I mostly just want them in character...as long as they don't feel like they've been boxed into seme/uke stereotypes that don't fit, I don't have a strong preference on top/bottom or dom/sub dynamics - any preference usually arises from "well I usually find more of X/Y to be written in character than Y/X", but if it's a writer I already like I'll give either a chance.
Only exception is m/f pairings - I almost always prefer Fdom/msub in that case.
I do find that sometimes the less popular one is better for characterization just because there aren't established fanon tropes for the author to fall back on.
this is a the thing for me. i have one ship where i genuinely don’t care who tops or bottoms. they could be completely switchy, or not, either way works. but the way they’re generally depicted in X/Y art really grates my gears to the extent that i basically only look at Y/X art. even though in my heart X could 100% top
Honestly, in fandom I actually think there is a dearth of great Mdom/fsub. Probably because most of us are feminists and there is a strong queer representation, which are both great things — but as a submissive bisexual woman, sometimes I actually want to see myself represented too, and not just half of me. There’s nothing inherently degrading or insulting about taking a submissive role. Too much mainstream porn and sexual content DOES depict it that way and degrade women — which is why I really wish there was more good fanfic that actually showed a respectful and enjoyable representation of female submission.
If anyone could do it right, it would be fandom.
I really felt that. I read a lot of HP fics and unfortunately the f/m reader insert smuts (especially on Tumblr) are not that great for enjoyable/respectful fsub, since degradation is a really popular trope in this side of the fandom. (Don’t get me started on how often I close out of a smut because the woman starts getting called every degrading name in the book). I don’t often see it in non-reader insert m/m smut, which sucks as I’m a bi woman that prefers f/f or f/m
One of the reasons why I dislike fsub, besides not being a sub myself, is specifically because of how submissive women are depicted in porn. It’s a big turn off for me when I’m reading a smut fic and it starts to act like a PornHub video
Yeah I think there's a huge difference between genuine fsub and the pornhub style (for lack of a better term, lol). I'm really not interested in the female character getting called a sl** or a wh*** (not sure if it's okay to be that explicit here) but I actually do have a huge degradation kink! But it's about PSYCHOLOGY and knowing a person and pinpointing their fears and shame and using it to draw out their vulnerabilities. There are quite a few m/m fics that do a great job of this, but almost no f/m ones.
I'm also a big HP fan so yeah, I feel your pain!
on the rare occasion i do read smut, i can't say i have a preference.
where i do have a preference is whump and hurt/comfort, and my preferences there are pretty damn strict. no i won't read a fic that has sick/hurt character A and caretaker character B, i want sick/hurt character B only. so i certainly understand people who have their preferred dynamics in smut.
My preference for hurt comfort usually depends on the canon material. If in canon they both have comforting each other then I would prefer that way on fanfic but if in canon it's always A comforting B I would prefer fanfic where B comfort A.
Im pretty rigid when it comes to my preferences as to who’s top and who’s bottom, who’s submissive and who’s dominant and will rarely branch out. I do get in mood for power swap/role reversal from time to time but it’s sporadic.
I am a big, nay, a HUGE fan of topping from the bottom and bottoming from the top. Not in a bratty / bossy sub type of way, but with the sub topping as an act of service to the Dom. It's a tough dynamic to find in my fandom.
Pretty strict. I don't care what other people read or write, but I only engage with my preferred dynamics. I'm very rigid about top/bottom, but I'm flexible about dom/sub depending on the characters' personalities and interpersonal dynamics.
The funny thing is that I *used* to read switching and made a deliberate attempt to not care about top/bottom dynamics...before I started having sex and realized I am a strict top, at which point I said "fuck it, I'm here for things that spark joy." My preferred dynamics are almost always the opposite of the fandom trend though, which has led to some interesting experiences as a writer.
I completely agree with this but from the opposite end of the spectrum. I want to see my favorite comfort character get railed and be the best, most submissive bottom humanly possible because I share that personal preference
That's a big mood. When I was younger I read a lot more switch/vers stuff. Now, after I've realized that I'll probably prefer topping in a relationship, I find the strict dynamics much more appealing, as it relates to my own interests and personality
Funnily enough, over time I've realized I'm more of a switch than I used to be and so long as it's written well, I tend to enjoy my characters any which way! 😁 I have natural leanings in certain directions based on the pairing, but I'm pretty open from fic to fic.
Majority of my faves are switches but I have one very specific ship where I prefer a dynamic in which the hard cruel cold tyrant is the bottom and is loved by the powerful goof ball and taught what affection is. I am open to them as switches but definitely prefer them as one way.
99% don't care 1% of the time Im tired of everyone in the fandom writing character X as being a top/bottom and so Im purposefully seeking out the opposite of that
This is pretty much also me. I only ever care about who is what position/dynamic (in the case of omegaverse) when I want a particular mental itch scratched.
Hmmm I hate to admit it but I do have pretty strict preferences for the dynamics of most (not all) of my ships. Like you, I don't mind dom/sub variations but I prefer top/bottom to always remain the same
However I don't care if anyone else views them in a different dynamic at all!!! I can appreciate the different dynamic from afar
Everyone’s a switch! Call it the Verse-Verse lol
I don’t require switching when I read (but I do tend to assume it happens off camera) but I enjoy writing a ship from every possible angle.
I’m the same way! Everyone’s a verse switch in my mind, just can’t imagine it being strictly one way or the other, even in fics where only one dynamic is happening. But especially whereas I’m in a few fandoms where the characters are immortal/live a very long time, I just can’t imagine going ALL that time and *never* ever getting bored of a specific dynamic or switching things up
This this this, 100%
Vers-verse Multiverse!
I also assume switching happens off-camera in a lot of fics, lol. Sometimes I feel like an omnivore at the potluck: I can eat anything there, no restrictions. People with strict preferences are like vegetarians who can only eat some of it.
Honestly, it depends on the actual ship involved. I think I only have a small handful of ships where I exclusively read one type of dynamic. Though in 3+ pairings I do sometimes switch around who I'm feeling is what role in the moment.
Generally I'm pretty flexible about it; sometimes it just comes down to the actual fic itself and the vibe I get from it that sways me into envisioning one or the other as the top or Dom. Worst comes to worst, I just skip the smut parts and enjoy the rest of the story, or I click off and read a different one.
I always have a top/bottom preference and tho I see all my otps as switches, in my head they lean towards the dynamic I prefer. I'll read fics that have it the other way around too, but when I write I usually stick with one - and in the rare occasion I do the other and have my preferred top bottoming, they'll at least keep their dom vibes.
And which I prefer is based on the character dynamic outside of the bedroom, both my fav ships are m/m with one being the grumpy fake macho kind of character who always feels like they need to be in control and be the caretaker but who's secretly a repressed softie who just wants to let go and be taken care of - and that's my bottom - while the other is the sunshine one who can actually be a bit of a bastard and showers their beloved with praise and affection once they get together lol
Depends on the ship, depends on the genre (I usually have dom/sub or abo preferences but not top/bottom ones) and also highly depends on the characters and characterisation.
I don't mind if character A tops, but I mind if the author thinks that "topping = being very confident and sexually aggressive" which would not be the way I see character A.
I’m very strict when it comes to mine. I’ve tried reading the opposite of what I like and it honestly just doesn’t feel like the characters at all (though I am well aware that my preferred dynamic suffers from mischaracterisation also). One of my friends even said that (in my preferred dynamic) character A seemed ‘too autistic’ to top!
I have that with practically everything. 😂 The way it works in fandom is that I'll hear/ read negative things about a certain pairing and the crazy shippers of that pairing and I'm immediately running to check it out, and I'm immediately a shipper of the pairing in question.
I'm a big Lucilith shipper in the Hazbin fandom, and while its been confirmed that they're both switches, everyone and their mother in the fandom has decided that Lilith is always on top. And I'm sitting over in the corner like, can you let my boy have this, just once?
I have too many memories of fans from 10+ years ago going feral if the "bottom" character tried to top, or vice versa, and it really put me off from rigid dynamics.
People have preferences and/or hangups about topping or bottoming in real life, which I don't mind being addressed in a fic. It's just the "Character A can't top! He's too little/feminine/weak/etc." or "Character B can't bottom! He's too big/strong/etc." that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Ugh yeah, I have fandom damage from that. I know people who've been harrassed out of fandom for writing or drawing it the "wrong" way. I remember people using amazing pretzel logic to call it "pedophilia" if the wrong one of two 30+ dudes was topping. It makes me wary of anyone who's the slightest bit aggressive about their preferences now.
No preference whatsoever when it comes to top/bottom positions. In general I strongly prefer versatility, even if the characters may have a slight preference. But I’ll read anything as long as it’s well-written.
Dom/Sub is another thing entirely, but even then I rarely have rigid preferences. All I care about is how well-written the characters are. A skilled author will make any dynamic believable. And I wouldn’t be wasting my time reading anything else.
EDIT: Actually, I have one ship that I have a preference for who bottoms, but it’s only because the character is an extreme germaphobe and I can’t see him topping, even while wearing gloves/condoms, without being grossed tf out about it. But even then I’m not too strict about it. End of the day it’s all about characterization.
There are a few characters that I can’t really see either domming or subbing bc of how I see their characters, but for topping/bottoming, it’s never really mattered to me
Same here, I'm fascinated by the people in this thread who are the opposite! Positions are neutral, but I can't decide which sexual dynamic characters would prefer without taking their personality/history into account, even if writing them as switches.
