(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

[bravejemma]

[Jemma likes Skye, too, although it's not hard to see Ward's feelings go somewhere beyond "care," as she does, for a friend. She may yet see the advantages -- but given how much Skye likes an underdog, Jemma doesn't feel confident.]

Sure. I mean, if you're buying...

[busdriver]

[May doesn't introduce herself often, working in an administrative capacity. She prefers to pass through quickly and quietly, and more senior agents tend to prefer that too. Before they closed the doors behind them, this interaction wasn't meant to seem out of the ordinary.

In the presence of Jemma's coworkers, all May said was that she needed a minute for something about Jemma's transfer. It sounded like a clerical error, something they could fix with a signature in the right place. She didn't hint knowing that it's a big deal of an assignment, being handpicked for a brand new team. It's no wonder Simmons objected to the interruption, but it's also no wonder she relented at May's insistence—Jemma wouldn't want her documentation to be incomplete, not if she's as by the book as she seems.

There's nothing wrong with being by the book. It's completely fair to be uneasy with the amount of protocol they're throwing out the window here. May comes to stand behind one of the chairs. Her tense body language might read like she's not completely comfortable herself.]

I told you this was about your transfer. It is. That's your team leader's medical history, only he doesn't know about it. Can't know about it.

[iisupergirlii]

[if you're still interested in this meme! do you have any AU preferences? Because I love literally everything AU, and I've seen your Rosa around before and always found her cute!!]

[inkbled]

( omgosh, always! I'm winding down for the night/generally slow af, but I'd love to play around. I need to watch Supergirl tbh, she seems so adorable )

[iisupergirlii]

["something horror based with loads of action" is my JAM. I'm not picky about what specific horrors they can face. interested in Kara? And do you have any faves?]

[iisupergirlii]

[she is the cutest of patooties. I fell in love with her the second I started watching, haha. Have a good night and let me know if anything in particular piques your interest! :)]

if only the game went this route, if only

[fatefully]

( his boyfriend is the absolute worst. noctis grumbles about it literally the entire time he's pulling his own boots own. what kind of lover doesn't answer and makes noct trudge out into the stable at this time of morning? besides the kind that didn't hear him, besides that kind. ugh. if he wasn't concerned about scaring the birds, he'd just holler again. he had a good enough guess where prompto is and it was confirmed the second he stepped off the porch.

noctis likes animals and he likes the big fluffy birds well enough. he just doesn't necessarily care for the smell of a stable as much as prompto seems to. he does, however, have a soft spot like a mile wide trench for the sight of him crouched there soothing one of his birds. it's way too early to be sappy. )

Tell me about it.

( that's a complaint about a certain someone leaving him cold in the bed. he's going to have to be bitter about that for at least another hour. doesn't stop him from trudging over to prompto setting a hand on his shoulder the same time he crouches down, he presses a warm kiss to a spot just above prompto's ear as way of greeting, before he just yawns against him. enjoy your sleepy boy. eventually, he turns his attention to the bird. he stretches a hand out to pet through the soft feathers on her neck. )

Hey, girl. He's out here stressing you out again? ( he teases, because, honestly, the way prompto stresses, you'd think he was the one about to lay eggs. he fusses over the birds too much. ) You couldn't sleep a little longer?

( still salty about being awake at this time. you're gonna hear about this all morning. )

[cadeuces]

"Are you cold? The thermostat's at 65 but I have some blankets." Yeah, she didn't miss him tugging at the fitted sheet over the table, not that it will work too well. But he's easing to her touch and she's especially gentle at his scarring, bracing the skin on either side so she isn't tugging when she works into the muscle before going back to work at the scar tissue. It helped keep elasticity malleable so it wouldn't tighten over time, making him uncomfortable down the road with tough scars.

But his comeback gets a soft huff of a laugh out of her and she just shakes her head, focusing on her work. When his leg twitches in her hand as she works into a knotted bit of scarring, though, she eases up and glances to see him wince. "I'm sorry— the skin's healing taut, I'll work on keeping this loose for you. I know they're sore but if you ever do this at home, you should focus on the scarring."

gotta petition sqex for the chocofarm dlc

[inlay]

[nothing, prompto decides, nothing could possibly be more welcome than his sweet, grumpy boyfriend, still full of sleepy warmth, coming by to give him a kiss on the head at ass o' clock in the morning. he slings one bare arm over noct's shoulders, he returns the kiss, planting his lips on the side of noct's forehead. he wants to ruffle noctis's hair, too, but he figures that's a mistake — his fingers reek of chocobo musk, and noct doesn't like the smell. sigh. it'll just have to wait until after he washes his hands.]

I'm not stressing her out! She stresses herself out! She freaks out if there's no one to watch her, she's kind of weird...

