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the alternate universe meme

how to play
1. post with your character, name and canon in the subject line.
2. feel free to mention which aus you’re willing or not willing to play in the body of the comment.
3. tag by rolling for an alternate universe setting using rng.
4. or tag by picking whatever au you’d like to play in most.
5. have fun!

alternate universes
i - all human: in an all human au, characters who are canonically vampires, werewolves or superheroes, are now humans, with corresponding changes to their backstories.

ii - apocalypse: a portmanteau of "apocalypse fic", apocafic is fiction set during or after some sort of apocalypse, or end of the world. some canons carry a built-in apocalypse against which the protagonists are fighting: in apocafic, they lose. for example, apocafic in stargate and x-files is usually set after the alien occupation; supernatural apocafic is set on a demon-controlled earth.

iii - band: an alternate universe in which the characters are members in, or form a band. often, the instruments they plan and their roles in the band are analogous to their canon identities. for example, tony stark might be cast as the fame-hungry lead singer who is also a musical genius, or river tam might be a classically trained pianist who, after a terrible experience at julliard, writes songs for mal reynold's grunge rock band, serenity.

iv - circus: circus aus are a popular trope in fanfic and sometimes fanart. using a circus as a setting means introducing the characters to each other in a close-knit community. that can help break down barriers between them and make them bond together against the outside world which may not understand them as well as the other characters do. it also brings a sense of adventure and the idea that this world may have different rules and everything is possible. a circus can also be a good place for characters to go undercover and meet the love of their lives.

v - coffee shop: the barista au (or coffeeshop au, or the closely related bakery au) is a popular fanfiction trope in livejournal fandoms. in most cases, one half of the main pairing is the barista and the other is or becomes their favorite customer; in some stories the whole cast works at a coffee shop. this trope is especially popular in fandoms where one character is very attached to coffee, either in canon or in fanon, or is frequently stressed.

vi - college/high school: college fic is a popular genre of fanfic (less often a genre of fanart) that places characters together in college or another secondary institution such as the starfleet academy in star trek fic (then called "academy fic"). this can be canon stories, for example backstory if characters have or could have met during college, or college aus, similar to high school aus. in science fiction, historical or fantasy fandoms the present day college au is a popular subgenre of the modern au that puts fantastic or historical characters in more mundane everyday settings.

vii - cop/detective: an alternate universe in which the characters are cast as cops or investigators of some kind. often, the canon villain is also cast as the villain in the story. this might be set in modern times, or in a noir-like environment, complete with gangsters and femme fatales.

viii - daemons: his dark materials is a fantasy trilogy by philip pullman. the trilogy consists of the golden compass (1995; published in the uk as northern lights), the subtle knife (1997), and the amber spyglass (2000). there are currently two companion novellas: lyra's oxford (2003) and once upon a time in the north (2008). a movie adaptation of the first book was released in theatres in late 2007. humans have their souls living outside their body in the form of an animal companion. males have female souls and females have male souls. the animals often correspond to the character’s personality.

ix - fantasy: an alternate universe populated with fantastical characters like elves, dwarves, unicorns, sorcerers, and dragons. canon characters might be cast as analogous races (e.g. clint barton or katniss everdeen as elf archers) or they might be humans in a fantastical setting. characters also might be able to secretly shape-shift into another form, like a dragon, and therefore is related closely to were/vampire/supernatural aus.

x - historical: a historical au is a fanwork which moves characters into a different historical period than their canon setting. typically this involves taking "contemporary" characters (from the late 20th century or 21st century) and putting them in an earlier historical period (such as the 19th century or before). popular settings for historical aus include: pirates, america's old west, britain's regency period, ancient rome, a vague facsimile of medieval england such as robin hood, and many others.

xi - hooker/porn/stripper: hookerfic is a type of fanfic where one or more of the characters is a sex worker. there are many different types of hookerfic, ranging from more realistic depictions to the more common pretty woman-type fantasy of a hooker with a heart of gold, rescued from life on the streets by a client. sex work of all kinds is portrayed—brothels, escorts, street prostitution, "call-girls" as well as strippers and go-go boys.

