Mal

hmmmmm…. so what were Felicity and Chloe up to that they weren’t able to hear what was going on??? Maybe they were busy…
On that note, how soundproof are the cells/ punishment room/ different wings of the harem? Like could one person hear someone else in another cell, even if they are just talking? Or is it so soundproof that you couldn’t even hear someone on the other side of the door? 

Exactly my thought. Plot should dictate when and where smut is added so that an emotional investment carries to the reader. Then again, writing smut also depends on the audience that a writer wants to attract.  I know many readers only want plot what plot gratuitous sex. I’m not one of them. When I get the chance to read fan fiction, or any kind of non work related stuff, I want something to help me escape the stress, and PWP sex won’t do. Some people feel the opposite, so that’s why audience does matter when it comes to how much sex is added to a story. Others feel the exact opposite of myself and want no emotional involvement, just pornographic fap material for their fantasies. Both styles are fine, but it does make a difference in the kind of readers that will congregate to a story.
In my reading experience,  a smut scene happening out of the blue without fitting an emotion or plot is jarring. Tosses me right out of the story because I like deeper and meaningful tales. The main reason is that I feel no investment in the characters hopping into bed with each other because it seems to have zero reason to be happening. Not even if I adore the show or books that the story is based loosely off of because of a fan driven love for a pairing that I can actually relate to being reasonable or even preferable. Again, I am a reader that needs the context of emotion to make the smut feel realistic. A lot of folks are unlike myself. Some folks want zero emotional investment in what they are reading.
If I cannot feel connected to the characters, then I really cannot read the smut without yawning. I need immersion in one specific character’s head and heart to enjoy smut personally. If I cannot be on their shoulder and seeing their emotional responses, it feels like I’m reading yet another Psychology study on the latest findings for SE Table work in helping to alleviate anxiety attacks. Instead of titillation, the smut feels like dry and uninteresting case studies for me.
However, I adore reading plots which evolve character relationships into the deep emotional connection that makes the sex feel meaningful. When you consider how mechanical sex can start to feel if there is no real context/reason for it happening, having the emotional and mental cues added can take an otherwise dull feeling scene and make it sparkle. It conveys emotions and that is what sucks me in as a reader. Doesn’t matter if it is angry make up sex, or seduction engineered to bring the object of one’s fantasies to their knees, so long as there is the sense of genuine emotions, I’m going to be sucked into the scene and adore it.
A lot of plot what plot type gratuitous work feels too shallow to me when I do get a bit of time to do any reading. Since so much fan fiction is about character emotions and evolution foremost, (see tags like angst, hurt/comfort/romance/unresolved sexual tension) it only makes sense to match the  sex to the evolution of the characters emotional attachment to me.
So the amount of sex added should fit the readers that you enjoy writing for the most. If you like raunchy PWP, then by all means write a lot of it. If you want readers to be invested in the sexuality of your characters, create a plot and let it dictate where the best emotional driven sex fests happen.

