Thursday: ❓ What If... ❓

[simplyn2deep]

🔀 Hello, everyone! I’m simplyn2deep, and I’m back to host another week! 🔀

Today’s theme is ❓ What If... ❓

A “What If...?” fic is a type of AU built around one single canon change — one moment shifting like a stone dropped into water, the ripples changing everything afterward. 🌊⏳

What if the Hale fire never happened?
What if Kelly, Jill, and Sabrina found out Charles Townsend’s identity?
What if someone lived?
What if someone never came home?
What if one tiny moment changed the entire story?

Think of the Doctor Who episode “Turn Left” — one altered event creating a completely different timeline. Your challenge is to explore how canon changes when one thing goes differently. Sometimes the change is massive. Sometimes it’s heartbreakingly small. 🕰️🫶

📌 Just a few rules:
✏️ No more than five prompts in a row.
🎭 No more than three prompts in the same fandom.
📝 Use the character's full name and fandom's full name for ease in adding to the Lonely Prompts spreadsheet.
⚠️ No spoilers in prompts for a month after airing, or use the spoiler cut option.
📚 If your fill contains spoilers, warn and leave plenty of space, or use the spoiler cut option.

Prompts should be formatted as follows:
[Use the character's full names and fandom's full name]
📖 Fandom, Character +/ Character, Prompt

✨ Some examples to get the ball rolling… ✨
🐺 Teen Wolf, Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale, What if the Hale fire never happened, and Stiles grows up knowing the Hales as Beacon Hills royalty?
🌊 Hawaii Five-0, Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams, What if Danny never transferred to Hawaii and Steve had to build Five-0 without him?
🚓 9-1-1, Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, What if Eddie had joined the 118 years before Buck did?

We are now using AO3 to bookmark filled prompts 📚✨. If you fill a prompt and post it to AO3 please add it to the Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2026 collection. See further notes on this new option here.

Not feeling any of today’s prompts? 🤔 You can use LJ’s advanced search options to limit keyword results to only comments in this community. Fret not, DW members 💙; we are working on a way to search through old entries for prompts for you! As of right now, the best way to search for a lonely prompt on DW is to search the community’s archive, which can be found [[HERE]].

While the use of LJ's advanced search and DW’s archive are options, bookmarking the links of prompts you like 🔖 might work better for searching in the future.

As a friendly reminder about our schedule ⏰, Lonely Prompts and sharing completed fills are encouraged on Sundays 🌿, while new themes and prompts are posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays 📅. Saturdays are a Free for All day 🎉. We'll share our posts on DW and LJ for everyone's convenience. Keep an eye out for notifications! 👀

If you have a Dreamwidth account and would feel more comfortable participating there, please feel free to do so…and spread the word! 📣 comment_fic

🏷️ tag=what if

Comments

[cozy_coffee]

any, any/any, What if the love of your life was forbidden from seeing you?

[cozy_coffee]

any, any, What if The Handmaid's Tale book became real life?

[cozy_coffee]

any, any, What if someone suddenly grew wings?

[cozy_coffee]

any, any, What if your imaginary friend demanded revenge for being forgotten?

[cozy_coffee]

any, any, What if every time you had a dream about someone you know, that person died within 24 hours?

[cornerofmadness]

Hazbin Hotel, Angel Dust/+ Husk, what if Angel and Husk met when he was an overlord

[cornerofmadness]

Hazbin Hotel, Angel Dust + Arackniss + any, what if Arackniss joined the hotel crew