favorite tropes meme with links, why do I do this to myself
Oh Christ, this actually didn't crosspost because the post was too large /o\ Or something, idk. Reposting directly to LJ:
FIC TROPE MEME TIME.
It's been fascinating for me to read why people like or dislike these tropes, hearing them talking about overcoming their distaste for a certain trope because an author they liked wrote it, sometimes being unable to explain it at all. I will do a very very sucky job at explaining them, but one thing I can do is rec :D Unfortunately for people who read this and care about my fandoms, anything I rec here will be something I've almost certainly recced before, so sorry about that. Stories I linked to here are roughly 90% Bandom, 5% American Idol, and 5% Other (SGA, Merlin, House, DCU idek.)
So, that meme about fic tropes and whether you like them or not:
Creature/Aliens: Considering that Buffy/Angel, Buffy/Spike, and Remus/Sirius were three of my maaajor ships -- and hey, let's add Clark/Lois, though this was pre-fandom -- this would have to be a yes :D People turning into animals is a particular trope I like -- one of my favorite moments from the childhood favorite Belgariad books is the scene where Garion learns how to turn into a wolf, where he discovers that his aunt can turn into an owl. And ooh, angels would also fit into this category. Those are also nice :-) More than anything though, in fic, it's not the seeing-what-this-character-is-like-as-an-[insert creature here] that does it for me, but one of two things -- either the narrative the author builds up for that character (usually a tale of angst and woe and secret-keeping and comfort), or the instincts and drives that this character has to fight to control. It can be bloodlust or powerful senses or a sex drive, but it'll be something they struggle to overcome.
Need You Wild by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, werewolf!Spencer, 100k of amazing amazingness.
I Like My Mermaids Like I Like My Coffee (Cold and Bitter) by tequilideas (Bandom) -- Jon/Spencer, PG-13, 8k, mermaid!Spencer, sooo charming.
La Mer by jerakeen (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, 4k, NC-17, mermaid!Kris, hot and achy.
A Life Elsewhere by toucanpie (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 24k, PG-13, so incredibly lovely and charming I can't even.
Shimmer by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 7k, PG-13, wingfic, really kind of beautiful.
I'll Be The Only Thing Between You and the Starts at Night by moku_youbi (Bandom) -- NC-17, 70k, Panic GSF and a bunch of other classic Bandom pairings, 70k, Star Trek DS9 fusion, amazingly good (and I have never watched DS9 in my life). And Ryan and Spencer and Jon are all aliens.
Standing Right Outside Your Door by moku_youbi (Bandom) -- Panic GSF, 30k, NC-17, Christmas elf!Brendon, one of my favorites.
A Season of Grace by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, 30k, PG-13, faerie slaves. <3_<3; wonderful h/c angst.
...okay, that is not going to happen again or I will never get through this meme.
Mpreg: In general not my thing -- it's the kind of suspension of disbelief my mind just won't agree to, and the physicality of it squicks me a little, and honestly I just haven't read enough to get into it. But I have on occasion read something by an author I love, and then I'll find myself updating my flist every day looking forward to the next part of the House/Forman mpreg WIP queenzulu was writing! So you know. Hats off.
There's No Such Thing In The World (As An Undo Button) by queenzulu (House MD) -- House/Foreman, NC-17, 42k, fusion with Knocked Up, which is what Foreman gets. Hilarious.
(Also, I would read the hell out of this Brendon/Spencer mpreg story by boweryd if it were ever finished.)
Slavefic: I was never really into it and then, like with many other tropes, Bandom happened. I don't know if it's like this everywhere, but most of the slave fics I've read aren't about being a slave, but about getting used to life after slavery, which is just... hurt/comfort to the max. Alternately, it is about the master.slave relationship, and there's a power imbalance their, but the master usually disagrees with slavery and does their best to treat the slave well considering this situation that they're both in. Obviously this trope will not work for everyone, but I have really enjoyed most fics I've read with it.
Fics:
But Not This Song by emilyenrose and ignipes (Bandom) -- Oh, only 200k of epic epic slavefic, no biggie. Panic GSF, slaves and rebels and escaping to freedom and what happens then. Rated R.
Call it Home by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 35k, NC-17, Spencer rescues former sex-slave Brendon. In space.
Objects in Motion by airgiodslv (Bandom) -- Gabe/William, R, 30k?. Gabe rescues sex-slave William! In space! :D
So Tonight That We Might See by softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Panic GSF, 30k, NC-17, space AU where Brendon used to be a slave. Heaaaaarts.
Fair Market Value by arsenicjade (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer/Ryan, NC-17, 50k, Brendon buys sex-slave Ryan as a field hand because he really needs the help. Spencer is the neighboring landowner -- and Ryan's childhood friend. Again, hearteyes.
A Gift Once Given by arsenicjade (Bandom)--Jon/Ryan, 8k, NC-17 Ryan gets Jpn as a gift for his 16th birthday. And now I want to reread this.
A Season of Grace by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, 30k, pg-13, recced two categories but NOW I'm reccing it because they were slaaaaves :D Brendon was a poor abused slave; Ryan and Spencer are well treated not-really-slaves in a different district.
Dark and Heart Obsessed by softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, seriously one of my favorites. Only 8k and rated R/NC-17, with 17k of extra chatfic around it here. Ryan used to be Prince Brendon's sex slave; after the revolution, Brendon is imprisoned and Ryan is in charge of his sentence.
BONUS NON-BANDOM: All That Time, Silent Still by ficangel (American Idol RPF) -- David Cook/Michael Johns, AI7 + AI8 characters, NC-17, probably 40k. David is a landowner who owns slaves but secretly helps the resistance movement, led by Neal and Adam. So very awesome.
Hmm, why do I have the feeling I've read Kirk!sex-slave fic? I don't think I have. But -- if anyone has a rec for sex-slave James Kirk fic, please, please. Bring it on.
Pain/BDSM: Hahaha, once again, AND THEN BANDOM CAME ALONG. There is such a wonderful abundance of fic that deal with this subject so well in Bandom, in a very real, safe-sane-consensual lifestyle way, where they talk about it and sometimes struggle with it and have safewords and use them and mostly, are aware of their kinks in very real ways and have fun with them. I have already talked in length about my favorites in the past, and those are probably my favorite BDSM ones, so let me just quickly mention my favorites that focus on pain:
Second Circle by stele3 (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, 100k, NC-17, incredible story about navigating a BDSM relationship that went wrong long ago -- and many, many other things -- with an emphasis on the S&M aspect of BDSM.
Amateur Cartography by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- 42k, Brendon/Spencer, NC-17. All about Brendon exploring his pain kink and otherwise a regular tourfic. My heaaaaaart my heart.
I want to choke (u) and get sick off of you like cigarette smoke by lalejandra (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 6k?, another one that reaaaally focuses on the pain in a fantastic way, showing you what giving/receiving it does for the characters and how much they care about each other.
And just to relink -- My favorite Bandom BDSM fics. You should read everything in this post.
And okay, seriously, BDSM basically encapsulates 80% of the kinks people write about! So there's a lot I like :D
Violence/torture: In Bandom, since it's not a fandom that lends itself easily to action, nor one where I can imagine any of the characters ever holding up their own in a fight, I only enjoy violence/torture as a precursor of some sort to hurt/comfort -- and even then I can hardly remember reading stories like that. In other fandoms, it's fine. I can't think of any particular fic recs right now, but like, wasn't this basically the entire point of SGA?
Humiliation, shaming: I've read a few, and it comes up occasionally in other fics, but I've never really liked it; it's one of the kinks that keeps squicking me even if the characters are into it. But -- one of you mentioned shame in the sense that a character is embarrassed of what they want in bed, embarrassed or feel shame in asking for it, and that can be really, really great. Case in point:
Closer to Touch, Never Enough by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 5k, where they are 17 and Brendon really wants Spencer but has shame issues and it is the best. hottest. thing ever.
Power exchange, dominance and submission: I feel like this fits into BDSM? Both thematically and, you know. Very literally. In any case, when it works in fic, it works.
Pull Your Tangles Out by boweryd -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 9k, a very casually developing, never-explicitly named d/s relationship. Another favorite.
Man, I have a feeling there is a lot of this in Merlin that I am forgetting. I mean, other than, you know. The canon.
Age difference: Again, grew up shipping Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Spike, so I can't really say no -- although they look young so I don't know how much that counts? The thing with age difference is that usually, in the context of most shows, it also includes a major power imbalance between the characters, especially the younger the younger characters are, and the possibility of abuse of power kind of squicks me. So like, no student/teacher stuff. Naturally, the older the characters, the less I mind larger age differences -- I loved Jack/Daniel in SG-1 whose RL age difference is 20 years, and Jack/Sam (15 years), and I remember loving Lee/Roslyn in BSG (in RL she's 21 years older).
The one place where I actually found myself shipping a pairing that was clearly supposed to have a father/daughter relationship in canon was Rube/George in Dead Like Me (for those of you who didn't watch the show, George is the girl). In that case, though, I was kind of rooting for them to get together in many years (they were immortal), with her finally convincing him that despite the way her body's stayed, she's not actually eighteen anymore, and he deserves some loooove etc etc :D I've always had a thing, I think, for girls who wait until they're old enough to snag their childhood crushes, "I'm not just Jack's baby sister"-style.
