MPREG META, PART TWO
Submission #4:
Mpreg: gender roles, what constitutes ‘proper’ sex, and the incredible vanishing baby
Mpreg is a popular and perennial trope throughout fandom that typically gains popularity as fandoms become established and the canon applications of characters become exhausted.
The popularity of mpreg fic raises several interesting questions about the role that women play as characters in fandom, and more importantly for the sake of this article, what is regarded as “normal” practice in sex and what is an acceptable balance of power to exist between partners in a relationship.
It can be argued, especially within the Inception fandom, that mpreg fic safely feminises one of the characters, and normalises the relationship within the definitions of a heteronormative context. As we’re all aware, Arthur/Eames is by far the most popular pairing within the Inception fandom, and, with a few notable exceptions[1], Arthur is the favoured partner to be the carrier of a child. There are very few fics and even fewer pieces of artwork that feature another character as the pregnant party[2], and there are two main contributing factors that lead to this trend: the physical difference in size between Arthur and Eames; the predilection of Arthur as the bottom in the pairing, and, indeed, the outright dislike by some members of the fandom of Eames as the bottom. These can be seen as being linked, and when viewed together highlight one simple fact: Arthur is easier to feminise. He is of slighter build and clean-shaven, which contrasts with the classic symbols of masculinity of facial hair and brawn exhibited by Eames.
This assignment of gender characteristics seems to solve the “problem” that appears to occupy so many members of fandom - who is the “girl” in the relationship. Fics such as likelying's I'm With You In Rockland, where Arthur and Mal are pregnant at the same time and are characterised with definite, or even stereotypical, feminine qualities. They share girlie chats and giggle over engagement rings, whereas the fathers of the children, Eames and Cobb, are depicted in classic male roles. In many other fics, Arthur's "female role" is repeated: he is penetrated, he becomes pregnant, and he deals with the majority of the physical and emotional implications of the pregnancy, leaving Eames to bask in the pride of ownership.
This is mine, Eames thinks.
Arthur continues to rub his belly muttering sweet endearments, “And even though your daddy is watching me from the doorway we love him anyway, don’t we?” Arthur looks up, almost slyly, towards the doorway, meeting Eames’ tender gaze. Eames’ ears redden. “You caught me, darling.”
(_la_belle_fille's Mine)
Often, once pregnant, Arthur's behaviour becomes a matter for others to judge; his self-determination becomes secondary in the eyes of those around him to his role as an incubator. Cthonical, however, deals nicely with this with Cobb’s opinions and concerns for Arthur in And a Gunshot for Her Lullaby. This assignment of gender roles also conforms to and confirms the unconscious heteronormative stereotype that haunts so much slash fic: that penetrative sex is somehow more “proper," more intimate than other forms of sex, and that it is the core sexual practice between most couples.
The heteronormative parameters can be subverted or twisted, however. Pregnancy can be a chance thing, as seen in Up the Duff by anonymous, where Arthur is an alien who doesn’t realise he can get pregnant; it may be dream-based, such as in toomuchplor’s No Soul to Sell; the element of choice may even be removed altogether, and is primarily seen in the werewolf/alpha-omega trope where Arthur goes into heat and Eames is forced to impregnate him (The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized by the-ragnarok deals with this particularly well, and also features a pregnant Dom.).
Interestingly, the majority of writers are more interested in the process of the pregnancy rather than in the concept of parenthood. It’s the intimacy of the impregnation scene; the moment when Arthur relinquishes his masculinity (and in the case of werewolf fic, his pretence at autonomy or humanity as well) and the subsequent physical changes to Arthur’s body that holds the attraction. Foxxcub’s brilliantly written The Sweetest Thing has one of the most jarring examples of this:
Eames grins. “You’re not going to go into labor before the timer runs out, are you?”
“No, but if I get any bigger I’ll be fucking bed-ridden. Jesus, Eames, twins? Seriously?”
The grin gets even more disgustingly wide. “They’ll have your dimples,” he says.
The thought shouldn’t make Arthur’s chest tighten, but it does.
“But seeing as how my genes are obviously more dominate, they’ll have my brains.”
Arthur elbows him in the gut. He maybe be nine months pregnant, but he’s still lethal.
~
The first thing Arthur does when he opens his eyes is reach for his stomach, which is flat, toned, hard. He smirks to himself, glancing at the chair beside him.
Eames is smiling crookedly at him, something oddly wistful in his eyes. He holds his hand out, and Arthur takes it.
“I don’t know if 'thank you' is appropriate, but...”
Arthur kisses his knuckles. “For my birthday, I get the bondage club dream. Deal?”
