It's not always about holding hands - cliches and relationships in works of fiction

[le_mru]

st_salieri's recent post on platonic vs non-platonic relationships got me thinking about my own preferences in the area. Having been in fandom for 10 years now (not a dinosaur, but still) I have seen numerous shipping wars (from X-Files' MSR fans and NoRomos through Harmonian wank to the recent Stefan/Elena vs Damon/Elena kerfluffle) and never really got

Comments

[novin_ha]

Huh. I'd totally read the balance struggle you list as power imbalance, same with the list of 'so wrong yet so right'. But then again, I like to read how sex comes into power imbalance and how it influences it, and how it can shift power - or can't.

My favourite relationships? "Making it work / making do" (marriage without love which functions well, two last people on earth type of thing, desperation, extreme loneliness that limits choice etc.), corruption stories (Azula/Zuko, for instance, or Lust, Caution), forbidden lust / forbidden affection and sexual assertiveness which may backfire. Among others. And ofc loving dominant/submissive and sleeping with the enemy whom you come to love - and betray your country/cause/everything for.

:> Off the top of my head.

[Oh, and forgiveness in a relationship. I totally ship Big Peter/Alicia, ofc., and can't stand Will and his Peter Pan way D:]

[le_mru]

I'd totally read the balance struggle you list as power imbalance, same with the list of 'so wrong yet so right'.

I probably should have been more specific. These two tie into each other somehow? Aaand I usually see these characters as complementary in some way.

Corruption stories squick me a little, but I usually read/watch with morbid fascination? Could fall under 'so wrong yet so right' I think, BUT I read them as 'power imbalance' and then they squick me again... I suppose. /blurry area

[novin_ha]

But isn't power always two-way? Wielding - or rather exercising - power over someone to me sometimes reads as the ultimate surrender in some ways. And I'm interested in that loss of power once you use it, in the 'corruptee' gaining the upper hand in some ways even if it ends badly for him/her.

Which reminds me - I love stories where one person is completely dependent on the other. And yes, it's potentially squicky and very unhealthy, but it's a fictional kink ;)

[le_mru]

Yeah, of course. I get it, I just don't see the appeal of it. Different strokes for different folks ;)

[upupa_epops]

I generally love platonic relationships (friends, family); not because I have something against sex, but because sexual relationships are so common in fanfiction; I just want a change from time to time. And when you take sex out of the equasion, you can grasp things that usually slip your attention when you're focusing on sexual build-up. I have it with Damon/Alaric; sure, I can write insane amounts of slash, but it's their friendship that attracted me to them. Caroline/Tyler would be the more extreme example, because, while I do love them as a couple, I kind of miss their s2 platonic friendship. It's just not fair that I can't have both

[ever_neutral]

+1 TO THIS POST.

The only place I diverge is that... I love that power struggle that goes on in pairings like Damon/Elena. Mainly because one member has all the power in all ways except the ones that matter (i.e. emotional). It's that sensation of teetering on a knife's edge over an abyss. YOU CAN'T LOOK AWAY, LOL.

[idrilka]

I think I ship the whole spectrum, from the typical romantic love (although as I grow older, I do find myself clinging to this particular type of shipping less and less) to "so wrong yet so right," but even though I like my happy endings in some cases, I want everything that comes before the happy ending to be an uphill battle, because I'm not interested in perfect love that comes easy.

Almost all the types of relationships you mention are my favourite types of relationships as well, with the exception of polyamory, since I'm not big on threeseomes (but I read them occasionally, especially if I know the author and know they can handle the subject matter well).

I love, as you call it, unlikely bedfellows and friends with benefits, especially if they're sleeping together because that's the only source of something resembling comfort that they're going to get, so they take what they're offered. So I love it when people are thrown together by chance, or they meet somewhere half-way, and they make do with what they have, because they're

[upupa_epops]

Also, now I want to go and write something.

And you are waiting for...? :PPPPPPP

[mlekopijca]

I talked with Idril about it and I've noticed that usually I don't have types. I just think: It would be an interesting pairing (ok, I actually think: I will ship it).

Sometimes it just goes like this: I ship it. There is no logic to it but I ship it anyway. So Alec/Biggs (aka the rarest pairing ever; Dark Angel), Sir Leon/Gwaine (aka there is no logic to it other than that they are both awesome and have good hair; Merlin) Robb/Asha Greyjoy (aka they never actually met, but it would be SO hot; ASoIaF), Robb/Dacey Mormont (she is a lady and a warrior!; ASoIaF).

Sometimes it's: Everybody ship it? Well, I don't, so I choose Sam/Jo over Dean/Jo, Sam/Kara over Kara/Lee, Parker/Eliot over Parker/Hardison or even OT3, Ray/Walt over Brad/Nate, Arthur/Gwen over Arthur/Merlin. These aren't rare pairings, but you could call them second-best pairings in the fandom.

There is the type I have, and I'm going to quote you: so wrong yet so right or there is something wrong with this pairing, or against the rules (of logic). You can find incest