NAME OF THREAD

name of cycle theme

characters

@yourcharacter:
explain a bit about your character. just what's needed or what applies to your entry. should not be information that can be found in your app, character introduction, or plotter.

@partnercharacter:
explain a bit about your partner's character. same criteria as the above.

context

provide background information a read may need to know prior to read your entry. assume they are a new member that knows nothing. summarize can be a few lines of story beats that led up to this thread.

theme

explain briefly how this applies to the current cycle theme.

rambles

free slot for you to go wild. add as much or little as you want. the above are meant to be brief so people can catch up easily. this is for those who want to dig deeper. gush about how much fun it was. or additional commentary others might not know. reference little tidbits you don't think were recognized? maybe scenes you didn't get to add. have fun!

FIRST CYCLE: INTRODUCTION

theme of may 2023

this cycle’s theme is INTRODUCTION! pick a thread that introduces you or your character to the greater hoenn community!

this isn’t necessarily speaking about your character’s backstory but rather a thread a reader can pick up to get better acquainted with you or your character. this can cover something that encapsulates the type of writing you do, the themes this character explores, or even something that captures the signature moments that are iconic for that character.

think of this as suggesting a western comic book collection! often times, fans will suggest to read a particular story revolving a super hero such as batman or spiderman that isn’t their origin story. their suggestion is to get the reader hooked onto the story or to become a fan of that character so they continue to read and invest in future runs.

COMPLIANCE

INTRODUCTION

characters

FERNANDO SILPH:
Fernando is still in his early years of being a council member. He's still at the point where he is making allies and trying to choose a camp. He also checks gym challenges as a self imposed duty.

Olivia Abbiati:
A woman who recently returned to Sootopolis. With a small cult following, she made a splash onto Hoenn's scene by inviting many famous characters before appointing herself as royalty. Her bravado, while admirable, earned the ire of many prominent figures.

context

Olivia had recently invited many fellow Gym Leaders to her anointment in Sootopolis. She made several wide sweeping promises while taking on the mantle of Sootopolis' Gym Leader. Her family, and cult, create a grand tower which was later blown up in the Sootopolis invasion.

freya morningstar, who is also from Sootopolis, and a council member at the time, is in open opposition to her politically. With recent rumors of how Olivia was running her Gym, it's finally time for the Gym assessor to butt heads with an upcoming political faction.

theme

This is one of the earliest threads that really gets to see a blend of Fernando the person and Fernando the public persona. Up until this point, he's either been secretly an asshole to you or a public sweetheart (for his standards).

You can gleam a lot of his staple themes such as:

- short opening dialogues

- asking and probing more information to use against the same person

- leveraging other people's reputation and history in his claims

- speaking confidently even though he is either outright lying, exaggerating, or warping something for his own narrative

- praising others and sometimes the subject only to to put them down later

- coming down on someone with verbal assaults that hold weight

- implicit but courteous threats

My author narration also has a lot of absolutism that really reiterate the theme that Fernando is right (even when he's not). It's hard to tell but the imposing sound to it is enough to influence even the reader oocly.

You see bits and piece of this in Fernando depending on who he's interacting with but his faces are usually pretty split off. Here is only of the few chances you see them all kind of blend.

rambles

Sadsoda caused a huge wave with this character when they were first on Hoenn. It's difficult to play a character that can turn off so many other characters but that also makes them so much fun to fight against. Their ability to play that character and separate IC from OOC was really admirable! It allowed this character to be really iconic and have a lasting influence on the site!

SLUMLORD

Introduction

characters

Elisabeth Fiorelli:
A black widow who has recently left Kalos for Hoenn to start her life over, having joined Rocket as a way to deal with her own feelings of monstrosity and guilt.

BARNABY FINCH:
A mysterious higher up in Rocket who, unbeknownst to Elisabeth, is also a blueblood of Kalos and, in fact, a reporter aware of her checkered history.

context

Elisabeth is assigned to work with fellow Kalosian 'Bee' in her first true Rocket mission, guarding Slowpoke in the slums of Slateport for a tradeoff point.

theme

This was the first thread I felt I truly wrote Elisabeth the way I had imagined her. The nuances of her personality and history seamlessly wove themselves into the various parts of the thread, especially given the ties secretly provided by 'Bee' as a reporter from the bluebloods of Kalosian society. It became a touchstone for a lot of her future threads for me. I especially love how Bee abandons Elisabeth at the end of the thread -- not out of disrespect, but because he realizes she's far stronger than she allows herself to appear. A year later, I think that truth has proven itself.

rambles

I loved writing this thread so much. It was my first time writing with Dove, who I consider my first Hoenn friend. I had to resist gushing at her the whole time until the thread was finished because I was afraid of looking like a dork and scaring her off (I have since stopped being afraid of that and just gush at her constantly). And a year later, their relationship has been one of the most meaningful Elisabeth has had on site! Despite how dramatically Elisabeth's arc has shifted in her current storyline, the hallmarks of who she is in this thread remain: she's a survivor, tries to leverage her position when she can, is slow to trust, is haunted by her past, and consumed by a cruelty that she doesn't quite understand even as she tries to repress it in herself.

