"plot bunny/trope/fic kink you love but will probably never write and why."

[laurajv]

Dec 31: for beatrice_otter: plot bunny/trope/fic kink you love but will probably never write and why.

There are a few of these.

One of them is marriage of convenience, which is nearly* a bulletproof fic kink for me. I haven't yet found a fandom I don't love this trope in, but I also have never found a fandom where I've managed to think of how to do it. I think usually because it works best in AU situations, and AUs aren't where I tend to go, as a writer; I like working within the canon too much (and, in fact, I have trouble working in open canons where I can be Jossed, because that will often kill my creativity). Related tropes like arranged marriage I *can* see myself writing (I mean, Vulcans, right), but where would a marriage of convenience even fit in with most fandoms? It doesn't, except of course OTHER people seem to be able to do it just fine...

Another is A/B/O universes, but I very specifically only like ones that have some serious worldbuilding and trope inversion. I find mainline A/B/O squicky and rife with creepyweird romanticization of consent issues, and so I only discovered I liked the trope handled well when it was combined with a marriage of convenience (see? bulletproof) by a writer I already trusted. This one I'll probably never write because, again, the AU thing, but also because what I really WANT to write is a completely gen version of an A/B/O universe and I cannot figure out how to do it, because of the nature of the trope. I've tried a few times and the worldbuilding always kind of falls apart. If I ever figure that out, I will probably write it.


* I say nearly because while I'll start reading just about anything in any of my fandoms labeled MoC, I will bail for the usual culprits of bad writing and bad characterization.

Comments

[manycolored]

We have very similar tastes!
My additional one is telepathic bonding, particularly when it causes communication problems, or at least doesn't solve any.

[laurajv]

I *love* telepathic bonding, but I'm super super likely to write it (and have written it -- I mean, Vulcans), which is why it's not on this list.

telepathic communication misunderstandings are the best, when they're handled well. SO fun!

[beatrice_otter]

Yes! My problem with most telepathy/soulbonding stuff is that I think it results from people wanting magical solutions to communications problems without the hard work of actually talking things out. And I don't think life works that way, and this is one of those areas where I really do want realism, even in crackfic.

[ratcreature]

Which one is the A/B/O with a marriage of convenience? I wonder whether I've read it, because I don't recall the combination on the top of my head, otoh I love those tropes and read a lot, so maybe I just forgot...

[laurajv]

Unless you read Hockey RPF, you probably haven't read it. It's "a light-handed approach to regulation", by Hazel.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/713494 (restricted on the AO3).

[ratcreature]

No I haven't. Normally I don't read RPF, but since I don't know a single hockey player or team name (not aware of the sport at all) I can read it entirely as original fic without my unease about real people interfering, and have read a few that fit my bullet proof kinks in the past. So I might check it out.

How about....

[starhanyou]

In the A/B/O universes, Sherlock and John are always Alpha or Omega -- how about one where they are Beta, and Beta are rare. In a world dominated by breeders, no one wants to marry or have a long term relationship with a Beta. But there are financial benefits to being married that Sherlock and John need....

Re: How about....

[laurajv]

Heh. Well, that's one way to combine the two!