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leeknowsintrusivethots · 10 months ago

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A Stray Concubine

| Part 1 | Pairings: Prince!Lee Know/You, Prince!Bangchan/You, RivalNoble!Hyunjin/You? We are all about possibility here. Summary: Entering into a harem choosing was something you have been groomed for since you were young. Your aim is to make Crown Prince Christopher fall at your heels in order to restore your ruined family name and fortune, but games of love are much harder than games of lies and deceit. Content: Angst (is it me if it's not?), slow burn, smut(warnings below the cut), fictional historical universe, dark themes, second person perspective, historical-typical gender roles, imperial harem-inspired concubine system, multi-pov WC: 5119 Minors do not interact. Do not repost my content to other websites. Notes: I'm back to writing again, keyboard slappin' again. Also, I am having trouble figuring out a way to format POV shifts on tumblr that is clean but not intrusive. I am open to suggestions.

Smut Warnings: very brief/very vanilla smut, sex with a stranger, no strings, mentions/illusions of oral, smut is not between leads of the story?(idk, I think some of you might be peeved by that. We do it for the plot.)

You

Powerful was a word that most would not place on a woman.

Women were meant to be demure and delicate. They were meant to rear children and attend to household affairs as their husbands brought in income and fought in wars where there would be no true victors. It was not a woman's place to meddle in affairs of politics and governance outside of securing marriage alliances for unwanted daughters to bring extra wealth and prestige to the family name. That is simply how the world worked.

You never questioned it in your childhood. You wore the pretty, colorful silks. You learned to speak eloquently but never out of turn. You played instruments and studied embroidery and other womanly arts. You were exactly what society dictated you be: a pretty face being prepared to be sold off for the honor of your family name.

It was a single, fateful trip to the capital with your mother and father that had changed not only your perspective but the entire course of your life. Your family name was tarnished and your father was executed by the ruling Bang family for murder and treason. The only thing that had saved you and your mother was the grace of the sex you had been born with and her tears and pleas for mercy. Even as she cried and begged in front of His Majesty, the truths you had known crumbled to dust.

Your father had been a puzzle piece in a generations long game of chess where the kings and queens played with the lives of others to gain power of their own. He had been a disposable pawn, easily lost to the ages as a traitor whom there would be no songs written about. Everyone knew it, and it didn't take long for you to realize it for yourself. You, even at a young age, looked beyond your mother's pretty tears and prettier words.

You knew Princess Mai was set to wed the young lord Hwang.

The Hwangs were a powerful family - rivaling your own in terms of wealth and influence. Hwang Hyunjin was the sole heir to his family's fortunes. A marriage alliance with Princess Mai would tip the precarious balance of power to favor the Hwangs more greatly. It would have been a match that would have been detrimental to your own family's power.

You knew all of this. You also knew the vial of dark purple liquid your mother had hidden under the flowing sleeve of her gown was not nail polish as she had told you. You had watched keenly as she had slipped the liquid into Princess Mai’s goblet as you all supped with the Queen without anyone else the wiser. Your mother's poison had killed the young princess before the physicians could even get through the door. As Queen Bang had cried and screamed for the loss of her child, your mother had secretly smiled.

She had ruined the Hwang’s grab for more power and gotten rid of a Bang daughter in one fell swoop. She was the chess master, and she had outmaneuvered them all with a pretty face and a pretty smile. You don't know if she foresaw any of the consequences of her actions: the execution of her husband, the ruin of the family businesses, and the loss of your family's prestige.

Your mother had broken the mold. She had held your father under a spell with her looks alone. His station allowed him to take other wives if he chose, but he never did. He allowed her the freedom that many women would never get to taste in this lifetime, and she took it with greed and left him in a grave of her making.

“Was the power worth it, Mother?” You asked the carriage window that tottered down the street.

Through the pristine glass, the lush landscape was ruined by the image of heavily armed men on horseback. They wore the colors and heraldry of the Bangs, and they patrolled the road to the palace with keen eyes and sharp blades. Their numbers were more than usual as they surveyed the throng of carriages and ladies on horseback that made the journey in an unlikely parade.

The Selection was the only time that the Kingdom of Miroh would see such an odd assortment of women making their way to the Palace of Kings. It was a rare event, only happening when the Royal family required more women to act as concubines and maids. The needs of the Palace had nobles and commoners alike sending their daughters off for the possibilities of fame and fortune.

Serving the royals as a maid was an honor that most of the peasantry could only dream of, but even nobles would be pleased if one of their younger daughters could secure a spot in the Royal household. It would ensure that they were at least in the line of sight of the many princes, and the maid staff were compensated fairly for their time along with accommodations and food provided for them. There were certainly worse places for a woman to find herself.

You, however, were not sent by your mother with such plebeian goals.

It was not comfort you sought, nor was it the possibility of an affair with the princes. You were to aim higher. You were to become one of the women that history scorned for reaching beyond her station.

Your aim was to ensure that you became Prince Bang's Most Favored. Your mother would accept no less. She wanted the favor, the prestige and wealth that would come along with your rise. It had always been her goal, and it had been fed to you for so long that you weren't even sure how much of it was your own desire over her influence.

Did you want that level of power?

Did you even care to join the Royal family in such a fashion?

Would you ever even come to care for Prince Bang as more than a chess piece on your own board?

These were questions that you could not answer. You often thought of being a young girl again - ignorant to the world and the affairs of adults. You liked your pretty dresses. You loved running through your family's well maintained gardens with your favored hunting hound on your heels. You loved scrubbing paint off your arms and being scolded by your governess for ruining good gowns after a day of painting lessons. You were innocent then, but that was certainly no longer the case.

The frivolities of childhood had to be left behind. You were an adult, and you knew more of the world than you cared to. You knew that as a gently bred woman, you would never be more than a broodmare for a rich and powerful man unless you took charge like your mother had so many times before. The consequences could be grave; you could lose your head if you weren't careful, but great queens had never become so by following the status quo.

