[insert original plot thread title]

[Ray]

No fancy coding yet, I'm about to head out but I wanted to put down some words for my boy before I forgot. I got back from my errands and this still isn't finished yet lol go me

Anyway I just had a couple of ideas for Dionysus. He's about four years old and probably been a loner for the most recent year or so of that time? I haven't really figured out exactly why he isn't in a pack at the moment yet, but I was thinking he either had an altercation with his previous pack (apparently past-me decided he was born in Shore Woods, but idk why I picked that lol) or left for other reasons. Thing is he's a pretty easygoing, agreeable guy so I don't really know why he would have done either such thing, unless he was gonna start a new pack, but I don't see him doing that without a partner or a friend - he's not really the type for leading alone, doesn't have the drive for it.

Aaaanyway (again lol), I was thinking of any (or several) of the following:

i. An old friend that he hasn't seen in a long time, maybe someone from the pack he left. Maybe they were friends as pups and grew apart for some silly reason as childhood friends sometimes do. It would be cool to hash out some kind of backstory so then they can run into each other and be all "you're very familiar didn't I know you from somewhere" or something, I dunno. I just kinda wanted a new take on the usual wolf-meets-wolf awkward newfriends threads. :'D

ii. Kind of playing off one of the reasons I mentioned earlier for him leaving his old pack - maybe him and a good friend or partner had plans to strike out on their own, whether to start a pack or just live in a small group? I kind of want to save this for later though considering he doesn't actually have any good friends (or friends at all, HUEH) at the moment, but this could definitely be a thing to work up to. I hear Akeli Lake is pleasant this time of the year. And all year round really.
- Ideally for this one the other party would need to be at least a little more serious than Dionysus, especially if they ended up officially forming a pack. He's great in wingman/second-in-command type deals and would do better either supporting a leader or splitting equal responsibilities with someone with a stronger sense of direction and structure. Obviously they'd have to get along well though, otherwise I don't think they'd make the decision to go it alone at all. Also applies to a lesser degree if they end up just chillin' as a pair or forming some rogue band of misfits instead lol. Sssshhhh

iii. If you need pack members we can talk about it! Of course, if he ends up joining a pack this will cancel out idea ii. I'm getting more and more attached to idea ii but I know we've got a lot of empty packs that need members so ya know, anything's good. I might end up making more characters to fill up existing packs as well.

iv. Also pretty much open for friends/romantic interests (either gender) in general, if any of the above ideas aren't your style. I'm totally up for throwing more ideas around!

I've textwalled too much as it is so I'm gonna end this here for now lol before I get even more carried away. I'll just edit this post for plotting with future characters. :^)

-------------

Back with some vague plot things for Halcyon. :3 These won't be as thought-out as Dimi's because I don't really know how I want to play Hal yet, I guess.

Halcyon Vanatore - salty old loner getting a little bit on in years, I kind of liken him in my mind to a veteran in his thirties that received an honourable discharge for losing the use of his left eye lol even though it definitely didn't happen quite that way. He basically doesn't like anything and doesn't like talking about it either, so he's great at parties. I'd say he's been a loner since he was two or three? He has a lot of scars, so I was thinking he probably had a big fight with someone important in his previous pack that either ended with someone dying or getting otherwise grievously injured. Probably this is the fight that gives him the blind eye.

Update: Hal now has a backstory that can be read here in my character log!

Stuff for Hal:
- It'd probably be hard to get a love interest going for him considering how closed off and crabby he is right now but I think it would be nice to have someone break through his crust a little lol and not always act all awkward about his blind eye for once. It's blind, not raw. 
- Enemies would be pretty fun. :^) Not really someone who'd run him into the ground right off the bat but it would be cool to see another wolf get him riled up enough to actually open his mouth and offer some choice insults. At this point he's very very wary of letting himself lose his temper but he definitely has one and getting him to let that loose would probably be very messy.
- Friends?? I think he'd tolerate the presence of most wolves the way a mountain tolerates the presence of rocks. He could use some people to count on though, as well as to share his loyalty with. It's been quite a while since he's had to think of the welfare of another wolf besides his own.
- I don't know if he'd do too well in a pack considering he's a fucking sociopath at the moment but if you think you want him please take him!!! lol Currently trying his best to get accepted into the Sharktooth Island pack :3

-------------

So I'm back again with my last character for the foreseeable future! lol god help me

Aria Riveni - she's smart and knows how to use her looks to her advantage, but at the same time often finds herself above juvenile scheming and is often found quoting the saying "If you want it done right do it yourself". She doesn't stick around many wolves for long, since she isn't often interested in expending the effort taken to develop lasting friendships and any other use she might have for them is usually negated by her I'll-do-it-myself mindset. Probably the best way to befriend her is either be able to do something she can't, or just be a good conversational partner and really really persistent. As a friend Aria's got some hidden depths - she's quite creative and has a dry, slightly sarcastic sense of humor. I'm thinking she was the daughter of two loners who were very capable and more than happy to survive on their own, hence her self-sufficient and slightly haughty attitude.