The subject of age difference itself, and characters dealing with it, can be really, really awesome. Like, synecdochic's Take These Broken Wings (SG-1, JD-not-really-Jack/Cam) was really interesting in how it paired Cam, who is at this point somewhere between 30 and 40 years old, with a 20-year-old clone of Jack who has all of Jack's memories, making him simultaneously older than Cam (mentally) and younger than him (physically). And it creates so many interesting situations; there's the young Jack (JD), whose lived in this world for a few years as a young man, who has all these options before him and the world at his fingertips, and he's carrying all the baggage of Jack who grew up in an intolerant, homophobic world, who spent his entire life in the military, and never even dreamed he could do something about these desires. And there are all these awesome age-related dynamics in their relationship -- who takes care and who gets taken care of (the answer: both), and it's just wonderful.
minisinoo used to write about age-difference a lot too -- she wrote a lot of X-Men Movieverse fics, where the actress who was cast to play Jean (Famke Janssen) was nine years older than Scott (James Marsden), and given how young the characters were -- in their mid-20s/early-30s -- that acknowledged age difference was a permanent fixture in almost all of her Scott/Jean fics. It was always something they dealt with -- something he felt insecure about, something she strove to overcome when he first expressed romantic interest in her, with her already a doctor at that point and him just this fresh faces kid. It comes into play a lot in An Accidental Interception of Fate, her epic Scott/Jean origins story that is only 208k, really, no big deal.
DAMN IT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SHORT. Okay, two Bandom recs because I have to:
Any note You Can Reach by reni_days (Bandom) -- Brendon/Gerard, 5k, PG-13, only the most charming and hilarious fic you will ever read in your life; if you have not read this and fear the pairing, trust me on this one. The age difference comes in when Gerard freaks out over being all of thirty while Brendon is 20, it is so adorable I am practically squeeing right now.
This Story's Going Somewhere by jamjar (Bandom) -- Pete/Patrick, 42k, NC-17, really great Fall Out Boy origins story AU, where instead of Patrick being in high school when he met a 25-year-old Pete, Pete is a messed up teenager when he meets a college-aged Patrick. And he has a crush, and Patrick very gently turns him down because hello, highschool, and Pete is insistent, and also they form a band, and it is all kinds of wonderful. I haven't read much FOB fic, but honestly I think part of the reason for that is that these characterizations of Pete and Patrick, and the dynamic they have here which is very much influenced by their ages, were so good, that other non-AU fics never felt quite right to me after that.
And oooh wait, how could I forget DCU? So apparently, hah, apparently I love more pairings with age differences. Where the older guy has to be convinced not to see the younger guy as just... his surrogate brother/his adopted child. Um. Recs:
Apart From What We Wish and What We Fear by elynross (DCU) -- Bruce/Dick, 22k, NC-17, I honestly can't tell you I remember much about this fic except that I was on the edge of my seat while reading it and the first thing I did when I finished was make an instarec post.
At The Bottom of the Sky by rubynye (DCU) -- Dick/Tim. NC-17, 6k, so hot, and ugh, Robins, I love you so much. Not that easy to choose this in particular, so just have a link to all of rubynye's Tim/Dick fics.
Underage (chan): I'm not quite sure about the definitions of chan, but underage, as in under 18? Definitely. High school fic = my love, mostly in Bandom and in before that in HP (mostly MWPP, some not) and in BtVS. Hmm, what can I rec here... ooh:
In Case the Scene Gets Nasty by softlyforgotten and zarah5 (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 90k, AU where they are two kids who hate each other in high school and then they get stuck doing detention together for the entire semester, and it's a really great take on the enemies-turned-lovers trope and it's hot and long and slow and I love it.
Underground Earthquakes by stele3 (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, 27k, R. Panic at the Disco AU, in which there is no band - just Spencer and Ryan, ages 15 and 16. It's a long, hot summer, the kind that young boys dream about; but this one has some changes in store, and Spencer struggles to navigate the shifting terrain. And there is some very young and experimental BDSM. This fic, my heart, it hurts and swells and I should stop gushing and move on, especially since now I feel like I'm being unfair towards all the fics in the beginning which I recced with only, like, a word. THEY ALL DESERVE SO MUCH MORE.
(Oh, and. If I may brag with another pre-rec. I just this morning read a sex scene from a high school fic that I have been given the privilege of glimpsing, and oh my god ♥__♥.)
Bloodplay: I don't think I've ever read any that wasn't part of a vampire fic. And I can't remember any specific examples now, but basically, the blood thing and biting during sex doesn't do anything for me and I tend not to like it -- unless I am given to understand through the worldbuilding of the fic that vampire bites have this magical effect that makes them pleasurable for humans, which is what makes me feel secure that the human is really and truly enjoying themselves too.
Watersports: You know, I would have told you no, and it's still a general no, except as usual I make exceptions for authors I love.
Keep You On Your Toes by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer (in the same werewolf AU as the first rec, but this has nothing to do with the story), NC-17, 2k, so freaking cute and sweet.
Crossdressing/Genderbender: Crossdressing: I usually don't go looking for this, but I'll read it without hesitation if it's by an author I like or if it has an interesting summary. Same with genderfuck, which... there are a couple of types. There are always-a-girl fics, which I usually don't click on unless they're recced or by someone I know, but I almost universally end up loving them. There are turns-into-a-girl fics, which can be fantastic. There are various genderqueer stories, which I usually only read when recced.
One of my faaavorite tropes for turns-into-a-girl fics are het fics where a guy turns into a girl and she's the one who has to kind of walk him through the steps of having a female body. Which is why slash fics where guys turn into girls aren't as interesting to me -- it feels like their experience of living in a female body is a lot more foreign, whereas when I have a beloved female character at his side is a lot more comforting and a lot more satisfying in an I-told-you-so kind of way.
...unfortunately I have not read such a fic in a long, long time :-) Probably not since BtVS and maybe HP; that trope could work well for Xander/Cordelia or Xander/Willow, Hermione/Ron or Lily/James. I kept hoping to read and eventually maybe write something like that for House/Cuddy, but that never happened, so.
OKAY, so. Recs. Oh fuck, I just opened like 30 tabs /o\
The Elliot Code of Honour by cest_what and softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Ryan/Brendon and Z/Tennessee, 30k, PG. Regency style romantic comedy of errors boys dressing as girls and girls dressing as boys and mistaken identities and duels and awesomeness.
And underdressed by wearemany (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 8k. Crossdressing; Ryan and Brendon both apparently like lingerie.
Just One of the Girls by skoosiepants (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, PG-13, 22k, high school romcom where Ryan pretends to be a girl to prove something or other, based on that movie. Very cute.
I Don't Mind if You Don't Mind by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer/Ryan, NC-17, 8k. Brendon likes wearing panties, awesome and hot and sweet and funny.
If You Want A Lover by fiddleyoumust (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 2.5k, NC-17. Brendon wears panties because Spencer asks him to. Such a hot, sweet PWP.
Ordinary Boys by brushstrokes (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 15k. Beautiful, thoughtful story about Ryan turning into a girl and learning to adjust to living with this new body.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by heavyhart (Bandom) -- Brendon/Shane, 6k, NC-17. Shane wakes up a girl. He and Brendon have sex.
Definitely Maybe by lilywhitelilith (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 3k. Brendon wakes up a girl! He and Spencer have sex.
Couldn't Call it Unexpected by brooklinegirl (Bandom) -- Frank/Jamia, NC-17, 4-5k?, one of the hottest things I have ever read. Frank and Jamia wake up with their sexes reversed. And have sex.
Pull Me In Tighter by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Panic GSF w/always-a-girl!Spencer, 12k, NC-17, incredible hot and sweet and funny.
I Wish You Could See It From Over There by lj user=boweryd> and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Ryan/always-a-girl!Spencer, 5.6k, NC-17, sweet teenage experimenting. (PS, I reserve the right to rec as many of their stories as I want to. If you have not read them you will thank me for it.)
Learn to love by loving by fiddleyoumust (Bandom) -- Brendon/always-a-girl!Spencer, 5k, NC-17, where Brendon is an utter asshole and soemhow it ends up sweet and touching. I really love this one.
Calenture by jukeboxghost (Bandom) -- Brendon/always-a-girl!Spencer, NC-17, 11k, gorgeous story wiith an excellent Brendon POV.
L.O.V.E by sunsetmog (Bandom) -- Ashlee/always-a-girl!Pete, 30k, PG-13, sweet and happymaking highschool romcom.
Stealing Spencer by passe_simple -- always-a-girl!Brendon/Spencer, 10k (17k with the sequel), PG-13 (NC-17 with the sequel). Hot off the press, just posted this week, so incredibly precious Brendon-wants-to-lose-her-virginity fic.
BONUS NON BANDOM: Kiss a Girl by setissma (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, 5k, NC-17, wonderful story where Kris turns into a girl and the author "attempted to go someplace a little different than the usual genderswap plotline (e.g. Girl is Hot, Boy Likes Hot Girl, Boy Realizes He Still Likes Hot Girl After She Turns Back Into A Boy)".
Seven Things That Didn't Happen On Valentine's Day At Hogwarts, Or Maybe They Did. by rageprufrock (Harry Potter) -- Remus/Sirius, 25k, R, awww old school classic where for most of the fic Sirius turns into a girl. MWPP! I missed you.
Penis Envy, And Other Things Meredith McKay Doesn't Actually Have by thedeadparrot (SGA) -- McKay/Sheppard, 5.6k, PG-13, a gorgeous story with a great twist on genderbending: Meredith McKay turns into a man, and John Sheppard has an identity crisis.
Silk and Pearls (or, How Jane Sheppard Got Her Groove Back) by rageprufrock (SGA) -- Rodney/always-a-girl!John (Jane), NC-17, 21k, AU where Rodney and Jane are getting a divorce. I remembered that there was another Jane Sheppard fic by Pru, a quantum mirror one, but I can't find it atm. That one was great too though -- it was the first always-a-girl fic I'd ever read, and made me go whoa, this is not as scary as it seemed.
Modern Love by penknife (Discworld) -- Discworld, gen. Beautiful and very, very Discworls. There had been a time when dwarfs assumed humans who called them "queer" just meant that they were strange, which was hardly much of an insult, since the dwarfs thought the same about humans. But times changed.
Listening To Hear Where You Are by frostfire (Star Trek Reboot) -- Spock/Kirk/Uhura, NC-17, 8k. Krik loses a bet and wears the women's uniform. So very, very hot.
