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bakerstreet2021-03-19 07:36 am
sundaybestsocks) wrote in bakerstreet2021-03-19 07:36 am
Entry tags:
Holly Heights, Mayfield, etc: THE MEME (aka y'got any of those...forced family units?)
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
Piers | Pokémon | OTA
Wei Wuxian | The Untamed | M/M
Lan Wangji | The Untamed | M/M
Carly Nagisa | Yugioh 5Ds | OTA
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"Carly? I'm home!"
Marie came through the door to their home, tired, but happy to be there. Frankly, a part of her could stand to have a bit of peace and quiet, but the sounds of kids echoing through the house as they came to see their other mom made it worthwhile to endure and enjoy it.
Five kids almost seemed impossible to handle, but Carly seemed to love having them around and the government was more than willing to aid them since it worked in their favor. She picked up the youngest, a boy, into her arms as she did.
"Got myself an army here!"
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Not that Carly's cries did much good. Marie was soon in the middle of a swarm of children, more boys than girls but who was counting?
She follows behind the second youngest, attempting to tousle his wild hair into some semblance of normal. It wasn't working out that well but she had seen a lot more extravagant hairstyles before. His wanted to stick up in the weirdest angles and even now he's huffing at her.
"What? Oh come on, you're not too good for some fussing over."
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"I can never figure out how his hair ended up like this nor how to get it down." Marie admitted. "And he won't let me figure it out."
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"Did you have a good day? It's been absolute chaos here! I mean just --"
A few "ewws" rise in chorus. Carly directs her gaze at their middle child and his dramatically wrinkled up nose. She waggles a finger at his joking protest.
"Just you wait. One day you'll get married and then you'll see!" She pauses and then the biggest grin curls her lips. "Or maybe I should kiss you right now."
A shout moves like a wave through the gathered horde and soon children are scattering everywhere. Besides the one in Marie's arms of course.
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"Run along, dear. Mamas want to have some private time." Marie said, the youngest giggling and running off. "As for your question, it's been quite the day and I'm glad to be home. Kids being silly non-withstanding."
Gently, she'll reach up to take Carly's glasses and cleans them with her shirt before returning them.
Ran Mao | Black Butler | OTA
jill valentine | resident evil | ota
june moone | dceu | ota
Your call on whether June realizes what's going on or if she's in the dark, genuinely believing her spouse loves her. Also your choice on if they do love her or not. I'm amicably evil. ]
Gaius | Fire Emblem: Awakening | OTA
chi-chi ✰ dragon ball (franchise) f/m
Crowley | Good Omens | ota
2, 2
But Dahlia took to being a demon very easily. She liked to walk on Earth among the humans, stoking the dark urges in the back of their heads. Convincing this man to murder his wife to run away with her instead, just to disappear when he's done the deed. Whispering to this woman that it's kind to kill her children, really. Convincing kings to slaughter millions to make her smile, just to leave when streets run red. Oh yes, she takes to being a demon very well.
Which is probably why Lord Beelzebub arranged for her to marry Crowley, the only other demon wandering the earth as frequently as her. They're supposed to balance each other out, Beelzebub says. Dahlia keeps Crowley from getting lazy and stick to the crooked path, and Crowley holds Dahlia back from causing too much mayhem without first getting the requisite approval from downstairs. Apparently there were a lot of demons disappointed that Dahlia would be taken, but it's for the best; she may look more human than most demons, but she has the temperament of a praying mantis.
Of course, the ceremony is miserable, as any good hellish wedding should be. And afterwards, Dahlia is eyeing her new husband critically without putting any effort into hiding her distaste for this whole mess.]
Why do you linger so much in western Europe? [She'd worn a crown of withered dahlia flowers for the wedding. As they walk down the streets of London, Dahlia throws the crown into the Thames. It'll poison some ducks.] I do hope you don't expect me to stay here.
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What was he supposed to say, anyway?
'Oh, hello angel, care to run off into the stars with me so I don't have to be joined in unholy matrimony for all the rest of eternity?'
Yeah, somehow even his imagination struggled to picture that working out.
Which meant, in the end, he had gone through with it. Not that he'd had any other choice in the matter. He's not sure if he would have picked any other demon than Dahlia to be stuck with, but he was keenly aware that his life was about to get significantly more... complicated. Crowley hated complicated.
He'd worn no withered flowers, no moldy fruit, not even the slightest adornment for the wedding. He hadn't even worn his fancy watch. Crowley had gone in just his normal, everyday clothes. It was the smallest (and only) measure of rebellion in the whole matter that he could manage -- though Beelzabub had made him take off his shades. ]
There's a lot of bad work to be done in western Europe. It's like.. poisoning a spring instead of going down and poisoning all down the length of the stream. All that imperialism does most of the work for me.
[ Crowley watches as the dahlia crown lands in the river. It certainly would be a miracle if no ducks ended up poisoned from that. Not that he'd know anything about it, of course.. ]
But, you're welcome to go wherever you like. Whole world out there, no sense in two demons in the same hemisphere. I hear Australia's awful this time of year, I'm sure it'd suit you nicely.
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[Dahlia can respect Crowley's work in the distant, detached way of an architect specializing in Victorian styled housing respecting the work of an architect specializing in mid-century modern style. She sees that there's quality and skill in it, but it holds no appeal to her.
She sees the evil value in designing a particularly infuriating highway or taking out a power grid, but can't imagine doing it herself. It all seems so... detached from the resulting chaos. Little things that hurt many people over time, that spread poison in their hearts. She doesn't enjoy irritating people into minor misdeeds--she enjoys hearing screams of rage and grief, driving people into frenzies that spill blood in classic spectacular ways. And there are ways to mass produce that as well, with some well-placed words.]
