bakerstreet | the au meme.

the au meme.

the alternate universe meme

how to play
1. post with your character, name and canon in the subject line.
2. feel free to mention which aus you’re willing or not willing to play in the body of the comment.
3. tag by rolling for an alternate universe setting using rng.
4. or tag by picking whatever au you’d like to play in most.
5. have fun!

alternate universes
i - all human: in an all human au, characters who are canonically vampires, werewolves or superheroes, are now humans, with corresponding changes to their backstories.

ii - apocalypse: a portmanteau of "apocalypse fic", apocafic is fiction set during or after some sort of apocalypse, or end of the world. some canons carry a built-in apocalypse against which the protagonists are fighting: in apocafic, they lose. for example, apocafic in stargate and x-files is usually set after the alien occupation; supernatural apocafic is set on a demon-controlled earth.

iii - band: an alternate universe in which the characters are members in, or form a band. often, the instruments they plan and their roles in the band are analogous to their canon identities. for example, tony stark might be cast as the fame-hungry lead singer who is also a musical genius, or river tam might be a classically trained pianist who, after a terrible experience at julliard, writes songs for mal reynold's grunge rock band, serenity.

iv - circus: circus aus are a popular trope in fanfic and sometimes fanart. using a circus as a setting means introducing the characters to each other in a close-knit community. that can help break down barriers between them and make them bond together against the outside world which may not understand them as well as the other characters do. it also brings a sense of adventure and the idea that this world may have different rules and everything is possible. a circus can also be a good place for characters to go undercover and meet the love of their lives.

v - coffee shop: the barista au (or coffeeshop au, or the closely related bakery au) is a popular fanfiction trope in livejournal fandoms. in most cases, one half of the main pairing is the barista and the other is or becomes their favorite customer; in some stories the whole cast works at a coffee shop. this trope is especially popular in fandoms where one character is very attached to coffee, either in canon or in fanon, or is frequently stressed.

vi - college/high school: college fic is a popular genre of fanfic (less often a genre of fanart) that places characters together in college or another secondary institution such as the starfleet academy in star trek fic (then called "academy fic"). this can be canon stories, for example backstory if characters have or could have met during college, or college aus, similar to high school aus. in science fiction, historical or fantasy fandoms the present day college au is a popular subgenre of the modern au that puts fantastic or historical characters in more mundane everyday settings.

vii - cop/detective: an alternate universe in which the characters are cast as cops or investigators of some kind. often, the canon villain is also cast as the villain in the story. this might be set in modern times, or in a noir-like environment, complete with gangsters and femme fatales.

viii - daemons: his dark materials is a fantasy trilogy by philip pullman. the trilogy consists of the golden compass (1995; published in the uk as northern lights), the subtle knife (1997), and the amber spyglass (2000). there are currently two companion novellas: lyra's oxford (2003) and once upon a time in the north (2008). a movie adaptation of the first book was released in theatres in late 2007. humans have their souls living outside their body in the form of an animal companion. males have female souls and females have male souls. the animals often correspond to the character’s personality.

ix - fantasy: an alternate universe populated with fantastical characters like elves, dwarves, unicorns, sorcerers, and dragons. canon characters might be cast as analogous races (e.g. clint barton or katniss everdeen as elf archers) or they might be humans in a fantastical setting. characters also might be able to secretly shape-shift into another form, like a dragon, and therefore is related closely to were/vampire/supernatural aus.

x - historical: a historical au is a fanwork which moves characters into a different historical period than their canon setting. typically this involves taking "contemporary" characters (from the late 20th century or 21st century) and putting them in an earlier historical period (such as the 19th century or before). popular settings for historical aus include: pirates, america's old west, britain's regency period, ancient rome, a vague facsimile of medieval england such as robin hood, and many others.

xi - hooker/porn/stripper: hookerfic is a type of fanfic where one or more of the characters is a sex worker. there are many different types of hookerfic, ranging from more realistic depictions to the more common pretty woman-type fantasy of a hooker with a heart of gold, rescued from life on the streets by a client. sex work of all kinds is portrayed—brothels, escorts, street prostitution, "call-girls" as well as strippers and go-go boys.

