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.

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[ Alice? crinkled his nose at the scent of the streets when he exited the small house he lived in. it was the same as usual, but Alice? still wasn't used to it yet. it seemed his memories of scents were wiped out as well when he had lost his memories from a mysterious fall.

weaving through the crowded streets, he blocked out the loud clamor of the people and headed straight for the fountain near the center of the city. stepping onto the ledge of the fountain, Alice? scanned through the streets casually, looking at the middle and working class bustling through.

after a few minutes, he spots something unusual. a foreigner of Asian descent. Alice? rounds his eyes in surprise for a moment before grinning like a Cheshire. lightly jumping down, he mingles into the crowd, slowly getting closer to the foreigner. once close enough, Alice?bumps in to the man (which wasn't too odd seeing how crowded everything was) and picks his wallet. with his catch in hand, he quickly begins to walk away, intending on going into a nearby alley before taking off on a run ]

[He's not going to find much in the wallet. Maybe a few scraps of money, but no large denominations. There is, however, a photograph, well-worn. In it is a small family. A woman sits holding an infant. The man standing next to them is the same one who has recently been relieved of said wallet - several years younger, with less lines on his face

A voice comes from behind the the thief - even, with no trace of anger.]

It's not much, but if you need it so badly go ahead. I would like the photograph back, though.

[The man is blocking the alley exit, hands in pockets.]

Edited 2014-06-20 03:26 (UTC)

[ as soon as Alice? slid into the alley, he had opened up the wallet to see how much was in it. the few scraps did disappoint a bit, but it was better than nothing. just as he was pulling it out, the voice from behind him made him flinch.

he turns around quickly in bewilderment, as if surprised to hear the specific voice. it takes a few moments to realize that the owner of the voice was also the owner of the wallet.

blinking a few times, Alice? stares at the man before looking at the money he was holding in his hand. there he noticed he was indeed holding a photograph. without regard to the Asian in front of him, Alice? looked down at the photograph. a family. a newly-made happy one too, it seems.

he feels a pang of pain in his chest, although Alice? can't pinpoint the reason why. he looks back up, realizing that the man is still there.

....and totally blocking the way ]

... [ Alice? pales a bit realizing that fact. he backs away from the man slowly, despite knowing the fact that this alley didn't have the best escape route.

still though, he tries his best not to look afraid and instead holding up the photograph ]

...Just the photo?

[Not only has the man noticed the theft, he'd have to be fast to catch up so easily. Yet he's not even breathing hard. He brings a hand to his chin, thinking.]

Well, the wallet would be appreciated too. My daughter made it!

[The wallet is nearly as battered as the photograph, with clumsy stitching and patchwork fabric.]

The money doesn't matter so much. You look like you need a couple good meals. Though I don't know how much you'll get with what's in there...

[The smile here is almost apologetic.]

[ in contrast, his frown grows and after an intentional sigh, Alice? shoves the contents, money and all, back to the wallet. he tosses it back to the man ]

I change my mind. [ he gives the other a half-lidded look before turning his head away ] I don't want your stuff, I'll find someone better. [ Alice? is still trying his best to look casual, but the tenseness is obvious in his shoulders ]

[It's snatched out of the air, the stranger looking somewhat affronted.]

What? Now I'm not even good enough for some hooligan to steal from? Way to kick an old man while he's down!

[He huffs, making a great show of putting the wallet away in the exact same pocket it was liberated from before. He does not count the money.]

Damn kids, no respect. You're so skinny you're probably going to pass out before you find someone else to pickpocket!

Well, you gotta be kind to old people or something like that. [ he sticks his hands in his pocket, with a light smirk on his face.

it seemed the man wasn't going to beat him up or any time soon, in fact the person seemed to be friendly. which was odd, the only experience Alice? had when caught pickpocketing was a punch or two. the man must be stupid or a naive ]

Hey! I'm not that weak! I can totally find someone in no time at all! [ hopefully ] Besides, the one who should watch out is you. Not all of us are super kind like me. You might get stabbed next time.

Not that I care or anything.

Mmm, it is a pretty rough city these days. All sorts of dastardly sorts running around - Man could get hurt, walking around by himself. Good thing I had you to wake me up...

[The man nods seriously, chin back in his hand. Then he claps his hands together.]

That's it! I need a bodyguard! What do you say?

[He beams as if this is quite an excellent idea!]

[ let us commence the staring ]

Do you need to go to the hospital? Oh wait, sorry, I don't think even London's doctors can help you. Is it just you or it a country thing? Maybe you should go back to your country where people actually speak your language.

[For some reason, this gets the biggest laugh so far. He's probably lived in this city nearly as long as the kid's been alive - but the accent remains. Still, the would-be thief seems to be responding to the 'small town rube' bit. Kotetsu decides not to correct him.]

It's definitely a top-notch plan! My pockets remain unpicked and you get supper!

[Because the young man looks like he needs a meal or several. And he could have just taken off - leading to a VERY DIFFERENT conversation - But he's still talking.]

[ Alice? gives a small huff ]

If this is a top-notch plan I hate to see what your bad plans are like. Besides, that seems like a total waste of time and energy. I could earn more doing something else.

[ like pick-pocketing. and loads of other ways he could that the people around him did. but wasn't... his style ]

Besides, don't bodyguards and clients needs like a trust thing? I don't trust you and you shouldn't be trusting me.

You're not earning anything right now!

[That's just LOGIC! And ALL of his plans are GOOD ones! No matter what his partner says!... Or his superiors... Or his friends... IN ANY CASE!