Crossovers: If you know my fic tastes at all, you know that I love crossovers. Sadly, in the past year or so I've read significantly less -- I used to be very very multifannish and these days I'm still kind of swimming in Bandom -- but if there's one thing I love more that reading fic about characters I love, it's reading fic about characters I love from more than one fandom meeting each other and interacting. I love the first impressions they have of one another, the way they grow to know each other and each other's worlds, discover all the things about the other that we already know. And sometimes it's just fun to play with actors' various roles, see how two characters they played can fit into the same universe, or seeing how various characters would operate within a different universe. The first fic I write in a new fandom is almost always a crossover... and reading crossovers in which I only knew one fandom has made me get into new fandoms in the past (see: SG-1 and SGA).
There's no way I can actually list or choose favorite crossovers. Uh, once upon a time I used to have a delicious account for crossover recs, so you can check those out here.
Bodyswap: I love this trope TO DEATH, and I will watch ANY EPISODE of ANY SHOW that features it, and I think it's such a fun, fantastic narrative device and I wish people wrote more if it! I can only think of one Bandom fic -- oh no, LOL, there was also the Mikey Way-Tim Riggins bodyswap crossover, LOL -- but other than that, only one fic, and that was a WIP :( Anyway, it looks like most of the other Bandom bodyswap fics are MCR or FOB or, for some strange reason, an entire genre of Bob-Spencer bodyswap. In any case, I think Bandom doesn't really bring out the most from bodyswapping, since all of the characters already know each other and love each other and have no secrets from the others. The mosot appealing bodyswap stories for me are the ones where there's a power difference between the characters, or a physical difference, or when one character has a huge secret that the other will discover through living in their body... it's not the bodyswap itself that's interesting to me, like, as a setup for a PWP, it's what the characters learn about the other through it. ALSO -- it's kind of integral to my interest that there's a plausible reason for the characters to keep the switch a secret. And the reason can't be entirely stupid. Like, if you're going to do the thing where you pretend to be the person whose body you're in without telling anyone that it's not really them, you'd better have a damn good reason for it.
Which is why, for example, Merlin is such a great fandom for bodyswapping -- you've got both the class difference (Merlin sees what it's like to be a prince, Arthur learns what it's like to be a servant), the big secret (Arthur discovers Merlin is magical; Arthur learns what that's like, and also what it's like to be persecuted for it), and you've got a good enough reason to keep it a secret (whether it's public appearance, the Prince's duties, or just the fact that Merlin's life might be in danger if anyone found out -- it's workable.)
Looking at it like that, I think that the most interesting PaTD bodyswap stories to be would probably be either post-split ones (like the abandoned WIP from earlier :(((), or, say, a highschool where Ryan and/or Spencer switch bodies with Ryan.
THAT SAID. I don't actually remember too many bodyswapping fics /o\ I remember I adored them in BtVS, but uh. Let's just go with Merlin here:
Buggre Alle This by oxoniensis (Merlin) -- Merlin/Arthur, NC-17, 11k.
Woke Up New by ficbyzee (Merlin) -- Merlin/Arthur, NC-17, 23k.
Dubcon: To slightly paraphrase myself from mistresscurvy's journal: Dubcon is a really wide umbrella, really, and there are so many different kinds. I think that the main thing for me is when it's two people who really do want one another, but it takes some kind of external force to get them together, and part of it is that they don't know the other person wants them back. It can be an arranged marriage or aliens who make them do it or a love spell or even getting drunk, all of which are narrative devices that have consent issues.
And then there's also the kind where they don't want one another originally, but we as readers obviously know they're ultimately great for each other and will be head over heels so there's no real chance of it ending badly, and then the story is about them getting to know one another and falling in love through the somehow forced sex, through these actions which make them as exposed and vulnerable as they can possibly be in front of the other. It's like the stuck-in-an-elevator trope, except you know. A million times more intimate. Because sex.
And now that I think about it, one of the things with dubcon that I like is that it's not one-sided. It's not about someone purposefully taking advantage of someone else. It'll usually be about two people who are caught in a certain situation, and if one of them is in a position of more power, then we'll probably see them being especially considerate or gentle of the other (like in slavefic or AMTDI fic). Or we'll see them be inconsiderate and then feel like crap about it later. Which is... really fun to read about? Esp given that again, it will all work out in the end, especially if there is plenty of remorse.
And hmmm, I just thought of ANOTHER kind, which is when, for example, someone is pressured/convinced to try something new in bed despite initial resistance and ends up loving it. Like, the easiest example is of a guy being -- lovingly, but you know -- pressured into bottoming for the first time. On the one hand, when you say no, you mean no; on the other, it can be very satisfying to see a no turn into a yes, especially when we know the character will end up enjoying it. This kind of fic will usually work for me when it's either within the context of an established relationship, or the context of bringing a very smug character down a notch. Not a technique I would recommend in real life? But you know. Fic.
There are probably tons of other dubcon situations I'm forgetting here; the ones I mentioned are the ones I personally enjoy reading :-)
So, lemme think now.
Hanging Like Bricks Don't by minglingcrab (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, NC-17, 15k, still my favorite aliens-made-them-do-it for the... very particular alien, lol.
Laws of Motion by miarr (Star Trek XI) -- Kirk/Spock/Uhura, 4k, NC-17, where Krik is initially resistant to bottoming, but then.
Freedom Hangs by derryere (Merlin) -- Arthur/Merlin, NC-17, 9k, so good; starts off with a wanting but resistant Arthur.
Oistros and sequel, Unexpected Places by airgiodslv (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, Spencer/Ryan, Spencer/Brendon, Jon/Ryan, NC-17, probably 14k?, where Ryan kind of goes into heat every once in a while and someone needs to step up to help.
A Marriage of Convenience by jae_w (Bandom) -- Jon/Tom, NC-17, 40k. Regency AU, arranged marriage, call-of-duty sex (with Jon starting out as kind of an asshole! Oh, Jon.)
Drinking the sea and then laughing loudly by lalejandra (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer (and Brendon/Ryan), NC-17, 42k. Historical AU arranged marriage, where much of the sex performed is perfunctory and done from a sense of duty.
This Never Happened by bexless (Bandom) -- Frank/Gerard, 25k?, NC-17, amazing adorable highschool AU that includes non-consented voyeurism.
May be Naked Now by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 25k, NC-17, (one-sided) sex pollen.
Even naked, and almost absent by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer/Ryan, NC-17, 5k, (three-sided!) sex pollen.
Kithara by lyo (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, Brendon/others, NC-17, 7k, (two-sided) sex pollen.
Dodge Town by shrift (DCU) -- Tim/Dick, 6k, NC-17, sex pollen.
...also all the slave fics recced above. And okay, clearly there are so many more in so many fandoms, I'm just. Going to quit now.
Also note -- I am infinitely more comfortable with male/male dubcon than with male/female dubcon because of RL power differentials. Surprise.
Non-con: I can enjoy well-written fics that deal with the aftermath of rape, usually the ones that lean towards h/c, but I won't ship a relationship that includes non-con and don't enjoy reading about that. I've read great fics about rape fantasy roleplaying, though, both of which stressed the fact that the whole thing was consensual and the trust between the partners, and they were fantastic. And those were:
Hide and Seek by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Ryan/Spencer, 12k, NC-17. Rape fantasy (consensual).
Not Your Average Damsel in Distress by lyo and stephanometra (Bandom) -- Jon/Ryan, NC-17, 7k. Rape fantasy (consensual).
Incest/Selfcest: Incest -- no. Aw, look, I have one last remaining forlorn little squick! Incest is a squick that I purposefully try to maintain, unlike others that I sometimes attempt to overcome (or find myself lured into, see also: RPF). Step-brothers/adopted brothers DO NOT COUNT as incest (see also: entire Batfamily), unless it's like... unless it feels like incest to me :-) It's a gut feeling, I guess. But in general I really like stories about step-siblings getting together (Brady kids! Step by Step! Clueless! etc etc.)
Selfcest -- I haven't read too many, but given that I love time-travel, I'm very likely to click when I come across them. But it's always possible I'll be squicked! So it's kind of touch and go. It's better if it's in the context of a threesome.
One that I loved was Put my Enemies to Sleep by lilywhitelilith (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 30k, and the selfcest is kind of an epic spoiler but there's no avoiding it here.
Threesome/moresome/gangbang: Uh, this is Bandom. Yes please, enough said. GSF ftwww.
But hmm, to be even more precise: one of the things I love most about Bandom is the long, gradual stories about how a relationship or more than two people is formed and maintained, not just short PWPs. Although don't get me wrong, short PWPs are amazing, but I really love all the longer stories where you get to see how the different dynamics influence one another and how it all unfolds, seeing some of them more confident and some more hesitant in how this can work. I love the ones where one of them is more resistant because they don't think it can ever work out for real, and seeing the others draw them into the fold. With threesomes, I especially like the dynamic of two people who are very secure in their relationship bringing a third person into it. Especially if it involves some kind of h/c :D Which, this is Bandom. Ultimately it probably will.
Just a few links that don't show up on those first few delicious entries:
Teenage Dream by redorchids (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan/Spencer, NC-17, 16k, tension and pining and hotness <33. Boys <33.
Let Each Who Is Worthy by moku_youbi (Bandom) -- Panic GSF, 88k, NC-17, AU where Brendon left on a mission instead of joining the band, and that's when he meets Panic.
Pinch Hitter by bexless (Bandom/American Idol) -- Adam/Frank/Gerard, NC-17, 6.5k, kind of super amazingly hot.
Bingo by olivia_circe (American Idol RPF) -- Adam/Kris/Katy, NC-17, 16.5k. Adam teaches Kris and Katy about sex toys. Nggh.