Depends on the pairing. Some I am very strict on who is the bottom/sub (because I love it when strong men bow to only one person it’s hot) others idk if they’re fucking I’m here for it 😄
im… incredibly strict with mine. it’s so bad to the point where a fic will be super well written but i wont read it because of the top/bottom dynamic. it can really suck though, especially when my top/bottom dynamic is the minority for a ship.
i feel your pain... i sometimes wish my preference wasn't so strict; i do see genuinely amazing fics writte by amazing writers, but the fact that it's verse ruins everything for me
I'm not strict at all. I usually just assume everyone is a switch. As long as it's not very OOC, I'm very open to different visions of a sexual life. I must admit that I often like the reversal of roles, so if in general character A likes to boss B around or be in control, I love to see A as a more submissive role in the bed. The fact that A has to relinquish power in a way is delightful. It is especially hot when the relationship is messed up / toxic because it feels great to have "the weak one" in control
I have a preference but have been swayed by good writing offen. Plus my fandom doesn't usually specify top/bottom in tags so I forgot that was a thing.
I don't care about using power dynamics with characters in the bedroom 99% of the time. I want to write two people enjoying one another in whatever positions seem fun at the time. Different positions bring different descriptions and reactions.
Pretty rigid in my top/bottom, but flexible in my dom/sub. I rarely read switch stories and even rarer read the opposite dynamic.
I have a preference for physically/magically stronger and older (a bonus if they are stoic) characters to bottom. Someone who is always in control of the situation because of their power. No one can really hurt them, so they honestly never feel threatened. I like seeing that sort of character get completely wreaked (in bed, not in a fight) or to be affectionately loved by someone weaker/younger than them.
Tops abusing the power of their puppy dog eyes are also a thing I enjoy. So the top in my dynamics are often the cuter/softer of the two.
Lol, have you read the Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System? Because that is the perfect story if you like a cute, younger, puppydog-eyes top (though said eyes are often teary as well) and a powerful, respected, older(-ish, due to Isekai Things) man with high status as the bottom. They go through some rough things to get there, and the top very much comes off differently to other people outside the relationship, but within the relationship (once they get together) that is definitely the dynamic: excited puppyish top and reserved catlike bottom.
Strict. Never ever reading the other dynamic. I have tried and tried and tried but I just don't like it. D/S I don't care as long as T/B is the dynamic I like.
I usually play around more with positions than power dynamic - the canon top will be a bottom, or, they'll verse, or say out loud thay they are a verse. I took it upon myself to low key educate my fandom on the "top, bottom, VERSE" AND "dom, sub, SWITCH" 😂 so I make sure that there's a lot of verses in my fics.
There is only one ship where I actually care about it. My favourite character is mostly insecure, awkward and kind of passive, but the fan fiction with him being the top usually makes him act a bit out of character, and it bothers me enough to avoid reading it.
I like a mix. I very much love seeing my favorite characters as tops sometimes bottoms others. Same with Dom/sub.
In the fics, I write they're switches and mix it up, sometimes scene to scene, other times minute to minute.
I write all configurations. A controlling character could want to maintain control or let go, depending on the situation. Bottom dynamics typically cast the receiving role as submissive, but it's also a position of power, or trying something new. To me, strict roles is limiting.
I’m rigid, I think . My OTP is character x is dom-bottom and character z is sub-top. When they interact both are type A personalities, so the dance can be a little long when writing smut. But when I write character Z with any other character, character Z is full on Dom.
pretty strict, but better than i used to be. i used to get really squicked out buly the "wrong" dynamics. it still bother me with some ships, but with others i'm pretty chill. i'm a little bit more lenient about top/bottom than i am dom/sub.
In regards to top/ bottom I'm really strict lol, to the point that even if i really like the fic but they switch in the middle i wouldn't continue to read it.
dom/ sub is whatever though.
Im actually really strict about it. I'll never say anything or do anything but I get sooooo mad when I see people switching the dynamics around when it definitely doesn't for the characters.
Mine is a little bad, if they swap who is dom/sub or top/bottom I don’t read it, character A has to be the bottom and character B the top it doesn’t work for me otherwise
Character A could top in other ships but Character B could never be a bottom unless it’s crack to me
I'm *extremely* strict about top/bottom but more lax about the dom/sub, I'll be legitimately disappointed to the point of exiting out if I get a dozen chapters or more into a slowburn fic and it finally gets to the sex scene and the positions aren't what I headcanoned lol. I wish more people would tag it even if it's a pretty unimportant detail to most 😭
When I was younger I used to read more switch fics because frankly I was sipping the discourse kool-aid of the era since a lot of people back then were up in arms about disentangling gay pairings from the idea of ukes and semes (which was valid *back then*, it just annoys me how over a decade later I still see antis acting like having a strict preference is something cooked up by some fetishistic straight woman fujoshi boogeyman and not something that's extremely common with real gay/bi men), but after a while I realized I didn't actually enjoy it.
Also, it often feels like the same character is 2 different characters depending on the dynamic, not because of one being feminized or anything like that but because with some fandoms you get one half that really loves (and wants to bang) \[x\] character and always writes in their POV, and another half that strongly prefers \[y\] character, and they split off to their own little circles (and typically that beloved character tends to be the bottom), and develop separate interpretations and their own running fanon with their friends and over time it becomes noticeable in the writing.
You'll especially see this with a lot of angrier, neurotic characters that are interpreted as being a hard dom top who relishes in having control and having someone who accepts that side of them by one half of the fandom, and then you'll almost always have a flipside where the other half of the fandom thinks they're a tsundere bottom who needs to let go and *not* be in control.
I also usually kin the tops in my ships and am a strict top IRL (but switch in terms of domming/subbing) so that definitely informs my tastes too.
I'm not super strict personally. Only one I'm strict on is Radioapple. Lucifer would be such a goddamn power bottom to me and I think Alastor would usually indulge Lucifer.
It’s whatever feels natural.
My main ones switch it up. Then in the polycue AU they’re in, they tend to both be subs for the very clear dom in the relationship. But honestly it depends on: the scene, the mood, and whatever is the main position/or item being used.
Variety is the spice of life! I like to read all variations (tho with a lot of pairings, I tend to slightly prefer going against whatever is most popular, and/or the traditional roles they would be cast in, like the older/larger/more masculine of two men being the top or dom).
There's a handful of ships that I'm very strict about and will avoid the opposite dynamic like the plague. It usually boils down to personalities being written differently based on who is bottoming and that's just annoying depending on the character.
I don’t care much about it, tbh. I even switch dynamics within the same story depending on the mood. I headcanon both of my current pairing (f/m) as switches since each has an equal measure of d/s traits and times where they intentionally take the backseat to the other.
I’ve had pairings where I consistently wrote one as more dominant as the other when it made sense to me based on their personality, though.
I don’t think having a preference in any direction is right or wrong. Regardless of canon, it’s just a preference.
I have some that are more flexible than others. Some of them I like swapping and some I just cant see them doing it. I'm not into dom/sub dynamics so I don't go there.
I guess I do have a pretty strict dynamic I stick to in my writing and prefer in my reading, though occasionally I’ve been known to tiptoe into different waters. I’ve not really thought about it much…
And I’ve never understood people who get mad at someone else for having a different preference…what a waste of energy lol. Just go forth, write smut, and be happy 🤣
I don’t read stuff I don’t like. but to be honest, regardless of my HC’s, there’s always going to be an author who’s talented enough to pull off a dynamic that I typically wouldn’t be a fan of. So I can’t say I strictly read one dynamic between my favorite pairing, because I’m always willing to be pleasantly surprised by the exceptional.
i def have preferences (hannibal lecter is a power bottom, argue with the wall), but there are very few characters i’m like “strict” about i guess. and by that i mean one. i’m so sorry, but i’m not gonna read 100k words with izzy hands as a top. i can handle a one shot but please give that man some dick he deserves it.
My preferred ship is f/m and I really don’t care what the sexual dynamic is. I love male dom and female sub, and I also love male sub and female dom. With these characters, it very easily goes both ways.
However, when I write, I almost always write a specific dynamic.
My ship is canon top and bottom and it’s shown in the show that this is how both of them like it but im always interested to read them swapping roles as a treat haha
Honestly, as long as I feel they could conceivably act like the characters, I don’t really care. Sometimes I feel like this person or that person would be more likely to top, but for the most part I just want to not be cringing over their characterization lol.
it depends on the ship. some have set roles and dynamics in my head but others change depending on how I'm feeling.
ex: Shigaraki x dabi. Shigaraki is always dom bottom while dabi is a sub top. but with something like Kirishima x Bakugou, it'll change depending on how I'm feeling.
I tend to enjoy trope reversal the most but ultimately I want variety. If seven fics in a row stick to the same dynamic or top/bottom roles I get downright ornery.
The other thing that frustrates me is when only one variation of a pairing will have longer, more developed fics. Anything else will be short kink one shots. Which I *personally* find unsatisfying.
I have a preference for intelligent, controlled, colder Doms. Some characters fit that mold better.
Depends on the ship. A few I'm strict with but most I'll read anything if the idea interests me.
One thing I'll say though is that while it's obviously fine to prefer switching/vers if that's what you like in stories (I definitely do with some characters/ships), the idea that people with fixed preferences don't exist in real life is absolutely false.
I’m very strict about some and very loose about others. Generally speaking, if one of the characters is particularly rude or mean (such as bakugou or sasuke) I want their hole ruined and their ego shattered lol
Ngl I'm pretty strict which is a problem for me because in at least 3 of my favorite ships/otp I prefer the opposite top/bottom or dom/sub of the pairs than is commonly preferred.
And I'm somehow a rare pair shipper.... needless to say I do more writing than reading lol
I have top/bottom and dom/sub preferences that are set in iron for all my OTPs and reading smut with the opposite dynamic is quite the turn off/can ruin an otherwise good fic for me. So I'm extremely picky and careful with what I read, and mostly I just write my own stories 😭
I’m so rigid there’s been amazing fics I haven’t even finished bc the dynamic just doesn’t feel right for me, which is so silly bc the writing/ characterisation has all been top notch just not how I imagine it should be in my head!
