#anyway been thinking about the role of fanfic a lot lately in case you couldn't tell

[utilitycaster]

I genuinely believe the fact that so many popular Imogen/Laudna fics are no-powers AU is, if not the main cause, at least a factor in why so many people resist or even are hostile towards any interpretation of Imogen that isn't largely sweet and harmless. Like, write the fic you want, but Imogen in particular is someone so fundamentally shaped by her powers that to write a no powers AU is to write what is essentially a completely original character who happens to share her name.

I think it's made even more obviously a factor because many of those fics try to reconstruct aspects of Imogen's personality by giving her anxiety or agoraphobia (or both) but the problem is that those are purely mental illnesses, rather than something that both gives her powers and penalties (again, the X-Men problem). Some real-world mental illnesses cover the symptoms of Imogen's abilities, but none cover the abilities themselves. It's quite literally a removal of agency: they take away what she can (and frequently does) do with her powers, leaving only the negative effects on her behind while eliminating the negative effects she can have on others. No wonder there's this overwhelming push to woobify her from that corner; they've utterly defanged her and are now crying that other people who can still see her fangs (and even like them) are talking about them.

And the thing is, for all I can be negative about fanon, it is, ultimately, fine - so long one can either keep it separate in one's mind from canon or else remain in a particular fanon sandbox. But unfortunately people leave the sandbox, and when other people respond to the canon Imogen, who as of episode 81 (RIP CRStats) has voluntarily used Detect Thoughts/Open Mind 60 times and has openly stated her intent to use it specifically to know what her party members are doing in advance and theoretically prevent it, the fanfic crowd is utterly unable to react to this intelligently. The idea of Imogen they have is sweet girl with severe anxiety and a goth girlfriend. The problem is this construct exists only in their favorite fanfic writers' domestic fluff modern AU no powers setting. And frankly, I'm not interested in talking about that warped mirror version of her when I could have all the fascination, complexity, glory, and agency of the real thing.

#i also think that turning imogen's issues into specifically mental health only is for lack of a better term Not Great. #i remember when she took off the circlet people on twitter compared it to her going off her meds as like. a sympathy thing. #and. while obviously the psychiatric field is not without many flaws and prejudices. generally going off meds is. not a good sign. #i will say i would love to see the no-circlet au in which imogen stops ashton. i don't think that goes well at ALL. #like i don't know if they stick around after that. #cr tag #anyway been thinking about the role of fanfic a lot lately in case you couldn't tell #we are finally admitting the importance of They Would Not Fucking Say That and should embrace it #and i'm obviously thinking quite a lot about the book i just posted about a lot too #it is depressing that people are more comfortable with Girlfailure than Selfish #that a woman is only allowed memeable and sanitized quirky faults. GOD FORBID she want actual power. #(were i to be called selfish by someone i respect i'd feel bad but talk through it. girlfailure though? i'm stabbing them.)

[ursifors]

anyway taking a break from other aus because i've been thinking about my fallout au a lot lately! i'm currently building Eventer in fallout 4 to get pic refs but that'll take me quite some time. for now, an updated version of the au framework!

i wrote this: "since we have joe, bk, and ky now i have to add them! i think bk and ky were traveling together for awhile, both of them being from a recently opened vault. joe i think is someone from a different settlement that takes a shine to michael and follows him to Eventer." in a different post but i already want to change that so *scribbles over it* REDO god this au has so many retcons already

i had to read more this bc i started fucking RAMBLING

gavin is not a vault dweller, he is a mr. handy who was put into a synth body (like curie) this explains his british accent and also i think it just fits. i have a wip of a fanfic of them doing the procedure to transfer him into the synth body that maybe one day i'll finish and post here, who knows.

YOU KNOW I GOTTA ADD THE NEWBIES <33 it will be very hard for me to not make joe "guy who gets inexplicably attached to michael and follows him everywhere" in every single au i make but for this i think joe might be a vault dweller (for reference, jeremy and previously gavin before i retconned him were the only vault dwellers) i just think being a vault dweller can give you that kind of new baby but quickly learning the ropes feel that joe has for me still

bk is definitely a shop owner or caravaner that eventually just moved in because she made so many friends. she has such a big and friendly personality i really see her making a lot of social connections and being on good terms with most people who caravan or have stores. i think in eventer she runs a weapons store!

ky i can see as almost like, the unofficial mayor of eventer. she brings everyone together and makes the community closer! she's great at organizing events (heh) remembering important things about what the community needs or wants, ect. she isnt "in charge" as no one really has all the power, but i think her jack and trevor are the ones most respected and who people go to when they need a town wide decision made.

speaking of, i decided i wanted to have trevor and alfredo sort be what valentine is and make them detectives! i want to incorporate more red web vibes in my aus and fallout is a perfect place for that as there are canonically aliens and cryptids in the fallout universe, as well as. you know. murder and such.

as far as who lives together and their roles in the community the updated version would be:

michael and lindsay live together and run a general goods store and as such are involved in trade with other towns and farms nearby. lindsay is a ghoul in this au btw. because i couldn't not make someone a ghoul and i think ghouls are fucking badass so its them, as the most badass person in ah.

gavin lives alone but has several cats. he is the doctor and runs a small clinic out of his home.

jack lives alone and is the radio dj! mostly playing music but also settlement wide announcements when necessary and covering the news ect, like most fallout radio djs do.

trevor and alfredo live together and run a detective agency. when they don't have any cases, trevor builds stuff to help the community and alfredo picks up guard duty rounds as he is one of their most competent with a gun.

matt and jeremy live together! matt works with their livestock (which is just a handful of brahmin and also a radstaag they cant get to leave) while jeremy is more of the "main character" since i made this au because of him, so he goes off an adventures the most. of course he comes back at least every 2 days because of his cats! who if you'll remember, are an eye bot (zipper), a tiny securiton (booker), and 3 real cats.

bk and ky live together - bk runs a weapons story which i am electing right now to call Friendly Fire because thats their team name but also it FITS SO WELL OMG - anyway ky helps with this sometimes when she's not busy planning a cookout, or helping matt set up something for the animals, or giving jack news updates to talk about ect.

EDIT I FORGOT TO ADD JOE: joe lives alone and i think is the head guard like he patrols and keeps the town safe bc its very open. he also delegates patrolling schedules ect. cannot stress enough how he is not a cop tho. he is guarding the town from mole rats and raiders not arresting ppl for crimes.

#fo au #logan speaks #posts this at 3am and scampers away #achievement hunter #main tag bc im feelin wild