Stuff for Aria:
- I feel like something that would work for her relationship-wise is a wolf who can prove to her that relying on and trusting another person can be mutually beneficial and rewarding. Though she may act as if the constant attention annoys her, it is what it is - an act. She admires perseverance and maturity, but isn't interested in wolves who dream big but can't live up to their promises. I think someone calm who isn't initially swayed by her pretty appearance, someone who can can put up with her occasional sass and not make a big deal about it would be really good for her, and I feel like though she's not your textbook monogamist by any reach of the imagination she would willingly settle down with someone who can change her mind. In case you haven't noticed I'm a big fan of making my characters change their minds LOL
- Friends-wise like I mentioned above, she finds pleasantries and casual conversation entertaining until the point where an individual becomes old news, and then she's quite content to move on. She would definitely stick around longer with wolves that keep themselves relevant and prove themselves her equals.
- At the moment I don't think she'd join a pack on her own, but she would probably agree to join up with a friend.
- On the less friendly side of things, Aria doesn't really harbor any hatred as a rule - most disagreements are beneath her, she'd rather say "It's on you then" and disengage than continue to pursue the issue. But I think someone who would really get on her nerves is someone who doesn't respect her capabilities :^) Like, someone who belittles what she's able to achieve on her own. She prides herself on being very competent, so I bet that would get her all riled up.

[Kenren]

I feel like we should thread with he and Fial'hin. Dunno if Dionysus would like him enough for him to be a love interest, but Fial is odd enough in general for it to be fun threading anyway xD

[Ray]

Aww, Fial'hin sounds adorable. :3 Idk, I bet they could be cute together, if nothing else at least Dionysus would probably be good for making sure Fial'hin remembered to eat. xD

[Kenren]

Awww, well, I'd love to thread them to see <3 Would you like me to start the thread anywhere specific?

[Ray]

I don't have any preference on location, it's up to you! :3

[Ember]

Hey, Ray ! After reading up on what you had in mind for Halcyon, and after bringing my boy Arren over here, I wanted to ask you if you'd be interested in weaving their history together a bit. :3

Arren's father disappeared early in his life when he left to find help for Arren's ill mother. I had the idea that his father may have approached a pack with the hope they'd have an herbalist/healer who could help his mate. However, if the pack was aggressive and felt that he was simply a trespasser trying to take advantage of their resources, he could have been killed/maimed/etc., but not before putting up a fight of his own out of a desperate need to save his family.

I'm not sure if Hal or his old pack would be the type to use such force against an outsider, but if he and Arren's father got into a fight, I can definitely see Arren's father giving Hal a few scars and--if you agree to this idea/if it's in-character--Hal could have been the one to maim/kill Arren's father for trespassing, thus causing his disappearance.

I'm asking because I'd love to get Arren to Sharktooth eventually, and having someone waiting there for him with potential for enemy plots might be interesting (if Hal does remain there, and if the truth came out at some point). But I'm also aware that Arren's father would not be the sort of pack authority figure who took Hal's eye and gave him his scars, like you originally had in mind.

If nothing else, Arren could always meet Hal once he gets to Sharktooth, no backstory involved, and potentially learn from him how to control his temper better. :3

I'm trying to keep this short so I don't overwhelm you with too much at once, but if any of this sounds good to you, I can always elaborate. And of course, if at any point you were reading this and thought "eh, nah, doesn't sound like that's for me," I won't be offended in the least, lol. xD I'm still very excited to thread with our other characters!

[Ray]

Ember

Ahh I like what you have here! I'm not sure if you've seen the little backstory I've put down for Hal in my character log, but I needed a story for him to explain his reason for coming to the island in the future if he ever has to. I didn't really mention his story anywhere else though as it just came up one night at about 4am and I stuck it in his table, haha! Though it doesn't really mesh with what you've put down here, I do like the idea of getting Arren and Hal's backstories intertwined somehow so they can either have some kind of friction or just be friends, whichever way this ends up going.

In Hal's story he's kicked from his pack at the age of two, but up til then I'd say he was quite involved in pack life, despite the bullying that had taken place among the younger wolves. I feel he would have kept himself busy and held himself to very strict orders in order to feel he belonged somehow. As such, if he had been assigned to guard duty at any time during his youth in the pack, he would have acted on whatever orders given to him without fail, and if the orders had been to attack trespassers on sight he would have done it unquestioningly. Of course, then Arren's father could have attempted to approach and Hal would have attacked, causing either his maiming or death, if you want it to go that far!

