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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[ Sansa couldn't remember the life she had once led outside of her cage.

There were days she wondered if that had been a dream and she had always been here, behind these bars. The infamous "Bird Girl". Long red hair flowing down between two grand red wings. Long red feathers even grew along her hairline, threading through her hair, making her look even more regal than she felt. Every day she was made to stretch her wings out for the paying patrons, made to sing her sad song for them as she sat on her swing. Made to flap her wings when commanded and parrot out answers to people's questions.

It was all a well rehearsed act by the time Jack came along. At least, that was the name he was going by, "Jack Frost". And why not, he could produce snow and ice at will and even float off the ground. The children loved him and adults were in awe of him. From what she could see, Jack loved the attention.

Sansa knew, however, that the longer Jack stayed, the more money he made the Ringmaster, the more he guaranteed his own captivity here. It was only a matter of time before an enchanted collar would find its way around his thin, white neck. Then he would be forever stuck here. Like she was. ]

[ Sansa was right to think that Jack had become completely enamoured of the attention he received. He had been suppressed for so long, as people feared him, feared what he could do that this was the first place he'd really had a chance to be himself. It was like he was finally growing into his own sense of self and while he was grateful for that, it also made him susceptible to the thinly-veiled demands of the ringmasters and the crew bosses. They used his fear of what might happen if he left the protective circle of the circus to get him to do more and more extravagant tricks, even when the weather was warm and too much expenditure of his ice left him dizzy and feeling ill.

Look at how much better your life is here, they said. You don't want things to go back to the way they were, right? You owe us. You'd better pay back our generosity in taking you in.

But now the train was quiet, the patrons long since gone home and the evening air cooled significantly and he felt better. Enough that Jack felt like wandering around the tents, winding in and out of the riggings. He stopped when the lanternlight flashed off the bars of a cage and the vibrant red plummage inside. He slowed his steps, approaching curiously. ]

You're the one who sings, aren't you?

[ It was difficult for Sansa to sleep most nights so she was still awake when Jack came around with the lantern, shading her eyes briefly with a wing. ]

And you are the one who forms ice out of thin air. Winter sprite.

[ Seeing her reaction to the light, Jack lowered it and set it carefully on the ground so that its glow shrunk to a small nimbus at his feet. He sketched a bow at the title, one of the ones the ringmasters had pressed upon him because it looked good on the posters, good to draw business. ]

That's me, though I usually answer to Jack. And what might I call you, milady?

[ She sways on her swing, lowering her wing and keeping her eyes trained on Jack. ]

The call me "Bird Girl".

That's even less inventive than winter sprite!

[ The joke is uncertain though and he leans closer to the bars, blue eyes wide to catch all the light he can as though to see her more clearly. ]

I'm only a crowd of one and I sure didn't pay to get here. Is that what you want me to call you?

[ Softly, looking down at her dangling feet, one elegantly curled over another. ]

It is the name they gave me. I am not certain if I have another name. If I do, I have not been called by it for a long time...

[ She tried to think back, as far as she could. It was a pretty name, wasn't it? Or had she been told that it was? It began with an S-sound.

Sa...or was it Se...

Focusing so hard, a voice she doesn't recognize flits through her mind, Such beautiful work, Sansa.

'Sansa'. That was her name. Or had been.

Her voice comes out in a whisper as she tries it on her tongue for the first time in, what felt like, ages. ]

Sansa.

Edited 2013-11-07 13:27 (UTC)

Sansa.

[ He echoed it, repeating it then quietly as though committing it to memory. Then he offered her a smile, mischievous but sincere. ]

It's a pretty name for a pretty girl.

[ She's been called pretty before. Her wings have even been referred to as "beautiful". But there's something about the way Jack says it that has her slowly smiling to herself. Gives a little flap of her wings, still smiling, voice teasing. ]

You flirt with all the girls, Jack.

Maybe, but none of them ever gave a sweet smile like that when I do it.

[ He touched the bars thoughtfully, and ice spiraled out from the tips of his fingers against the metal. ]

Mind I sit down?

[ For a moment, she allows herself to grin. Allows herself to feel a faint blush at the compliment. It felt like she had done such a thing before, let herself be flattered and bask in it. If only for a moment. A moment when she wasn't being referred to as a "beautiful creature" but simply a girl.

