It's weird how much this subject interests me in slash (since I don't erally know much about yaoi). As with most things I get a feeling of what seems right in terms of how they would work things out and then have to go back and figure out why I thought that was right.
Definitely it's always seemed that for the most part boys would switch back and forth. Seems odd that a couple wouldn't take advantage of that in a homosexual relationship. In a fic I tend to like the positions to be suggested by whatever emotional content there is to a situation.
With H/D, though, you do tend to get a lot of people seeing one as the top. If it's fanon Draco he's top and if he's canon he's bottom, really! My first instinct (though as I said this changes depending on the context) is usually that a canon based Draco would be the bottom. This must have something to do with his personality but I'd hate to think it *was* his personality. It's more like, for me, there's a subtext to his character that just seems to say FUCK ME!!! to Harry all the time. If you look at his manner, for instance, he almost always puts himself in the passive position. He'll do something to get Harry to notice him, but then once he does he hits a pose where he's lolling against a tree or something with that "come and get me" attitude.
It seems like it's only at the end of OotP that Draco is reduced to having to take out his wand first and even then it's like a last resort, and even then Harry's quicker. His impulse upon seeing Harry is to stop and stare, not to do something to him--which is exactly what Harry's impulse usually is towards Draco. He's uncomfortable, it seems to me, being in the position of the avenger. Harry, by contrast, is usually either holding himself back or leaping on Draco as the person "doing to" instead of "being done to." I do see that as translating to the bedroom, I guess. I really can't imagine a canon based Draco fucking Harry for the first time. Their dynamic just seems to imply that Draco would be provacative and get Harry to do something to him. He just seems to want attention from Harry more than want to do something to Harry, and that translates into him wanting to be on the receiving end. Later on, though, I'd imagine there would be times when they would switch, even if they took the original position more often.
I guess part of it depends on how you see them interacting in canon. If you see Draco as the "winner" each time he makes Harry lose control you might go more for the fanon variation. If you see Draco as craving that loss of control on Harry's part for himself he's more of a bottom, maybe?
Then too maybe people are too quick to assign the positions as dominating or not. It doesn't have to be about control of the other person, after all. Perhaps a character feels more freedom when they are on the bottom or top, or their bodies are just made in such a way that they find one position more pleasurable or whatever. One of the things I like about slash is how it takes intense m/m relationships and explores them through this particular language, so I hate to see everything reduced to one dynamic.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 09:23 am (UTC)Definitely it's always seemed that for the most part boys would switch back and forth. Seems odd that a couple wouldn't take advantage of that in a homosexual relationship. In a fic I tend to like the positions to be suggested by whatever emotional content there is to a situation.
With H/D, though, you do tend to get a lot of people seeing one as the top. If it's fanon Draco he's top and if he's canon he's bottom, really! My first instinct (though as I said this changes depending on the context) is usually that a canon based Draco would be the bottom. This must have something to do with his personality but I'd hate to think it *was* his personality. It's more like, for me, there's a subtext to his character that just seems to say FUCK ME!!! to Harry all the time. If you look at his manner, for instance, he almost always puts himself in the passive position. He'll do something to get Harry to notice him, but then once he does he hits a pose where he's lolling against a tree or something with that "come and get me" attitude.
It seems like it's only at the end of OotP that Draco is reduced to having to take out his wand first and even then it's like a last resort, and even then Harry's quicker. His impulse upon seeing Harry is to stop and stare, not to do something to him--which is exactly what Harry's impulse usually is towards Draco. He's uncomfortable, it seems to me, being in the position of the avenger. Harry, by contrast, is usually either holding himself back or leaping on Draco as the person "doing to" instead of "being done to." I do see that as translating to the bedroom, I guess. I really can't imagine a canon based Draco fucking Harry for the first time. Their dynamic just seems to imply that Draco would be provacative and get Harry to do something to him. He just seems to want attention from Harry more than want to do something to Harry, and that translates into him wanting to be on the receiving end. Later on, though, I'd imagine there would be times when they would switch, even if they took the original position more often.
I guess part of it depends on how you see them interacting in canon. If you see Draco as the "winner" each time he makes Harry lose control you might go more for the fanon variation. If you see Draco as craving that loss of control on Harry's part for himself he's more of a bottom, maybe?
Then too maybe people are too quick to assign the positions as dominating or not. It doesn't have to be about control of the other person, after all. Perhaps a character feels more freedom when they are on the bottom or top, or their bodies are just made in such a way that they find one position more pleasurable or whatever. One of the things I like about slash is how it takes intense m/m relationships and explores them through this particular language, so I hate to see everything reduced to one dynamic.