The Forced Family Unit Meme

[celebratory]

The Not So Happily Married Meme

(or the FORCED FAMILY UNIT meme)

Let's get one thing straight. Not all marriages are happy. They don't start with love, and they don't end with it. In fact, some marriages are more arrangements that anything. Whether it be through the will of an iron-fisted totalitarian government or something as ancient as tradition, people end up stuck. And now, you're one of them. Maybe you were assigned you partner. Maybe your parents picked them out. Maybe it's something different all together. But no matter what, you're going to be with them in some shape, fashion, or form.

So, what can you do? Do you just deal with it? Try to find a way out? Or worst of all, do you blame your so-called "spouse" for all this? You'll have to do something.

HOW TO PLAY;
1. Comment with your characters, putting any preferences you have in the subject. These are your OOC preferences, however. Remember, in meme your character's preferences won't matter.

2. Reply to others! You can use the RNG to roll for the WHY (why are your characters in this mess), the WHEN (what stage are they at), and the HOW (how do they feel about their partner). Or just wing it.

3. The fun of this meme is putting together characters who would normally never be together or have no business getting married, whether it be cross-canon, enemies, or strangers. But feel free to do what you want. Unlike your characters, you're never forced.

4. This is not a smut meme, nor is it a romance meme. There is a smut option and a romance option, but neither are required. The focus here is on CR and coping with situations that might be fairly unpleasant.

5. Have fun! And by that, I mean be miserable.

WHY;
1. GOVERNMENT: You live in a world where all aspects of life are controlled by the government. This includes who you're matched up with. Take "government" to mean anything you want it to, whether that be actual government or something like gods.

2. ARRANGED: Due to your culture, status, or family, you have an arranged marriage. Your significant other was picked out long before now.

3. SOLD: One of you belongs to the other in some way. At any rate, it's not a completely consensual arrangement.

4. KEEPING UP APPEARANCES: You don't particularly care for this person, but you have to look good for some reason. They'll do for that.

5. SHOTGUN WEDDING: Because of outside circumstances (read: an unplanned child), you're stuck together.

6. CURSED/POTION: At least one of you is under the effects of a curse or potion that binds you both.

7. THE BEST I COULD GET: Either one of you or both of you are settling. This is just a marriage of convenience.

8. Wildcard/free space.

WHEN;
1. JUST MET: You've never seen this person that you're engaged, intended, or assigned to. This is your first meeting.

2. JUST MARRIED: Ceremony or knot, you've just tied it.

3. CONSUMMATE: What's a married live without consummating the union? Whether it's for some kind of ritual, a fulfillment of a contract, or the need to produce offspring to become workers, you have to come together.

4. IN THE FAMILY WAY: Congratulations! You're about to bring a child into this (potentially loveless) family. Are you proud?

5. MARRIED WITH CHILDREN: You have kids already. They might be biological, or they might be state-assigned. How's the family life going?

6. FILLING YOUR ROLE: The two of you have a job or purpose, such as starting a business.

7. TRYING TO ESCAPE: You have to get out. You can't take this life anymore.

8. THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE: Since you didn't ask for this marriage, one of you has a lover on the side. Do you tell your spouse upfront, or do they find out themselves?

9. Wildcard/free space

HOW;
1. STRANGERS: You hardly know this person. Getting to know them is important (since you're only going to be spending the rest of your lives together) , but are you willing to put forth the effort for that?

2. HATE: They've ruined your life. Maybe not directly, but they're there and that's enough.

3. LOVE: There might be a light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps you do love each other, or you're at least learning to do so.

4. IN THIS TOGETHER: It may not be perfect, and you might not be be in love, but you're making it work for yourselves or for any children you might have. And hey, sometimes friendship like that can be a strong enough bond.

5. Wildcard/free space

Comments

Tarrlok | Legend of Korra

[bloodisthicker]

[hey wait didn't this happen in half the shipping fanfics involving this guy]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[This should be awesome and awkward. Do you want to roll so I know prefs?]

[bloodisthicker]

[Hahahaha, hmm. I feel like Korra could pull the I'M THE AVATAR, DEAL WITH IT card on pretty much all of the existing setups, so how about this: AU scenario where Amon ends up with more of a concrete victory, the cast has to go into hiding, and WE'RE TOTALLY MARRIED GUYS was the most convenient cover story for these two?]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[Ohhhh, sounds good to me~♪ Would you like to start or should I?]

[bloodisthicker]

[HMMM how about you start this time 8D]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[They were married...Or so they said they were anyway. Korra fidgeted with the engagement necklace Tarrlok had given her and tried her best not to look as miserable as she felt. She had to constantly remind herself as to why they were doing this. She wasn't one to be a housewife just like he wasn't one to be a househusband. So this made things a little awkward at times for the 'newly weds'...Especially when she attempted cooking...and just burned everything instead.]