As you toiled with emotions far beyond your depth, the King's Gate shadowed your carriage eerily. It was an original part of the palace’s structure, built so solidly that the centuries had done minimal damage to its intricate design. It towered over the road, blocking out the sun with marbled walls inlaid with precious metals and jewels. It was meant to intimidate, and belittle. It was meant to make everyone passing in its shadows feel weak and small in comparison to the glory of the Royal Family. It opened seldomly, and only for whatever family sat the throne at the time.

Its momentous shadow lasted for what felt like an eternity as the line of carriages trudged along the walls of the palace to a more appropriate entrance for those not of royal blood. You and the other women arriving for the selection were being directed to the same gate used for supply carriages and merchants. It was yet another mind game: being delivered like fine cattle to await the murderous whims of a king. It was a way to ensure all women of the selection knew their place - but you saw things through the lens of your mother.

The Gate of Kings was the first thing all arrivals to the palace would see by design, but it would never open for them. Instead of intimidation, you saw a challenge to inflame and inspire your heart. You would enter through the Merchant's Gate, but you knew that the Gate of Kings would open for you one day. It was all a matter of what you had to do to make it happen - consequences be damned.

Prince Minho

Head held high. Feet light and delicate. Body slim and lithe. Features sharp and regal despite station. Gown loose and flowing in bright, ostentatious colors.

She could be a candidate, Lee Minho thought to himself as he watched the dancers practice.

The brightly colored fabric of her gown rode up her ankles as she moved, offering the briefest flash of a pale and delicate ankle. It was inappropriate – bordering on scandalous. Had it been even a decade prior, she might have been imprisoned for her lewdness but times were changing. It was a fact of life as set in stone as the changing of seasons: people evolved and people learned.

Minho liked that concept. He liked the ideas of society shifting and expanding. He liked the change of pace from the monotony, but what he liked even more was the prospect of those daring enough to enact that change. It took an uncommon spirit to go against the masses – to challenge the very knowledge that civilized society was built on.

As if reading his thoughts, the dancer’s eyes found his and held them. Her's were not the wide eyes of an innocent maid. They were heavily lidded, seductive in their intent.

It was another act of impudence, a daring so strong she probably would be locked in a labor camp if his father witnessed the scene. A woman so open in her sexuality was a threat to the masculinity of the insecure men around her who grasped at whatever shred of power they thought was within their reach. She would be scorned – likely punished by her closest male relative had she acted so with any other man.

Lee Minho was certainly not just any man off the streets of Miroh. He was so much more, and arguably so much worse. A Prince of Miroh could easily have her pretty head taken off for such an insignificant slight against social norms. He hated himself for even thinking about it, but he did. He hated himself even as the dance practice came to a natural end and the dancer approached him carelessly.

It was a silent exchange – not a single word passing her rouged lips as he took her slim hand in his and led her from the banquet hall. He knew what she wanted. It's what they all wanted. Motivations differed, but the methods never changed. A fun time with a Prince of one of the most powerful nations in the world. He was never one to reject the advances, never had been.

Lee Minho was many things. He was a Second Prince of Miroh. He was the son of the most powerful man in the kingdom. He was the younger brother of the Crown Prince. He was an intellectual, a graceful fencer, and the official Spare of the Bang family. These were all monikers and titles the public used to describe him, but behind closed doors they sang a different tune.

He was the shame of the Royal family. He favored arts over swordsmanship. He was an alcoholic who frequented ill reputed pubs and discussed philosophy over ale with criminal scholars. He was a rake who lived at brothels and slept with low class whores. They talked as if they knew him. They spoke as if he sat at their tables and discussed with him personally over hot tea – but they had no idea.

They knew nothing of the self hatred that coursed through his veins. They knew nothing of the helplessness he felt due to his station. They would never understand the uncontrollable guilt that never failed to find him.

He was a Prince. He held all the power in the world but that power was wrapped up and presented to him with strings attached ever since he came into the world. He could drink, he could talk and he could sleep his way through the entirety of Miroh but that was as far as his freedom extended. The second he even stepped over the invisible line of what was acceptable, everything could be taken away.

The change he wanted was within his reach – a delicate treasure that would be so easy to share. Reaching up to break it free for the rest of the world would spell the end of everything he had, but he was not brave enough. He was a coward – a coward hiding behind fancy words and under the colorful skirts of women far more courageous than he.

His frustrations often manifested in indulgence in the freedoms he was allowed. He would drink, he would dine, and he would fuck in a vain attempt to fill the deepest pits of his tarnished soul. He never wanted it. He had wanted to change it, but his own desires had twisted him. He became the very thing he feared: a powerful man taking advantage of the luxuries given to him without giving anything in return.

The dancer’s back was pressed against a thin wooden door. Her lithe legs had wrapped around him of their own accord and her hands were threading into his hair and the fabric of his shirt – pulling him deeper into a brief moment where he was not a Prince. He was a normal man without a moral compass, enjoying the pleasures of a woman's body.

There was no foreplay – no kissing or passionate words. He didn't even get her name before he was pushing her skirts up and sinking his sheathed cock into her cunt. It was not an act of love. It was the act of a desperate fool seeking to forget the world around him.

And he took. He took the brief reprieve with abandon. The door shook dangerously behind her. Her nails raked him though his shirt hard enough to leave marks. Her moans and whines intermingled with his hushed pants to fill his ears with sensual distraction as her walls squeezed him.

It was over too fast. The sounds, smells, and feelings of arousal tapering until all that was left was grim reality. Post orgasm clarity was never a good moment sober. Words failed him, and all the truths he ran from distracted him from the beautiful woman who had originally caught his eye.

“Talia,” she spoke as she adjusted her skirts.

“Excuse me?” He questioned dumbly. He had put space between them, giving himself a moment of reprieve and allowing her a moment to collect herself.

“My name: Talia,” she repeated.

“You're telling me now?” He asked in mild amusement.

“Figured you might want to know who just made you cum,” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Is that any way for a lady to speak?” he asked at her audacity. It was brazen and crass, but he was far from mad about it. Her words had his cock twitching in his pants again.