Hey everyone! Thought you guys might like to know that even though its only been a little more than two weeks since I published chapter 30, that Chapter 31 is here! I am really really excited about this chapter. In my opinion its one of my very best. While 31 is full of awesome moments, the one I am most excited about, is the one I’ve been telling you guys about for a few months now. That scene I’ve been wanting to write since near the very beginning of Billion Dollar Harem is finally here. (I’m sure you guys will recognize it when you see it). I won’t give anything away, but to me, this moment is a real game changer in the harem and should have long lasting effects. Chapter 31 is exclusively focused on the continuation/resolution of Emma’s storyline, and of the Taylor’s choice storyline. More or less, we see these two resolve but those resolutions open the door to a whole bunch of new things. Honestly, after this chapter, there will be so many things to deal with it might take two or three chapters just to get through day 38. I’m very excited to see how things play out.
I can’t say for sure when I’ll get chapter 32 up, but I should have a little more time to write for the next couple months. But I also plan to work on the next chapter of Emma Watson’s Blowbang Spectacular. Which I plan to work on next. The next EWBS will also be relatively short, I’m guessing around 8-10 pages (for perspective, chapter 31 is 23). It will feature the next stage in her devolution into a cum craving cock whore. We’ll see her visiting at least one smut shop’s glory hole, and will likely learn the origin of the photo. BDH 32 will definitely see us going to the punishment room to check in on our newbies. Aside from that, I don’t really know for sure. With so much going on, we’ll just have to see what I decide to focus on. But likely there will be at least one scene with Emma, and one with Margot and maybe Cara and or Taylor…. Its really too hard to say at this point.
There haven’t been too many comments lately, but I’ll go ahead and address what comments there are before I wrap this up.
Well: I’m glad you like the Taylor stuff in 30. I had a lot of fun writing that scene. As for getting more of that with Taylor...well, we’ll just have to see. I’m not sure if I’d ever do anything like your paper idea. Honestly, there is enough drama going on in the harem to add random commands from a third party to things which the girls are responsible for. Lastly, as for punishment… well, you’ll see  
PlayerOne: Thanks man! and Welcome to my thread. Always nice to see a new voice here. I think its a huge compliment that you put my work on par with One Piece, even if its only in terms of anticipation. I really appreciate it. I can honestly say that Kaley Cuoco will never be in BDH. I have a poll going for the last two spots and she isn’t on it. That isn’t to say that I’m not a fan or that I don’t find her attractive. She just isn’t on my radar for this story. Sorry. Now, on to your two critiques. I’m actually very glad you bring up number 1. I think the important thing to remember is that there is a big, a massive, a HUGE difference between giving in, and being wholly willing participants. I think Cara is a perfect example here. She comes into the harem and almost immediately starts fucking Alex, sans compulsion. But that doesn’t mean that she wouldn’t leave at the first opportunity, or call for help or betray him if she thought it would get her out. It means that she cooperates to avoid worse punishment. I mean, when the choice is being tied up and getting the ever loving shit gangbanged out of you two, three times a day, or fucking one handsome man who really really knows how to give out the dick once a day at most… that’’s a pretty easy choice. She saw the Taylor Swift video, she knows the punishment for not fucking Alex. Does that mean she’s wholly willing? Definitely not. At this point in the story I would say there are only three girls who wouldn’t leave if given the chance. Taylor, she’s addicted to Alex. Chloe, is mind fucked and broken. She couldn’t make a choice like that if she wanted to. And Emma because she is in love with Alex, and he shows her love and respect in return. Even Margot, who I would say is the next closest would escape if given ample opportunity. Its really hard to say that they’ve given up too… I mean look at the situation. They have no way out. No way to even reach the elevator without being gassed and they know that escape and failure to comply will result in harsh, brutal rape and torture. Just because they’re choosing the easy option doesn’t mean that they’ve given in or given up. It just means they prefer Alex and his soft touch to the guards and rough, harsh and nasty… Seems like an easy choice to me. Sorry if that went on for a bit, but I think its an important distinction. Now your No. 2. Alex is being more lax with the girls. They have had an effect on him, just the same as he has had an effect on them. Alex isn’t perfect, he makes mistakes. I know most people say they prefer the hard, harsh Alex who has zero tolerance, but I assure that Alex would make this story very dry in a very short time. I also find it funny that since Taylor slapped Alex I’ve had half a dozen people tell me she should have been tossed in the punishment room immediately. But, not one person said anything, in fact, no one batted an eyelash, when Emma did the exact same thing in chapter 15. I guess my opinion of his laxness, is that it causes problems, which a) show Alex’s own vulnerabilities, and b) create more plot twists. I will also add, that after the events of 31 we will be seeing at least some of the return to cold, hard, harsh Alex… Thanks again for the kind words, and I hope that helps clear things up.
ALKK: Thanks for the Votes!
Ok guys, I’m out. thanks again for reading along. I hope you enjoy the new chapter, I know I really enjoyed writing it. I hope to see more comments and questions in the future. I write this story as much for you guys as for myself and its your contributions to this thread that show me you guys are still around! Anyway, I hope to hear more from you guys soon. I should be around to address any comments…
Till next time,
-Mal
 

