(no subject)

[mememaker]

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.

Comments

hallowed be thy name, thy plots be done, thy notifs come, DEUS VULT, WE WILL TAKE JERUSALEM

[welcome_mat]

( She nods, quick and curt, then swings the MP5 around on its sling to press the stock to her shoulder, muzzle-down. It’s the SD2, the fixed-stock variant with a Navy trigger grouping - not the most space-conscious, but any cheek weld you could get off a collapsible stock wouldn’t be worth a plugged nickel. She flips the fire selector off safe and onto semiautomatic - three-round burst isn’t good for much more than suppression, and full automatic just wastes ammunition. This is a job that demands precision, and she’ll want to account for every round fired, lest one go wild and put the doctor in an early grave.

It’s game time.

Her movements are economical and purposeful as she crouchwalks down from the bluff and to the road. Every step, every turn of her head is deliberate, from the way she checks on one of the outposts as she crosses to the other side of the road to the way she turns to check the house for movement. There’s an art to this - favor hard and dry ground, watch where you step, and walk heel to toe, rotating your hips with each step and rolling on the outer edges of your boots.

Do it right, and not even you will be able to hear your footsteps.

Just as she’s about to enter the wadi, one of the soldiers in the observation post turns to look at her, and she freezes. He squints - and now she raises her submachine gun, as slowly and smoothly as can be, to sight in directly on his head and rest her finger on the trigger. She’s modified it - a stock MP5 has a pull weight of seven or eight pounds, but she’s kicked it down to five, and now she takes up three as she puts the blade of the front sight right over his teeth.

(There’s reasoning behind this, too - miss high, and you’ll hit him in the forehead. Miss low, and you’ll hit his throat. Hit it dead-on, and the bullet will sever either his spinal cord or brainstem, depending on the angle of entry. It’s three-to-three odds of a kill shot.)

The seconds feel like minutes. In the distance, crickets chirp, and an owl hoots, but the only movement she permits himself is the rhythmic blinking of her eyelids.

(In the distance, the soldier she saw earlier exits the house, props his rifle up against the exterior, and takes a short walk to what looks like a slit trench to light a cigarette and look up at the sky.

All things considered, it’s a nice night for stargazing.) )

[dissemble]

There's no one there, because Lucifer doesn't know where his brother is or what he's doing right now.

Her distraction gives him enough time to pull his own gun and cock it, pointing directly back at her. His speed and precision indicate that he's just as well trained with it (and ready to shoot) as she is.

He grins. "You can't shoot both of us. Know when to give up."

[biochemistry]

[Jemma's story is more common than people might think. The well-intentioned whiz kid seeks to use her knowledge and make good while making something of herself and then, through no fault of her own, winds up tangled in something that gets her going on the run from powerful forces who may or may not be tangled up with the government. How else to explain a pretty young thing taking up residence on a vessel like this?

Unfortunately for her, Jemma is sort of the worst at being on the run, insofar as she's the worst at keeping to herself entirely. She'd like to think she has a decent sense of who is and is not worth being around, anyway. Jessica is interesting, and she doesn't seem suspicious, probably because she's in such close proximity to suspicion constantly.

She waves. And she smiles.] You've been keeping busy, hm?

It's more than fine!

[honorstrikes]

He had his arrow notched carefully, ready to let fly should there be the slightest hint of a threat. Given the strange occurrences once both of their worlds had clashed, and the mesh of people, if not mayhem, Hanzo kept his guard up and was as vigilant as a Japanese sparrowhawk.

Crouched beyond the brush up on a ledge, but pressed up with no where to go, he would stand and fight if need be. Others knew not to venture into this side of the city, since Overwatch had set up camp here in order to ward off criminals and looters, and to protect the citizens who were struggling in the ramshackle debris that they once called their homes. Now this "camp" was nothing more than a shanty town, but it was a protection to have people gathered behind its walls.

Hanzo decided rather than initiate a fight so soon, he'd at least attempt to...negotiate.

"Who are you? What is your intention?"

He called out from the brush with a thinly veiled threat in his voice, his line of fire pointed well at the man's head should he get out of hand.

"Do you not know you have trespassed here? State your name, and business."

