(no subject)

[skygiants]

kiarasayre asked me for the Top Five AUs I Think Every Fandom Should Have.

Now, I will be honest here, I don't actually read all that many AUs. Nonetheless, I found when I searched my heart that there were several AUs that I firmly believed should exist for all fandoms!

1. The High School AU



Understand, for a long time, I thought I did not have particularly strong feelings about high school AUs. I did not realize how strong a hold they had taken on my fannish consciousness until I was skimming the AO3 archive one day and found not one - not two - but three separate Valdemar High School AUs (all of them, if I remember right, Vanyel/Tylendel.)

And it's not that I needed or wanted to read Valdemar High School AUs, particularly, but that sense of hilarious joy I felt at the sheer inevitability of fandom has brought me around. Yes, every fandom should have a high school AU. All serious interpersonal drama can INDEED be displaced onto the question of who asked whom to the prom. I EMBRACE THIS FACT FULLY, BRING IT ON.

2. Character [X] Is A Secret Petrelli



("On the one hand," thinks Ned the Piemaker, "this explains a lot. On the other hand: SO UNCOMFORTABLE.")

Okay, so you guys remember Heroes, that now-obscure show from a few years back that ended after one season at the height of its glory? Me too!

And remember how that show had a hilarious habit of revealing that various of its characters were . . . SECRET PETRELLIS? (Well, okay, only two that I'm actually thinking of, but Hiro was at least a sort of step-Petrelli and I'm sure we would have had more if nonexistent later seasons allowed.)

Anyway, it is a hilarious trend and one that I fully feel fandom should capitalize on more. In any situation where parentage is in doubt: SECRET PETRELLI. This has the handy advantage of allowing for a superpowers AU, as well as for HILARITY as otherwise-logical people have to cope that they have suddenly inherited the most ridiculous family in sff.

3. The Regency AU



Yes, this is basically just an excuse to dress everyone up in costume porn and add excessive Austenian ostentatiousness to their language. NO, I DO NOT CARE. (Actually there is no real reason that BSG should not just had everyone dressed this way anyway. It makes about as much sense as them all wearng 20th century business suits. Way not to commit to awesomeness, BSG!)

4. The AU Where Everyone Is Kate Beaton Characters



It is just a fact that everything is amazing when its characters become Kate Beaton characters. Les Miserables! Batman! For versions not written by La Beaton herself or terribly photoshopped by me, see Oooh Mister Chretomanci that just went up the other day and cemented my belief that you can never go wrong with a Kate Beaton homage. IT SHOULD EXIST FOR EVERYTHING.

5. Look around you.

Just . . . look around you.

Have you worked out what we're looking for?

For 9/10 of you at least, the answer is probably 'no,' but that is easy to fix!



(In this case, the answer is Maths. But if you enjoyed that there is MUCH MORE awaiting you.)

"Look Around You" is an amazing science show from the UK full of WELL-KNOWN TRUE SCIENCE FACTS, like, for example, the fact that germs come from Germany, every piano includes nineteen forbidden keys, and the largest number is forty-five billion. (Scientists suspect, though, that there may be even LARGER numbers! Like . . . forty-five billion and one????)

And, I mean, I dunno, I just happen to believe in my heart that every fandom could use an AU set in a universe where people polish their iron every Sunday, scientists regularly conduct earnest experiments to show that sulfur and champagne mixed together gives you LASER VISION and the question "What are birds?" can only be answered with "We just don't know."

You guys should tell me your favorite kind of AU! . . . you do not need to commit to terrible Photoshop to do so.

Comments

[ashen_key]

I. Am. Trying to picture these AUs. Naturally, with Avatar, because that's where my fannish brain is going.

I.

Um.

*dies laughing*

[skygiants]

PROOF POSITIVE OF MY THESIS. >:D >:D >:D

[newredshoes]

DAEMON AU.

Also, clearly WWII AU! Uh.

I am super predictable.

Also, genderswaps, ageswaps and all the historical periods you can think of. Also, West Wing/We run the government! AUs.

[newredshoes]

(By the way, Kate Beaton AU = BRILLIANCE. As is Lee Pace's face!)

[wickedtrue.livejournal.com]

No, no, wait wait. HIRO WAS A PETRELLI??????

[skygiants]

Well, he was never actually confirmed to be one . . . but on the other hand, we DO know that his dad had sex with Angela, and we never saw his mom! IN MY BOOK, THAT COUNTS.

[moonyazu9.livejournal.com]

OMG "Look Around You"!!!!! Love it!

I'm not a huge fan of AUs, but I do like when you take the traditional characters from a fandom and just put them in modern time. So I guess High School AU is alright by me.

[skygiants]

I'm often not a huge fan of modernizations, but there is something just so classically hilarious about the High School AU! (Also, I mean, She's The Man! Ten Things I Hate About You! IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR SHAKESPEARE, man.)