“M’no Lady. You know as well as me that I'm not gentleborn.”

“Since we're being so frank, relieve me of my curiosity,” he said as he propped himself against an abandoned and dusty desk against the wall opposite of her. He regarded her levelly, but with the easy charisma that he was often praised for.

“Anything for Second Prince Bang,” she mocked with a quirk of her brows. She never shied away from his stare, never let herself be subdued by the power his titles held. He liked that – a lot.

“I figured you knew.” He was not surprised in the slightest. His portraits were few and far in between, but it was highly likely the palace staff had informed the dancers one of the princes was watching in on their practice. She made no comment of guilt, so he continued, “What did you want from this entanglement?”

“Other than being able to brag that I fucked a Prince?” She laughed. It was not a malicious laugh, but a genuine one. She also found their exchange amusing.

“Are you going to join my fanclub?”

“I'll be the leader.”

At her remark, he laughed. It was an honest laugh, one that had him feeling light and free. It was an uncommon feeling for him, one only his brothers had managed to make him feel. He liked this girl, but that's all he ever could do was like her. He was under no illusions that this was just an exchange of banter. She was a passing moment in his life, not a permanent fixture.

“Were you that pleased?” He asked with a spark in his gut. He made to move from the desk, but she put her hands up in surrender.

“So pleased, I fear another round would have me fainting.” She let out a sigh as she fanned herself in exaggeration before letting out a snort of derision. “Isn't that what the gentleladies say when their ladybits can't take it anymore?”

“Even noblewomen like to dabble in the fine art of overstimulation,” he smirked back.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Are you avoiding my question?”

“I would never dare,” she hummed with a twinkle showing in her eyes. It was teasing – daring on its own.

“Then answer.”

“Is that a command, Your Highness?”

“Would you obey if it were?”

His question had her approaching him, a smirk that mirrored his own pulling at her painted lips as the gauzy material of her dress flowed around her slim figure enticingly. When she was directly in front of him, close enough that he could feel her breath against his skin, she sank to her knees before him. Her hands deftly handled the ties of his trousers to pull them down enough to free him.

“If the Prince commands, I will serve.” Her mouth, hot and wanting, was on him before he could even think of a witty response.

Prince Christopher

As heir apparent of a nation, Christopher Bang was not unaccustomed to worry. He worried about the coming winter and if the provinces had prepared their food stores accordingly. The winters in Miroh could be harsh– deadly even. If the cold didn’t kill the populace, hunger was a certain second contender. If he could help alleviate that in any way: he would. It was his birthright and his duty, and he was nothing if not a man of his station.

Any indication of increasing hostilities in the Borderlands would have him holed up in his personal offices for weeks on end. He would analyze patterns. He would discern strategies. He would rethink choices in generals. He would make plans to advocate for peace treaties with the neighboring territories. WIthout fail, his efforts would be rebuked by the King and the conflicts would continue unchecked. He never stopped trying.

The conflicts never turned to all out war. They were simply petty squabbles with centuries long history over dejure land rights. It was almost ingrained as tradition– sons carrying out the same trite battles as a matter of pride over any true cause. Ofcourse, it wasn’t the Kings or Princes that suffered.

It was the common soldiers with wives and children waiting for their safe return. It was the fishermen who watched warily as flagships came to shore. It was the farmers who worked full days for a meager loaf of bread only to watch their livelihoods be put to the torch in a war they never asked for. It was average people who held no stake nor say in the matters of governance or state. It didn’t matter to them who held the territories they called home. Their lot would stay the same regardless of which Lords called themselves King, but the battles for that title hurt them more than anyone else.

Christopher knew that. He wanted to change it. He wanted to right historical wrongs and be the King his people needed. Alas, he couldn't. All he could do was worry.

It wasn't even just grand matters of state that occupied his mind. Smaller, more personal affairs piled on his already overloaded platter of responsibilities. He was the eldest of his family's sons – even in the circles of peasantry that came with its own responsibility. He had to look out for his younger siblings. He had to ensure they played their parts as royal children and kept the family name clean and as prestigious as ever. Some of his brothers made it harder than others.

Changbin had taken his duties easily as had their younger brothers: Seungmin and Jeongin. They knew their stations and how to conform within the standards that befit them. Felix and Jisung tried, but they were more empathetic. They struggled with their places on the world stage– questioning the morality of their way of life and the responsibilities they held. It wasn't a negative thing, and Christopher could not fault them for it. It was a natural part of being human.

In his youth, it wasn't at all uncommon for his studies and training as heir to lead him down a spiral of questions. He was one of the most powerful men in the world thanks to nothing other than being born a son of the Bang Family. He could make people tremble in fear if he so much as looked at them with ill intent. He held the power of life and death in his hands. How could that possibly be fair? How could he live knowing that he had everything while others had nothing? He was as well aware of the moral quandaries as Jisung and Felix. He would not fault them for floundering – he could not.

The hardest thing – he had learned – was having all the power in the world and still trying to be a decent human.

The duties and power of royalty were a loaded hand cannon given at whim by an unfair creator. Some men would tremble at the burden, and lay it down without problem. Some would take the power to head and heart, and become a terrible beast whose machinations could ruin entire realms with a single shot. Others – a very rare few – had the sense and sensibility to know not only how to shoot, but how to aim.

It was Christopher’s only hope that he ended up in the history books as one of the latter. He would be a good king when the time came. He would care for his people and not let the burden of rule turn him hard and corrupt. He would be the role model his brothers needed.

But these were simply hopes and dreams. In reality, he was simply one Prince amongst many others. His father still held the crown of governance, and he answered to the King as well as anyone else.

“You can not simply force him!” Beauty Lee cried out with as much emotion as Christopher had ever seen her express. She was usually so calm, and collected. She was a Beauty of the King’s Harem, but he had learned far too early that even his father could break the cool facade of the Palace women with little effort.