As for trust, Kotetsu considers, then begins ticking things off.]

Hmmm... you could have kept running. You could have just ripped up the photo. You could have kept the wallet. You could have kept the money. But you didn't.

I could have called the constables. I could have chased you. I could have started yelling at any point. But I didn't.

This doesn't have to be permanent arrangement. It can be a... trial period. To the end of the day, say.

[Kotetsu sticks out a hand. He does not make any other moves toward the thief.]

What do you think?

[ he facepalms. a looooong sigh escapes his lips as he thinks.

despite his plan being ridiculous, the reasons he listed for the two to trust each other were.... satisfactory.now the only thing left was to shake the man's hand, and if the man wasn't lying, Alice? would find himself supper and a way to pass the time as he waited for his roommate's return.

dropping his hand, he looked at the man, and the offered handshake.

(Hatter always said to not trust strangers, no matter what. to never trust anyone except yourself) (but Alice? trusted Hatter didn't he?) (and the man's voice... oddly reminded him of the Hatter) ]

We must be both mad.

[ Alice? reaches forward to shake the hand ]

Edited 2014-06-23 15:43 (UTC)

[Kotetsu, by contrast, trusts pretty much everybody. Once again, he is rewarded for his patience/idiocy. There's another grin and the shake is enthusiastic. As if the man doesn't quite know his own strength.]

Wonderful! My name's Kotetsu. Kotetsu T. Kaburagi.

[ Alice? winces a bit from the strong grip (are you sure he needs a bodyguard) but shakes back anyway. however this turned out, at least he now had something to occupy his time. he might've made a stupid choice, probably crazy, but hey, wasn't he already? ]

Ko-tetsu... Got it. You can call me Alice.

[ nope, it's not a joke ]

That's a nice name!

[It is completely sincere, without so much as a blink. Maybe he's used to odd names. Or maybe he just doesn't register the unusual choice. English isn't his first language, after all.]

First stop - Market District! Lead the way!

[ Alice?'s eyes rounds a bit, before a small genuine smile appears for a moment. he knew that the name didn't fit him, not just because of the gender, but it was a name special to his heart. an indelible name.

so Kotetsu complimenting that was enough to break through one wall ]

Alright. I know a shortcut. [ he walks out of the alleyway and points right with a small grin ] Let's go.

[Well how about that, his companion CAN smile! Pleased, Kotetsu strides after him.

The streets bustle with people finishing up their afternoon shopping. Kotetsu dodges a pram, but unfortunately knocks into a pushcart of apples. He catches all the fruit before it hits the ground, but still earns a dirty look from the vendor. Sheepishly, he hands over some coins, then calls over -]

Here Alice, catch!

[Then there's an apple flying through the air!]

[ Alice? wasn't the most graceful of people either, but watching Kotetsu knocking over the apples... (a flash of someone else that was clumsy runs through his mind but he can't remember who that was)

caught in thinking, he didn't notice Kotetsu buying the apple. Alice? had caught the apple reflexively as it came ]

Wha? [ he looks down at the apple in his hand and then back at Kotetsu ]

... ...This doesn't have a caterpillar or something inside of it right?

[Kotetsu rubs his apple on a shirtsleeve then chomps in with relish.]

Caterpillar? Oh! Those squirming things with the legs?

[He wiggles his fingers around, approximating... no bug found in nature. He is definitely not a biologist.]

Why would it have that?

Because I've bitten into one that had one before. [ and how the Hatter laughed.

Alice? wipes the apple with the edge of his sleeve too before taking a bite ]

Mm... thanks. [ although it's kinda of a mumble since the apple is blocking his mouth.

he turns and starts walking again ]

C'mon, and don't bump into everything. We'll never get to the market if you do.

You're welcome - Bah, you're starting to sound like my partner now!

[This is said with only habitual exasperation. "Partner" is obviously referring to someone specific, but he doesn't elaborate. More attention is paid, and their progress is much calmer.]

Do you know if that toy cart is still there? The one that sells the rabbits?

[ Alice? mentally thinks his partner must have a hard time if this man is always like this. maybe that's why he isn't here at the moment ]

Toy rabbits? I remember seeing two kinds of carts with rabbits. Wer-...

[ Alice? stops mid-sentence as he catches sight of a group of males hanging around the entrance of a pub ]

Ugh... [ he stops and turns around to face Kotetsu ]

Ah.... Listen, those guys are bad business. So we're gonna go by them without them noticing us okay?

[ well it was more like make sure not to notice Alice?. he wasn't known to be a danger to any gangs, but Alice? lived with a certain ~~contract killer~~ "bodyguard" that pissed them off. and by now, he and Alice? were considered a set ]

[It's a rough-looking crowd. However, they appear to be more invested in their dice game at the moment.

Kotetsu nods, sticks his hands in his pockets, and feigns a Casual Saunter.

(...Hopefully they will just think he's inebriated...)]

[ a brief memory of Kotetsu bumping into that apple cart comes to his mind, but it should be okay.

hopefully.

in a more natural manner, Alice? feigns casualness while lowering his face so they didn't see it. with a small jerk of his head, he signals Kotetsu to follow him through the street ]

historical, victorian age! if that's okay?

Ooooh yes! Sorry for late tag, still game if you are!

it's no problem at all! <3

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I am sorry for him NOT REALLY

omg kotetsu plz

No really how is this NOT a GREAT plan?!

sorry about the late reply!

No worries! Backtagging is cool.

thank you!

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