Just Married letter

Dear Just Married creator (dear wedding planner?),

 

Firstly, thank you so much for creating something for me - I am so excited to see what you come up with! I’m always thrilled to receive anything that someone has made for me, so don’t worry, I’ll be happy with whatever you create. 
 

*slams fist on table* LET THEM GET MARRIED. That is basically all I want from this exchange - let these pairs get married.  I’ve used the freeforms as prompts, but they’re not binding. Feel free to mix and match ideas across them (even across the letter - if I've requested a scenario for one fandom, I will like it in any of the others). If you have your own idea, go for it! Honestly, as long as you steer away from my DNWs, anything is fine. 

 

My taste is generally broad, but I’ve included a list of general likes below, as well as fandom specific prompts.

DCEU; Dragon Age; Lawrence of Arabia; Mass Effect Andromeda; Original Work; Star Trek: Discovery; The Lord of the Rings

General likes:

• stories that play with form and narrative: epistolary, poetry, time loops, etc.
• angst - break my heart, author
• stories about storytelling and the power of narratives 
• found families
• bittersweet endings
• stories about the power of hope and persevering through difficult times 
• character studies
• complex protagonists and antagonists - i.e. both with morally grey, but understandable, motivations
• heists and adventures
• characters who are competent and unapologetic about who they are
• stars, trees, and the sea

 

Relationship/shippy likes:

• mutual pining-happy ending narratives
• stories about falling in love
• enemies (to friends) to lovers
• relationships based in communication - talking, challenging and testing one another, wordy declarations/gestures of love
• talking/flirting/falling in love through dancing
• banter, bickering, and humour
• equal power dynamics between people
• moments of quiet intimacy 
• first kisses
• gift giving
• there’s only one bed
• “holy shit they’re hot in that outfit”

Art likes: Honestly, if you’re drawing me something I will probably backflip out the window, because I have no artistic talent and am constantly in awe of what other people produce. I never know what works as an art prompt (sorry, artist friend) but: I am fond of non-sexual intimacy between characters, and mundane, slice-of-life moments, and I love colours, geometric patterns, and landscapes. I also really like tarot-style art. But feel free to ignore all of these - I am not an artist! 
 

DNWs:

• no A/B/O dynamics or mpreg
• no pairings with a major power imbalance (e.g. student/teacher, etc)
• no incest
• no underage
• no non-con or dub-con
• no stories with internalised prejudice as the main theme (homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, etc)
• no kidfic
• no character de-aging (e.g. high school AUs)
• no abuse (physical or emotional)

 

DCEU

 

Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne

 

So I’ve fallen into a Superbat spiral in the last two weeks - I don’t know why this is happening to me but I cannot stop it. I love their relationship: I love the way that Clark's inherent goodness and hope inspires Bruce, and how Bruce grounds Clark in the human world. And I love how despite being such polar opposites in many ways, they have a shared sense of duty and a shared fear of vulnerability. Basically, these two are made for delicious marriage tropes.

 

Accidental Travel to a Future With an Unexpected Spouse; Accidental Travel to an Alternate Universe With an Unexpected Spouse

This trope is QUALITY. Maybe Bruce travels to another universe or a future during the period that Clark is dead, and this just spurs his determination to bring him back. Maybe the box gives Clark a vision of his future with Bruce. Maybe there’s another magical artifact involved. How does this vision change their relationship - does it lead to realisations of feelings?

Fake Marriage; Fake Marriage Results in Real Feelings; Mutual Not-Actually-Unrequited Pining for Spouse

I’d love any kind of fake marriage situation with the two of them: getting married so Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne have a reason to be in the same place; getting married to explain where Clark was when he was dead (elopement!); getting married because Bruce is tired of his playboy image and needs something else to take its place. Just give me fake marriage, mutual pining, and a happy ending.
 

Dealing with In-Law(s)

Basically I love Martha Kent and I love her relationship with both Clark and Bruce - feel free to include an appearance from Martha in whatever you write, whether she can see right through the “fake” marriage, whether she helps in the courtship process, etc. 
 

