~~ 1x2x5 is a crowd
Apr. 11th, 2004 07:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaThe problem with threesome relationships-- in fics, anyway-- is that they're inherently unstable, I think, sort of like a table with three legs or something. And it occurred to me that most fics I've glanced at try to eliminate this problem by attempting to convince the reader that the relationship -is-, in fact, stable, and that all parties want/love/need (are "in love with") each other equally, and have strong bonds in all directions. Which, I guess I refuse to believe on some basic intuition. Romantic/sexual love is just fundamentally, almost biologically a pair bond, and that's all there is to it, though people can feel it (and be torn) in different directions at once, paradoxically-- but that breaks up under such stress.
But... what if the fic capitalized on this inherent imbalance instead? You could, theoretically, write about a three-way bond that -wasn't- equal, which would work if the people involved were okay with that. Like... there would be a central couple who had the dominant pair-bond, and the third person who largely had strong ties of friendship to both, and most probably more intense ties of friendship/lust to one. It's imperative this third person not be -in love- with either of the other two, I think.
In this scenario, the third person would then be included from time to time, as sort of a frequent visitor. It has to be natural, of course, and I think it would be important that no official commitment be involved. Most of all, normal ties of friendship (a couple being friends with one particular person) would have to be maintained. This third person would have to be single and not looking for serious attachments at the time. And this isn't "swinging", either-- that's important too. This is just that... they all want to and are just that comfortable with each other. I wish I could remember the single H/R/Hr fic that ever did this.
In fact, it seems to be that this is how I see the obvious possible threesomes in several fandoms I know. Ron/Hermione/Harry, for one (Harry being the odd one out). Gundam Wing has possibilities, -maybe-, with Heero/Duo/Wu Fei (though, well, Wu Fei is so... straight). It's veeerry distantly possible with Buffy/Spike/Angel but I don't think so, actually, because they're all way too possessive. There -has- to be someone who'll back off while retaining ties to avoid trauma. *sigh* Anyway, dunno about real life, but. I just really wish people would stop it with the "and then all three of them lived happily ever after" fics :/
But... what if the fic capitalized on this inherent imbalance instead? You could, theoretically, write about a three-way bond that -wasn't- equal, which would work if the people involved were okay with that. Like... there would be a central couple who had the dominant pair-bond, and the third person who largely had strong ties of friendship to both, and most probably more intense ties of friendship/lust to one. It's imperative this third person not be -in love- with either of the other two, I think.
In this scenario, the third person would then be included from time to time, as sort of a frequent visitor. It has to be natural, of course, and I think it would be important that no official commitment be involved. Most of all, normal ties of friendship (a couple being friends with one particular person) would have to be maintained. This third person would have to be single and not looking for serious attachments at the time. And this isn't "swinging", either-- that's important too. This is just that... they all want to and are just that comfortable with each other. I wish I could remember the single H/R/Hr fic that ever did this.
In fact, it seems to be that this is how I see the obvious possible threesomes in several fandoms I know. Ron/Hermione/Harry, for one (Harry being the odd one out). Gundam Wing has possibilities, -maybe-, with Heero/Duo/Wu Fei (though, well, Wu Fei is so... straight). It's veeerry distantly possible with Buffy/Spike/Angel but I don't think so, actually, because they're all way too possessive. There -has- to be someone who'll back off while retaining ties to avoid trauma. *sigh* Anyway, dunno about real life, but. I just really wish people would stop it with the "and then all three of them lived happily ever after" fics :/
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Date: 2004-04-13 10:20 pm (UTC)But anyway... yeah. Maybe it's just that people yearn for perfection in any fictional relationship-- whether it's 2 or 3 people-- and it's just more obviously ridiculous with 3 people while it's also rather unlikely with 2 :> But still, it seems to me that threesomes tend to be written more blatantly unrealistically for some reason... I don't know why. Maybe the people who write them already accept the lack of realism in the whole idea and just treat it as a kink or a plot-device to get a hot sex scene going...? Heh.
I've actually read fics where I could see myself seeing a friendship one of the main characters has with another, tertiary character, turned into something more without the usual jealousy and love triangle and relationship issues. Just... because it would be fun, maybe. Gratifying on some level. Possibly, it's just that human beings always blwo everything out of proportion, most times, anyway. So like... it's famously way too easy to ruin friendships with sex. That's probably why it doesn't happen. Friends don't have semi-casual sex with their friends, -especially- if they're in a relationship. Ha. The very idea is funny, actually. I mean, if they do, it's usually 'cause there's either problems in the relationship of some sort or because they've got commitment issues. *sigh* Like, why would the couple want to, if they're so happy together, right? And it's -really- hard to avoid jealousy.
I actually know next to nothing about this, since I barely read past a chapter of any threesome fic. But. Heh.
I'm glad it made sense on some level~:)
~reena