I kind of wish I was more into White Collar because I know there's good stuff there! But I think I just find Peter too uninteresting :(. Also I wish there was some more Sam/Lee/Kara in the world (BSG), and more Gale/Katniss/Peeta (Hunger Games) which appears to be non-EXISTENT.
As for gangbang, I really hate that term, but setting that aside, whether I like the fic or not will probably depend on how much the bottoming character are enjoying themselves, and I prefer it not to have any elements of humiliation. My absolute favorite would have to be Pull Me In Tighter by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom), which is 13k, NC-17, Panic GSF with girl!Spencer, and it's just so clear all along how much they love one another and how equal the power balance between them is and it's funny and it's hot and it's really really sweet.
Death: In the hands of a good author? Yes, please. If a character I love dies in canon, I am probably going to want to read (a) lots of fics about the others dealing with the loss, and (b) Discworld crossovers where he's reaped by Death and goes on into the Next Great Adventure :D. When it's not a canonical death, I still like fics that deal with the loss of a loved one -- I mean, it's not that I see "warning: death" and go "YAY CLICKING!", but if it's been recommended to me or if it looks interesting, then absolutely.
In action/long plotty fics, I also like unexpected deaths, moments of holy shit shit just got real. When I was in SGA I always wanted to write a fic -- a western AU, lol -- where halfway through the story it would come down to a standoff between John and this guy and John would be killed, for real, no warning, and that's it, the story would go on -- and you know. I think those kinds of twists in fic are awesome. I wish I read more of them!
I used to have this whole list of West Wing fics that were about various characters dealing with the deaths of their parents. But I do not have that, so:
Not Dead, Only Sleeping by lyo (Bandom) -- Mikey gen, PG-13, 30k maybe?. Mikey deals with Alicia's death and raises a baby. Painful and beautiful and freaking inspirational.
And, of course: Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose by synecdochic (SGA) -- Rodney gen, PG-13 probably, 20k. Rodney goes to teach on Earth after losing John and Atlantis, as if this fic could ever be summarized in a line.
Unhappy/wide-open endings: Unhappy endings huuurt :(. So, I would rather not. But while I'm super shmoopy and prefer the happy endings ALWAYS, wide open endings can be amazing. Especially in fics where characters deal with some serious shit, and picture perfect happy endings might almost seem distasteful. Like, okay -- arrgh now I don't want to spoil the fics because if I know in advance there's not going to be a happy ending, I probably won't want to click on it to begin with. BUT SAY:
Second Circle by stele3 (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, 100k, NC-17, only one of the most amazig fics I have ever read, technically has an open ending, though thankfully it ends on a hopeful note.
A Light on a Hill by rubblerousing (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, PG-13. maybe 8k?. This will forever be the most unappreciated fic in the fandom for me, lol, because it is first person and feels a very literary kind of OOC but I love it, I really do, I just... really enjoy the prose.
And okay, disarm_d knows how to KILL me with this kind of stuff:
Close Your Eyes and Drive (Bandom) -- NC-17, Brendon and Spencer, 13k. My heaaaaaaaaaaart, gorgeous story about Brendon and Spencer going on a road trip following Brendon's break up; one of those Brendon-identity-struggles stories that kills me, seriously. Hopeful, but very open-ended.
this bed (house and head (Bandom) -- Spencer/Brendon, NC-17, 7k. The new face of (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 9k, AU. Both of these stories are not related except that they are kind of about being in this place in life where you're trying to figure things out, and it's just. She's an amazing writer, okay, the end.
The Ratio of Freckles to Stars by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Ryan/Spencer, PG, 8k. Gorgeous, with slight fantastical elements.
A Throat-Pierced Sound in the Night by jocondite (Bandom) -- Jon/Ryan, NC-17, 8k. Beautiful prose and an awesome story.
that old song we heard when we were young by jocondite (Bandom) -- Ryan/Spencer, Ryan/various, R, 8k. Beautiful story of them through the years.
Okay, so I guess I do like open-ended/unhappy endings after all o_o. Basically any time I've left a comment with "ouch" or "painful" or "achy", it was most likely a fic that would fit here.
Established relationship: Sure! I've never really understood why this was considered a trope in and of itself; basically any fic that isn't about characters getting together and includes some kind of relationship is established relationship, so. People who are comfortable with one another, bring it! Running into new problems or trying new things or just living their lives. I am all for.
And oh, god, I thought this was where the listed but apparently there's MORE D: Okay from now on I'm only choosing a couple and linking to stories THAT IS ALL:
Infidelity: Can be great if written well, and if nothing ends up hidden.
Sing Terribly Afar by softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, Ryan/Alex, NC-17, 3.6k. I really like this one.
Self-harming/Attempted suicide: I don't like reading about outright self-harm/suicide attempts, but characters who engage in self-destructive bahavior, sure, as long as I trust the author to write it well. I mean, man, SGA. I don't remember which fic it was -- I think something by cesperanza? -- thay was all about how suicidal his acts of heroism were -- but I'm sure she wasn't the one who made that point. (ETA: I think it was MVP, John/Rodney, NC-17, 12k.)
Also, I will say this: good fics written about RPF suicide attempts? Are good.
This is me broken down by beingothrwrldly (Bandom) -- Pete and Patrick, 5k, PG-13.
Someday I'll Fly, Someday I'll Soar and Keep Me Where the Light Is by sneaky_sena (Bandom) -- Spencer/Brendon, PG-13/R, 10k together. College-era AU where Spencer's attempted suicide.
Rimming: Hahaha, yes. And I shall give props to the fic that, ironically, converted me over:
Proselytizing by astolat (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, NC-17, 1.4k :D
Fisting: So I'm Not the Only One by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 6k. This is my post okay, I reserve the right to rec as many of their fics as I want to.
Addictions/Disorders: As with any sensitive subject, if treated seriously and written well, yes.
I'm Not Sleeping (Trust Me) by dsudis (Bandom) -- Frank/Gerard, NC-17, 12k; takes place in the weeks after Gerard goes sober.
Tearing Down the Toy City by rubblerousing and ruintooeasy (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, PG-13, 30k?, beautiful, painful story about Spencer and Ryan and backstory and the band and a gambling addiction, because they grew up in Vegas, okay, and it is just so good. (Happy ending, don't worry!).
Also I spent a couple of years in House fandom, so pretty much... 80% of the fics with the main character of the show.
Torture/Violence: As a precursor to comfort, yes please.
Toys: Yes please! I'll just link to Tell Me To Stop by airgiodslv (Bandom) because it has... everything. Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 20k?.
Also Present Progressive by lilywhitelilith (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 10k, a very excellent fic in this and in other regards :D
Uniforms (school girl, nurse, military uniforms etc.): Not in particular, but if I turn this into roleplay? Then depending on the writer, but yes. I've read some amazing stories. I love when we can see the whole surrounding framework -- see them before the scene, during, and then ending it, whether someone safeworded in the middle or ended when it did. So, some roleplay recs:
Seventeen (Here's to the Atom Bomb) by fictionalaspect> (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 8k, gorgeous gorgeous fic.
<a href=I'd really love to break your heart by lalejandra (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, PG-13, 4k?. I love this; part of a series but can be read independently.
Send Off by bexless (American Idol RPF) -- Adam/Brad, adult, 2.5k, ugh so fucking sweet.
Blindfolds: Yes, and more than anything in this fic: Once Was by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Spencer/Brendon, NC-17, 5.5k. <33333333.
Also the scenes in Amateur Cartography are fantastic.
Soul- (life-, heart-, force-, marriage-, wizard-, etc.) bonds: Always and forever, and WHY isn't there more of this in bandom? Sigh sigh.
I'm Yours by reni_days (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 4.7k, PG-13, adorable werewolves mate for life omg.
real forever if by astolat (American Idol RPF) -- Cook/Archuleta, NC-17, 20k, the very best of its kind, ACTUAL soul/sex-bonding fic that is amazing.
Oh, god. I need more of these. Please rec me more?
Have to get married: Right, uh, YES. I listed a few earlier under dubcon, because those fics had specifically dubconnish elements, but there are also other arranged marriage fics that are not dubcon and absolute <3:
A Matter of Inconvenience by astolat (American Idol RPF) -- Adam/Kris, NC-17, 21k, regency AU.
Secret lines (and bound so tight) by quarterandakiss (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, PG-13, steampunk, 22k, so charming.
Only Unto Him by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 26k, Spencer Smith: Virgin Bride.
That Promist Ayde the Tempest to Withstand by lyo and stephanometra (Bandom) -- Ryan/Brendon, Z/Tennessee, 15-20k?, NC-17, arranged marriage in a faerie AU, so so great and ugh Brendon <3.
Undercover!gay/Have to pretend to be a couple: Yes! Um, I don't know what to say about this other than it's awesome, especially when it's forced.
So, So Fucked by reni_days (Bandom) -- Pete/Patrick, 12k, R, funny and awesome and the most realistic rpf forced-fake-boyfriends fic I remember reading.
It's Just Pretend, Right not!fic by sunsetmog (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 5.6k, PG-13, so cute <3.
Lying Next to Me by elucreh (Bandom) -- Brendo/Spencer, PG-13, 17k, While You Were Sleeping AU.
If There's Such a Thing as Love by witheveryspark (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 16.5k, NC-17, fake engagement.
And damn, I remember a ton of these for Idol S7 and S8 -- all kinds of "pretending to be boyfriends for publicity", lol -- but I don't remember where they are now :(
And oh my god I'm DYING here now. The next three tropes are tropes that I, without question, adore, and just thinking about all the links I'd like to link to in these categories (especially kidfic) is giving me a headache, so uh. I'm going to bow out now. But Kid!fic, Time travel, and Amnesia all get a very very emphatic YES from me and also a PLEASE MORE.
Oh god, looking over this, I ended up rambling so much /o\. WHO INVENTED THIS MEME AND CAN I SHOOT THEM.
comments on Dreamwidth.
FIC TROPE MEME TIME.