[well, no less weird than prompto himself, really. the poor pregnant chocobo clucks softly and rubs her face against noctis's outstretched hand. prompto smiles to see it. they don't breed race chocobos on the farm, exactly, but they've got a collection of exotic rare ones on account of prompto's chocobo-charming adventures; the chocobo mare is a rare one, with sleek black feathers and an elegant tail, and secretly, prompto thinks she looks a little bit like noct.]

Look, I know you sleep like you're six feet under, but she's been crying all morning. If I don't get her through this now, she's just gonna hold her egg in all day.

[shotfuns]

"A blanket would be nice, yeah." Normally, he wouldn't have been cold, but after the explosion, he has been. More easily cold, anyways. "And it's alright. I've been trying to massage my leg, too, but my arms are still pretty torn up, and it's awkward asking your ma to rub your thigh..." He just about knew for a fact she would do it if he asked, but he didn't want to ask. "She does my arms and my back for me, at least."

TO BE REAL, i wanted it and was really upset it wasn't a thing. cloud had his own chocobo farm...

[fatefully]

( prompto really is too awake for the time, too energetic, too loud, too awake. like he's a morning person. the arm wrapped around his shoulders offers a little warmth and really just reminds noct of the bed they've left behind. he's the biggest fan of warm lazy mornings in bed, but prompto has to go and guilt him about their bird crying and he can't even complain after that.

she really doesn't like to be alone, huh. he curls his fingers to rub at a spot she likes, before he smooths down her feathers. he hums just a little under his breath, and totally doesn't think this cute chocobo rubbing against his hand and his boyfriend are alike. both are equally prone to becoming frazzled. she just has a better reason this time. )

Kind of weird, though? Sounds like someone else I know. Don't you think so, girl?

( a bundle of nerves, the both of them. )

[raventonbeauty]

[Color me super intrigued. I'm familiar with some of the WoD properties, though none relevant (Changeling, Werewolf:Forsaken, and Hunter) enough to give me any knowledge of ghouls or vampires in WoD canon other than what's in your journal. Ashley here is also from a vampire canon--he's human, but he AUs very naturally into vampire. I'd be up for just about any historical-fantasy AU.]

[inlay]

[the chocobo warks in response, like she understands the question. prompto, for his part, rolls his eyes and leans forward just enough to give noctis a full kiss on the mouth.

then he goes right back to giving the bird a neck rub. well, a one-handed neck rub, anyway. prompto just can't bear to move his other arm and leave spoiled baby noct all cold and lonely.]

...If I can keep her relaxed, it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. If you want, you can go back to bed, and I'll come back and snuggle once I'm done here.

[padadin]

((ooc: sorry for the slowness, I have a some busy RL days ahead of me. But I'll keep tagging this, I'm loving this thread!!!)

[Surprisingly, Shiro doesn't mind her looking at him. He is used to it, the entire team is used to it. They make a funny bunch when eating all together at a random pizza place, looks are part of their lives. Being studied should bother him, but in this context? He's just glad to work with someone that pays attention and absorbs information. It'll make things easier for everyone.

He has to wonder for a second if Allura picked on his team's ages during the day. They didn't talk much during their whole "standing around being serious" job, but it's not like shades and hats hide that much either.

His dark eyes follow her pacing, taking in the details like her movements and height.]

Mostly, sure, but they're slowly making their way into more "official" powers. Like illegal weapons for the military. [He arches an eyebrow.] I don't want to be rude, miss, but I sincerely doubt that's all you know. You've been targeted for a reason, and I'd rather hear any information your country may have from you than getting Green to hack your government's computers.

[There's conviction in his voice, not doubting for a second that his teammate can do so. And speaking of teammates... he can hear Pidge complaining in his earpiece. She is all ready to go, why can't she have some fun? All the boys chuckle, not taking her side for a change - now she knows how bored they are, too.]

Besides, I'm sure a good, efficient group of politicians like yours don't leave all their data in there.

[bravejemma]

[Well this certainly got even more interesting very quickly. There's about twelve different alarm bells going off in her head, hounding her about how many laws and regulations she's flouting right now, but to her credit, was doing very well at keeping it inside. For the moment.

Her hands folded on the table in front of her and face pleasantly vague, she responds.]

I'm sorry, but this is an actual procedure that has been performed on someone? Who is still alive?

[fatefully]

( if he's spoiled, who's fault is that? anyway, he sure isn't a stressed chocobo, but prompto's charm and kiss works well enough on grouchy, sleepy boyfriends too. he turns his head into the crook of prompto's neck and shoulder and sighs, considering if it's close enough to a pillow for a nap and considering the pros and cons of heading back to bed to wait. it's tempting, as much as he loves watching prompto work his charm on the birds. they adore him. who wouldn't?

in the end, he snorts at the promise of snuggling and pulls away, standing up to brush off imaginary dirt and chocobo grime. bed wins. )

What, you think snuggling is all that's going to happen?