Halcyon would have been devastated later on of course, and would probably carry the guilt with him forever. He's very very big on hierarchy and following orders, so the fact that something like this had happened despite him only doing what he was told, because he was doing what he was told, would definitely have him feeling even more conflicted over the pros and cons of being in a pack. He longs for the structure of pack life but knows he's a lethal weapon, especially when he gives over control to his orders, and in the wrong hands he's definitely deadly. So it could all be very interesting down the line, if you like! We can of course keep working with this and changing stuff, I like plotting like this a lot. :D Let me know if you're interested in how I've changed things a bit!! If you don't like it, I'm also fine with the other idea of Hal mentoring Arren somewhat once they meet up, maybe they could really butt heads at first before Hal realises how much the kid's like him, and opts to try and teach him to control his temper. Or we could combine that with other stuff, or whatever you like really. xD It's a bit late (3am lol) but I had to reply because this is exciting, so apologies if this is a bit confusing! <3

[Ember]

Ray
Oh goodness, I feel so silly. xD I can’t remember if Hal’s history was up the last time I checked your log, and I suppose I should have checked again before tossing my early morning rambles your way, haha. Sorry about that!

I really do appreciate your openness to having their histories involved somehow, though! In my mind, I’m still not sure if Arren’s father should have been outright killed instead of injured to a point where he couldn’t return home (perhaps he sustained a head injury/couldn’t make his way back/whatever). So none of that is entirely set in stone yet, and I guess depending on whatever you think Hal would do, the specifics can be figured out down the road.

The idea of Hal becoming a mentor of sorts appeals to me a lot, even if they do butt heads at first, because in the long run I can definitely see Arren looking up to Hal and being really grateful for his guidance. And if that does happen, perhaps after they begin to tolerate each other, details of Hal’s involvement with his father can leak out later, causing dissension, etc. etc. My goal is to get Arren into a few scuffles on the mainland before he feels compelled to seek out Sharktooth, so we’ve got plenty of time to flesh out more details and whatnot. xD

Once again, your willingness to plot with me about this is really wonderful! Thank you. : D

[Ray]

Ember

Oh no it's me really, I put that in without really drawing attention to it maybe a week or so ago and it's probably something I should've remembered to update my plot thread with, but I didn't make that connection. xD I'm so sorry!

I was thinking about a general timeline of events for how these would possibly unfold - Hal is 5 or a little bit younger and was told to leave around the age of two (but this can be stretched til 2.5 or nearly 3 easily), so these events would have to take place a little under 3 years ago. I know Arren's two so I was wondering how early in his life Arren lost his father? I mean I'm def fine with pushing Hal's eviction age a couple seasons, but I'm just wondering how the timeline sits at this point :3

Re: Arren arriving on Sharktooth, since you mentioned you want him to spend some time on the mainland first I think it's safe to say he'll probably arrive on the island after Hal's earned Iiona's trust? I'm thinking that in this case to lay the playing field for anything we end up plotting he won't have revealed much of his history to Iiona past the vaguest answers he can plausibly give to questions such as "how did you lose your eye" out of sheer disgust for what he's done, so instead he just refrains from talking about it as much as he can because he doesn't want to lie. I'm thinking this would be a great way to throw in some conflict after their initial relationship is secured. :^) Arren comes up, somehow or other the story comes out, Iiona's hard-earned trust is shaken, etc etc etc. Maybe Heika might find this interesting for future plotting idk I'll just tag her for when she gets back xD (Also I guess we'd have to figure out just how Hal is able to make the connection between the wolf he maimed/killed and that wolf being Arren's father? Either something obvious like maybe Arren looks like his dad, or something else?) Also I think if we go this route, once they finally get past the YOU KILLED MY DAD?? thing I feel like Hal would really appreciate the fact that someone finds him worth looking up to, and also that he gets to make a positive impact in a young wolf's life, especially since he was bullied in his own youth.

I'm honestly stoked that someone is as excited to plot with my characters as I am with theirs so really the pleasure is mine! :D I apologise for the text wall, I'm having a real good time :')

[Heika]

Ray Ember

Just going to pop in here and say that I'm totally down for throwing a wrench in Hal's and Iiona's relationship. I feel like if Arren arrived on Sharktooth Island, told the truth, and had the intention to stay, Iiona would either 1) distrust him even more because of how she felt as though Hal betrayed her or 2) accept him with open arms for telling the truth. Anyways, just wanted to let you guys know that if you go through with this, I'm on board!

