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1->''Love is war... and the one who falls in love loses!''
2-->-- ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar''
3
4A SisterTrope to LadykillerInLove, this is what happens when TheCasanova and the FemmeFatale (Or [[TropesAboutPerverts some similar character archetypes]]) are both trying to seduce each other for their own purposes at the same time. Most of the time, there is no sincere romance between the two, each one is [[ManipulativeBastard strategically putting the moves on the other]], trying to seduce them to join [[FaceHeelTurn their]] [[HeelFaceTurn side]], give them information, or obtain the MacGuffin for them. As such, this is often one of the EspionageTropes. Often, a Duel of Seduction ends in a SexFaceTurn. In the meantime, it's a good opportunity for copious {{Fanservice}}.
5
6There is a bit of a DoubleStandard with this trope. Because [[ReallyGetsAround a woman with a lot of sexual experience and drive is a lot less socially accepted]] than a man with the same, more often than not the [[TheCasanova seducer]] is on the side of good, and the [[FemmeFatale seductress]] on the side of evil. The seducer is more likely to [[HighHeelFaceTurn convert the seductress to his side]] in the end, and she often loses much of her power and appeal in the process because GoodIsDumb.
7
8----
9!!Examples:
10
11[[foldercontrol]]
12
13[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
14* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' crosses this with BattleOfWits. Kaguya and Shirogane are in love with each other, but a combination of pride, shyness, [[spoiler:[[InsecureLoveInterest and insecurity]]]] keeps both of them from confessing. So they both try to force the other into a situation where they'd be forced to admit they're in love. HilarityEnsues.
15** This eventually ends with [[spoiler:Kaguya finally asking out Shirogane over winter break a week after their FirstKiss, though it was merely a formality at that point since both of them had ceased to care about "winning".]]
16* ''Manga/MakenKi'': Love Espada ends up facing off against Red "Desire", essentially a succubus version of herself, during chapters 111 - 113. Each tries to force the other to submit, via orgasm, using any and all manner of seduction and foreplay.
17* Alluded to in ''Anime/YuriOnIce'': Yuri, for a figure skating performance on the theme of "Eros" (sexual love), imagines the story of a Casanova who comes to town to seduce the most beautiful woman there. Since Yuri cannot empathize with the womanizer, he gives the story a twist--the beautiful lady turns the tables on the Casanova and seduces him--and Yuri then plays the woman's part in his figure skating performance.
18[[/folder]]
19
20[[folder:Comic Books]]
21* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'':
22** Steve Trevor had been working on seducing Dolly Dancer, a Nazi spy who was dating him to get information and didn't realize he knew who she was before he'd ever met Diana. Dolly tries to keep Steve alive when her superiors' plans finally come to fruition and manages to escape Diana in the ensuing chaos.
23** Steve and Draska try to get each other to lower their guard with flirtations, the problem being that Steve is there on orders even though Draska knows exactly what he's doing and who he works for. This means the flirtations are entirely a smokescreen of courtesy and she holds all the cards, which Steve realizes but can't do anything about.
24[[/folder]]
25
26[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
27* ''FanFic/ABrighterDark'': A relatively low-stakes but no less interesting example occurs when [[TheTease Solei]] and [[TheCasanova Laslow]] meet for the first time. It starts with him trying to invite her out to a night of tea, and then somehow spirals into an argument over who is superior in their skill of enrapturing the heart of their targets; him citing his longer lifespan and thus longer experience, and her citing her overall superior skill. It ends with her eventually deciding to prove her point by seducing him on the spot. After a rather...intimate speech, he quickly has to concede that she is clearly the expert of her field.
28** [[spoiler: Takes on another interesting layer with the strong hint that he might be her father...]]
29* The ''Fanfic/{{Dangerverse}}'' has a variant. When Amanda Smythe and Luna Lovegood realize that they are both in love with Draco Black (and that he has feelings for both of them), they decide to make a formal contest out of it. Each of them gets two months to seduce Draco while the other steps back, and they repeat the cycle until he picks one or the other of them.