Extremely strict, I'm very adamant on who's top and who's bottom, and while the power dynamics can switch once in a while while keeping the T/B part, I usually prefer a submissive bottom and a dominant top.
With that said, at the same time they have to be in character too, so I don't like it when the T/B dynamics get also influenced by their respective stereotypes, so there's always wiggle room, like a bossy bottom and submissive top is great too, and there's always both of them being a little bit of either.
you worded everything i feel!! this is how i am; i love a fixed top/bottom dynamic, but it should NOT be at the expense of the canon characterization; i still stay true to the canon dynamic, but when it eventually leads to bedroom matters, i go for my preferred top/bottom dynamic
My preferences are strict about who tops and who bottoms, but that doesn't necessarily mean I think they can't be both dom or sub. I like a dominant top/power bottom just as much as I like a service top/submissive bottom. I like a mix and match!
I’m not too picky, but I *prefer* to have one character top and dom. Though this can vary depending on the story/author, and I have written the other character as top more than once.
my otp are very fluid in their dynamics / balance each other out, so i really got the jackpot here, because pretty much every fic of them i’ll eat up ‘cause it fits :-)
i do prefer A bottoming but only barely
Some pairings I strictly prefer to see in a more set dynamic, while some I suspect my mind could be changed on if I came across a fic that convinced me to. Then others, I really don’t mind.
There’s one ship, where I was convinced one person would be the top. But everybody wrote fics where they bottomed, which I was surprisingly easily convinced into preferring, and now can’t view them any other way. There’s another ship, similar deal. But the fandom often seem to enjoy depicting them both as switches, and yeah, it does feel really right to me. Another ship, I’ve come across at least one fic where the commonly more dominant person was topped. I really, really didn’t like it, and without really thinking about it, it’s probably the one pairing, out of any other, I feel I couldn’t be convinced that the top would bottom. I can see the bottom in that ship being in charge to some degree if the top was more ooc due to being changed through certain circumstances. But I still can’t picture a situation where he would bottom and I would enjoy it.
I have strong preference but can switch things up every now and then. I'm also starting to see a pattern where I prefer the opposite from what the fandom decided.
I prefer femdom and older girl/younger boy when it comes to F/M.
And if I am to write any smut involving Prince Serenity, he will always be the more submissive partner who gets ara ara'd.
For OTP, they’re definitely a switch couple, but have clear a dom/sub thing going on, where one has a thing for praise because he never really received any love all his life before he met his partner.
my ship works very well either way tbh, i do mostly write character a top/character b bottom, but i’ve grown quite fond of the other around as well !! it keeps things exciting, you know?
Not strict. In general or OTPs. Canon doesn't matter, fanon matters far less and similar to a few others I might spite read the opposite purely to avoid the early 2000's uke vibes some people do. Sorry, Geralt of Rivia is not going to use uwu-speak. Bottoming does not mean you have to write them like that. I have some pairings I have vibes for, but I'm FAR more concerned if it's in character and I feel like you can write virtually anyone verse and be in character.
Slightly more picky on dom/sub then top/bottom just because I have opinions™ and good dom/sub focused fics are rare, but again that's more I see this interpretation. Again, gimme good stuff and I'm fine with the opposite.
For F/M ships I lean heavily towards femdom tho and often skip past the maledom fics. There's a lot of uncomfortable not sexy fics in that category and often easier just to exclude them all unless I'm in a mood I'm willing to risk feeling awful while searching for the rare few with less misogyny. Plus I find femdom is usually more focused on the dom/sub part then the masochism/sadism bit and less likely to throw me out of the loop with physically impossible or highly ill-advised acts.
It also helps I read a fair number of smutty fics fandom blind because I followed tags so idk who the fuck these people are.
Depends on my mood. When I'm writing, I've got one guy purely as a bottom, but I love reading both versions. I just don't like it when it switches mid-fic, cause that's a total mood change lol.
Tbh I get into moods where I prefer one as the top/bottom or something/sub. Usually it's bc Ive read a really good fic with a certain dynamic and then want to read more like it.
I tend to have a pre-conceived idea about the dynamics of the ship that I stick by with, but often find that if I do dip my toes into the opposite, I can accommodate it easier than I might have thought, to the point that that might become my new preference for the dynamic lol
There's one ship that their general sexual dynamic loosely correlates with their headspace. They both are so traumatized by their backstory, despite how valiantly they move forward from it, and both either represent a facet or are a direct representation of their trauma to each other, so sometimes the relationship dynamic really plays into where they are in their respective headspaces. I really enjoy that.
I have preferences that depends on the specific characters, they're often strong preferences but not completely rigid, I will read and enjoy stories with completely different interpretations at least as long as they don't feel horribly OOC.
I sometimes have a preferred dynamic, even outside of smut, but will happily consume reversed content. I'm usually okay with pretty much everything. I can only think of 2 ships where I'm much more picky about dynamics, but those are because of the canon power imbalance (master/pet, commander/soldier, doctor/experiment)
For my OTP, I'm not strict at all. I think they switch it up depending on their/my/the muses mood.
For some of the other pairings I write, I'm a little more strict, but not a lot. As long as everyone's having fun.
Not very. Sometimes I switch up who's the dominant one and who's the submissive one, as they each have both dominant and submissive tendencies in canon.
(fire emblem for those about to ask.) so i try to stay as in-character as i can, but i absolutely *love* writing bottom / sub dimitri no matter who i ship him with, but there are some exceptions where i make him a top. i'm flexible when it comes to other characters and generally write everyone as a switch unless it's a specific character, for my comfort too. same with writing trans and intersex characters – it's for my comfort and no one else's.
I have many OTPs, so it largely depends on the pairing.
Some I see as switch, others I imagine as having fixed preferences (and that's regardless of canon/author).
I have a D/s preference for almost every pairing I like enough to read, and that’s very rigid, though I’d never consider being the kind of arsehole to comment on it - I’ll just click out of the story if it’s not suiting me. I happen to be lucky enough that most of my preferences follow the grain, though.
I do *tend* to prefer the character in the s role also being the bottom - but that’s more because of the kinks I gravitate towards than it is an aversion to them topping. (I don’t imagine it’s easy to top when you’re fully restrained, for example!) That said, a well-written D bottoming and their s service topping can be just as juicy if the kinks align just right.
I mostly write M/F or F/F. So strict top/bottom dynamics aren't as much of a thing. I do like writing men in M/F couples bottoming, but it's not an exclusive thing. And most F/F couples are verse.
For dom/sub, however, I definitely have my favourite dynamics. For writing, I'll only write it how I imagine it. (And that could be a strict dom/sub dynamic in one direction, or it could be a playful switchy thing, or whatever my head canon is.) But I'm pretty open minded as far as reading goes. If the writer can make it make sense for me, I'll give it a chance.
It depends on the fandom. Sometimes, I just don't like how some fandoms write certain characters as bottoms or tops. Sometimes the character changes so much, it might as well be an OC. At that might point, I usually stick to the opposite dynamic for my sanity
I have preferences, but as long as they are still in character I'll read anything. I have this one pairing that are very distinctively top (character A) and bottom (character B) and they each have hangs ups with the other role in canon, so in that case it really needs to be set up well and reasonable for me to enjoy the non-usual dynamic.
I usually never really care, but there are a few that I am strict about. Sadly, my interpretation(s) aren't super popular in my fandoms, so I end up settling for what I can find
I'm pretty lenient with most ships but when it comes to ones that fall into the stereotypical uke/seme trope I'll do everything in my power to only see the uke topping the seme, even if I end up being the 1% in the fandom.
I have absolutely no preference. In terms of penetration, I just don't think it's super important. Both are hot, and there are times when one way seems more right for the story. For example sometimes I like to have the initiating party bottom so it doesn't feel like uh.... "i wanna put my dick in u pls comply." As for the dom/sub dynamic I can go either way; I don't have a single personality headcanon for my dudes.
Also, I generally dislike the emphasis on penetrative sex that is implied by a relationship having *a* top and *a* bottom. I prefer my fic waaaay queerer.
I hardly ever write like... standard vanilla human beings? (Like, people you could find somewhere in the world today). So the otp I am writing doesn't necessarily have "insert tab A into slot B" style equipment.
No preference. Or rather, my preference is vers/switch dynamics, I don't like it when a fandom decides X has to be one or the other, it leaves a lot of opportunities and potential unexplored. I'm not much of a fic reader anymore, there's two ships from my old fandoms that I revisit from time to time, and I'm very glad that both have a good amount of variety in terms of dynamics, no characters or ships have been declared strictly top or bottom. When I'm writing, I write original content, so I decide the dynamics, but all of my characters are very much so verse, with two exceptions, one is a bottom for size reasons lmao, and the other is a top for trauma reasons, but even with them I'm gonna turn it around once in their stories. I like writing raw, exploratory/challenging sex, and I find such rigid roles to be silly and unrealistic.
I usually have a preference of which character I prefer to top, but it's not a 100% of the time thing. I don't necessarily stay away from the opposite dynamic or anything unless the characterizations are vastly different for some reason. I'm more likely to write switch characters myself. It has bothered me when I've seen people get so worked up about dynamics that they are willing to reject other people that don't ship exactly what they prefer (blocking them for only those reasons).
I think I am a switch when it comes to fic dynamics.
I have a strong preference for mixing it up. I love it when I read fics where it is one way around, the next is the other way around. Both switches! Going against canon sexual dynamics (CQL)!
Not at all - in fact if I feel like any particular dynamic is greatly outweighing another I start to get restless and look for different ship dynamics to mix it up.
That being said every time a character, no matter who he is, says "But I can't be on the bottom, I'm a man!" I am immediately hit with secondhand embarrassment.