[batyatoon]

Every fandom needs a DARK MIRROR UNIVERSE AU!



... maybe that's just me.

[skygiants]

As we have previously discussed, my opinion is that that is just you being a horrible person. *giggling* At least when it comes to things that are already THEIR OWN Dark Mirror Universe AU!

. . . here is where I need and don't have a Drosselmeyer icon.

[nevacaruso.livejournal.com]

Although most fandom AUs are kind of hit or miss for me, one of my most beloved fandoms, X-Men: Evolution, is essentially the Canon High School AU That Works.

Speaking of which, I have always wanted to try the Mutant Powers AU, which is... pretty much what it says on the tin. Take an established fictional universe and give a certain percentage of the population X-Men-style super-powers. Extra bonus points if you integrate the issues of anti-mutant prejudice and so forth.

I've always wanted to try it with Death Note.

(Obviously, one must choose one's focus fandom carefully. This doesn't really work with high-magic fantasy worlds where some people can already light fires with their minds and so forth.)

[skygiants]

I totally love it best when canons do their own high school AUs! It is like a secret fandom injoke FOR THE WORLD.

(Yeah, one sort of has to take it as a given that these AUs only work for places where it's not already the case. Like, you can't really do a high school AU of Utena . . .)

[vivien]

I never saw the appeal of high school AUs... until I was devoured by them.

Now I think they are peachy damn keen. The Valdemar ones sound heee-larious.

[skygiants]

I love their existence so! Tylendel got KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL and he and Vanyel will NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN, it is everything a high school AU should be.

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHA PRINCESS TUTU/KATE BEATON. I HAVE NO MORE NEED OF LIFE; IT CANNOT GET BETTER THAN THIS. My love of wacky AUs cannot be measured by mortal man, I tell you what. (Actually, my favorite manga--Wild Adapter--has a canonical high school AU, in that the main characters originally appeared as high schoolers in a completely different setting until the creator decided to reuse them in a more serious story. In my head, that is an actual alternate universe, and no one can tell me different.)

And I remember the joys of Secret Petrellis! As I recall there was actually a comm about it called whackapetrelli or something, it will never stop amusing me. There might even have been one with Ned, or maybe I am just making things up, I don't know. I have vague memories of such a thing.

Also: Pokemon AUs. THE BEST AUS OF ALL. Can you imagine Tenma with a Chansey? I can imagine Tenma with a Chansey. In fact--

...give me a bit, I'm about to commit heresy with Photoshop.

[skygiants]

(Hahahaha I remembered hearing you talk about it, and EVEN THOUGH I don't know anything about Wild Adapter, it nonetheless filled me with joy to learn about the canonical high school AU!)

It is a joy that will never leave me, even though my days of being a proper Heroes fan are long over. I would be so unsurprised if there really was one with Ned - I mean, it's just too perfect! Ned keeps acquiring surpries family members, the Petrellis keep acquiring surpries family members, QUOD ERAT DEMONSTRATUM.

. . . .

You can't see me, but I'm making SHINY EYES OF DELIGHT AND HILARITY at the screen right now. *______*

[blacksheep91.livejournal.com]

I'd have to select High School AU, if only because one of my favorite fanfic series in progress is a very interesting one. And you can't beat Gurren Lagann's cannon OVA AU.

[skygiants]

There are no words for how hilarious I find the existence of canon high school AUs!

[doxorz.livejournal.com]

That FMA AU picture. LAUGHING FOREVER.

But high school AUs! I actually really like those and I'd kill for a well written FMA high school AU. (it would be so hilarious!)

[skygiants]

IT WOULD INDEED BE HILARIOUS. I seem to remember there being a few snippets of high-school-AU-in-progress around rawles' writing journal a while back . . .

(Meanwhile I think that your icon constitutes a regency AU in and of itself.)

[arefadedaway.livejournal.com]

OH GOD A BEATON VERSION OF PRINCESS TUTU. MY LIFE COULD END RIGHT NOW AND I'D BE CONTENT BECAUSE I HAVE EVERYTHING I COULD WANT OUT OF IT. Laughing forever, oh jeeze. I did a literal spit take at the FMA picture, too. WELL DONE MY FRIEND.

My favorite shall always be the MIRROR UNIVERSE, where everyone has an identical evil twin dressed in black leather and wearing a goatee. IT IS ENDLESS FUN ALWAYS.

[skygiants]

FAKIR IS WRITING GREAT LITERATURE OKAY. HAVE YOU SEEN HIS LATEST, IT IS GODDAMN GENIUS. (THANK YOU. *giggling*)

I think there should be dark mirror universes for everything except canons that are THEIR OWN dark mirror universe. Dark mirror universe BSG: JUST OVERKILL.

