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Distinct Conversationalist
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 Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 11:40 am
I came up with this in a dream. Given that, it's surprisingly coherent.
The plot goes something like this: one day a bunch of high school aged kids wake up to discover that while the world is generally still functioning, there doesn't seem to be anyone else in it. One by one, they run across animals (they start calling them "familiars") with which they share a bond with: if the animal is hurt or killed, they suffer similarly, and they have a degree of control over and communication with the animal.
The "survivors" eventually band together and start trying to figure out what's going on. But someone seems to be trying to get them to fight each other, and fight they do. First, Magda, the main character, is nearly tricked into poisoning her best friend, Kathleen. Then Cecil commits what might be a justifiably deadly prank and might be the perfect murder. They follow what might be a trail of clues, but the tensions between the kids grow.
In the end, they find that they have been living in the spaces between the world (don't ask, it's just a plot device) and find a way out, but out of an original fourteen, only six remain.
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:45 am
How come they're all high-school aged kids? Is there any variety in the ages of the "survivors" at all whatsoever? If not, why, etc.
Also spaces between the world whatnow? And is there actually a thing making them fight and such?
-continues to prod-
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Distinct Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:25 am
They're high-school aged because:
a) this is perfectly set up to be a manga aimed at a certain age (or mocking one that is, I'm not actually 100% sure on that)
b) it's convenient
c) I think it actually might have something to do with a behavioral experiment, so while the people conducting the experiment didn't have 100% control over everything (it's a sketchy operation) they could have aimed at a certain age range.
There's a couple years' difference, and I think Abraham might be like 19 or so, just out of high school. But Abraham's special.
There's not actually anyone threatening the kids, or setting them up. They think there is, and that's kind of the point. The kids freak out and tensions that were already there get much, much worse, and some kids go on witch hunts, and so on and so forth. There is someone watching, but they never intervene.
I'm thinking they're actually going to be "between one moment and the next" except not actually stuck in time. I'm debating whether later on they can see people, but can't be seen, or if they just run around and everything looks deserted but works like there were people there. (the trains run, the electricity works, the phones work, etc.)
Oh, and I couldn't work out how the whole "poisoning" thing would work out (dream logic=nonsense) so instead, Magda just sticks a moray eel in fresh water. She's just lucky that familiars are more resistant to certain kinds of damage than their real, animal counterparts. (But then again, so are the kids when they have the familiars.)
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:54 pm
I like the concept of the only things they're really fighting it each other. I think it's a very nice metaphor for the typically self-destructive behavior of their age group (not sure if you meant it like that, but that's how I saw it). Is this just an idea for now, or have you started writing (or, if it's a manga, drawing) it yet?
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:57 pm
I like the social experimentation thing just because without it, I'd be kind of ehhh on the bunch of teenagers thing. I mean, because otherwise, what're the odds that every single one of the fourteen "survivors" just happened to be between fifteen and nineteen (or whatever), y'know?
(I don't know if you're actually looking for nitpickiness on this, so. Feel free to ignore me. razz )
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:12 am
Oh, I'm all for nitpickiness. And I think I will go with the "experiment" thing. I can use it as fodder for the fake "someone's after us!" plot.
On the "metaphor" thing... I dunno. It's more just that they're representatives for average people, who, in situations where they feel threatened, will be far more willing to do each other harm. There will be copious shout-outs to "Lord of the Flies". Like, Helena and Daniella are in the choir and wear choir uniforms the entire time, and I think Kathleen will have a copy of "Coral Island" an say it's her favorite book or something.
And I have started drafting character designs and writing the script. I need to work out some of the later events. I have, like one and a half plot arcs out of several, and I'm not even sure how they fit together. I know who lives and who dies, but there's a few that I'm not sure how they die. I definitely want to leave no exceptions to the "they kill each other" rule, but I haven't figured out how to justify killing Felicity yet. Mind you, she's the first one I'd ditch if I had to, with Susan and Alexander as a close second and third, but... I don't know how they'd justify it.
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Distinct Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:03 am
I'm not sure who Felicity is, but her death could be an 'accident' sort of thing. Like, maybe she falls from a great height, and everyone -knows- one of them pushed her, but nobody really wants to come out and say it because their all kind of glad it happened, sort of thing.
Eh, I don't know, just trying to be helpful xp
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:56 am
I'm sort of thinking either Levon or Violet(?!) slaughters her familiar. Since, you know, the last guy that got pushed down the steps failed to die so spectacularly.
Abraham's killing people by that time, but only people who are already killers, (Susan and later Alexander) and Felicity doesn't have blood on her hands. And Alexander's on the rampage, but he'd have to make a case to the rest of the Fab Five (Magda, Levon, Gregory, and Kathleen) and I can't see Magda or Gregory going in for killing someone who's only a threat because she's annoying, stupid, and takes stupid risks.
Or maybe Gregory killed her, since she's always messing up his plans.
At this point, it could be anyone, since they've really lost all concept of the sanctity of life. Except maybe Magda or Kathleen. Kathleen would advocate for killing someone, but she wouldn't do the job herself.
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Distinct Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:30 pm
Animal familiars makes me think of His Dark Materials. A cast consisting of teenagers stuck in a world that's deserted and seemingly in-between time also makes me think of His Dark Materials, in the sense of that city in Cittàgazze where the kids are all running rampant because the adults are hiding from Spectres.
That said, this still sounds like an interesting idea and I'd like to see you continue.
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