MEME: Arranged Marriage AU

[frozenfractals]

We were craving a meme, so after some digging around, we've got something new and different for you guys, with a huge hat-tip to the bakerstreet RP memes comm (original post here). Let's get some of those marriage feels sorted.

Time to get your faux-historical/fantasy novel on. For today's meme, your pup is getting married, whether they want to or not. It's arranged marriages time!

HOW IT WORKS
❧ Post a comment with your character's name and any preferences. This should include whether you're open to full threads or mostly dialogue, Test Drive-style, if you have a preference.
❧ 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.
❧ Or even just write drabbles to any (or none) of the prompts.
❧ 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

[nervesofsteel]

Sherlock doesn’t trust her. That’s not so weird; the really weird thing is that he pretends to hide it. John can see the flicker of disgust in his eyes every time he brings Nikita ‘round, but he doesn’t say the sorts of things he usually says to John’s girlfriends; he doesn’t try to scare her off. Sherlock just makes himself politely scarce. Politely scarce. It's like he knows something, but John doesn't care. He's going to coast on happiness for as long as Sherlock keeps his mouth shut, thanks very much.

“White’s kinda old-fashioned, anyway,” John reasons. He still can’t believe they’re moving so fast, that they’re actually getting married. “Overrated."

[femmejosephine]

That he was such a nice bloke made it easier and harder to do this. On the one hand, she was pretty sure he was never going to try to beat her, but on the other, he ought to be able to marry someone who hadn't been added to his life so she could report back on his circle of friends and enemies.

She smiled up at him anyway and closed the wedding mag. "Good. Tweed separates it is. Are you slightly terrified by this? In a good way, I mean? Or is that just me?"

[nervesofsteel]

John makes a face, leaping up from his desk where he had sat, trying to make a blog post out of the aluminium crutch case, and tugging her close to kiss her soundly. "I've never been so terrified," he laughs. "And I've been shot at."

[femmejosephine]

She kissed him back apparently happily, and honestly it wasn't too much of a lie. He wasn't exactly her usual type, but at least she wasn't revolted by him. Not like the child-trafficker. She hoped he wasn't a trafficker.

"I think I'll avoid comparing the two if you don't mind, and I'll thank you to do the same," she teased him, since her persona was of a relatively sedate mid-level administrator in the Australian High Commission. Being shot at was never something this Nikita would know.

[nervesofsteel]

“You’re no fun,” John says brightly - maybe too brightly. He feels a bit like he’s going on automatic lately, doing the things he’s expected to do because it’s about bloody time. He’s happy, but in a manic sort of way. He still only really feels like himself when he’s on a case.

“Sherlock’s going to make a speech, you know. It’ll be a train wreck.” He doesn’t seem too bothered by the idea, honestly.

[femmejosephine]

"Probably," she agreed. Sherlock knew something. She didn't know what yet, which was making Operations very unhappy, but it wasn't like she could push him against a wall and interrogate him, not without totally blowing the op.

"I'd be more worried if it wasn't. It's when he's too nice that I start to think he's up to something," she joked.