bakerstreet | More than the arrangement

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More than the arrangement

Arranged Marriage Turned More

To have and to hold, you said, till death do us part, all while the sharp, swinging pendulum of obligation hung overhead. But how could you have truly meant those words? This union has been tainted from the start, forever bearing the chains of an arranged marriage. It would be understandable if you couldn't bear to look at your new life partner, eternal reminder of your stolen future that they are, much less like them.
Much less love them...

Still, things can change.

You could realize that they are in the same boat as you or, that when compared to others around you,
they are the lesser of evils. Perhaps you even open up to the idea of a friendship; at the very least,
an alliance may be in order to become a power couple in a perilous world. From that innocent decision or sense of self-preservation, a new feelings sparks. Something like affection.

Something, you realize in the wake of speeding heartbeats, like love.

Will you acknowledge this? Can the two of you have a happily ever after - happier than if you'd met in another fashion - or will you hold firm in your distaste?

how to play.

- Everybody loves "couples forged by less-than-ideal circumstances" tropes!
- Comment with your character, prefs, all that good stuff.
- Reply to others.
- IDEC where you set your threads, it's wide open. Fantasy world with hairy hobbits, old-timey lands, future AUs, do a space marriage for all I care. I'm sure they're still getting married in Star Wars or whatever.

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[[Ikaruga was adopted into a prestigious family in a loveless arrangement of convenience already, so it's easy to believe her marriage will follow suit. She really would prefer someone she likes, so she would try to open up no matter how she felt about the arrangement. She's also suited to a modern take on the idea, as her adoptive family are implied to be wealthy business tycoons so she's been married off under those pretences.]]

[[Gets thrown into arranged dates, maybe she got (un)lucky enough that one suitor 'clicked'.]]

[let's give her something happy this time]

[Within her canon, it'd be easy to justify an arranged marriage to settle a feud between survivors, solidify a merger of communities, a matter of tribute/capture, or to help ensure everyone's got skin in the game for some kind of longterm deal (our meds for your food or w/e). (It'd also probably be be easiest if it's Dawn/Grady Hospital making the deal rather than Rick & co.!) If you've got another idea, or if there's something in your canon that you like the idea of, I'm all in favor! Interested in both canon and cross-canon CR, happy to do things in her world, your character's world, some kind of forced-marriage jamjar, or a complete AU! This is one of my favourite tropes, and I'll gladly play it any way I can.]

((ooc: I think these two could be cute together, but do you mind a canon AU with nonhumans?))

((I don't mind a bit! In fact, I'd love it! ))

[ In his canon, Obito belongs to an elite/prestigious/powerful military family. He's also the most useless/least promising member of said family, so it makes sense for him to be married off for some political reason or other to finally be of use to the family. Certain powers/abilities can also only be passed down through his bloodline, so there's enough room to marry for power so the future descendants of someone or other can inherit the abilities that the Uchiha clan possesses.

OF COURSE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE ALL OF THIS AND MAKE AUS OF YOUR OWN/CONDITIONS OF YOUR OWN. I'm all for it! Obito will probably be pretty upset about it deep down at first, but he knows his duty to his clan and won't try to fight the decision. He'll probably even try to be enthusiastic about it! If it's an "arranged marriage since he was a kid and he's close to his fiance/e" deal, however, he'll probably be genuinely happy.

Open to all prompts/ideas, OTA re: crosscanon/medium, canonmates, OCs, M/M or M/F or M/*. Also willing to age Obito up as you'd like, but for the canon-familiar I'm assuming he survives the Kannabi Bridge mission with Team Minato. ]

[Zemni was a small but well-fortified kingdom, with good land that had helped maintain a comparatively sizeable army. It was an open secret that the current ruling king was the leader of a band of mercenaries that had overthrown the last king by force and installed themselves in power, but the smallfolk had soon stopped discussing that, because there was no denying from their perspective that the kingdom was running better than it had in decades.

The king had turned down the offer of Sansa's hand in exchange for his army's support, but had apparently talked one of his courtiers into accepting the match instead. Caleb had no family of his own, and so instead had appointed his six friends and allies into important positions around the kingdom, as well as naming them his heirs and having no apparent intention of having a child of his own to disrupt the matter.

Mollymauk Tealeaf was fourth in line for the throne of Zemni and happy to be there and it was only because he loved Caleb dearly that he had accepted this proposal at all.

So now here he was, waiting by the gates of the castle courtyard, and watching the Lady Sansa's procession making its way up the road.]

[Sansa rode beside the wagon that bore her luggage, with her bodyguard beside her. Ser Brienne was cautious, and ever watchful, but Sansa had desired to see where she was going--to familiarize herself with the kingdom of Zemni and it's people--rather than being cloistered inside a carriage. After all, they would soon be her people as well, would they not?