[directorofhydra]

I can spring for some potato chips.

[He hesitates. This is a far more relaxed Ward then most of the team has seen. It's awkward. Gangly. A little unusual.] What kind?

[inlay]

[even in the lantern light, it's plain to see how prompto's ears redden a little bit at that remark. his hand falters a little bit as he pats the black female chocobo, prompting her to tilt her head at him in confusion.]

Nooooct... not in front of the chocobos!

[...as if chocobos care if their owners are getting it on...

but all the same, prompto rubs the back of his neck and pouts up at noctis, suddenly desperately praying that this bird isn't the fussy type and won't take two or three hours to lay her egg. there's a mountain of chores to do around the farm, sure, but... the prospect of noctis and a warm bed is just so damn tempting.]

...Dammit, now I'm not gonna be able to think about anything else!

ok wow i just stumbled on a certain thread someone had TALKING ABOUT NOCT'S SMALL DICK i'm dying

[fatefully]

( who just promised it'd only be a few minutes?

noct puts a hand on a cocked hip, smirking at the pouty look he's getting. it's cute that he still gets flustered and gets shy in front of the birds. like he isn't intimately acquainted with their chocobo's sex lives. prompto's cute, period. painfully attractive. the lantern's glow is warm and flattering, coloring his hair a shade warmer and highlighting his freckles.

noctis loves that he's so easy to tease, that one little mention is all it takes to rile him up. )

Good. M-Mm... ( he stretches, lazy and like a cat, shirt hiking up juuust enough to show skin. ) Maybe you'll be ready when you come to bed.

LOOK gladio says it not prompto also ty i forgot to put that in my tracker

[inlay]

[look, his birds are pure even when they're making babies! they don't need to know what their dads get up to at night! ...and in the morning! ...and sometimes in the afternoon!

(anyway, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to lay an egg with the right amount of coaxing. just. some birds are finicky.)

prompto's eyes linger on that little strip of skin long after noct's shirt hikes back down; for a moment, there's a pang at the back of his teeth like his mouth is watering, and all thoughts of the chocobo and her egg are knocked quite neatly out of his head. ugh. he closes his eyes. he needs to concentrate. he needs to stop thinking about his disgustingly cute boyfriend when one of his birds has a problem. what kind of rancher is he?

a very childish one, apparently, as in his pouting he's decided to just turn around and sulk at his beleaguered chocobo.]

Well, you heard him, princess. Let's make this quick so we can both end our suffering, yeah? Come on, girl...

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad | Assassin's Creed

[thwry]

( particularly interested ii, iv, viii, xi & xvii!

IF ANYONE CAN SAY THAT ABOUT ANYONE, it's gladio...

[fatefully]

( oh, and they're not pure? well, noctis wouldn't even argue that one. they aren't. they're young and... adventurous.

so easy. he can't help feeling smug at the way prompto's eyes linger over the little sliver of skin he teased with. it's dumb when he knows he doesn't even need to tease, prompto would be back in bed anyway just to spoil him. noct is lucky like that. afterwards, the two of them can handle things around the farm when it's actually a reasonable time of day. preferably after breakfast.

and as lazy and sleepy as he is, teasing prompto about maybe doing more than some early morning cuddling has noct interested in the worst way. any other morning, prompto would be just as likely to finally make it back to the bedroom to find noctis back asleep.

it's still a possibility. )

It'll be a breeze with your expert coaching. ( he finally turns to leave, waving over his shoulder as he goes. ) Don't take too long.

( he has every intention to kick his boots back off at the door and pull his clothes off and bury himself back into their sheets. )

probably "ayyyyy man", like i'm practicing a bad accent while checkin' out the goods

[alterplex]

[ It’s a shame that Frost stops the ‘music’— Venom actually likes that one. “I see you crying and I want to kill your friends” are the kind of lyrics that he thinks Kaz would hum between his paperwork, but now’s not the time to let his mind wander, is it?

The unconscious sentry gets left behind, propped against a beam in mock-attention. He’ll come to after the storm’s passed, when the rest of his comrades will want a head to answer to the failure of their mission.

Venom should slit his throat as an act of mercy, but here’s the reasoning for why he doesn’t: it’d be too messy, and he’d take the scent of blood with him as he walks.

(So, instead: “Here’s to you.”)

He’s back on solid ground by the time Frost’s got the target under her weight, inching steadily towards the both of them as if he belongs there. Sentries can smell uncertainty; Venom’s left his on the ACC, along with his ego and his attachments. There’s something eerie about the pervasive sense of tranquility he slings on him like a second firearm, the neutrality with which he approaches a trapped man and his captor. His expression is steady, his concentration unpleasant.