30* ''FanFic/HarryAndTheShipgirls'': [[PairTheSmartOnes Draco Malfoy and Ehren du Chasteler's]] romantic relationship is made of this trope. Since [[GuileHero Draco]] wishes to 'ride the tiger' by being a husband to a powerful, strong willed, independant, and deadly woman (like his mother Narcissa's relationship to his father), while Ehren's [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield Muramasa magical nature]] demands that her beloved Master must continually prove his worth by controlling his and her darker urges to misuse her, the result is a centuries-long 'game' of subtle one-upsmanship point-scoring and mutual consensual seductions that results in over a dozen biological children of theirs after the wedding....
31-->"You unspeakably clever underhanded little Prussian minx!" Draco declared joyfully as he stepped forward, grabbed Ehren by the shoulders, and kissed her very thoroughly and passionately. "[[ItMakesSenseInContext You planned this setup all along for when I died]], didn't you?!"
32
33-->Her smugly triumphant smirk grew as she slipped into her most aristocratic Hochpreußisch German dialect to answer his accusation in a pedantic voice. "Eigentlich bin ich ein Amerikanisches Schwarzfußfrettchen Animagus, wie du weißt. (Actually, I'm an American black-footed ferret Animagus as you know.)"
34
35-->"Du bist immer noch ein Luder, Ehren. (You're still a minx, Ehren.)" Draco declared in German with his own smirk. "Und du hast nicht auf meine Anschuldigung geantwortet, Häschen. (And you haven't answered my accusation, dear.)"
36
37-->She promptly 'dropped the proverbial microphone' by Transfiguring her Celtic dress into her Seventh Year school uniform (complete with her Head Girl's badge) before seductively posing for him with a challenging 'Do it to me! I know we both want to!' look in her sparkling eyes. "Was diese Anschuldigungen angeht, bekenne ich mich schuldig. Du solltest wissen, dass ich unter meiner Hufflepuff-Schulmädchenuniform mein liebstes Paar nuttiger, unanständiger Schlüpfer für meine 'Erotikdisziplinierungssitzung' trage, mein geliebter Held und Ehemann. Was wird der Präfekt von Slytherin tun, wenn er die Hufflepuff-Schulsprecherin dabei erwischt, wie es gegen die Schuluniformvorschriften verstößt... schon wieder? (As for those accusations, I plead guilty as charged. You should be aware that I'm wearing my favorite pair of slutty naughty panties under my Hufflepuff school-girl's uniform for my 'discipline session', my beloved hero and husband. What is the Slytherin Prefect going to do when he catches the Hufflepuff Head Girl violating school uniform regulations... again?)"
38
39-->Draco laughed joyfully as he realized that -- once more! -- Ehren had cleverly maneuvered him right to where she wanted him to be. '''Not that he'd have it any other way when it came to their romantic relationship, honestly.''' "Das ist meine unglaublich schlaue und hinterhältige Ehrendolchin! Komm hierher, damit Präfekt Malfoy von Slytherin dir die 'richtige preußische Erotikbestrafung' geben kann, die du verdienst, du ehrenhafte und treue kleine Hufflepuff-Schülerin. (That's my wonderfully cunning and sneaky Ehrendolchin! Come here so Prefect Malfoy of Slytherin can give you the 'proper Prussian punishment' that you deserve, you honorable and faithful little Hufflepuff schoolgirl.)"
40[[/folder]]
41
42[[folder:Film]]
43* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'':
44** The scene in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' with Elizabeth Swan and Captain Jack Sparrow, each trying to get the other to do something in return for something else. She wants to prove he's not as bad as he pretends, he...well, his motivations seem transparent, but on the other hand, it's [[WildCard Jack]].
45** Jack and Angelica in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides''.
46* Film/JamesBond obviously is a good candidate for this. The most memorable scene has to be ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'' with Fiona Volpe. It's notable for ''both'' failing to significantly affect the other's disposition.
47* ''Film/The10thVictim'' is a movie about citizens engaging in a DeadlyGame where one contestant hunts the other. While this sort of thing isn't ''required'', it is indeed ''encouraged'', seeing as the game is televised. The seductress here - played by Creator/UrsulaAndress - attempts it, but [[InLoveWithTheMark falls in love with her intended victim.]]
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Literature]]
51%%* ''Literature/DangerousLiaisons''
52* Creator/FrankHerbert's ''Literature/HereticsOfDune''. Murbella tries to use an Honored Matre technique to seduce and mind control Duncan Idaho's ghola, but his secret Tleilaxu conditioning allows him to seduce and condition her instead.
53** They actually manage to condition ''each other''.
