Trying to figure out what to do w/ the husband

[bettiezyx]

Am working on a story where an assassin (female) decides to quit by saving the target (male). But she's married. In quitting, she's got to make everyone think that they're both dead, including her husband (who doesn't know what she does, but finds out when she's "dead"). She hooks up w/ the target, who gets her pregnant to bind her to him. But something's got to happen w/ the husband. Do I have him move on, fight for her, decide to go polyandry...?

 

[LupusDei]

First and foremost, this is for your assassin to decide. You have to get a couple of answers from her in this.

She decides to save the target, why?
With a male assassin we can have this irrational "too cute to kill" response where his subconscious identity optimal breeding partner and he switches into guardian mode. With female assassin we have no analogous mechanism, human females do not instinctively guard their males, there's no biological imperative for that. In their own incomprehensible way they are far more rational in such decisions (and thus better assassins indeed). If she identifies him as alpha stud his function is fulfilled as soon she gets pregnant, as soon that's confirmed she could as well safely kill the target. If she lets him live, there's more.

And, sorry, but having a baby is always and totally, one hundred percent female's decision. Unless she's retarded or held in a state of limited insanity by religious bullshit (and yes, that's one of primary goals of male-centric religions, to try and force some minimal input in procreation, however self-delusional), a woman of a crisp mind and in charge of her body have complete control, it is always her sole decision to have a child with this man. Well, it is to a limited extent possible to force or trick the female, but that requires at least physical control over her and preferably psychological and emotional control as well.

Now, you say she decides to quit her assassin's ways by letting her designated target live, and have his children. This tells she sees him as worthy to be her guardian while she's incapacitated (by late term pregnancy), and provider while she's tied to home by a toddler. The most primal need a woman seeks in a man is safety. This man has the skills and abilities and/or resources and/or power to enable or aid meaningfully in making them both dissapear and restart comfortable lives. It's not necessary for her to submit to him, but he has to be "man enough" to be at least a worthy partner on her level. Unless, there's always possibility she's delusional about him, or he fulfill specific limited role in her plans other than getting her pregnant.

What is her relationship with the existing husband? She had lied to him for years. At best he is used as her comfort teddybear, and I must emphasize, he is used. Unless, he is part of the organization controlling her, but you said he isn't, so I assume he's a bystander used for cover. So, why keep him around? Can she grab him as a teddybear, a beloved toy, make him accept and be a nanny for her new master's children while they go around fighting and taking over the world? Or does he possess resources or abilities essential to her? Perhaps, he can prove meaningful cover during or after their transition into a new life, sure he will be closely monitored, but maybe it's some hiding in plain sight strategy daring enough to work?

Unlike the target who has to abide by the assassin or die, the former husband does have meaningful choices. He's just discovered he had lived in lies and doesn't know shit about the woman he cradled. And now she's having children with another man. He has to be under one hell of a spell of eternal love to accept this, forgive her everything and share her. To keep this relationship functional seems exceedingly improbable, but maybe that's interesting if you can find reasoning why it might work.

Polygamy we can dismiss as natural, polyandry has to have rational explanation. In cases I have read about where it has been cultural trend versus isolated incidental cases, it tends to be serial husbands who are rarely if ever at home at the same time, and away for periods measurable in years or large fractions. A whole another situation is communes where group of men and women doesn't retain strict pairings or at least accept some fluidity in who is with whom when. It's far more easily to imagine two existing male friends sharing a woman than having an ex dragged into the new relationship as a grown up child or some such.

Finally, there's supposedly a chunk of male readers who have absolutely no problem with large harems of lesbians for one male, but sharing a girl between boys is squick, and God forbid the boys are touching each other. I don't say you should abide by such insanity of the masses, but if in doubt...

So, I would say, unless you have damn good reasons not to, make the hubby an ignorant asshole and get rid of him. Or keep him as the nice boy and play out his tragedy mourning, or forever waiting confirmation of his wife's death, or if she's so cruel to reveal she's still alive, waiting his one true love to come home in never to happen eventuality. And yeah, she may as well keep using him for occasional small favors, promising just that, forever again, either in deliberate deception or self-delusion.

 

[bettiezyx]

Good thoughts

Good thoughts, Thank you! You make a lot of motivation points, and I'm working my way through them to make sure that they've already been addressed...

