Arranged Marriage.

[atyourservices]

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?

Comments

Kara Danvers | Supergirl | OTA

[iisupergirlii]

[absbylightning]

[OOC: Any preferences? I also have him in Earth-2 flavor as well!]

[iisupergirlii]

[1. I love your username

2. any Barry is fine! The more ridic the better. Or, we could send them both on an adventure where they accidentally hop onto the wrong earth and it's in the past or just a different society that has arranged marriages, so they have to go with it until they find a way out of it??? OR WHATEVER.]

[absbylightning]

[OOC: I am pretty proud of it. OMG that would be AMAZING. Let me know if this tag works. Also steampunk Earth?]


Barry skidded to a stop when the scenery around them had changed during the course of a "friendly race between friends." Oh no. He thought they closed every breach there was and yet their surroundings looked neither like Central City or National City. People were walking around in what looked like to be turn of the century clothing: bustles, hats, and everything. And yet there were people talking on what looked like modified cell phones.

He looked around to see if he was the only one that made it through or if Kara had made it through the breach as well.

[iisupergirlii]

Kara dug her heels in the dirt so she wouldn't slam right into Barry's back, but it was still narrowly close. She used one hand on his shoulder to right herself, out of breath from the race. "Whoa, holy moly, you can't just stop like tha -"

She looked around, taking in the sights, including the people on the cobbled streets looking at them even more curiously. "Um. Oh boy." She leaned in toward Barry, whispering out of the side of her mouth, "Barry, where are we?"

[absbylightning]

"I'm...not sure. But we're definitely gaining a lot of attention," he whispered back under his breath. "Probably should get off the streets though, before we attract a lot of attention." He looked around for a way out and nodded at an alleyway that seemed pretty empty before rushing off to it.

[iisupergirlii]

[SORRY I suck at tagging through the week]

"Great idea," Kara agreed, following him. She settled successfully enough in the shadows the alleyway provided, staring at Barry. "Okay, how not sure is 'not sure'? Can you contact Cisco? He can do that... that vibe-y thing, right?"

[absbylightning]

"What do you think I've been trying to do when I got here? Nothing is coming through on my comms. I can't pick up any kind of signal. Any word from the DEO?" Barry asked. For the time being, they probably needed disguises. He quickly darted out to grab them some clothes, similar to ones they have seen people wearing as they had moved through the streets earlier.

"I uh...guessed your size."

[OOC: It's okay!]

[iisupergirlii]

Kara pressed her comm device, testing for any sort of connection, but it fizzled out with an electric pop in her ear that made her wince. She rubbed at her ear, working her jaw to relieve the discomfort a small electronic device going poof! next to eardrum caused.

"Nope, nothing," she said, right as Barry dashed away. What the hell?

The pile of clothes he came back with at least explained where he went. "Oh boy," Kara said, holding up a corset in front of her. She looked from it to Barry, eyes narrowed. "Seriously?"

[absbylightning]

His eyes widened almost comically when she held up the corset.

"M...aybe you can take the suit?" he offered.

Barry squatted down and rooted around until he could pull up the waistcoat, shirt, and trousers, holding them up for her. They might be more comfortable than the corset she held in hand.

"Uh, I think these had suspenders, I wasn't sure." He didn't like the thought that he just committed theft but they really needed to blend in. "Something I noticed while I was making my way back and forth: everyone's n pairs. Did you notice that? It's like there's not a single...single person out there that isn't a kid or teenager."

SORRY. Work makes tagging hard ;_;

[iisupergirlii]

Kara shook her head. "The offer is tempting, but this... place, wherever we are, apparently subscribes to some pretty rigid gender roles," she said. She pasted on a hopeful smile. "Besides, it'll... be a new look."

This was all so ridiculous. They needed to get back home.

"Yeah, I saw. That's really weird. I mean, at least we're here together, so we can blend in? Anyway, I'm going to go... um. Over there, and change." She pointed to the shadowy part of the alleyway. At least Barry didn't have night vision or x-ray vision.

I get it! It's cool!

[absbylightning]

"Right! Yeah. I'll--" He pointed toward the mouth of the alleyway and turned away from her. "I'll keep watch!" Because it would honestly take him less than a minute to change into the new clothes. He got them a few bags to keep their costumes in as well. While he kept watch, he kept an eye out at why everyone was paired up. Couples, acting coupley. But what was more important was that everyone seemed to have wedding bands on.

"Looks like they're all married out there."

[iisupergirlii]

Kara slipped on most of the clothes okay enough. There were so many layers, geez louise. Even with speed on her side, she still had trouble with the corset, and she was glad there was a jacket to put over it before she got laughed out of whatever world they'd crashed into.

She hopped over to Barry, still lacing up one boot under the layers of bustled skirts, and eyed the crowd in front of them. "Everyone can't be married. Maybe this is just... a common time for couples to go... out... shopping?"

It didn't sound very believable, even once she said it.

Boots laced, Kara turned her back to Barry and lifted her jacket up, showing off her corset lacings. "Okay, tell me the truth. How bad is it?"

[onewithwater]

(OoC: Hmm... Tribute - First Meeting?)

[iisupergirlii]

[oh shoot I love that. Who's the gift?]