All of which isn’t to say that there aren’t some examples of the mpreg trope that are thought-provoking insights into man’s yearning to contribute and control the creative process. No Soul to Sell (mentioned previously) explores the shared feeling between Mal and Arthur when they are both pregnant without diminishing either of them to a stereotype, and is one of the only dream based stories I have read that deals with the real-life implications of having a dream child. Atom to Atom by anonymous (a WIP dealing with Arthur and Eames trying to conceive) is one of the few stories I've encountered that examines the planning of the pregnancy, the desire for a child, and all the emotional fear and self-doubt this decision engenders. Stiff Drink, by metacheese, whilst being focused more lactation kink than mpreg, looks at Arthur as a single parent; how the reality of parenthood doesn’t match his careful plans, and lets Eames make the choice to engage in an existing family unit where the baby isn’t his.
This is, by necessity, only a cursory glance at a huge and popular trope. There are things that I haven’t had time to mention that I wish I could (the fact that women tend to be allowed a more progressive characterisation then men whilst pregnant, for example), but the fact remains that one of the reasons why this trope is so fascinating is due to the messages carried within it about the role of women and the purposes of penetrative sex.
Footnotes:
1] Eames/other as the pregnant partner:
Of All the Lies I've Ever Told by duckgirlie. Features pregnant Eames.
Untitled by Akaya. Fischer/Saito. Features pregnant Robert Fischer.
Taking Care by eternalsojourn. Features pregnant Eames.
2] Art:
Pregant Arthur fanart by platina
I actually have no idea who this is by, but it's fab.
Cthonical's And a Gunshot for Her Lullaby with companion art by platina
My Darling by towel-master, featuring pregnant Arthur.
Submission #5:
Mpreg’s appeal varies from person to person. For some, the kink itself is enough of a draw, and a number of those for whom mpreg has appeal even claim to have no interest in having children of their own. The reasons why kinks have their appeal to people is its own topic, and for the sake of this discussion, we’ll just have to take people at their word on what gets them going. Additionally, mpreg brings for the possibility of other kinks that are heavily connected to it, such as pregnancy sex or lactation. Pregnancy itself may be a kink that appeals to some people, and for readers specifically interested in slash, mpreg is the only mechanism to facilitate this kink.
Mpreg is linked with a number of non-sexual “kinks,” such as werewolves, catboys (or catgirls), alpha/omega, kidfic, or even genres such as H/C. In her meta about why mpreg appeals to her, djinanna mentions that she likes H/C and think of mpreg as an “extreme situation” that warranted that kind of story. In fact, “regular” pregnancies are already heavily tax the human body, so it would make sense that it would be an even greater burden on male bodies, which are not meant to host fetuses.
Genres such as werewolf, catboy/catgirl, and alpha/omega usually act as a means to explain the mpreg, along with mpreg contributing to the appeal of that kink for some people. One of the morst prevailing misconceptions about mpreg is that people who read and/or like it for whatever reason have a poor concept of or are unknowledgable male human anatomy. This, however, is usually far from the case. Having taken several biology and physiology courses, some specifically focused on reproductive biology. When I read mpreg, physiology is usually an aspect that doesn’t bother me as long as there is some thin coat of explanation. As shimmerfox explains in her commentary, it is not unusual for people (or even characters in-story) to be surprised for a male to be able to become pregnant. However, fiction is the realm of endless possibilities, and some people even prefer to not have their mpreg explained. For people those who enjoy mpreg, it might be simply be a matter of being able to overlook an obviously impossible event. After all -- wizards nor elves nor unicorns exist in the real world, and yet people can still enjoy stories about them too.
There is also a another way that mpreg hits home with readers and writers. It allows for the exploration of a family setting. The common ‘kid-fic’ is offered with what some would see as a more personal level. Some find the aspect of building a family around a biological child more intimate, than building a family around an adopted child. It’s not to say that adoption is any less of a valuable idea, it’s that with mpreg, two male characters get to develop a relationship over the time that the character is pregnant. It allows for us to watch as two men grow to accept, or maybe not, their situation, instead of already accepting and moving on to adoption.
Moving past the kinks, mpreg is something that has flirted with many fandoms, appearing in many different forms. It has been improbable, impossible, unexplained, thoroughly discussed and yet, it’s something that people are always finding new ways to explore. Male pregnancy has happened due to magic, the introduction of a body changing virus, the it-just-happens-without-explanation, the alpha and omega roles, werewolves, aliens and a number of other causes. Inception offered something new, something that could blend in well with canon.
Inception offered dreams.
Mpreg in dreams would normally be considered a simple idea, but Inception gives us possibilities. No longer is male pregnancy relegated to a single dreamer, but all those who an author wishes to be involved. Whole lives can be created within dreams, spanning lifetimes, years or mere days. Reality is something that can be questioned, challenged. As authors, we are given a chance to give a lifetime of something different, of something a normally male character would be unable to experience in reality.
With dreaming, comes the inevitable though. Waking up. Not only are we given a chance to explore male pregnancy, but we are shown a heart breaking option. What happens when they wake up, when reality sets in her claws and tears away everything their minds created? Symptoms vary from annoyance, depression, horror, a sudden realization that adoption is possible. They have all played parts in Inception fiction, from the humorous to the angst.
