Sexual extortion (h/c bingo)

[sholio]

The last remaining square that I need for a straight line on my h/c bingo card is "sexual extortion". I'm totally drawing a blank on something to write for it, in part because I'm pretty sure I have no idea what that square even means. What is sexual extortion? A "fuck or die" scenario? Someone blackmailing someone else with compromising pictures? I really haven't a clue, and I can't come up with any ideas, so -- HELP. What do you think it means? Do you have any prompts for me? White Collar is preferred, though if you have any ideas for Highlander, A:tLA, Dresden Files, or SGA, throw those at me too!

Comments

[medie]

I would think it means someone being blackmailed or leveraged into a sexual relationship. So say someone extorting Neal into a sexual relationship in return for help or keeping something secret or Harry being forced into a relationship to protect someone. Being there'd be comfort involved, it'd be more the aftermath, I guess, but that's how I'd take the square.

[sholio]

That's the answer I'm getting on the LJ side too - so I suppose I was approaching this from the wrong angle (I was thinking more along the lines of a "fuck or die" kind of thing). Hmm, now I just need to come up with something I can write that wouldn't turn into an epic ...

[krait]

If both parties were uninterested in the sex, the Aliens Made Them Do It versions of shag-or-die could count!

[ratcreature]

I agree with the comment above. My first thought in a h/c context is someone getting coerced into a sex via blackmail, but it could also mean the blackmail happens by threatening exposure of sex (like the picture scenario). I would not group "fuck or die" and similar dubcon scenarios under that.

[sholio]

*nods* This seems reasonable! And a commenter on LJ also linked me to TV Tropes' "sexual extortion" page (of course there is one!) which helps too. Now I just need to come up with a scenario of some kind ...

the good kind

[brightknightie]

I'm forgetting the name of it just now, but isn't there a classical (and classic!) Greek comedy in which the women of two warring nations get together and agree to all refuse to have sex with their husbands until peace is declared? Strike! That's sexual extortion turned to good. :-)

Re: the good kind

[sholio]

Lysistrata! Not sure if that's how it's spelled, but I know what you're talking about. :D Oh ... wow. I hadn't even thought of anything along those lines, but I love the idea of writing something like that!

[krait]

I've always understood it to mean "demanding sexual favours in exchange for [something]", with the something being an action or object the other person wants, positive or negative.

Essentially, any situation where sex is being required from someone in exchange for a nonsexual desire, be that paying the rent on your back or keeping your criminal record out of your boss's inbox... I'm certain that it could also be stretched to include sexual desires on both ends, too, e.g. "If you want me as your lover, you have to cater to my kink".

More humourously, you could switch it around so that it's the nonsexual element that is being coerced from someone -- making your partner agree to play Pokemon with you by asking in the middle of a mindblowing sex marathon, or the old classic where sex is withheld until condition X is met.

[sholio]

Thank you very much for the help! The irony of it is that I actually enjoy reading that sort of story from a purely id-satisfying perspective; I think one reason why I'm having so much trouble coming up with a scenario that I feel like I could write is because it's a little too self-indulgent, if that makes any sense. I've always struggled with stories like that. I think the Lysistrata idea appeals to me because it's sort of the opposite of that.

[krait]

Hee, no problem! Really, I think that any of the versions I mentioned would work with White Collar! More serious ones could explore the line Neal walks between his past and Peter, or be set pre-Peter; less serious ones could play out as office shenanigans or friendly teasing.