road not taken

[hatetobeathing]

{ THE ROAD N O T TAKEN }

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - Robert Frost In one world you are defined by a series of specific events that took your life in a certain direction. Your parents were murdered or your village was burned. You picked one corner of the love triangle over the other. You bumped into a cute person on the first day of school. You saved the gender-neutral-royalty from the dragon. You chose friends over fame, evil over good, adventure over safety. You arrived just in time to stop something horrible, or you arrived too late. These are the moments that made you who you are today. In this world, one influential moment of your life...went differently. { I N S T R U C T I O N S } → Post your character, preferences, and what moment of their lives took a different path. You can also include how their life has changed because of it. Please do not leave comments blank and leave around at least two events that could have happened instead. → Tag in. Your character might be part of this new world, or they might be someone who remembers the way things used to be before this happened. → Have fun!

notes: originally found here. modified meme taken from a musebox with expressed approval from the player.

 

Comments

Peeta Mellark | The Hunger Games | OTA

[petered]

(( 1. The Quarter Quell: Peeta's name was drawn first and Haymitch was able to volunteer as tribute, keeping him out of the games. He had been with the resistance early. He was never caught and never tortured alongside Johanna. He was there for Katniss when she woke up.

2. Mockingjay: He wasn't able to give Katniss the warning before District 13 was attacked. They rescued him all the same in the end, but District 13 was hit hard and Prim, among others, was killed. ))

Loki Silvertongue | MCU | OTA

[strikingly]

[Obviously Loki presenting as female changes a few things already, but I'm also open to any and all possible changes to her story up to and including:

》Loki being stripped of her powers and banished to Midgard instead of Thor.
》Loki being stopped from dropping off the bridge.
》Loki failing to open the portal and/or deciding to double cross Thanos before she does for whatever reason, allowing the Avengers to finish the Battle of New York before it really starts.
》Loki deciding not to fake her death at the end of Thor: TDW

If there's anything else you think of that you might want to try, let me know! I'm sure we can work something out. :3]

ilithyia | spartacus | ota

[yourverybestfriend]

[ There are so many possible scenarios like this for Ilithyia. Some examples:

- Perhaps the most obvious one: she did not die at the end of season 2.
- Seppia succeeded in killing her husband, either because Ilithyia was too late in intervening or because she decided she'd rather have him out of the way completely.
- Her father didn't die and she was able to marry Varinius.
- She managed to have her pregnancy aborted before Lucretia could intervene.
- She never killed Licinia and/or wasn't tricked into sleeping with Spartacus.

There are probably tons of others, so feel free to make suggestions. ]

Inquisitor Trevelyan // Dragon Age // OTA

[unlikelyherald]

[lmao so many paths when you're a choose your own adventure character. Starting with:
if she didn't attend the Conclave and didn't become the Inquisitor (either someone else ends up Inquisiting or we get a horrifying post-apocalyptic world where Corypheus actually got his anchor and just fucked up everything and there's Vints everywhere)

oooh then there's also if she and dorian had gotten stuck in the future so again... post-apocalyptic world of horror and doom. ]

AkaRed - Boukenger Vs Super Sentai/Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger - OTA

[inheritstheredsouls]

((There are a few options in the latter series he's been in that could really change things up:

1) Pre-series, Akaki Pirates era - There was enough time before the betrayal for AkaRed to actually tell Marvelous and Basco the whole truth about the Ranger Keys and the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

2) Mid-canon, episode 38 AU - AkaRed was not able to keep Marvelous from dying/passing on, either due to Marvelous somehow not getting what he was telling him, or just AkaRed's spirit not reaching him in time.

3) Pre-series Akaki Pirates era - AkaRed did not die during the betrayal, but instead was able to survive and rejoin Marvelous later on. Can come with "still has powers, but weakened" or "lost powers and Basco has his Ranger Key" options.))