But still, with so many people that do like mpreg, there are those who do not enjoy it. Sometimes they don’t enjoy it because they think that there is something unusual and disturbing about forcing a pregnancy on a male character; even if they want it. They can’t understand why someone would impose something so oddly feminine on a male character. They are see a homosexual relationship as one in which both participants in the relationship are uniquely male and with no “female” role.
They enjoy fics where the men learn to love the feel of leaner limbs, or where they have to go through some emotional turmoil when they realize they can’t have society’s normative family unit; where they have to reconcile with the fact that they cannot procreate without use of a surrogate.
Most of the kinks associated with pregnancy are not part of the man’s experience. It comes too close to placing someone in a stereotypical woman’s position by making him undergo pregnancy--even if it is of his own choosing. Do either partners crave to fulfill some biological or societal role by passing on their genes? It bothers them and maybe it has to do with their ideas of gender roles.
In the end, mpreg will always be a kink that some don’t understand, that some love, that some don’t enjoy and even on that some have to research to know what it is. It’s a unique kink and that fits right into fandom, doesn’t it?
Additional Recs
(what else do we like?)
Links/References
Stories
whiskyrunner's pavlov's bell verse http://whiskyrunner.livejournal.com/19155.html
the_ragnarok's the revolution will not be civilized http://archiveofourown.org/works/268993/chapters/423737 + a coda http://cherrybina.livejournal.com/243220.html?thread=18416916#t18416916
foxxcub's the sweetest thing: http://foxxcub.livejournal.com/718229.html
eternalsojourn: http://archiveofourown.org/works/300860 http://archiveofourown.org/works/264060 http://archiveofourown.org/works/256646
cthonical: http://archiveofourown.org/works/222231 http://cthonical.livejournal.com/97941.html http://cherrybina.livejournal.com/243220.html?thread=18542356#t18542356
osaki_nana_08's Atom to Atom: http://osaki-nana-707.livejournal.com/tag/story%3A%20atom%20to%20atom
By anonymous: (warning for miscarriage) http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/19632.html?thread=46879152#t46879152
acidpop25's losing faith: http://archiveofourown.org/works/292648
metacheese's stiff drink: http://archiveofourown.org/works/261432
toomuchplor's no soul to sell http://cherrybina.livejournal.com/239684.html?thread=17451332#t17451332
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/17669.html?thread=38398213#t38398213
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/4946.html?thread=6315090#t6315090
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/11941.html?thread=26634149#t26634149
Fakebody: http://likelying.livejournal.com/1177.html
Up the Duff: http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/19177.html?thread=45649641#t45649641
My Apologies: http://thblueshabootie.livejournal.com/4728.html#cutid1
atom to atom (not werewolf one): (Warning for medicalization)
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/20092.html?thread=48573564#t48573564
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/20092.html?thread=48562044
veto: http://archiveofourown.org/works/294830
Additional Links
http://delicious.com/inceptionkinkmeme/.mpreg mpreg tag on the i_kink delicious
http://eames-arthur.livejournal.com/tag/genre%3A%20kink%20%28mpreg%29 mpreg tag on eames_arthur
Art
http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=arthur+eames+mpreg#/d31msig
http://plus4chan.org/b/coq/src/131607275082.jpg (nsfw mpreg not really visible, but is art for Up the Duff, which turns into an mpreg.)
http://plus4chan.org/b/coq/src/13236551405.png
http://eames-arthur.livejournal.com/622093.html#cutid1
http://plaemon.tumblr.com/tagged/mpreg (nsfw)
-A Gun Shot For Her Lullabye http://ae-match.livejournal.com/10050.html (nsfw)
Past meta
http://fanficrants.livejournal.com/9406264.html?format=light - “annoying trends” in mpreg
http://alchemia.insanejournal.com/44179.html?format=light - compilation of mpreg in mainstream media
http://epic-rants.livejournal.com/73135.html - effects of pregnancy (mpreg) on the body
http://djinanna.livejournal.com/205086.html - why people like mpreg
http://reddwarfer.livejournal.com/596938.html - issues of abortion/choice
Submission #6:
By eternalsojourn
With the recent surge in mpreg in the fandom, and in attempting to write mpreg of my own, it has occurred to me that mpreg covers several different stages, and that the appeal or kink of each stage is quite different. While all stages often feature domesticity and the notion of parenthood/family/commitment, I think each stage showcases its own distinct appeal, or kink.
First is the impregnation stage. Much of the mpreg I read early on was based on alpha/omega and/or werewolf concepts. For the one-off porn, this usually meant sex leading to impregnation, which in itself is the kink. Digging into this one for a fic I was writing, I found that the appeal (for me) was the characters’ awareness of what they were doing and so the kink centred on impregnation dirty talk. Stories such as Atom to Atom (by anonymous) and Up the Duff with accompanying art (both fic and art by two separate anons) deal with this stage of mpreg, with incredibly hot results. My own foray into mpreg started with this stage: Scorch features the moment of impregnation and a self-conscious awareness on the part of the characters that pregnancy was the possible result.