xii - magic: magic aus are alternate universe fanworks that incorporate magic in fandoms where there is no magic present in canon. (or in some cases, fanworks that make a canon with magic more magical.) they differ from elf aus in that there may be magic without any elves showing up, and are opposites of all human and mundane aus.

xiii - neighbors/roomates: an alternate universe where the canon characters live next-door to one another, or in the same apartment building or complex, or in the same apartment. often, this is also an all-human au, if the canon characters are powered in some way. the forced proximity is usually used to create romantic tension between characters.

xiv - space/sci-fi: a space au is an alternate universe where a source set on earth is transported into space; works are often referred to as "[fandom] in spaaaaaaaaace!" the trope can be a form of crackfic, but often includes surprisingly serious reinterpretations of the most earthbound of sources, particularly historical fiction written or set before space exploration. cyberpunk trappings such as robots, cyborgs and ais are often included.

xv - steampunk: steampunk was originally a term for a sub-genre of speculative fiction that imitated 19th century "scientific romances" like the work of jules verne and h.g. wells. later, the term was applied to a general aesthetic involving styles that would be "futuristic" from the perspective of the 19th century. steampunk appears in fanworks as both a genre and an aesthetic. there are some fandoms for which the canon is steampunk(-ish), e.g. the secret adventures of jules verne, but more often it is found as steampunk alternate universe.

xvi - western: the western is a genre of fiction set in the later half of the 19th century in the western part of north america, especially the united states, but also canada and mexico. sometimes also included in the genre are stories about western-type characters and plots in other settings, e.g. "space westerns" (in science fiction settings) and contemporary westerns (set in the western part of contemporary north america).

xvii - were/vamp/supernatural: a reversal of the all-human, in these fics characters who are normally human are now supernatural creatures of some kind the most common being werewolves or vampires.

xviii - choose your own: self-explanatory! choose your own option.

( taken from here. )

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[No hooker/porn/stripper, please.]

[Not being of the best mix of blood Jio mostly stayed away from society of any kind. His looks was too much of a give away that he wasn't of pure blood. Signs of both the pure elves and sinister demons could be seen in him. The only reason he went into a town or village of any kind was if it got too cold to sleep out in the wild, but that didn't happened that often. He had since long ago learned to survive on his own.

It looked like today would be like any other day out in the mountains that he currently had as his home. Up until he went down to the river to get some water before dark and found someone washed up on the shore there. He couldn't just ignore that so he pulled the stranger up on dry land and lit a fire next to him to keep him warm and then settled down to wait.]

[ooc: This AU is practically OU for him, so this is easy!]

[When Ja'far woke, he didn't open his eyes. He silently took stock of his condition: wet but drying clothes, no pain, unbound, his weapons untouched. He could feel the warmth of a fire on his face and hear the occasional shift of cloth that indicated the presence of another, but no conversation or movement beyond that. One person keeping to themselves. Safe, then, or at least relatively so.

He opened his eyes and sat up, pleased to feel only the minor aches and pains one would expect from being washed downriver and lying on the hard ground afterwards. His headdress was gone, though, which was quite vexing. He ran a hand through his pale hair, still damp from the river, leaving it standing up in unruly spikes. It wasn't long until he found the sore bump from the blow that must have knocked him unconscious. Painful, but not serious. Good.

Satisfied he was relatively safe and unhurt, he turned his attention to the one who pulled him from the river. So far he'd made no move, so Ja'far spoke up, his voice soft and polite.]

I thank you for rescuing me. If you would, could you please tell me where this is?

Edited (master of closing html tags) 2013-11-06 04:03 (UTC)

[Jio had been sitting in such a way that he only showed the white half of his hair and his green eye. When he noticed that the other was waking up he simply cast a glance over at him. It was best to not do anything that could be seen as threatening to someone that might be confused. He would simply wait until he got addressed before talking.]

This is the Zenom mountain pass, about one hour before dark.

[He turned to face the stranger showing the black part of his hair and red eye. Standing up he grabbed the bucket that he had brought with him and went down to the river to finally get some of that water.]

