Lately while reading alot of SessXKag stories set in the modern era I've come to realize common main ideas in the plotlines. First, Sesshomaru is usually a rich business tycoon and Kagome has a small job that doesn't pay half of what Sesshomaru gets on a yearly basis. Second, Sesshomaru and Kagome somehow end up running into eachother in some form or another or they have to work together. Usually Sesshomaru is a company CEO while Kagome becomes his new secretary.

Personally, I believe that Sesshomaru being a CEO fits him as for my preference for Kagome I think that being an author, secretary, or a celebrity fits her. I've read stories where Kagome was a fashion designer, artist, singer/songwriter, author, secretary, social worker for abused kids, etc..... The idea of Sesshomaru being a top notch Crime Scene Investigator is also highly appealing.

As for the fairytale I think that Kagome being either a princess or a slave while hating an arrogant princely Sesshomaru is the basic and common choice for a fairytale story. I believe Sesshomaru being a snooby prince and Kagome being a fiery princess from a faraway land sounds quite interesting. Sometimes I find a twist...like Kagome is a full dog demon miko princess.....but these stories end up being horrible because of lack of creativity and depth. (heh sorry rambling...)

What are your prefences with regards to the modern/fairytale era setting? What do you do to make you AU stories more believe? What kind of twists do you like to include to keep your readers interested and always coming back for more?

I think people read something they like and then write it themselves. I don't want to say that it's a lack of imagination or creativity, but it can be daunting for those of us who want to read something a bit different.

To be honest, I haven't read too many AU fics and I don't really consider mine to be technically AU, but a sort of twisted canon. What I would like to see more, what would encourage me to read more AU would be for the placement of Sesshoumaru in a non-high profile role. Nobility or corporate officer professions are exactly that.

Take his personality into account as well. He likes being in charge of himself, but he's not a social kind of guy. Traditional nobility and CEOs have to build massive social networks which I can't see him embracing.

I would like to see someone write him as a famous artist, but a recluse at the same time. You can do something insanely romantic from that angle. I can see him as a sculptor, putting passion into the marble that he has difficulty applying to the people around him.

Truthfully I can't really stand to read Sesshoumaru as CEO stories, I find it to be rather OOC. Having to deal with all the humans and having to be that social, I just can't buy it really. Now I understand that he's either had 500 years to get used to humans or he's grown up around them, in AU's, but I still don't find it believable that he would be dealing with them on a day to day basis.

I like the idea of him as a painter though and in fact have used this in one of my stories, Painter in the Woods, and truthfully that's how I see him if he lives to the modern age. Rather be by himself and content to be so. And truthfully the whole CEO/Secretary relationship has just been done to death.

As far as fairytale stories go, I tend to stay away from them as well. Most tend to be the same thing rewritten or pretty much word for word from the story they are based off of and aren't worth reading for me. Though I am still waiting for Ladyb to finish her story since it does look like it's going to be different from what I'm used to seeing .

I myself tend to write more canon than AU, but I would like to see more AU's that take place in canon era, like I'm doing with Warriors of the West, that are more believable than most of the stories I come across seem to be. Most of those that I've read like this are really just mary sue, overly romantic type stories that make me leave after the first chapter.

I'm guilty of the CEO thing but that is because it fits so well. However, I've had him as a recluse CEO and then I've had him as a rich guy with no job, his wealth has just accumulated. I've also had him as a presidential candidate and the president . He's now a Navy Admiral lol.

As for Kagome, I like to give her odd jobs. She's been a short order cook, a 5 star chef, a pastry/wedding cake baker, she's now an intern at a mayoral office, she's been a presidential campaign worker. I don't like the idea of her being secretary to Sesshoumaru. I'm sure I've had other minor roles for them in drabbles, shorter ficlets, but I can't remember.

I also don't read stories where Kagome's a princess and Sesshoumaru an arrogant prince. that's just not my thing.

I do like kags as an author...i've had her as an author before...but in an Inu/Kag fic. she's almost like barbie in my stories...a billion and one careers to try

I love kagome in odd jobs. I could just see her doing so many weird things.

I too am guilty of the Sesshoumaru CEO, i figure he was lord of the west mine as well be ceo of a big company. Even though he is CEO, he still has his signature people skills, you know the crappy ones.

I love him as president skye! Loved it.

I think what it boils down to for me is that AU often takes the characters out of the dynamic they share in canon story lines. What I appreciate and enjoy the most when I write the two of them is how I can weave them together through the obstacles and relationships that they share. If an AU plot is simply an excuse to remove characters like Inuyasha and Rin from the formula, then I'm not interested, because it feels like cheating. If AU is simply an excuse to not research in the least bit a little Japanese history or customs, then no thanks.

These are a lot of "ifs" and by no means an assumption that all AU is this way, but really who wants another high school dramarama story anyway?

I kinda happen to like the college campus theme(not high school though), like the City of tomorrow's memories(by Cappie). And Sesshoumaru as a doctor seems real cool too!!

Then again, its the way its written and all. I mean I pretty much read anything as long as the charcters are in character(as much as can be), which is what i am trying to do when i write.

As for Kagome, i think odd jobs are perfect for her!!

I have to say, I agree with Lady Battousai on the Sess-Kag dynamic front - as long as an AU fic has similar obstacles and similar tone and feeling to well-done canon fic, then for me it is definitely worth a read!

Following on from all the comments about Sesshoumaru as a CEO, I think that has now turned into the typical AU cliche. xD Not to say that it's bad, because I've read some really good AU fics with Sesshoumaru as a high-flying executive, but it's nice sometimes to see something different every so often. I thought about all this when I started my current AU project, but I'm glad to see that it isn't just me who tries to avoid the cliches!