Summer's kinks and squicks
This is probably WAY too much information, but what the heck. Some of you were interested and I think it will be useful to have this all in one place, so, here you have a discussion of my own personal kinks and squicks. Yes, we're talking about smut.
Warning: Some discussion of rape and other potentially disturbing content. Also, um, yeah, R-rated I guess.
*EDIT*: Version 2 supercedes this post. Please see the newest version of my kinks and squicks. *end edit*
I guess I should start out by saying that what I like to read and what I like to do are two different things. This post is completely about fictional smut, mostly written though I may talk about movies or something. I'm restricting the topic to fictional smut because a) I don't have to have done/tried something to find it hot/squicky, and b) um, I don't talk much about my personal life. Ignore the blushing.
So, let's start with the easy list: squicks. I've already talked a little bit about characters and characterizations that "turn me off", I think, so let's focus on specific *things*, rather than people.
Not a long list. This is because not a lot of activities squick me. A lot of things are kind of neutral, though, which means if done right they can be hot, but otherwise they fall flat. Incest, for example. It doesn't squick me at all, but neither is there anything particularly exciting about it in and of itself. On the other hand, incest often implies an unequal relationship and something that has to be kept secret, for which see #1 below.
All right, enough of me being wishy-washy on squicks. Let's talk about the hot stuff.
I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but this is getting harder to talk about the more I think of. Actually, I've read plenty of smut that didn't fit any of the "kinks" I discussed and still were fantastically wonderfully hot. So any hypothetical author who was looking at this wondering what to write for me should not take it as a grocery list of "must haves", not by any means.
Comments, questions, fic recs? Don't be shy :). Have any of you ever done a post like this? Let me know.
Warning: Some discussion of rape and other potentially disturbing content. Also, um, yeah, R-rated I guess.
*EDIT*: Version 2 supercedes this post. Please see the newest version of my kinks and squicks. *end edit*
I guess I should start out by saying that what I like to read and what I like to do are two different things. This post is completely about fictional smut, mostly written though I may talk about movies or something. I'm restricting the topic to fictional smut because a) I don't have to have done/tried something to find it hot/squicky, and b) um, I don't talk much about my personal life. Ignore the blushing.
So, let's start with the easy list: squicks. I've already talked a little bit about characters and characterizations that "turn me off", I think, so let's focus on specific *things*, rather than people.
- Bodily fluids other than sexual ones. Actually, blood isn't bad in small amounts, though it certainly isn't *exciting* to read about someone licking someone else's blood and liking the taste of it, unless it's a vampire, in which case that's quite welcome :). And yes, I've read one or two fics featuring golden showers that were incredibly hot... but I would never ask for such a thing. So I guess the real squick here is poop. And vomit, which should never be anywhere near a sex scene, at least not one intended to arouse.
- Hm, what else... Adultery? Actually this one isn't so bad any more, but it used to seriously make me gag. Mostly in movies, because I only started reading fanfic a year ago. Anyway, I think this is more of a plot device than a kink or a squick, and given my kink #1 below, it's easy for me to find fics featuring adultery or cheating that I absolutely love.
Not a long list. This is because not a lot of activities squick me. A lot of things are kind of neutral, though, which means if done right they can be hot, but otherwise they fall flat. Incest, for example. It doesn't squick me at all, but neither is there anything particularly exciting about it in and of itself. On the other hand, incest often implies an unequal relationship and something that has to be kept secret, for which see #1 below.
All right, enough of me being wishy-washy on squicks. Let's talk about the hot stuff.
- Secrets. The absolute number one hottest line I have ever read in a fic is "And this is so naughty... you mustn't tell anyone about this, Draco... do you understand?" from Daisychain!Draco. Any time you have sex that has to be hushed up, especially if the sex is "wrong" and one person will get in trouble if anyone knows (rather than just because they're very private people, for example)... I for one find it very hot.
- Dubious consent. I sometimes refer to this as "sex for the wrong reasons." In other words, the person is agreeing to sex, but not because it's really what they want. Forced bonding stories often fit this category, or someone who trades sex for protection or the other person's silence or something like that. I can't think of a really good single example, but this kink is out there (IT'S IN UR FICS, KINKING UR STORIES). Maybe "Sex for reasons others would find morally objectionable" is a good way to put it. SFROWFMO.
- Rape (or "non-consensual" sex). A disclaimer: please do not tell me if I lived through it then I wouldn't find it hot. Frankly, you don't know what I've lived through. Now, I realize this one is touchy with a lot of people, but that doesn't change the fact that I find fantasy rape to be exciting, in the right circumstances and if it's not treated too terribly realistically. And, by the way, I am not referring to those fics you read about on fanficrants where X rapes Y and then they fall in schmoopy happy fluffy love. No. But the right characters, with the right set up, where it really messes with someone's head, it can be extremely hot. Hm. Actually, I haven't read very many of these. And yet I know it's a kink of mine. Anyway, moving on.
- Chan, or adults engaging in sexual activities with minors. I don't usually worry about anyone younger than 11, because 11 is when students go to Hogwarts. I almost always prefer for the younger participant to be active and eagerly participating. For an example, see dementordelta's The Devil Will Drag You Under. This kink also ties in to kink #1.
- Cross-generation, which I have only recently realized can be a separate thing from #4, is also nice but not quite as much as actual underage stuff. I think it's because they don't have to keep it secret, although it still might harbor some stigma and therefore might be kept semi-secret.
- Blowjobs, esp. in which the person "receiving" the blowjob is er, aggressive about it? Check out this super-amazingly hot line from curiousqity's fic Open Door:
The fear receding from Lupin's frame, he took more of Severus inside, relaxing against the chair's back, his hips working even as he knelt there with his hands idle, passively allowing Severus to fuck his mouth.
... Yeah. Guh. Or if the man holds his partner's jaw or forces their lips open or something like that... yeah, that's all good. With this I prefer "reluctant" (rather than outright unwilling) - see "dubious consent". Although, I should point out that reluctance is not required at all - this is just as hot with a perfectly eager participant. - Frantic sex and a related one, clothed sex are both pretty damn hot. What really attracts me to wall sex or table sex or whatever is the fact that it's so urgent - that the characters have to stop and have sex right now, dammit. :)
- Cross-dressing and some humiliation are often good, although I don't know if I would consider them kinks of mine, especially. Cross-dressing is especially fun in art. Humiliation... well, the threat of it is often more exciting than the thing itself, so for example near-public sex or a location that might be interrupted could be very good.
I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but this is getting harder to talk about the more I think of. Actually, I've read plenty of smut that didn't fit any of the "kinks" I discussed and still were fantastically wonderfully hot. So any hypothetical author who was looking at this wondering what to write for me should not take it as a grocery list of "must haves", not by any means.
Comments, questions, fic recs? Don't be shy :). Have any of you ever done a post like this? Let me know.