It's been fascinating for me to read why people like or dislike these tropes, hearing them talking about overcoming their distaste for a certain trope because an author they liked wrote it, sometimes being unable to explain it at all. I will do a very very sucky job at explaining them, but one thing I can do is rec :D Unfortunately for people who read this and care about my fandoms, anything I rec here will be something I've almost certainly recced before, so sorry about that. Stories I linked to here are roughly 90% Bandom, 5% American Idol, and 5% Other (SGA, Merlin, House, DCU idek.)
So, that meme about fic tropes and whether you like them or not:
Creature/Aliens: Considering that Buffy/Angel, Buffy/Spike, and Remus/Sirius were three of my maaajor ships -- and hey, let's add Clark/Lois, though this was pre-fandom -- this would have to be a yes :D People turning into animals is a particular trope I like -- one of my favorite moments from the childhood favorite Belgariad books is the scene where Garion learns how to turn into a wolf, where he discovers that his aunt can turn into an owl. And ooh, angels would also fit into this category. Those are also nice :-) More than anything though, in fic, it's not the seeing-what-this-character-is-like-as-an-[insert creature here] that does it for me, but one of two things -- either the narrative the author builds up for that character (usually a tale of angst and woe and secret-keeping and comfort), or the instincts and drives that this character has to fight to control. It can be bloodlust or powerful senses or a sex drive, but it'll be something they struggle to overcome.
Need You Wild by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, werewolf!Spencer, 100k of amazing amazingness.
I Like My Mermaids Like I Like My Coffee (Cold and Bitter) by tequilideas (Bandom) -- Jon/Spencer, PG-13, 8k, mermaid!Spencer, sooo charming.
La Mer by jerakeen (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, 4k, NC-17, mermaid!Kris, hot and achy.
A Life Elsewhere by toucanpie (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 24k, PG-13, so incredibly lovely and charming I can't even.
Shimmer by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 7k, PG-13, wingfic, really kind of beautiful.
I'll Be The Only Thing Between You and the Starts at Night by moku_youbi (Bandom) -- NC-17, 70k, Panic GSF and a bunch of other classic Bandom pairings, 70k, Star Trek DS9 fusion, amazingly good (and I have never watched DS9 in my life). And Ryan and Spencer and Jon are all aliens.
Standing Right Outside Your Door by moku_youbi (Bandom) -- Panic GSF, 30k, NC-17, Christmas elf!Brendon, one of my favorites.
A Season of Grace by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, 30k, PG-13, faerie slaves. <3_<3; wonderful h/c angst.
...okay, that is not going to happen again or I will never get through this meme.
Mpreg: In general not my thing -- it's the kind of suspension of disbelief my mind just won't agree to, and the physicality of it squicks me a little, and honestly I just haven't read enough to get into it. But I have on occasion read something by an author I love, and then I'll find myself updating my flist every day looking forward to the next part of the House/Forman mpreg WIP queenzulu was writing! So you know. Hats off.
There's No Such Thing In The World (As An Undo Button) by queenzulu (House MD) -- House/Foreman, NC-17, 42k, fusion with Knocked Up, which is what Foreman gets. Hilarious.
(Also, I would read the hell out of this Brendon/Spencer mpreg story by boweryd if it were ever finished.)
Slavefic: I was never really into it and then, like with many other tropes, Bandom happened. I don't know if it's like this everywhere, but most of the slave fics I've read aren't about being a slave, but about getting used to life after slavery, which is just... hurt/comfort to the max. Alternately, it is about the master.slave relationship, and there's a power imbalance their, but the master usually disagrees with slavery and does their best to treat the slave well considering this situation that they're both in. Obviously this trope will not work for everyone, but I have really enjoyed most fics I've read with it.
Fics:
But Not This Song by emilyenrose and ignipes (Bandom) -- Oh, only 200k of epic epic slavefic, no biggie. Panic GSF, slaves and rebels and escaping to freedom and what happens then. Rated R.
Call it Home by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 35k, NC-17, Spencer rescues former sex-slave Brendon. In space.
Objects in Motion by airgiodslv (Bandom) -- Gabe/William, R, 30k?. Gabe rescues sex-slave William! In space! :D
So Tonight That We Might See by softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Panic GSF, 30k, NC-17, space AU where Brendon used to be a slave. Heaaaaarts.
Fair Market Value by arsenicjade (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer/Ryan, NC-17, 50k, Brendon buys sex-slave Ryan as a field hand because he really needs the help. Spencer is the neighboring landowner -- and Ryan's childhood friend. Again, hearteyes.
A Gift Once Given by arsenicjade (Bandom)--Jon/Ryan, 8k, NC-17 Ryan gets Jpn as a gift for his 16th birthday. And now I want to reread this.
A Season of Grace by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, 30k, pg-13, recced two categories but NOW I'm reccing it because they were slaaaaves :D Brendon was a poor abused slave; Ryan and Spencer are well treated not-really-slaves in a different district.
Dark and Heart Obsessed by softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, seriously one of my favorites. Only 8k and rated R/NC-17, with 17k of extra chatfic around it here. Ryan used to be Prince Brendon's sex slave; after the revolution, Brendon is imprisoned and Ryan is in charge of his sentence.
BONUS NON-BANDOM: All That Time, Silent Still by ficangel (American Idol RPF) -- David Cook/Michael Johns, AI7 + AI8 characters, NC-17, probably 40k. David is a landowner who owns slaves but secretly helps the resistance movement, led by Neal and Adam. So very awesome.
Hmm, why do I have the feeling I've read Kirk!sex-slave fic? I don't think I have. But -- if anyone has a rec for sex-slave James Kirk fic, please, please. Bring it on.
Pain/BDSM: Hahaha, once again, AND THEN BANDOM CAME ALONG. There is such a wonderful abundance of fic that deal with this subject so well in Bandom, in a very real, safe-sane-consensual lifestyle way, where they talk about it and sometimes struggle with it and have safewords and use them and mostly, are aware of their kinks in very real ways and have fun with them. I have already talked in length about my favorites in the past, and those are probably my favorite BDSM ones, so let me just quickly mention my favorites that focus on pain:
Second Circle by stele3 (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, 100k, NC-17, incredible story about navigating a BDSM relationship that went wrong long ago -- and many, many other things -- with an emphasis on the S&M aspect of BDSM.
Amateur Cartography by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- 42k, Brendon/Spencer, NC-17. All about Brendon exploring his pain kink and otherwise a regular tourfic. My heaaaaaart my heart.
I want to choke (u) and get sick off of you like cigarette smoke by lalejandra (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 6k?, another one that reaaaally focuses on the pain in a fantastic way, showing you what giving/receiving it does for the characters and how much they care about each other.
And just to relink -- My favorite Bandom BDSM fics. You should read everything in this post.
And okay, seriously, BDSM basically encapsulates 80% of the kinks people write about! So there's a lot I like :D
Violence/torture: In Bandom, since it's not a fandom that lends itself easily to action, nor one where I can imagine any of the characters ever holding up their own in a fight, I only enjoy violence/torture as a precursor of some sort to hurt/comfort -- and even then I can hardly remember reading stories like that. In other fandoms, it's fine. I can't think of any particular fic recs right now, but like, wasn't this basically the entire point of SGA?
Humiliation, shaming: I've read a few, and it comes up occasionally in other fics, but I've never really liked it; it's one of the kinks that keeps squicking me even if the characters are into it. But -- one of you mentioned shame in the sense that a character is embarrassed of what they want in bed, embarrassed or feel shame in asking for it, and that can be really, really great. Case in point:
Closer to Touch, Never Enough by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 5k, where they are 17 and Brendon really wants Spencer but has shame issues and it is the best. hottest. thing ever.
Power exchange, dominance and submission: I feel like this fits into BDSM? Both thematically and, you know. Very literally. In any case, when it works in fic, it works.
Pull Your Tangles Out by boweryd -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 9k, a very casually developing, never-explicitly named d/s relationship. Another favorite.
Man, I have a feeling there is a lot of this in Merlin that I am forgetting. I mean, other than, you know. The canon.
Age difference: Again, grew up shipping Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Spike, so I can't really say no -- although they look young so I don't know how much that counts? The thing with age difference is that usually, in the context of most shows, it also includes a major power imbalance between the characters, especially the younger the younger characters are, and the possibility of abuse of power kind of squicks me. So like, no student/teacher stuff. Naturally, the older the characters, the less I mind larger age differences -- I loved Jack/Daniel in SG-1 whose RL age difference is 20 years, and Jack/Sam (15 years), and I remember loving Lee/Roslyn in BSG (in RL she's 21 years older).
The one place where I actually found myself shipping a pairing that was clearly supposed to have a father/daughter relationship in canon was Rube/George in Dead Like Me (for those of you who didn't watch the show, George is the girl). In that case, though, I was kind of rooting for them to get together in many years (they were immortal), with her finally convincing him that despite the way her body's stayed, she's not actually eighteen anymore, and he deserves some loooove etc etc :D I've always had a thing, I think, for girls who wait until they're old enough to snag their childhood crushes, "I'm not just Jack's baby sister"-style.
The subject of age difference itself, and characters dealing with it, can be really, really awesome. Like, synecdochic's Take These Broken Wings (SG-1, JD-not-really-Jack/Cam) was really interesting in how it paired Cam, who is at this point somewhere between 30 and 40 years old, with a 20-year-old clone of Jack who has all of Jack's memories, making him simultaneously older than Cam (mentally) and younger than him (physically). And it creates so many interesting situations; there's the young Jack (JD), whose lived in this world for a few years as a young man, who has all these options before him and the world at his fingertips, and he's carrying all the baggage of Jack who grew up in an intolerant, homophobic world, who spent his entire life in the military, and never even dreamed he could do something about these desires. And there are all these awesome age-related dynamics in their relationship -- who takes care and who gets taken care of (the answer: both), and it's just wonderful.
minisinoo used to write about age-difference a lot too -- she wrote a lot of X-Men Movieverse fics, where the actress who was cast to play Jean (Famke Janssen) was nine years older than Scott (James Marsden), and given how young the characters were -- in their mid-20s/early-30s -- that acknowledged age difference was a permanent fixture in almost all of her Scott/Jean fics. It was always something they dealt with -- something he felt insecure about, something she strove to overcome when he first expressed romantic interest in her, with her already a doctor at that point and him just this fresh faces kid. It comes into play a lot in An Accidental Interception of Fate, her epic Scott/Jean origins story that is only 208k, really, no big deal.
