Fandom After Dark

[cuddyclothes]

NSFW Ahoy!

Anything goes!

Comments

Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

Speculative prompt for y'all about Jeeves and Bertie! In your mind, who is the dominant one and who is the submissive one, in terms of sexual dynamics/BDSM roles? I constantly go back and forth and I've written them both ways.

On one hand, Bertie is literally the master, and Jeeves is into being "the perfect servant," so it's easy to argue that if things turned sexual between them, that dynamic would remain. On the other hand, Jeeves is of course very domineering in terms of enforcing his preferences and is the "brains of the operation," the "puppet-master," so to speak. An argument could be made either way based on their personalities, too: Jeeves is more ascetic/masochistic and Bertie is more hedonistic/self-indulgent; however, Jeeves is also more stubborn and self-possessed and Bertie is more timid and compliant. Physically, it's still a wash: I think of Jeeves as larger but Bertie as more athletic.

Personally, I think if I had to choose, I would lean toward Bertie as dominant and Jeeves as submissive, because I like the realness of exploiting/exaggerating the actual dynamics that exist between them, especially enforced due to their class/status difference. I'm glad I don't actually have to choose though!

Obviously there's no final official answer, just wondering how you guys conceive of all this.

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[cuddyclothes]

Ooo, what an interesting question! I'm going to ponder this while I walk my dog.

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

Oooh this is very interesting!

I'm having a very hard time making up my mind as well. I agree with everything you said. Both make sense and both are appealing. So I guess it's down to personal preference?

So to me personally, I think that deep down I do prefer dom!Jeeves, sub!Bertie. I always end up writing them that way, I always end up thinking of them that way. Don't get me wrong, I like me some nice sexy dominant Bertie and some good yummy submissive Jeeves, but I naturally seem to lean towards dom!Jeeves and sub!Bertie.

I just love the reversal of roles: who's the master, really? There's something incredibly sexy about Jeeves being dominant and still calling Bertie "sir". Also to me Bertie is a big ol' twink ;) And I think that submission (more than masochism) is something Bertie excels at. On the other hand, Jeeves is always in control of everything, and the care and attention a dominant needs to show his submissive would come naturally to him.

Like you said, there's no final official answer. And - again, like you said - thank goodness we don't actually have to choose! We can enjoy/read/think about both!

((oh, and who's to say they don't regularly switch?))

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

I have a thing where I think it's really hot when the person in a pairing who seems like they'd clearly be more dominant actually turns out to be the submissive one. But, I also have another thing where I think it's hot when the person who seems dominant actually is the dominant.

Likewise, I'm very into dom!Jeeves still calling Bertie sir...but I'm also hella into sub!Bertie calling Jeeves sir...and I'm into sub!Jeeves calling Bertie sir. I'm just into all of it.

The problem is that the characters are too darn versatile! The other problem is that I'm into too many different things.

For some reason, I don't really see them regularly switching, though?? I have this sense that whatever their roles are, they're very rigidly upheld. I feel like most of the IRL switch/switch couples I've known are more flexible and more into everything being equal between them in general. I could be mistaken though, I haven't exactly taken a scientific sample.

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

Yes yes yes! I feel the same! I just can't pick one, both make perfect sense and both are incredibly hot. So I guess it's a good thing we don't have to choose.

On the subject of switching though: while I do agree that in the case of Jooster they probably don't switch, I have to say that switching or no switching, everything should be equal between two people in a relationship - games played in bed aside.

Oh and here's another thought: even if they switch from time to time, they could have a preference?

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

Also, does anyone know the history of Dom/sub roles? Exactly how anachronistic is this whole line of thinking, anyway? I know we don't tend to worry too much about that kind of thing here, I'm just curious. I think a good deal of what I know about homosexuality in the 20s/30s is gathered from fanfic, the terms that were used and how it was conceived of.

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[cuddyclothes]

Google is your friend. Don't look at Wikipedia but at links to historic sites. Also, look at The Pearl, a magazine in the later 1880s that was pornography for the discerning reader. You'll be amazed at what you'll find!

You can learn a lot of things from fanfic, but not stuff like this.

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

I completely agree!! BOTH!

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

I like the idea of them both switching. Although somehow I think Bertie might have some trouble taking it completely seriously. I have an image of him saying, "Jeeves, what say we make our safe word 'radish'?"

Jeeves is capable of such coldness, at least in my mind but he also can be extremely warm.

I don't even know what I'm saying. Somebody besides me needs to write this kind of fic and let me enjoy without thinking too much.

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

I always go back and forth on whether I want to write the sex as silly and goofy enough to at least keep it vaguely Wodehousey or just drop the canon style and make it dark and serious enough to accommodate porn/BDSM. Weirdly enough I generally find it easier to do the latter. They definitely both have their merits though.

Re: Who's dominant/who's submissive?

[(Anonymous)]

I can picture them in both roles but for some reason I can't imagine them switching. If I had to pick one I would choose dom!Jeeves/sub!Bertie.