Arranged Marriage

[bostonhowler]

It's a trope near and dear to our hearts. Arranged marriage.

Maybe it's for the family. Maybe it's for a friend. Maybe you know the person and have been expected to marry them for years. Maybe it's the wedding day and you have no clue who it is you'll be tied to for your natural life. Maybe you've been married a while, and you're just now starting your life, away from the expectations of others. Or maybe, the "others" are watching, waiting, making sure this marriage sticks.

Prompts for those who need them:



Reasons:

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.
6. Tribute → You have been offered as a gift or appeasement, alternately you're the spoils of war.
8. 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.

Scenario:

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?
8. Been at this a while → Just starting to get to know the other person

Comments

[dropwaterdroplet]

As they enter the office, she winces a bit in sympathy at the sight of his desk, buried under a mountain of scrolls. She'd always known, if a bit distantly, that the work required to being Fire Lord was difficult, especially in the aftermath of the war. But she'd never really given thought to exactly how much he really had to do.

His words have her glancing up at him for a moment, then around the room again. "No, that's okay," she replies. It's not really about comfort, after all, so she could probably grab one of the pillows already there and just bring it over to sit with him at the desk.

[southernreaper]

Kevin sighs and takes Jacob's hand to pull himself up. He knows that's an order. He and the boys - as she calls her grandsons who are twelve to fifteen years older than Kevin - are to 'put on dinner'. So, food is going to be cooked.

"Chicken an' dumplin's?" Mike asks, picking himself up.

He shakes his head. "Kitty's vegetarian." He cautions. "I can make her a vegetable and dumpling stew. With apple crumble for dessert?" Kevin says.

"Now, if she won't eat it, we'll all have what you cook." Mike says, shoulder checking Kevin.

Well, that's the menu settled.

Miss Amelia leads the way into the cooler house. The couch dominates the living room. A black and white cat sits on the back of the couch. He nudges Miss Amelia as she goes past. "Now, off the couch, Tux. C'mon now." The cat meows and doesn't move, making her sigh.

She settles into a padded rocking chair, with sewing next to it. "Kitty, that short for somethin' chil'?" She asks, putting her cane to the side.

[restoredhonor]

He knows how his office looks. It's barely organized chaos. It's not clean and neat or anything that a Fire Lord's office should be, but it's his.

He settles at the desk - it was his mother's; he'd rescued it from her things in storage. He starts at the top of the stack. First, he goes through and triages the missives that are sitting there waiting for him. He snorts at a missive from Kuei and hands that to Katara. There's no secrets of state or anything. It's just a missive of Kuei's adventures through the Earth Kingdom, and how he hopes to hear about the Dai Li soon.

The Dai Li are certainly a problem for all of them. They're an elite force and not knowing where they are, or who they're loyal to, is a big issue.

"Who, besides Grangran and Master Pakku do you want to invite to the wedding?"

[goingthroughaphase]

She can't help a glance at Kevin as he discusses the menu with Miss Amelia's grandsons. She feels a little bad that they'd all work around her food preferences, but she doesn't get a chance to say anything s she follows Miss Amelia into the living room.

As she takes her seat, she holds out her hand to the cat, just to see if he'll let her pet him, even as she looks over when Miss Amelia speaks again.

"Oh yes. It's short for Katherine."

[dropwaterdroplet]

Taking the letter, she can't help a small smile as she reads it. At least he notes that Bosco is doing well.

Looking up at his question, she thinks for a moment. "Well, my dad, of course. I'm guessing Sokka and Toph would already be invited. Maybe Suki and some of the other Kiyoshi warriors." She tries to think of other people she could invite. Haru, maybe? Teo, Pipsqueak, The Duke?

Aang would have also been an obvious one, but she isn't sure if being invited to the wedding would hurt him more than not being invited.

[southernreaper]

Don't worry, it won't hurt them to eat vegetables. Besides, they still get the dumplings, which are the important part.

Tux is completely uninterested in Kitty. He cracks open an eye and goes back to sleep, immediately. He's not interested in people. He's a twelve year old cat that has no time for people shenanigans.

"When's Tom comin' home?" Kevin's suothern accent always grows thicker around people that share it.

Mike glances at his watch. "Two hours, we's got time.... Not the asparagus!" He complains. "It gets mushy."

"Not if you roast it first." Kevin bumps Mike, smiling. He winks at his wife, seeing her watching.

