Fandom Hopping: Spartacus 3/07/12

 
Some may say we’re easily distracted. We say, “Why limit ourselves to just one fandom full of smut when there are soooo many other possibilities out there?!?!” And so we give you Fandom Hopping, a place to poke your nose into another universe, meet some new characters, and enjoy all the pervy possibilities when a writer fucks with the canon someone else created.

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Well, the pervs in the pack sure do. We are dirty whores that sometimes like a little violence and history mixed in with our smut. The television show Spartacus provides all three in spades. This show portrays the decadence and brutality of ancient Rome at it’s height from every aspect, from the Roman military commanders, captive foreign warriors, gladiators and even common house slaves. One slave in particular takes center stage: Spartacus, a famous gladiator and leader of one of the most famous slave uprisings in the history of Rome (and arguably the world).

  

The show follows the journey of Spartacus from a Thracian mercenary to being enslaved and trained as a gladiator. It is that world that we witness through Spartacus’ eyes, a stranger to Roman society (as we are) and to their cruel, opulent world. He also meets other slaves and gladiators who teach us about the world of flesh beneath the skin of the Roman Empire.

This show isn’t for the faint of heart. There is blood, guts and lots of sex, played out in graphic detail. However, it is also well written, with vivid characters and amazing acting. It also has some of the hottest sex scenes on televisions.

One of the most fascinating things about this show is that the creators have chosen to show historically accurate depictions of sex and relationships. This includes homosexual, heterosexual and polyamorous sex portrayed on screen. That’s right, there are two canon gay couples in the series as well as rampant bisexuality on the part of many of the characters in the show. How many shows on television have this kind of sexual diversity? Not many. With such fruitful grounds the fan fiction is ripe with sexual possibilities.

Below we have a sampling of Spartacus fan fics that are sure to whet your appetite. Take a taste of a new fandom and see if you might like more. Trust us, you will.

Femslash is present more so in the Spartacus fandom than many others, due in part to the fluid sexuality of the female leads in canon. Despite their beauty and refinement these women are often as ruthless and blood thirsty as any gladiator. They love and fuck just as any modern woman, but here the stakes are often higher. While ancient Rome was wonderfully diverse, it was still staunchly patriarchal. Women were property and the conduits of bloodlines. Despite these seemingly powerless roles these women are often the driving force for much of the conflicts in the world of Spartatcus. The femslash of this fandom reflects the strength and passion of these complex women.

Games We Play by Sami This fic captures so perfectly the viciousness and intense connection between women in this Roman world. The roles they play, they way they treat sex as both a tool for power and an escape from reality. Lucretia and Ilithyria are completely in canon, and this moment is a perfect manifestation of the tension that is building between them on the show, and has clearly been sealed in the blood that spilt by Ilithyria. There is no gentleness or subtly, it is clearly stated that they will be fucking eachother, hard and deep, and without apology.

 A Woman’s Power by AthenaMou One of the most compelling things, for me, about the Spartacus series, is the organic portrayal of sexuality. There is no questions of appropriateness or internal dogmatic conflict over attraction and desire, there is only the distance between to bodies, and the consent given to touch. Here, Gaia recollects her youthful sexual excursions with Lucretia while contemplating disavowing her slave girl if a bit of innocence for her own pleasure. Experienced and unapologetic hands make this fic even steamier than the heat from the bath. Through Gaia’s perspective, AthenaMou sums up Roman life succinctly:

Men were for power and women for pleasure.

In Spartacus fandom slash reigns supreme. This has a lot to do with the slash couples that are canon, though slash fan fiction isn’t restricted to just the gay characters on the show. The ancient world was a lot more accepting of different sexual orientations than many modern cultures, and thank goodness for us, it gives a wonderful setting for characters to get down and dirty.