2, because I'm a terrible person like that

[captaindouchebag]

[It all seemed to happen in a flash. The battle taking a turn for the worse, Marvelous forcing his crew to eject from Gokai-Oh, Warz Gill sending the mech flying until it reverted back into ship form and crashed several miles away... Marvelous vaguely recalls the sound of an explosion and his body hitting the floor before everything just

stops.

The next thing he knows, he's slowly opening his eyes to nothing but white. He can't hear anything nor feel any pain; in fact, his body has never felt so light before...but the reason why hasn't hit him yet. Too distracted by the shock of waking up in this strange white world, he struggles to his feet and looks around slowly.

Is he alone here?]

Kid Loki | Journey Into Mystery | OTA

[notaswicked]

[A few ideas:
-Didn't return with Thor when he was found in Paris as Serrure, or did but was somehow unable to get his memories back.

-Was caught up in the spell to replace Thor with Ulik the troll in people's memories, and as such was unable to help Thor return to life.

-Actually joined up with Surtur during "Everything Burns" to help him burn down the worlds.

-Refused to give up his life at the end of "Everything Burns", thus almost certainly causing another apocalypse as this would leave Mephisto with the Fear Crown.

The first might pretty easily be considered a Human AU, and for non-canonmates, they could pretty easily run into Loki either a.) reigning engelfire down on their world, or b.) trying to infiltrate Hell or otherwise trying to undo Mephisto's power without sacrificing his existence.]

Steve Rogers | MCU | OTA

[morethanashield]

[1. Never found the train with Zola on it, never learned where Red Skull was hiding, wasn't there to stop him from bombing the world.

2. Fell from the train instead of Bucky, winds up becoming the Winter Soldier.

3. Somehow unable to save Bucky or help him break HYDRA's conditioning during the events of TWS.

Or if you have any other ideas, run 'em past me.]

Loki | MCU | OTA

[jotunblooded]

[1. Never went with Thor to Jotunheim, and as a result never learned of his true parentage. Which might mean that Thor winds up getting stuck on Earth for a lot longer, as there's no Destroyer for him to prove himself against.

2. Was never sent to Earth to retrieve the Tesseract (maybe Nebula or Gamora were sent instead), and so remained in Thanos' service (even through the events of Guardians of the Galaxy).

3. Was never adopted from Jotunheim in the first place by Odin (maybe he somehow winds up on Earth anyway later on and gets picked up by SHIELD).

4. Thor dies on Svartalfheim during the events of TDW.

5. Frigga survives the events of TDW, publicly or not.

Or if you have any other ideas, run 'em by me. Canonmates and non-canonmates welcome, I tried to leave possibilities open for anyone.]

Edward Kenway | Assassin's Creed

[captainpissoff]

1. Edward falls under the good influence of the Assassins a lot earlier, making up for his actions in Havana and fighting the good fight against the Templars; as a result, he's never arrested and he writes home to Caroline in Bristol many years earlier. Although he doesn't expect it to make any difference or make it up to her... he quietly hopes that he might begin to make amends for what a hopeless husband he's been.

2. Totally gets seduced over to the Templar side in Havana and becomes their lapdog.

3. Manages to fight off the Templar killers who infiltrate his home, Jenny is never kidnapped and Haytham is raised to become an Assassin.

I don't know what I'm doing

[oneleftbehind]

[Caroline Scott Kenway has eaten well enough during the voyage to Great Inagua, but it seems she's actually swallowed butterflies, the way they're fluttering about in her stomach. Jenny, beautiful Jenny, calms her every time she looks at her little girl, but only for a little while.

I'm sorry, the letter read. I've learned. And instead of her husband coming home to her after far longer than two years, it asked her to come to him. Her mother had been quite against it. Her father...Caroline didn't know if he even still cared.

Caroline agreed that it was a bad idea. But she'd come anyway, the letter carefully folded in her things. And now the voyage is almost done.

She really doesn't know what she wants to happen when she steps off her husband's ship.]