Miss Amelia catches the wink. "He likes you. Weren't real sure that he did when he called 'bout the weddin'." She shakes her head. "Always been a bit odd, loved his mama somethin' fierce, and 'bout curled in on himself when she passed, but he's a good boy, don't you worry about that."

[restoredhonor]

"Hakoda is absolutely invited." He wouldn't try to keep her father from their wedding. That would be cruel, and he won't do that to people especially ones he's going to be related to.

He smiles, crookedly. "Suki and the Warriors will be there, most likely as security, if they have their way." He doesn't mind, but he'll talk to Suki about it. "Aang will be invited." He doesn't know if the Avatar will attend but Zuko will invite him.

"I have to talk to Sokka about a few things to do with the wedding, so yes, he's coming. Toph I also need to talk to." He has a few thoughts about their wedding being more than just the joining of the Fire Lord with a Master Water Bender.

"Anyone else?" He asks, picking up another paper.

[goingthroughaphase]

When Tux doesn't respond, she lets her hand drop, just a touch disappointed by not really that surprised. Instead she focuses back on Miss Amelia and, to a lesser extent, the guys as they were cooking. Especially as Kevin's accent had also caught her attention; it wasn't as pronounced as Rogue's back at the institute, but there was something charming about hearing it more now.

The wink gets a smile from her, before she turns back to Miss Amelia. "Oh, I know," she replies. "I trust him."

Even though they hadn't known each other very well before getting married, she had at least known the Professor wouldn't have picked someone bad for her, even if she hadn't agreed with a fixed marriage. More than than that, though, Kevin had been nothing but concerned and accommodating towards her since the ceremony, and he hadn't done anything to give her a reason not to trust him.

[dropwaterdroplet]

She hesitates just a moment; she's still worried about Aang and how all this would affect him, but part of her does want him to be there. If nothing more than having support from one of her best friends. Still, she knows it might be difficult for him. She'll have to talk to him later herself.

Setting that aside for now, she thinks a bit more, then offers a few more names. Haru and the others were still friends, so what could it hurt to invite them?

"And let's see...Oh, I'm not sure if they'd come, but maybe the Swamp-benders?" They were definitely the opposite of the noble-type, but their presence might make things interesting at least.

[southernreaper]

"Oh don't mind that ol' cat." Miss Amelia tsks. "He's ol' and cantankerous." She shakes her head. "Don't even know why I keep him around." But she loves him and it's obvious.

"Now, why don't you tell me all about you, while them boys start cooking?" Miss Amelia asks. "And don't leave anything out. I know that boy ain't just welding and forging up in New York. He seems to think we don't get the news down here, but we do."

[goingthroughaphase]

"Oh, um...Okay," she says, suddenly feeling a little nervous. She never knows what to say when put on the spot like this. But she also can't help worrying that she'll say something that would make Miss Amelia dislike her.

Eventually though, she does start talking about herself, though it's mostly just basic things to begin with; where she grew up, being Jewish and a vegetarian, what she was thinking of studying in college, and so on.

[southernreaper]

Kevin keeps an eye on Kitty. He knows how Miss Amelia gets and Kitty's never been under investigation by a southern Grandmama before. Miss Amelia can be even more intrusive than Miss Rogue.

But Miss Amelia knows a Yankee when she hears one. Besides, she's not going to do nothing that'll upset her boy's wife.

"Jewish?" Miss Amelia asks. "That gonna be a problem when Kevin goes to Mass?" She asks as Mike, the larger of the two brings in a pitcher of ice tea along with two full glasses. "Sweet tea?"

[restoredhonor]

He writes down every name dutifully. He's not going to turn down anyone that she wants to invite. Including, the Duke and Pipsqueak. If that's who she wants, then they will be invited.

But then, she mentions the Swamp-benders and he laughs. "Alright, we'll send word to them as well." She certainly doesn't want a quiet, noble, serious ceremony and party.

He sighs and rubs his burnt eye, putting a letter in another pile. It's bothering him tonight, but he knows that he has to at least sort all these missives tonight. He doesn't have a personal secretary to do it for him. That's another thing that he has to see to... eventually.

"So you should talk to the kitchens and tell them what you want at the feast, so they can prepare." He closes his burnt eye and keeps reading.

[goingthroughaphase]

She pauses a moment as Mike comes over, looking up with a smile. "Oh, yes please," she replies.

Then she turns back to Miss Amelia. "No, it shouldn't be. He would still go to Mass, and he could come with me to services if he'd like. And I could go with him to Mass if he wanted me to."