After writing impregnation kink fic, I still somehow felt like I hadn’t ‘done’ mpreg, since my fic didn’t feature a pregnant male body (apart from a brief coda that hinted at the road Arthur and Eames were about to embark upon). I think this kink is distinct from impregnation in that it addresses the actual pregnant male, and often focuses on the body as the source of the kink. Phrases like “belly worship” often come up in these stories, and more art is featured for this stage (hardly surprising since impregnation is rather difficult to depict in visual form).
A few examples of pregnant-belly art/fic:
http://towel-master.livejournal.com/19983.html
http://666kb.com/i/buq07or2klknhs0n2.jpg and http://666kb.com/i/buq0y5cvbcdsgwe2m.jpg (and fic: http://ae-match.livejournal.com/10050.html)
http://666kb.com/i/by8votw541orlh1ug.jpg
As a way of exploring the appeal of the pregnant male belly and couching it in a domestic, comforting situation, I wrote Taking Care. I enjoyed playing around with exploring Eames’s pregnant body, deliberately calling attention to his masculine features as compared with his fertile belly.
The third stage has quite a bit of overlap with kidfic. In my opinion, this stage begins to depart from mpreg as a kink in that it’s less relevant by this point whether the character has given birth or simply adopted. A noteable exception is the superb Stiff Drink by ladderax, in which the mpreg kink is transmuted into a post-natal male lactation kink. However, I think the core appeal - that of nurturing, fertility and the incongruousness of these things with the male body - are shared with the other stages of mpreg.
And on a different note entirely, in a fandom in which canon supplies an easy solution for explaining any fantastic elements in its concept of Dreamshare, it’s perhaps a bit odd that much of the mpreg that appears in this fandom occurs in the ‘real world’. One noteable exception is foxxcub’s The Sweetest Thing, which makes perfect use of dreamspace to produce both impregnation and full-term pregnancy in one compact, incredibly sexy fic.
By daughtershade
Mpreg is nothing new in fandom, but I find it interesting in the context of Inception fandom, especially considering the majority of stories featuring Arthur/Eames. This pairing doesn’t immediately bring to mind the feelings one usually associates with mpreg fic. While it is a common fandom trope and you’ll often see one-off stories or kink meme responses in almost every fandom that includes it, there is a sense that mpreg (and the eventual kidfic it often leads to) lends itself more to a feeling of domesticity. That’s not to say that it isn’t really hot to read some babymaking sex for the sake of babymaking sex. That certainly exists and is quite enjoyable, but typically mpreg fics have an emotional element beyond just the sex. Sometimes it’s humorous, (“What have you gotten me into, Eames!”) sometimes it’s romantic, (“I love you and I want your babies, darling.”), and sometimes it’s about home (“This is our house, this is our child.”).
The problem can be that domesticity and Arthur/Eames aren’t always a perfect fit. While there are plenty of domestic fics out there featuring the guys (some that are really well done, Joosetta’s Renovations!verse http://archiveofourown.org/series/6969immediately comes to mind), it usually takes a lot of set up to get them there. The wonderful thing about Arthur and Eames both is that they are very independent self-sufficient characters. They can often be self-centered and bullheaded when it comes to getting their way. This always creates tension between the pair, and we all benefit from the excellent writing that our fandom has trying to untie the knots these two can cause. These guys live a life of constant travel and intrigue, danger and uncertainty; something not very conducive to pregnancy, babies, or child rearing.
And yet…
There is something wonderful about seeing two BAMFs who often have trouble communicating, especially when it comes to feelings, showing their love in the most instinctual, primal way possible. I like that a lot of mpreg fic in the fandom has either or both of them surprised at how much they want what happens. I think Eames is the sort of guy that loves kids, or at least knows how to deal with them. And while Arthur may seem a little too tightly wound for children, the fact that he wants Cobb to get home and helps him says what he thinks of that ultimate goal. I love fics where he’s Uncle Arthur and not just a coworker. So while on the surface neither one of them really seems like a quintessential “Dad”, there is something underneath. Certainly together they play to each other’s strengths and cover each other’s weaknesses. We see it in action fics all the time and it’s believable. The thing is being a parent, sharing that awesome responsibility with someone else requires the same ability to work together. While they may bitch, complain, and banter their way through it, I have no doubt that these two can do anything they set their mind to, even making babies.
Bonus submission! because I couldn't resist throwing in my two cents as to why there needs to be more pregnant!Eames.
VOTING! the question is always: which submission did you enjoy most! (REMEMBER, THE FATE OF A TEAM IS IN YOUR HANDS.)