“And what's to stop me, Woman?” King Bang grunted back with a bite. His voice was not to be forgotten. It was distinct in its unyielding harshness, and it suited his appearance just as well.

He was a hardened man – a King but a true warrior at heart. He was graying and wrinkling in age, but he was still considered a handsome – even fearsome – man. Under the wrinkles covering his face and hands were scars from battle. He had seen war, but his age and dress showed he also knew luxury in equal measure.

“He is your son! You must have an ounce of compassion for your own blood!” Beauty Lee protested.

“Compassion? Is compassion what he needs, now?” The words were not spoken, but spat in frustration. It was a testament to Beauty Lee’s determination that she did not shirk away from the words. “I'd rather a firm beating to undo all the years of coddling you've put the boy through.”

“Is a mother's love coddling? I shall not deny he is flawed. Heaven knows we all are, but he's grown into a good man with a good heart!” Her voice was calmer, but still burning with resolve.

The feeling of dread that had been slowly rising in Christopher’s chest engulfed him until he felt bile rising in the back of throat. He knew he had not been summoned to the King’s receiving chambers to simply witness a lover’s quarrel. They were speaking of Second Prince Minho - Beauty Lee’s only son and the Second of the Bang Sons.

Minho wasn’t like his other brothers. He had always been incredibly brave even if outlandish. He broke tradition: galavanting across the world with intellectuals, keeping the company of whores and artists, and never accepting his duties as a Prince of the Royal Family. He had always done what he wanted, and Christopher admired him for it even if it stressed him out to his wits end.

“A heart our enemies would tear out of his chest and eat for protein. He is soft. Sometimes I question whether he is even my son,” King Bang said viciously. It was a tone that could cut down enemies. I was not a tone to take with a gentlewoman, especially not regarding your own blood.

“You– you can't say such things! He is your true son! I swear it,” Beauty Lee prostrated.

“Ah, bugger off woman! If I had any true suspicions you would be dead and he would be left to rot in a cell.”

“Please, Your Highness. Minho admires you so much, he just needs time.”

“Time? Had I known you and your welp would be so resource intensive, I would have left you both in the whore house you came from.” King Bang said it as if he were discussing the menu for the upcoming festivities. It was as casual a threat as could be delivered, but it was a threat.

“Plea–”

“Save your whimpering. There will be no further discussion. Minho will cease his fruitless adventures and settle down here in the palace with a harem befitting his station – or he will be sent to the Borderlands indefinitely.”

“You would send your own son to die in such a way?” Beauty Lee cried. As if suddenly realizing he was present, her wild eyes fell on Christopher. Before he could even register what was happening, she was tugging the sleeve of his shirt in desperation. “My Prince! He is your brother! Minho will die in the Borderlands! You know it.”

“Unhand the Crown Prince, Woman! I have taken heads for less!” King Bang roared amongst her pleas for mercy.

It was moments like this that Christopher liked to pretend. He was not simply Prince Christopher: he was King Christopher. He held the power. He would never let Beauty Lee be in such distress and he would be content to let Minho live as he saw fit, but those were still dreams. He was but a Prince, and Minho was too. If they wanted to survive for a future, they all had their parts to play. He could not pretend: he had to take action.

“Father,” Christopher spoke up as Beauty Lee clung to him. “I will take responsibility.”

“For Minho?” King Bang questioned with narrowed eyes. He was always suspicious– always seeing a play even if there was none, and truly Christopher didn’t have one.

“Yes. I will ensure he settles down into Court Life,” Christopher assured his dad and the bleary-eyed Beauty. She blinked up at him with hope, and even fondness. She always had been kind to him and his brothers. She would sneak them sweets when they were young and practiced at swords and the King forbade it. She was a kind woman – maybe too kind for the world she had been adopted into. “I will make sure he accepts it, and adjusts appropriately.”

“Sometimes, I fear I have raised no sons, but seven bleeding hearts instead,” King Bang sighed. He contemplated for a moment, his eyes flashing between his concubine and his heir with laser focus. If he were looking for something, he seemed to be content with what he found. “I will let you.”

“Oh, Your Majesty. I will be forever grateful. You are good, and just!” Beauty Lee cried as she dropped Christopher’s arm only to bow as low as possible at the foot of the King’s ornate desk chair he occupied.

“Save your words,” he commanded her. Her words stopped at once at his admonishment. “If Christopher should fail to tame my most wayward son, it will be a statement of his right to rule.”

As he spoke, he stared right into the eyes of Chrisopher.

The young prince was not surprised. He had spent his entire life jumping through hoops to earn not only his crown, but even a shred of affection from the larger than life figure that he shared blood with. His aptitude had never failed him, but he would never feel safe relying on his father’s love for anything in his life.

“If I cannot trust my heir to command his own blood, how can I trust him to command the people of an entire kingdom?” the King added. He let the threat hang in the air before turning his attention back to the sniveling Beauty at his feet. “In other words, if he fails: you will ruin two of my sons.”

It was another threat meant for the woman who had borne him a child.

She was one of his longest lasting concubines. It was rumored that Beauty Lee was the one woman of the harem that held any love from the King, and she had suffered for it. She had been scorned and bullied by the other women of the King’s harem. She had been attacked in countless games of court intrigue. She had outlasted all the attempts to have her ousted from the court and from his favor.

Christopher could only wonder: how would she survive the biggest threat of them all?

#stray kids smut #skz ff #skz smut #lee know fanfic #lee know ff #lee minho smut #lee minho fanfic #lee know smut #stray kids fanfic #bangchan smut #lee know x reader #bangchan x reader #bangchan ff #bangchan fanfic #stray kids ff #stray kids x reader #stray kids scenarios #skz scenarios #skz fanfic

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drowninnoodles · 11 months ago

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*steals all your attention*

*and gaster*

What u need my attention for

also. I have a hundred other fictional husbands in my harem.

