Original Child Character(s) — Tag Meaning
The canonical disclosure that the fic's child characters are the author's inventions rather than canon figures — the baby acquired, the kid adopted, the daughter imagined for a beloved ship. It manages expectations for readers who track original characters and serves the kid-fic economy's constant demand for new children.
What to Expect From "Original Child Character(s)" Fics
An author-created child in a significant role, built to fit the story's family rather than imported from canon.
How to find Original Child Character(s) fics on AO3
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Browse "Original Child Character(s)" works on AO3Related Tags
Children of Characters
The canonical tag for fics featuring the next generation: the canon characters' kids, whether canon-established or fan-invented. Next-gen fic lets authors extend a story past its ending — exploring inheritance, legacy, and what the heroes' children make of their parents' famous lives.
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Kid Fic
The canonical tag for fic featuring characters raising or caring for children — their own, adopted, acquired by plot contrivance, or de-aged teammates. A genre with decades of history, kid fic transplants beloved characters into parenthood and watches what it reveals about them.
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Accidental Baby Acquisition
The canonical tag for one of fandom's most gleeful premises: a character ends up with a baby they did not plan for — found on a doorstep, inherited mid-mission, produced by magic or alien bureaucracy. The acquisition is sudden; the attachment is permanent.
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Adoption
Tags adoption as event or theme: characters adopting children, backstories of having been adopted, or the moment a found-family bond becomes legal paper. Fanfic treats adoption with particular warmth — the deliberate choosing of family is one of its favorite arguments.
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More Family & Friendship Tags
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