 

[davion2308]

I'm only slightly concerned

I'm concerned about the plot hole of a woman who's married suddenly dumping her husband to point of faking a death just to be with a new guy she doesn't know.

I think that with more development of "why" the assassin is leaving her husband, you'll find your answer. Is he secretly abusive? We're rooting for her to move on. Is he (plot-twist) a Mr. & Mrs. Smith assassin himself out to kill either the guy or the main character? Fake a death and move on!

Or is he the actual target and she has to work on the two of the exploding to save their lives and opens up a new world for him?

If you throw down 2,000 - 4,000 words and we don't know the characters, I expect you'll get low scores because the woman is just being a bitch and running off with some other dude. Give us a reason why she's doing what she's doing and you'll probably discover her husband's fate yourself.

Good hunting!

 

[bettiezyx]

Details...

I've decided that she leaves the husband a note saying that she's been lying to him (not what about) & that when she gets back they'll talk about the details of the divorce & that generally he can keep everything & she'll just grab her stuff & move out. Husband knows she's been lying b/c she's never actually on the "business trip" that she tells him she's on but never could catch her at what she was really doing. & knew that if he confronted her, she'd leave him.

FYI: The reason that she saves the target is b/c he was the main driver for pursuing justice for her cousin's death. She's an alien-human hybrid, which are treated like society's untouchables. The target was one of the few humans willing to fight for them.

 

[LupusDei]

I'm concerned about the plot hole of a woman who's married suddenly dumping her husband to point of faking a death just to be with a new guy she doesn't know.

Am working on a story where an assassin (female) decides to quit by saving the target (male). But she's married. In quitting, she's got to make everyone think that they're both dead, including her husband

I may be reading too much in the wording, but just by order of things mentioned the story that had emerged completely independently in my head have the necessity(?) of quitting either the whole line of work or just the current employer as the leading motivator for the actions of the Assassin. The Target provides opportunity, and/or means, and/or the tripping point of already suspended decision. The husband is collateral damage, possibly painful, but unavoidable.

However, that's just me reading structure of ice crystals.

 

[GuessImJamie]

Poly wins 3-2

In the old days (late 60s) young Dimitri, Donna and James worked diligently for the KGB, CIA and MI5.75. They had fun together at times when together they saved the world from the Chineese or Microsoft. They also opposed each other at times when asked to do so.

Still they respected one another. You know, sometimes the pressures of a job can really only be relieved by someone who is in the same line of work and truly understands the difficulties you face. Donna and James married and due to his agency's generous paternity leave program, he became Mr. Mom.

Years later as US-Chineese relations begin to thaw some KGB hardliners are in a panic. Dimitri uncovers a plot to Shanghai an old Soviet Balistic Missle Submarine and attack Pearl Harbor. Placing the blame on the Chineese in order to derail change.

Kenneth Sewell wrote a book about this, 'Red Star Rougue'... (From Wikipedia - "A retired United States Navy Captain Peter Huchthausen, and former naval attaché in Moscow, said he had a brief conversation in 1987 with Admiral Peter Navojtsev, who told him, "Captain, you are very young and inexperienced, but you will learn that there were some matters that both nations have agreed to not discuss, and one of these is the reasons we lost K-129.")

Ah, but, who does Dimitri tell? --- Why his old between the sheets buddy Donna, He got Jame's voice mail at MI5.82.

Donna tells her bosses, and war is averted. But for political reasons both the US and USSR arent talking. The Soviets want Dimitri dead, The CIA was not really interested in protecting him, and make a deal with the KGB. Because they are close Donna is ordered to do the deed.

James has been her confidant and sounding board throughout the whole situation. He points out that the two men are similar enough in stature and Dimitri is a "master of disguise." Together they fake Dimitri's demise and install him as a "shadow" James II.

Keeping up with the kiddos is a lot easier with two daddies taking care of things. But for the charade to work Batman and Bruce Wayne may never be seen together. Not by the CIA, KGB or MI5.97. Not by the kids, they ask too many questions and don't know that mommy and daddies are spies.

Donna loves being the focal point. For some reason Dimitri is very appreciative. James went to public schools. It's spit-roast for (after)dinner once again (and again, and "oh yes! again"). So Donna has a few more babies (from both of her James) so that James Ii feels secure and James I doesn't have to go back to work. (Oh, and for Donna's motivation - making them is fun too. Being a mom is great and she has plenty of help raising them.)