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wuthering-high · 1 year ago

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Anyone who gets into a relationship with me will also be getting into a relationship with my harem of fictional husbands

#fictional men #book boyfriends #romance #romance quotes #romance books #books #reading #novel #fictional husbands

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taperwolf · 3 months ago

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On the topic of fanfiction I'm not writing, I don't think I've mentioned here my most persistent Nijigasaki plotbunny:

Ayumu and Yu discovering — and coming to terms with the fact — that their four collective parents have actually been a polycule for over a decade.

Half of this is my honest suspicion about the situation — really, the two families who've lived in adjacent apartments since before their kids were in school take all their vacations together? — and half is just wanting to play with Marmalade Boy-style shenanigans. Unlike a lot of my fic ideas, there's actually a story here, but I'm vague on some details, and it's been a very long time since I wrote anything as long as this would need to be.

I figure Ayumu would discover this first (both because she's going to fret about things more and because Yu is, as a harem protagonist, contractually obligated to be more oblivious to things), probably by seeing something she wasn't supposed to. Let's say she is running back up the stairs to get the lunch she forgot when she sees each set of parents kissing each other goodbye. She stops, embarrassed, and decides to give them a moment instead of interrupting, which is why she's still standing there to see her dad kiss Yu's mom, and her mom kiss Yu's dad. It's then mostly her shock that keeps her watching the couples regroup again to have the husbands kiss each other, and the wives. (I want the relationship to be totally mutual and all of them bi; part of this is avoiding some of the tropes around combining two married couples and part is that I think it's just more interesting.)

(To avoid the more unsavory end of the Marmalade Boy shenanigans, I think I want it clear that the couples first met each other after the kids were born.)

The next bit would presumably be Ayumu re-evaluating a number of memories — oh, god, was that why Yu and I got our own hotel room on vacation? Why our moms were giggling when our dads went on that fishing trip? — and I think it's funniest most productive if she confides in Setsuna before confronting Yu. Setsuna, then, has to balance being a good friend and comforting Ayumu against letting her imagination treat the situation like fiction and getting overly excited.

And then there's the sequence where Ayumu actually does tell Yu. And I think it'll take a bit for Ayumu to actually spell out the situation and get what's going on I kind of think Yu will under-react, from Ayumu's perspective — this is huge, why isn't she more bothered by this? Because after a little bit of surprise, Yu is going to be largely supportive of their parents, because they're happy, aren't they?

Which is all leading to Ayumu considering how close Yu is to the other club members. "Hitori dake nante erabenai yo!" and all that. Is a relationship like that what Yu wants?

And considering how Ayumu herself feels about some of the other girls — is it what she herself wants?

Anyway. Writing all that out helps some. But turning this into a story would involve a few difficulties. First off, I'd need to turn the parents into full OCs, and flesh out their relationships with their kids a little more — they've been very firmly off-screen.

#love live #nijigasaki #love live nijigasaki #ayumu uehara #yu takasaki #and their parents #fanfic i'm not writing #the idea keeps coming back though

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skenosbisworld · 2 years ago

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My discussion with @faintingheroine in the comment section of her poll on the opinions surrounding the subplot of the affair between Ibrahim Pasha and Nigar Kalfa in Magnificent Century have left me with some interesting ideas about how the plot and characters could have been better handled.

I'm pretty new to Tumblr, and I've never made a post before, but I didn't want to bog down her post with an essay worth of comments. So I'm making this post so I can add my entire two cents on this debate.

First off, I have some pretty big problems with this plot for three main reasons.

1. I cannot stand the use of affairs as a cheat code to adding drama. The trope is so overused, and rarely well done, especially in this show. I think I wouldn't mind the use of an affair for Ibrahim, especially because I do think it makes sense for his character, if the trope wasn't already overdone with Suleyman. Historical fiction shows often use this trope because of the modern view that historical men were never faithful, which is absolutely not true. There are many historical examples of men being loving and faithful husbands even in arranged marriages. One of these examples actually being Suleyman and Hurrem.

There are many reasons why a once happy marriage might deteriorate, and I just wish screenwriters would be more creative.

2. This plot, despite it being made into a big deal in season 2, ended up having little to no consequences in season 3 except for Nigar Kalfa, which will be discussed in the last point. Hatice ends up forgiving Ibrahim and Suleyman's decision to kill Ibrahim was not shown to be at all affected by his betrayal of his sister. The only lasting consequence was Hatice's developed hatred of Hurrem, which was both completely irrational and unnecessary as her hatred already could have been explained by her discovering Hurrem's role in Ibrahim's later execution.

3. The plot completely assassinated Nigar's character. I absolutely adored Nigar's character in season 1. She was the voice of reason among a sea of hysteria. She was smart and kind, but not completely loyal. She was ambitious, but she was still caring and dutiful. The affair with Ibrahim left her as a shell of her previous character that just made her look pathetic. Her friendship with Hurrem was already an interesting dynamic, and her place as an influential member of the harem already gave her a good starting point for her own personal arc.

However, I think this subplot could have had potential to be both interesting and rational.

My main key to improving the plot would be to remove Nigar Kalfa entirely out of it.

I think that Nigar's main arc should have been her rise as the new Daye Hatun of the harem.

This was already perfectly set up in season 1 with her already established position as an important member of the harem as well as her friendship with the future haseki sultan. Now I do think that alot could have still been done with Nigar even in this framework. I have two suggestions for what should have been done with her character.

1. I would have Nigar remain friends with Hurrem, but I would have made it a more complex dynamic. Leo's death was a perfect turning point for the two as it made Hurrem lose her unconditional trust in Nigar. This should storyline should have continued through s2 with Hurrem recognizing that even though Nigar is not completely loyal that the kalfa is still an intelligent and valuable ally to have. This would have them maintain an unstable alliance throughout s2 & s4 with them developing a more pure friendship in s4 with Hurrem recognizing that Nigar is the only one who could relate & remember all of her struggles. This would have made for some wonderful bittersweet moments especially around the time of Hurrem's or Nigar's death.

