[ SECRET POST #2196 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2196 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.


__________________________________________________



02.


__________________________________________________



03.


__________________________________________________



04.


__________________________________________________



05.


__________________________________________________



06.


__________________________________________________



07.


__________________________________________________



08.


__________________________________________________



09.


__________________________________________________



10.


__________________________________________________



11.


__________________________________________________



12.


__________________________________________________










Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 060 secrets from Secret Submission Post #314.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 - not!fandom ], [ 1 2 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 - empty image with a text comment ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[augustbird]

props to this secret for spurring such interesting discussion. i think a/b/o is one of those tropes where either you like it or you hate it--i haven't met very many people who are neutral about it.

i think one of the things that needs to be emphasized is that the majority of people who engage in reading/writing this trope understand the consent issues behind it and the discomfort of having social stratification based on biology. but one of the reasons why it fascinates me so much is the kind of world that gets built around such a society, and in quite a few fics: how the main characters manage to break out of that mold and not have to subscribe to what society demands of them. and for this reason, i don't think there's a dichotomy between being interested in omegaverse and also being interested in social justice issues. i know that at some points when i was writing my own omegaverse fic, i deliberately went in with the intent of commenting on rape culture in some areas and pulled elements of our own patriarchal society to be reflected in the fic.

i mean like, obviously sometimes it's just written for the needy/desperate aspect of hot porn (and i'm totally also on board with that). but there's a lot of potential for worldbuilding in omegaverse that a lot of authors explore and i think it's exaggerated enough of a power imbalance that it also provides a really interesting tool for exploring aspects of our own society.

[(Anonymous)]

... I think a lot of my problem with A/B/O fics is that quite a lot of the ones I've seen don't warn that consent issues and outright non-con are implicit parts of the set-up (or, sometimes, don't appear to be aware that it is, which is more disturbing). Which means that, unless you know in advance what the thing means, you're getting slapped in the face with a universe where rape is not only okay but socially/biologically imperative, and no-one seems to have a problem with that.

I'm not saying that's the case, I'm just saying that the lack of warnings and the tone some of the fics take makes it seem less like a discussion on rape culture, and more of an excusing of it. Which can be ... distressing?

[(Anonymous)]

There are definitely people who approach it in that way. I actually like the trope, but it drives me batty when people don't warn for the dub/non-con aspects. I know to expect them because I'm familiar with the general set up and what it involves, but a lot of people don't. I think that some of the people who don't tag just don't take into consideration that not everyone is going to know all the tropes involved, but there are those people who don't seem to understand the dub/non-con nature of a lot of it.

... then again, to be fair, there are large parts of fandom that seem to grossly misunderstand what constitutes dub and non-con, and a lot of those people don't write omegaverse. (But their lack of/incorrect tagging is also a problem.)

[(Anonymous)]

Yes. Possibly I'm extra sensitive to the problem in the case of omegaverse because the set-up actually increases the severity of my reaction: the societal aspect sort of doubles the trigger, because when something that hits me as rape is supported societally in-universe, it leaves you with nowhere to go and massively increases the sense of helplessness. It's not just a bad thing happening to you, it's a bad thing that people think is supposed to happen to you. And. Um. My hands are shaking, so I'll ... yes.

Yes, you have a point. I may well just be extra sensitised to the set-up. Possibly other people are too, which is why omegaverse might draw a lot of the ire?

[(Anonymous)]

Ack, I hope my comment didn't set off anything for you, anon! I don't want to make you discuss it any more since it's upsetting you, but I'll just say that I agree with everything you've said and can understand why it can be so upsetting to some people.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh! No, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to explain that I ... might be somewhat inarticulate and not making much sense, is all. The choice to discuss it in this case was mine, and I can bow out when it gets too much.

It wasn't my intent to try and shut you down, I just wanted to explain the extent of my reaction (and excuse the inarticulation). Um. My apologies.

[augustbird]

some might argue that the dub/noncon almost always goes hand in hand with omegaverse and that it's not necessary to warn for dub/noncon when the entire trope itself is a warning. especially with how much more popular it is now than it was even half a year ago, people might consider the omegaverse tag to be warning enough.

but on the other hand, i definitely see where you're coming from--if someone has no idea what omegaverse is and clicks on a fic with the trope expecting something else only to be greeted with a faceful of dub/noncon & weird bestiality undertones, they might not really be. you know. pleased. and they'll probably come away with a negative outlook on the trope on the whole, haha. it's something that people probably have to experience for themselves once before knowing to stay the fuck away, and it's not fair for those who are genuinely triggered by consent issues to unwittingly stumble across the stuff. i really don't know what to do or say about that--i feel like attempting to police fandom is a pretty fruitless activity on the whole. :/

my original comment intended to address the fact that i think the majority of authors/readers who enjoy the trope are aware of the consent issues (there might be exceptions, idk; i'm speaking only from what i've read and the circle of people i know) and i don't think any of them would ever excuse rape in the real world. it's kind of a weird trope, to be sure, but i think that sometimes there's more going on under the surface once you get past the initial glance at the kink.

[(Anonymous)]

Personally, I think it could be an interesting way of exploring societies that have rigid social classes [Feudal societies, or cast systems for example] since the roles are generally set from birth [albeit, not always known]. It could be interesting to play with the power politics that could come with that, and see what would happen if something were to change the system just enough for there to be a need for readjustment.

/tangent

[(Anonymous)]

This this this. I love the porn but gosh I LOVE the world building.

It's fascinating to make up totally different societies. There are several different in my fandom and they're amazing. Like the one where Omegas are in charge because Alphas are supposed to be too aggressive or unstable. Or that one where all countries have different A/O/B laws, and so on. And it's awesome when characters break that mold.