#rough outline

[shadownillyoffical]

Poor Sapphire experiencing first bday with his boyfriend jitters

[author-a-holmes]

Reverse Outline

aka Trainstop Outlining.

Okay, look. I don't know if this is an actual method, with an actual name. But I was just explaining to someone how I outline by working backwards from the end of the book, and I figured it might help someone else too.

So this is what I call my personal outlining method. Reverse Outlining, or Trainstop Outlining.

Now, for context, I used to think I couldn't outline. It didn't work for me at all. It'd either get all confused, and tangled up, or I'd build such a comprehensive outline that by the time I got to the writing part, I was bored of the book.

Then I saw Abbie Emmon's video about "Why does it matter?" It was about why you were worldbuilding things that didn't actually matter to the character, and somehow my brain clicked with that and applied it to outlining.

So, here it is. How I begin to outline a completely new project.

Step One

- Figure out the ending.

This is why I call it Reverse Outlining. The first thing I do, is figure out how I want it all to end.

So, let's use my Robin Hood Retelling (But with Magic!) as an example for this process.

Robin Hood and Maid Marian can't be anything (imo) but a romance novel. As such, it needs to have a HEA. I'm rather partial to the Disney's ending, where we end with a wedding. So that's where I want the story to go.

Step Two

- What do I need to do to get to that ending?

Or, more specifically, what are the stops along the way that will help me get to that ending?

This is where the Trainstop Elements come into play.

We know that Robin Hood is an outlaw, so we'll have to solve that problem. In most of the stories where Maid Marian exist, she is a noblemans daughter, sometimes the cousin to the king, so the difference in status could be something that needs addressing. The antagonists will get in the way of course, The Sherriff of Nottingham, and Prince John speciifically, so there's at least two sub-plots where Robin will have to thwart them, which brings to mind his "Merry Men", and suddenly I have an idea where Robin is forced to choose between saving one of his men, or rescuing Marian, and now we have stakes.

Step Three

- Figure out where to start!

So, we have the ending. We have a handful of trainstops (aka plot points) for the middle of the book, now you have to make sure you give the characters enough TIME to go from where they start, to the end of the book.

It's no good starting the story a week before the end, when you have to fit in two plots, a death sentence, and a wedding.

So it's during step three that I start looking at characters, and more importantly, their backstories to figure out where I want the book to begin.

Now, I've already outlined my Robin Hood Retelling, so I know the character's backstories, and I know some of how I want to include magic into this setting.

Robin was raised by the elves after his parents die, but the omens and portents from the druid clans have him return from the forest, only to find the land beseiged by taxes and a cruel prince.

He challenges them to relieve the pressure on Marian's lands, whom he remebers playing with as a child, and throughout this they fall in love again.

There's more to this in my full outline, but that's enough for the initial outlining process.

They knew each other as children

Robin has returned as a young man (Mid-20's)

He puts his life on his line for her

Draws his men to him by chance. He didn't intend to form a crew, but now he's responsible for them.

So we need enough time for this crew to bond, so that when the choice between Marian, and the Merry Men happens, it's gut wrenching for Robin.

That means, realistically, we're looking at a minimum 6 months time span between the start and end of the book, and I'd feel happier were it closer to 8 months.

Step Four

- Laying It All Out

Now you've got the pieces, you need a birds eye view. How you do this is entirely up to you. I like using a sheet of poster paper taped to the back of my living room door, and then post-it notes. I've also done it using a more classic "3-act-story-structure" in a word document. So really, whatever works for you.

But take your beginning (In this instance, the moment Robin finds out he has to leave the elves), your middle bits (all those plot points we brainstormed in Step Two that have to happen to move the story along to...) and the ending (The Wedding!)

And now you're going to shuffle them around until, somehow, these individual train stops, make some sort of sense.

For example;

Disclaimer; This part I haven't done for my Robin Hood Retelling before, so I'm making this bit up on the fly. And anyone following that project, this is subject to change.