I don't recommend walking around after the sun has set. You can stay the night with me if you wish.

[Ja'far folded his arms in his sleeves and watched the strange young man walk down to the river. A strange mix of blood at work there, surely, though he wasn't immediately able to identify it. He could sense no hostility or threat, rather the opposite, actually. He was the one being treated as a potential threat. A wise thing to do, considering what an appearance like that could earn you.]

How far would you say it is to the nearest town?

[He stood and shook out his robes, brushing off the dirt and leaves that had taken up residence in the folds. If it wasn't too far, he'd ignore the warning and take off on his own. He wasn't completely familiar with the area, but he was well-trained for night missions.]

About half a days climb if you find the right path.

[And this place had a lot of trails and paths that animals had made. Since he moved around between the same placed he had gotten a lot of time to learn the area. He knew the paths well by now. Almost all too well.]

You are not considering trying to get there on your own are you? I didn't pulled you up from the river just to find you dead in the morning.

[He went back up to the fire and put down his bucket. He really shouldn't worry so much about some stranger that he didn't even knew the name of and still he felt like it would be his fault if the other would end up dead.]

Is the way that treacherous? I suppose I could wait until morning, but it's important that I find my way back to my companions as quickly as possible.

[He had faith in his abilities, but the fact remained that he knew little of the area. Even if he did find his way to a town, he wasn't certain it would be a simple matter to reunite with his party. There wasn't any point in fretting yet, surely everyone else would keep a good eye on Sin if he wasn't around, but it was only a matter of time before he got the fool idea to go off on his own. As usual.

Wait.

Oh no.

He heaved a sigh.]

Better I find them before they try to find me.

Edited (dw is screwing with my icons) 2013-11-06 19:07 (UTC)

[Jio looked over at the other. He looked troubled. Probably had someone in that company that had a tendency to get into trouble. Not that he could be to sure since he had never travelled in a group before. No one wanted to have anything to do with him so things simply had turned that way. Thinking about what to do about all of this he sighed. He couldn't leave this stranger all alone close to dark so it really only was one thing for him to do.]

I can help you find them. Where were you when you got separated and would they get to a town or try to find you first?

[Ja'far rubbed at his forehead.]

It depends on who's making the decisions and who's listening to them. I think we were quite a bit upriver, near the labyrinth that appeared this winter. The ground shook when it sank and I fell into the river, so if they have any sense at all, they'll follow the river until they reach a town and wait there. [He sighed again.] But that's assuming they have sense.

[Having sense is usually his job.]

[It was faster to travel by river then foot so they should still be above them and the town was in between here and the labyrinth. The best way to get to this point while following the water was by animal paths. It should be fully possibly to find them even if it would be that they walked down on the other side of the river.]

I know the best way to get to the labyrinth while following the water and it will most likely be that path they walk.

[Bending down, Jio poured dirt on the fire to choke it. He wouldn't be the reason for a huge fire to break lose.]

My thanks. [Ja'far bowed politely.] Your kind assistance will be rewarded when I am reunited with my companions.

[He debated whether to offer a further explanation and decided it was wiser to keep quiet. Giving his name would probably be safe enough, though. It was fairly common, though foreign to this place. It wouldn't immediately connect him to his king or country.]

I am Ja'far. Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier.

[That was one odd name. The one he had pulled up from the river clearly wasn't from this country. Not that it mattered much. A name didn't formed the person behind it. That was why one could call itself for many different names and still be the same person.]

Jio Freed.

[Straightening up after putting out the fire, Jio went to pick up his bucket and then start walking. He fully intended for Ja'far to start following him.]

This way.

[Ja'far easily fell in step behind Jio, walking a few steps behind him to one side, just as he was accustomed to following Sin. If it weren't for the heaviness of his still-damp robes, his movements would have been completely silent.

He wondered if it would be best to speak, to try to start a conversation or ask a few questions. Jio seemed quite closemouthed and he wasn't really the chatty sort himself. Before Sin, no one had expected him to talk. Now there was always Sin or the younger generals to fill in the silences. He supposed a question or two might be to his advantage.]