I had a brilliant idea for my future Special Agent Oso written work that involves my original character named Robbie Mason who gets taken off the streets on his way home from a short walk that afternoon or evening. Since this is a place to get good advice I wanted to know as readers what would set this story up correctly giving off a positive and negative impact on the topic of Lima Syndrome and our infamous Stockholm Syndrome during Robbie's experience being the little human housepet for Oso, Wolfie, and Musa who are characters for the cartoon fandom I've written? 
It was inspired by Mal's written work that had a man who kidnaps celebrity girls and forces them to have sex or get punished for refusal and disobedience while overtime his victims come to understand what he does giving themselves up to him entirely without struggle.
Found the story quite interesting and wanted to do one of my own with a childhood favorite.
Story Inspiration: http://celeb.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600094620

Man I really hope the big surprise is something silly like Alex's room is filled with WWE posters and a wrestling ring lol. And they put on masks and they spend all day practicing staged wrestling moves. Would've been a good April fools joke for you to pull on us if they timing lined up. 
Also very curious to see what you have planned for Bella. 

I just wanted to say, my story has the rape tag… I didn’t start this thread to find some loophole to try and get out of including the tag. It was more of a philosophical question I was raising. As well as the question of whether or not each individual chapter, which I tag at the top before the story begins, should include the tag. There is no doubt in my mind that my story as a whole is in need of the tag, and, should properly warn people before they click on it, of the content contained within.
Thanks again for all the responses!
-Mal

I just wanted to say, my story has the rape tag… I didn’t start this thread to find some loophole to try and get out of including the tag. It was more of a philosophical question I was raising. As well as the question of whether or not each individual chapter, which I tag at the top before the story begins, should include the tag. There is no doubt in my mind that my story as a whole is in need of the tag, and, should properly warn people before they click on it, of the content contained within.
Thanks again for all the responses!
-Mal

I just wanted to say, my story has the rape tag… I didn’t start this thread to find some loophole to try and get out of including the tag. It was more of a philosophical question I was raising. As well as the question of whether or not each individual chapter, which I tag at the top before the story begins, should include the tag. There is no doubt in my mind that my story as a whole is in need of the tag, and, should properly warn people before they click on it, of the content contained within.
Thanks again for all the responses!
-Mal

I just wanted to say, my story has the rape tag… I didn’t start this thread to find some loophole to try and get out of including the tag. It was more of a philosophical question I was raising. As well as the question of whether or not each individual chapter, which I tag at the top before the story begins, should include the tag. There is no doubt in my mind that my story as a whole is in need of the tag, and, should properly warn people before they click on it, of the content contained within.
Thanks again for all the responses!
-Mal

Ooh I learned something new today! I agree on pessimism; I’ve written pretty dark circumstances, but hope and humor have always been central themes in my writing. 
@Mal That’s actually a really compelling setup so good on you! I would posit something maybe controversial: if she and Alex are happy together in the end, maybeeee… It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks? Maybe in the story, that’s just between them and they don’t need outsiders passing judgement on what transpired.
Obviously, the relationship can never be completely morally clean and conscionable and I’m pretty sure Alex would burst into flames if he walked into a church, BUT I don't think anyone would complain if you went the romance route. I mean, I haven't even read your story and I'm kind of shipping Alex and the crazy chick   I’ll have people on my own (very rapey) fic commenting on the two lines of snuggling I wrote after an entire chapter of rape and wondering which of his victims the MC is going to hook up with in the end and I’m just here like, wow, that wouldn’t be healthy at all. But we’re writing dark fantasies which are completely fictitious anyway; so that’s just part of the territory. And I’m sure you’ve already tagged out the wazoo so it is what it is, eh? 

If the content calls for the tag and it’s not there, we hide the story which drastically cuts down on readership anyway.

@InvidiaRed True! I’ve since adopted a policy of ‘write it if it feels right’ which I think is working well. I’ll write it with the momentum of the story and just let it go as long or as short as it needs to be. 
Mal, OF COURSE THAT HELPS! My chapters are a bit shorter, trying to keep them around 5k, and I think I have a similar approach. Along with what I mention just above, I do try to make sure there are two scenes in each chapter so one longer ‘main’ scene and then a shorter one. I think I’m still working really hard on the ‘making sure the smut advances the plot’, but also learning at the same time. And if it doesn’t directly advance the plot, I want it to tell us something new about the characters at the very least. I’ve been doing better since I started the rewrite.
I had this one chapter which didn’t have a speck of sex in it – which I somehow only realized a week after posting it because it was so ingrained in the plot and I literally freaked out lol. Luckily it was kind of short so it didn’t kill the story or anything.