Robin hears from the Druids about signs of strife in the land, and they give a prophecy that he must leave the forest or all will fall to ruin.

Robin leaves the forest, only to find the human ruled lands under huge strain due to the taxation of the Sheriff of Nottingham

He travels to Marian's fathers lands, only to find the old knight sick, and Marian struggling to keep her people safe and fed.

Robin intervenes with a tax collector, and gets himself branded an outlaw.

One of the people Robin helped flee's with him, and Robin teaches him how to use the forest to mask their tracks. This is the first of his 'merry men'

Robin and Marian meet when she brings him supplies in the forest. She tells him to leave, go back to the elves, but he finds out that Prince John is seeking her hand and is determined to save her from that fate.

As he begins making a name for himself as an outlaw, the Sherrif of Nottingham becomes more determined to stop him and puts traps in his way.

As Robin evades or defeats said traps, he starts to get cocky and begins being brave enough to meet with Marian. She, however, is worried.

Word gets back to the Sherrif about Robin and Marian's meetings, and he passes the information along to Prince John, who arrives in Nottingham.

Prince John blackmails Marian, or threatens her people, to expedite the wedding/get her to agree. Meanwhile, the Sherrif lays a trap for Robin's men, and finally captures one of them.

Robin now has to choose between stopping the wedding, or saving his man from execution.

Something happens that allows him to save the day; Robin rescue his man while defeating the Sheriff, and interrupts Marian's wedding.

Robin offers to turn himself into Prince John, if he agree's to allow Marian to choose who she should marry, without coercian. Prince John accepts, and summarily orders Robin executed.

Kind Richard returns, and ousts Prince John from power before Robin can be killed. Marian chooses Robin to marry.

Epilogue is the wedding and the HEA

Again, I digress, this is SUPER rough and I'm using it for example purposes only. I'd probably put each scene/plot point I wanted to cover on a post it note, and move them around for a while, adding in any additional plot points I thought of while doing it, and end up with something like a 30-odd chapter "bullet point" style outline.

Step Five

- The Train Stop Outline

Now comes the fun bit, if you're PREDOMINENTLY a pantser, like me.

I consider each of these bullet points a train station. But I still have to get from one station to the other, and that's the story telling.

I use these points as nothing more than a guide, to let me know I'm heading in the right direction.

If I see the train tracks divert off to the left, I'll follow that rabbit hole. See where it takes me. But I'll always know I need to get back on a track that will take me towards that next station. I mean bullet point.

This helps fuel the discovery writer in me. I never quite know what I'll find along the way, or HOW I'll get from one point to the next, but what I do know is those points I outlined, as long as I hit them in SOME way, from SOME angle, WILL get me to the ending I wanted.

The ending I started with.

And there you go. That's how I reverse outline a novel, and how I use a Train-stop outline to get from point A to the Ending, without my discovery writing brain having a complete freak out about it.

Hope it helps someone! <3

[gale-dragon-writer]

Guardian Zestial Pt 1

Something that has somewhat been living rent-free in my brain for a while.

}I{

When Charlie was an itty-bitty little babe, Lucifer started worrying about his precious little girl getting in trouble. Since Razzle and Dazzle aren't in existence yet (idk how old these two are or when Charlie got them as her servants/bodyguards), the King of Hell started looking for a suitable bodyguard that could double as a caretaker. The tricky bit was looking for someone who wouldn't try to use Charlie as leverage because this was Hell.

Therefore, Lucifer made a very detailed list of criteria that he wanted for this Protector for his precious little girl. Someone strong enough to protect Charlie from any type of threat within Hell, wouldn't use Charlie as leverage to get to Lucifer, wouldn't harm Charlie in "Any" way, could care for a child, smart enough to be a tutor if needed, and most importantly, someone Lucifer could genuinely trust.

Simple list, but given that this was Hell, that was a tall order. So Lucifer created little "Speye Ducks" to search the entire Pride Ring for his precious daughter's perfect protector.

