Well I've had a go at making an AU Prompt Event for August, as a few people seemed to think it wasn't a completely awful idea...
As described, this is an extremely low-pressure event, with no time limits or obligation to follow the prompts in any particular order.
I have split the event into six main headings, with suggested subgenres to choose from, and you're certainly free to do these in the order presented - I've made it so that there is at least five days per prompt, although there is nothing stopping you from doing them all in one go or spreading them out however you wish.
You can engage with as many or as few prompts as you wish - and feel free to ignore any that don't particularly speak to you. You can mash them together into unique and unexpected combinations - perhaps an Ancient Roman Beach Resort or a Cyberpunk Coffee Shop - or simply substitute any you don't like with your own (probably much better) ideas.
Gposes, writing or any other mode of creative expression are welcome.
For my first AU August prompt, I make a return to the Eorzea Academy AU! I recently started getting caught up on See You Tomorrow at the Food Court and I think it's pretty funny! I thought for this prompt I'd do a recreation of the scene that got me to check out the show. Guest starring @feistierermine's Clare, who makes a perfect Yamamoto stand in with her gyaru design!
In an otherwise empty classroom, the Gaming Club waits for their Supervising Teacher (And Dungeon Master) Urianger.
Don't mind Asel. Urianger left them on a frustrating cliff hanger last time. Oscar is chatting with her about it as you read this.
[Had some variant of this idea floating in my head since the manga came out. Urianger would make an excellent Dungeon Master and it would make for a nice way to showcase characters by having them come in as extras.]
Gposes taken in:
IX Raven Studios
Dynamis, Seraph, Ul’dah, The Goblet, Ward 13, Plot 43, Room 9. “The Raven’s Academy”
Employees are discouraged from close personal involvement with each other, due to the loss in productivity and risks of espionage avenues. If the situation is unavoidable, the employees in question may submit a form for risk assessment of their relationship for the board to review. If it is sufficiently low-risk, the involvement will be greenlit by the board. Is there anything else you can be assisted with this evening, Mister Satake?
[Access: enforcement procedure for high-risk employee fraternization]
If a board’s fraternization denial is ignored, both employees will be heavily fined, and the employee with the lowest security clearance will be terminated. A three year long non-competitive clause of the terminated employee’s contract will be retroactively applied, to ensure no company secrets are handed to competition. Additionally, both offenders will require additional surveillance for the following year, both for their safety and the company’s. Is there anything else you can be assisted with this evening, Mister Satake?
[No.] [Log out.]
We have detected content in this session that necessitates administrative notification. Would you like to add additional information to this automatic flag creation?
[No.] [Cancel automated employee early alert system.]
Processing…
We’re sorry, but your clearance is not high enough to disable the terminal’s automated systems. Would you like to add additional information to this automatic flag creation?
[Append session: executed with credential key SH0-1-kojima-14-c-M1Y0-LL]
Processing…
Welcome, Executive Kojima! Would you like to add additional information to this automatic flag creation?
[No.] [Cancel automated employee early alert system.]
Automated early alert flag canceled. The contents of this session are no longer flagged and reserved for review, and will be deleted within the standard four business days. Is there anything else you can be assisted with this evening, Mister Kojima?
[No.] [Log out.]
Understood, Ending session. SH0GUN Trade Affiliates wishes you a fruitful & pleasant evening!
“Sorry, cousin, I hope you don't have to see that. Not like you couldn't tell already...but I hope at least my using your credentials isn’t sniffed out by someone else before the system wipe.”
Cafe/Slice-of-life-y/a bit of low-grade cyberpunk mixed in for @mimble-sparklepudding's AU August prompts!
Admittedly I got...a bit carried away with what was a pretty last-minute quick idea I only started today, but mostly because Ari's accidental sad puppy eyes sorta gave me a bit of an excuse to do a bit of character lore that's relevant to 'normal' version of Tetsuke's background, as well.
I also don't do enough things involving Tetsuke's backstory characters, so I really liked the idea of using Ari & Soma for something with Tetsuke for once, especially something a little less heavy than what their XIV versions have had to deal with.
So, in all versions of Tetsuke's background, Ari catches some feelings for him after some time to be able to know for sure how trustworthy he is. It's a...misguided interest at best, because even if he genuinely likes him as a person, the bigger appeal is the fact that Tetsuke is someone who he doesn't have to worry about his job as a spymaster causing danger or interference in a possible relationship. This, along with Tetsuke also just being his 'type' appearance-wise, always leads him into toying with the idea of shooting his shot.
For Tetsuke's WoL timeline, this never happens, because Ritsuko comes along and acts as a near-instant deterrent from Ari ever saying anything - he's able to see how quickly she attaches to Tetsuke, and knows she'd be so much better for Tetsuke than he is. At least in this case, the early distancing leads to his infatuation fading out to nothing by the time Tetsuke is shoved onto the boat to Limsa alongside Ritsuko. Though, it probably did have at least a minor contribution to Ari's intense loyalty transferring to towards Tetsuke after his cousin was assassinated.
In the non-WoL timeline, however...well, Ari gets to find out firsthand how misguided the interest is. Their involvement lasts around 6-7 months, and if Ari hadn't been the bigger person and broke it off, would have permanently damaged any friendship they'd had previously. Ari's habitual secretiveness even when he's not on duty; Tetsuke's trauma from his previous relationship fueling his own communication issues; all this, on top of both of them having to still work together to make sure Tatsui isn't killed or worse between these issues is simply too much of a powder keg to have kept risking.
This leads to the not-WoL timeline version of these two having this perpetual unspoken something hanging in the air once they do meet again. Neither of them know how to fix it, and it doesn't really completely impede any friendship or trust, so instead they just pointedly ignore it.
Even in the hypothetical AU here, it's not going to end well if Ari goes for it. It won't be a blowout disaster, sure - but it will result in a perpetual unspoken 'what-if' between the two of them for basically ever after he realizes they just don't work.
This is especially awkward when one of you is the manager of the intelligence division, and the other is lead security officer - your departments kinda work hand-in-hand, after all. No matter how much Soma thinks otherwise, and tries to make the two of them spend more time together, love doesn't magically conquer irreconcilable differences.
I thought this section of the Ceruleum Processing Plant in Thanalan looked like the gates of a castle, iron-clad guards and all, so that was the vibe I went for.
(better look at her glam. i forgot to write down what pieces i used. the top is the ophiotauroskin of... striking? i'll try to write them down next time.)
i am not immune to the college professor x student propaganda 😩
wanted to participate in @mimble-sparklepudding's 2026 AU August prompt event that actually started yesterday but my smooth brain completely forgor about teehee
there's already been some super cute entries, can't wait to see what else folks come up with!