Courtship; Elaborate Courtship; Formal Courtship and Proposal; Having To Convince The Person They're Asking That Their Proposal And Feelings Are Genuine

I can see this one working both ways: if Clark is getting married, he’s doing it properly, seriously, and very genuinely, no matter how much Bruce resists (bonus points if there’s Kryptonian rituals in here). On the other hand, Bruce Wayne would absolutely go all out with a lavish courtship/proposal, much to Clark’s embarrassment. Here, I’m looking for something terribly romantic, with bonus points for the person being courted feeling like they don’t deserve it.
 

Magic Artifact Creates Marriage; Accidental/unexpected soulbond is cultural equivalent of marriage

Some kind of artifact (the box, something on the Kryptonian ship, some other kind of alien artifact) creates a marriage bond between them - possibly with a soul bond. What exactly does the bond involve - sharing emotions, hearing thoughts, a need for physical proximity? How does this change their relationship - does it result in new feelings, or does it just emphasise a mutual longing that was already present?

Getting Married to Extend Legal Rights/Protections to Partner; Marrying for Visa and Immigration Purposes; Both Spouses Are In Love But Believe The Other Is In The Marriage Out Of Obligation
I love this trope. It's up to you how it would work here - maybe Bruce marries Superman to give him citizenship, maybe something weird happens with Bruce's fortune and Clark offers to marry him to protect it; maybe it's about power of attorney in the event of serious injury. Both think the other is just doing them a favour, but they're both so, so wrong.

 

 

Dragon Age

 

Oh, Dragon Age, game of my heart. I love this game, forever and always - the world, the lore, and above all, the characters. I've chosen pairings that have some of my favourite dynamics: two very different people who might have a lot to learn from one another, and might discover how deeply they've misjudged the other. If the Warden, Hawke, and/or the Inquisitor makes an appearance, I have no preference for race/gender/personality - give them whatever identity you would prefer.

Dorian Pavus/Solas

 

Remember that time Varric told Dorian that “just because two people dislike each other doesn't mean they're about to kiss, Sparkler”? Varric, you have never been more wrong about anything in your life.

 

This my most beloved rare-pair. I LOVE THEM. Their relationship is hostile at first but I think they have so much to offer one another. Solas challenges Dorian ideologically, but Dorian, more than anyone, has the potential to remind Solas of the pleasures of being alive, and the value of this world. I’d love a story in which they realise how they’ve misjudged one another.

 

Accidental Travel to a Future With an Unexpected Spouse/Accidental Travel to an Alternate Universe With an Unexpected Spouse

While working together to try and figure out Alexius’s time magic, they (or possibly just one of them) end up in a future/alternate universe where they discover they’ve been married for years. Are they horrified? Secretly pleased (maybe sparks have already been flying in all those late night library sessions)? How does this affect their relationship? There’s really interesting potential here to think about how this impacts Solas’s plans - is this the thing that manages to change his mind, to convince him that this world is real?
 

Avoiding arranged marriage by marrying someone else; Fake Marriage Results in Surprise Real Feelings; Marrying to save someone from an arranged political marriage

Dorian needs to marry a mage to help protect his claim to the Magisterium and/or avoid an arranged marriage, but there’s only one other suitable male mage in the Inquisition. How do they (and everyone else in the Inquisition) react to this arrangement? Do they take a while to warm up to one another? Do they, much to their mutual surprise, end up having an extremely hot wedding night and then have to deal with the fallout? And what happens if they both end up catching feelings (possibly with mutual pining)?
 

Accidental Marriage/Accidental/unexpected soulbond is cultural equivalent of marriage/Magic Artifact Creates Marriage

Dorian accidentally does something while dream walking in the Fade which means that according to ancient Elven custom, he and Solas are married - maybe with some kind of magical bond. What was the ritual? How do they negotiate their new bond?

 

Cassandra Pentaghast/Varric Tethras 

 

Oh, I adore the relationship between the two of them, and how it evolves over the course of the games. By the end of Inquisition, there’s such a genuine sense of affection and fondness between the two of them. I’d love anything that explores how much they really care for one another, underneath their banter. 

 

Avoiding arranged marriage by marrying someone else; Fake Marriage Results in Surprise Real Feelings

Cassandra is pressured into marrying someone in Nevarra to persevere the Pentaghast line. Varric steps in to save her from a worse fate. Cue feelings.
 