DAMN IT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SHORT. Okay, two Bandom recs because I have to:
Any note You Can Reach by reni_days (Bandom) -- Brendon/Gerard, 5k, PG-13, only the most charming and hilarious fic you will ever read in your life; if you have not read this and fear the pairing, trust me on this one. The age difference comes in when Gerard freaks out over being all of thirty while Brendon is 20, it is so adorable I am practically squeeing right now.
This Story's Going Somewhere by jamjar (Bandom) -- Pete/Patrick, 42k, NC-17, really great Fall Out Boy origins story AU, where instead of Patrick being in high school when he met a 25-year-old Pete, Pete is a messed up teenager when he meets a college-aged Patrick. And he has a crush, and Patrick very gently turns him down because hello, highschool, and Pete is insistent, and also they form a band, and it is all kinds of wonderful. I haven't read much FOB fic, but honestly I think part of the reason for that is that these characterizations of Pete and Patrick, and the dynamic they have here which is very much influenced by their ages, were so good, that other non-AU fics never felt quite right to me after that.
And oooh wait, how could I forget DCU? So apparently, hah, apparently I love more pairings with age differences. Where the older guy has to be convinced not to see the younger guy as just... his surrogate brother/his adopted child. Um. Recs:
Apart From What We Wish and What We Fear by elynross (DCU) -- Bruce/Dick, 22k, NC-17, I honestly can't tell you I remember much about this fic except that I was on the edge of my seat while reading it and the first thing I did when I finished was make an instarec post.
At The Bottom of the Sky by rubynye (DCU) -- Dick/Tim. NC-17, 6k, so hot, and ugh, Robins, I love you so much. Not that easy to choose this in particular, so just have a link to all of rubynye's Tim/Dick fics.
Underage (chan): I'm not quite sure about the definitions of chan, but underage, as in under 18? Definitely. High school fic = my love, mostly in Bandom and in before that in HP (mostly MWPP, some not) and in BtVS. Hmm, what can I rec here... ooh:
In Case the Scene Gets Nasty by softlyforgotten and zarah5 (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 90k, AU where they are two kids who hate each other in high school and then they get stuck doing detention together for the entire semester, and it's a really great take on the enemies-turned-lovers trope and it's hot and long and slow and I love it.
Underground Earthquakes by stele3 (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, 27k, R. Panic at the Disco AU, in which there is no band - just Spencer and Ryan, ages 15 and 16. It's a long, hot summer, the kind that young boys dream about; but this one has some changes in store, and Spencer struggles to navigate the shifting terrain. And there is some very young and experimental BDSM. This fic, my heart, it hurts and swells and I should stop gushing and move on, especially since now I feel like I'm being unfair towards all the fics in the beginning which I recced with only, like, a word. THEY ALL DESERVE SO MUCH MORE.
(Oh, and. If I may brag with another pre-rec. I just this morning read a sex scene from a high school fic that I have been given the privilege of glimpsing, and oh my god ♥__♥.)
Bloodplay: I don't think I've ever read any that wasn't part of a vampire fic. And I can't remember any specific examples now, but basically, the blood thing and biting during sex doesn't do anything for me and I tend not to like it -- unless I am given to understand through the worldbuilding of the fic that vampire bites have this magical effect that makes them pleasurable for humans, which is what makes me feel secure that the human is really and truly enjoying themselves too.
Watersports: You know, I would have told you no, and it's still a general no, except as usual I make exceptions for authors I love.
Keep You On Your Toes by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer (in the same werewolf AU as the first rec, but this has nothing to do with the story), NC-17, 2k, so freaking cute and sweet.
Crossdressing/Genderbender: Crossdressing: I usually don't go looking for this, but I'll read it without hesitation if it's by an author I like or if it has an interesting summary. Same with genderfuck, which... there are a couple of types. There are always-a-girl fics, which I usually don't click on unless they're recced or by someone I know, but I almost universally end up loving them. There are turns-into-a-girl fics, which can be fantastic. There are various genderqueer stories, which I usually only read when recced.
One of my faaavorite tropes for turns-into-a-girl fics are het fics where a guy turns into a girl and she's the one who has to kind of walk him through the steps of having a female body. Which is why slash fics where guys turn into girls aren't as interesting to me -- it feels like their experience of living in a female body is a lot more foreign, whereas when I have a beloved female character at his side is a lot more comforting and a lot more satisfying in an I-told-you-so kind of way.
...unfortunately I have not read such a fic in a long, long time :-) Probably not since BtVS and maybe HP; that trope could work well for Xander/Cordelia or Xander/Willow, Hermione/Ron or Lily/James. I kept hoping to read and eventually maybe write something like that for House/Cuddy, but that never happened, so.
OKAY, so. Recs. Oh fuck, I just opened like 30 tabs /o\
The Elliot Code of Honour by cest_what and softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Ryan/Brendon and Z/Tennessee, 30k, PG. Regency style romantic comedy of errors boys dressing as girls and girls dressing as boys and mistaken identities and duels and awesomeness.
And underdressed by wearemany (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 8k. Crossdressing; Ryan and Brendon both apparently like lingerie.
Just One of the Girls by skoosiepants (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, PG-13, 22k, high school romcom where Ryan pretends to be a girl to prove something or other, based on that movie. Very cute.
I Don't Mind if You Don't Mind by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer/Ryan, NC-17, 8k. Brendon likes wearing panties, awesome and hot and sweet and funny.
If You Want A Lover by fiddleyoumust (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 2.5k, NC-17. Brendon wears panties because Spencer asks him to. Such a hot, sweet PWP.
Ordinary Boys by brushstrokes (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 15k. Beautiful, thoughtful story about Ryan turning into a girl and learning to adjust to living with this new body.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by heavyhart (Bandom) -- Brendon/Shane, 6k, NC-17. Shane wakes up a girl. He and Brendon have sex.
Definitely Maybe by lilywhitelilith (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 3k. Brendon wakes up a girl! He and Spencer have sex.
Couldn't Call it Unexpected by brooklinegirl (Bandom) -- Frank/Jamia, NC-17, 4-5k?, one of the hottest things I have ever read. Frank and Jamia wake up with their sexes reversed. And have sex.
Pull Me In Tighter by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Panic GSF w/always-a-girl!Spencer, 12k, NC-17, incredible hot and sweet and funny.
I Wish You Could See It From Over There by lj user=boweryd> and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Ryan/always-a-girl!Spencer, 5.6k, NC-17, sweet teenage experimenting. (PS, I reserve the right to rec as many of their stories as I want to. If you have not read them you will thank me for it.)
Learn to love by loving by fiddleyoumust (Bandom) -- Brendon/always-a-girl!Spencer, 5k, NC-17, where Brendon is an utter asshole and soemhow it ends up sweet and touching. I really love this one.
Calenture by jukeboxghost (Bandom) -- Brendon/always-a-girl!Spencer, NC-17, 11k, gorgeous story wiith an excellent Brendon POV.
L.O.V.E by sunsetmog (Bandom) -- Ashlee/always-a-girl!Pete, 30k, PG-13, sweet and happymaking highschool romcom.
Stealing Spencer by passe_simple -- always-a-girl!Brendon/Spencer, 10k (17k with the sequel), PG-13 (NC-17 with the sequel). Hot off the press, just posted this week, so incredibly precious Brendon-wants-to-lose-her-virginity fic.
BONUS NON BANDOM: Kiss a Girl by setissma (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, 5k, NC-17, wonderful story where Kris turns into a girl and the author "attempted to go someplace a little different than the usual genderswap plotline (e.g. Girl is Hot, Boy Likes Hot Girl, Boy Realizes He Still Likes Hot Girl After She Turns Back Into A Boy)".
Seven Things That Didn't Happen On Valentine's Day At Hogwarts, Or Maybe They Did. by rageprufrock (Harry Potter) -- Remus/Sirius, 25k, R, awww old school classic where for most of the fic Sirius turns into a girl. MWPP! I missed you.
Penis Envy, And Other Things Meredith McKay Doesn't Actually Have by thedeadparrot (SGA) -- McKay/Sheppard, 5.6k, PG-13, a gorgeous story with a great twist on genderbending: Meredith McKay turns into a man, and John Sheppard has an identity crisis.
Silk and Pearls (or, How Jane Sheppard Got Her Groove Back) by rageprufrock (SGA) -- Rodney/always-a-girl!John (Jane), NC-17, 21k, AU where Rodney and Jane are getting a divorce. I remembered that there was another Jane Sheppard fic by Pru, a quantum mirror one, but I can't find it atm. That one was great too though -- it was the first always-a-girl fic I'd ever read, and made me go whoa, this is not as scary as it seemed.
Modern Love by penknife (Discworld) -- Discworld, gen. Beautiful and very, very Discworls. There had been a time when dwarfs assumed humans who called them "queer" just meant that they were strange, which was hardly much of an insult, since the dwarfs thought the same about humans. But times changed.
Listening To Hear Where You Are by frostfire (Star Trek Reboot) -- Spock/Kirk/Uhura, NC-17, 8k. Krik loses a bet and wears the women's uniform. So very, very hot.