Tauriel | The Hobbit (films)

[redheadedcaptain]

[1. Is unable to save Kili during the events of "Desolation of Smaug"

2. Agrees to accompany the dwarves rather than Legolas during "Battle of Five Armies"

3. Manages to save Kili during "Battle of Five Armies"

4. Never actually meets the dwarves during the second movie, but is brought to Erebor by Thranduil along with his army in the third.]

Playing off 3; I hope this is okay!

[filidough]

None of them had come away from the battle unscathed but they were alive. Thorin, Kili, Bilbo, all the other company members...himself..they had all made it out and Fili couldn't thank the gods more than he already had. There had been a sense of dread that had settled over him initially, especially leading up to his capture, but a lucky intervention by their allies had saved him from ultimate death; had given him the time to break the hold the orc had on him and while he still fell, he survived.

And his brother..well...Fili had a new appreciation for elves, or at least one in particular, which is what had him seeking out the red head, easing along by use of a cane for the time being as he tracked her down.

"...Tauriel...a word?"

Michael Darkholme (Nightcrawler) | Marvel comics

[enisled]

Still setting the journal up, but Michael's canon (What If #98) is literally 'what if Mystique hadn't abandoned Kurt'. I'm cool with playing just that, or other possibilities included but not limited to:

1. What if Michael survived his injuries? Would involve recovery from massive back trauma and smoke inhalation, possibly a permanent loss of powers.

2. Rogue had never found Michael in the attic/never convinced him to leave?

3. Raven had trained him as a member of the Brotherhood?

Mia Fey | Ace Attorney

[chiefdefense]

a. Mia Fey never leaves Kurain to become a lawyer; she remains in training as a spirit medium and tries to do what she can to research her mother's disappearance

b. She goes to meet Dahlia Hawthorne at the courthouse on August 27th 2012 and falls into a coma for five years

c. She leaves to meet Maya an hour earlier on September 5th 2016. The police inform her of a break in at the office and Redd White is arrested.

knight-commander meredith | da ii

[donotfalter]

1. The Chantry was never destroyed, and a compromised was reached. Tensions remain, complications arise, but outright rebellion and war is averted for a time.

2. Meredith never obtained the red lyrium from Bartrand, or was convinced not to take it.

2

[lovingvambrace]

There was something off about the dwarves passing through the Gallows courtyard in the late afternoon bearing a box heavy enough to weigh down four of them. It wasn't the design of the box itself. He had seen countless like it before, crafted for the safe transport of lyrium. The trouble was they weren't due for another lyrium shipment for at least two more weeks, and when it did arrive, it came through the tunnels under the Gallows. Safer that way, easier to control access, easier to prevent others from tracking the shipment times or disrupting them.

No, it was something else, a pricking at the back of his neck, a primal sort of raising of hackles that he had learned during his career never to ignore. Ser Thrask was nearby. The two made eye contact and without having to say a word, Cullen knew his post would be covered for a while. They may not have always seen eye to eye. They had still worked together long enough for such unspoken communication to be all that was needed at times like this.

The dwarves seemed to know exactly where they were going. That, too, was odd. Cullen quickly intercepted them. "Hold," he said. "What's your business here?"

He could hardly see their eyes beneath their deep hoods. The one with the thickest beard spoke. "We're on the Knight-Commander's business. Step aside, Templar."

"If that's true, then you won't mind waiting while I verify that." Several of the newer knights stepped in closer. He knew it was mostly that they were bored with their charges. Anything that looked like it might be exciting was a draw. He turned his attention to them. Their curiosity was useful for once. "See that our...guests...stay put, would you? I won't be long."

Without waiting for the dwarves to respond, he turned and strode toward the portcullis near the Tranquil stalls. The men on duty inside saluted him smartly as he passed. He returned it without ever breaking stride.