[galaxyofyouth]

The compliment does wonders to make the barista settle back down with a satisfied smile, while Gentaro gives her another wild smile. "Right?! Miu's recipes are the amazing!"

"Kisaragi." Less irate this time, Kengo's call very shortly precedes the entry of a pair of young women, and Gentaro bounces back to his feet.

"Ah, right! My job!" He turns quickly on the spot and bows deeply at Ahim, hands clapped in front of his face. "Sorry, I gotta run! But don't worry, I'll make sure to come by tonight!!" And he snatches up the empty tray on the table in front of Ahim and darts off to greet the newest customers with another healthy Welcome!

AMEN.

[alterplex]

[ Neither of them spare time for idle encouragements. No 'good-luck's, no 'see-you-later's.

That suits Venom fine. His previous combat buddy hadn't been much of a conversationalist, either.

Failure isn't an option, so Venom doesn't strictly follow his comrade into the fray; he covers her from a distance, taking an alternate route towards the soldier gearing up to indulge in standard battlefield vices. Venom is a revelation in kevlar, a nocturnal animal in aramid weave with bulletproof ceramic polished dull in the dark.

(Camouflage is for people who have something to hide, but melding— that, that's reserved for Phantoms. Obscurity as a second skin: trite, but true.)

He's angled himself to pincer their target when he notices that Frost's gone dead on her feet. Not ideal. It means he'll have to improvise, go off the books. Scale a fucking ladder up to an observation post in enemy territory, which is just shy of suicide for normal soldiers with half a sense for self-preservation.

It's a good challenge.

(The fact of the matter is that Venom hasn't lived this long purely on the benefit of his skills— he's lived this long because while the sentry blowing warm breaths onto cold-tense hands is thinking about how long he has until his next break, Venom is thinking of 50 different ways to leave him prone.)

Venom slides soundlessly onto the narrow wooden platform just as the soldier in Frost's sights notices the vague outlines of a figure maneuvering in the dark. The man is cut off before he can reach for his scope, a Soviet-made bionic pressing against the curve of his Adam's apple to slowly squeeze his plea for absolution out of his lungs.

The last thing he sees before his vision swims is the outline of a horn. Demon, he whispers, nigh-inaudible.

Venom tilts his head as the body goes slack. He really should start taking Russian lessons from Ocelot.

(The coast is clear again; their target hums the first few bars of Aztec Camera's Oblivious, cigarette between pale lips. The irony shouldn't be lost on either of them.) ]

[decadentdecade]

There's a dawning realization, and it shows on her face, from the inhale that makes her shoulders shift, to the frown, and the roll of her eyes.

"Dammit." She just got conned. And now she's got a gun pointed at her. There's a moment of stalemate before she bothers responding.

"I can shoot you though." And possibly get shot in the process, "Or, we could work together. I have a buyer lined up. I can make us both very rich."

[norms]

[ It's a name he hates, and yet, it's something that will be part of him forever. How long that is, he doesn't know, and Egil sighs into the contact without a word for a decent stretch of time, absorbing whatever comfort he can glean from Ragnar holding him like this. He'd never been overly prone to affection, but recently... It's all he can think about, all he really wants to do until he just wastes away to nothing. Maybe it's the last bit of his own humanity fiercely clinging; Egil knows that's not exactly what he is anymore, and he has no idea what that's really going to mean in the future. ]

Maybe I didn't, but it couldn't have been easy for you. [ He turns his head just a little, pressing his nose into the curve of Ragnar's shoulder. ] What are we going to do? [ And his voice is even quieter now, unsure and almost afraid. It's nothing like the usual bravado he gives, but Egil feels he doesn't have to wear that mask with him anymore. ] I don't know how to do any of this.

[ Living day-to-day isn't going to be as easy as it once was. ]

[saltlife]

[how much am I going to regret this]

[timothydrake]

Human. Of Asian decent. Japanese, likely, given the lull of the vowels and the crispness of the consonants. Adult, definitely. Higher at an advantage given the direction of the sound of his voice than Tim had previously assumed.

Tim worked a few quick calculations. Were there any more of them? Did he need to back off and regroup?

But...god. He was tired. It almost sounded good to get shot, just so he could lay down.