Crossovers: If you know my fic tastes at all, you know that I love crossovers. Sadly, in the past year or so I've read significantly less -- I used to be very very multifannish and these days I'm still kind of swimming in Bandom -- but if there's one thing I love more that reading fic about characters I love, it's reading fic about characters I love from more than one fandom meeting each other and interacting. I love the first impressions they have of one another, the way they grow to know each other and each other's worlds, discover all the things about the other that we already know. And sometimes it's just fun to play with actors' various roles, see how two characters they played can fit into the same universe, or seeing how various characters would operate within a different universe. The first fic I write in a new fandom is almost always a crossover... and reading crossovers in which I only knew one fandom has made me get into new fandoms in the past (see: SG-1 and SGA).
There's no way I can actually list or choose favorite crossovers. Uh, once upon a time I used to have a delicious account for crossover recs, so you can check those out here.
Bodyswap: I love this trope TO DEATH, and I will watch ANY EPISODE of ANY SHOW that features it, and I think it's such a fun, fantastic narrative device and I wish people wrote more if it! I can only think of one Bandom fic -- oh no, LOL, there was also the Mikey Way-Tim Riggins bodyswap crossover, LOL -- but other than that, only one fic, and that was a WIP :( Anyway, it looks like most of the other Bandom bodyswap fics are MCR or FOB or, for some strange reason, an entire genre of Bob-Spencer bodyswap. In any case, I think Bandom doesn't really bring out the most from bodyswapping, since all of the characters already know each other and love each other and have no secrets from the others. The mosot appealing bodyswap stories for me are the ones where there's a power difference between the characters, or a physical difference, or when one character has a huge secret that the other will discover through living in their body... it's not the bodyswap itself that's interesting to me, like, as a setup for a PWP, it's what the characters learn about the other through it. ALSO -- it's kind of integral to my interest that there's a plausible reason for the characters to keep the switch a secret. And the reason can't be entirely stupid. Like, if you're going to do the thing where you pretend to be the person whose body you're in without telling anyone that it's not really them, you'd better have a damn good reason for it.
Which is why, for example, Merlin is such a great fandom for bodyswapping -- you've got both the class difference (Merlin sees what it's like to be a prince, Arthur learns what it's like to be a servant), the big secret (Arthur discovers Merlin is magical; Arthur learns what that's like, and also what it's like to be persecuted for it), and you've got a good enough reason to keep it a secret (whether it's public appearance, the Prince's duties, or just the fact that Merlin's life might be in danger if anyone found out -- it's workable.)
Looking at it like that, I think that the most interesting PaTD bodyswap stories to be would probably be either post-split ones (like the abandoned WIP from earlier :(((), or, say, a highschool where Ryan and/or Spencer switch bodies with Ryan.
THAT SAID. I don't actually remember too many bodyswapping fics /o\ I remember I adored them in BtVS, but uh. Let's just go with Merlin here:
Buggre Alle This by oxoniensis (Merlin) -- Merlin/Arthur, NC-17, 11k.
Woke Up New by ficbyzee (Merlin) -- Merlin/Arthur, NC-17, 23k.
Dubcon: To slightly paraphrase myself from mistresscurvy's journal: Dubcon is a really wide umbrella, really, and there are so many different kinds. I think that the main thing for me is when it's two people who really do want one another, but it takes some kind of external force to get them together, and part of it is that they don't know the other person wants them back. It can be an arranged marriage or aliens who make them do it or a love spell or even getting drunk, all of which are narrative devices that have consent issues.
And then there's also the kind where they don't want one another originally, but we as readers obviously know they're ultimately great for each other and will be head over heels so there's no real chance of it ending badly, and then the story is about them getting to know one another and falling in love through the somehow forced sex, through these actions which make them as exposed and vulnerable as they can possibly be in front of the other. It's like the stuck-in-an-elevator trope, except you know. A million times more intimate. Because sex.
And now that I think about it, one of the things with dubcon that I like is that it's not one-sided. It's not about someone purposefully taking advantage of someone else. It'll usually be about two people who are caught in a certain situation, and if one of them is in a position of more power, then we'll probably see them being especially considerate or gentle of the other (like in slavefic or AMTDI fic). Or we'll see them be inconsiderate and then feel like crap about it later. Which is... really fun to read about? Esp given that again, it will all work out in the end, especially if there is plenty of remorse.
And hmmm, I just thought of ANOTHER kind, which is when, for example, someone is pressured/convinced to try something new in bed despite initial resistance and ends up loving it. Like, the easiest example is of a guy being -- lovingly, but you know -- pressured into bottoming for the first time. On the one hand, when you say no, you mean no; on the other, it can be very satisfying to see a no turn into a yes, especially when we know the character will end up enjoying it. This kind of fic will usually work for me when it's either within the context of an established relationship, or the context of bringing a very smug character down a notch. Not a technique I would recommend in real life? But you know. Fic.
There are probably tons of other dubcon situations I'm forgetting here; the ones I mentioned are the ones I personally enjoy reading :-)
So, lemme think now.
Hanging Like Bricks Don't by minglingcrab (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, NC-17, 15k, still my favorite aliens-made-them-do-it for the... very particular alien, lol.
Laws of Motion by miarr (Star Trek XI) -- Kirk/Spock/Uhura, 4k, NC-17, where Krik is initially resistant to bottoming, but then.
Freedom Hangs by derryere (Merlin) -- Arthur/Merlin, NC-17, 9k, so good; starts off with a wanting but resistant Arthur.
Oistros and sequel, Unexpected Places by airgiodslv (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, Spencer/Ryan, Spencer/Brendon, Jon/Ryan, NC-17, probably 14k?, where Ryan kind of goes into heat every once in a while and someone needs to step up to help.
A Marriage of Convenience by jae_w (Bandom) -- Jon/Tom, NC-17, 40k. Regency AU, arranged marriage, call-of-duty sex (with Jon starting out as kind of an asshole! Oh, Jon.)
Drinking the sea and then laughing loudly by lalejandra (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer (and Brendon/Ryan), NC-17, 42k. Historical AU arranged marriage, where much of the sex performed is perfunctory and done from a sense of duty.
This Never Happened by bexless (Bandom) -- Frank/Gerard, 25k?, NC-17, amazing adorable highschool AU that includes non-consented voyeurism.
May be Naked Now by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 25k, NC-17, (one-sided) sex pollen.
Even naked, and almost absent by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer/Ryan, NC-17, 5k, (three-sided!) sex pollen.
Kithara by lyo (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, Brendon/others, NC-17, 7k, (two-sided) sex pollen.
Dodge Town by shrift (DCU) -- Tim/Dick, 6k, NC-17, sex pollen.
...also all the slave fics recced above. And okay, clearly there are so many more in so many fandoms, I'm just. Going to quit now.
Also note -- I am infinitely more comfortable with male/male dubcon than with male/female dubcon because of RL power differentials. Surprise.
Non-con: I can enjoy well-written fics that deal with the aftermath of rape, usually the ones that lean towards h/c, but I won't ship a relationship that includes non-con and don't enjoy reading about that. I've read great fics about rape fantasy roleplaying, though, both of which stressed the fact that the whole thing was consensual and the trust between the partners, and they were fantastic. And those were:
Hide and Seek by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Ryan/Spencer, 12k, NC-17. Rape fantasy (consensual).
Not Your Average Damsel in Distress by lyo and stephanometra (Bandom) -- Jon/Ryan, NC-17, 7k. Rape fantasy (consensual).
Incest/Selfcest: Incest -- no. Aw, look, I have one last remaining forlorn little squick! Incest is a squick that I purposefully try to maintain, unlike others that I sometimes attempt to overcome (or find myself lured into, see also: RPF). Step-brothers/adopted brothers DO NOT COUNT as incest (see also: entire Batfamily), unless it's like... unless it feels like incest to me :-) It's a gut feeling, I guess. But in general I really like stories about step-siblings getting together (Brady kids! Step by Step! Clueless! etc etc.)
Selfcest -- I haven't read too many, but given that I love time-travel, I'm very likely to click when I come across them. But it's always possible I'll be squicked! So it's kind of touch and go. It's better if it's in the context of a threesome.
One that I loved was Put my Enemies to Sleep by lilywhitelilith (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 30k, and the selfcest is kind of an epic spoiler but there's no avoiding it here.
Threesome/moresome/gangbang: Uh, this is Bandom. Yes please, enough said. GSF ftwww.
But hmm, to be even more precise: one of the things I love most about Bandom is the long, gradual stories about how a relationship or more than two people is formed and maintained, not just short PWPs. Although don't get me wrong, short PWPs are amazing, but I really love all the longer stories where you get to see how the different dynamics influence one another and how it all unfolds, seeing some of them more confident and some more hesitant in how this can work. I love the ones where one of them is more resistant because they don't think it can ever work out for real, and seeing the others draw them into the fold. With threesomes, I especially like the dynamic of two people who are very secure in their relationship bringing a third person into it. Especially if it involves some kind of h/c :D Which, this is Bandom. Ultimately it probably will.
Just a few links that don't show up on those first few delicious entries:
Teenage Dream by redorchids (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan/Spencer, NC-17, 16k, tension and pining and hotness <33. Boys <33.
Let Each Who Is Worthy by moku_youbi (Bandom) -- Panic GSF, 88k, NC-17, AU where Brendon left on a mission instead of joining the band, and that's when he meets Panic.
Pinch Hitter by bexless (Bandom/American Idol) -- Adam/Frank/Gerard, NC-17, 6.5k, kind of super amazingly hot.
Bingo by olivia_circe (American Idol RPF) -- Adam/Kris/Katy, NC-17, 16.5k. Adam teaches Kris and Katy about sex toys. Nggh.
I kind of wish I was more into White Collar because I know there's good stuff there! But I think I just find Peter too uninteresting :(. Also I wish there was some more Sam/Lee/Kara in the world (BSG), and more Gale/Katniss/Peeta (Hunger Games) which appears to be non-EXISTENT.