[elle-white.livejournal.com]

OMG, THE PRINCESS TUTU AND KATE BEATON TOGETHER IS THE BEST THING EVER. MY HEEAAART.

At first I didn't see the appeal, but now I kind of love high school AU's. They amuse me greatly!

The FMA pic at the top also had me in stitches!

I love your mind my friend. <3

[skygiants]

Yes, same here! It took me a while, but I have come round. :D

*laughing* THANK YOU.

[furikku.livejournal.com]

You would never be able to tell but my favorite AU is Silent Hill AU.

I am also fond of the AU where the characters I want to hook up are hooked up. This is almost always AU because I have weird taste in pairings.

[furikku.livejournal.com]

Also the AU where the story is a ballet. Does that count? Because I do that a lot with video games and stuff. (Somewhere I have costume designs for a ballet version of Mega Man.)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I asked for an AU during the last fmagiftexchange and got a gorgeous piece of art out of it. :D

[skygiants]

Oh cool! In some ways I like AUs better as art even than as pieces of writing, I think. (Uh, not the kind of terrible art displayed above.)

[aamalie]

Man, okay, not even holding back: ALL THE WAYS I WANT THAT FMA HIGH SCHOOL AU, THEY ARE INNUMERABLE. *_______*

Basically, give me all the AUs ever. I love them SO MUCH, BEYOND REASON.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I posted a link to my college AU up there in the comments? :D

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

I spy innerbrat's influence in the Look Around You love!

(Thanks, ants!

...Thants.)

[skygiants]

Actually it is gramarye1971's fault initially! DEBI HELPED THOUGH.

(Water, water. What hast thou wroughtst? D:)

[zumie-ashlen.livejournal.com]

adsjhasjhads

Baccano Highschool AU

*eyehearts forever*

[rawles.livejournal.com]

OH SHIT AMAZING.

[rawles.livejournal.com]

I LOVE ALL THE AUs.

ALL OF THEM.

Well except the super skeevy ones like SLAVES or PROSTITUTES. So, not all of them.

But my favorites of all time are probs the classic HIGH SCHOOL AU and REGENCY AU, which might be in part because those are the ones I have actually written. But then I automatically start AUing everything I love in various ways so... yeah.

[skygiants]

Haha, your Avatar Regency AU was probably the thing that turned me onto Regency AUs! It was like, "oh yes, the hilariously complicated regency social mores DO make everything more entertaining. WHO KNEW."

[izilen]

HOW, OH HOW, do you keep making such EXCELLENT POSTS?? I love all if these ideas, specially the KATE BEATON and REGENCY AUs, though I too want all the High School AUs ever (high school, not college! Though academic AU can come and stay)

OTHER AUs I WOULD LOVE: Steampunk AU, Renaissance AU! (Uh, I may or may not have a Roy/Riza Renaissance AU picture on the works). BASICALLY, ALL THE HISTORICAL AUs and silly things like Kate Beaton, yes.

[skygiants]

Renaissance AU! *___* In other words: MORE COSTUME PORN. I am down with ALL the costume porn. (And am excited to see that picture. >.>)

[hafl.livejournal.com]

But... but what if the series or book or whatever actually takes place in a high school? What way is there to make a High school AU? The only way I can think of is moving the characters into a different high school.

Now I'm strangely tempted to study High School Musical in order to make a High School AU for it.

I do not have a personal preference for AUs, but I think I can think of a few silly ones. All of these have been tested on Akio.

Old Lady AU - Where everyone is an old lady.
Detective AU - Where the characters are detectives in pursuit of a crime.

Okay, maybe my imagination is not as good as I would wish it to be, but I also fully approve of the Pokémon AU.

(Also, Look Around You. I should have known better than trying to solve Problem One.)

[furikku.livejournal.com]

If it is set in a high school, it must be made a High School Musical AU.

If it is High School Musical, it must be moved to a Tax Firm.

[lacewood]

*AWED* That is the most amazing science show I have ever seen. Where was this when I was at school? Clearly I would have gotten A's in EVERYTHING if I watched this! (Also I bet the FMA gang will LOVE this universe, by which I mean IT WILL DRIVE THEM ALL INSANE XD)

High school AUs are TOTALLY my favourite, together with genderswap AUs. And it is mathematically proven that everything is improved when you add Kate Beaton. (OH MR CHRESTOMANCI AHAHA) (There should totally be a Gokusen version. OH MR SAWADA~)

[skygiants]

ISN'T IT AMAZING?? *____* Did you watch the one on WATER? Water may be the most scarring of all. (Nonsense, it makes perfect sense! Ed could conduct ALL the experiments. AND THEN GET LASER VISION.)