Her eyes lift back up at him when the ice forms elegant patterns on the bars. She actually slips off of her swing, the flowing silk dress rippling on her like lavender water as she walks over to the bars. Tentatively, her fingers reach out to touch the ice on the bars, pausing as she could feel the cold coming off of it before pressing her fingertips to it. Her wings shivered for her.

She turns her eyes toward him and he will be able to see they are a bright, almost icy blue. There is awe in them as she looks at him more closely this time. ]

If you wish, Jack.

[ She then averts her eyes and turns to go back to her swing. ]

Forgive me for staring. I do not have much private company.

[ Jack folds his lanky frame into a sitting position just on the other side of the bars, close enough that they would be able to touch without stretching too far if they wished. He watches the graceful way that she moves, the way the light from the lantern picks up the highlights on her dress, her hair, her wings and cups his chin in a palm, appreciating the lovely sight. ]

You've got nothing to apologize for, but... you can stay, if you want. Off the swing, I mean. You spend enough time on there, right?

[ Sansa stops and turns to look back at him through long red feathers. She hesitates but then turns back to him, standing near the bars again before she reaches down to sweep up the train of her dress. She then sits on her folded legs, wings flapping before tucking behind her. ]

It's what I seem to remember most. Being here, on the swing.

[ A beat, leaning forward slightly. ]

What is it like to fly?

[ Jack opens his mouth to ask the obvious question you have wings, how can you not know? and then slowly closes it again, likewise arranging narrow legs into a comfortable position beneath him. He can be a little clueless sometimes, a strange combination of naive and jaded but he knows that some words are unkind to speak, even when they're meant well. ]

Well... it can feel like a lot of different things. Sometimes it feels like a gentle dream if you're just floating, other times it feels like you're standing at the bottom of a waterfall, letting the whole world wash over you.

[ Sansa watches him as he talks, slowly closing her eyes as she tries to picture it. Leaning forward to rest the side of her head against the bars of her cage. ]

A waterfall... I barely remember what one looks like.

[ Had she actually seen one? Or was it from a painting or book? ]

Sansa?

[ Jack's voice is gentle, though his words are careful. ]

How long have you been inside this cage?

[ She opens her eyes at that, sitting up straighter to look at Jack. ]

I don't know. It is what I remember most.

[ She reaches through the bars to gently cup one cold cheek, her expression pained. ]

You should fly away from here before the same happens to you.

[ He stills at the touch, blue eyes blinking, startled. So few people actually touch him, half of them convinced he'll freeze them in an instant and the other half simply not enjoying the chill he naturally produces. The skin to skin contact is rare, and his eyes drift half closed to enjoy it for a moment before he speaks once more. ]

Do you want to fly away?

[ The thought of Jack freezing her through touch had not even crossed her mind. She just knew she needed to warn him, impress upon him that it was no joke or insult towards him.

But the hand falls away at the question, her eyes going wide. ]

I can't.

[ Jack would never have thought it was an insult anyway, but the reassurance was dear to him. ]

Why not?

[ Her mouth opens for a moment before closing it, at a loss for words in face of such a simple question. ]

I... I'm not allowed out of my cage.

And even if I was... I don't know how to.

[ Or she couldn't remember how. ]

[ Jack was quiet for a moment. ]

There are different kinds of cages. They don't all... have bars.

[ She had warned him not to let himself get trapped but in some ways he already was. ]

But this kind-- [ he touches the iron rails ] -- if you want out, tell me. Okay?

[ She looks at the bars when he touches them and then back at him. ]

And where would I go? What would I do?

I am...

[ What was that word she had heard a few times before? The one that made her look anywhere but at the people standing outside her cage. ]

I am a freak, Jack. There is no place for me out there. For all I know, what little I remember could be a dream. Dreams I've had since being here.

[ Anger, bright and cold as his element, flashed across his expression and the aura of cool air that surrounded him dipped in temperature like a falling barometer. ]

You are no such thing. Don't ever say things like that.

[ She flinches back at that, drawing her arms to her chest, both out of fear and for warmth. She had never seen Jack angry and never thought she would. The feathers of her wings ruffle up, ]

But that is what they call me! You see other girls, Jack. None of them have wings.

the au meme.

iv /hope this is okay!

eee I love it! (sorry went for supper)

no worries! ^^

:D

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I am so so sorry for the lateness. I never got this notif and RL has been very draining.

No worries! and yay I'm glad you tagged back! hopefully RL is better for you now

It's a bit better! And I'm glad you tagged back, too!

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