[onewithwater]

(OoC: I was thinking Kara, but I’m also up for Marie to be it!)

[iisupergirlii]

[oooooooooooh that'd be interesting! Either way, Kara would Not Be About This. if Marie's the gift, Kara's gonna apologize out of her ass constantly about this whole mess lmao, but I'm 100% good with either way! Kara would be the sulkiest gift bride]

[onewithwater]

(OoC: Hehehe, we can have Marie as the gift, then!)

Marie struggled and growled as she tried to escape her binds with no luck. Looks like someone figured out a way to nullify her water powers. All she knew was that these creeps were delivering her to this “Super Girl”.

That filled her with dread - was it who she thought it was? Oh, god, don’t let it be who she thought it was...!

[iisupergirlii]

This was ridiculous. Kara has told everyone how ridiculous this was, how she's not ready for marriage, how she doesn't need someone's freedom as a "gift" recognizing her own "sacrifice."

She never thought being a hero would come to this, never thought anyone would think this was okay.

But after the assassination of the president, a lot of things changed. And the mayor of National City, with his too-white teeth and really bad toupee, wanted to bring some normalcy back to National City. He wanted to focus on Supergirl! The savior of the city! The girl of steel! Her cousin was set to be engaged, so and it was about time she found love! She deserved to be happy for all she'd done!

She heard the same was happening across the globe. Someone was arranged for Barry in Central City, and Kara had gotten some explosively angry texts about that from Barry and Iris. But a society of 'normals' far outweighs a small handful of superheroes, and every time Kara tried to protest, there was someone with a pen and a microphone and a phone set to record to admonish her for not being grateful.

She couldn't believe this. It was slavery! It wasn't acceptable!

"You just need to fake it," Alex had said. "If you go through with it now, and make them happy now, you can undo it later, and maybe make a lot of change."

So, that brought her to today. She was in the mayor's office, to the side of the main entrance where the ceremony would be held. Kara was pacing the length of the room, while the mayor waited with a beaming smile on his face.

There was a struggle, and the door opened to reveal a girl - a girl wrapped up, bound by chains, with a knotted rope in her mouth. Kara rushed forward, pushing both of the goons who were dragging the girl in away.

"What the hell are you doing?" She turned back to face the mayor. "Why is she locked up?"

[onewithwater]

Oh, god, it was Kara! And thankfully, she was just as angry as she was. “The idiot thinks this is for the best! I didn’t want to, so his goons all locked me up to drag me here!” Marie shouted.

She wouldn’t mind the whole marriage thing, but she wanted it on her terms, not like some sort of animal! “He better be glad I’m helpless right now because there are some laws I’d be happy to break right now!”

[iisupergirlii]

Kara busies herself with untying the girl - Marie, a friend she hasn't seen in far too long. Oh, Rao, how did Marie get herself wrapped up in this?

"I'm sorry," she says to Marie before turning to the mayor. "I agreed to this. You couldn't find someone else who agreed? She doesn't want this!"

The mayor is shifting awkwardly, tugging at his tie. The goons are eyeing Kara warily but keeping their distance, and they better. "Supergirl, we wanted the most advantageous match for you! You deserve this! This girl, she's powerful, like you. Together, you could save the world."

"I already save the world!" Kara blurts out, voice high and tense. Not her best, most professional moment, but she's so tired of all this! "It doesn't matter what she can or cannot do. You literally had to tie her up to get her here."

[onewithwater]

“You could have asked! Believe me, if you guys told me about this, I just might have said yes!” Marie snapped. “She means a lot to me and to pull this...!”

She quickly turned around, arms crossed, trying to keep her emotions in cheek. “Can I be wth her alone for a moment?”

[iisupergirlii]

The men retreat, even though the mayor starts to protest until Kara shoots him red-eyed, literally heated glare. She hates to threaten with her powers; she'd never actually hurt him, but she wants to give Marie some modicum of what she wants.

After they leave, Kara puts one hand delicately on Marie's shoulder. "Oh Rao, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

[onewithwater]

Marie let out a soft sigh as she turned to face Kara. This was a humongous mess and she hated the fact both of them got caught up in it.

“I’m not hurt physically, really. Just to my ego.” Marie replied. “If I wanted to do something like that, I prefer on my terms...” She turned to face Kara. “And you...?”

[iisupergirlii]

Kara shook her head, snorting out a bitter laugh. "I don't even know," she said. "It's this international plot to normalize superheroes, or reward us, or... make us seem more like people, who will therefore still save people, even though a lot of other things have gone to hell? I don't know.

"It's so stupid. I agreed because... there wasn't really another option that let me still save people. I could hide out, and not be there for Earth, or I could get this over with and still do what I love doing."

She crossed the room, sitting in one of the oversized, straight-back brown leather chairs sideways, hanging her legs off one arm rest and resting her head in one hand.

"I don't know." She felt like she'd been saying that a lot, even before this conversation with Marie. Every question anyone asked her about all this, that was all she could give. She didn't know.

"Look, if you're not - we don't have to." She took a deep breath. "You absolutely don't have to marry me. I will insist they find someone else, and that they don't drag your name through the mud. I can't believe they treated you like that - that they thought I'd be okay with that even! Ugh."