It is a scientific fact! It is such a scientific fact that I bet it actually shows up in one of the "Look Around You"s. (*CHOKES* omg, it's all true. Although honestly you could probably do one for Yankumi, too. AND SHE WILL LEAVE HER PIGTAILS IN.)

[viviolo.livejournal.com]

OMG PRINCESS TUTU/KATE BEATON I AM CRYING. OMG FAKIR AS JANE AUSTEN, THIS IS AWESOME ITSELF.

I love all the AUs! I love all the good AUs! Here are some I enjoy the thought of:

SUPERHEROES AU! They all get powers and form their own justice league!

SPORTS AU! Olympics, Team Sports, I WILL TAKE WHATEVER JUST GIVE IT TO ME

PATISSERIE SHOP AU! Master pastry chefs Ed and Al finally scrounge up enough money to open up their own shop, BUT UH OH, they're in direct competition with Roy Mustang's Pie Stall just across the street! Winry is the oven repairwoman! Riza both rents the space for the Pie Stall and co-owns the business! Ling and Lan Fan open a Chinese takeout place across town! May is the cute doctor at the local clinic who enjoys a croissant and a peek at a certain Elric brother every morning!

...I'm so sorry about that.

[skygiants]

FAKIR R SRS WRITER, THIS R SRS AU *giggling*


kj;sljdfdsPATISSERIE SHOP AU. HILARIOUS. For some reason the best part is Dr. May, who clearly has to fix up all of everyone's BAKING ACCIDENT RELATED INJURIES. With her panda assistant!

[littledust.livejournal.com]

Kate Beaton AUs are AMAZING. Oh, Fakir. (Which I originally typed as "Faramir." Um.)

OH MAN HIGH SCHOOL AUs. DAEMON AUs. *_* I also enjoy AUs that completely change the career of characters. Like they're all in an orchestra or work in a restaurant or have wacky office antics. Basically, take a team of people who frequently save the world and then make them ordinary! Who can deny the hilarity of Roy Mustang, Singing Waiter? (I--maybe just made that up.)

In short, Romance at the Roadkill Grill (http://lamardeuse.dreamhost.com/sg/romanceattheroadkillgrill.html) is one of my favorite AUs of all time.

[skygiants]

(*cracks up* We've cunningly replaced Fakir with Faramir, let's see how long it takes everyone to notice?)

I certainly cannot deny the hilarity of Roy Mustang, Singing Waiter! Although I will admit, I don't understand why coffeeshop AUs are so much more popular than every other kind of profession change. What is so awesome about coffeeshops, I do not get it! PERHAPS YOU CAN HELP ME TO COMPREHEND.

#myextensivehighschoolmusicalknowledge

[mekosuchinae.livejournal.com]

LEGIT DYING THANKS TO THAT FMA/HSM MASH-UP. It's Scar and Olivier that make it art. Oh, God, her face, that pose, Olivier as Sharpay (LOLING FOR DAYS), so beautiful. And the thought of Scar as Chad (lololololol) is one I intend to carry lovingly with me to the grave.

And now I can't stop imagining Roy and Riza doing intense karoake duets whilst staring soulfully into each other's eyes and spinning about upon a stage--or is it the stage that spins about them? Only the song knows.

My favorite AUs are basically anything that isn't inherently problematic or terrible (slaves, prostitutes, what Rawles said), but I do have a "secret" fondness for high school AUs, aka THE GREATEST GENRE OF FIC TO EVER EXIST. I believe X-Men: Evolution, the canon high school AU nevacaruso mentioned, is largely responsible for this. They're superheroes! But they're in high school! Awkward dances! Grueling soccer matches! Dudes trapped in alternate dimensions at the school! HIGH SCHOOL!

Re: #myextensivehighschoolmusicalknowledge

[skygiants]

I'm not gonna lie, I may have spent the morning laughing to myself about Chad!Scar. FORTUNATELY I was working from home due to snow so there was no one to see me regularly and inexplicably crack up . . .?

Roy/Riza karaoke duets = beautiful!!! . . . and I am also now laughing at the mental image Scar singing "GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME" at Roy. ESPECIALLY SINCE it actually kind of works for Greed's death scene? DON'T BE A TERRIBLE VENGEANCE-DRIVEN KILLER, ROY. GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME.

Proof that the high school AU DOES IN FACT work for everything I guess!

[cursor-mundi.livejournal.com]

O_O I am...not at all shocked to realize that all of these AUs (except, perhaps, sekrit!Petrelli) are, um, not AU for Ironman (and most comics fandoms, for that matter...it's hard to escape the crack of the Silver Age, ok?). Though I would swap out Regency for medieval, for extra awesome. ;)

[skygiants]

BUT IS THERE AN IRON MAN KATE BEATON COMIC???

Because if so, I've forgotten it, and I NEED IT IN MY LIFE.