Custom by sylvanwitch
In this beautiful short fic we’re given background about the relationship between Gaius Claudius Glaber and his fellow soldier, Marcus. It’s a brief glimpse into Gaius’ memories, while he mourns the loss of his faithful friend, but the passion and love conveyed in the first coupling is tangible. There’s a stark intensity to this fic. The sex and emotional connection between these two men of war is compelling and heartbreaking in away. As is Gaius’ stoic demeanor, despite the depth of emotion that’s brewing in his mind and heart. It’s fic like this that proves that you don’t need a lot of words to tell a great story and that a small moment in canon can convey a much bigger story.

This is the hottest and most popular ship in Spartacus fandom. They get new fics everyday and have countless tumblrs dedicated to them. Why so popular? Well, they are one of the canon relationships, but that’s not the only thing that makes these two so compelling. The on screen chemistry of the two actors and the way they portray natural the love between the characters feeds into the love for the pairing.

It took one onscreen kiss to win the hearts of countless fangirls and draw new viewers to the show. A single kiss that exploded through the Spartacus fandom and bled out onto the internet. As their relationship continues grow onscreen, fan fiction writers continue to develop it off screen. Below is a sampling of some of the great Agron/Nasir fan fiction. We dare you slash fans out there to read these and NOT fall head over heels for these two.

Belonging by missxtravesty
Belonging is a short one shot that explores the newly forming relationship between Nasir and Agron. Here we see an economy of words, but the deep well of passion and tenderness. The erotic content is subtle, but the implications of what is shown hit you right below the belt. We are shown that these men are exploring every aspect of their developing relationship. EVERY aspect.


Jealous by Emptypalm
This amazingly hot, intense little one shot shows the less tender side of these men. What happens when another man makes a play for Nasir? Will Agron stand for it, or will he stake his claim in his usual fashion. This is a fun, sexy and naughty ride. If you like it when men go all “cave man” over their partner, then you’re gonna love watching Agron go all “gladiator” on the fool who is dumb enough to hit on his man.

I Will Shoulder Weight by agggron
Is a bit of an alternate universe story, because it diverges from canon in some regards (which is natural when you’re writing fic for a tv show that is still on the air). Here we have Agron and Nasir’s relationship as explicit from the beginning, both knowing they want to be together and working toward the shared goal. While the storyline is slightly divergent, it still stays relatively close to the events happening in the show. It’s a wonderful inside look into these characters’ off screen life and it shows the blossoming passion between two lovers that are delayed in expressing that love fully. The UST is amped up high on this one, ladies. Prepare accordingly.

Domesticity by Emptypalm
This is a beautiful one shot that explores what the future might hold for these two warriors. It takes place approximately ten years after the events in the current season. The are no longer on the run, no longer constantly fighting for survival. They have a home and family, including a young son. I will not spoil the surprise of how little Duro became part of their world, but his presence and how he effects both his father’s life is the stuff of epic heartclenching. This is unapologetic fluff smut, that gives fans of this couple a hopeful future for their favourite pairing. The story has a calming almost majestic tone. We view their life through Agron’s eyes and deeply felt emotions. Through him we feel the monumental gift this life is for him and how much he loves both his partner and his son. This is fic could bring even the hardest hearted readers to their knees. We dare you to read it and not feel your heart warm at the beauty of their Happily Ever After.

Resources for finding Spartacus Fan Fiction:
Unlike the Twilight fandom, most of the Spartacus fandom is on LiveJournal and Tumblr. Though some fan fiction can be found on FanFiction.net. Here is a list of Spartacus fan fiction sites.

Blood and Sand Fic: A LiveJournal community for Spartacus fan fiction.
All Spartacus: A LiveJournal Community for all things Spartacus related. From Episodes discussions, information on the actors and fan ficiton.
Spartacus2010: A LiveJournal community for Spartacus fan fiction.
Agron/Nasir: A New LiveJournal community for the pairing Agron/Nasir. The group was just recently created and in the process of being built, but it will undoubtedly be packed with other fans of the pairing, fanart, fan fiction and more.
Epic Slash: A LiveJournal community dedicated to slash fan fiction set in the ancient world (Trojans, Romans, Macedonians, etc).