Oh sh- How did eggs catch on fire!?

[bloodisthicker]

[Tarrlok didn't consider these circumstances ideal either, even though one might have suspected that he would have considered it some kind of excellent PR move. Not that he could do much PR, anyway-at least, until his cunning plan to take down Amon and save the day came together. Then he could relate the fuck out of the public.

Until then, though, he was stuck undercover. Well, it wasn't like he couldn't patiently bide his time, but he certainly wouldn't look terrible doing it.

So... of course... he would hear that right as he was in the middle of tweezing his eyebrows. With a somewhat defeated sigh, he set the tweezers down, adjusted his robe, and headed for the kitchen...]

Please tell me you weren't attempting to cook with firebending.

[notmuchofalegendyet]

No! I was doing it properly this time!

[This time being the key words in this sentence...That, and if Tarrlok looked closely, he would be able to see that the stove top was set to high...And the eggs were indeed on fire. Sighing in defeat Korra stepped back and waterbent an ample supply of water into the pan, causing it to hiss and sputter angrily as steam rose up. After a moment she reached over and turned off the stove top looking highly disappointed.]

...I think I may have ruined another pan...

[That would make that the tenth pan this month...]

[bloodisthicker]

You know, I've never quite understood why you keep rejecting my offer to take care of breakfast in the morning.

[HE'S NOT TOO SHABBY, REALLY...]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[UGH TARRLOK, SHE NEVER HEARD YOU SAY IT. YOU GOTTA TELL HER THREE TIMES IN A ROW YOU KNOW.]

[Korra made a hand motion to the stove top, trying her hardest to not look to frustrated with the man.]

Then would you be kind enough to cook something for us then? I'm kind hungry.

[bloodisthicker]

I just offered, didn't I?

[maaaan it was good that he was something of an early riser anyway. That, and he didn't have anywhere particularly pressing to be...]

How do you like your eggs, anyway? I'd try to discern that from what you were doing earlier, but you've made that quite impossible.

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[Whoever came up with the word marital bliss never meet this man. In fact it was like they were constantly almost fighting.]

Well since you're cooking, I'd like mine poached.

[Chew on that...or something.]

[bloodisthicker]

[...really, the term "bickering like an old married couple" seems more applicable here...]

I'm sure that can be arranged.

[LET HIM SHOW YOU HOW THIS THING IS DONE, KORRA

MAYBE HE'LL EVEN THROW IN SOME SAUSAGES

BECAUSE HE IS SO MUCH BETTER AT MAKING BREAKFAST THAN YOU ARE]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[Mmm, sausage]

[Korra crosses her arms and stands close by...She plans to learn your Breakfast Bending cooking techniques.]

[bloodisthicker]

[SO HE WILL GET OUT A SAUCEPAN

AND HE WILL FILL THAT SUCKER WITH SOME WATER

AND HEAT IT UNTIL IT SIMMERS!]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[OOOHHHH TARRLOK, YOU KNOW HOW TO IMPRESS A LADY WITH DEM BOILING WATER SKILLZ]

[bloodisthicker]

[TARRLOK IS A CLASSY GENTLEMAN BECAUSE HE KNOWS HOW TO BOIL HIS OWN WATER

SO ANYWAY

HE'LL PUT THOSE EGGS IN

(ALONG WITH SOME VINEGAR)

COVERS THAT SHIT

PUTS THE HEAT ON LOW

AND WAITS!!!]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[KORRA HAS NO PATIENCE, WHAT IS THIS WITCHCRAFT CALLED WAITING?!]

That's it? That's all you do?

[bloodisthicker]

Maybe things would turn out better for you if you actually bothered to read a cookbook first.

[IT'S ONLY THREE MINUTES!]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[You're lucky there would be a lot of questions if you were in public with third degree burns on your face, because the temptation to bend the boiling water at you is immense.]

And just where would I find that in the heap of the other hundreds of books you have?

[bloodisthicker]

It's right over there, Korra.

[well, to be fair, keeping the cookbook in the kitchen could result in food getting all over it...!]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

[That's where cookbooks belong though! Where she could easily destroy their precious pages with odd mixtures it tell her to do.]

That doesn't mean it's easily accessible! Plus why would I want to read that boring old thing anyway when I'm still trying to think of a master plan for both of us!

[You know, to take Amon down with.]

[bloodisthicker]

You're saying that like it takes a huge chunk out of your day to follow some simple instructions.

[WHO KNOWS MAYBE IT WILL INSPIRE YOU]

[notmuchofalegendyet]

Yes.

[Take that jerk, she'd rather read ancient scrolls than that monstrosity out of principal now...Or just because she's being terribly difficult.]

[bloodisthicker]

Being deliberately contrary isn't going to get us anywhere, Korra.

[...by the way, eggs are done, so he'll be taking care of those now...]