PS: Sorry for the white template, I didn't know better.

CAUSE EVERYONE'S CRAZY 'BOUT A SHARPE DRESSED MAN

introduction

characters

Zev Harcourt:
Zev is an assassin working with Team Rocket to locate his brother, Caleb Harcourt, who fled to Hoenn. However, Zev believes Caleb was kidnapped.

Isaac Merlo:
Isaac is Zev's unintentional protégé in Team Rocket. A grunt full of hope and good intentions, he is trying to understand Zev on a personal level.

context

While on a mission, Isaac unknowingly ran into Zev's brother Caleb, who has defected to the League and works with the Rangers under the name Caleb Sharpe. Isaac also saw Caleb Harcourt's name on a Rocket hit list, prompting him to ask Zev about it.

theme

While this is not, by any means, one of Zev's earliest threads, it is the first thread that I feel touches on his true personality. I find writing Zev challenging (in a fun way) because his nature as a sociopath is to lie and manipulate others. I believe this thread showcases not only those aspects of himself with Isaac (also evidenced in the posts where Isaac misunderstands Zev), but also the sinister, unsettling reality underneath the facade.

rambles

Any time I write a thread with Wanderer, I must first emphasize how much I deeply appreciate the opportunities he gives me to write Zev in this capacity. In our threads, I have been able to write Zev as a gaslighting, manipulating abuser because of Wanderer's trust in me to tell a good story and to treat his character with respect; and I have been able to slowly peel back the layers of Zev's lies to reveal the true monster.

Wanderer is greatly skilled at not only understanding his writing partner's characters, their themes, and their nuances, but also sharing that understanding in his own posts. I feel humbled and honored to have Zev be analyzed so deeply by Wanderer, and to have that reflect in Isaac's musings -- even the ones that are wrong.

Moving on from Wanderer's excellence, my favorite aspect of this thread is the callback I make on the second page to a much earlier thread with a different writing partner, Dreamflower, and her character Aurelie Lefevre. Connecting threads together is my favorite thing, not just as a matter of sequential events, but of foreshadowing, payoff, themes, and characterization. It may be a simple technique, but for me, the sense of cohesion from having solid through-lines is immensely satisfying.

DEEP BLUE

Introductions

characters

Rowan Wrynn:
A transplant from the Galar region, looking to find himself and forge his own path in his new home of Hoenn.

Cillian Quinn:
Rocket Underboss, Avatar of Shadow Lugia and half-brother to Rowan.

context

In an effort to harness strength, Rowan searches the Hoenn region far and wide for mentions or clues into the existence of Shadow Pokémon. His investigation catches the eye of a Rocket Underboss with a particular connection to this phenomenon, looking to find out what he knows.

theme

This isn't Rowan's first thread on site, but it's certainly the first most impactful one in his story. Deep Blue sets the stage for Rowan joining Team Rocket, and establishes his relationship with Gavin, who he'd later discover is his half-brother. It has been the launching point for my entire journey in writing Rowan, and therefore deserves to be shared.

rambles

I just want to use this spot to shout out how amazing of a writer and a person Thorn is. Rowan began as a listless character with thin ties to the region, and thanks to her efforts he is now a mainstay in the story that is Hoenn. Thorn was accommodating from the beginning, always willing to work with my ideas and put her character out there to help further my narrative goals.

While I'm sad Rowan and his brother are no longer on good terms, I'm excited for where their story will develop and to be able to write all the angst, pain and misery with Thorn that we can suffer upon our boys.

RISE

INTRODUCTION

characters

kyle lopez:
a cop on his free time who, under circumstances, meets up with a friend who was searching for him. a prankster that doesn't fit the mold of a peacekeeper befitting his job.

mateo martinez:
an old friend who came to hoenn closely after the rocket invasion looking for kyle. came directly from johto, leaving behind his duties as a gym leader on blackthorn, where kyle used to briefly work for before rocket stormed johto.

context

a continuation of this thread, they decide to have a quick match atop the lilycove mall after kyle has taunted mateo to action while being stuck in an elevator. they eventually demolish the mall, and kyle turns from blackmail to fleeing the scene once he's gotten too involved.

theme

this thread captures the side of kyle that was always there, but seldom present on his current threads. when i say s1!kyle, this is what i mean. with responsibilities and an image to uphold, this is what lies underneath the facade the public knows.

more than that, it showcases other nuances of kyle's character, on how he's dismissive of emotional reunions, the sarcastic humor he has with close friends, his willingness to orchestrate controlled chaos and other things that aren't explicitly written.

rambles

spiral is the reason we have hero complex kyle instead nowadays.