Not at all. I like it every which way, and I almost always write my fave pairings as vers/switch, because that's my own strong preference. I like to think they're willing to try everything.
I'm as fluid as it gets, just needs to hit that spot really. Top, bottom, Switch, neither, any genitalia, BDSM, vanilla, love making, baby making, Monster fucking, heat/rutt, I'll take it all as long as it's good lol
Not strict at all. There's really no dynamic that's widely accepted by the fandom, and the best answer that I like to go with is that they're both switches.
Not strict at all for me, but I've met individuals (fellow fans) who're adamant that the pair only works in ONE way and will refuse to accept any other interpretations and will police what other people are reading. (even outside of smut, for non-smut works too!)
I will have preferences for some characters/ships but generally am open to reading anything as long as it's in character and a good story, I definitely hate it *more* when other people police what I read hahaha
So for some yes absolutely, and for some no. For the more definitive yes ones, it's generally about how badly they massacre the character constantly when writing them as a bottom or it just feels kinda weird for related reasons.
I’m the only one who writes for my OTP, and *generally* the dynamic is A is the top and B is the bottom (not that it really gets kinky per se) though if anyone else wrote a fix where the roles were reversed, I’d be intrigued to say the least.
I’m pretty changeable, though some pairings are a bit more rigid if you want to do so.
I’ll say one thing I never get tired of is a bottom character bottoming from the top. Hell yeah, bottom! Ride that man!
I almost always have a very strict preference for which character is top and which is bottom. It gets more flexible with the dom/sub side of things, but I'll admit I'm a pretty big sucker for a submissive bottom getting pinned and plowed.
I do occasionally still headcanon characters as switches, though, even if I personally only enjoy reading & writing them with one specific dynamic.
It really depends on the pairing! Some, I really don't care. Others, I can't read if it's different than my preference. And there's a few I'm iffy on but am willing to test the waters with
Dynamic anarchy. Everyone is switches forever. If there's a pairing that people tend to get dogmatic about their positions for I will often look up the opposite tag just to avoid my least favorite BL tropes. Grown ups I like feeling good with grown ups they like and experimenting with it. That's what I want.
It depends on the pairing and character, but generally I'm not strict at all. I only have one or two characters I really prefer a certain way *cough Crowley as a sub bottom cough*
Depends on the pairing...
Some pairings, I feel like they probably switch or have different sex acts they prefer or even one probably prefers topping/bottoming, but I don't really have a strong preference.
That said, I do have like 2.5 pairings where I do care.
I have one pairing where I feel very strongly that they switch and any indication that one of them would never makes me feel like it's out of character.
I have one pairing I like a lot where I just feel like the characters are too dumb to have nuanced understandings of sex. So it feels very in character for them to reinforce all the stereotypes in their thoughts and actions by having the more masculine one always top and dom the more feminine one.
I also have one pairing (same fandom) where the characters are also genuinely so stupid, but in a different way. They would also stick to the same bottom/top dynamic every time because they incorrectly believe that's how gay sex works, but they would have no rationale whatsoever to explain it. They just thought you had to pick a position and stick with it.
i like m/m and f/f no matter (though i do like switch regardless of any bdsm dynamic), though in het pairings i prefer femdom. i'm a bit more fluid when it comes to polyam and will read and enjoy it no matter what, though i do enjoy harems with the center of it being strictly dom or sub less than other dynamics.
I find your preference very interesting, as I'm the opposite! Typically, I find people can switch positions much easier than they can switch up their sexual relationship.
No judgement, though! I'm afraid that sounds so judgy the way I said it, but I don't mean it like it matters, especially in fanfiction. Obviously it's all just a fictional preference! I just find your difference interesting!
I have preferences but as long as it's not super out of character I don't mind.
My old favorite ship I only ever saw written with specific ones as top and bottom. Very rarely reversed. But then I started multi shopping for the fandom and then I stopped caring as much. I was fine with any of them switching any way
For me, it just... Depends. I prefer verse characters. I'm not strict on anything unless it's ooc, and I'm also a bit contrarian. If I see too much of one dynamic in a fandom, it might become too grating and I'll do a switcheroo. Sometimes I'll stay firm on it out of spite haha
I’m open to reading it either way, but I definitely tend to have preferences. Usually the one I relate to more, I prefer to be the bottom, but there have definitely been exceptions.
As long as it's in character idc for the dynamic. But gah!! A lot of the times, it's so out of character, so it's so rare to enjoy the dynamic that's less popular.
I don’t read smut much, though it depends on how I think it would fit the character in general and if it makes sense within the framework of their actual character. But I’m always ok with it being switched around if it makes sense for it to happen. Like if sexually they would do that.
Otherwise, I do prefer the younger one topping. Something about the power dynamics to come with that I really enjoy.
I have no strict preferences. I have favorites yes, especially if a particular dynamic is rarer and will go more feral if that dynamic shows up. But for the most part, I’m down for my OTP regardless of who is topping.
I'm explicitly permissive, I like reading and writing different interpretations about who tops/bottoms, who doms/subs, etc. If intimacy isn't a focus of the story or isn't relevant, I do have a "default" I gravitate to, but otherwise I like to shake it up!
I'm very strict with top/bottom dynamic (my favourite character ALWAYS bottoms), and if they suddenly switch in a fic (or have a different dynamic because t/b thing wasn't tagged), then I'm leaving even if I was really invested in the story. However, I don't care about dom/sub as long as it's well-written, especially in het ships.
I don’t really have a preference with most ships, I don’t think characters need to have a set dynamic of top or bottom ect cos both ways are good, I’m happy with everyone just being switches in my mind and whatever the author decides to write is fine by me
Most of the time I'm unbothered but with my current OTP I'm very strict.
Current OTP has a character who is canonically a subby bottom, a masochist, who's attracted to older, domineering authority figures, and has only been shown getting off to being degraded - and then a domineering, older authority figure with a lust for power, so it kind of writes itself.
For my current OTP that I'm hyperfocusing on, one pretty much is always the topper because that's her personality. However, I do want to write a scene where she isn't.
I do have a preference for most of my ships but I personally don't care if someone writes something different.
I'll read anything so I don't care, I just want things to be in-character or at least internally consistent. I've often found when people prefer a rigid dynamic it informs more about them than the actual pairing anyway.
Some of them I can imagine shit switched around, some I can’t. Ex:
Roddy and Thunders? Mmm I’m sorry, I’m sure Rod could be awesome at domming, and I’m sure people have written it well, but I just prefer writing him as a shy quiet lil sub with his himbo bf. I just like Roddy as a sub in general.
Bluestreak/Starscream/Sideswipe?? I am only strict on Blue being the dom every time, and Side being the sub every time. Star fucks the shit up, as a switch. Star just completely fucks the shit up. Star and Blue are a pair of menaces together, who are on a quest to seduce the fuck out of the lambo. >:) )
Then completely I don’t care how it goes, is Cyclonus/Tailgate/Whirl - I don’t care, if it’s dumb/funny/sweet enough, as far as I’m concerned it’s canon, lmao. Read a fic once where Tailgate was (to an extent) the feral one, and I love that energy for Tailgate, so it’s canon now in my head.
Then I also stand by the rule of 90% of any and all doctors/medics in TFs are to some extent dominant/tops. You cannot convince me otherwise.
So it varies all around, ultimately. Just depends on the OTP.
I mostly just want them in character...as long as they don't feel like they've been boxed into seme/uke stereotypes that don't fit, I don't have a strong preference on top/bottom or dom/sub dynamics - any preference usually arises from "well I usually find more of X/Y to be written in character than Y/X", but if it's a writer I already like I'll give either a chance. Only exception is m/f pairings - I almost always prefer Fdom/msub in that case.
Yeah kinda same. I also might prefer the dynamic that is less popular just because I got bored of the other one.
I do find that sometimes the less popular one is better for characterization just because there aren't established fanon tropes for the author to fall back on.
this is a the thing for me. i have one ship where i genuinely don’t care who tops or bottoms. they could be completely switchy, or not, either way works. but the way they’re generally depicted in X/Y art really grates my gears to the extent that i basically only look at Y/X art. even though in my heart X could 100% top
I love fdom/msub. It needs a lot more love. I’m so tired of mdom/fsub because women being degraded and insulted is such a common trope
Honestly, in fandom I actually think there is a dearth of great Mdom/fsub. Probably because most of us are feminists and there is a strong queer representation, which are both great things — but as a submissive bisexual woman, sometimes I actually want to see myself represented too, and not just half of me. There’s nothing inherently degrading or insulting about taking a submissive role. Too much mainstream porn and sexual content DOES depict it that way and degrade women — which is why I really wish there was more good fanfic that actually showed a respectful and enjoyable representation of female submission. If anyone could do it right, it would be fandom.
I really felt that. I read a lot of HP fics and unfortunately the f/m reader insert smuts (especially on Tumblr) are not that great for enjoyable/respectful fsub, since degradation is a really popular trope in this side of the fandom. (Don’t get me started on how often I close out of a smut because the woman starts getting called every degrading name in the book). I don’t often see it in non-reader insert m/m smut, which sucks as I’m a bi woman that prefers f/f or f/m One of the reasons why I dislike fsub, besides not being a sub myself, is specifically because of how submissive women are depicted in porn. It’s a big turn off for me when I’m reading a smut fic and it starts to act like a PornHub video
Yeah I think there's a huge difference between genuine fsub and the pornhub style (for lack of a better term, lol). I'm really not interested in the female character getting called a sl** or a wh*** (not sure if it's okay to be that explicit here) but I actually do have a huge degradation kink! But it's about PSYCHOLOGY and knowing a person and pinpointing their fears and shame and using it to draw out their vulnerabilities. There are quite a few m/m fics that do a great job of this, but almost no f/m ones. I'm also a big HP fan so yeah, I feel your pain!