Not as unpleasant as his Russian, though. That, that borders on travesty. Here is his attempt: ]

Scientist.

[ (Somewhere on Mother Base, Revolver Ocelot winces and tips his chin up to a higher power. Give me strength, John.)

This is still better than his Pashto (abysmal), but it’s probably for the best that Venom gets this ball rolling. He adds another single-worded question (”Where?”) to the mix, and makes sure that his line is connected for his interpreters to relay the stream of hushed words that chatter between fear-blue lips.

(Something along the lines of “on the second floor, now kill me before they do”.) ]

*fonzie voice* EYYYYY LMAO also look at me boomeranging, three cheers for me

[welcome_mat]

( Oh God, Venom. Your Russian. Why.

Frost doesn’t wince, not quite, but she does shoot him a judging glance as the guard squirms in her grip. Bro, do you even Operate? She’ll definitely be pushing him towards one on one time with Ocelot after the three of them are back on Mother Base. )

Spasibo.

( Death will find this man someday. But that day will not be today, and it will not be at Frost’s hands. The instant her blade is off his throat, she’s closing a blood choke around his neck, wrangling him like a troublesome calf as he struggles. His efforts bear no fruit - in a couple of seconds, he’s out like a light.

As hiding spots go, the slit trench will do for now. It’ll keep him out of sight from ground level, and they’ll get a good and loud heads-up if he comes to before they’re ready.

She swings the MP5 back around to put the stock to her shoulder, eyes fixed on the structure. There’s nothing in her gaze but determination - this mission will not fail, they will get Edelstein out of here in one piece...and the Soviets won’t know what the hell happened until the sun comes up, when they’ll be thirty minutes into the debriefing on Mother Base. )

I’ll take point.

( With that, she stands and makes entry into the structure.

Clearing a building is like riding the edge of a knife. You follow your walls, keep your weapon up, and pace your steps. All the while you’re on edge, eyes and ears straining for the creak of a door or the patter of footsteps or the flash of gunmetal, split-second cues that could make the difference between life and death for you and your comrades.

She’s almost to a staircase when she stops in her tracks, takes her off-hand from the foregrip, and clenches it into a fist. Freeze.

Through the doorway at her eleven o’clock are three soldiers, basking in the light of a camp lantern. Only one has his weapon in his hands - the other two lie slumped down against the wall, murmuring to each other in low tones about how much longer they have until their shifts on the OPs resume and the terrible quality of their rations and other miseries unique to soldiering.

They can’t creep by without getting blown, not while that lantern is still lit. Frost could take them on her own, but rushing in headlong like that just isn’t her style - and so she shoots Venom a questioning glance, as if to ask what now? )

LMFAO HOW EVEN it takes me like 50 hours to do one tag, pins a badge on you

[alterplex]

[ It's a familiar grind: watch out for rotted floorboards, bullet shells scattered on the floor, chairs propped haphazardly in inopportune places. Some missions give Venom enough wiggle room to cram resources into his ALICE pack, but he's not looking for diamonds today— just a doctor with his hard-earned vacation tan slowly flaking off with each day he's kept in dark isolation.

(If he turns out to be a skittish scientist with a monocle and a bad karate stance, Venom is going to have a good, long word with Ocelot.)

Now, the uniquely challenging portion of their mission lies in the absolute need for discretion. Venom stops in his tracks, hefts his HK33, and holds his breath while he lays out his plan of action in his mind's eye.

(One option is to pull out a folded cardboard box from his pack for cover. He lets that one go— he didn't bring enough for two.)

Ultimately he's going to have to bank on a creative distraction while Frost goes up and grabs the proverbial parcel. It's not ideal (raising any sort of alarm never is), but he has the distinct benefit of not running this mission solo on top of running this mission with someone he knows (trusts, operative word) to be capable.

So what he does is this: gesture to Frost to find some cover while he slithers back out of the building, scuffing his footprints out of the dust in his journey back into the elements. Of the four remaining hostiles out on front, one of them is still eagle-eyed into the distance, while the three with their AKs alternate on half-hearted patrols around the perimeter.

Incidentally, none of them are paying much attention to the area where the three assholes are inside and warming themselves up with the heat from a nice lantern, because of course they aren't. They have a window as a vantage point into the front, they can fucking look alive on their own.

Said window faces an open area with two foldout benches, an empty bottle of vodka, and a half-frozen radio.

Venom creeps towards the latter of the three, stomach to the ground and his elbows braced.

No one thinks to look outside as one gloved hand reaches for an obstinate tuner, fiddles with the volume, and gently cranks up Deniece Williams' high-pitched falsetto into the night sky.

"Let's hear it for the boy—"

All thee heads whip toward the source of the voice, and one of the Russians mutters "we need to replace that fucking piece of junk." This is, incidentally, Frost's cue. ]