"I asked you first," he said, turning to face the direction where the voice came from. He didn't charge or make any move, just stood. Waiting. If the guy was an enemy, he'd make that known soon, Tim was sure.

[trollghost]

[ not at all duh???

got a roll/scene? ]

[reunite]

There are a number of tasks that need to be done during the night, and there are enough who will be glad that you are doing them for no questions to be asked. In the summer, we can find you tasks that are below deck, at least. [So Egil won't run risk to work in the sunlight.

It is strange, to be bound to a vampire as weak and new as Egil. To have to guide him through this. But at the same time, perhaps... He never liked working for the upshots of the last couple of centuries, who would treat their ghouls like dirt under their feet. Whom he couldn't let realize just how old he was from fear that they would turn on him - a ghoul can be replaced easily. A new vampire found, these days? Not so much. As much as he wouldn't have wished this fate on Egil, he, Ragnar, might even have been lucky here.

Perhaps Egil will remain enough like he is now, endeared enough to him to treat him well. He hopes so.]

It wasn't. [It took a lot of strength of will and rage and fear.] But I'm glad I did it. [The hand on Egil's back comes up further to tousle his hair, playing with the soft strands.] This ship couldn't have supported both of you, not for very long, not without being found out. And I would have lost you.

[Unspoken, the words you will have to drink from a human eventually hang in the air, but that they will remain.]

[relieable]

[oh. that sounds delightful tbh...]

[shotfuns]

Gabriel does as he's directed - and indeed, it does feel better, to have the weight off of his hip and thigh and on his shoulderblades and back instead.

The trembling in his thigh stopped almost immediately - his body couldn't continue to think it was bracing his foot against something when there was no tension on his leg. He curls both arms over his midsection so he doesn't brace with his arms, and focuses instead on her hands, working up his thigh firmly.

"My ma's been bringing me, and picking me up. She usually gets off of work around six, so... Whenever she can get through traffic." Of course, he spent a lot of the day here just waiting around either before or after physical therapy. If we weren't for the noise and crush of people, he would take the bus and get home before the traffic, but... "So I'm yours until you get sick of me," or until he was so sore he had to tap out.

[cadeuces]

"That still gives us a good few hours then; let's see who gives in first, hm?"

A little wink, with that, laying down a friendly challenge to keep him motivated. Let's play ball, marine.

At least the tension in his leg begins to fade, her touch finally easing into something that could properly be considered a massage as she works the muscle loose, taking her time. A full massage would likely be the best course of action before trying any exercises, and it'd give her a time to examine his body with more detail than his charts could provide.

"First, though, I want to see you relaxed. How is your other leg feeling? When I can get you moving again, I'd like to take you in the back for a full body massage and ease this tension before working with more. It's how I tend to begin and end sessions; you're just getting a sneak preview now, is all."

No one could begin the painful work of PT without being relaxed first, and she certainly wouldn't let anyone leave in pain. Sore, perhaps, but not pained. Who would continue to work with someone that only hurt them?

legolas, lord of the rings (novels)

[orcsurfing]

( I've got an itch for an AU based on the movies Purge. :(b cool concept, disappointing movies. other than that, space AUs are my jam, and basically everything else except i, iii, iv, v, vi. basically the more ACTION and EXCITEMENT the better. prose pref, cross-canon obviously very welcome! )

[shotfuns]

"My leg... Not as much pain... It's just tight-feeling. I've been doing the lotion for the scars and all the treatments and stuff." He stretches out his right leg. There's a thick bundle of scar tissue on the inside of his thigh and knee, from shrapnel and bone shards. Torn and cut muscles, blunt trauma... Enough that it's hard to put weight even on his remaining leg.

Gabriel lets out a breath, tries to relax, but it's hard. He's still in pain. His body wants to fight, wants to react to the pain the only way he knows how - by eliminating the person causing it. But the pain wasn't being caused by a person. It was caused two months ago by a roadside IED, and he can't destroy that.

Still, her hands on his left thigh are working out the tension, and as the tension goes, the pain starts to ease at last, the muscles stiff from being tensed for so long managing to relax. Gabriel breathes out again, and a lot of the tension goes with it. He slumps a little, arms softening, then lets his eyes open just a little, watching Angela through his eyelashes.