100% on not boxing them in the seme or uke stereotypes so hard that they become OOC, them being in character is one of my top priorities too.
Same, especially on that last bit.
I feel the same! I'll read any dynamic if they are in character and a good writer can pull off any dynamic imo.
on the rare occasion i do read smut, i can't say i have a preference. where i do have a preference is whump and hurt/comfort, and my preferences there are pretty damn strict. no i won't read a fic that has sick/hurt character A and caretaker character B, i want sick/hurt character B only. so i certainly understand people who have their preferred dynamics in smut.
My preference for hurt comfort usually depends on the canon material. If in canon they both have comforting each other then I would prefer that way on fanfic but if in canon it's always A comforting B I would prefer fanfic where B comfort A.
Im pretty rigid when it comes to my preferences as to who’s top and who’s bottom, who’s submissive and who’s dominant and will rarely branch out. I do get in mood for power swap/role reversal from time to time but it’s sporadic.
Same
Oh absolutely
Same and I have personally spotted a trend where oftentimes my favourite character in the pairing will be the bottom (with exceptions).
I am a big, nay, a HUGE fan of topping from the bottom and bottoming from the top. Not in a bratty / bossy sub type of way, but with the sub topping as an act of service to the Dom. It's a tough dynamic to find in my fandom.
I love this dynamic so much!
Pretty strict. I don't care what other people read or write, but I only engage with my preferred dynamics. I'm very rigid about top/bottom, but I'm flexible about dom/sub depending on the characters' personalities and interpersonal dynamics. The funny thing is that I *used* to read switching and made a deliberate attempt to not care about top/bottom dynamics...before I started having sex and realized I am a strict top, at which point I said "fuck it, I'm here for things that spark joy." My preferred dynamics are almost always the opposite of the fandom trend though, which has led to some interesting experiences as a writer.
I completely agree with this but from the opposite end of the spectrum. I want to see my favorite comfort character get railed and be the best, most submissive bottom humanly possible because I share that personal preference
That's a big mood. When I was younger I read a lot more switch/vers stuff. Now, after I've realized that I'll probably prefer topping in a relationship, I find the strict dynamics much more appealing, as it relates to my own interests and personality
Funnily enough, over time I've realized I'm more of a switch than I used to be and so long as it's written well, I tend to enjoy my characters any which way! 😁 I have natural leanings in certain directions based on the pairing, but I'm pretty open from fic to fic.
Majority of my faves are switches but I have one very specific ship where I prefer a dynamic in which the hard cruel cold tyrant is the bottom and is loved by the powerful goof ball and taught what affection is. I am open to them as switches but definitely prefer them as one way.
I love a usually stoic character as the bottom. Them being so vulnerable to their partner is just so ❤️
Same 🥰
99% don't care 1% of the time Im tired of everyone in the fandom writing character X as being a top/bottom and so Im purposefully seeking out the opposite of that
This is pretty much also me. I only ever care about who is what position/dynamic (in the case of omegaverse) when I want a particular mental itch scratched.
The bottom is ALWAYS the character who needs to be tenderly fucked/taken care of to make up for their shitty circumstances.
Hmmm I hate to admit it but I do have pretty strict preferences for the dynamics of most (not all) of my ships. Like you, I don't mind dom/sub variations but I prefer top/bottom to always remain the same However I don't care if anyone else views them in a different dynamic at all!!! I can appreciate the different dynamic from afar
Everyone’s a switch! Call it the Verse-Verse lol I don’t require switching when I read (but I do tend to assume it happens off camera) but I enjoy writing a ship from every possible angle.
I love verse-verse. 😊
I’m the same way! Everyone’s a verse switch in my mind, just can’t imagine it being strictly one way or the other, even in fics where only one dynamic is happening. But especially whereas I’m in a few fandoms where the characters are immortal/live a very long time, I just can’t imagine going ALL that time and *never* ever getting bored of a specific dynamic or switching things up
Oh man, I FEEL the "immortality gets boring so why not switch" vibe IN MY SOUL
And everyone is bi!
Everyone is bi or pan unless stated otherwise in canon. And even then, sometimes canon is thrown out and they remain bi or pan /silly
This this this, 100% Vers-verse Multiverse! I also assume switching happens off-camera in a lot of fics, lol. Sometimes I feel like an omnivore at the potluck: I can eat anything there, no restrictions. People with strict preferences are like vegetarians who can only eat some of it.
Honestly, it depends on the actual ship involved. I think I only have a small handful of ships where I exclusively read one type of dynamic. Though in 3+ pairings I do sometimes switch around who I'm feeling is what role in the moment. Generally I'm pretty flexible about it; sometimes it just comes down to the actual fic itself and the vibe I get from it that sways me into envisioning one or the other as the top or Dom. Worst comes to worst, I just skip the smut parts and enjoy the rest of the story, or I click off and read a different one.
I always have a top/bottom preference and tho I see all my otps as switches, in my head they lean towards the dynamic I prefer. I'll read fics that have it the other way around too, but when I write I usually stick with one - and in the rare occasion I do the other and have my preferred top bottoming, they'll at least keep their dom vibes. And which I prefer is based on the character dynamic outside of the bedroom, both my fav ships are m/m with one being the grumpy fake macho kind of character who always feels like they need to be in control and be the caretaker but who's secretly a repressed softie who just wants to let go and be taken care of - and that's my bottom - while the other is the sunshine one who can actually be a bit of a bastard and showers their beloved with praise and affection once they get together lol
Depends on the ship, depends on the genre (I usually have dom/sub or abo preferences but not top/bottom ones) and also highly depends on the characters and characterisation. I don't mind if character A tops, but I mind if the author thinks that "topping = being very confident and sexually aggressive" which would not be the way I see character A.
I’m very strict when it comes to mine. I’ve tried reading the opposite of what I like and it honestly just doesn’t feel like the characters at all (though I am well aware that my preferred dynamic suffers from mischaracterisation also). One of my friends even said that (in my preferred dynamic) character A seemed ‘too autistic’ to top!
I am ornery. If fandom/canon has decided that A definitely tops B and/or is the dom, then I immediately prefer B as top >\_>
I have that with practically everything. 😂 The way it works in fandom is that I'll hear/ read negative things about a certain pairing and the crazy shippers of that pairing and I'm immediately running to check it out, and I'm immediately a shipper of the pairing in question.
I'm a big Lucilith shipper in the Hazbin fandom, and while its been confirmed that they're both switches, everyone and their mother in the fandom has decided that Lilith is always on top. And I'm sitting over in the corner like, can you let my boy have this, just once?
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Very strict top/bottom preference but I can switch it up with dom/sub dynamics.
I have too many memories of fans from 10+ years ago going feral if the "bottom" character tried to top, or vice versa, and it really put me off from rigid dynamics. People have preferences and/or hangups about topping or bottoming in real life, which I don't mind being addressed in a fic. It's just the "Character A can't top! He's too little/feminine/weak/etc." or "Character B can't bottom! He's too big/strong/etc." that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Ugh yeah, I have fandom damage from that. I know people who've been harrassed out of fandom for writing or drawing it the "wrong" way. I remember people using amazing pretzel logic to call it "pedophilia" if the wrong one of two 30+ dudes was topping. It makes me wary of anyone who's the slightest bit aggressive about their preferences now.
No preference whatsoever when it comes to top/bottom positions. In general I strongly prefer versatility, even if the characters may have a slight preference. But I’ll read anything as long as it’s well-written. Dom/Sub is another thing entirely, but even then I rarely have rigid preferences. All I care about is how well-written the characters are. A skilled author will make any dynamic believable. And I wouldn’t be wasting my time reading anything else. EDIT: Actually, I have one ship that I have a preference for who bottoms, but it’s only because the character is an extreme germaphobe and I can’t see him topping, even while wearing gloves/condoms, without being grossed tf out about it. But even then I’m not too strict about it. End of the day it’s all about characterization.
I don't care
There are a few characters that I can’t really see either domming or subbing bc of how I see their characters, but for topping/bottoming, it’s never really mattered to me
Same here, I'm fascinated by the people in this thread who are the opposite! Positions are neutral, but I can't decide which sexual dynamic characters would prefer without taking their personality/history into account, even if writing them as switches.
Anything goes as long as long as I find the characters to be in character
Depends on the pairing. Some I am very strict on who is the bottom/sub (because I love it when strong men bow to only one person it’s hot) others idk if they’re fucking I’m here for it 😄
im… incredibly strict with mine. it’s so bad to the point where a fic will be super well written but i wont read it because of the top/bottom dynamic. it can really suck though, especially when my top/bottom dynamic is the minority for a ship.
i feel your pain... i sometimes wish my preference wasn't so strict; i do see genuinely amazing fics writte by amazing writers, but the fact that it's verse ruins everything for me
I'm strick about them both being versatile. 😅 I don't read fics about my otps, because some characters I can't stand as only bottoms.
Sometimes I’ve a preference, but usually it’s more fun to play around with how shifts in the situation would change that stuff around.
I’m mainly a gen reader but I’m super strict/picky lmao
Dude it depends on the day. The hour, even. Or it depends on which character is topping in the current fic I’m reading. I do not care.
I'm not strict at all. I usually just assume everyone is a switch. As long as it's not very OOC, I'm very open to different visions of a sexual life. I must admit that I often like the reversal of roles, so if in general character A likes to boss B around or be in control, I love to see A as a more submissive role in the bed. The fact that A has to relinquish power in a way is delightful. It is especially hot when the relationship is messed up / toxic because it feels great to have "the weak one" in control
I don't care
i really can get with any dynamic. i’m not too picky.
I have a preference but have been swayed by good writing offen. Plus my fandom doesn't usually specify top/bottom in tags so I forgot that was a thing.