xii - magic: magic aus are alternate universe fanworks that incorporate magic in fandoms where there is no magic present in canon. (or in some cases, fanworks that make a canon with magic more magical.) they differ from elf aus in that there may be magic without any elves showing up, and are opposites of all human and mundane aus.

xiii - neighbors/roomates: an alternate universe where the canon characters live next-door to one another, or in the same apartment building or complex, or in the same apartment. often, this is also an all-human au, if the canon characters are powered in some way. the forced proximity is usually used to create romantic tension between characters.

xiv - space/sci-fi: a space au is an alternate universe where a source set on earth is transported into space; works are often referred to as "[fandom] in spaaaaaaaaace!" the trope can be a form of crackfic, but often includes surprisingly serious reinterpretations of the most earthbound of sources, particularly historical fiction written or set before space exploration. cyberpunk trappings such as robots, cyborgs and ais are often included.

xv - steampunk: steampunk was originally a term for a sub-genre of speculative fiction that imitated 19th century "scientific romances" like the work of jules verne and h.g. wells. later, the term was applied to a general aesthetic involving styles that would be "futuristic" from the perspective of the 19th century. steampunk appears in fanworks as both a genre and an aesthetic. there are some fandoms for which the canon is steampunk(-ish), e.g. the secret adventures of jules verne, but more often it is found as steampunk alternate universe.

xvi - western: the western is a genre of fiction set in the later half of the 19th century in the western part of north america, especially the united states, but also canada and mexico. sometimes also included in the genre are stories about western-type characters and plots in other settings, e.g. "space westerns" (in science fiction settings) and contemporary westerns (set in the western part of contemporary north america).

xvii - were/vamp/supernatural: a reversal of the all-human, in these fics characters who are normally human are now supernatural creatures of some kind the most common being werewolves or vampires.

xviii - choose your own: self-explanatory! choose your own option.

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[ He eyes her, clearly not convinced — but she's already blathering on again and on the move, so there's no point in prying. It's hardly his business at this point, is it? Carefully he settles back into the bed, pursing his lips. There's nothing for it; he is stuck here until he is more recovered, and he must simply hope those bounty hunters did not have compatriots. ]

Mmm.

[ Ah, well. At least he had the luck of stealing from a doctor. And she's easy on the eyes, to boot. Could be worse. ]

[ It takes just a relatively short while for her to put together a weak vegetable broth for him, which she holds above her head to place it on the edge of the loft, before climbing the ladder herself. Her sudden retreat gave her ample time to compose herself, ]

You know, there has been something that I have thought about many times while you were sleeping...

[ Bringing the bowl with her, she sits on the edge of the bed with a solemn expression on her face. ]

We have placed our lives in one another's hands, and I do not even know your name! This will not do!

"For about ten years."

And he'd known that he would become one eventually for a few years before that. Zyabqot simply wanted him to grow into a physically adult age first so he would be more useful as an emissary. Below the age, it's just harder to be taken serious.

"And I hope to remain so for a long time to come."

"I hope so, too," Ashley said, eyes flicking briefly over Mago. He liked Mago, and wanted very much to know more of him. He was glad, too, to know that Mago was not very much older than him, although Mago seemed older, because of his knowledge and competence compared to Ashley.

He saw lights up ahead, though he wasn't sure if it was a house, a village, or the whole city ahead of them. "What about the city?" he asked, wary of all the new and strange things ahead of them. "Is it safe? Is it friendly?"

That comment surprised him, and he didn't quite know what to make of it. Coming from anyone else, he would have gone through all the possible implications and tucked it away, watching future interactions warily to see if it led somewhere, but Ashley seemed so ...not innocent, no, but naive, perhaps. Easily told no, and actually taking that no without anything following later.

He tried to brush over that and only inclined his head, though, moving on to think on how to answer the other question.

"It is no one thing - thousands of people live there, humans and Kindred, locals and traders, those who were born here and those who come from far away. At first, I would recommend staying inside the household's walls and only leaving in company, so you can learn its ways safely and comfortably. It will be ...very different from what you are used to. There will be much more people, and places, and voices and rules for conducting interactions than what you knew back in that manor you used to live in."