Though it was not the match her brother had originally requested for her, she hoped--for the sake of Winterfel and for all the kingdoms in the North and South alike--that it would be better than no match at all. Even a small kingdom was integral to the strength of the realm, and the greater, and more united, their numbers were against the rising tide of undead, the better.

And so--desire whatever nervousness she might feel about her own personal fate--she rode, proudly, and with determination, to meet her intended. She prayed, to whatever gods may still be listening, the he was a good and honorable man.]

[Settle a galactic feud? Strange alien ritual? Who wants a Jedi farmboy virgin twink?]

[Caleb had assured him that, if anywhere would have people more accustomed to the sight of nonhuman beings, it was the North, where there were already stories of the Wall keeping back terrible monsters and some magic in the land itself meant the others like Molly sometimes sought it as a place to hide and take refuge.

Of course, Molly knew that what common folk knew of and what royalty knew of could be two very different things. In some places, tieflings were thought of as worse than bastards. So he was just hoping his new...companion didn't faint dead away at the sight of him. Jester had helped him pick out something nice to wear under his technicolor coat and the best jewelry for his horns. So overall, he felt that he was in the best position possible to make a good impression without making a false impression.

For her part, Sansa would see a fair bit to be encouraged about on her ride. Zemni was doing well for itself for being a relatively small kingdom, and the smallfolk seemed cautiously optimistic and good-spirited after the recent troubles. As well as being a supplement to their army, her brother was also clearly hoping to rely on it as a supplement to their food stores when winter came.

A couple of guards on the castle walls saw them coming and called for the gates to be opened. Servants and staff were already gathering to help take charge of luggage and horses by the time they arrived safely inside and the gate was being closed behind them. Molly hung back to watch, both to get a first sense of Sansa, and also to admire her just a bit, because wow, he had always found redheads especially pretty.

Fjord stepped outside after the servants and went to greet Sansa, as well as to offer his apologies on the king's behalf. Caleb was not quite ready to receive them yet, but a meal had been set aside for them in the hall.

Because Fjord was rather tall, he caught sight of Molly hanging back by the wall and called him over. Molly started in surprise at being so easily called out, but then put on his best smile and darted over to stand beside Fjord, who knew how you were supposed to introduce people in these sorts of situations.]

I suppose you know of Mollymauk Tealeaf, and he knows of you, so he'll show you to the hall and maybe the two of you can actually have something to talk about.

[ very reluctantly getting married off and possibly as punishment for resistant and audacious behavior, and possibly as an excuse to send Valryn out of the underdark and out of his mother's presence. can work with d&d or a malleable, open fantasy setting, or modern fantasy. can do early/first meeting but would prefer assumed cr to jump right in with, pm me to hash that out. info + permissions on journal. ]

[Sansa was greatly heartened to learn of Zemni's relative prosperity. She had been greatly troubled over the matter of building up the storehouses in Winterfell, and hoped that the more allies with whom they were able to trade, the farther they would be able to stretch their resources all around. Her brother had inspired a great many people to rally to his side, but managing a holdfast was where Sansa's strengths would come into play.

Dismounting from her horse as King Widogast's representatives approached, Sansa scanned the group, offering her hand in greeting as the introductions were made.

Though she was well aware of the strange beings that dwelt in the North, and the secret magic that still lived within the land in many different forms, she had yet to meet anyone quite like Mollymauk Tealeaf. But she did not flinch, or recoil at the sight of him. Why should she? Her own ancestors were rumored to have once been able to inhabit the skin of beasts--which both her brother Bran's abilities and the fact that Jon had survived attempted murder seemed to confirm--and House Targaryen were said to have descended from dragons. Besides, she had encountered real monsters before, and every one of them had been human.

She was much more inclined to place her trust in tieflings in human men.]

I am honored to finally meet you in person, Lord Tealeaf.

[it can be a mission in another country is you want narutoverse or some kind of au I AM FLEXIBLE]

((ooc: My knowledge of midieval-ish protocol is very shaky, so thank you for your patience in advance.))

[Sansa would probably be able to see some of the nervous energy bleeding out of Molly. Well! This was off to a fine start. All hesitations aside, Molly liked how he looked, but was also well aware of the fact that a great many people didn't and that was not especially fun to deal with at the best of times, let alone where matters of state were concerned.

So he smiled brightly and bowed low.]

The honor is mine, Lady Stark. I hope your journey was an easy one. [He straightened up and offered a hand - palm up, as he'd practiced with Jester perhaps a dozen times this morning.] Here, let's get you inside and off your feet.

[He glanced back to invite Brienne along as well, only to do a double take as he properly took in details, and then he grinned.]

Ser, I feel I must warn you - if you happen to see an angry looking woman in a blue coat and she faints dead away at the sight of you, please don't be offended, I promise that's a compliment.