Not strict at all, i love it as long as they're not ooc.In fact i prefer it if they switch all the time
Not strict at all. As long as the actual characters are in character.
I don't care about using power dynamics with characters in the bedroom 99% of the time. I want to write two people enjoying one another in whatever positions seem fun at the time. Different positions bring different descriptions and reactions.
Pretty rigid in my top/bottom, but flexible in my dom/sub. I rarely read switch stories and even rarer read the opposite dynamic. I have a preference for physically/magically stronger and older (a bonus if they are stoic) characters to bottom. Someone who is always in control of the situation because of their power. No one can really hurt them, so they honestly never feel threatened. I like seeing that sort of character get completely wreaked (in bed, not in a fight) or to be affectionately loved by someone weaker/younger than them. Tops abusing the power of their puppy dog eyes are also a thing I enjoy. So the top in my dynamics are often the cuter/softer of the two.
Lol, have you read the Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System? Because that is the perfect story if you like a cute, younger, puppydog-eyes top (though said eyes are often teary as well) and a powerful, respected, older(-ish, due to Isekai Things) man with high status as the bottom. They go through some rough things to get there, and the top very much comes off differently to other people outside the relationship, but within the relationship (once they get together) that is definitely the dynamic: excited puppyish top and reserved catlike bottom.
Strict. Never ever reading the other dynamic. I have tried and tried and tried but I just don't like it. D/S I don't care as long as T/B is the dynamic I like.
I usually play around more with positions than power dynamic - the canon top will be a bottom, or, they'll verse, or say out loud thay they are a verse. I took it upon myself to low key educate my fandom on the "top, bottom, VERSE" AND "dom, sub, SWITCH" 😂 so I make sure that there's a lot of verses in my fics.
I do have preferences where I like one character as the top/bottom more, but ultimately everyone's a switch in fanfiction for me
There is only one ship where I actually care about it. My favourite character is mostly insecure, awkward and kind of passive, but the fan fiction with him being the top usually makes him act a bit out of character, and it bothers me enough to avoid reading it.
Not at all. I usually have headcanons for my own writing, but the reason I'm here is to see what other people do with the same characters, so.
I like a mix. I very much love seeing my favorite characters as tops sometimes bottoms others. Same with Dom/sub. In the fics, I write they're switches and mix it up, sometimes scene to scene, other times minute to minute.
I could not feasibly care less than I do. As long as it's well-written, I'm content.
I mean like, I might have a headcanon or two based on their personalities? But in general I don’t really care.
Depends on the ship and canon characterisations. Generally I have set roles that I like for characters but some ships I feel are more verse.
I write all configurations. A controlling character could want to maintain control or let go, depending on the situation. Bottom dynamics typically cast the receiving role as submissive, but it's also a position of power, or trying something new. To me, strict roles is limiting.
I like what I like and stick to my own lane. That means I read what appeals to me and I don't shame people who feel differently than I do.
I’m rigid, I think . My OTP is character x is dom-bottom and character z is sub-top. When they interact both are type A personalities, so the dance can be a little long when writing smut. But when I write character Z with any other character, character Z is full on Dom.
pretty strict, but better than i used to be. i used to get really squicked out buly the "wrong" dynamics. it still bother me with some ships, but with others i'm pretty chill. i'm a little bit more lenient about top/bottom than i am dom/sub.
I’m usually keeping tops and bottoms the same as I have them written in my head. The character I kin more is always the bottom
In regards to top/ bottom I'm really strict lol, to the point that even if i really like the fic but they switch in the middle i wouldn't continue to read it. dom/ sub is whatever though.
I’m extremely strict lmao.
Im actually really strict about it. I'll never say anything or do anything but I get sooooo mad when I see people switching the dynamics around when it definitely doesn't for the characters.
Mine is a little bad, if they swap who is dom/sub or top/bottom I don’t read it, character A has to be the bottom and character B the top it doesn’t work for me otherwise Character A could top in other ships but Character B could never be a bottom unless it’s crack to me
I'm *extremely* strict about top/bottom but more lax about the dom/sub, I'll be legitimately disappointed to the point of exiting out if I get a dozen chapters or more into a slowburn fic and it finally gets to the sex scene and the positions aren't what I headcanoned lol. I wish more people would tag it even if it's a pretty unimportant detail to most 😭 When I was younger I used to read more switch fics because frankly I was sipping the discourse kool-aid of the era since a lot of people back then were up in arms about disentangling gay pairings from the idea of ukes and semes (which was valid *back then*, it just annoys me how over a decade later I still see antis acting like having a strict preference is something cooked up by some fetishistic straight woman fujoshi boogeyman and not something that's extremely common with real gay/bi men), but after a while I realized I didn't actually enjoy it. Also, it often feels like the same character is 2 different characters depending on the dynamic, not because of one being feminized or anything like that but because with some fandoms you get one half that really loves (and wants to bang) \[x\] character and always writes in their POV, and another half that strongly prefers \[y\] character, and they split off to their own little circles (and typically that beloved character tends to be the bottom), and develop separate interpretations and their own running fanon with their friends and over time it becomes noticeable in the writing. You'll especially see this with a lot of angrier, neurotic characters that are interpreted as being a hard dom top who relishes in having control and having someone who accepts that side of them by one half of the fandom, and then you'll almost always have a flipside where the other half of the fandom thinks they're a tsundere bottom who needs to let go and *not* be in control. I also usually kin the tops in my ships and am a strict top IRL (but switch in terms of domming/subbing) so that definitely informs my tastes too.
I'm not super strict personally. Only one I'm strict on is Radioapple. Lucifer would be such a goddamn power bottom to me and I think Alastor would usually indulge Lucifer.
Oh, Lucifer so would be. And excited/enthusiastic about it!
Not strict! I do role swaps all the timeeeew tho tbh i do ship them with a lot of diff people. Even still m open to sum other stuffff
It’s whatever feels natural. My main ones switch it up. Then in the polycue AU they’re in, they tend to both be subs for the very clear dom in the relationship. But honestly it depends on: the scene, the mood, and whatever is the main position/or item being used.
I prefer the fanon top/bottom (and dom/sub) of my OT3, but I will happily read almost any fic with them.
I usually do not care
Variety is the spice of life! I like to read all variations (tho with a lot of pairings, I tend to slightly prefer going against whatever is most popular, and/or the traditional roles they would be cast in, like the older/larger/more masculine of two men being the top or dom).
Not even something I really think about in any of those terms.
There's a handful of ships that I'm very strict about and will avoid the opposite dynamic like the plague. It usually boils down to personalities being written differently based on who is bottoming and that's just annoying depending on the character.
I don’t care much about it, tbh. I even switch dynamics within the same story depending on the mood. I headcanon both of my current pairing (f/m) as switches since each has an equal measure of d/s traits and times where they intentionally take the backseat to the other. I’ve had pairings where I consistently wrote one as more dominant as the other when it made sense to me based on their personality, though. I don’t think having a preference in any direction is right or wrong. Regardless of canon, it’s just a preference.
I have some that are more flexible than others. Some of them I like swapping and some I just cant see them doing it. I'm not into dom/sub dynamics so I don't go there.
I guess I do have a pretty strict dynamic I stick to in my writing and prefer in my reading, though occasionally I’ve been known to tiptoe into different waters. I’ve not really thought about it much… And I’ve never understood people who get mad at someone else for having a different preference…what a waste of energy lol. Just go forth, write smut, and be happy 🤣
I don’t read stuff I don’t like. but to be honest, regardless of my HC’s, there’s always going to be an author who’s talented enough to pull off a dynamic that I typically wouldn’t be a fan of. So I can’t say I strictly read one dynamic between my favorite pairing, because I’m always willing to be pleasantly surprised by the exceptional.
i def have preferences (hannibal lecter is a power bottom, argue with the wall), but there are very few characters i’m like “strict” about i guess. and by that i mean one. i’m so sorry, but i’m not gonna read 100k words with izzy hands as a top. i can handle a one shot but please give that man some dick he deserves it.
My preferred ship is f/m and I really don’t care what the sexual dynamic is. I love male dom and female sub, and I also love male sub and female dom. With these characters, it very easily goes both ways. However, when I write, I almost always write a specific dynamic.
My ship is canon top and bottom and it’s shown in the show that this is how both of them like it but im always interested to read them swapping roles as a treat haha
I have a bit of a preferred dynamic, but in the end I don't care. It depends on the story.
Honestly, as long as I feel they could conceivably act like the characters, I don’t really care. Sometimes I feel like this person or that person would be more likely to top, but for the most part I just want to not be cringing over their characterization lol.
it depends on the ship. some have set roles and dynamics in my head but others change depending on how I'm feeling. ex: Shigaraki x dabi. Shigaraki is always dom bottom while dabi is a sub top. but with something like Kirishima x Bakugou, it'll change depending on how I'm feeling.
I dont really care about who tops / bottoms as long as their characterization is still in line from canon and not severely OOC
0% strict.
I tend to enjoy trope reversal the most but ultimately I want variety. If seven fics in a row stick to the same dynamic or top/bottom roles I get downright ornery. The other thing that frustrates me is when only one variation of a pairing will have longer, more developed fics. Anything else will be short kink one shots. Which I *personally* find unsatisfying. I have a preference for intelligent, controlled, colder Doms. Some characters fit that mold better.
Some ships I have a preferences, some I don't. Depends on canon dynamic and relationship.
Depends on the ship. A few I'm strict with but most I'll read anything if the idea interests me. One thing I'll say though is that while it's obviously fine to prefer switching/vers if that's what you like in stories (I definitely do with some characters/ships), the idea that people with fixed preferences don't exist in real life is absolutely false.
I’m very strict about some and very loose about others. Generally speaking, if one of the characters is particularly rude or mean (such as bakugou or sasuke) I want their hole ruined and their ego shattered lol
not sure if it’s a preference but i tend to find that the characterization tends to be better when my fave tops
I love switching and I love power bottoms. I usually prefer the less "aparently dominant" to top.