Thankfully, none of the denizens of the Pride Ring noticed the Speye Ducks; if they did, they either didn't care about them or thought they weren't worth their time.

It takes a year or two for Lucifer to find some potential guardians for his precious little daughter. A handful of Sinners and a few members of the Goieta. The biggest issue was whether or not he could trust any of these potential guardians. Therefore, Lucifer created a plan to test these potential guardians. An easy test of trust on paper, but easy to fail.

Lucifer summons these people (separately) and gives them a sealed envelope, telling them that he needs them to deliver this secret letter to a potential grand commander for the army he's planning on making. Lucifer makes it a point to tell them he trusts them with this valuable information and not look at it. He sends them off after he tells them where this "commander" is. Once he gives all the potential Guardians the test, he teleports himself to said location and waits.

All but one failed the test. Zestial.

He is the only one to take a moment to weigh his options regarding this 'information', considering the pros and cons of looking at the 'information' and following Lucifer's orders. Seeing that it would be more beneficial to have the Ruler of Hell's trust in his corner over a glimpse at something that would possibly become public once the 'army' was established, Zestial proceeded to deliver the envelope to its destination without opening it.

Zestial is understandably surprised and confused when he arrives at the location and finds Lucifer there.

Lucifer congratulates the Overlord on passing his little trust test and then proceeds to tell Zesital why he did this and why. Ofc, Zesital is confused by all this.

Lucifer goes into more detail on his desire to have a perfect guardian for his precious daughter and why. He explains how Zestial fits the criteria he's looking for and wants him to be that guardian, and ofc Lucifer isn't asking Zestial to do this for free.

So they talk for a while to iron out this little Deal. For the care and protection of Charlette "Charlie" Morningstar (plus the possibility of being a teacher to her), Zestial will earn Lucifer's backing as an Overlord, given protected areas during the Extermination in his territories for the souls that he owns (not the entire territory because that will be too obvious to others in Hell and the Exorcists, but scattered across it in easy to access areas), and the access to the Morningstar Mansion to him and anyone he holds close to his heart. Ofc, Lusicer makes sure to put in the contract that Zestial couldn't use any personal information he gains while at the Morningstar Mansion or while caring for Charlie. Both beings keep their souls.

After solidifying the contract for the Deal, both Lucifer and Zestial agree to it and seal it.

It doesn't take too long before Zestial becomes attached to the cheery little toddler while in his care. While bitty Charlie didn't enjoy the screams of the denizens of Hell, she seemed to enjoy the teas that Zestial brought. The little tot was more interested in the sweeter teas than the bitter ones.

It doesn't take long before Zestial brings little Charlie (maybe when she's 6-7ish) over to the Carmine Family for a get-together. Odette and Clara were overjoyed by the fact that they could be big sister figures to Little Charlie. Carmilla is understandably confused by this, at least until Zestial confides to her about his little charge while the children are playing. Ofc, Carmilla gives him a 'what are you thinking?' talk. Zestial understands his friend's concerns and explains why he accepted the Deal, adding that he asked for Lucifer to also place a Safe Zone in the Carmine Residence and that little Charlie might as well be his little goddaughter. Carmilla couldn't help but agree that the youngest of the Morningstars was easy to love and was willing to look after the youngling in case Zestial was busy, somewhat adding that her daughters would be willing to look after her too. (Family Bonding!!)

Over the years, Zestial learned more about the Morningstars as well as somewhat became part of the family.

But the more subtle yet information Zestial gained came specifically during and after the Extermination. He saw how much the Morningstars loathed that day. Charlie was more obvious about that since she was still pretty young and didn't understand what was going on. Lilith seemed to get irritable. And Lucifer was... Complicated... He seemed to have this strange combination of anger and sadness when this day came around... Zestial watched these moments from the shadows for years, unsure how to broach the subject.

Until one year when the Exorcist decided to have the Extermination a week early when Zestial was out and about with the Carmine Family and little Charlie for an afternoon stroll in a bizarre to get some supplies for said event. The attack was sudden and there was no real time to take cover for anyone. However, Zestial was quick to act and used his powers to grab the Carmines and little Charlie and then teleport them all into the Morningstar Mansion with only seconds to spar.

