Snowflake #3

[nrgburst]

Challenge #3

In your own space, put some favorite characters into an AU, fuse some favorite canons together, talk about your favorite AU/fusion tropes, or tell us why AU/fusions aren’t your cup of tea.

I've written a few canon AUs and a couple of fusion/crossovers, and I like reading them as well. Sometimes it's just therapeutic giving the finger to canon and running with a wild idea like hey, WHAT IF NOBODY NEEDLESSLY DIES THIS TIME. 🙌😉Or transplanting your favorite characters into modern circumstances just to see the same fun dynamic and clever little canon references surface, because they're still them and they'd spark off each other the same way in any universe! (I am big on Soulmates AUs, as you can probably tell.)

My absolute favorite AU author is scrubclub who has done Gendrya (Game of Thrones) AUs a bunch of inventively different ways and all of them are a delight! Her best (IMO) is the enemies to lovers HP AU which I have recced a billion times because the wonderful details drawn from both canons are what make it really special. The story breathes with such authenticity and unapologetic fun like beater bat puns. Her other stories are great for the same reason - the Superheroes AU oneshot gets their superpowers (and the banter) just right, and her Modern/Political Westeros AU also works in that Game of Thrones style House maneuvering and background while they deal with tabloids and evidence obtained via cell phone instead of "little birds." 

My current OTP is Beth/Benny from TQG and I'm actually writing a canon AU where Benny gambles his way to Moscow now! But for this challenge, here are some other B^2 brainstorm ideas:

1. Harry Potter AU where Beth Harmon, the new year 5 Ravenclaw prefect would just love to wipe that superior smirk off of Benny Watts’ face, the insufferable year 7 Slytherin prefect. She'll do anything to finally lead Ravenclaw to victory for the House Cup as well as crush him at wizard's chess, because they also have a long standing rivalry there ever since he decimated her only set when she was only a first year. Also, his perfect blond hair is just unfair. 

2. A Hunger Games AU where Benny is the cynical, alcoholic District 3 mentor and Beth the brand new tribute who is brilliant, stubborn and impulsive and absolutely determined to win to get back home to her mother Alma, a single parent. Benny struggles to groom her into a tribute sponsors will love instead of loathe, although he can't help but wish that she had a chance of winning instead of dying like all the others because she reminds him uncannily of himself. 

3. Nobody has written a shared scars Soulmates AU for them yet, so let me just PUT THAT ENERGY OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE TOO! 😁😁😁

Comments

[malurette]

Yours are the kind of AUs I would read.

[nrgburst]

Yayyyyy I'm glad to hear it! 🙌🥰

[rodo]

Hey, it's not NEEDLESSLY DIE - the canon wouldn't be as addictive without all the tragic death! (I'll absolutey read all the fix-it AUs, of course.) I, uh, tend to fall for canons with lots of tragic death. Exhibit A being Game of Thrones, Exhibit B being Rogue One.

[nrgburst]

I mean, same, but sometimes a girl needs a break! 😅 I think after Rogue One I was on a strictly fix-it diet for several months.

[rhoda_rants]

Oooh, I can totally see Beth Harmon as a Ravenclaw! Plus, it would be fun to explore the other group activities at the school that aren't Quidditch. So many are mentioned, so there has to be a Wizards Chess Club and we just never read about the tournaments they had.

I'm always in favor of "WHAT IF NOBODY NEEDLESSLY DIES" fix-it type AUs. One of my most popular stories on Ao3 is a post-Infinity War fix-it where I kind of did that. Sometimes people get a bit snobby about that, like, "Oh, obviously everyone's going to come back in Endgame, what are you even mad about?" Yeah, but the movie still made us watch them all die first. Fix-its are a good coping mechanism.

[nrgburst]

She totally is! I think Benny is a Slytherclaw, actually, but he's so good at reading and manipulating people that I think he's more Slytherin than Ravenclaw.

Just think of the shenanigans that can be had in the Prefect's bathroom! 😁😁😁 Beth loves baths, and boy oh boy would Benny love to torture her if she was in there! Plus the sheer violence of wizard's chess! Bwahahhaahaa

I forgot to say: I agree about the fix-its being a good coping mechanism. Obviously we knew they were going to fix-it but we had a whole year of agony in between! (Also: can you link me to your story?)

[rhoda_rants]

Speaking as a Slytherclaw, yup, I reckon that fits. We aren't excessively cruel to people who aren't Gryffindors, but we do like to win.

Sure! I started to write a sequel, but then COVID hit and writer's block was part of the fallout. I'm just starting to get past that, honestly. Here's a link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14541138/chapters/33597966

[nrgburst]

Oooh speaking as a fellow Slytherclaw, I agree that Gryffindors usually deserve to fall on their asses for charging in blind all the time, but cruelty isn't in my nature either.😁LOL I know I'm manipulative and goal oriented, but I don't see it as bad/evil? I'm reducing barriers, giving positive reinforcement and increasing motivation for behaviour I want to see more of, as well as setting an example. It's just part of teaching/parenting? IDK. Slytherins get a bad rap, but I think it's the intent that matters most?

And thank you for the link!!! I've put it on the list! 🥰

[rhoda_rants]

Weirdly, one of my best work buddies is a Gryffindor, but I joke that she should be in Hufflepuff because she's good with plants. (She hates that!)

Well, there's 'manipulation' and there's positive reinforcement. Just because you're persuasive doesn't mean you're wrong. 😉 I'm not a parent, but I imagine that's a useful skill to have!

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[paulamcg]

Ah, I love the idea about Beth and Benny at Hogwarts! Why haven't I thought that there's this potential in wizard's chess! Thank you for sharing the fascinating post!

[nrgburst]

I'm glad you liked it! 🖤🤍