The knight-commander's office door was shut. It was often shut these days, as was the first enchanter's. It was almost as though they couldn't even bear to look at one another when they didn't absolutely have to speak. Cullen knocked with the back of his gauntlet and waited. Only the direst of emergencies would ever send him through that door uninvited. An uneasy feeling hardly counted.

Hiro Hamada ► Big Hero 6

[bigdamnhiro]

1. Fire at the expo didn't happen/Tadashi lives/or something
2. Baymax kills that one asshole before anybody can stop him congrats alienated all ur friends horrible downward spiral now doing this vigilante justice thing alone, etc. etc.

Probably SPOILERS for Big Hero 6

[bahalalala]

[Hiro had done an excellent job with selecting and programming Baymax's fighting moves, combined with the robot's armor-augmented strength, he had followed the boy's orders to the letter.

There's a body around here somewhere, or, what's left of one. Baymax's improved scanning capabilities had helped him target their enemy's weak points, but when he slammed metal fists and feet into a relatively squishy human, it didn't matter where he struck.

Once his assigned task was completed, he marched back over to Hiro, looking down at his master with unblinking red eyes. There no sound from him, except for the occasional drip of blood from his massive fists.

The quarantined lab is in somewhat more of a mess than the team had originally found it. Aside from the byproducts of Baymax following orders very, very well, there's bits and pieces of microbots scattered about the area, a kabuki mask lying face-up on the ground, new holes in places where they hadn't been before, and a small, green chip with a smiling doctor's face and the handwritten name of Hiro's brother cast off to the side.]

rapunzel ❂ tangled

[solarcorona]

❂ Gothel does not allow Rapunzel to heal Eugene and he dies. Gothel takes Rapunzel away and in turn Rapunzel keeps to her vow to always try to get away from her. Can be stuck with Gothel or in a moment of freedom, having escaped her.

[tryingitall]

1. I'd be curious to explore a situation where Balthazar didn't turn on Castiel in S6, but knowingly continued to support the plan to crack Purgatory. This is pretty much dependent on castmates (Cas/Crowley/Team Free Will?) but could get hugely chaotic in a number of ways, either with Cas becoming Godstiel or with Bal (and/or Crowley) sharing the burden of the Purgatory souls and snapping as a result. Or a complete 180 where Balthazar takes on the Purgatory souls to spare Castiel altogether and snaps. I'm open.

2. Leviathan Balthazar. I'm always willing to play Leviazar.

3. Balthazar pulled an Anna and Fell early, cutting out his Grace, to be reborn in a human body.

The last two don't require castmates, although some familiarity with the show helps.

[willneversayyes]

Ooh both 1 and 3 have so much potential for these two

Rebecca Barnes | Marvel Comics/MCU | OTA

[thewinterslight]

1. She insists on being on the train that day, insists on being with them. And in trying to save her brother, she tumbles down with him.

2. Instead of taking up Falsworth's offer to join him in England following the war (allowing her to heal), she instead went with Howard -- joining him on the search for Steve. Note: I could see this going the Bex/Howard route or them finding Steve earlier.

3. During the events of TWS, she went rogue. Leaving SHIELD and the others behind in order to save her brother.

4. During the events of TWS, she made a deal with the devil (HYDRA), in order to save her brother.

Barry Allen ϟ 63!Flash ϟ OTA

[fastestalive]

like she isn't already an example of this

1. Barry gets struck by lightning and... it's just a person getting randomly struck by lightning. No superspeed, just ruptured eardrums, cataracts, random dizziness, numbness, lightenberg scarring, etc etc etc.

2. Barry's mother doesn't die, Barry goes on to get a PhD instead of becoming a forensic scientist and works in materials science in STAR Labs.