[Ember]

Ray , Heika
I SQUEALED A BIT READING ALL OF THIS seriously, I’m having a great time, too, and I’m glad you guys are getting fun out of it as well. :')

As for the timeline, I had it in my mind that Arren’s father left when he was very young (possibly only a month or two old), and he would have learned about the situation from his mother much later. And while he’s two according to his profile, he could easily be a handful of months older. You could definitely keep Hal’s timeline much the same, since even if he got booted out of his pack at about two, or maybe one or two months older than two, I think the timeline would still make sense. : D

Also I LOVE THE IDEA OF STUFF GOING DOWN ON SHARKTOOTH LATER AAH! As someone super excited to see how Iiona’s and Hal’s relationship progresses, the idea of some conflict cropping up later on is really interesting. I’d be more than happy to contribute to future plots between those two!

And in regard to the connection between Arren and his father—he inherited the diamond on his head and his bright, golden eyes from his daddy. Those might work as a good visual cue. Other than that, I can also see Arren confiding in Hal once they have grown a bit more comfortable around each other. If his being on his own at such a young age ever got brought up, he might be willing to tell the story about how his father left to go find help for his dying mate (with added spite, of course, as he’s since mentally twisted the story into “I’m tired of taking care of your sick mother lol bye” since his father never came home).

Hal might be able to recall that a trespasser he chased off one day spouted a similar story about "needing help for his dying mate" or something, idk. xD

And just a side note—GOODNESS I’m so excited for Arren to meet Iiona. She seems so self-assured and comfortable in her position as alpha, and he could definitely use some direction from an authority figure like her, lol. I can just see her whipping his tail into shape haha. xD

[Ray]

Ember , Heika

Aaa I love all this :D Ember, me and Heika are working out the Hal/Iiona thing but it'll be great to have Arren come in and tear up the trust they've got going :D

Anyway, looks like the timeline generally makes sense then! :D Let me know how long you'd like Arren to stick around on the mainland for before he comes over, I think it'd probably be about the right length of time for Hal and Iiona to get more comfortable with each other and maybe build up a rapport/start discovering feelings for each other etc before Arren comes and drops a bombshell. :^)

I'm wondering if it would be more interesting for Hal to recognise Arren off the bat as soon as he hits the beach then? Because I feel something as big as the thing with Arren's dad would probably haunt him for the rest of his life, so he definitely won't have forgotten a wolf with such distinctive markings. He might even think it was Arren's dad's ghost come back to exact his revenge for those first few moments. I figure Arren wouldn't know Hal's involvement but I think Hal's odd reaction would probably let him know something was up, and get him to talking, and once everything's out in the open I bet tensions would run really high for quite a while. I mean that's just one approach tho! It might also be more dramatic if they managed to become friends without incident first, then like you suggested Arren would confide his past to Hal and it would be too uncanny not to recognise as the same incident haha, esp with the little bit about his dying mate. Then there can be a big fight or something, Iiona gets involved, Hal confesses and then runs away for a while due to getting too overwhelmed, probably (but not too far, since they're on an island, lolol) but then he comes back to try and work things out with both of them.

[Deleted]

Old fraaand for Dionysus? Maybe they weren't part of the same pack but they could've had a run-in at some point in the past, where Erismora forgot for one second to be a selfish git and helped Dionysus out. (Say... he accidentally helped Dionysus out on a hunt. Inadvertently. lol "Yeah totally meant to do that. You're welcome.")


And now they bump into one another again but Erismora's all "No no, we don't know each other" because he doesn't want to be bothered with a 'friend.'  But maybe Dionysus remembers him and he's all "Dude bro, I totally know you!" 

[Ray]

LMAO THAT'S PERFECT!! I love the whole "dude, but I SWEAR you and I met a while ago, you helped me with that deer ambush that nearly went wrong, and then you ran away at top speed??" thing, it's gonna be hilarious. While Erismora's just constantly like "oh god, I promise I don't know you at all, someone get this barnacle AWAY FROM ME" and kind of walking really fast at that pace everyone hits when someone tries to give them flyers. Perfect.

(Also I haven't really updated Dionysus's writeup since but he's had a bit of an... interesting run-in (click that lol) with the current White Forest alpha and it's uh. Kinda wild. :'D Also worth skimming (even if it's probably gonna be REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE LOL SORRY) so you know what path he's TRIPPED AND FALLEN gone down and how he might be a liiittle odd right now LOL. Actually this thread could be useful to work out how Dimi's gonna face the rest of the world and whether he'll be any different now that that thread was a thing lolol)