

[scarecrow]

Before that: are we shooting for a comic, light story, or a more serious, deep drama? What feel are we aiming for here?

[Angie]

Well, it's the guild, so which do you think it's going to end up like?

[scarecrow]

Well, I don't know, thus the question! lol

I figure the tone is going to be somewhat similar to that LotR/Hp School?

[Angie]

I haven't read that, but I imagine that this story is going to be pretty random and light, given the story and writers.

[scarecrow]

Ok! Ok. I think I might have an idea of how to start. Say what you think.

Hopelost is the newest muse in the guild. They show him around the place, warning him about the risk of getting lost in the many secret rooms of the guild, and the dangers of going down into the basement. He seems like an amiable if shy kind of guy, so the others take a shine to him (especially Eioko, who immediately develops a crush on him). All, that is, except Pumpkin Shoes, who has finally gotten free from her charge's cage in the basement. She thinks that there something off about him. But nobody pays much attention to her; they all think that she's a little off from all that time in the dank, creepy, dangerous basement. And she sorta is.

BUT it turns out that Pumpkin Shoes is right. A few days later, Hopelost's charge posts his first story, and it's a doozy: a story so disgusting, violent, graphic and depraved that even the most seasoned muses can't stomach it. Hopelost's charge is smited so much he's down in the negatives, and his story is deleted after much discussion and controversy. Hopelost seems to be the only person who likes it: in fact, he's the one who inspire his charge to create it in the first place. And the nice, shy guy facade that he puts on cracks sometimes when he is compelled to shout out the most unnerving lines of the story at the most random intervals, almost as if he was possesed for an instant, before returning to the nice, quiet guy he is most of the time.

Now most of the other muses whisper the most outrageous stories and rumors and gossip behind his back, often quieting down when they see him enter the room. Except, of course, Pumpkin Shoes, who can't stop raving about just how right she was, and she is the only one who comes right out and says to Hopelost that she is disgusted by him. Eioko thinks that he's just a misguided guy who she can nurse back to sanity (and into her waiting arms), but she's still afraid of him so, and titters fearfully when he enters a room, usually rushing out the moment she sees him. The practical Bluestar tries to keep an open mind to him, and is often the voice of reason amidst all the wackiness and suspicion, and Schnitzel, who's not all "there", seems to be the only person who really talks to him now (probably because he can relate to being partially insane). Hombre, being a dog, can't really say anything about the situation, but he often growls when Hopelost tries to be nice to him.

Things really start heating up when one of the other muses disappears with a scream in the middle of the night. Pumpkin Shoes right away suspects foul play, and points the finger at Hopelost, saying that he's the only one violent enough to have taken somebody. Hopelost in turn points back at Pumpkin Shoes, who says that she's only doing it to frame him because she wants him kicked out of the guild, and she's probably hidden her in the basement, as Pumpkin Shoes is the only person brave enough to go in there. Most surprisingly, Schnitzel keeps saying that he's the one who's stolen the missing muse, and he's hidden him/her/it in his special place, but no one knows whether to really believe someone so far gone. Bluestar takes command of the situation, saying that pointing fingers gets no one anywhere. In fact, except for the scream, there's no reason to suspect any foul play at all. She decides that that the muses must split up and search the endlessly confusing and dangerous secret rooms, attic, and basement for the missing muse, and thus the first mission of the guildians begins: a mission that starts out as a simple search for a missing friend, and turns into something much greater.

[Angie]

Wow, detailed! ;D

[scarecrow]

lol. I'm sorry, it just came to me. I couldn't help myself.

Of course, I really don't know how your characters would really react, so I just had to make up personalities for them. I think it needs input from the others, and then we'd have to learn more about each others muses so that we can write about them.

This was basically a sort of twist on two of our plot ideas: your idea about exploring the guild, and mine about the depraved writer.

[Angie]

Yeah, we'll get together and add and change stuff and everything.

[Emily]

Nice Scarecrow!

Now where the hell is snarkie going to fit in.... (snarkie is a flying hamster )

[Angie]

Go ahead and write Snarkie into the storyline!

[scarecrow]

Perhaps we should hold off on the plot altogether until everyone's updated their muse's profiles, yes? It'll be easier to go from there, I think.

[Angie]

Yeah, and I think everyone should try to give some input to develop and change it until it's just right.

[Duskglimmer]

*blinks* I get smited down into the negatives?!

HEY! FUN! This could be interesting...

[scarecrow]

lol. No Dusky, it doesn't really have to happen like that. It's just an idea I had, and I don't think it's really fair to use that without more input from everyone else.