Trying to get rid of me already? [There isn't any offense in her voice. She's disinterested in this marriage, and Crowley seems downright ornery about it. But the fact that he's ornery makes her want to needle him more. Dahlia isn't used to man-shaped creatures being disinterested in her, but she does enjoy causing misery.] Goes against the spirit of cursed matrimony, doesn't it?
[Dahlia flicks her hair, flashing a smile at a passing man at just the right time for his eyes to wander and his girlfriend to notice. They were on their way to a dinner that the man intended to propose at, and now they'll spending that dinner having a fight. Delightful.]
We should honeymoon somewhere. I've always been fond of Japan. The Aokigahara Forest is horrible, and we can always visit North Korea to antagonize some military leaders into another mass slaughter of their civilians. [Simple and rewarding work. Something small to 'celebrate', and to see if Crowley still gets his hands dirty these days.]
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Also, yes, technically America was where he'd get the most bang for his buck when it came to his schemes -- but that wasn't very convenient for him, now was it? Not that he'd voice that, least of all to Dahlia.
He watches Dahlia throwing a casual temptation along their way, glancing behind them as they pass the couple which were very quickly about to devolve into a bout of arguments. There was a little niggling thought in the back of his mind that felt like he had seen something like that before ( that was what he got for inventing memes, he supposes ), but it was quickly pushed away when she mentioned a honeymoon. Feeling bile suddenly lurch up into your throat might have been a wonderful experience for most demons, but for Crowley he just wanted to run very, very far away very, very quickly. ]
Oh- er- actually- you know, I meant to mention it sooner. It's just everything happened so suddenly, completely slipped my mind-- I'm actually right in the middle of a-a- really complicated demonic plan. Could take a few more weeks. Months. [ an eternity ] All that business in Japan and North Korea -- sounds absolutely thrilling. Really. Shame for both of us to miss out. Wouldn't want to hold you back, you know.
[ He needed to get out of this. The honeymoon, the 'celebration', this whole fucking marriage. ]
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Her head snaps to look at him, her eyes flashing like coals for a moment before they're back to their normal human-like appearance. When she speaks, her voice is colder than the arctic.]
How old are you? I could have sworn you were at least six thousand, and yet you're quivering like a little boy who doesn't want to drown a sack of unwanted kittens.
[And it's irritating. Dahlia has developed her own quirks from being on Earth so long. None are as whimsical as a love of humans and their imaginations--no, Dahlia has instead developed a keen contempt of weakness that surpasses that of other demons. The contempt burns in her gut, burning when she sees a human dote on another, when she sees a human weep for another, when she sees humans quail in fear. And this seems suspiciously like weakness to her, the kind that makes her want to tear a creature apart.]
Lord Beelzebub is right--you've been let too free for too long. You've forgotten that you can't do as you please just because you're not in Hell.
can i just say that i am *adoring* this thread?
[ It had been so long since he'd had the misfortune of being in Dahlia's presence -- and even longer since being the target of her disgust. He remembers those eyes of hers, and he feels the bottom of his stomach drop out. It was finally, finally starting to sink in how fucked he was.
This was absolutely the worst-case scenario. He should have risked it and asked the angel to go off with him. Or maybe he should have just said fuck it all and taken off on his own. Lord Beelzebub hadn't exactly told him why he was being forced to marry, only that it had been decided and it was either this or the pit. He'd had his suspicions that this was little more than a babysitting arrangement, but now those suspicions were confirmed. ]
I'm not quivering, I just have better things to do than go traipsing off on some honeymoon! [ He's trying not to sound like a petulant teenager, trying not to sound like he's whining. It was a lot of effort. ]
I don't even know what all the fuss is, anyway. They've never had problems with the work I do up here. [a complete lie. his last performance report hadn't exactly been.. the most favorable. ] I've had blasted commendations for my work, you know! I don't need a- a- a blasted babysitter!
So am I! Dahlia gets to be her evil evil self and poor Crowley has to put up with it
[Her voice is cutting. Literally. She's been known to cut people with her voice, but she's restraining herself for now. She may have a bit of a black widow streak, but it seems poor form to attack her new husband mere minutes after their nuptials.]
Don't forget I've wandered this earth just as long as you have, Crowley. I'm not gullible like the idiots downstairs. You've stayed out of my business, so I have stayed out of yours, but you've been careless and got us both into this mess.
[Dahlia is cruel, but she's also smart. She may have deep contempt for humans, but she understands them intimately as a person only can when watching them for thousands upon thousands of years. She knows the difference between demonic nudging and simple capricious humanity.]
Now will you be a good demon, face up to the consequences of your laziness, and make the best of this situation, or are you going to be a petulant child I must deal with?
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But it was more the actual words themselves that nearly made him flinch, not the cutting voice. It was one thing for some random demons to gossip about how he likely fudged his reports a bit -- another for Dahlia to outright accuse him. If she suspected he didn't do all his own work, what else did she suspect? He told himself that if she knew about the Arrangement, she'd have burnt him asunder herself by now. And if his side managed to find out about the Arrangement...
No. He wasn't going to think about that because it wasn't going to happen. Simple as that. ]
Oh, come on, Dahlia! I'll admit that I might not be as overzealous in my work as you, but just think where we'd be if all demons were like you. There'd be no more humans left for you to torment! It's like you said, I'm out of your way, and you're out of my way. I don't see why this marriage has to change all that.
[ That wouldn't be enough to satisfy her, he knew that. He wasn't sure if there was anything that would satisfy her, save fire and brimstone reigning down on all of humanity. If it came to it, he'd do what she wanted. What other choice did he have? But he felt like he had to at least try to salvage this situation. It would be too much to give up entirely without a fight. ]
I'll step up my side of things, enough to make them happy downstairs, and you won't have to worry about me getting in your way. Can't see how you can make any better of a situation than that.