"I understand," he said, obedient. He was pleased to know that he'd be allowed to leave the household at all, though he felt no urgency to explore. As Mago said, he had much to learn, and he was content to take his time learning things from within the safety of the household that would be his new sanctuary. "I'll be glad to get to your lady's household."

Patting his horse's neck, Ashley fell quiet again, fatigued from traveling and the stresses of the past day. His questions could wait. Letting his eyes rest, he trusted to his horse to follow the road.

They travelled in silence until they reached the city, at which point Mago took the lead. The city gates of this specific city were never truly closed at night. Elsewhere, Kindred might need to work around human custom to not stick out, but here they were a well known factor of city life.

The streets are fairly quiet, though, most of the more nightly residents not the kind to clamour in the streets and unable to drink their life away in the bars. Not that there is nobody out, but for city life, it is quiet.

They ride for a while before they reach a richer area and finally Mago gets off his horse and knocks at a gate in one of the walls. A little while later, an elderly man pushes the gate open, peers out at them and then opens it fully so they can lead their horses in.

"I was wondering when you would return."

Mago gestures for Ashley to bring himself and his horse in the small open space behind the gate, behind which stables can be seen.

"There were unforseen complications."

Ashley dismounted from the horse, leading it through the gate. He pressed close against his horse's side, watching Mago for cues about how to behave. "Hello," he said, nervous of giving offense, but wanting to ensure that his horse got the grooming Mago had promised. His horse and Mago were his only allies in this unknown place, and Mago was still an unknown. "My horse needs care. Urgently. It has been hungry and neglected, and may have sores from being ridden in this state."

The man looked at Ashley, and then the horse, and then shot a quick glance towards Mago, who simply nodded.

"Of course. I'll see to this beauty here being treated to everything that he needs to recover."

After locking the door behind them, he took the horses from Ashley and Mago and led it off into the stables. Mago, meanwhile, came over towards the vampire. "Come inside. My lady should have seen most of those under her patronage by now."

Ashley's lips flickered up briefly in a smile of hope at how the servant spoke of the horse. He stayed near the horse just long enough to ensure that the servant took the reins without spooking the high-tempered horse, and then returned his full attention to Mago.

"All right," he said, patting the bag that he had over his shoulder and drawing back his hood to show off his long red hair. He shook it out, adjusting the golden crescent he'd set into it as adornment and checking that the gems still hung from his ears. He was in desperate need of a bath and a thorough grooming, but his natural beauty was striking even through the neglect. "Do I look suitable?"

[ Her absence allows him a moment to look over his surroundings, as well as just... reflect. The loft is tidy and well-kept, decorated just enough to make it feel like a home. There's nothing here that speaks of a man's presence, or the presence of anyone else but her, really. A foreign medical woman, living on her own in the world of white men? Fancy that.

The clink of a bowl catches his attention, and he eyes her somewhat suspiciously as she returns to his bedside. He's expecting some serious conversation, something to do with what's happened — and then it's a name. He steals her horse, gets her captured by bounty hunters, thrown in jail... and she wants to know his name. ]

You are very odd.

[ It seems like he may leave it at that but, after a moment's consideration spent studying her face, he finally offers: ]

Sesi.

[ His own name feels strange in his mouth. He can't remember the last time he spoke it aloud. ]

[ A kidnapping was not expected. Up until this point, the Galra had only been leaving harmless threats and occasionally sent someone to attempt to break into the labs where Voltron was being developed. Nothing had prepared them for the escalation.

Especially not the kidnapping of Coran. That is more motivation for Allura to listen than anything else could have been, because while she might have been willing to dismiss a threat to her own life, her people are different. ] I would object if you were to attempt to leave me behind. Coran is like a second father to me, I will not simply wait while he is rescued.

[ Altea was mostly a peaceful country, but even the most peaceful of countries had their dark sides. It's why they are presenting the tech they are, why they had incentive to develop it in the first place.

So when Shiro mentions the possibility that it won't be pretty, Allura can easily and quickly translate that into reality: there will be a showdown, possible injuries, maybe even the death of someone. Multiple someones. Which is far from the reality she faced in her country.

