Open secrets

[Brandnewbuddy]

So the concept is easy to understand, just not sure the best way to generate stories from it.

Open secrets: in other words those relationships that would be scandalous but everyone just turns a blind eyes to.

For example: the two “aunts” or “uncles” that live together. The priest who regularly has dinner and even sleeps over at the house of a single mom and her kids whose dad is unknown. The two women that have been living with a guy for years. The old man whose “great niece” doesn’t look anything like him. Those kinds of relationships. Though it could also be thinks like “okay, Brother Melvin’s a peeping tom” “nobody goes to Sparrow point “to check out the scenerey”

But what would be some interesting ways to explore that theme? Like just put the relationships out there and make each the focus? Have it be about the comedy of people pretending the secret is safe when everyone knows? Or maybe have it be set in a town and the viewpoint is an outsider who finds it shocking how seemingly no one cares about these secret relationships

 

[davion2308]

I think a fun one would be a Mature story. There's a young man who spent his first year at college and roomed with a guy. They're buddies now and they end up going back to the roomie's hometown because the school is closed for whatever holiday. The young man meets his roomie's friends, plans of staying for a few days, and the friends all tease him or quietly take him aside and warn him about the roomie's mother.

Mom is in her 50s, divorced, attractive and she's really into the young guys now that she kicked her husband out. They all tell him none of them have told his roomie and the guy is clueless but they have all had whatever sexy time with the woman at one point or another, most of them more than once.

Does the young man take the opportunity knowing she's ready to have some fun? Does he flirt or does she flirt and he tries to fight off her advances in front of his friend? It's an open secret and everyone knows except her son.

 

[anthrodisiac]

How about a town where nobody keeps any secrets from anyone else? Parents have sex when their (adult) kids are still in the house without a care, the (adult) kids have people over. Affairs, infidelity, deep kinks, all of it is out in the open, and everybody is incredibly tolerant toward it because nobody really has the moral high ground, and it's just how things are. It's a sexually free society.

Enter incredibly shy, nervous, sexually conservative newlyweds. They heard this place was great, that the people were very welcoming, but nobody told them about what an open society it was. One of the two has a secret kink they've been too afraid to tell their spouse, but upon seeing how free everyone is: "Yeah, I was sleeping with Bernard's wife the other day, and I guess I impregnated her. Well, it was either me, Bernard, Chip, Darrel, or Luis. Wait, no, Luis had that vasectomy after he'd fathered kids with Chip and Darrel's wives. So, one of us four."

So does the shy partner finally open up to their spouse about it? How do they cope, keeping secrets in a society where nobody else does? Maybe one lets slip a white lie to a neighbor, which then eventually gets back around to the spouse because people freely share other people's secrets as much as their own. They finally snap, and not only is their partner okay with it, but they have something even kinkier they've always wanted to try...

 

[MikeXIrons]

I could see a story where one or more of the characters THINKS the secret is well kept, but, it’s not.

Like… a girl who, after college, returns with her fiance to his little midwestern hometown, wearing the cool goth necklace he gave her. She’s always liked it because, it’s their little kinky secret that they’re both into BDSM. She feels a naughty rush walking around town wearing it. What she doesn’t know is that he was well known before college to being into that particular kink, and had several girlfriends wear that same, or a similar necklace, but, it’d be rude to talk openly about something like that.

Or a guy who, after college, returns with his new wife to her little midwestern hometown. He chuckles at the small-town hicks who probably wouldn’t understand their hotwife relationship that they occasionally indulge in back in “the city”. He encouraged her to explore her sexuality and open up… and enjoyed the control he had over her, giving her permission, or sometimes pushing her to explore new boundaries. What he doesn’t know is that, in her hometown, she had a well-earned reputation as a slut, but, it’d be rude to talk openly about something like that… especially if it might reduce the odds of some of her old classmates getting another shot at her by letting her husband in on the secret.

 

[Roamme]

I like it. I'd do it like, EVERYONE cheats and messes around, but everyone also thinks THEY have it on the downlow. Wives cheat and think husbands don't know. Husband's cheat and honestly think we don't know. We know but, like everyone else, we turn a blind eye to it

 

[Aussieguy8]

Probably set the thing before the 1950s/ 60s. "Understandings" and "open secrets" used to be incredibly common. Even then people got bored in the suburbs and men could not only afford 1 family on a salesman's salary but 2.

Concepts like the nuclear family, or even a cultural/ religious push for no sex before marriage are less than 100 years old. The old standard used to be no sex before engagement or some kind of verbal promise. And women could sue a man if he broke that promise, even if it was verbal only. Formal marriage was only for the nobles and the middle classes that copied them. The 'lower orders' aka most people, didn't follow those rules and generally just let people do what worked for them if it didn't cause them problems.

Of course there are other time periods where that isn't as true such as the Victorian era. Although the roaring 20s were back to more understanding ways. And other places where, typically religious, purity took over for a while. Bonfire of the vanities style.

 

[Nightscream89]

How about something like a tight knit neighbourhood, most who live there are families and couples. However there lives one single guy who just has a way with the ladies. Handsome, great in bed and a real smooth talker. The wives all cheat on their husbands with him when they get the chance.

What the wives don't know is that the husbands are fully aware that they sleep with this guy. They are actually friends with him, but the husbands know that because of him their wives never object when they want to go on a fishing trip with just the boys. It gives the wives the opportunity to have another round with the 'stud'.

Maybe the story could be about a newly wed couple that just moved into the neighbourhood. The husband gets told about this arrangement and the others try to convince him its a great deal. "Happy wife, happy life, even if she cheats." The women try to convince her to sleep with the guys "Its amazing and what they don't know, doesn't hurt them."

 

[Rob_Royale]

A young king comes to power and marries the daughter of a local noble. It's easy to see why, she's gorgeous and refined, and sexually she rocks the kings world every night.

But his is not the only world she's rocking. She's quite promiscuous. When it starts to become talked about, another noble mentions the rumors to the king. The queen is quick to explain to the king that it is just the cruel words of jealous people. Jealous of the imaculate relationship and love that the king and queen share. The king buys it.

The man who spoke to the king is either found dead or disgraced in some way and stripped of rank. Thereafter, everyone is too wary of the queen's vengeful side to mention the fact that every one of her servants and advisors are strapping, handsome young men.