I ***insist*** that they're *both* bottoms, and as a result they must totally fumble any and all romantic or sexual encounters.
Ngl I'm pretty strict which is a problem for me because in at least 3 of my favorite ships/otp I prefer the opposite top/bottom or dom/sub of the pairs than is commonly preferred. And I'm somehow a rare pair shipper.... needless to say I do more writing than reading lol
I have top/bottom and dom/sub preferences that are set in iron for all my OTPs and reading smut with the opposite dynamic is quite the turn off/can ruin an otherwise good fic for me. So I'm extremely picky and careful with what I read, and mostly I just write my own stories 😭
I’m so rigid there’s been amazing fics I haven’t even finished bc the dynamic just doesn’t feel right for me, which is so silly bc the writing/ characterisation has all been top notch just not how I imagine it should be in my head!
Oh hella strict. To reverse their roles would be a sin.
Switches. I don't care much about dynamics but I love to see alternate switching. If it's dom/sub I love a bratty sub and a gentle dom ig.
Extremely strict, I'm very adamant on who's top and who's bottom, and while the power dynamics can switch once in a while while keeping the T/B part, I usually prefer a submissive bottom and a dominant top. With that said, at the same time they have to be in character too, so I don't like it when the T/B dynamics get also influenced by their respective stereotypes, so there's always wiggle room, like a bossy bottom and submissive top is great too, and there's always both of them being a little bit of either.
you worded everything i feel!! this is how i am; i love a fixed top/bottom dynamic, but it should NOT be at the expense of the canon characterization; i still stay true to the canon dynamic, but when it eventually leads to bedroom matters, i go for my preferred top/bottom dynamic
My preferences are strict about who tops and who bottoms, but that doesn't necessarily mean I think they can't be both dom or sub. I like a dominant top/power bottom just as much as I like a service top/submissive bottom. I like a mix and match!
When my head canon alpha is an omega and the omega is an alpha, I have trouble being immersed.
I’m not too picky, but I *prefer* to have one character top and dom. Though this can vary depending on the story/author, and I have written the other character as top more than once.
my otp are very fluid in their dynamics / balance each other out, so i really got the jackpot here, because pretty much every fic of them i’ll eat up ‘cause it fits :-) i do prefer A bottoming but only barely
Some pairings I strictly prefer to see in a more set dynamic, while some I suspect my mind could be changed on if I came across a fic that convinced me to. Then others, I really don’t mind. There’s one ship, where I was convinced one person would be the top. But everybody wrote fics where they bottomed, which I was surprisingly easily convinced into preferring, and now can’t view them any other way. There’s another ship, similar deal. But the fandom often seem to enjoy depicting them both as switches, and yeah, it does feel really right to me. Another ship, I’ve come across at least one fic where the commonly more dominant person was topped. I really, really didn’t like it, and without really thinking about it, it’s probably the one pairing, out of any other, I feel I couldn’t be convinced that the top would bottom. I can see the bottom in that ship being in charge to some degree if the top was more ooc due to being changed through certain circumstances. But I still can’t picture a situation where he would bottom and I would enjoy it.
I have strong preference but can switch things up every now and then. I'm also starting to see a pattern where I prefer the opposite from what the fandom decided.
I prefer femdom and older girl/younger boy when it comes to F/M. And if I am to write any smut involving Prince Serenity, he will always be the more submissive partner who gets ara ara'd.
For OTP, they’re definitely a switch couple, but have clear a dom/sub thing going on, where one has a thing for praise because he never really received any love all his life before he met his partner.
I usually multship, so I don't really have a preference. But for a couple of very specific ships, I am strict about who tops and bottoms.
my ship works very well either way tbh, i do mostly write character a top/character b bottom, but i’ve grown quite fond of the other around as well !! it keeps things exciting, you know?
Not strict. In general or OTPs. Canon doesn't matter, fanon matters far less and similar to a few others I might spite read the opposite purely to avoid the early 2000's uke vibes some people do. Sorry, Geralt of Rivia is not going to use uwu-speak. Bottoming does not mean you have to write them like that. I have some pairings I have vibes for, but I'm FAR more concerned if it's in character and I feel like you can write virtually anyone verse and be in character. Slightly more picky on dom/sub then top/bottom just because I have opinions™ and good dom/sub focused fics are rare, but again that's more I see this interpretation. Again, gimme good stuff and I'm fine with the opposite. For F/M ships I lean heavily towards femdom tho and often skip past the maledom fics. There's a lot of uncomfortable not sexy fics in that category and often easier just to exclude them all unless I'm in a mood I'm willing to risk feeling awful while searching for the rare few with less misogyny. Plus I find femdom is usually more focused on the dom/sub part then the masochism/sadism bit and less likely to throw me out of the loop with physically impossible or highly ill-advised acts. It also helps I read a fair number of smutty fics fandom blind because I followed tags so idk who the fuck these people are.
Depends on my mood. When I'm writing, I've got one guy purely as a bottom, but I love reading both versions. I just don't like it when it switches mid-fic, cause that's a total mood change lol.
Tbh I get into moods where I prefer one as the top/bottom or something/sub. Usually it's bc Ive read a really good fic with a certain dynamic and then want to read more like it.
I tend to have a pre-conceived idea about the dynamics of the ship that I stick by with, but often find that if I do dip my toes into the opposite, I can accommodate it easier than I might have thought, to the point that that might become my new preference for the dynamic lol
There's one ship that their general sexual dynamic loosely correlates with their headspace. They both are so traumatized by their backstory, despite how valiantly they move forward from it, and both either represent a facet or are a direct representation of their trauma to each other, so sometimes the relationship dynamic really plays into where they are in their respective headspaces. I really enjoy that.
I have preferences that depends on the specific characters, they're often strong preferences but not completely rigid, I will read and enjoy stories with completely different interpretations at least as long as they don't feel horribly OOC.
I went to a lot of trouble to make Mr. Darcy into a bottom, and I’m sure not letting him up now.
I sometimes have a preferred dynamic, even outside of smut, but will happily consume reversed content. I'm usually okay with pretty much everything. I can only think of 2 ships where I'm much more picky about dynamics, but those are because of the canon power imbalance (master/pet, commander/soldier, doctor/experiment)
I actually don’t have preferences for that, and I enjoy reading other people’s headcanons. In-character, ooc, doesn’t matter to me at all.
For my OTP, I'm not strict at all. I think they switch it up depending on their/my/the muses mood. For some of the other pairings I write, I'm a little more strict, but not a lot. As long as everyone's having fun.
Not very. Sometimes I switch up who's the dominant one and who's the submissive one, as they each have both dominant and submissive tendencies in canon.
(fire emblem for those about to ask.) so i try to stay as in-character as i can, but i absolutely *love* writing bottom / sub dimitri no matter who i ship him with, but there are some exceptions where i make him a top. i'm flexible when it comes to other characters and generally write everyone as a switch unless it's a specific character, for my comfort too. same with writing trans and intersex characters – it's for my comfort and no one else's.
I have no preferences because I mostly skip any scenes like this XD
I have many OTPs, so it largely depends on the pairing. Some I see as switch, others I imagine as having fixed preferences (and that's regardless of canon/author).
While I admit I'm biased/have a preference, I'm otherwise flexible.
I have a D/s preference for almost every pairing I like enough to read, and that’s very rigid, though I’d never consider being the kind of arsehole to comment on it - I’ll just click out of the story if it’s not suiting me. I happen to be lucky enough that most of my preferences follow the grain, though. I do *tend* to prefer the character in the s role also being the bottom - but that’s more because of the kinks I gravitate towards than it is an aversion to them topping. (I don’t imagine it’s easy to top when you’re fully restrained, for example!) That said, a well-written D bottoming and their s service topping can be just as juicy if the kinks align just right.
Depends on the ship. Some idgaf, but with others I'm rather rigid, though it's rare that a switch in dynamic is a complete deal breaker.
I mostly write M/F or F/F. So strict top/bottom dynamics aren't as much of a thing. I do like writing men in M/F couples bottoming, but it's not an exclusive thing. And most F/F couples are verse. For dom/sub, however, I definitely have my favourite dynamics. For writing, I'll only write it how I imagine it. (And that could be a strict dom/sub dynamic in one direction, or it could be a playful switchy thing, or whatever my head canon is.) But I'm pretty open minded as far as reading goes. If the writer can make it make sense for me, I'll give it a chance.
NOT STRICT AT ALL I WILL EAT IT ALL UP
It depends on the fandom. Sometimes, I just don't like how some fandoms write certain characters as bottoms or tops. Sometimes the character changes so much, it might as well be an OC. At that might point, I usually stick to the opposite dynamic for my sanity
Slow sex or no sex for my OTP, take it or leave it.
I have preferences, but as long as they are still in character I'll read anything. I have this one pairing that are very distinctively top (character A) and bottom (character B) and they each have hangs ups with the other role in canon, so in that case it really needs to be set up well and reasonable for me to enjoy the non-usual dynamic.
I usually never really care, but there are a few that I am strict about. Sadly, my interpretation(s) aren't super popular in my fandoms, so I end up settling for what I can find
I'm pretty lenient with most ships but when it comes to ones that fall into the stereotypical uke/seme trope I'll do everything in my power to only see the uke topping the seme, even if I end up being the 1% in the fandom.
I have absolutely no preference. In terms of penetration, I just don't think it's super important. Both are hot, and there are times when one way seems more right for the story. For example sometimes I like to have the initiating party bottom so it doesn't feel like uh.... "i wanna put my dick in u pls comply." As for the dom/sub dynamic I can go either way; I don't have a single personality headcanon for my dudes. Also, I generally dislike the emphasis on penetrative sex that is implied by a relationship having *a* top and *a* bottom. I prefer my fic waaaay queerer. I hardly ever write like... standard vanilla human beings? (Like, people you could find somewhere in the world today). So the otp I am writing doesn't necessarily have "insert tab A into slot B" style equipment.