54* In ''Literature/TheDemonPrinces'' final volume, Alice Wroke is under [[IHaveYourWife orders]] from the villain to seduce the hero. He, being several steps ahead of the game, obligingly plays along. [[spoiler: Although he doesn't sleep with her.]]
55* Implied to have happened in two of the ''Literature/LordDarcy'' stories. In one, a female spy zaps Lord Darcy with an infatuation spell. Darcy realizes what happened, and spends the night letting her get false information out of him.
56* In the ''Literature/WingsQuartet'', Tamani seduces Yuki, a spy for [[HunterOfMonsters troll hunter]] Klea, in order to get her to give information on Klea's whereabouts. [[spoiler: It is revealed that Yuki is a faerie and knew that Tamani was one as well. However, she did eventually develop real feelings for him.]]
57* Literature/ElsabethSoesten is hired to recover incriminating documents from Lord Cuncz, the Baron of Leyen. She decides the best means of gaining access to them is to seduce the Baron. [[spoiler: And then she learns Cuncz was the one who hired her in the first place, and that he was seducing her by letting her think ''she'' was seducing ''him'' (and her own plan was built on pretending to fall for ''his'' seduction attempt). It didn't even have anything to do with his own plans; he did it entirely because he wanted to bed her.]]
58* In the UrbanFantasy ''Literature/RedRoom'' series, succubus Shannon O'Reilly and seduction-trained agent Derek Hawthorne use their formidable skills on each other to get an advantage while being forced to team up. [[spoiler: They fall in love instead.]]
59* In Jason Matthews's ''Literature/RedSparrow'', Russian SVR seductress Dominika Egorova is tasked to seduce CIA agent Nate Nash for information on a mole within the SVR. Nate had just been kicked out of Moscow and was just looking to get his career back on track in Helsinki when he stumbles on Dominika. Throughout their interaction, it's only Dominika who tries to seduce; Nate was only looking to recruit her as an asset. Yet they enter into a relationship anyway.
60* In ''Literature/ThinAir'' by Creator/RichardKMorgan, freelance overrider Hakan Veil and Earth Oversight auditor Madison Madekwe engage in a Duel of Seduction in order to influence the ongoing political and economic conflict between Earth and Mars. Due to the DoubleStandard, Veil's allies assume that he alone is being seduced and Veil helpfully lampshades this trope for them to get them to stop warning him off.
61[[/folder]]
62
63[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
64* PlayedForLaughs in the ''Series/{{Friends}}'' episode "[[Recap/FriendsS5E14TheOneWhereEverybodyFindsOut The One Where Everybody Finds Out]]". Rachel and Phoebe have [[InternalReveal just found out]] about Monica and Chandler's secret relationship. Phoebe flirts with Chandler to mess with them, but Monica and Chandler find out and get back at them by playing along. Chandler invites Phoebe over to have sex and they each try to scare the other person away with their advances, with Monica encouraging Chandler and Rachel encouraging Phoebe. It becomes very awkward since they are both repulsed by the idea.
65-->'''Chandler:''' ''[in fake enthusiasm]'' I'm so glad we're going to have all the sex!\
66'''Phoebe:''' You should be. I'm [[FlexibilityEqualsSexAbility very bendy!]]
67* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''
68** "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E2TheEnterpriseIncident The Enterprise Incident]]". The seductress is a Romulan Commander WorthyOpponent, and oddly enough, the seducer is not Kirk, but rather Spock.
69** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E11WinkOfAnEye Wink of an Eye]]", Captain Kirk romances Deela to delay her EvilPlan and get his hands on her weapon. Deela is fully aware of this and [[ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou quite amused]]. She in turn is trying to seduce Kirk so he will [[UsefulNotes/StockholmSyndrome become more accepting of his situation]].
70* ''Series/GossipGirl'' - Chuck and Blair, nearly all the time. Subverted as they do in fact actually love each other [[CannotSpitItOut but are just incapable of admitting it to each other]] and are/were in fact, the most popular pairing on the show. Blair is also not portrayed negatively or evilly.
71* In ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', a good one between Inara and Saffron. Both recognize what is going on, as they've both had the same training as high-class courtesans.
72-->''[Klaxon Sounds]''\
73'''Inara''': I guess we've done enough lying.\
74'''Saffron''': You're good.\
75'''Inara''': You're amazing; {{who are you}}?\
76'''Saffron''': [[HeHadAName Malcolm Reynolds's widow]].
