AU Story Project

[SeeMeInTheShadows]

So, here at XL, we have tried to do collabs many a time, and I still think we can be successful. But we're not doing a collab today. What I have called you all here today is to tell you that I have another writing idea for us at XL! I know what you're all thinking. Great, another writing idea from Shadows. Bare with me, I think it'll be awesome.

Sometimes, in a fandom, there is a story that inspired people to write fanfiction for the fanfiction, borrowing aspects from the universe the original fanfiction takes place in. (Two examples off the top of my head would be DAYDverse in Harry Potter which isn't as prevelent, and The Gentlemen of a Last Resort in NCIS, which I've seen a few authors write in that AU).

So I figured, what would be awesome, is if XL had our very own 'verse' for us to write in. AKA, we come up with a plot and rules and each author writes their own story that fits into it. It's not a collab in the sense everyone is writing the same story, more as everyone is writing their own story in a group effort. I kind of want it to lead up to one, large story, that will be a collab, more or less.

And there's no time-limit, so you don't have to rush.

You may wonder why I also mentioned artists in the discription. That's because I figured that if we're crossing authors, we might as well cross medias. Pictures can tell a thousand words, so there's no reason they won't be included in our own 'verse'

So here are my ideas:

Title: I don't know. My original idea was Reckoning, but that doesn't really make sense, does it?

Discription: The Lyoko Warriors, with William and Sissi all formed their own Private Detective Agency. No Lyoko AU.

I eventually want it to lead to a large story, where they track down a serial killer/bank robber/(some other type of bad criminal) who leaves them taunting messages, signed only by "XANA"

Pairings: None (this way everyone is happy).



Sooooooooo, what do you think?
If we decide to continue this, we'll form more discription for the universe (characters, events, etc). I'd like to have a ton of people participating, and once we figure out the title, we'll even make a community on ff.net to hold the stories.

[aelitaxwilliam]

Ooh, this sounds really, really, really fun! It'll be cool to see what kind of stories we can all come up with that all fit together. And detectives and private agencies, oh my. I don't think you could've picked a better starting point.

I'm getting the idea that it's a story collection, but you mentioned a collab. In the end, are we going to all pick a part of the story we want to write or something like that? This really sounds like a great idea though. I'm definitely in!

[Kittyclaw]

I really, really like this idea! Although, I wonder if there's not a way to tie the detective idea back to Lyoko? I don't know about anyone else here, but I don't know that much about writing crime stuff from a detective's pov--like, knowing all the rules of being a cop and how they would go about solving crimes and stuff. But maybe we could do something where they're not normal detectives? They do something that's outside the usual judicial stuff we know, so that we XL'ers can create the rules of how they crime solve? Just an idea to save on research, because personally I find that doing too much research to write the story can kill it because it can take so long to do.

[SeeMeInTheShadows]

Well depending how many people we have, once all of hte parts are smashed together, I was thinking we could all write a chapter or so, or at least get really involved inthe creative process! It really depends on the turn out that we have for this. But it really will be super awesome! And even after we post that, people can write sequels and so on!

Also, for those of you who don't think you'll have enough time, remember, no time limit, and it doesn't matter how big it is. If you want to write a drabble, a one-chapter-800-words scene, an epic fifteen chapter fic, it doesn't matter! Just write whatever you want.

And @Kitty, that's probably a good idea. You're right, a little research is always fun, but too much of it can be...meh.

ALSO: the detective idea was just a suggestion, if anyone has any other ideas, that'd be great. I want it to be pretty AU, but, like Kitty said, we can fit Lyoko into it. If you want werewolves, superheroes, just your regular high school, anything else, feel free to post it!

[Snickie]

I'm not particularly interested in this one. Sorry, guys. I'm not big into detective series (except for Scooby Doo, and ohmigawd I just found a plotbunny).

[SeeMeInTheShadows]

Well like I said, it doesn't need to be a detective series. I just threw that idea out there as more of an example if there were no other ideas. I'd love to have some suggestions for stories that everyone would be interested in writing.

(My other theories were serious vampire stories, college, ghost hunters, spies, etc)

So is there any other idea you have?

[Adventurer411]

I don't even know if I'm going to participate, but please no vampires or werewolves. Any other mythical creatures would be fine.

How about FBI agents? The Lyoko warriors, in there respective intelligence/field positions have to band together because they all happened to be out of the office when a captive creature from a secret UFO crash broke loose and ravaged the place. It's going off into the world and affecting people and places in strange ways, also leaving a trail of destruction. Now they have to track it down with only a few vague, burnt/torn files from the office, the clues the creature leaves, and each others' skills. (Did I mention that some of them hate and/or are crushing on each other?)

/ramble

[SeeMeInTheShadows]

Vampire stories get a bad rap, but they can be done well. The only problem I really have on your idea is it would be a bit hard to make a bunch of different stories about, like it seems like it could be hard to expand, which is why I'm thinking total AU but somewhat normal is the way to go.

And I feel that once we get something officially decided, it will be easier to rope people into doing it. And Vena, don't tell me you can't resist writing a challenge like this.

[Adventurer411]

I can't resist it but I don't know if I'll have time for it, especially with school starting and soul and I working on a looong AU collab (with lots of Jerlita!).

I don't know, maybe I might still be able to sneak some in there

[PeaceKeeper2014]

Does it have to require ALL warriors?

[Kittyclaw]

Although I like Vena's idea, it looks...long >.> and kind of like it would want to have episodic formatting. I'm thinking this project should stick to just a single main plot arc that people can add side bits to (kind of like me and Shadows drabbling for my Xanadu fic, or how that fic is really like a prequel to what could eventually be a heist story). Then it's fleshing out an idea rather than trying to chunk peices together (...if that makes sense?)

