Eeeeeeee!

[tarotgal]

Happy tg!

I just ran the random number generator for the weekly hatching plot bunny thing and it's another one of mine- one I submitted a few days ago. The idea struck me while I was in the cold & flu medicine isle at the grocery store the other day.

I was soooo hoping this one would be chosen soon because I'm dying to ask the question of you all: what is is about the "traditional" medicinal elements that is so appealing/romantic/etc.? To me, there's nothing quite so delicious as a guy with a sneezy cold with a blanket around his shoulders curling up with a mug of tea in front of the fire. Today there are all SORTS of lovely healing elements out there that would make an interesting story, but I still seem to gravitate away from the "modern" and go back to the traditional. And looking at most of the sneezefics out there, not many have been written to include some of the more modern elements. I can think of a few right off hand (two of them being VATERGrrl's), but that's not a huge percentage.

So, all fandom related-ness aside (obviously they don't have forehead thermometers in Middle Earth, for example) is it just me or are old-time healing elements more interesting to read about in sneezefics?

Is it that the modern ones reduce the severity of colds too much that they lose their sexiness? Is it that we're too experienced with these modern things ourselves so it's less adorable to read about their use? Is it that guys just don't look as cute with thermometers in their ears and vapor plugs in the wall outlets? (versus thermometers in mouth so we get that trite but adorable "shouldn't sneeze with thermometer in mouth" bit and vapor rub on the chest so we have an excuse to see him half naked) Is it just that no one's bothered to really explore the modern elements?

I, personally, would love to read a good, creative sneezefic which incorporates modern elements that proves they can be JUST as romantic and adorable as the over-used traditional methods of healing we writers seem so fond of. I'm skeptibal that'll happen, but I would absolutely love for people to try!

Comments

[smokeycat-430.livejournal.com]

This is such a good idea! So glad you thought of it. Hmmm...I've got some good ideas going on now thanks to you. None of them will/would turn out very well or interesting I assure you but, yeah, good to have. Interested to see what people come up with...

[ladykorana.livejournal.com]

This is a hard question for me to answer objectively, since I overwhelmingly gravitate toward more historical and fantasy-based fandoms, and have always preferred those genres in the original fiction I choose to read. Obviously, modern medicines and healing devices (as well as tissues) stick out as painfully anachronistic in such works, so I simply end up reading works that include those items less often.

That being said, I agree that using only non-modern remedies creates a feel and atmosphere to a fic that I really enjoy. The image of a shivering guy huddled before a fireplace, wrapped in blankets and clutching a mug of tea in one hand and a handkerchief in the other is far more appealing to me than, say, a guy who pops some Tylenol, Sudafed, Nyquil, etc. and curls up under an electric blanket with a box of tissues beside the bed, remote control in one hand. The former creates a very primal, sensual feel to me. The latter, on the other hand, just reminds me of myself when I'm sick, though I admit that in the right circumstances that situation can also be very sexy (i.e. Daniel Jackson fic...yummy!).

Finally, I must admit, when I read about a guy suffering from a cold, I want him to really *suffer*, as twisted as I know that sounds. I want to enjoy the natural progression of his cold, knowing there's not much he can do except wait and deal with it. I want the works: the sniffles, the runny nose and/or congestion, the mild cough and/or sore throat, the weakness, and obviously the sneezes, and I don't want a single one of them to go away with the simple pop of a pill. Of course, I want his loved ones to be able to help them feel a little better since comfort is the other essential half of the h/c fic equation, so that's where the more natural remedies come into play. The teas to soothe the throat and help a little with coughs or fever, steam or topical products to aid breathing, etc....those all make things less miserable but don't remove the symptoms completely (of course, one could argue that cold pills don't always do that 100% of the time either, but you get the point.) Also, touching to sense warmth and fever is *always* sexier to me than using thermometers, because of the physical intimacy. Plus, I don't like having the exact measurement of the fever quantified. Simply saying 'he felt warm/feverish' lets me use my imagination as to the severity of sickness. Also, it sounds silly but pinning a number to the temperature makes me think of work too much, where I have to type 'For pain/fever > 101 degrees' in the comments section every time I enter a tylenol order. I wouldn't mind seeing a fic use one of those forehead strips though...I was always fascinated with those as a child...used to test my arms, neck, leg, cheek, whatever, then run it under cold water and watch it change back, and then start over again.*G*

Anyway, there's my manifesto on the subject. I'm very interested in what other people might have to say on this topic...

[vatergrrl.livejournal.com]

Hmm, well, I guess I should give y'all some guff about that last paragraph , but I think I know what you mean. ;) The weird thing is that I find my doctor character to be of two minds about modern meds -- he'll prescribe them for his patients and advocates "allergy shots," but at home, he's a big advocate of the "tea-and-chicken-soup" remedy. And, of course, there can be drawbacks to those modern remedies...

Guess I'll steer clear of this week's bunny. ;D

[brigidmn.livejournal.com]

I'm working on it. I guess what makes it somewhat easier in HP is the fact that all that stuff is there in the muggle world, just not mentioned in the wizarding world. I'm going to incorporate more of it in the next part (and probably the final part) of "I can't be your friend anymore."
But I think it's easier in HP, stargate, law and order, OC, etc, than it would be in LOTR or Star Wars. I guess this is just something that depends more on the fandom.