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. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

( There's a small scowl at that. ) You sure are trying awfully hard.

So fucking tell me.

( Is that ... a grin? It is. )

But I'm having so much fun watching you squirm.

You do realize that I'm the one who got you shit to get fucked up on, right? You should probably tell me.

Maybe later. ( Translation: Once the drugs kick in. Which they should be soon, luckily for the both of them. ) Everyone calls me J, anyways, so I don't know why it's such a big deal for you.

Because I like to know things. Stuff.

I can see that. But you're gonna have to keep your pants on. ( And her grin spreads. )

Sure about that?

I'm not sure about anything right now, if we're being honest. ( Well, sort of honest, on her part. Despite that, the wry smile remains. )

That means it's working.

[Eponine closes her eyes, inhaling deeply.] Just ride it like a wave.

I'd be so pissed if it didn't work. ( Thankfully, though, she doesn't sound at all pissed; her voice trails off at the end and her eyes close peacefully.

She thought she'd feel a lot different, kind of like getting hit by a speeding bus, but it's really not. It's calmer, slower, in a way. It's pretty nice. And it's barely even kicked in yet. )

Trust me, this is the good shit. I know my boys and they've hooked me up pretty damn well.

"Your boys", huh.

( A pleasant warmth's creeping through her limbs, from the top of her head down to the very bottom of her toes. It brings a serene smile to her face, makes her hands relax against her stomach. )

Well, they are.

[This is an old ride for Eponine, moving against J.]

I think I like your boys. They're pretty alright.

( Oh -- oh, that's pretty nice. Who cares if she lets a hand drop lazily off of her, brushing it against Eponine's? Certainly not J. She doesn't find herself worrying about anything, really -- who has the time? The thought of people being burdened with all of their problems and troubles almost makes her laugh. Almost. )

You don't know my boys.

[That is to say, she probably wouldn't like them. But that hand next to hers, she does like that. Right now was the time to feel things. Feelings, sensations, anything. So with a grin, she takes her hand and brushes it up along J's side.]

No, but I -- ( She stops, sighing peacefully, when she feels the warmth of Eponine's hand against her side, losing all sense of her train of thought. It's more than a gentle warmth; it's a tingling burning sensation that remains even after the touch is long gone. She wants more - she thinks she does, anyway, who can even be sure - and has to figure out how to get it. Her brain's gone all hazy, blurring out all of J's usual scheming ways. )

You like what they have to offer. You like me for supplying. That's how it works here, Jemima.

[Try asking for it. Or, y'know, kissing and touching.]

( J actually bursts out laughing this time, absolute pure and unadulterated joy, letting her hand run down along her face. It's not quite the same lovely burning sensation as being touched by someone else. ) I do like both of those things.

( Okay, okay, she can do this. J's a big risk taker normally and usually has to deal with things like consequences and all that shit. But now? She feels practically invincible. Lazily, she sits up and grins down at Eponine before slightly undaintily hoisting a leg over the other girl to straddle her. Her dark hair's a mess around her face when she leans down with a dazed little smile, murmuring: ) -- And it's not Jemima. ( And proceeds to kiss her. )

Then what is it? [Eponine whispers, breaking the kiss for just a moment. But this girl is on her and while Eponine normally doesn't go for women, she knows what it's like to be with someone while high. You can go for hours, no end in sight, and she'll take it here and now on this mattress.

But in no time at all she's back to kissing her, running her fingers through her hair. That in and of itself... wow.]

Wouldn't - mm - you like - to know... ( She'll mumble against Eponine's lips, the corners of her mouth upturned into a foxlike grin. Thank goodness J's complete inability to not be a little shit hasn't completely faded with the drugs. Her hips bear down against the other girl's just enough to really start her nerve endings -- all of them, a slow burn spreading through her, her jeans riding low against her pale skin. )

I would, [she says, a hand moving down J's back, to cup her backside briefly, before her fingertips bury themselves under the fabric of her shirt.]

( J parts their lips for a moment to moan softly and is just about to resume her playful little kisses when she becomes too aware of the heat. The air feels weirdly stagnant, like time's stopped, and that's adding to the whole stifling sensation. With a slightly furrowed brow, she sits up only to remove her faux leather jacket, casting it aside, and hastily tugs her band tee off as well. ) S'too fucking hot.

( Not that she ever needs an excuse to take her clothes off, be it with a dude or a lady or whoever. J takes what she can get most of the time. )

I like you better this way, [The second J's shed her shirt, Eponine pulls her back down on top of her, pressing her hips against the other girl's.] soft.

( Good, she's not imagining shit. Eponine wants her maybe as much as J wants Eponine. ) Oh yeah?

( With her lips just barely touching the other girl's, her hands reach to tug her shirt up, fingertips ghosting up along her torso, exploring the expanse of her probably overly-flat stomach. J gets what she meant about the softness now; it's heavenly. )

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