[Soul Jelly]

I've held off posting here because I don't think I'll be able to contribute massively to this project, but it does look super interesting. Like Vena mentioned, we have a collab in the works which will probably take some time, plus all of my other projects. (This place has basically ruined my life. I'll never be productive again. XD)

I'm liking the idea of some kind of spy/criminal AU though. I'd also like to suggest:
The cliché yet perpetually brilliant zombie apocalypse.
An oldy-timey fantasy AU, with dragons and magical creatures and such?
Prison break AU
Asylum AU
An "everyone is homeless yet loveable street urchins" AU
A kindergarten/pre-school AU


Yeah, I don't know either.

I agree with Kitty that I'd prefer it be something that didn't require too much research though. Research is fun, but it's also a lonely task and too much of it gets dull, especially on a collab.

I'm getting sucked in and wanting to write yet more fics, noooo D:

[SeeMeInTheShadows]

I'm thinking this project should stick to just a single main plot arc that people can add side bits to (kind of like me and Shadows drabbling for my Xanadu fic, or how that fic is really like a prequel to what could eventually be a heist story). Then it's fleshing out an idea rather than trying to chunk peices together (...if that makes sense?)

That's exactly what I wanted to get across, I think. For an author, sometimes my wording leaves something to be desired. (The Xanadu thing is what really inspired me because it was just so much fun).

Can we please do the Prison Break?! (For the research savvy, it gets you life in prison. For the non research savvy, it gets you reasons they got arrested/ past things they did.. The main fic would be them escaping- I want one kind of main fic. Life on the run, friendships, almost getting arrested again as sequels, anything really. Some of the details would have to be worked out, but that gets my vote.)

And like I said: no time limit at all. I don't want this to be rushed, and something as little as a 100 word drabble, a 2,000 word oneshot. Little bitty bits.

[Soul Jelly]

Sure, let's go with this.

I really want to do a pirate AU now though. Someone should do that.

Back to prison break. Would you mean something like this?

"Della Robbia, Odd! Cell number forty nine!"

The shout, close enough to Odd's ear to make him jump was, for all its harshness, not jarring in the slightest. He'd already heard the worst sentence of his life and it had been accompanied by the unforgiving slam of a judge's gavel.

At the warden's call, he followed the heavy footsteps of the cell guard, a well-fed looking man whose muscles had begun the pitiful degradation into flab. The harsh yellow lighting of the cell block illuminated the slight sheen of sweat on the guard's forehead and the letters of the name badge on his chest: Moralés.

Odd turned from this, studying the wide-open space critically. Already he was assessing the place for weaknesses. He had an eye for detail; though clearly not eye enough, Odd thought with a rueful smirk, or he wouldn't be in here in the first place. Still, he had to slip up on one of the minor details at some point. Happens to the best of 'em. Except maybe not on the biggest heist of his thieving career.

The stench of stale sweat - all the stronger for his close proximity to Officer Moralés - and the smoke of a thousand contraband cigarettes assaulted his nostrils. Not for the first time that day, he fought back a grimace of distaste. This set-up was so far below his usual standards of living as to be embarrassing. He wouldn't even assign Kiwi to such mediocre dwellings.

His thoughts carried him through the long walk along the cell block, blocking out most of the rattling cages and the yells and jeers of the crowd of inmates, gleefully delighting in the slew of fresh meat. Odd had heard it all before; the insults in here were only the same ones that had followed him most of his life. ("Hey Shorty!" "What's freaking with this guy's hair?" "I didn't know we were letting chicks in here now! Ha!")

Well, the consistency was something, at least.

Odd retreated from his thoughts just in time to come to the abrupt halt signalled by the prison guard. He was facing cell doors that were drawn back with an ominous clang, and a hand on his back pushed him roughly inside.

"Stern!" Officer Moralés bellowed. "Get out here and greet your new cellmate!"

Of the twin spotlights on the ceiling, one of them was broken, casting half of the room in shadow. Odd stood in the space where weak light filtered from the main corridor and the small barred window, arms crossed, waiting. It was important to give the right impression, not to appear the slightest bit vulnerable. He knew how it was. He was scrawny and a little on the short side, sure, but he could hold his own in a fight; he just didn't want to have to prove that to the idiots who thought he'd be easy pickings.

"Stern!" Moralés yelled again, slapping his truncheon against his open palm for emphasis. It wasn't so much courtesy - who cares if this Stern fellow didn't make himself known straight away? They'd meet eventually - as it was Jim issuing an order and expecting it obeyed. The unresponsive silence dragged on for another second, and two, and three, until there was the slight clang of metal on stone, heralding the appearance of a dumbbell rolling into the light.

Odd swallowed the lump in his throat. Whoever this Stern guy was, with weights that heavy he could probably bludgeon Odd with minimal effort. Heck, he probably wouldn't even need the weights to do it with.

"Hn," came a grunt from the darkness. Odd decided right then that that was probably all the acknowledgement he was going to get. He was pretty okay with that, actually. Better to be left alone than to be his cellmate's punching bag. Definitely the stoic, silent type, Odd figured. As for the rest, only time would tell.

"If that's how you want to do play it, Stern," Moralés replied, the sneer in his voice promising retribution further down the line. Without another word, he spun on his heel and pulled the bars to.

They clanged shut with a deafening, sobering finality.

It was going to be a long night.

[Stella Luce 333]

Not sure how I missed seeing this thread before, but I’d love to be part of this!

[Hika-chan]

how about ... dystopian AU? i mean, something including modern dictator like hunger games. XANA is the cruel evil, and the lyoko warrior becoming the one who tried to break the way it was be. hahaha

Dream out Loud! =)

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