2. Something that could have been done to give Nigar a more personal subplot could have been a romance plot, but one done very differently from all the others. Nigar could have fallen for a man, someone like Nasuh Effendi, and they had a secret relationship for a while until later discovered. When discovered, Hurrem or the Valide Sultan could have offered Nigar a chance of marriage. A chance which Nigar declines in favor of keeping her position in the harem. This would have created a sharp contrast between Nigar and the other female characters as well as perfectly highlight Nigar's ambitions. Most of the women in the show are portrayed as a complete romantics who would do anything for the men they loved, but I don't think this common portrayal should carry over to Nigar. In s1, Nigar is shown as very level headed and rational. She criticizes Hurrem's extreme devotions to Suleiman, and does so without much sympathy unlike Hatice Sultan. This characterization should have remained consistent with Nigar not believing that love should not come at the cost of her own success.

Back to my proposed improvements on Ibrahim's affair subplot, I think this could have been done in two ways.

1. The affair could have been done with Gulnihal, and be a plot by Hurrem to destroy Ibrahim. This would have improved the subplot because it would have given a previously underused character a much more important role, and it would have justified Hatice's anger and hatred of Hurrem. This plot could have happened with Hurrem initially sending Gulnihal as a maid to Hatice in order to spy on Ibrahim. After realizing Ibrahim's interest in her, Hurrem would have ordered her friend to begin and continue an affair with the Pasha. This would have still left Ibrahim completely responsible for the affair, but it may also cast Hurrem into too much of a villain role. It's not a perfect rewrite, but I do think it would be an improvement.

My other suggestion is a much more radical rewrite.

2. The other option could have been that Ibrahim has an affair with some new character, which would not be Nigar or Gulnihal. The affair would have been done without any involvement from Hurrem. The point of conflict would be that Mahidevran finds out about the affair, and she would have helped cover it up out of fear that Hatice would divorce Ibrahim, who would lose his position, and Mahidevran would be left without her main ally. When Hatice inevitably finds out about it, her anger would instead be completely directed at Mahidevran and it would be their friendship that would deteriorate. This could also lead to a stronger friendship between Hurrem and Hatice. Hatice could have divorced Ibrahim, and she could have also been the one who suggested the removal of Mahidevran as head of the harem. This likely would have made Ibrahim's death come much swifter after he returns from the campaign, but I do think this would make for a very interesting shift in dynamics.

Anyway, those are all my thoughts. I may make another post about how I would have changed the relationship between Hurrem with Suleyman and Hurrem with the Valide Sultan. To me, Magnificent Century serves as the perfect playground for rewriting ideas, as both the show and the real history propose so many interesting plotlines, but I feel like the show rarely ever fufilly delivers on it.

If anyone has any disagreements or other opinions on this, I would love to hear. Thx:)

#magnificent century #muhtesem yuzyil #hurrem sultan #nigar kalfa #ibrahim pasha #sultan suleyman #opinion

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bloodypeachblog · 1 year ago

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So my boyfriend introduced me to a character from a game he's looking forward to.

Ladies, gentlemen, and others, i present to you: my newest fictional husband in my harem: Billy Kid.

youtube

#zenless zone zero #billy kid #zzz #mihoyo #hoyoverse #omfg i love him #i love deadpool and i love vash and this guy is just them rolled into an android #What's not to love?#Youtube

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morbidlittlebunny · 2 months ago

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My teen/high school fictional men were just first loves.

Negan is my first husband. Cooper is my second. I have a harem in my head.

It’s ironic because really I’d like to be part of Negan’s harem.

#josh hartnett #cooper adams #trap 2024 #trap movie #trap #cooper adams trap #cooper abbott #the butcher #negans thirst squad #negan smith #daddy negan #twd negan #negan #the walking dead negan

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silviakundera · 1 year ago

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Empresses in the Palace ep 16

"And now she dares to take away my Persian Ink!" Hard agree, my darling Hua Fei. Screwing your man is one thing, but fucking with your brows is another!! ✊

but babe, why u want to live with a baby??

Lmao look I know its A BABY but it's a fictional one and I'm amused that her palace is so crap at taking care of it. My career girl is just NOT the maternal type. Drugs the kid with crushed sleeping pills; "It works just fine on me." lmaoooooo

ffffuvk she's looking ragged in front of the emperor GURL let that baby go. Neither of you are having a good time.

Zhen Huan, I know the emperor is your dad's age but this fickle dude that might kill you or your besties someday is not the DILF protector you need, in metaphorical OR literal thunderstorms.

Empress savoring the new girl being humiliated by the new new girl 💅

While Zhen Huan plans for the long game by serving up Ling Rong. She's in it to win it now. Definitely feeling disconcerted about matchmaking her friend with her husband but willing to do it so they have a stronger backing in the palace. The first sign for me tbh that she could be empress material. And tbh for once the Empress isn't laying it on thick. LR truly has a celestial voice. Consort Yu supposedly was admired for her pipes but she has nothing on LR. The way she looks back. Yaaaasss always leave them wanting more.

That half-sister is gonna become a real problem.

me trying to picture how u draw eyebrows "like distant mountains"

ep 17

Prince Guo is not hot but not grandpa. He's also not the source of humiliation & suffering for a busload of ladies. I'm sold! yeah, I ship it. Please bang in despair at your wasted lives at least once, thx.

Hua Fei taking a big swing to frame up Zhen Huan by poisoning the favored baby. But it's not actually that risky, because her brother is impeccable armor.

Duan Fei is the real MVP. Everyone knows she's lying but the emperor clearly respects her and isn't willing to embarass her. No more than he's willing to severely punish my gf Hua.

Hope Duan gets her revenge.

Ep 18

So the emperor totally knows Hua Fei posioned the kid that he actually likes, but General Nian's skills trump all.

I'm honestly not sure if Zhen Huan should be trying to push the emperor to not reward Hua Fei. He's gonna do what he thinks he needs to.

Half-sister Huanbi is getting on my NERVES. And finally ZH's, thank god.

Prince Guo is so chill. He just strolled by like, hey crying servant, what's up? oh, somebody dissed your look? you're doing amazing sweetie, don't worry be happy. (Exit stage left.)