3. Bring your own?

Wanda Maximoff | Marvel Comics/MCU | OTA

[most_hexcellent]

1. Created a different reality during the House of M. The possibilities here are endless.

2. Actually married Doom during the events of The Children's Crusade.

3. Never left the Brotherhood; choosing to remain by her father's side.

tauriel ➳ tolkien legendarium

[giliath]

1. She is prevented from leaving the kingdom and never finds Kili.
2. Her banishment remains even after the events of Battle of the Five Armies
3. She stays with the dwarves after BotFA or accompanies them during the events of Desolations
4. She leaves with Legolas to find Strider

Peter Parker/Spider-Man | Marvel 1610 (Ultimate Comics)

[nerdylilspidey]

1. Peter had never been bitten by that stupid OsCorp spider in the first place
2. Uncle Ben is still alive
3. Peter finally snaps like Fury was afraid he would, and runs off to become a supervillain
4. He hadn't taken the bullet for Cap and survived his encounter with the Sinister Six on his front lawn

3

[justshockit]

[The day had come, a day Miguel hoped he never would see. In fact, he never thought it would happen.

This world was someplace he wasn't meant to be. Even the Spider-Man of this timeline didn't quite fit the description he researched, nor did SHIELD for that matter, among other things. Still, a world of heroes running around would have been enough to make Miguel happy.

Until he saw Peter being villainous.

The very hero he looked up to seemed to be dead now, replaced with some looney Spider-Man. Maybe not as crazy as a certain robot he once tangled with, but regardless, Peter needed to be put down. Lacking the experience of the other Spider-Man he knew, Miguel might have stood a better chance. What were the odds this Peter would have an army of giant robots anyway?

He shook his head while swinging through the city, searching for Parker.]

No, don't jinx yourself, Miguel. I think Spider-Men have enough bad luck as it is. Still, you think crazy villains would be easier to find...

charlotte | the 100

[gowrong]

( ooc | three pretty straight forward options we got here:

— she never stabbed wells jaha in the throat ha. haha. hahahasomeone stop her.
— she went with murphy and maybe he gained a conscious and didn't hang her, or only hanged her a little wow gross or some diplomatic punishment was decided
— she didn't die when she jumped off the cliff. )

Venom | Guilty Gear | OTA

[poolhall_killer]

1. A young Venom was found by another character or group other than the Guild.
2. He dissolved the Guild himself and became a hustler.
3. An outside force interfered with his execution, not Zato.

[Note: CR for all, but PM me for shippy ideas/things!]

Jack Sparrow | those movies about pirates

[pistolproof]

[ Oh my god, okay. I literally come up with a new road not taken idea every time I watch these movies and that's not even an exaggeration. Such ideas include:

1. What if Jack managed to escape prison when the Pearl attacked Port Royal?
2. What if Will and/or Norrington actually made it to Shipwreck Cove?
3. What if Jack didn't murder Hector at the end of the first movie?
4. What if the Pearl wasn't there to meet Jack when he fell off the battlement at the end of the first movie?
5. What if Jack managed to escape the Kraken attack?

but there is also:

6. Make up your own idea! I'm literally up for everything, come at me. ]

[fifthdoctor]

[ooc: what about if a time machine crash landed on his ship? or the doctor just happened to wander into the wrong prison?]

Todd the Wraith // Stargate Atlantis

[commandshumor]

[ooc: Oh there's a few...

-Sheppard never helped him out of the Genii prison
-The stolen retro-virus worked on him and his crew
-Doesn't contact Sheppard and his people in time to warn them of the uber-ship capable of flying to earth

And anything you can come up with basically.]

goes for option 1-ish

[itmeanstruth]

It was impossible to be blessed with the coincidence of running into John Sheppard every time things went sour. It happened often, yes, but this time, there was no way to transmit a distress signal, no way to get a message through.

Days were starting to turn into weeks. Time was ticking away.

How many years had it been since that dart crash, and that encounter with that strange snake man with the inexhaustible energy supply? It was an appropriate fantasy for a starving mind. But that's all it was - fantasy. Until there was a strange flash of light and an older, more middle-aged, but familiar looking man fell right out of the ceiling.

"So much for pleasant landings." he laughed to himself as he pushed himself off the ground. Where exactly did Minoru end up this time?