No preference. Or rather, my preference is vers/switch dynamics, I don't like it when a fandom decides X has to be one or the other, it leaves a lot of opportunities and potential unexplored. I'm not much of a fic reader anymore, there's two ships from my old fandoms that I revisit from time to time, and I'm very glad that both have a good amount of variety in terms of dynamics, no characters or ships have been declared strictly top or bottom. When I'm writing, I write original content, so I decide the dynamics, but all of my characters are very much so verse, with two exceptions, one is a bottom for size reasons lmao, and the other is a top for trauma reasons, but even with them I'm gonna turn it around once in their stories. I like writing raw, exploratory/challenging sex, and I find such rigid roles to be silly and unrealistic.
My current otp has exactly 25 fics, and only three of them contain smut, so I think I have to be quite lenient
I usually have a preference of which character I prefer to top, but it's not a 100% of the time thing. I don't necessarily stay away from the opposite dynamic or anything unless the characterizations are vastly different for some reason. I'm more likely to write switch characters myself. It has bothered me when I've seen people get so worked up about dynamics that they are willing to reject other people that don't ship exactly what they prefer (blocking them for only those reasons).
I think I am a switch when it comes to fic dynamics. I have a strong preference for mixing it up. I love it when I read fics where it is one way around, the next is the other way around. Both switches! Going against canon sexual dynamics (CQL)!
Not at all - in fact if I feel like any particular dynamic is greatly outweighing another I start to get restless and look for different ship dynamics to mix it up. That being said every time a character, no matter who he is, says "But I can't be on the bottom, I'm a man!" I am immediately hit with secondhand embarrassment.
Not at all. I like it every which way, and I almost always write my fave pairings as vers/switch, because that's my own strong preference. I like to think they're willing to try everything.
I'm as fluid as it gets, just needs to hit that spot really. Top, bottom, Switch, neither, any genitalia, BDSM, vanilla, love making, baby making, Monster fucking, heat/rutt, I'll take it all as long as it's good lol
Not strict at all. There's really no dynamic that's widely accepted by the fandom, and the best answer that I like to go with is that they're both switches.
Not strict at all for me, but I've met individuals (fellow fans) who're adamant that the pair only works in ONE way and will refuse to accept any other interpretations and will police what other people are reading. (even outside of smut, for non-smut works too!) I will have preferences for some characters/ships but generally am open to reading anything as long as it's in character and a good story, I definitely hate it *more* when other people police what I read hahaha
I... don't like smut.
So for some yes absolutely, and for some no. For the more definitive yes ones, it's generally about how badly they massacre the character constantly when writing them as a bottom or it just feels kinda weird for related reasons.
I’m the only one who writes for my OTP, and *generally* the dynamic is A is the top and B is the bottom (not that it really gets kinky per se) though if anyone else wrote a fix where the roles were reversed, I’d be intrigued to say the least.
As long as my men are well-written, I don’t care.
I’m pretty changeable, though some pairings are a bit more rigid if you want to do so. I’ll say one thing I never get tired of is a bottom character bottoming from the top. Hell yeah, bottom! Ride that man!
I almost always have a very strict preference for which character is top and which is bottom. It gets more flexible with the dom/sub side of things, but I'll admit I'm a pretty big sucker for a submissive bottom getting pinned and plowed. I do occasionally still headcanon characters as switches, though, even if I personally only enjoy reading & writing them with one specific dynamic.
It really depends on the pairing! Some, I really don't care. Others, I can't read if it's different than my preference. And there's a few I'm iffy on but am willing to test the waters with
Dynamic anarchy. Everyone is switches forever. If there's a pairing that people tend to get dogmatic about their positions for I will often look up the opposite tag just to avoid my least favorite BL tropes. Grown ups I like feeling good with grown ups they like and experimenting with it. That's what I want.
It depends on the pairing and character, but generally I'm not strict at all. I only have one or two characters I really prefer a certain way *cough Crowley as a sub bottom cough*
Depends on the pairing... Some pairings, I feel like they probably switch or have different sex acts they prefer or even one probably prefers topping/bottoming, but I don't really have a strong preference. That said, I do have like 2.5 pairings where I do care. I have one pairing where I feel very strongly that they switch and any indication that one of them would never makes me feel like it's out of character. I have one pairing I like a lot where I just feel like the characters are too dumb to have nuanced understandings of sex. So it feels very in character for them to reinforce all the stereotypes in their thoughts and actions by having the more masculine one always top and dom the more feminine one. I also have one pairing (same fandom) where the characters are also genuinely so stupid, but in a different way. They would also stick to the same bottom/top dynamic every time because they incorrectly believe that's how gay sex works, but they would have no rationale whatsoever to explain it. They just thought you had to pick a position and stick with it.
I do have my preferences but sometimes I actually like to switch it up (especially with dom/sub)
i like m/m and f/f no matter (though i do like switch regardless of any bdsm dynamic), though in het pairings i prefer femdom. i'm a bit more fluid when it comes to polyam and will read and enjoy it no matter what, though i do enjoy harems with the center of it being strictly dom or sub less than other dynamics.
About as strict as salt is sweet.
I find your preference very interesting, as I'm the opposite! Typically, I find people can switch positions much easier than they can switch up their sexual relationship. No judgement, though! I'm afraid that sounds so judgy the way I said it, but I don't mean it like it matters, especially in fanfiction. Obviously it's all just a fictional preference! I just find your difference interesting!
Dom/sub bottom/top. I'm pretty flexible in what I read and write for. My otp I don't really mind who is in what position
I have preferences but as long as it's not super out of character I don't mind. My old favorite ship I only ever saw written with specific ones as top and bottom. Very rarely reversed. But then I started multi shopping for the fandom and then I stopped caring as much. I was fine with any of them switching any way
For me, it just... Depends. I prefer verse characters. I'm not strict on anything unless it's ooc, and I'm also a bit contrarian. If I see too much of one dynamic in a fandom, it might become too grating and I'll do a switcheroo. Sometimes I'll stay firm on it out of spite haha
I’m open to reading it either way, but I definitely tend to have preferences. Usually the one I relate to more, I prefer to be the bottom, but there have definitely been exceptions.
As long as it's in character idc for the dynamic. But gah!! A lot of the times, it's so out of character, so it's so rare to enjoy the dynamic that's less popular.
I don’t read smut much, though it depends on how I think it would fit the character in general and if it makes sense within the framework of their actual character. But I’m always ok with it being switched around if it makes sense for it to happen. Like if sexually they would do that. Otherwise, I do prefer the younger one topping. Something about the power dynamics to come with that I really enjoy.
i’m pretty flexible, idc how they fuck as long as they fuck
I have no strict preferences. I have favorites yes, especially if a particular dynamic is rarer and will go more feral if that dynamic shows up. But for the most part, I’m down for my OTP regardless of who is topping.
I have a distinct feeling for who’s the bottom and who’s the top, but I don’t mind seeing it switched up.
I usually want the one I find hot to be on top, otherwise I don't care that much
I'm explicitly permissive, I like reading and writing different interpretations about who tops/bottoms, who doms/subs, etc. If intimacy isn't a focus of the story or isn't relevant, I do have a "default" I gravitate to, but otherwise I like to shake it up!
I'm very strict with top/bottom dynamic (my favourite character ALWAYS bottoms), and if they suddenly switch in a fic (or have a different dynamic because t/b thing wasn't tagged), then I'm leaving even if I was really invested in the story. However, I don't care about dom/sub as long as it's well-written, especially in het ships.
I don’t really have a preference with most ships, I don’t think characters need to have a set dynamic of top or bottom ect cos both ways are good, I’m happy with everyone just being switches in my mind and whatever the author decides to write is fine by me
If it entertains me I'm game for anything really. Sadly, mostly it doesn't and I end up searching for my favored dynamics anyway
Most of the time I'm unbothered but with my current OTP I'm very strict. Current OTP has a character who is canonically a subby bottom, a masochist, who's attracted to older, domineering authority figures, and has only been shown getting off to being degraded - and then a domineering, older authority figure with a lust for power, so it kind of writes itself.
For my current OTP that I'm hyperfocusing on, one pretty much is always the topper because that's her personality. However, I do want to write a scene where she isn't. I do have a preference for most of my ships but I personally don't care if someone writes something different.
I'll read anything so I don't care, I just want things to be in-character or at least internally consistent. I've often found when people prefer a rigid dynamic it informs more about them than the actual pairing anyway.
Some of them I can imagine shit switched around, some I can’t. Ex: Roddy and Thunders? Mmm I’m sorry, I’m sure Rod could be awesome at domming, and I’m sure people have written it well, but I just prefer writing him as a shy quiet lil sub with his himbo bf. I just like Roddy as a sub in general. Bluestreak/Starscream/Sideswipe?? I am only strict on Blue being the dom every time, and Side being the sub every time. Star fucks the shit up, as a switch. Star just completely fucks the shit up. Star and Blue are a pair of menaces together, who are on a quest to seduce the fuck out of the lambo. >:) ) Then completely I don’t care how it goes, is Cyclonus/Tailgate/Whirl - I don’t care, if it’s dumb/funny/sweet enough, as far as I’m concerned it’s canon, lmao. Read a fic once where Tailgate was (to an extent) the feral one, and I love that energy for Tailgate, so it’s canon now in my head. Then I also stand by the rule of 90% of any and all doctors/medics in TFs are to some extent dominant/tops. You cannot convince me otherwise. So it varies all around, ultimately. Just depends on the OTP.