I think I love him.

Our protagonist with a BIG WIN. (crowd sounds) 👏 👏 proved half-sister is a traitor and her nemesis finally annoyed the emperor enough that she'll miss a promotion.

Girl, u know I love u. You're the only one for me. But Hua Fei, darling, you really need to properly space out your scheming. It's too much. The man needs some time, space, and calm to properly ponder how much he loves & appreciates your brother.

Ep 19

This episode should be subtitled "The Tale of Two Loves' or '2 Ships For The Price of One'.

First she risks it all to sneak in to hold hands longingly and shed tender tears with her Mei Zihuang. Then romantic coincidental rescue by Prince Guo and a late night boat ride with poetry & literature musings.

And I'm winning because I ship both of them.

Not sure how I feel about Half-Sister Intervention. Huanbi's situation is fucked and in a different drama she'd be the revenge-seeking protagonist. But she's also dumb as hell to want to join the harem and give up the chance to escape to a normal life. She's seen what a hell this place is. Ultimately, she has reason to resent ZH and their family. And she has a dangerous secret. What if she flips again? Just get rid of her ASAP. It's life & death struggles over here, no space for second chances.

#empresses in the palace #cdrama #i binged yesterday waiting for Love Song for Ilusion 2 weekly ep to drop #now today i can catch up in peace #the soothing thing about horror for me #is that i know most everyone is fated for a bad end #it removes stress and tension from me #im just watching these lil guys on the screen have hilariously awful things happen to them #oh look its a series of unfortunate events 😯

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letthefairyinyoufly · 1 year ago

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Questionnaire for book lovers

Tag me!

I'm bored and curios.

Goodreads account?: Favorite genre(s): Favorite book(s): Favorite book series: Favorite classic(s): Favorite Author(s): Favorite quote(s): Favorite adaptation(s) to screen: Favorite character(s): Favorite villain(s): Favorite ship(s): Book boyfriend(s) or girlfriend(s): Book(s) that made you cry: Physical book, eBook or audiobook: Currently reading: Last 5 star read: Book(s) that you wish were more popular: Your old favorites: Your most anticipated book: Favorite audiobook narrator(s): Unpopular opinion:

You can add more questions!

Book recommendations are welcomed.

Tag some fellow book lovers :

my answers ⬇️

Goodreads account?: Yes

Favorite genre(s): Dark Romance, Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance

Favorite book(s): A Court of Mist and Fury, Anne of Green Gables, Twisted Games by Ana Huang

Favorite book series: ACOTAR, Anne of Green Gables Series, Millennium series

Favorite classic(s): The Great Gatsby, The Last of the Mohicans (one word UNCAS)

Favorite Author(s): Stieg Larsson, Sarah J. Maas, Anne Rice

Favorite quote(s): “If I offer you the moon on a string, will you give me a kiss, too?” —Lucien Vanserra (ACOTAR)

“It’s easier to bear when you let someone in, let them help you through the grief. So next time, you come to me. For everything, you can come to me. If you’re hurting, I want to hurt. If you’re angry, I’ll rage with you. If you’re happy, I’m euphoric. If you’re so beyond broken that you can’t sort through the rubble, then come to me, baby, so I can piece you back together myself. Hit me, yell at me, kiss me, fuck me, whatever you need to do, my body is yours for the taking.” —Creed (Lethal Truths)

Favorite adaptation(s) to screen: Pride & Prejudice (2005), Sharp Objects HBO, Anne of Green Gables (1985)

Favorite character(s): Lucien Vanserra from ACOTAR, Anne Shirley, Camille Preaker from Sharp Objects (show version is my most beloved fictional character, I think liked book version almost as much???), Creed from Blackwood University Series, Jim Holden from The Expanse, Lisbeth Salander from Millennium series

Favorite villain(s)/antihero(es): Arobynn Hamel from Thorne of Glass, Lestat de Lioncourt from Interview with the Vampire, Creed from Blackwood University Series, Killian Carson from God of Malice

Book boyfriend(s) or girlfriend(s): Creed from Blackwood University Series (I'm in love with him), Atlas Corrigan from It Ends with Us, Rhys Larsen from Twisted Games, Rhysand from ACOTAR, Lucien Vanserra (hopefully he will get his mate)

Favorite ship(s): Feyre/Rhysand from ACOTAR, Bridget/Rhys from Twisted Games, Anne/Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables Series, Elide/Lorcan from TOG, Holden/Naomi from The Expanse

Book(s) that made you cry: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey

Physical book, eBook or audiobook: Ebook and audiobook (GraphicAudio)

Currently reading: Kingdom of Ash, You Can't Kiss the Nanny, Brady Banks (Audiobook, narration is so good, I wish more books had dialogue between two narrators)

Last 5 star read: Lethal Truths by Sybil Reese

Book(s) that you wish were more popular: Blackwood University Series by Sybil Reese (it's a Dark Romance and Reverse Harem so yeah😞), I wanna gush over Creed with somebody. He should be sole lead, then maybe book had more readers. It's weird when you have character who is cuddlier version of Zade Meadows and you try shoe horn him into harem when he is obvious choice. Technically he is her main hubby and others are more like sidepieces, hopefully it stays this way. And 2nd book is way better.

You old favorites: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (I still love it)

Your most anticipated book: God of Fury by Rina Kent and ACOTAR

Favorite audiobook narrator(s): Aiden Young

Unpopular opinion: I think Chaol is the most rational and relatable character from TOG and I side eye his haters. I have so many unpopular opinions about TOG that I sometimes wish that I have never started reading it.

sorry : @jupiter-86, @dangermousie, @acourtofthought

#books and reading #goodreads #acotar #Haunting Adeline #zade meadows #Questionnaire #Blackwood University Series #rina kent #Lethal Truths #dark romance #fantasy romance #contemporary romance

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zukkacore · 1 year ago

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I would fucking love to learn about hockeygate

I'm not the most involved in booktok but i was privy to this drama i don't know how but i did stumble upon it. To be fair. There's literally like articles and videos and stuff that probably explain it better than me, like this is actually getting mainstream coverage it's kinda wild.