KassX, my current chapters tend to range  around 10k, and I average 1-2 scenes per. Having said that though, I think it also greatly depends on how many characters you’re working with and the circumstances that are going on. A lot of times my main character, Alex will feature in both scenes. But sometimes he’s only in one. There was also a point in the story where he was gone for like 5-6 chapters and none of the sex scenes featured him. To me, the plot should ALWAYS dictate the smut. But, having said that, I AM writing smut so I always try to include at least one scene in every chapter. I also think that its more important for the smut to make sense and further the plot than to just be something gratuitous and tacted on because you needed smut. 
I don’t know if that helped, lol I just wanted to chime in!

KassX, my current chapters tend to range  around 10k, and I average 1-2 scenes per. Having said that though, I think it also greatly depends on how many characters you’re working with and the circumstances that are going on. A lot of times my main character, Alex will feature in both scenes. But sometimes he’s only in one. There was also a point in the story where he was gone for like 5-6 chapters and none of the sex scenes featured him. To me, the plot should ALWAYS dictate the smut. But, having said that, I AM writing smut so I always try to include at least one scene in every chapter. I also think that its more important for the smut to make sense and further the plot than to just be something gratuitous and tacted on because you needed smut. 
I don’t know if that helped, lol I just wanted to chime in!

KassX, my current chapters tend to range  around 10k, and I average 1-2 scenes per. Having said that though, I think it also greatly depends on how many characters you’re working with and the circumstances that are going on. A lot of times my main character, Alex will feature in both scenes. But sometimes he’s only in one. There was also a point in the story where he was gone for like 5-6 chapters and none of the sex scenes featured him. To me, the plot should ALWAYS dictate the smut. But, having said that, I AM writing smut so I always try to include at least one scene in every chapter. I also think that its more important for the smut to make sense and further the plot than to just be something gratuitous and tacted on because you needed smut. 
I don’t know if that helped, lol I just wanted to chime in!

So, KassX, Alex’s reason for building the harem I don’t think are so different than anyone who reads celebrity fiction. He idolized and fantasized about these celebrities and realized that even with his power and influence he might not ever be able to be with any of them and certainly not all of them. The main difference between him and people who read celeb fiction are that A) he is like Bruce Wayne rich, and B) he has sociopathic and psychotic tendencies. The building of the harem for him started out more as a way for Alex to get what he wanted. He didn’t care so much for the feelings of the women he was taking. But as I said, the story has also kind of evolved into a psychosexual romance. Many of Alex’s captives have fallen for him, having been changed by their interactions with him and his very strong alpha type personality. But, and this goes back to InvidiaRed’s point: 
Alex has also fallen for and been changed by his interactions with the women he’s imprisoned. It is interesting, because he now feels bad for some of the celebs in his harem that they’re going to be forced to stay there forever. But he also recognizes that he can’t let them go because it would take them away from him, and it would obviously have dire legal ramifications for him.
Alex is a very interesting character. One of my favorite scenes with him is  when he is preparing to go back out into the world in order to bring more celebrities back into his harem. He tells one of the celebs, the one who is put in charge of keeping the peace (at least without the intervention of the guard leaves behind). This celeb is the one he trusts the most, she has pretty much fallen desperately in love with him, but on the other hand doesn’t understand why Alex needs to imprison and brutalize more women, both emotionally and physically and doesn’t want to see other women suffer the same fate as she and the others. She pleads with him not to leave, that she and the others (the original group) are more than enough for him. It is an interesting moment because Alex is torn between his feelings for her and his knowledge that what he is doing is wrong and his desire to go through with his plans. Society may have taught him that his actions are wrong, but the only reason he feels any moral pull not to go through with his plans is because of his interactions with his captives. 
What’s so interesting about this moment is that old Alex. That is to say the Alex from the first 6-8 chapters wouldn’t have given a moment of hesitation about doing what he wanted, bringing more women to live in his dungeon. He may have irrevocably changed the women he has imprisoned, but they have changed him too. Even more so as the story goes along, because ultimately, Alex went through with his plans and at least temporarily broke the celeb who pleaded with him’s heart.
I under stand, and I agree with BronxWench when she said:
What is going on in Billion Dollar Harem, even when “consent” is given is rape. The celebs have no power to refuse, at least long term, without ramifications. They can’t leave and while they might have “fallen” in love, that love isn’t real, it is essentially a mechanism for dealing with the trauma of their situation. As to the tagging question. I think I will continue tagging chapters where “consent” is given without using a rape tag. Mostly because the story as a whole has the rape tag so anyone clicking on it for the first time has been warned and I can thereby differentiate with my readers which chapters have sexual content of a more forceful and brutal nature and which do not.
I would also like to add I’m happy there was such a response to this question. I must admit when I asked it, I had more or less come to the conclusion that everything going on in Alex’s dungeon was rape, but I was really curious to see if anyone thought that it could EVER become anything other than that. I guess the answer to that question is no, unless Alex were to release them and give them ample time to recover and readjust to normal life. If then, they returned to him to form a relationship, that interaction could have the potential of becoming something more…
The whole thing is very interesting, even though I know and as you guys have said, it is rape… Its still interesting to see how these relationships develop and how they change both parties. I guess it is weird to think in terms that without drastically altering the parameters of their relationships it could never be anything else I still think it is very interesting to explore how they change and effect one another…
Thanks again for taking the time to consider my question,
-Mal