You've asked nothing of me and spoken little of yourself, yet you're going out of your way to help me. Is this something you have to do often?

[Jio glanced over his shoulder at Ja'far. He wasn't used to people so he didn't talked much and he had already spent more time together with the other then he ha done to any single person before this.]

As I said before, I didn't drag you up from the river to find you dead later. You clearly ain't from around here so your chances of getting to town in one piece during the night are slim.

[He took a turn right by a small waterfall and went away from the river a bit towards a cave that had been created by an old landslide.]

[So just out of the goodness of his heart, then. Ja'far frowned slightly.]

You could have simply refused to lead me at night. If I chose to leave on my own, it wouldn't have to weigh on you conscience.

I could, but now I didn't.

[Walking into the cave Jio put down the bucket close to a pile of tools of various kind. This was his current home. Not very fancy, but it was good enough for this time of year. Since he would have to travel while dark he needed to pack a few things.]

I have some dry clothes that you could borrow. Those you have will be cold.

[Rummaging trough his stuff to get the things he needed he stayed silent. Then he turned around to look at Ja'far.]

I um, I just kind of don't like to see people being troubled.

[Ja'far allowed himself a small smile and nodded. That he could understand. He was guilty of being a bit softhearted himself, though he wasn't sure he would trust a stranger as easily as Jio seemed to be trusting him.]

I'm grateful for your kindness.

[Still, he found himself strangely hesitant to accept the offer of dry clothes. He was so accustomed to the dress of a Sindrian official that it almost seemed wrong to wear something else. His only set of "civilian" clothes was packed away back home, very rarely worn anymore. He chided himself for being ridiculous and pushed his misgivings aside, though, because a more rational part of him knew that wet, heavy robes would hinder his movement and his ability to react if there was trouble.]

If you can provide me with a way to more easily carry my wet clothes, I think I will take you up on your offer of dry ones, especially if the way is as treacherous as you say.

[He didn't trust people in general, as a big mass, but he was more careful about how to feel when he was around one person at a time. It mostly didn't end well when he was around others, but this far Ja'far had done nothing to show any form of disgust being close to him. In all honesty he was strangely nice in Jio's mind.]

I think this will do.

[He pulled up a backpack that he had crafted himself from his pile of random things. It should be big enough to carry around clothes in. And then he freed the clothes from the pile as well. It might seem like a messy way to store things, but it worked and the cave wasn't that big so it saved space as well.]

My thanks. [Ja'far took the pack and the clothes, but then paused awkwardly when he realized he was going to have to impose once more to find out where he could change. He was sure Jio was puzzled by why he was so tolerant of him when so many wouldn't be, but he didn't particularly want to make the reason known so...clearly. The extensive scars left from his time in the Assassin's Guild were something he was not proud of and that he showed to no one.]

Ah...I'll need to...

[Oh right, people often didn't like for others to see them naked. He tended to forget about it since he had lived like this for so long.]

I need to pack a few things so I will keep my eyes here.

[That was his way of saying that he wasn't going to look. It really were no other place to change as it was. It was either here in the cave or outside of it.]

[It wasn't the most ideal of circumstances, but he supposed it would have to do. Ja'far changed as quickly and efficiently as he could, all the while checking to make sure Jio wasn't looking. It was uncomfortable and, honestly, quite unpleasant wearing clothes that weren't his own. He had expected it to be, but he hadn't realized exactly how put off he'd be by it until he actually had them on.

He carefully packed his robes away and with them all the weapons he couldn't conceal in his borrowed clothes. Luckily, the sleeves were just wide enough to hide his wires, but not wide enough to get the most use out of them. It was far from ideal.]

This will teach me not to fall in the river...

[Jio concentrated fully on his packing while Ja'far changed. He had said that he wouldn't look and then he wouldn't. Not that he got why it would be so bad if he did look. Both of them were males, right? Well everyone had their own secrets. He refrained from showing his palms due to what was hidden there.]

You are ready to leave then?

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the au meme.

Ja'far | Magi | OTA

fantasy

Re: fantasy

Re: fantasy

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