The second movie shows the museum adds night tours, using the real exhibits. Except everyone but Larry and said exhibits is under the impression that they're all just animatronics and actors. The public likley assume that there's a "no breaking character" rule like most characters actors and theme parks have. Which, for the exhibits, allows them to be themselves and not need some cover story about who they are "under the costume".
Which allows for there to be an in-universe fandom. With in universe head canons and ships and theories about the "characters" in the museum night tours.
Which ALSO allows for a fictionalised approach- treating the characters AS the characters. And a real life approach- treating the characters as actors. So the in universe fanfic can be both "that little cowboy and roman are gay" AND "the actors who play the cowboy and roman are gay and doing a bit where their characters from different time periods are a funny historical crossover ship"
So the in universe fandom for the museum, is both fictional shipping AND RPF shipping.
AND because of the "just decoration" interaction, if we assume that tge audience is told the tablet is magic as a "joke" or part of the museum's story line, that also allows for in universe fanfic and AUs to exist where the tablet is real and the exhibits are live historical figures. Unbeknownst to the audience who is writing fic about the acutal truth, the tablet really is magic, they treat it like an AU.
Full circle. These are character actors > they are doing ships and have museum storyline lore > the tablet is magic > these aren't actors they're real historical figures.
Its like a wild fandom-ception. And you can't tell me the exhibits wouldn't absolutely play into it. Deliberately fuling ships, running with fandom in jokes, posing for photos knowing they'll end up on some fan blog.
There is so much that could be done with an in-universe fandom. Quick! NATM fan blogs, start posting like you're part of the in universe fandom!
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