Poll Mpreg Meta
Mpreg: gender roles, what constitutes ‘proper’ sex, and the incredible vanishing baby
Mpreg is a popular and perennial trope throughout fandom that typically gains popularity as fandoms become established and the canon applications of characters become exhausted.
The popularity of mpreg fic raises several interesting questions about the role that women play as characters in fandom, and more importantly for the sake of this article, what is regarded as “normal” practice in sex and what is an acceptable balance of power to exist between partners in a relationship.
It can be argued, especially within the Inception fandom, that mpreg fic safely feminises one of the characters, and normalises the relationship within the definitions of a heteronormative context. As we’re all aware, Arthur/Eames is by far the most popular pairing within the Inception fandom, and, with a few notable exceptions[1], Arthur is the favoured partner to be the carrier of a child. There are very few fics and even fewer pieces of artwork that feature another character as the pregnant party[2], and there are two main contributing factors that lead to this trend: the physical difference in size between Arthur and Eames; the predilection of Arthur as the bottom in the pairing, and, indeed, the outright dislike by some members of the fandom of Eames as the bottom. These can be seen as being linked, and when viewed together highlight one simple fact: Arthur is easier to feminise. He is of slighter build and clean-shaven, which contrasts with the classic symbols of masculinity of facial hair and brawn exhibited by Eames.
This assignment of gender characteristics seems to solve the “problem” that appears to occupy so many members of fandom - who is the “girl” in the relationship. Fics such as likelying's I'm With You In Rockland, where Arthur and Mal are pregnant at the same time and are characterised with definite, or even stereotypical, feminine qualities. They share girlie chats and giggle over engagement rings, whereas the fathers of the children, Eames and Cobb, are depicted in classic male roles. In many other fics, Arthur's "female role" is repeated: he is penetrated, he becomes pregnant, and he deals with the majority of the physical and emotional implications of the pregnancy, leaving Eames to bask in the pride of ownership.
This is mine, Eames thinks.
Arthur continues to rub his belly muttering sweet endearments, “And even though your daddy is watching me from the doorway we love him anyway, don’t we?” Arthur looks up, almost slyly, towards the doorway, meeting Eames’ tender gaze. Eames’ ears redden. “You caught me, darling.”
(_la_belle_fille's Mine)
Often, once pregnant, Arthur's behaviour becomes a matter for others to judge; his self-determination becomes secondary in the eyes of those around him to his role as an incubator. Cthonical, however, deals nicely with this with Cobb’s opinions and concerns for Arthur in And a Gunshot for Her Lullaby. This assignment of gender roles also conforms to and confirms the unconscious heteronormative stereotype that haunts so much slash fic: that penetrative sex is somehow more “proper," more intimate than other forms of sex, and that it is the core sexual practice between most couples.
The heteronormative parameters can be subverted or twisted, however. Pregnancy can be a chance thing, as seen in Up the Duff by anonymous, where Arthur is an alien who doesn’t realise he can get pregnant; it may be dream-based, such as in toomuchplor’s No Soul to Sell; the element of choice may even be removed altogether, and is primarily seen in the werewolf/alpha-omega trope where Arthur goes into heat and Eames is forced to impregnate him (The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized by the-ragnarok deals with this particularly well, and also features a pregnant Dom.).
Interestingly, the majority of writers are more interested in the process of the pregnancy rather than in the concept of parenthood. It’s the intimacy of the impregnation scene; the moment when Arthur relinquishes his masculinity (and in the case of werewolf fic, his pretence at autonomy or humanity as well) and the subsequent physical changes to Arthur’s body that holds the attraction. Foxxcub’s brilliantly written The Sweetest Thing has one of the most jarring examples of this:
Eames grins. “You’re not going to go into labor before the timer runs out, are you?”
“No, but if I get any bigger I’ll be fucking bed-ridden. Jesus, Eames, twins? Seriously?”
The grin gets even more disgustingly wide. “They’ll have your dimples,” he says.
The thought shouldn’t make Arthur’s chest tighten, but it does.
“But seeing as how my genes are obviously more dominate, they’ll have my brains.”
Arthur elbows him in the gut. He maybe be nine months pregnant, but he’s still lethal.
~
The first thing Arthur does when he opens his eyes is reach for his stomach, which is flat, toned, hard. He smirks to himself, glancing at the chair beside him.
Eames is smiling crookedly at him, something oddly wistful in his eyes. He holds his hand out, and Arthur takes it.
“I don’t know if 'thank you' is appropriate, but...”
Arthur kisses his knuckles. “For my birthday, I get the bondage club dream. Deal?”