As for gangbang, I really hate that term, but setting that aside, whether I like the fic or not will probably depend on how much the bottoming character are enjoying themselves, and I prefer it not to have any elements of humiliation. My absolute favorite would have to be Pull Me In Tighter by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom), which is 13k, NC-17, Panic GSF with girl!Spencer, and it's just so clear all along how much they love one another and how equal the power balance between them is and it's funny and it's hot and it's really really sweet.
Death: In the hands of a good author? Yes, please. If a character I love dies in canon, I am probably going to want to read (a) lots of fics about the others dealing with the loss, and (b) Discworld crossovers where he's reaped by Death and goes on into the Next Great Adventure :D. When it's not a canonical death, I still like fics that deal with the loss of a loved one -- I mean, it's not that I see "warning: death" and go "YAY CLICKING!", but if it's been recommended to me or if it looks interesting, then absolutely.
In action/long plotty fics, I also like unexpected deaths, moments of holy shit shit just got real. When I was in SGA I always wanted to write a fic -- a western AU, lol -- where halfway through the story it would come down to a standoff between John and this guy and John would be killed, for real, no warning, and that's it, the story would go on -- and you know. I think those kinds of twists in fic are awesome. I wish I read more of them!
I used to have this whole list of West Wing fics that were about various characters dealing with the deaths of their parents. But I do not have that, so:
Not Dead, Only Sleeping by lyo (Bandom) -- Mikey gen, PG-13, 30k maybe?. Mikey deals with Alicia's death and raises a baby. Painful and beautiful and freaking inspirational.
And, of course: Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose by synecdochic (SGA) -- Rodney gen, PG-13 probably, 20k. Rodney goes to teach on Earth after losing John and Atlantis, as if this fic could ever be summarized in a line.
Unhappy/wide-open endings: Unhappy endings huuurt :(. So, I would rather not. But while I'm super shmoopy and prefer the happy endings ALWAYS, wide open endings can be amazing. Especially in fics where characters deal with some serious shit, and picture perfect happy endings might almost seem distasteful. Like, okay -- arrgh now I don't want to spoil the fics because if I know in advance there's not going to be a happy ending, I probably won't want to click on it to begin with. BUT SAY:
Second Circle by stele3 (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, 100k, NC-17, only one of the most amazig fics I have ever read, technically has an open ending, though thankfully it ends on a hopeful note.
A Light on a Hill by rubblerousing (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, PG-13. maybe 8k?. This will forever be the most unappreciated fic in the fandom for me, lol, because it is first person and feels a very literary kind of OOC but I love it, I really do, I just... really enjoy the prose.
And okay, disarm_d knows how to KILL me with this kind of stuff:
Close Your Eyes and Drive (Bandom) -- NC-17, Brendon and Spencer, 13k. My heaaaaaaaaaaart, gorgeous story about Brendon and Spencer going on a road trip following Brendon's break up; one of those Brendon-identity-struggles stories that kills me, seriously. Hopeful, but very open-ended.
this bed (house and head (Bandom) -- Spencer/Brendon, NC-17, 7k. The new face of (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 9k, AU. Both of these stories are not related except that they are kind of about being in this place in life where you're trying to figure things out, and it's just. She's an amazing writer, okay, the end.
The Ratio of Freckles to Stars by fictionalaspect (Bandom) -- Ryan/Spencer, PG, 8k. Gorgeous, with slight fantastical elements.
A Throat-Pierced Sound in the Night by jocondite (Bandom) -- Jon/Ryan, NC-17, 8k. Beautiful prose and an awesome story.
that old song we heard when we were young by jocondite (Bandom) -- Ryan/Spencer, Ryan/various, R, 8k. Beautiful story of them through the years.
Okay, so I guess I do like open-ended/unhappy endings after all o_o. Basically any time I've left a comment with "ouch" or "painful" or "achy", it was most likely a fic that would fit here.
Established relationship: Sure! I've never really understood why this was considered a trope in and of itself; basically any fic that isn't about characters getting together and includes some kind of relationship is established relationship, so. People who are comfortable with one another, bring it! Running into new problems or trying new things or just living their lives. I am all for.
And oh, god, I thought this was where the listed but apparently there's MORE D: Okay from now on I'm only choosing a couple and linking to stories THAT IS ALL:
Infidelity: Can be great if written well, and if nothing ends up hidden.
Sing Terribly Afar by softlyforgotten (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, Ryan/Alex, NC-17, 3.6k. I really like this one.
Self-harming/Attempted suicide: I don't like reading about outright self-harm/suicide attempts, but characters who engage in self-destructive bahavior, sure, as long as I trust the author to write it well. I mean, man, SGA. I don't remember which fic it was -- I think something by cesperanza? -- thay was all about how suicidal his acts of heroism were -- but I'm sure she wasn't the one who made that point. (ETA: I think it was MVP, John/Rodney, NC-17, 12k.)
Also, I will say this: good fics written about RPF suicide attempts? Are good.
This is me broken down by beingothrwrldly (Bandom) -- Pete and Patrick, 5k, PG-13.
Someday I'll Fly, Someday I'll Soar and Keep Me Where the Light Is by sneaky_sena (Bandom) -- Spencer/Brendon, PG-13/R, 10k together. College-era AU where Spencer's attempted suicide.
Rimming: Hahaha, yes. And I shall give props to the fic that, ironically, converted me over:
Proselytizing by astolat (American Idol RPF) -- Kris/Adam, NC-17, 1.4k :D
Fisting: So I'm Not the Only One by boweryd and fallintosilence (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 6k. This is my post okay, I reserve the right to rec as many of their fics as I want to.
Addictions/Disorders: As with any sensitive subject, if treated seriously and written well, yes.
I'm Not Sleeping (Trust Me) by dsudis (Bandom) -- Frank/Gerard, NC-17, 12k; takes place in the weeks after Gerard goes sober.
Tearing Down the Toy City by rubblerousing and ruintooeasy (Bandom) -- Spencer/Ryan, PG-13, 30k?, beautiful, painful story about Spencer and Ryan and backstory and the band and a gambling addiction, because they grew up in Vegas, okay, and it is just so good. (Happy ending, don't worry!).
Also I spent a couple of years in House fandom, so pretty much... 80% of the fics with the main character of the show.
Torture/Violence: As a precursor to comfort, yes please.
Toys: Yes please! I'll just link to Tell Me To Stop by airgiodslv (Bandom) because it has... everything. Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 20k?.
Also Present Progressive by lilywhitelilith (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, NC-17, 10k, a very excellent fic in this and in other regards :D
Uniforms (school girl, nurse, military uniforms etc.): Not in particular, but if I turn this into roleplay? Then depending on the writer, but yes. I've read some amazing stories. I love when we can see the whole surrounding framework -- see them before the scene, during, and then ending it, whether someone safeworded in the middle or ended when it did. So, some roleplay recs:
Seventeen (Here's to the Atom Bomb) by fictionalaspect> (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 8k, gorgeous gorgeous fic.
<a href=I'd really love to break your heart by lalejandra (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, PG-13, 4k?. I love this; part of a series but can be read independently.
Send Off by bexless (American Idol RPF) -- Adam/Brad, adult, 2.5k, ugh so fucking sweet.
Blindfolds: Yes, and more than anything in this fic: Once Was by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Spencer/Brendon, NC-17, 5.5k. <33333333.
Also the scenes in Amateur Cartography are fantastic.
Soul- (life-, heart-, force-, marriage-, wizard-, etc.) bonds: Always and forever, and WHY isn't there more of this in bandom? Sigh sigh.
I'm Yours by reni_days (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 4.7k, PG-13, adorable werewolves mate for life omg.
real forever if by astolat (American Idol RPF) -- Cook/Archuleta, NC-17, 20k, the very best of its kind, ACTUAL soul/sex-bonding fic that is amazing.
Oh, god. I need more of these. Please rec me more?
Have to get married: Right, uh, YES. I listed a few earlier under dubcon, because those fics had specifically dubconnish elements, but there are also other arranged marriage fics that are not dubcon and absolute <3:
A Matter of Inconvenience by astolat (American Idol RPF) -- Adam/Kris, NC-17, 21k, regency AU.
Secret lines (and bound so tight) by quarterandakiss (Bandom) -- Brendon/Ryan, PG-13, steampunk, 22k, so charming.
Only Unto Him by disarm_d (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, NC-17, 26k, Spencer Smith: Virgin Bride.
That Promist Ayde the Tempest to Withstand by lyo and stephanometra (Bandom) -- Ryan/Brendon, Z/Tennessee, 15-20k?, NC-17, arranged marriage in a faerie AU, so so great and ugh Brendon <3.
Undercover!gay/Have to pretend to be a couple: Yes! Um, I don't know what to say about this other than it's awesome, especially when it's forced.
So, So Fucked by reni_days (Bandom) -- Pete/Patrick, 12k, R, funny and awesome and the most realistic rpf forced-fake-boyfriends fic I remember reading.
It's Just Pretend, Right not!fic by sunsetmog (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 5.6k, PG-13, so cute <3.
Lying Next to Me by elucreh (Bandom) -- Brendo/Spencer, PG-13, 17k, While You Were Sleeping AU.
If There's Such a Thing as Love by witheveryspark (Bandom) -- Brendon/Spencer, 16.5k, NC-17, fake engagement.
And damn, I remember a ton of these for Idol S7 and S8 -- all kinds of "pretending to be boyfriends for publicity", lol -- but I don't remember where they are now :(
And oh my god I'm DYING here now. The next three tropes are tropes that I, without question, adore, and just thinking about all the links I'd like to link to in these categories (especially kidfic) is giving me a headache, so uh. I'm going to bow out now. But Kid!fic, Time travel, and Amnesia all get a very very emphatic YES from me and also a PLEASE MORE.
Oh god, looking over this, I ended up rambling so much /o\. WHO INVENTED THIS MEME AND CAN I SHOOT THEM.
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