Ofc, Lucifer is confused by their sudden presence and asks what was going on. When he's told about the early Extermination, Lucifer goes through several different emotions in a matter of seconds. Sock, disbelief, worry, relief, anger, and resentment in that order. Little Charlie rushed into her father's arms in tears, still terrified over the whole ordeal.

That was when Odette and Clara shouted at Lucifer, asking him why the hell he allowed the Exorcist to do the Extermination every year before Zestial and Carmilla could stop them.

Lucifer quickly snaps back in anger, "You really think I want this shit to happen!?" The ruler of hell then says in anger, "But does Heaven listen when I suggest any alternative solutions?! NO!! They don't give a crap!!" Lucifer hugs his confused daughter closer when he says softly, "All I was able to do was make sure they leave the Hellborns alone..."

The Carmine Family and Zestial... Did not know how to respond to this... Reveal... But due to Lucifer and Zestial's deal, this information stays between them. Never to be told to anyone outside the Morningstar home...

A few years go by, little Charlie starts spending a little more time outside the Morningstar mansion. But most of that time was either with Zestial or the Carmine Family, learning a lot of useful skills. Charlie learned about conjuring magic from Zesital while she learned combat and weaponry from the Carmines. It didn't take too long before she could handle any type of threat on her own, mostly. Charlie was still an oddly kind-hearted soul for a hellborn and princess of hell. Zestial usually takes care of the would-be assassins behind Charlie's back by using fear tactics.

To be continued in pt 2.

[ponds-of-ink]

Okay, but what if Fazbear’s Fright opened? (And other concepts)

This version of the (in?)famous FNAF 3 attraction did float in my head sometime ago, but looking at spooky attractions on my off-time has made me want to revisit and expand it. This’ll essentially be a concept (maybe for a fan game or fan model? idk), so don’t think I’m working on anything straight away.

With all that preface, let’s kick off Spooky Season properly, shall we? Details will be below the cut, since it’s somewhat lengthy.

*It’s a couple of years after 2023. By some miracle, the attraction known as Fazbear’s Frights has successfully opened to the public and is still going. Yes, even with Springtrap as one of the leading “stars”.

*In fact, it’s been so successful that the company’s wanting to expand the building and work with newly uncovered legends. Tales of circus-themed animatronics escaping some bunker, a pigtailed ringmaster haunted by her maker’s daughter, and even things that could only be found by those looking into newspapers further back from the 80s.

*The remodel is almost complete, save for some animatronic “training” that has to be done for the newcomers. At least they’ve found an unused Baby animatronic that seems to be cooperating with the staff.

*...But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m supposed to be giving a tour of the building, not a tour of the “lore”.

*So, let’s go back to the beginning. Or, more accurately, the hallway that greets you as you walk in. Here you will see various items hanging up on “brick” walls. Old posters, newspaper clippings, and even a few drawings left over from actual Freddy locations. A person dressed in tattered Fazbear employee attire will be in the sales booth, acting as if you were returning to the remains of the restaurant itself. You even get a few souvenir Faz-Tokens, if you want to try the arcade machines.

*After you get your safety warning spiel from a more urban-looking employee, you step inside an updated version of the original FNAF 3 office/hallway combo. The lighting is more bluish-gray than musky-green, the night guard should be looking more bored than stressed, and your nerves are to be more relaxed... Until you realize that Springtrap is nowhere to be found.

*(Side note: The reason for this is to prepare the guests for a different type of horror on top of all the jump-scares. Something a bit more.. concerning without crossing the line. Besides, Springtrap’s been weirdly antsy about one of the new finds and nobody’s been able to convince him that it’s just another rabbit robo-skeleton. So the jumps are more environmental-based than monster-based.)