Formal Courtship and Proposal

Cassandra is a romantic at heart, and there's so much potential here for a delightful courtship, whether sincere or even as something that begins as a bit of a joke. And it's a classic, but I am always here for Varric writing a story with a thinly fictionalised (and romanticised) Cassandra as the heroine, which he uses in order to ask her to marry him. 
 

Mistaken For Married

Post-inquisition, Varric and Cassandra send so many letters to one another, and talk about one another so much in Kirkwall/to fellow Seekers, people keep thinking they’re actually married. Maybe those people are onto something.

Alistair/Zevran Arainai

I always love these two together - Alistair's terrible awkwardness meets Zevran's smooth teasing. I'd love to see an outrageous Zevran, a flustered Alistair, but a genuine connection between the two of them. They both have a lot to offer one another's problems and perspective, and I'd love something that allows them to learn from one another. I have a real soft spot for stories with these two later in late, post-DAO, and if you go down that route, any world state is fine.

Marriage as a Political Tool; Political Marriage but with Mutual Pining;  Avoiding arranged marriage by marrying someone else; Fake Marriage Results in Surprise Real Feelings
In a world in which Alistair is king (and unmarried), tensions with Antiva are running high. His advisors suggest that marriage might be a solution, and there's only one Antivan Alistair trusts enough (much to the horror of his advisors). What is their marriage like - dear god, what is Prince Zevran like? How does their relationship develop - does it evoke an attraction that was already present, or do they fall in love when they get to see another side of one another? 

Undercover as Married; Undercover as Married Leads to Unexpected Feelings
Maybe they're investigating something during Origins, or maybe in a world state in which they're both still Wardens, they're investigating something on Warden business. Maybe they turn up to the Winter Palace pretending to be a couple? There is so much potential here for terrible flirting, hilarious undercover acts, and the blossoming of real feelings. 

 

Lawrence of Arabia

 

Ali ibn el Kharish/T. E. Lawrence

 

This is one of my very favourite films and I will never get over the sublime tragedy of the relationship between Ali and Lawrence. Ali is my favourite character and I adore his devotion and grace towards Lawrence (who is kind of insufferable, if delightfully so). I request this pair in every exchange, I’m not even sorry. *cries* let them get married

 

A cross-cultural marriage between two men would have been near impossible in 1919, so it’s up to you whether you want to write a slight AU in which this isn’t a problem, a modern/fantasy AU, or to keep things canonical - different prompts will work for different approaches.

 

Characters Consider Themselves Married Even if in the Eyes of the Law They're Not

If they cannot get married legally (due to time, place, culture, etc), how do they understand their relationship?
 

Proposal misunderstood as being for ulterior motives

Lawrence asks Ali to marry him, but Ali thinks it’s for political reasons (it’s not). Cue miscommunication, minor angst, and a happy ending. 
 

Proposal Recipient misunderstands due to cultural differences

In the film, Ali dresses Lawrence in his wedding robes (HIS WEDDING ROBES). Lawrence doesn’t understand the gesture until later, and must try and determine whether Ali meant it as a proposal. 
 

Always Married to Same Person When You Dream

This one is a recipe for post-film angst: either (or both) constantly dream of one another after Lawrence has gone back to England. Do they both continue to pine, or do they find their way back to one another?
 

Courtship; Formal Courtship and Proposal; Marriage Proposal; Marriage from love; Blurting Out Proposal Unplanned; Wedding Day

The whole film can be read as Ali courting Lawrence (the ROBES, the FLOWERS, I will never be over it), but I'd love to see this - and/or a proposal/wedding day - in more detail. Just give me something sweet and tender to ease my aching heart. 

 

Mass Effect Andromeda

 

Gil Brodie/Kallo Jath

 

I love these two characters individually and I love them even more together. Their endless bickering absolutely hides a deeper sexual tension. I’m particularly interested in the cross-species element here, and I’d love something that explores the Salarians (why can’t I romance a Salarian, Bioware???)

 

Undercover as Married Leads to Unexpected Feelings/Undercover as Married While Mutually Pining

They have to go undercover for some reason: investigating outlaws or the Kett. Pretending to be married is surprisingly easy. 
 