[Sansa smiled back at him, knees bending in a curtsy as she placed her hand in his. She couldn't help but imagine how his vibrant features and attire would have stood out among the black and white backdrop of Winterfell--and her smile reached a little farther toward the corners of her eyes.] The journey was not unpleasant, but I am grateful for the chance to stretch my legs.

[Looking back at Brienne, she could see the dubious, but pleased expression on her bodyguard's face.]

Well [said the knight] That would certainly be a first.

[Sansa couldn't help but continue to smile.] If you would be so kind as to lead the way, my lord, I would be happy to see more.

And I would love to show you more. [Returning her smile, Molly escorted Sansa into the castle, through the more controlled bustle of servants taking things inside.]

Can't give you much of a tour just yet, since I think there's food waiting and I'm sure the king actually meant it when he said he was nearly finished work this time. But my, ah, our tower is up that way. [He motioned down a hallway at a staircase that Sansa would be able to see some of her belongings being carried up.] The others have their own.

I can't tell you much about the portraits... [He pointed them out as they passed by a wall hung with canvases.] ...because they're not ours', but I could tell you some of the stories Jester and I have made up about them.

Let's see...the gardens are still in a bit of a state but they're coming along, you should get to enjoy them before autumn hits. Caduceus has always had a way with flowers. We've got a godswood, I think it's by the south wall - small, but quiet, nice place for a walk. Library's on the second floor, don't know if you like that sort of thing. And of course... [He pushed open a pair of bigger double doors that greeted them at the end of the hall.] ...here we have the main hall.

[It was mostly empty, but a small table had been set up beneath the throne, laden down with enough food for a light, cold lunch. A tiefling with blue skin and a dark-skinned woman in a blue coat were already seated there. Jester looked up at the sound of the door opening, waved to Molly, and then gasped at the sight of Sansa.]

Molly, oh my gosh, is this her? She is so beautiful!

[Sansa walked with him, listen closely to everything he had to say, whilst doing her best to commit the layout of the castle to memory. She knew it might take time to learn her way around, but if she could at least remember which tower she was meant to be staying in, that would be a good start.

As much as she may have liked to spend some time getting to know her future spouse, it only took a moment before they reached the main hall, and Sansa willed herself not to hold her breath in anticipation of meeting the other dinner guests. She recognized the woman in the blue coat from Molly's earlier description, but the tiefling woman's reaction took her by surprise. She hadn't expected to be met with such enthusiasm.]

Yes. I am Lady Sansa Stark, of Winterfel. And thank you. You have a lovely complexion as well.

[Jester beamed delightedly at Sansa's words.] Oh, Molly, I like this one! [She nudged Molly in the ribs and her grin grew even more pronounced when Molly looked away in a rare fit of embarrassment.] Now, Lady Sansa, why don't you sit next to me and Molly can sit next to you? [She started to pull Sansa towards the table, only to be distracted by the sound of another door opening.

Caleb stepped through it and into the hall, being led along by what would, to Sansa, hopefully only seem like a small girl wrapped in bandages. He looked around as if momentarily surprised to find them all standing there, and then took in the details of the scene at a glance.]

If it is all the same to you, Jester, I would prefer our guest sit with me. [He offered Sansa a polite but distant sort of smile as he went to greet her.] I believe we have a great deal to discuss, and I suppose Lady Stark must have some questions about all of us.

[From there, a few more introductions were made, and beyond that was a general background chatter of names that Sansa might be able to overhear. Fjord was fetching Caduceus from the garden, Yasha wasn't back yet. Sansa would be shown to a seat on one side of Caleb, with Molly sitting next to her and Nott sitting on Caleb's other side. A few others filtered in, mostly a few household nights and a couple of courtiers by the look of them, who sat at one end of the table. Brienne, when she finally made her way into the hall, joined them.

Once the rest of the Mighty Nein had been gathered and everyone was seated, Nott subtly jabbed Caleb with a fork to remind him that he had to tell everyone to eat now. Caleb gave a guilty start, but did so.]

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More than the arrangement

kylo ren ( STAR WARS ) ota

Todoroki Shouto | BnHA | m/m

Ikaruga | Senran Kagura | F/M

Konoka Konoe | Mahou Sensei Negima | OTA

Sansa Stark | GoT | f/m

beth greene | the walking dead | ota

no subject

no subject

obito uchiha ( naruto )

no subject

no subject

Luke Skywalker | Star Wars | OTA

no subject

Prince Valryn Melana || Dungeons & Dragons OC || m/m

no subject

sakura haruno | naruto | ota

no subject

no subject

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Alfred ( Vikings ) OTA

Peregrin Took | Lord of the Rings | OTA

Mary Crawley | Downton Abbey | M/F

no subject

rey | star wars

So many NPCs all of a sudden my god.