fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2235 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2235 ⌋

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

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02.

[Transformers More Than Meets the Eye #13]

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[Agent Romanov/Black Widow, MCU]

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04.

[Richard Armitage]

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[James Bond: Skyfall]

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06.

[Frankie Boyle]

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07.

[Michael Trucco & Sandra Hess]

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08.

[Injustice: Gods Among Us]

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[Star Trek: The Next Generation]

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10.

[Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, The Sith Lords]

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11.

[The Following]

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[Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead]

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13.

[Game of Thrones]

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14.

[Jennifer Connelly]

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[Castle]

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16.

[BBC's Robin Hood]

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17.

[The Most Popular Girls in School]

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18.

[Legend of Korra]

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19.

[Steam Powered Giraffe]

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 018 secrets from Secret Submission Post #319.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No, this isn't a snarky rhetorical question where I'm wondering how on earth anyone could like them. I personally love them myself. However, I want to know other people's specific reasons for liking them, since I'm sure not everyone likes them for the same set of reasons that I do.

What are some examples that you like? What appeals to you about them? What types do you like the best? What types don't work for you? How do you like to deal with the issues they raise? Etc, etc. I hope this will be fun!

They're inherently dynamic, hence interesting.

Because they allow me to explore stuff that would be unhealthy if I did it in a real relationship. Also, good stories need conflict.

Interesting question.

I think one of the reasons I find the dynamic interestng is because there's a conflict and challenge there - it makes you wonder "How are they going to overcome this imbalance and both be happy?"

Plus, sometimes it's just hot.

The only time I really like power imbalances is in femdom (gay or straight). No insult to the people who like the het variety with the dude in charge or the slash variety, it just doesn't do much for me. The former too often reads like a bad romance novel and the latter bad yaoi.

I like them where the power dynamic on the surface seems very imbalanced, but is actually very equal or in fact flipped the other way. So, things like incest or big age differences where the younger person is the one initiating and in control of the relationship.

For me liking power imbalances in fic is just kind of an extension of two things. a) I really like fluffy fics where two characters sort out their differences and come together as equals. b) A lot of the relationships mirror the types of relationship I had as a teenager, which were actually very healthy and fulfilling for me but of the type that society disapproves of.

I can only really appreciate it in a consensual or D/s setting where the imbalance is voluntary - inherent power imbalances make me uncomfortable, which is why I can't ship parent/child or guardian/child, even though I don't actually have a problem with age gaps or incest.

Then again, I seem to be in the minority that I prefer my ships to be healthy and have problems/conflicts come from external sources rather than internal. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when they can work together to solve the issue >w<

My favorite kind of power imbalance pairings are ones where one partner in theory seems to have the ability and advantage to be a horrible psychologically abusive manipulative asshole, but in actual fact, the powerful character is totally wrapped around the non-powerful character's little finger.

Where an outsider would assume there is a power imbalance, but it's far more equal than it seems. Frequently, when one character is subordinate to the other in public due to rank issues. I think it's the forbidden aspect combined with potential dominance from either party (either the subordinate allowing their superior to take control willingly, or the superior needing to occasionally give up control to their subordinate).

The only one I can point to at the moment outside RP characters is Chrom/Avatar (mostly male Avatar, since the support conversations are different) in Fire Emblem Awakening.

I don't like it when the power imbalance is due to one of the characters being underage. Age differences on the whole are fine as long as both are adults, even if it's in the hundreds+ due to immortals and so on. (Actually, I'm very fond of immortal/mortal pairings too!)

Dealing with it tends to involve a lot of angst.

There are a bunch of reasons for me. The forbidden is always interesting, and there's something about relationships that are frowned upon by society that's fascinating. The character type and strength it would take to take on the disapproval of society for the sake of someone they love is appealing to me.

It creates dynamic tension and angst, and I'm a sucker for that. I prefer happy endings and relationships that are consensual and actually equal once you get past the initial imbalance (or they've worked past it), but sometimes it's just as interesting to see what happens if you let a negative scenario play out.

Projection. I'm young and find myself attracted to people older than myself, and adding a power imbalance plays up that aspect for me in a way I wouldn't be quite as comfortable dealing with in reality.

[ SECRET POST #2235 ]

Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?

Re: Why do people like pairings with power imbalances?