All of which isn’t to say that there aren’t some examples of the mpreg trope that are thought-provoking insights into man’s yearning to contribute and control the creative process. No Soul to Sell (mentioned previously) explores the shared feeling between Mal and Arthur when they are both pregnant without diminishing either of them to a stereotype, and is one of the only dream based stories I have read that deals with the real-life implications of having a dream child. Atom to Atom by anonymous (a WIP dealing with Arthur and Eames trying to conceive) is one of the few stories I've encountered that examines the planning of the pregnancy, the desire for a child, and all the emotional fear and self-doubt this decision engenders. Stiff Drink, by metacheese, whilst being focused more lactation kink than mpreg, looks at Arthur as a single parent; how the reality of parenthood doesn’t match his careful plans, and lets Eames make the choice to engage in an existing family unit where the baby isn’t his.
This is, by necessity, only a cursory glance at a huge and popular trope. There are things that I haven’t had time to mention that I wish I could (the fact that women tend to be allowed a more progressive characterisation then men whilst pregnant, for example), but the fact remains that one of the reasons why this trope is so fascinating is due to the messages carried within it about the role of women and the purposes of penetrative sex.
Footnotes:
1] Eames/other as the pregnant partner:
Of All the Lies I've Ever Told by duckgirlie. Features pregnant Eames.
Untitled by Akaya. Fischer/Saito. Features pregnant Robert Fischer.
Taking Care by eternalsojourn. Features pregnant Eames.
2] Art:
Pregant Arthur fanart by platina
I actually have no idea who this is by, but it's fab.
Cthonical's And a Gunshot for Her Lullaby with companion art by platina
My Darling by towel-master, featuring pregnant Arthur.
Submission #5:
Mpreg’s appeal varies from person to person. For some, the kink itself is enough of a draw, and a number of those for whom mpreg has appeal even claim to have no interest in having children of their own. The reasons why kinks have their appeal to people is its own topic, and for the sake of this discussion, we’ll just have to take people at their word on what gets them going. Additionally, mpreg brings for the possibility of other kinks that are heavily connected to it, such as pregnancy sex or lactation. Pregnancy itself may be a kink that appeals to some people, and for readers specifically interested in slash, mpreg is the only mechanism to facilitate this kink.
Mpreg is linked with a number of non-sexual “kinks,” such as werewolves, catboys (or catgirls), alpha/omega, kidfic, or even genres such as H/C. In her meta about why mpreg appeals to her, djinanna mentions that she likes H/C and think of mpreg as an “extreme situation” that warranted that kind of story. In fact, “regular” pregnancies are already heavily tax the human body, so it would make sense that it would be an even greater burden on male bodies, which are not meant to host fetuses.
Genres such as werewolf, catboy/catgirl, and alpha/omega usually act as a means to explain the mpreg, along with mpreg contributing to the appeal of that kink for some people. One of the morst prevailing misconceptions about mpreg is that people who read and/or like it for whatever reason have a poor concept of or are unknowledgable male human anatomy. This, however, is usually far from the case. Having taken several biology and physiology courses, some specifically focused on reproductive biology. When I read mpreg, physiology is usually an aspect that doesn’t bother me as long as there is some thin coat of explanation. As shimmerfox explains in her commentary, it is not unusual for people (or even characters in-story) to be surprised for a male to be able to become pregnant. However, fiction is the realm of endless possibilities, and some people even prefer to not have their mpreg explained. For people those who enjoy mpreg, it might be simply be a matter of being able to overlook an obviously impossible event. After all -- wizards nor elves nor unicorns exist in the real world, and yet people can still enjoy stories about them too.
There is also a another way that mpreg hits home with readers and writers. It allows for the exploration of a family setting. The common ‘kid-fic’ is offered with what some would see as a more personal level. Some find the aspect of building a family around a biological child more intimate, than building a family around an adopted child. It’s not to say that adoption is any less of a valuable idea, it’s that with mpreg, two male characters get to develop a relationship over the time that the character is pregnant. It allows for us to watch as two men grow to accept, or maybe not, their situation, instead of already accepting and moving on to adoption.
Moving past the kinks, mpreg is something that has flirted with many fandoms, appearing in many different forms. It has been improbable, impossible, unexplained, thoroughly discussed and yet, it’s something that people are always finding new ways to explore. Male pregnancy has happened due to magic, the introduction of a body changing virus, the it-just-happens-without-explanation, the alpha and omega roles, werewolves, aliens and a number of other causes. Inception offered something new, something that could blend in well with canon.
Inception offered dreams.
Mpreg in dreams would normally be considered a simple idea, but Inception gives us possibilities. No longer is male pregnancy relegated to a single dreamer, but all those who an author wishes to be involved. Whole lives can be created within dreams, spanning lifetimes, years or mere days. Reality is something that can be questioned, challenged. As authors, we are given a chance to give a lifetime of something different, of something a normally male character would be unable to experience in reality.
With dreaming, comes the inevitable though. Waking up. Not only are we given a chance to explore male pregnancy, but we are shown a heart breaking option. What happens when they wake up, when reality sets in her claws and tears away everything their minds created? Symptoms vary from annoyance, depression, horror, a sudden realization that adoption is possible. They have all played parts in Inception fiction, from the humorous to the angst.
