Problem is, I'd have to research the specific physiological effects of certain hormones.

[magibrain]

...I find myself vaguely wanting to write A/B/O fic, except less with sex and more with navigating tricky power dynamics and slews of body dysphoria, and with a heavily tweaked version of the whole A/B/O premise.

(Basically, the idea in my brain is that Alpha, Beta and Omega are just psychophysical modes people operate in, and while people tend to have "baseline" modes that they operate in for long stretches – sometimes even their entire lives – people can switch from mode to mode in response to various physical or psychological stimuli. Like, a baseline beta might find themselves going omega or alpha after a major trauma, for example. And there would be drugs and such which could affect what mode people operated in. Plus, while the modes would have specific physiological effects – people operating in alpha mode might have overactive adrenal glands and produce more testosterone, while people operating in omega mode would experience heat and all its attendant fun – it would only affect personality in as much as, say, gayness does. In that there would be a ton of stereotypes and there would be established cultures which people might or might not do any social commerce with, and aside from that, it's not really something you could tell by looking at someone.)

(...though you could probably tell it by scent. Because that seems to be a thing?)

(Also, people would be able to resist physical urges, with varying degrees of difficulty from "I am having this strong craving right now!" to "I am experiencing this with the intensity of an addiction." And there would probably be a lot of discussion on medical and political stages about that.)

I don't know. I've read a grand total of two A/B/O fics in my life – feels like the start of something and The toppiest girl in the school, and ironically neither of them is for a fandom I'm actually in – and I feel like this may just be a continuation of my picking at the assumed conventions of tropes I don't actually write or read (see also), which always makes me feel a little weird. But I feel like, given some of the discussion in the prompt thread for feels like the start of something, it might be a weird little space to explore which other people are also interested in seeing explored. And it does seem like there's a healthy movement in A/B/O writing areas to dissect the heck out of the trope, from what I've read.

Of course, it also doesn't help that I already have way too many other projects clamoring for my attention. Including the one where Neal is stuck on a magical Greyhound for five years.




This is one of the ways you can tell I'm ace. I find tropes that are deeply rooted in kinky sex and then expend considerable time and energy carefully plucking out the sexybits so I can nest in the kinky power dynamics. <_< One of these days I'll write and post my WC OT3 fic and it will be 80,000 words of neither sex nor romance, continuing my trend of OT3 fic which is neither sex nor romance, and everyone will be able to tell me that I'm doing it wrong. AND I WILL LAUGH FROM ATOP MY ASEXY THRONE, I SHALL EAT THE CAKE THAT IS MY BIRTHRIGHT, AND KNOW THAT I AM THE OVERMIND, THE ETERNAL WILL OF THE ACE COMMU – no, wait, that got away from me, sorry.

Comments

[adraekh]

I just discovered what A/B/O fic was last week (courtesy of this FF7 fic), and as expected, suddenly I am seeing it everywhere. (I had initially just thought it was a crossover thing. Like I thought that Sentinel Guide fic was just a crossover thing. But no! I am still learning things about fandom, even after so many years!)

The premise of A/B/O is pretty interesting; the FF7 fic I linked actually has an incredibly intriguing power dynamic, some of which sounds quite similar to what you're tossing about, though I could do with ... less of the sex, and just more of the dynamics.

But really, I am just leaving a comment to tell you that your footnote made me think of Nida: "After 17 years, my chance has finally arrived! W-w-what, Squall?! (I'll be the ruler of this Garden someday!)"

[yetregressing]

/sits at the base of this asexy throne and waits patiently for crumbs of the delicious fictional cake to fall into my hands

...wait that got a lot more power dynamic-y than I intended >.>

needless to say I'm on the same page and would love to read whatever you wanna write about it. (ALSO THAT OT3 FIC SOUNDS AMAZING)

Well...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I think it has a lot of potential. Some A/B/O fics write Betas as asexual, which makes sense -- like worker bees, they handle the everyday tasks while the more volatile orientations are caught up in reproductive imperatives.

I've done a lot with hormones and pheromones in some of my writing. It can be fun to explore. The Blueshift Troupers has a whole running thread about affinity -- the way people react to each other and to biotech, which works similar to the 'good chemistry' of finding a compatible mate. Except it isn't just sexual, it spans different kinds of relationships.

I am generally interested in seeing people dig deeper into social dynamics, human bonding, types of relationships, etc. -- especially in areas where people are usually distracted by sex. Take that out, and you can see other things better.

[squeemu]

I... haven't read the A/B/O link you provided, so I probably shouldn't be commenting at all, but this reminds me a lot of the spaceship idea you had, where you need to be in a certain mindset to operate different parts of the spaceship? Or... something like that. And you could take hormones to put you in that mindset.

It does look like a really fascinating thing to play with, though. Power dynamicsssss

AND YOU HAVE BEEN CREATED TO SERVE ME CAKE