Akira Hayama | Shokugeki no Soma (Food Wars!)

[spicedominion]

[cadeuces]

"Mm, I'm glad. That is another plus to the massage therapy; keeping that tissue supple. May I?"

Once the muscles have relaxed beneath her touch, at least enough for now, she'll lower his thigh back to the bench with a gentle pat before reaching for his other, fingertips resting gently at his knee as he breathes, long and low and trying to ease the agony that's sunk its claws into him. But finally he slumps forward and she feels his eyes on her, offering up another little smile and a tilt of her head, ponytail curling at her shoulder. At the very least there's understanding in her eyes, and not an ounce of pity to be found. Also the certainty that he can get through this, and the pride that she's there to help.

Just a brief way to feel him out and make sure he'll be able to stand, even if it's just to pivot on his good leg while she hefts most of his weight to ease him back into the wheelchair, then she can get him through to the private rooms in the back. He looks a little more relaxed, though it's more defeated by pain than actual ease of comfort.

"When was your last massage?"

Angela will give him a moment to relish the moment of respite, for now, but she wants to get him up as soon as he's ready to move.

Mystery of the Missing Invention? i also don't actually know what steampunk involves whoops

[nekomatsume]

[look, his work station may be a complete and total mess but Ichimatsu knows damn well when someone's been in and taken something.

It's why here's here now, waiting with tense agitation outside of the detective's office. His fingers, calloused from years of work, fiddle determinedly with a small box in his hand. Gears are stationary within it, prevented from movement due to the missing piece he was going to install earlier that day--

A lever pops out and he jams it back in, negativity simmering in the air around him. Where the hell was this dumbass detective, anyway?]

[shotfuns]

"A week ago?" Maybe. Something like that. Gabriel straightens up a little as she stops massaging his thigh. "At least, one here. Alejandra will massage my foot and calf... I can't convince her not to... Not that I try very hard." He smiles a little.

He looks Angela over. She's looking at him patiently, steadily, her hand light on his knee. "Do you want me to get up?" He shifts a little, glances to his wheelchair - it's clunky, but it gets him around, even if it makes his butt fall asleep after a while. He got onto the bench by himself to wait, and he's sure he can get himself back into the wheelchair.

[cadeuces]

"Well, if you'll still have me at the end of the day, we'll be sure a week won't go by without one. Is Alejandra your wife?"

She's smiling to see him relaxed as well as the little quirk there at his lips, feeling out his leg through the thick material of his sweats to determine much of what he'd already said, as well as give her an idea of the damage. She can feel the muscle loss and the damage, the thick scars settling up along the inside of his leg. The burns.

"When you're ready. It's fine to take a few moments; I'm in no rush."

When he is ready, however, he won't have to do it alone.

Dr. K | OC | OTA

[abyss_also_gazed]

((No iii/iv/v/viii))

it can be anything we want

[relieable]

[said dumbass detective has been running late all morning, due to the fact that he slept in. he also stopped for breakfast even though he knows how late he is. Osomatsu is by far the laziest detective on the planet, maybe the laziest person on the planet. he's also working for himself, so he can be late if he wants. that's what he says, anyway. but, really, almost two hours late? how does he get any business?

well, someone is waiting for him right now, so lucky him!

the sound of his bike (which is also pretty slow, and it doesn't ride very smoothly, just kind of putters along) is heard over the din of the city outside. it dies down as he parks, and what follows is a very loud curse word, coming from Osomatsu himself. when he wanders in, he is agitated, scrubbing at a large coffee stain that got all over his outfit. thank goodness he's wearing black]

Today suuuucks! [he whines to anyone listening as he stomps up the steps. he comes to the second floor and finally notices the other man person standing in front of his doorway] ...Please tell me you haven't been waiting for very long.

[shotfuns]

"No, I'm not married. Alejandra is my baby sister." Gabriel shakes his head. "I joined the Marines right out of high school, never had time to marry anybody." He shifts, bracing himself more upright against the bench. "Not that I wanted to even between tours, with the horror stories my men told." He reaches out to grab his wheelchair and drag it over.

He pulls it over, but has to take a few steadying breaths. His arms are still weak - damaged themselves in the blast - and getting himself back into the chair was always tough.