But still, with so many people that do like mpreg, there are those who do not enjoy it. Sometimes they don’t enjoy it because they think that there is something unusual and disturbing about forcing a pregnancy on a male character; even if they want it. They can’t understand why someone would impose something so oddly feminine on a male character. They are see a homosexual relationship as one in which both participants in the relationship are uniquely male and with no “female” role.
They enjoy fics where the men learn to love the feel of leaner limbs, or where they have to go through some emotional turmoil when they realize they can’t have society’s normative family unit; where they have to reconcile with the fact that they cannot procreate without use of a surrogate.
Most of the kinks associated with pregnancy are not part of the man’s experience. It comes too close to placing someone in a stereotypical woman’s position by making him undergo pregnancy--even if it is of his own choosing. Do either partners crave to fulfill some biological or societal role by passing on their genes? It bothers them and maybe it has to do with their ideas of gender roles.
In the end, mpreg will always be a kink that some don’t understand, that some love, that some don’t enjoy and even on that some have to research to know what it is. It’s a unique kink and that fits right into fandom, doesn’t it?
Additional Recs
(what else do we like?)
Links/References
Stories
whiskyrunner's pavlov's bell verse http://whiskyrunner.livejournal.com/19155.html
the_ragnarok's the revolution will not be civilized http://archiveofourown.org/works/268993/chapters/423737 + a coda http://cherrybina.livejournal.com/243220.html?thread=18416916#t18416916
foxxcub's the sweetest thing: http://foxxcub.livejournal.com/718229.html
eternalsojourn: http://archiveofourown.org/works/300860 http://archiveofourown.org/works/264060 http://archiveofourown.org/works/256646
cthonical: http://archiveofourown.org/works/222231 http://cthonical.livejournal.com/97941.html http://cherrybina.livejournal.com/243220.html?thread=18542356#t18542356
osaki_nana_08's Atom to Atom: http://osaki-nana-707.livejournal.com/tag/story%3A%20atom%20to%20atom
By anonymous: (warning for miscarriage) http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/19632.html?thread=46879152#t46879152
acidpop25's losing faith: http://archiveofourown.org/works/292648
metacheese's stiff drink: http://archiveofourown.org/works/261432
toomuchplor's no soul to sell http://cherrybina.livejournal.com/239684.html?thread=17451332#t17451332
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/17669.html?thread=38398213#t38398213
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/4946.html?thread=6315090#t6315090
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/11941.html?thread=26634149#t26634149
Fakebody: http://likelying.livejournal.com/1177.html
Up the Duff: http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/19177.html?thread=45649641#t45649641
My Apologies: http://thblueshabootie.livejournal.com/4728.html#cutid1
atom to atom (not werewolf one): (Warning for medicalization)
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/20092.html?thread=48573564#t48573564
http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/20092.html?thread=48562044
veto: http://archiveofourown.org/works/294830
Additional Links
http://delicious.com/inceptionkinkmeme/.mpreg mpreg tag on the i_kink delicious
http://eames-arthur.livejournal.com/tag/genre%3A%20kink%20%28mpreg%29 mpreg tag on eames_arthur
Art
http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=arthur+eames+mpreg#/d31msig
http://plus4chan.org/b/coq/src/131607275082.jpg (nsfw mpreg not really visible, but is art for Up the Duff, which turns into an mpreg.)
http://plus4chan.org/b/coq/src/13236551405.png
http://eames-arthur.livejournal.com/622093.html#cutid1
http://plaemon.tumblr.com/tagged/mpreg (nsfw)
-A Gun Shot For Her Lullabye http://ae-match.livejournal.com/10050.html (nsfw)
Past meta
http://fanficrants.livejournal.com/9406264.html?format=light - “annoying trends” in mpreg
http://alchemia.insanejournal.com/44179.html?format=light - compilation of mpreg in mainstream media
http://epic-rants.livejournal.com/73135.html - effects of pregnancy (mpreg) on the body
http://djinanna.livejournal.com/205086.html - why people like mpreg
http://reddwarfer.livejournal.com/596938.html - issues of abortion/choice
Submission #6:
By eternalsojourn
With the recent surge in mpreg in the fandom, and in attempting to write mpreg of my own, it has occurred to me that mpreg covers several different stages, and that the appeal or kink of each stage is quite different. While all stages often feature domesticity and the notion of parenthood/family/commitment, I think each stage showcases its own distinct appeal, or kink.
First is the impregnation stage. Much of the mpreg I read early on was based on alpha/omega and/or werewolf concepts. For the one-off porn, this usually meant sex leading to impregnation, which in itself is the kink. Digging into this one for a fic I was writing, I found that the appeal (for me) was the characters’ awareness of what they were doing and so the kink centred on impregnation dirty talk. Stories such as Atom to Atom (by anonymous) and Up the Duff with accompanying art (both fic and art by two separate anons) deal with this stage of mpreg, with incredibly hot results. My own foray into mpreg started with this stage: Scorch features the moment of impregnation and a self-conscious awareness on the part of the characters that pregnancy was the possible result.