Maybe not all the time, but she'd go if he asked her to.

[dropwaterdroplet]

She can't help a small giggle. She doesn't really expect them to come, but she definitely wouldn't mind if they did. A quiet and serious ceremony isn't really her style.

She glances up as he rubs his eye, and she can't help a worried frown. "Are you okay?"

[southernreaper]

Mike smiles, and hands her her glass, while winking at her.

"I saw that Mike, leave my wife alone." Kevin's teasing though. Mike responds by taking Kitty's hand and kissing her fingers. "Miss Amelia, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take Mike outside."

Miss Amelia laughs. "Now, you go on cookin' boy. Don't worry none 'bout this boy." She whacks him gently with her cane. "Now, you stop toyin' and go on and help cook." She orders her grandson. He grins and winks at Kitty again and heads back into the kitchen to help.

"Don't pay them no mind, Kitty. Boys bein' boys." Miss Amelia shakes her head fondly. "But I'm glad to hear that Kevin can keep up with his faith. He still blacksmithin'?"

[restoredhonor]

He sighs. He should have known that she would notice. It's not, exactly, a secret. His uncle knows, so do the Fire Nation healers that had attended him after the Agni Kai.

"When my father..." He begins, putting the paper down. "When we were in the Agni Kai and he burned my eye. He damaged it." He says softly. It's embarrassing. It's horrible. It's something that he doesn't want people to know. "It gets tired, and I have trouble seeing out of it sometimes." He shakes his head. "No one, besides Uncle, knows. I... don't want their pity."

[goingthroughaphase]

Kitty can't help a giggle herself, rolling her eyes playfully at the exchange.

"Oh, I know," she replies after taking a sip of her tea. "The guys back at the institute can be like that too." Kurt had been so much worse when the two of them had first met.

"But yeah, I wouldn't ask Kevin to give up something so important to him. And yes, he's still blacksmithing." Twisting the ring on her finger, she slides it off to show Miss Amelia. "He made our wedding rings."

[dropwaterdroplet]

She takes a breath at his admission. It made a bit of sense that there would be some damage to it, but somehow she had never considered that before.

"Is...there anything to help for it?" She wasn't sure if even her healing could help such long and rather old damage.

[southernreaper]

Miss Amelia takes it almost reverently. "Oh, now that's just beautiful." She says, softly. "To think, my little Kevin can do such beautiful work." She shakes her head and hands it back to Kitty.

"Practically raised that boy, after his Mama passed. When he went missin', sent my grandsons lookin' for him." She says, softly. "All of them are police, just work different shifts." She smiles, listening to the banter in the kitchen as the three men cook with the ease of long knowledge. "But you'll be good for him. He needs someone who ain't gonna let him get too deep in his moods." She worries about Kevin. She doesn't like it him being up in New York. His family is down here. But, if he's going to get a family in Kitty, she supposes that's alright.

[restoredhonor]

He shakes his head. "At first, in between hunting Aang, I looked for healers that could help. Nothing has helped." He admits. He shrugs. "I can compensate for it. It doesn't affect my bending, or my swordsmanship. But this time of night? It gets tired." He hates having this weakness. He hates having to admit this weakness. This isn't one of Uncle's parables that allow him to turn what he sees as a weakness into a strength. He's got an eye that gets easily tired, and is blurry in bright light. There's nothing anyone can do about it.

[goingthroughaphase]

With a smile, she nods and takes back the ring, sliding it back onto her finger.

"I'll do my best," she replies softly. Honestly, part of her worries that she wouldn't be good enough to help.

[dropwaterdroplet]

Her frown deepens as she thinks, her eyes ticking to her water sack. "...Can...I try?" she asks softly. She isn't sure if even her healing can do much for him, but she wanted to at least see if it can ease even a little of his pain.

[southernreaper]

Miss Amelia reaches over and touches her hand. "You ever get overwhelmed, or that boy ain't doin' what he's supposed to, I'll give you my number an' you just call me up and I'll set him straight." She promises. Kitty has been adopted. Welcome, they have people who can cook.

"Now, tell me all about the weddin'. Wanted to go north for it, but the doc wouldn't let me." She shakes her head. "Outlived two husbands, and two children and he thinks a little thing like an airplane ride gonna do me in."

[restoredhonor]

He follows her eyes. "I thought... without the spirit water..." He's not even sure what he's asking. But his eye is exhausted, and sore.

Then, he nods, taking her hand. "You're welcome to try. It's the only thing left that I haven't." He admits, softly.