PEOPLE say that the world is much bigger than we realize. A million or more stretches up to the sky, we’d find ourselves under the same universe. And somehow, it’s still not quite the end of it all just yet.

But do we really have to search far and wide to find another universe? 

Sometimes, all we need to do is open our phone, go to X (formerly Twitter), and type in our favorite member pairing, best known as “ship,” in the search bar with the keywords “filo socmed au” and then boom, a feast of Filipino RPF stories lies in front of our very eyes.

Technology truly does wonders, huh?

Hold up! Ships, socmed aus, RPF, something, something…if you don’t belong in the generation Z or gen-Z group OR not a part of any fandoms, then I might have to back up my words a bit to give you some background information.

RPF stands for Real Person Fiction, where instead of fictional characters, real people, mostly celebrities and famous personalities, get sucked into an “alternate universe.”

“Filo SocMed AU,” on the other hand, is the shortened term for “Filipino Social Media Alternate Universe.” It is a type of media content posted on X where instead of the usual narrative format seen in books, the story is structured in the form of photos attached in a series of tweets called a “thread.” 

Photos serve as visual materials of the characters’ social media profiles, news feeds, and chat messages created through social media maker applications and websites. Threads help socmed writers or authors establish the sequence of plots in their AUs so their readers can easily access and follow through every update.

Photo Courtesy: jaykizone | X

Basically, with the context of RPF and Filo SocMed AU combined, you re-envision your favorite K-pop idol, a real person, as a fictional character posing as a Filipino social media user in an imagined setting. 

Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, angst with a happy ending, mutual pining, slow burn, fluff, — you name them — are just some of the “tropes” or overarching themes of a particular AU. These are commonly used as labels or tags that give readers an idea of what they can look forward to in a particular AU. 

To understand more about fanfiction tropes, you may read this: https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/five-tropes-fanfic-readers-love-and-one-they-hate 

Just like how we use our social media accounts, socmed AU characters are designed to have their own way of interacting with each other depending on how the writers wish to portray them, and these interactions build up the progress of the story. Sometimes, writers also take their time to write narrations to elaborate or provide a more descriptive depiction of scenes. 

So, how is it like navigating socmed AUs for writers?

Ei (not her real name), 21, writes for K-Pop boy group ENHYPEN, particularly Jayki (members Jay and Ni-ki’s ship) and Hoonki (members Sunghoon and Ni-ki’s ship).

Lighthearted stories are the key to her heart. She usually plays around with tropes like best friends to lovers, exes to lovers, and “tropa premium” (where two people are friends but act like they’re more than that).

She had a “tropa premium” Hoonki AU previously that elicited all kinds of emotions from her readers. While she originally wrote it due to burnout, she was surprised that a lot of people were asking for a part two the next day. 

Photo Courtesy: jaykizone | X

Ei writes AUs without pressure. A hobby, she said. Whether it’s posting updates or whipping up plotlines, it’s all about going on her own pace.

“Wala akong schedule o ano man, kung kelan ko lang ma-tripan mag-post, saka lang. Halimbawa na lang kapag may nakita ako sa Tik Tok tapos maiisipan ko na ito ng prompt o kaya kapag nasa labas ako tapos may makikita akong isang scenario na pwedeng gawan ng story, ganon lang,” she said.

 While this may be the case, she admits feeling pressured at times. “Minsan naiisip ko na cringe ‘yung naisulat ko o kaya naman minsan nape-pressure ako kasi maraming magaling gumawa ng AU at sino ba naman ako para pumantay sa kanila?”

Fortunately, Ei can overcome the struggles by keeping a mental note that writing is her solace, a genuine escape from reality. With Enhypen also her driving force, she can release all pent-up emotions and unsaid thoughts through her writing. 

This sincerity has translated into actual works which, then, extended to her readers. “May mga minsan na ring nag-message sa akin na nakatutulong daw sa kanila ‘yung mga gawa ko kaya ayon, nagsusulat ako para sa sarili ko at sa mga nagbabasa ng story ko,” she said.

If you want to read or get a feel of Ei’s AUs, you may find them on @jaykizone (main acc) and @ficsjayki (archive acc) on X.

With reports from Adelainne Balbin