After writing impregnation kink fic, I still somehow felt like I hadn’t ‘done’ mpreg, since my fic didn’t feature a pregnant male body (apart from a brief coda that hinted at the road Arthur and Eames were about to embark upon). I think this kink is distinct from impregnation in that it addresses the actual pregnant male, and often focuses on the body as the source of the kink. Phrases like “belly worship” often come up in these stories, and more art is featured for this stage (hardly surprising since impregnation is rather difficult to depict in visual form).
A few examples of pregnant-belly art/fic:
http://towel-master.livejournal.com/19983.html
http://666kb.com/i/buq07or2klknhs0n2.jpg and http://666kb.com/i/buq0y5cvbcdsgwe2m.jpg (and fic: http://ae-match.livejournal.com/10050.html)
http://666kb.com/i/by8votw541orlh1ug.jpg
As a way of exploring the appeal of the pregnant male belly and couching it in a domestic, comforting situation, I wrote Taking Care. I enjoyed playing around with exploring Eames’s pregnant body, deliberately calling attention to his masculine features as compared with his fertile belly.
The third stage has quite a bit of overlap with kidfic. In my opinion, this stage begins to depart from mpreg as a kink in that it’s less relevant by this point whether the character has given birth or simply adopted. A noteable exception is the superb Stiff Drink by ladderax, in which the mpreg kink is transmuted into a post-natal male lactation kink. However, I think the core appeal - that of nurturing, fertility and the incongruousness of these things with the male body - are shared with the other stages of mpreg.
And on a different note entirely, in a fandom in which canon supplies an easy solution for explaining any fantastic elements in its concept of Dreamshare, it’s perhaps a bit odd that much of the mpreg that appears in this fandom occurs in the ‘real world’. One noteable exception is foxxcub’s The Sweetest Thing, which makes perfect use of dreamspace to produce both impregnation and full-term pregnancy in one compact, incredibly sexy fic.
By daughtershade
Mpreg is nothing new in fandom, but I find it interesting in the context of Inception fandom, especially considering the majority of stories featuring Arthur/Eames. This pairing doesn’t immediately bring to mind the feelings one usually associates with mpreg fic. While it is a common fandom trope and you’ll often see one-off stories or kink meme responses in almost every fandom that includes it, there is a sense that mpreg (and the eventual kidfic it often leads to) lends itself more to a feeling of domesticity. That’s not to say that it isn’t really hot to read some babymaking sex for the sake of babymaking sex. That certainly exists and is quite enjoyable, but typically mpreg fics have an emotional element beyond just the sex. Sometimes it’s humorous, (“What have you gotten me into, Eames!”) sometimes it’s romantic, (“I love you and I want your babies, darling.”), and sometimes it’s about home (“This is our house, this is our child.”).
The problem can be that domesticity and Arthur/Eames aren’t always a perfect fit. While there are plenty of domestic fics out there featuring the guys (some that are really well done, Joosetta’s Renovations!verse http://archiveofourown.org/series/6969immediately comes to mind), it usually takes a lot of set up to get them there. The wonderful thing about Arthur and Eames both is that they are very independent self-sufficient characters. They can often be self-centered and bullheaded when it comes to getting their way. This always creates tension between the pair, and we all benefit from the excellent writing that our fandom has trying to untie the knots these two can cause. These guys live a life of constant travel and intrigue, danger and uncertainty; something not very conducive to pregnancy, babies, or child rearing.
And yet…
There is something wonderful about seeing two BAMFs who often have trouble communicating, especially when it comes to feelings, showing their love in the most instinctual, primal way possible. I like that a lot of mpreg fic in the fandom has either or both of them surprised at how much they want what happens. I think Eames is the sort of guy that loves kids, or at least knows how to deal with them. And while Arthur may seem a little too tightly wound for children, the fact that he wants Cobb to get home and helps him says what he thinks of that ultimate goal. I love fics where he’s Uncle Arthur and not just a coworker. So while on the surface neither one of them really seems like a quintessential “Dad”, there is something underneath. Certainly together they play to each other’s strengths and cover each other’s weaknesses. We see it in action fics all the time and it’s believable. The thing is being a parent, sharing that awesome responsibility with someone else requires the same ability to work together. While they may bitch, complain, and banter their way through it, I have no doubt that these two can do anything they set their mind to, even making babies.
Bonus submission! because I couldn't resist throwing in my two cents as to why there needs to be more pregnant!Eames.
VOTING! the question is always: which submission did you enjoy most! (REMEMBER, THE FATE OF A TEAM IS IN YOUR HANDS.)
Poll Mpreg Meta