So, KassX, Alex’s reason for building the harem I don’t think are so different than anyone who reads celebrity fiction. He idolized and fantasized about these celebrities and realized that even with his power and influence he might not ever be able to be with any of them and certainly not all of them. The main difference between him and people who read celeb fiction are that A) he is like Bruce Wayne rich, and B) he has sociopathic and psychotic tendencies. The building of the harem for him started out more as a way for Alex to get what he wanted. He didn’t care so much for the feelings of the women he was taking. But as I said, the story has also kind of evolved into a psychosexual romance. Many of Alex’s captives have fallen for him, having been changed by their interactions with him and his very strong alpha type personality. But, and this goes back to InvidiaRed’s point: 
Alex has also fallen for and been changed by his interactions with the women he’s imprisoned. It is interesting, because he now feels bad for some of the celebs in his harem that they’re going to be forced to stay there forever. But he also recognizes that he can’t let them go because it would take them away from him, and it would obviously have dire legal ramifications for him.
Alex is a very interesting character. One of my favorite scenes with him is  when he is preparing to go back out into the world in order to bring more celebrities back into his harem. He tells one of the celebs, the one who is put in charge of keeping the peace (at least without the intervention of the guard leaves behind). This celeb is the one he trusts the most, she has pretty much fallen desperately in love with him, but on the other hand doesn’t understand why Alex needs to imprison and brutalize more women, both emotionally and physically and doesn’t want to see other women suffer the same fate as she and the others. She pleads with him not to leave, that she and the others (the original group) are more than enough for him. It is an interesting moment because Alex is torn between his feelings for her and his knowledge that what he is doing is wrong and his desire to go through with his plans. Society may have taught him that his actions are wrong, but the only reason he feels any moral pull not to go through with his plans is because of his interactions with his captives. 
What’s so interesting about this moment is that old Alex. That is to say the Alex from the first 6-8 chapters wouldn’t have given a moment of hesitation about doing what he wanted, bringing more women to live in his dungeon. He may have irrevocably changed the women he has imprisoned, but they have changed him too. Even more so as the story goes along, because ultimately, Alex went through with his plans and at least temporarily broke the celeb who pleaded with him’s heart.
I under stand, and I agree with BronxWench when she said:
What is going on in Billion Dollar Harem, even when “consent” is given is rape. The celebs have no power to refuse, at least long term, without ramifications. They can’t leave and while they might have “fallen” in love, that love isn’t real, it is essentially a mechanism for dealing with the trauma of their situation. As to the tagging question. I think I will continue tagging chapters where “consent” is given without using a rape tag. Mostly because the story as a whole has the rape tag so anyone clicking on it for the first time has been warned and I can thereby differentiate with my readers which chapters have sexual content of a more forceful and brutal nature and which do not.
I would also like to add I’m happy there was such a response to this question. I must admit when I asked it, I had more or less come to the conclusion that everything going on in Alex’s dungeon was rape, but I was really curious to see if anyone thought that it could EVER become anything other than that. I guess the answer to that question is no, unless Alex were to release them and give them ample time to recover and readjust to normal life. If then, they returned to him to form a relationship, that interaction could have the potential of becoming something more…
The whole thing is very interesting, even though I know and as you guys have said, it is rape… Its still interesting to see how these relationships develop and how they change both parties. I guess it is weird to think in terms that without drastically altering the parameters of their relationships it could never be anything else I still think it is very interesting to explore how they change and effect one another…
Thanks again for taking the time to consider my question,
-Mal