Anyway it starts with the fact that there's this Why Choose (reverse harem) hockey romance book that blew up on tiktok called Pucking Around.

So it becomes a thing on tiktok for people who like this book to basically to do faceclaims for the characters with actual real hockey players—i'm not sure if this was independently inspired or if the author was like "yeah these fictional hockey players are totally inspired by [insert real hockey player here"]. One of said fancasts is this guy named Alex Wennberg who plays on the Seattle Krakens.

This booktoker named Kierra Lewis blows up really quickly and gets a pretty decent following mainly from, like, making comedic tiktoks that are basically thirsting over these real hockey players on the Seattle Krakens & how much they look like her book boyfriends which includes Alex. & im sure its like meant to be all in good fun & hornyposting online has its sphere as long as its not invading the lives of the real people involved (kinda like how everyone had the hots for Pedro Pascal which i get but contriving every interview so that he's bombarded with everyone's thirst tweets and comments feels like its devolving into harrassment guys) so i get that. A lot of the jokes are sexual & there's a pretty common one she makes about wanting Alex Wennberg to "crack her back" etc, its play on "break my back" i think? Or maybe its a kraken pun?? idk.

& a lot of the hornyposting about the hockey players involves like making fancams of the players groinstretching on the ice & in these poses that fans sexualize them in, etc etc. I wanna point out that like it's not just Kierra doing this, its a whole sphere of hockey romance booktok, but she is a pretty prominent figure in this story.

Anyway all this hornyposting about the seattle krakens gets the attention of the kraken's actual social media account, so they start playing into it too. Posting thirst traps of the players and stuff. So The Krakens were benefiting from the attention from Booktok, but at the same time, it feels pretty ridiculous to claim that a popular team in a well-loved longstanding sport was, like, "discovered" or made relevant by booktokers.

Kierra Lewis actually gets invited to a Krakens game, like she gets flown out, she gets like a Kraken's jersey that says "booktok" on the back etc etc. & she's posting tiktoks from the game. & i'm gonna editorialize more than i previously have to give more of my personal opinion here, but this is the part that I think is particularly just, inappropriate and in bad taste. b/c she's like filming the players on the ice while they do their stretches and making sexual comments, like shouting "crack my back" to them while they're on the ice, like it's very much the same thing she's doing on tiktok but online is one thing, that's at least worthy of a conversation of like what privacy really is online, but it's another thing to be making comments like that to their face while at a person's place of work.

After all this, the wife of Alex Wennberg, Felicia Weeren, makes a post on social media basically asking people to ease up on all the suggestive comments about her husband online, not just for her sake but b/c it makes her husband uncomfortable, too. She's basically asking for people to be more mindful of how they post, and im paraphrasing in her sentiment that people would view this behavior targeted towards her husband and the other hockey players and inappropriate if women were the recipients of the sexual comments.. It's been impacting their lives because their online presence now is basically just swarmed with people making suggestive comments, people in their lives irl are commenting on it & making jokes about it, etc etc.

(& i personally don't love when people make the "if the genders were reversed" arguments b/c that tends to lead to false equivalency & also b/c people broadly don't take harassment of women seriously, but tbh she has a point. While people don't take harassment of women seriously, i think broadly left-leaning people at least understand the shape of like, what a catcall is and why its bad. & part of the reason this went uncommented on for so long is part of the patriarchal stereotype that men always want sex which is used to dismiss male victims)

She was pretty measured about the whole thing all things considered, especially b/c she said she's all for female empowerment and sexual expression & she doesn't know if there is a simple answer to this stuff, but there has been boundary crossing with how extreme and vocal its getting & especially b/c its affecting her husband at his work.

In her post, some of the examples she included as inappropriate comments included posts made by Kierra. She didn't single out Kierra directly, but she did use her posting as representative of a larger trend in the hockey romance booktok fandom.

The post from Felicia was taken really poorly by booktok and people started harassing her and her family including their kid, and saying she was being dramatic, saying she wants to be the center of attention, fabricating rumors about her and Alex wennberg that they were having "marriage trouble" etc etc. This includes Kierra lewis getting pretty upset and taking the post as though she's being singled out personally. Mostly doubling down, deflecting, saying it's all just a joke.

And perhaps it does suck to be treated as representative of an entire group of people, and being the most prominent face of something, she would inevitably get the brunt of backlash. But also she was the one invited to the game and was making all those comments like shouting at the players and stuff, so I do think she has to take a larger ownership over her behavior than random people posting online.

During this time she also finds out the Kraken's social media unfollowed her, so she's also expressing resentment that the Krakens were playing into the thirst trap stuff but suddenly have turned against her.

And yes, it was all just probably meant to be in good fun, but from the wider internet outside of booktok, it just seemed pretty inconsiderate and crappy to double down after people expressed that they were uncomfortable with what is basically sexual harassment. Yes, the Kraken social media was feeding into the hype, but the social media account is not representative of the players and their attitudes, and it was clear that the players stopped being comfortable with what was going on. Tbh there was quite a bit of victim blamey rhetoric. Consent can be revoked at any time. (& i have seen some arguments that b/c its sexual harassment (& in the workplace!) and not just like, an encounter in the bedroom, it wouldn't even have been possible for Alex Wennberg to consent in the first place b/c you can't consent to harrassment. It was just harrassment the whole time.)

Anyway, the harassment toward Felicia got so bad that Alex Wennberg had to come out and also make a statement in support of his wife

But the reason that post is making fun of booktokers thinking they made hockey relevant was b/c that was a pretty funny and common argument from Kierra and other booktokers who were not backing down on their position that they did nothing wrong. They kept being like "well we made the Kraken's relevant", "we brought all this attention to hockey", "the Krakens would be nothing without booktok." it was all very bizarre.

#jan.ask #long post

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