SECOND CYCLE: HEATED

theme of august 2023

the cycle’s theme is HEATED! pick a thread that involves your character being heated.

while i’ll accept any definition, we want to highlight a character actually being angry or upset! show off a moment where your character gave in to their emotions and how that reflected on either other characters, a scenario, or just introspection. sometimes it’s bundled up internally but when the kettle gets too hot, it fumes.

[attr="class","bookymilky"]

TRAITOR

HEATED

characters

[break]
ollie morales: [break]
Eva Morales's brother, evergrande ranger captain (as of this thread), and PENELOPE LIVY's first love. [break][break]

MATIAS SILPH: [break]
Eva Morales's ex-fiancee, elite four MATIAS SILPH, THE VOLATILE. [break][break]

PENELOPE LIVY: [break]
hoenn's #COUNCILWOMAN, ollie morales's first love, and MATIAS SILPH... something new?

context

[break]

PENELOPE LIVY and CIAN MAHER find each other, date, fall in love. [break][break]

in late december, MATIAS SILPH and Eva Morales invite ollie morales, Melody Miro and annalise henderson to their farm for a christmas dinner and a congratulations on their engagement. MATIAS SILPH warns ollie morales in pursuing anything with melody if he's not serious; ollie, being the gentleman that he is, backs off. later, MATIAS SILPH takes ollie morales out for drinks to celebrate the upcoming nuptials and the two get to know each other. MATIAS SILPH takes a peculiar line of questioning regarding PENELOPE LIVY, ollie's ex and matias' co-worker, and while ollie is confused about it, he doesn't think twice about it.

[break][break] weeks later, as many people begin exploring the rifts, MATIAS SILPH and PENELOPE LIVY grow very close together. overcome with emotion on one of the trips, they kiss. immediately, both confess to their partners — which result in a tumultuous break-up on both ends. heartbroken and alone, PENELOPE LIVY backslides into her relationship with ollie morales for one fateful night. shortly thereafter, ollie travels to kanto with his heartbroken sister, Eva Morales.

[break][break] and when he comes back...

[break][break] he finds his world in disaster.

theme

[break]
all characters in this thread are HEATED. ollie, as he experiences heartbreak for the second time, has to grapple with emotions that he's not normally used to — anger, upset, betrayal. jealousy and hatred rise up in MATIAS SILPH when ollie attacks him. and lastly, PENELOPE LIVY has to watch MATIAS SILPH disappoint her for what is - maybe - the final time.

rambles

[break]
this is but a single thread in the arc that is PENIAS. it was - and continues to be - an exciting journey for all involved, and i have to give kudos to all my thread partners for making this arc what it is. there are so many nuanced elements to this plot - the longstanding relationship between pellie, the betrayal of an adultery arc, feelings left unspoken on all sides... i would not be able to do it without noodles and captain's expertise writing!! thank you both!! can't wait to write more with you guys. <3

PETALS ON THE FLOOR

HEATED

characters

Elisabeth Fiorelli:
Rocket's newest admin of intelligence. A black widow from Kalos who suffered an abusive marriage. Deeply distrusting and insecure about men. Runs a flower shop as a front for black market poisons.

BARNABY FINCH:
A Rocket higher up who lives two lives: that of 'Bee' in Rocket, and BARNABY FINCH of HNN: charismatic journalist and TV personality. Elisabeth is friends with the former and enemies with the latter.

context

A newly promoted Elisabeth is coping with the discovery that the first person (FERNANDO SILPH) she's allowed herself to become intimate with after murdering her abusive husband was a dangerous man who used his Avatarship to manipulate and brainwash others. The events of the Darkest Day reveal to her the depth of the animosity her organization has towards him.

Loathing herself for being unable to see liars for what they are, and for always falling into the same patterns of behavior, an unhappy Elisabeth is interrupted by the arrival of 'Bee' -- a Rocket higher up she has attempted to avoid getting too close to, for fear of what feelings might spark there. Elisa remains unaware of the fact that Bee is the very same person as BARNABY FINCH, a reporter she despises due to his Kalosian background and her own bad experiences with the press in her home region.