But war is never pretty, and while Altea might not be at war - Allura's a politician, prepped to expect this possibility. She nods sharply at Shiro, then extends her arms to look down at her outfit, white and likely to stand out and pick up any stains. ] Should I put on something less obvious?

[ Her shoulders slump with an obvious relief. Finally, after a week of "the patient" and "the outlaw," she has a name for the man who saved her. Beaming brightly, she tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear. ]

It is lovely to finally meet you, Sesi! My name is Hajalimala.

[ Odd only begins to describe her presence here in midwest America. But it is something she has carved out for herself, and that she can be proud of. ]

Though that is too much for most westerners. Doc Haj is what the townspeople here call me.

Open.

[ Scooping up a spoonful of the broth, she holds the wooden spoon at eye-level, waiting on him. ]

[ Hajalimala. He's not surprised that the people around here can't get through it; hell, with his Ojibwe tongue it still seems like a mouthful. ]

Haj, then.

[ Speaking this is about as long as his mouth stays open; the moment that spoon is leveled to his face it snaps shut, allowing him to give her a look like she's grown a second head. Yes, he was shot, and yes, he is weak and exhausted — but that doesn't make him a damned invalid. Pointedly he lifts his hand to close his fingers around the spoon just before her grip, taking the utensil from her to feed himself. This done, he offers it back to her, while glancing around the loft. ]

You have no husband?

[ Far from being put off by his stubbornness, she brightens with delight that her patient, Sesi, is well enough. Quickly, she fills the spoon again, eagerly holding it out for him to take. ]

No, um, not anymore. But-- he died a long time ago, during our journey to America.

[ It isn't painful to speak of Ranjeet, per say. Not anymore. But she rushes to explain that, for fear of someone thinking she needed comfort still. ]

[ Really? This is how we're doing it? He accepts the spoon again while offering her a look that communicates his opinion on him being literally spoon-fed. ]

Hm.

[ While common courtesy would normally encourage any decent person to offer condolences, it seems he has none to give. Social niceties haven't been his strong point for a very long time. Hell, this is probably the longest conversation he's had in six years, barring perhaps chatting with whores while they're on the clock for his dollar. ]

From India? [ The country's name is offered somewhat derisively, though not for the place itself, but for the name his people have been given because of a white man's ignorance. ] And you decided to stay and tend to the white men instead of going home?

[ But she's allowing him to feed himself! It is different, is it not?

Her lips press together as if trying to hide a smile, to which she only puts forth a passing effort to do. ]

I do not think going home would change that, as long as my country remains under British rule. But I understand what it is that you are saying.

While I do miss my country dearly, it does not hold the same opportunity for me that America does.

[ It's a practiced answer, one that she has given a hundred times to anyone who asks. And it's even mostly true. America is a land of endless opportunity is easier to accept without question than the full truth of it, which would be that she is not welcome back, and if she were to return, then she'd be driven to a life of poverty and degradation. ]

[ Surely any hot-blooded American would accept an answer like that. This is the land of opportunity and freedom, after all; anyone can chase their dreams here and, with hard work and the sweat off their brow, can achieve whatever their heart's desire may be.

Unless you're the ones who originally occupied this land, of course. Then the "American Dream" idea might sit a little sour in your mouth. That would explain the way he scoffs out a laugh at her, offering a look that speaks volumes: You and I know better. ]

Rehearsed that one, did you? If your mother India treats you worse than the white men here, then I pity you.

[ Harsh words, even if he doesn't mean them as such. He shifts himself up a bit more on the bed, though he's unable to keep back a pained grunt as he does so, his wounds throbbing and lungs still suffering from their ordeal. He works his lips together a moment, staring up at the ceiling. ]

Why are you taking care of me? I stole your horse, and nearly got you hanged.

[ While she's one of considerable patience, he certainly does what he can to test it. But he isn't the first to speak honestly, brutally so-- pain often does that to people. What's rare about it is that he does so with an understanding of the hurdles placed before them that few others show. Breathing deeply, she sets the wooden bowl to the side. ]

Because you are wounded, and I am a doctor. And while it is true that with you, there was the chance I would have been hanged, I think that without you... my fate would have been certain.