*Everything else looks “normal” up until you reach the hallway in CAM 5. For whatever reason, it’s been transformed into a spinning tunnel that threatens to tear the establishment apart. Bricks whiz past, colored streaks of light swirl around, and whispers of unfamiliar voices echo as you draw nearer to the tunnel’s exit.

*But, once you’re past that tunnel, everything is different. The rooms are still dilapidated, but it’s clear you’re not in the remains of a pizzeria anymore. In fact, things are now seem a bit more disjointed. At least there are unseen voices of the past (provided by cleaned-up video recordings) giving you some context.

*One of these areas is where the newfound Baby animatronic resides. You suddenly take on the role of an technician on your first day, ready to repair the robot. However, there is a chance that your operation will “wake” her up— Especially if you give her one too many controlled shocks.

*Another is a smaller replica of Fredbear’s in its glory days... But the animatronics are nowhere to be found, along with the chattering guests you hear all around you. It should be a happy place to rest your befuddled minds, but it’s not— Especially with the ancient newspapers lining the stage floor as you are forced to climb up there. If you look closely at these papers, however, you’ll at least have a decent frame of reference for what could have made this place so empty.

*The last place I’ll mention is both the most normal and the most bizarre: A living room pulled straight from the mid-1950s. Why is this here? Well, the company’s found a unique type of horror story to tie all the other ones together: The apparent childhood of one of the Fazbear founders.

*So, in this place, there is a chance that you’ll catch something alarming: A sudden change to a (recreated) local news report on the analog TV, projected shadows on the wall showcasing a typical afternoon in this tense household, or even the cries of a small British boy as thumping comes from underneath the floorboards..

*If you happen to flee the scene during that last part, you’ll have a near-seamless transition to the last section. By this point, you’ll have returned from the “Land of Memories” to Fazbear’s Fright.. All while an equally frightened and pleading Springtrap is waiting for you behind a locked door.

*You see, the company’s decided to offer a workaround for the rabbit’s sudden skittishness. If he’s so determined to hide out of sight instead of jump-scare out in the open, then why not “lock” him back up in the ‘Safe’ Room and let him scare guests indirectly? It’s not like putting him right next to the ‘50s Afton household is going to drive him even more hysterical..

*Anyway, the tour wraps up with a robotic skeleton of a rabbit bidding guests farewell. This guy was supposed to just be Springtrap’s replacement for the first half, but it appears that his AI’s made him too smart for his own good. Not in a “oh he mimics everyone too well” sort of way, but in this... uncanny, manipulative sense. Like he’s done this before when he wasn’t a bare-bones pile of metal. The fact that he can tie a tie like a normal human does not help shake off that ‘haunted’ sentiment.

*There is a gift shop after you exit, but nothing’s been really stocked yet. Plans are to include new plushies of Springtrap, “Circuit-Baby”, and most likely some Freddy Fazbear restocks. T-shirts and other merchandise should line the walls, but that layout’s not set in stone yet.

*Of course, there’s always the chance of a last minute change. Props could be moved, not-recorded story beats could be altered, and last-minute animatronic malfunctions are possible. This is just a rough outline of what the company is planning on a “perfect” walkthrough could look like... Jumpscares aside, because where’s the fun in detailing where those could be?

*I guess if you want a synopsis of Fazbear’s Fright 2.0, it’s this: You return to the place where fun and fantasy have fled, go down a “supernatural” rabbit hole, and you somehow wander through the haunted mind of a once-arrogant Springtrap. Will you make it back without being consumed by the past of someone– or something– else?

[ryukang1995]

Mortal Kombat: The Series - a rough outline

Since recent Mortal Kombat stories (both the adaptations and the actual story modes within the games themselves) have been mixed at best, I figure why not detail how I would do a more modern adaptation of the franchise.

I practically have been adapting the franchise for my AU, but this post will be for a more faithful adaptation that adapts the original canon as best as it can.

First and foremost, I would indeed make this a series. MK can still work as a film franchise, but I do feel a series, whether animated or live-action, can explore the world-building and character development far better than a movie could.

