bakerstreet | Arranged Marriage Meme

Arranged Marriage Meme

Marriage for love is a such a modern concept. In the past, marriage was
recognised as a social contract. Unions were entered into for many
reasons: to obtain property, to unite families, to carry on a bloodline,
et cetera. Whatever the reason, congratulations, you're getting married!

HOW IT WORKS:
❧ Post a comment with your character's name, canon, and any preferences.
❧ If there's a specific set of circumstances you like best, set the scene.
❧ Or leave your comment blank and let others use RNG to choose the scenario. Feel free to mix and match.
❧ Please note the prompts below are merely suggestions and you're more than welcome to come up with your own situation.
❧ Have fun!

POSSIBLE REASONS FOR MARRIAGE:
① Station → You come from a royal, noble, or otherwise distinguished family who has chosen a suitable spouse for you.
② Feud → You are being married to put an end to the bitter enmity between your two families.
③ Economics → Your economic state and/or your station will improve through the union, though one of you may be marrying down.
④ Empire → You and your spouse are merging your businesses and/or property to create something more influential or profitable.
⑤ Tribute → You have been offered as a gift or appeasement, alternately you're the spoils of war.
⑥ Bloodline → Carrying on your distinguished family name has fallen to you and the equally well-bred spouse of your family's selection.
⑦ Disapproval → Your marriage has been arranged to keep you away from the person with whom you truly wish to be.

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS:
① First meeting → This is the very first time you're meeting your future spouse.
② Courtship → To get to know each other and encourage affection, your family has approved of you going on dates.
③ Engagement party → Be it a huge, formal affair or a small, intimate get together, you're celebrating (or pretending).
④ Wedding day → The big day!
⑤ Reception → The big party!
⑥ Wedding night → Every meme needs a smut prompt, right?
⑦ Honeymoon → Where will you go with your new spouse and what will you do there?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[ Isn't that a difficult thing to do? Not factoring in the monarchs or any of the politics of this world in on their marriage was a mistake. Rin's a person who has to look at the full picture because anytime she focuses on one or two exquisite details, the imperfections are ignored. That's why she can't afford to ignore all the aspects to their marriage even when he asks her to.

Why is he even asking her to take that risk in the first place? To focus on their feelings? Aren't that the kind of people who get back up after being swept off their feet while disregarding their emotions? Wrapping them up and keeping their feelings secure--far from conversation--that's just the way they have lived their lives for years. ]

... I wonder if this was their plan all along. [ Looking over the balcony towards the garden below, her sigh is heavy enough to match the shackles they both felt. ] No matter what, they win in separating us.

Hell if we can guess what their long game plan for us is. But we both know we're better together, and that we can't be driven apart. That much we must always keep in mind.

[Finally, Waver walks over, coming to stand beside Rin. To her right, always to her right, always so careful to make sure everyone knew the truth of where the two of them stood.

The politics are too easy to break down. They're cold and logical and on paper they can't second guess any of it. Treating it like a business transaction is the smart thing to do, and they've agreed on it time and again. But it's stupid to ignore the emotional side, because the minute that's done, everything is fucked. Waver knows that much.

He rests his arms on the railing as well, hands dangling over them.]

[ Turning her body a bit to face him, she watches him carefully. Everything she says or does now will be treated differently despite how many times they insist otherwise. Even a simple gesture like reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder might be taken as inappropriate now.

She looks back at the ring on her hand and wonders why this commitment has to be the lie. ]

But we're apart now, aren't we? It feels so strange.

I think that's our anxieties working overtime.

[He nudges her shoulder with his, just to make sure it feels the same.]

Is it? [ She doesn't nudge back, but maintains her balance. ]

Can I see the ring for a moment?

[ Has he forgotten what it looks like already? Holding up her hand for a second, she then moves her other hand towards it to remove it so he could inspect it on his own. ]

Hold on.

[Waver slides it off, holding it up in the moonlight to inspect it carefully.

This next part is done with the ring in both hands, his eyes on Rin.]

This is my actual proposal to you, as equals: that I continue to be there for you as I have been in the past, with the same devotion and commitment that has been the cornerstone of our friendship here from day one. That I continue to work by your side in all aspects that you need me to, as we've done, and that when you're crossing that bounded field we have over that window spot, I'll be there, just the same as before. That we ignore the expectations we've taken on with this, and that if something is wrong, especially emotionally, we tell the other. That we accept that there will be changes, and talk about how to navigate each and every single one. That we acknowledge where our hesitation, in this moment, lies, and that we overcome it as we've overcome everything else.

Will you accept?

... are you proposing to me for real now? [ She doesn't understand how to accept this.

After all, they have always known each other as friends who loved one another without a doubt. Living the rest of their lives together was inevitable, but what if he were to find someone who could make him change his mind? Wouldn't he leave her like the rest?