[ Hesitating, she bites her lower lip before finding the courage to take his hand between both of hers. ]

Why were those men chasing you?

Edited 2017-02-27 04:34 (UTC)

[ He remembers, briefly and still somewhat in patches, their time in the cell together. He remembers the man throwing her against a wall. There was considerable satisfaction in the feeling of his blood erupting beneath his blade. The only disappointment he has is that the man couldn't hurt more before he died.

The feel of two hands around his own jars him back to the moment, and he stares at her; then her hands; then back at her again. He's not keen on being touched most of the time like this, even by the prostitutes he's fancied.

Of course, this woman isn't a prostitute. She's far prettier. His lips purse together before he answers, his tone thoughtful. ]

I have a habit of paying little respect to the laws set by the oppressors of my people. They take it personally when a redskin beats them at their own game.

[ That game being theft and murder, of course. These were not the first men he's killed, and they will not be the last. ]

More will come; the bounty's too high for them to be off my scent for long. Once I'm on my feet again, I'll be on my way.

Edited 2017-02-28 01:27 (UTC)

"More so than most men would, coming off the road."

He gives Ashley an encouraging smile and then ushers him inside, leading him down a hallway and through an atrium into a smaller room and then knocking on the door on the other side of it. If Ashley watches him, he will notice how the companionable ease falls away completely from him as they walk, being replaced by sober formality.

"Lady Zyabqot? The lord Ashley is here now."

A female voice answers from inside. "Bring him in, then."

Mago opens the door and lets Ashley step through the door, following after him and closing it again behind himself.

The room is small and tastefully furnished, by the hands of someone who both has significant wealth and prefers to let it show in ways as understated as possible. Everything in the room is made only of the finest materials, but nothing in it is pompous. A simple table with a thin ornament made of gold and precious stones running around its edges, three chairs around it, one of which the woman who replied is sitting on, documents strewn over the table's surface that she seems to have poured over until she was interrupted. Two chests and a shelf lined with more documents, some of them thick enough to probably contain ten rolls or more. A low table in a corner holds a few goblets.

The woman herself is dressed much in the same manner as the room: Her clothes speak of high status in how they are made and with the colours they sport, but she wears close to no jewelry and her hairstyle seems to have been chosen mostly for practical considerations. She stands when Ashley enters and gestures for one of the chairs. "Welcome to my house. It is good to see that you made it here safely. We worried a bit - you were expected yesterday." Her eyes go to Mago at that, briefly, raising a displeased eyebrow, but she's completely back with Ashley just a moment later, dismissing the ghoul from the conversation.

Ashley looked around, bewildered, as he entered the room. The taste and expense of the room appealed to him, but the practical good sense of it--and, moreso, its inhabitant--bewildered him.

He sat in the chair as though he wasn't entirely sure what chairs were, and looked around himself again in confusion. She was a scholar--but not like his brother Arkady--and a ruler--but not like his father.

"I am... grateful for your hospitality," Ashley said, stumbling over his words in his uncertainty. "And the sanctuary of your household. Please forgive our delay. I was ill-prepared for travel."

"How so? If you do not mind the question."

She walks over to the table in the corner once seated and picks up two of the goblets to hand them to Mago, who takes them and quickly and quietly vanishes back out through the doorbefore sitting back down where she was when the two men entered.

"And I mean it when I say that I am glad to have you." She flashes him a grin. "I was blessed to have worked with your sire, and would like to see you follow in his footsteps eventually. But everything in its time."

"I was..." Ashley's brow furrowed, struggling with the question, because he was not fully aware of reality in his former situation. Traveling with Mago had anchored him, but now he was in a new place of uncertainty, being quizzed on his past reality, and his mind faltered. "Hungry. Alone. My horse--Mago said it would be well cared for here. It has not been groomed. It is hungry."

He looked around again, seeming younger by the second, lost in this strange place and confronted with questions that his sanity could not grasp. "Is Arkady here?" he asked, eyes returning to Zyabqot, though his gaze was hazy and unfocused. "My brother. He went to Egypt. To study. He should have returned by now."

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