So, KassX, Alex’s reason for building the harem I don’t think are so different than anyone who reads celebrity fiction. He idolized and fantasized about these celebrities and realized that even with his power and influence he might not ever be able to be with any of them and certainly not all of them. The main difference between him and people who read celeb fiction are that A) he is like Bruce Wayne rich, and B) he has sociopathic and psychotic tendencies. The building of the harem for him started out more as a way for Alex to get what he wanted. He didn’t care so much for the feelings of the women he was taking. But as I said, the story has also kind of evolved into a psychosexual romance. Many of Alex’s captives have fallen for him, having been changed by their interactions with him and his very strong alpha type personality. But, and this goes back to InvidiaRed’s point: 
Alex has also fallen for and been changed by his interactions with the women he’s imprisoned. It is interesting, because he now feels bad for some of the celebs in his harem that they’re going to be forced to stay there forever. But he also recognizes that he can’t let them go because it would take them away from him, and it would obviously have dire legal ramifications for him.
Alex is a very interesting character. One of my favorite scenes with him is  when he is preparing to go back out into the world in order to bring more celebrities back into his harem. He tells one of the celebs, the one who is put in charge of keeping the peace (at least without the intervention of the guard leaves behind). This celeb is the one he trusts the most, she has pretty much fallen desperately in love with him, but on the other hand doesn’t understand why Alex needs to imprison and brutalize more women, both emotionally and physically and doesn’t want to see other women suffer the same fate as she and the others. She pleads with him not to leave, that she and the others (the original group) are more than enough for him. It is an interesting moment because Alex is torn between his feelings for her and his knowledge that what he is doing is wrong and his desire to go through with his plans. Society may have taught him that his actions are wrong, but the only reason he feels any moral pull not to go through with his plans is because of his interactions with his captives. 
What’s so interesting about this moment is that old Alex. That is to say the Alex from the first 6-8 chapters wouldn’t have given a moment of hesitation about doing what he wanted, bringing more women to live in his dungeon. He may have irrevocably changed the women he has imprisoned, but they have changed him too. Even more so as the story goes along, because ultimately, Alex went through with his plans and at least temporarily broke the celeb who pleaded with him’s heart.
I under stand, and I agree with BronxWench when she said:
What is going on in Billion Dollar Harem, even when “consent” is given is rape. The celebs have no power to refuse, at least long term, without ramifications. They can’t leave and while they might have “fallen” in love, that love isn’t real, it is essentially a mechanism for dealing with the trauma of their situation. As to the tagging question. I think I will continue tagging chapters where “consent” is given without using a rape tag. Mostly because the story as a whole has the rape tag so anyone clicking on it for the first time has been warned and I can thereby differentiate with my readers which chapters have sexual content of a more forceful and brutal nature and which do not.
I would also like to add I’m happy there was such a response to this question. I must admit when I asked it, I had more or less come to the conclusion that everything going on in Alex’s dungeon was rape, but I was really curious to see if anyone thought that it could EVER become anything other than that. I guess the answer to that question is no, unless Alex were to release them and give them ample time to recover and readjust to normal life. If then, they returned to him to form a relationship, that interaction could have the potential of becoming something more…
The whole thing is very interesting, even though I know and as you guys have said, it is rape… Its still interesting to see how these relationships develop and how they change both parties. I guess it is weird to think in terms that without drastically altering the parameters of their relationships it could never be anything else I still think it is very interesting to explore how they change and effect one another…
Thanks again for taking the time to consider my question,
-Mal