The series would run for at least 6-7 seasons with the major games being adapted in some kind of capacity.

Without further ado, here's a rough outline of each season...

Season 1 - The tournament (Old MK1)

The series begins with five episodes detailing the origins of certain groups of characters leading up to the tournament, similar to MK Legacy.

These groups of characters are...

- Liu Kang and Kung Lao

- Johnny Cage

- Sonya Blade, Jax and Kano

- Kitana and Mileena

- Scorpion and Sub-Zero

Episode 6 is the arrival on the island, the proper introduction of Shang Tsung, hints of Goro and Reptile, a showcase of what the characters can do before the big tournament, and the seeds of certain relationships being planted, like Liu Kang x Kitana and Johnny x Sonya.

The tournament begins in episode 7 and takes up about half of the season (6 episodes). It culminates with Liu Kang killing Goro and besting Shang Tsung. The season ends on a cliffhanger with a tease of Shao Kahn.

I honestly feel that 12 episodes is the right amount to establish the main characters without things dragging on too much. With that being said, each of the following seasons are longer due to the constantly growing number of characters.

Season 2 - Into Outworld (MK2)

After Liu Kang's victory in the first tournament, the forces of Outworld, led by Baraka, massacre the Temple of Light, which motivates Liu Kang and his allies into agreeing to fight in another tournament. This time, in Outworld.

This is where we start to see the previously established relationships grow with Johnny and Sonya starting to have feelings for each other, and Liu Kang learning about why Kitana has such an interest in him.

We don't do dedicated episodes for certain characters anymore. They still get told, but in flashbacks. Why? Because much like what The4thSnake said when approaching how he would adapt MK, setting up your main cast is integral enough for the first season that it can work that way, but further characters and follow-ups can't hold the plot advancement back too much once the series has already gotten going.

Kitana ends up killing Mileena, finally allowing herself to align with the Earthrealm heroes. The climax is Liu Kang and Kung Lao vs. Shao Kahn. Why both Liu Kang and Kung Lao? As a way to show just how strong Shao is to the point where the two monks have to combine their strength to take him down.

Shao is left wounded, and the heroes return to Earthrealm with Kitana joining their side. Again, the season ends on a cliffhanger with Shang Tsung and Quan Chi healing Shao as they begin to enact their plan to resurrect Sindel on Earthrealm.

Season 3 - The invasion (MK3)

Shao Kahn resurrects Sindel on Earthrealm, which allows it to merge with Outworld. With Raiden losing his powers as a result of the merger, it's up to Liu Kang to lead the rebellion against Shao and his forces to save Earthrealm one more time.

While all of this is going on, we also have Sub-Zero rebelling against the Cyber Lin Kuei, who set out to capture him alive.

Eventually, the season culminates with Liu Kang facing Shao Kahn on his own after Kung Lao gets injured by the emperor. Liu Kang defeats Shao, who is then killed by the Elder Gods when they arrive shortly after. Sindel is restored to good, and Kitana says goodbye to Liu Kang as she wishes to get back what she lost all of those years.

The season also ends with Johnny and Sonya getting engaged.

Season 4 - Netherrealm war (MK4)

This season potentially opens with a multi-parter based on Mythologies: Sub-Zero where we see the history that Scorpion and Sub-Zero have with Quan Chi and Shinnok. In fact, this season is likely going to be mostly centered around them.

Liu Kang kinda steps down from the focus, but he still gets a huge role in the season with him trying to save Kitana and Edenia. Johnny and Sonya tie the knot sometime between seasons, and Cassie is born by then. The three main heroes lead the forces of Earthrealm against Shinnok during the Netherrealm war.

Eventually, Shinnok is defeated and Quan Chi escapes into a lost tomb where he discovers the ancient undead army of the Dragon King, which no doubt leads to the next season.