77* Annie Walker and Simon Fischer for several episodes of ''Series/{{Covert Affairs}}''.
78* PlayedForLaughs in an episode of ''Series/{{Chuck}}''. Spy couple Chuck and Sarah are both trying to seduce ''each other''. Over their ''wedding plans''. HilarityEnsues when they both realize what the other is up to. And it gives five minutes of [[MsFanservice Sarah]] in a belly dancer outfit.
79* In the short-lived Australian historical sitcom ''Bligh'', a Senior [[TheCasanova Cassanova]] is running a quiz competition between Governor Bligh and his SitcomArchNemesis John Macarthur, who both send their wives to seduce him and steal the answers. They always seem to [[DistractedByTheSexy forget the second part of the plan]].
80* One early ''Series/MissionImpossible'' episode had Cinnamon Carter in one with a veteran HoneyTrap working for an East Bloc nation. He was trying to seduce her into revealing where the team had hidden a man he wanted to kill, while she was trying to seduce him into walking into a trap where he could be caught red-handed and his capture used to discredit his faction of the enemy's intelligence service. While the IMF team does complete their mission, Cinnamon's last lines make it ambiguous as to who had seduced who.
81[[/folder]]
82
83%%[[folder:Music]]
84%%* Music/TheWhiteStripes song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xcIp5CHa2Y Conquest]]". ZCE
85%%[[/folder]]
86
87[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
88* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
89** An ancient in-game joke: OnceUponATime a young lad and a young lass, wizards' apprentices. They decided to exchange some magics. Both cheated and cast CharmPerson to ease the bargain, and both failed their saving throws horribly. They lived HappilyEverAfter and even died the same day.
90** One source describes two very unlikely lovers, [[OurAngelsAreDifferent the agathinon Janarr]] and the erinyes Nalura hiding out in mortal disguise on the Prime. They sort of just did their jobs ''too well''; she tried to seduce him, he tried to turn her attitude up to celestial standards. Before they knew whom exactly they faced, both succeeded. They had to hide from their respective bosses from that point on, though.
91* This is one of the many, many ways Maids can compete for Master's love in ''TabletopGame/MaidRPG''. They can do this with ''[[LesYay each other]]'' as the target of seduction.
92[[/folder]]
93
94[[folder:Video Games]]
95* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' plays the hell out of this one in the trial scene on Manaan. It starts as a straight-up version of this, then gets interesting.
96* An interesting version (with PsychicPowers) turns up as Samara's loyalty mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2''. Shepard is required to catch the attention of [[spoiler: Samara's daughter,]] Morinth, who kills people by sleeping with them. This requires three steps: first draw her attention by making a scene in her favorite bar (punch people, stare down [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy a krogan]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking dance really well]]), then pique her interest in conversation, and then she takes Shep back to her apartment and tries to turn her telepathic abilities against the commander, who tries to resist through sheer [[TheCape virtue]] and/or [[AntiHero badassery]]. It's possible to blow either the second part (in which case she walks out and you fail the mission) or the third ([[spoiler: she draws Shep under her spell and is about to strike [[BigDamnHeroes when Samara blows the door in]]]]). Oh, and Morinth is an [[DiscountLesbians asari]], so Shepards of either gender can participate.
97* ''VideoGame/MedievalIITotalWar'': Princesses can attempt to seduce members of other factions into defecting to your faction, but if your Princess critically fails her seduction check she might defect to her target's faction instead.
98[[/folder]]
99
100[[folder:Webcomics]]
101* PlayedWith in ''WebComic/SandraOnTheRocks''. The ex-married couple and professional rivals Domenico and Zoé try to settle a dispute involving their protegé Sandra which [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/sandra-on-the-rocks/holy-highballs quickly devolves]] into them having SexWithTheEx while a confused Sandra [[RightThroughTheWall hears]] the DestructoNookie action from outside the bedroom. Tatiana explains to Sandra that this is their usual way of settling arguments, getting into a competition where they attempt to "sex each other into submission". [[SexGoddess Zoé emerges victorious]] and [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl doesn't ever bother putting her clothes back on]] as she's too eager to leave and "[[https://pixietrixcomix.com/sandra-on-the-rocks/stench-of-ex-husband wash the stench of ex-husband off her body]]".
102[[/folder]]

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