So, KassX, Alex’s reason for building the harem I don’t think are so different than anyone who reads celebrity fiction. He idolized and fantasized about these celebrities and realized that even with his power and influence he might not ever be able to be with any of them and certainly not all of them. The main difference between him and people who read celeb fiction are that A) he is like Bruce Wayne rich, and B) he has sociopathic and psychotic tendencies. The building of the harem for him started out more as a way for Alex to get what he wanted. He didn’t care so much for the feelings of the women he was taking. But as I said, the story has also kind of evolved into a psychosexual romance. Many of Alex’s captives have fallen for him, having been changed by their interactions with him and his very strong alpha type personality. But, and this goes back to InvidiaRed’s point: 
Alex has also fallen for and been changed by his interactions with the women he’s imprisoned. It is interesting, because he now feels bad for some of the celebs in his harem that they’re going to be forced to stay there forever. But he also recognizes that he can’t let them go because it would take them away from him, and it would obviously have dire legal ramifications for him.
Alex is a very interesting character. One of my favorite scenes with him is  when he is preparing to go back out into the world in order to bring more celebrities back into his harem. He tells one of the celebs, the one who is put in charge of keeping the peace (at least without the intervention of the guard leaves behind). This celeb is the one he trusts the most, she has pretty much fallen desperately in love with him, but on the other hand doesn’t understand why Alex needs to imprison and brutalize more women, both emotionally and physically and doesn’t want to see other women suffer the same fate as she and the others. She pleads with him not to leave, that she and the others (the original group) are more than enough for him. It is an interesting moment because Alex is torn between his feelings for her and his knowledge that what he is doing is wrong and his desire to go through with his plans. Society may have taught him that his actions are wrong, but the only reason he feels any moral pull not to go through with his plans is because of his interactions with his captives. 
What’s so interesting about this moment is that old Alex. That is to say the Alex from the first 6-8 chapters wouldn’t have given a moment of hesitation about doing what he wanted, bringing more women to live in his dungeon. He may have irrevocably changed the women he has imprisoned, but they have changed him too. Even more so as the story goes along, because ultimately, Alex went through with his plans and at least temporarily broke the celeb who pleaded with him’s heart.
I under stand, and I agree with BronxWench when she said:
What is going on in Billion Dollar Harem, even when “consent” is given is rape. The celebs have no power to refuse, at least long term, without ramifications. They can’t leave and while they might have “fallen” in love, that love isn’t real, it is essentially a mechanism for dealing with the trauma of their situation. As to the tagging question. I think I will continue tagging chapters where “consent” is given without using a rape tag. Mostly because the story as a whole has the rape tag so anyone clicking on it for the first time has been warned and I can thereby differentiate with my readers which chapters have sexual content of a more forceful and brutal nature and which do not.
I would also like to add I’m happy there was such a response to this question. I must admit when I asked it, I had more or less come to the conclusion that everything going on in Alex’s dungeon was rape, but I was really curious to see if anyone thought that it could EVER become anything other than that. I guess the answer to that question is no, unless Alex were to release them and give them ample time to recover and readjust to normal life. If then, they returned to him to form a relationship, that interaction could have the potential of becoming something more…
The whole thing is very interesting, even though I know and as you guys have said, it is rape… Its still interesting to see how these relationships develop and how they change both parties. I guess it is weird to think in terms that without drastically altering the parameters of their relationships it could never be anything else I still think it is very interesting to explore how they change and effect one another…
Thanks again for taking the time to consider my question,
-Mal

Dont forget Lima Syndrome. Where the captor falls for their captive. Or dependency or other sycophantic behavior. Which further muddies the swamp water.

I think Mal mentioned that Alex has errr… Reasons, lol. I’d be interested to know what those are. 
My guy’s reasons were that he was under duress as well, and if he refused, he’d simply be made part of the harem and they’d get a newer, probably worse master (better the devil you know, eh?) so he was trying to keep everyone alive up until they had an opportunity to escape. I did intend to transition him to more of a romantic role; ie, he marries one of his old victims and stays friends with the rest, who understand why he did it. I am realizing that might be too idealistic now… I dunno if that reason’s good enough but that’s the one I got lol.

