au
creative, alternative
the one-line answer
Alternate Universe. A fanfic setting where characters exist in different circumstances.
AU stands for alternate universe. In fan communities it means a story where established characters are placed in completely different settings or circumstances. The characters are the same but everything else changes.
niche
Well known in specific communities.
01 / in the wild
hear it move.
fandom
there's a great coffee shop AU for those two characters.
There is a fan story set in an alternate universe where those characters work in a coffee shop.