Season 5 - Next generation (MKX + Deadly Alliance)

The season takes place about 20 years after the previous one. Raiden has become an Elder God with Fujin replacing him as Earthrealm's protector. Johnny and Sonya as well as other characters like Jax, Kung Lao and Kenshi are much older. However, Liu Kang is still youthful due to his role as champion of Mortal Kombat. He still longs for the day he can get with Kitana, which no doubt will have a great payoff.

The heroes have been training the new generation of fighters like Cassie, Takeda and Kung Jin so that they can defend Earthrealm through Mortal Kombat sometime in the future. While all of this is going on, Quan Chi forms an alliance with Shang Tsung as they plan on resurrecting the Dragon King's army so that they can conquer the realms.

Throughout the season, we also follow side plots with Nitara, Kotal Kahn and his rise to power, Orderrealm vs. Chaosrealm, etc.

The season ends with the Kombat Kids losing to both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and being taken prisoners as Onaga makes his return to reclaim his army.

Season 6 - The Dragon King (Deception)

Liu Kang, Sonya and Johnny learn of the Kombat Kids being captured, so they decide to come out of retirement to save them. Liu Kang also reunites with Kitana, who agrees to help the Earthrealm heroes face Onaga and the Deadly Alliance, who are hellbent on reviving The One Being.

At some point, the old heroes face the Kombat Kids, who are being controlled by Onaga. Eventually, they are restored. We also wrap up the rivalry that Liu Kang has with Shang Tsung as well as the one that Scorpion and Sub-Zero have with Quan Chi, which result in the sorcerers getting killed.

The climax is Liu Kang vs. Onaga. Liu Kang finally becomes the Fire God after he and Kitana are mortally wounded, and manages to destroy The Dragon King. Kitana becomes a goddess and finally gets to be with Liu Kang as they become the protectors of the realms (not just Earthrealm, but also Outworld and Edenia).

Bonus season - Timelines kollide (MK11 + Armageddon)

The series officially wraps in Season 6, but there can indeed be a bonus season.

Instead of time travel, it's a multiverse season that brings in different versions of the characters from prior incarnations of the franchise (such as the films) and even the AU I was working on as they team up to thwart a new threat. I thought of having said threat be Titan Shang Tsung, or at least a version of Shang Tsung that is all-powerful (especially since I'm not a fan of Titans in MK).

And...that's very much it. We'd get as faithful of an adaptation as it's possible while still improving on certain shortcomings from the source material. MK gets to be told properly, for once. Plus, we'd get a genuinely good Martial Arts show that delivers on what makes MK so great and iconic.

That's all for now.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Horse Girl AU

Young adult AU where Kara is a young delinquent who causes property damage at a local stable/riding school and once caught, is sentenced to serve her community service hours mucking out stalls and doing general handyman work around the grounds. In the process, she witnesses a riding instructor, Lena, teaching groups of young'uns how to ride and care for horses.

She's beautiful, that's what Kara notices first. But then she sees how good she is with the kids, even the rowdy ones who remind Kara of herself. Kara notices that all of the employees ride in their off hours, prepping for competitions or just to pass the time. All but Lena.

One day, the proprietor-- who Kara is friendly with despite the reason for Kara's presence-- notices Kara watching Lena. And when Kara asks for Lena's story, the stable owner gives it. Lena was once a champion rider, until a bad fall nearly left her paralyzed. Kara learns that Lena's beloved horse had also been injured, and couldn't be saved. Lena's been afraid to ride ever since.

Lena has met Kara at this point, and hasn't been rude, but they haven't gotten buddy buddy yet. Not until the stable owner suggests that Kara reach out to Lena for some one on one lessons, if Kara's interested. And despite being wary of horses in general (they're big, okay??), Kara is def interested in getting to know Lena better. Lena agrees to teach Kara, and in the process Kara convinces Lena to ride again, and then to compete with a new horse.

Along the way there's some forbidden romance (a Luthor cavorting with a delinquent?!), a close call with a tall jump and a jittery horse, and a well deserved blue ribbon. Maybe a kiss or two.

[potatodotpng]

|Kofi|

[jme-drawing]

I refuse to believe he didn’t have huge wings