I think there’d have to be a massive change of circumstance for it to move outside Stockholm syndrome, rape and abuse patterns.  Free will, free movement, and the right to say no without penalty is only the beginning.  How would you separate someone saying yes because of a habit/pattern of abuse/fear even if the threat appears to to be gone? Learned patterns, even psycho ones, for survival would persist.  How long does it take for prisoners and rape victims to recover to even react to sex, trust and intimacy in a more healthy way. Most accounts I’ve seen is a long time if ever.  And I honestly don’t think the abuser has much more than a snowball’s chance in.. after removing personhood and agency over an extended period.
I had a rape survivor in an early story, and they had several screws loose back at home during recovery when it wasn’t an abuser who was nice sometimes.  In retrospect, I think I probably had her recover too fast, but I had little comments on that part of the story. If I wanted to somehow shift a rape/harem into a romance somehow, I would think there would need to be a more compelling reason why the wannbe sheik thought any of this might be okay, like raised in an isolated cult. In another galaxy.  If they/she visited him in prison and they got together when he got out in twenty years everyone would have agency and maybe there might be love.  But I have to think about the women wanting Charles Manson free for their HEA makes me sad.

So ever since my post in the “On tags I’ve used by A Writer” section, I’ve been contemplating the idea of consent. Now, I stand by what I said in the thread, that consent, in so far as a character/person either wants the sex and consents to it, or its rape. But it got me thinking on the specific circumstances in my story Billion Dollar Harem, and how they relate to consent. In BDH, the main character, Alex, builds an expansive, luxury “bomb shelter,” under a mansion he constructed deep in the Yukon Mountains. As its being built, he recruits a cadre of African mercenaries. After his complex is complete, he uses these men, his expansive wealth, and subtle influence to kidnap five different celebrities on the same night. He then imprisons these women in the underground shelter and once there, he begins their sexual training.
Now, I’m not debating that basically all the initial sexual encounters would and should be categorized as rape. Clearly, these celebs are there against their will and whether its through force, coercion, or self-preservation any sex he gives them is rape. What I’m curious to hear from you guys about, and I guess the question I’m asking is: As time goes by, the celebs slowly begin to succumb to Stockholm Syndrome. But more than that, they learn about Alex, and many of them find themselves sympathizing, not so much with his actions or his methods, but in a more general sense his motivation, however misguided, for bringing them there. Not to mention, these same celebs find him attractive and capable of sensitivity, even caring, and there’s the added benefit that he’s an extremely skilled lover. As time goes on they begin to give themselves to him willingly, many even initiating sexual encounters on their own. Now, my question is: should these encounters be considered rape? 
On the one hand, the celebs are still being held in Alex’s sex dungeon. They are expected to participate in the harem and its sexual activities or face punishment. Which means in many ways the original circumstances are still in place, they are just more accepting of it and acclimated to it. On the other, more than a few of the celebs have reached a point, where they wouldn’t want to leave Alex, even if given ample opportunity. So, it maybe have been abduction, rape and Stockholm Syndrome which got them to the state of mind they are currently in, but they have still made a conscious choice to belong. Now, I have not been taging scenes in which these celebs “willingly” give themselves to Alex as rape, (mostly because they ARE  consenting), but it still makes me wonder that in this supremely messed up situation, are these women even capable of giving consent? Their feelings toward him are a byproduct of the extremely fucked up situation which landed them there, but they (at least now) want to belong….
Its a complicated situation. As to tagging, I don’t think I’ll change my policy that when they consent, or offer themselves to Alex that I won’t use a rape tag. But I am curious what you guys think on a philosophical level. Is it still rape when he has sex with them, even if they are willing, just because of the fact that he is still technically keeping them as prisoners in a sex dungeon? I’m very curious to hear what you guys think!
Looking forward to hearing from you guys,
-Mal

I mean, it is pretty interesting. Alex has tolerated refusals for sex over short periods from a couple of the celebs. He is sensitive to what they’re going through emotionally. But on the other hand, blatant refusals over time are met with harsh punishment. So the celebs do have some degree of choice, but ultimately they submit, or they’re punished… so I can still kind of see both sides of what you’re saying, KassX.

I mean, it is pretty interesting. Alex has tolerated refusals for sex over short periods from a couple of the celebs. He is sensitive to what they’re going through emotionally. But on the other hand, blatant refusals over time are met with harsh punishment. So the celebs do have some degree of choice, but ultimately they submit, or they’re punished… so I can still kind of see both sides of what you’re saying, KassX.