how do you feel about coffee shop AU style chill modern reimaginings of more fantastic and/or dramatic stories?
I like em, I think recontextualization is a good way to explore characters and relationships
there's an improv game where you and a partner would improvise a little scene, and at any point one of the spectators could call "freeze!" at which point you'd freeze. they'd then come, tag out one of the participants, and take their place in the same position. they'd then start a totally new improvised scene using the existing positions as inspiration.
when I was doing college theater, we'd play this game but in character. it was a great way to imagine lives for our characters outside the three walls of the stage and learn to instinctively inhabit them. I think coffeeshop AUs serve a similar purpose