Like Elisa, BARNABY FINCH has his own demons from the Darkest Day. He is haunted by the fear of losing those close to him, and is uncomfortable with the feelings the event invokes in him. In typical Barnaby fashion, he chooses to find a fitting distraction from these feelings, and decides that Elisa is a perfect vehicle to chase those thoughts away. He pushes her and pushes her until she snaps, and when she does, the unexpected happens.

What ensues is a watershed moment where both characters are pushed to their breaking point, and in the catharsis, emerge closer than either ever expected to become to one another.

theme

Elisabeth is a deeply repressed character at her core. She bottles all her shame and trauma and bitterness, hiding behind a prim and seemingly aloof demeanor in Rocket. Beneath it is a deeply vulnerable person who is desperately afraid of getting hurt, and who sabotages herself over and over out of a misguided attempt to protect herself from pursuing any happiness that might leave her vulnerable.

Barnaby takes multiple opportunities to push her to anger, using things she'd told him in confidence to needle and upset her enough to get her to indulge in the passion of the moment. He wants to manipulate her into succumbing to her worst instincts and to sleep with him. Doing this, however, doesn't have the result he expects -- in either himself or in her.

Both are lying to one another, and this thread exposes how much each of them has been pretending.

Elisa's anger here is pained, raw, and highly reactive to her own trauma. She views Barnaby from the lens that her own past has forced her to see men, and when she finds out the truth of his identity, that anger heightens all the more, resulting in her slapping and screaming at him as she dissolves into self-loathing. She hates herself for always wanting to believe liars, for always wanting to believe that this time she is safe from being hurt.

But anger can bring about honesty. And through their mutual outbursts, they emerge with an understanding neither had of the other before; lies are erased, replaced with secrets they confide in one another.

rambles

I think, while there are many threads I've had showcasing Elisa's anger, this is the one that best encapsulates that her anger is always born from pain -- and therefore always leaves her vulnerable.

In the "Snail Era," you can see these parts of Elisa are still there, just hiding behind an exterior of indignation. She is angry all the time, because she is pained all the time. Her villainy is a direct result of her being unable to process her own trauma, so she takes it out on others, instead.

I adore this thread so much, self-indulgent as it is. It was a wild ride start to finish. Dove did such a wonderful job of pushing Elisa's buttons, and I was honored to get the opportunity to explore Barnaby's own selfishness, hurt, and trauma in the thread.

a race to resolution (raid)

INTRODUCTION

characters

kyle lopez:
elite four member, who, after an exhausting bout of fighting for the region and rescuing the commissioner, finds the world going against him for reasons he cannot logically comprehend.

mateo martinez:
a friend who gets kidnapped by those within the wormhole in the aftermath of the ultra beast attack. subject of kyle's worry and an object of indifference, from kyle's perception, of those around him.

rest of the raid:
bystanders who, by kyle's standards, are either heartless or useless.

context

slateport beach is invaded by ub burst, and the commissioner, infected by nihilego poison, becomes a target of rocket in the middle of the fiasco. the commissioner is eventually rescued by the end, and the wormhole where the ultra beast came from closed. a tentacle from the portal takes mateo at the last second, causing turmoil for kyle.

kyle, weary from the raid, decides that it's imperative to follow, but multiple factors go against him: the solgaleo avatar that won't open the wormhole for him, a kid who took a clue for kyle's pokemon to track mateo once he's in, people who defend said kid's behavior, and basically anyone who cannot see his perspective.

he leaves in frustration, and unbeknown to anyone, attempts to rescue mateo on his own behind the scenes later on. this would soon cause a second expedition to ultra space, since kyle did not tell the second party that the rescue has already been done, which then leads to the three-day war.

theme

this is the most 'heated up' kyle has ever been in the site, which probably would not happen once again since this is the turning point of him condemning the populace of hoenn as nothing but a group of people who don't back their self-righteousness with proper, reasonable actions.

kyle rarely explodes, but he does on rare occasions that he has an option to stop the irreversible, but is seemingly ganged up against it. the defeatist in him is the only thing killing that fire, but grudge lingers like ash in its wake.

pettiness results to kyle letting the second expedition party go on a wild goose chase despite the dangers of ultra space he has seen. not shown in any follow-up threads is kyle's nonchalance to the losses incurred by the party, such as the disappearance of the solgaleo avatar's patron.

rambles

ngl i don't think kyle is going to get another heated up moment besides this. this is even stretching it since this is just part of a raid instead of a separate thread itself, not to mention old as fuck.

also spiral cucked me on my ultra space adventure that followed after this raid smh. it's the reason why he put the disclaimer on shadow manectric's description that i can't complain about anything he gives to me.