Rin's not a person one can easily commit themselves to. They both know this and have seen her walk through relationship after relationship. She's high maintenance. She's defensive. She's hot and cold both at the same time. Already she's begun to question it and it hasn't been more than a few hours. ]

Shit.

You really mean this, you stupid bully, don't you?

[Well, that was roughly the expected response.]

Yes. But you should set your own terms too, so that we're clear.

[The funniest part of it all is that Waver's certain that there'll be someone out there that can change Rin's mind. Fill in the gaps that he'd fail to meet because he's always failed to meet them, and it'll be nasty and awkward.]

My own terms? [ They wouldn't be terms that are kind to him and she knows it. ]

Do you mean we should enter a contract with each other..? Like we would a Servant?

No. Just.

[He sighs, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.]

I've been thinking that this engagement thing can stall out for as long as we need it to. In case someone comes along who's a perfect person for you than I am, and can meet the needs that I can't. That way we can find something that works for everyone involved.

It's been years, Waver Velvet. [ Sometimes it's easy to forget how long they've been here, especially when they appear as if they haven't aged at all. ]

If you're going to wait around in hopes that someone else will do what you can't, then you'll possibly be waiting for the rest of your life then some. There have been people and I, I've only pushed them away.

I don't want you unhappy in any aspect, you know that.

[And he can still hope. It isn't like him, who's had maybe two one-off dates the entire time they've been here.]

I fail to see how the concept of you can make me unhappy. Through everything, you have been the one constant who always had a shoulder to offer when the others left and the one who holds me nearly every night.

[ Rin and years of failed relationships. At this point, she's tired of getting her hopes up waiting for the right one. As far as she's concerned, that person left her long ago and anyone else would just be someone she's settling on.

... except maybe her best friend. It isn't settling if they've sworn their lives to each other, right? ]

[Everything that Rin's saying is true. Waver's not contesting it in any way, but his silence is tense. Terrified. Knowing that somehow he'll probably still ruin everything and then be truly alone.

He's been okay with the life he's made for himself so far. He's learned to balance his work with the few closest close friends he has. But still. Still there's that fucking fear welling up in him.]

I'm still convinced that I'm going to be the one to muck it up, Rin.

Let's analyze it like magi then, Waver.

[ It's something they shouldn't do, but here they are. ] Neither of us have good experiences with relationships and in fact, it can be said that we're opposites in that regard. I become attached, you become detached, which means after a period of time one of us is going to have to change our ways.

... it's our engagement night and we have to fill it with compromises. This is the day I was so excited for in many of my other relationships--I mean, you know that. How many times did I tell you that they were bound to propose and then...

[ She sighs again. Rin's doing an awful lot of that, but it's better to air it out than bottle it inside. ]

[No, they shouldn't be doing it, and Waver nearly vocalizes that protest. He silences himself instead, forcing himself to listen.

He nods along in agreement. It's how they work as magi, isn't it? They're skilled enough at analysis that even emotions can be broken down into a logical train of thought - as much as they can be, at any rate.]

It always hurt to watch when it didn't happen. I wanted to punch them, you know. Or have VH do it.

So it makes sense that you're the one to excel where others have failed, correct? [ Now bear with her on this one. ] Which means where others have failed for you, I'll succeed.

I don't see any other alternative.

Come now, you know I could find about five if I wanted to. Don't challenge me like that.

[It's the worst attempt at humour, and Waver's tired voice only makes the attempt fall flatter.

He sighs, weary, and fixes his eyes on the water below.]

My worries stem from the bedroom, Rin.

There's nothing wrong about how much sex I have-!

[ Because that is where she thinks he's going with this. ]

No, there isn't. It's that I'm....

[God, he hates vocalizing this.]

I don't. When I've dated in the past, it's been the point of contention. I get bored during the act after a while, and I'm just a poor partner. My mind drifts to work I could be doing, video games I could be playing, a million other things beside the moment.

And you don't deserve that lack of attention.

Then your other partners suck. [ Clearly that's it. ]

... anyway it isn't as if others are loyal. If we just say that's the kind of relationship we have from the start, would it be a problem?

[ She says that now, but Rin would kill anyone who touched him. ]

If it's consistent across my entire dating history? That's on me.

[Waver finally turns to Rin, tilting his head slightly.]

How do you mean?

[ It's embarrassing. She might have thought about jumping him once or twice throughout the past few years only to chicken out. If he had interest in her, he would have taken advantage of the many times they've slept together to actually sleep together. Now to find out he just couldn't focus... it's kind of a challenge, in that way she tries to fix people and therefore holds her interest.

... but it's also clearly what ruined all of his relationships. With time, she'll grow out of her sex drive and then it won't matter. ]

I mean plenty of men take up whores.

Why can't I?

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