Old Married Couple; happy marriage / domestic

They already bicker like an old married couple, so I’d love to see other elements of their relationship: small intimate moments, like bringing each other drinks during long nights in the engine room, casual touches, etc. This could be either an established relationship, or the two of them being idiots and not realising that they’re in love with one another.
 

Having To Convince The Person They're Asking That Their Proposal And Feelings Are Genuine; "We Could Be Dead Tomorrow So Let's Get Married Today”; Blurting Out Proposal Unplanned

Salarians have shorter lifespans so they do things on a faster timescale. Gil isn’t expecting a proposal, and thinks that Kallo is joking (because why would Kallo want to marry him? he’s a mess)

Clash of customs/culture around wedding/marriage
Similar to the above, but I would love to see your take on what a Salarian wedding/marriage looks like.

 

 

Original Work

 

I’m always thrilled to receive original work and you can go where your heart takes you with these. There’s lots of opportunity for worldbuilding with these pairs (particularly different cultural expectations of love, sex, and affection if each member of the pair comes from different backgrounds), and I am always up for a science fiction/fantasy setting. 

 

General/General of opposing army

A quality enemies to lovers trope! Any gender combination is fine here.
 

Marriage As Political Tool; Marriage for purposes of political diplomacy; Political marriage to enemy that turns to love

At the end of the war, the best possible peace treaty is a marriage between the two generals. How do they adapt to their marriage? Does it work better than either expected - after all those years of paying close attention to their every move, do they actually know one another very well? Do their advisors set up the marriage expecting it to fail (so they can get back to the battlefield faster), only to have their plans thwarted by love? 

 

Queen Making an Effort Not to Pressure Her New Wife/Her Princess Wife Who's Very Into Her

This is the classic “oh no, they’re hot” scenario. I'd love some political intrigue, sexual tension, and a happy ending. Note: I would prefer not to have a massive age gap between the two characters.
 

Marriage As Political Tool; Marriage for purposes of political diplomacy; Political marriage but mutual pining; courtship

Does the queen marry a princess from a far-off place, and/or an enemy territory? Is the queen determined to treat the marriage as simply a formality, and does her princess wife have to slowly court her? Was the marriage only arranged on one side - did the princess wife choose the queen deliberately? Maybe in the queen's culture, marriage isn't about desire/love, she thinks that adding any emotion beyond a professional distance is scandalous? 

Noblewoman/Noblewoman from a Long-Reviled Rival House

This one is similar to the above prompts: enemies to lovers, arranged marriages, delicious angst and sexual tension. I obviously know what I like! As always, I'd love to see some worldbuilding here: what/who are these houses, and why do they hate one another? And as always, a fantasy/science fiction setting would be amazing here.

Marriage As Political Tool; Marriage for purposes of political diplomacy; Political marriage to enemy that turns to love

Do these houses need to come together to face a bigger threat to the kingdom, and marriage is the best way to do it? Or is the marriage designed with failure in mind to promote further tension between the houses? Do the two noblewomen find common ground, or are their differences the point of attraction? 

 

Retired Human Space Outlaw/Alien They Met During their Adventures

This pair is quality! Tell me who these characters are, and how they know one another - have they met frequently over the course of their adventures, or only once? Any gender combination is fine here, and the alien can be whatever form you'd prefer (but no impregnation, please).
 

Proposal Recipient misunderstands due to cultural differences; Accidental Marriage due to Misunderstanding the Norms of Another Culture; Mutual Not-Actually-Unrequited Pining for Spouse

Maybe the human outlaw didn’t realise that they were engaging in courtship/marriage rituals, or maybe the alien doesn’t understand what marriage/a proposal is? Maybe there’s been some mutual pining because they both think the other isn’t interested in a cross-cultural relationship? 

Star Trek: Discovery

Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po/Sylvia Tilly

Tilly and Po had such delightful chemistry - so much genuine affection and energy between them. I loved their shared sense of wonder and delight in the world and in science. There's some great opportunity here to flesh out the world of Xahea, or alternatively, something set post-season two finale (there will be spoilers in my letter) would be really cool.

Getting Married To Avoid A Diplomatic Incident; Getting Married to Avoid Otherwise-Likely Marriage to Unbearable Third Party; Marriage as an act of rebellion;  Marrying to save someone from an arranged political marriage

Po needs to marry someone to solidify her reign. She's not one to make the conventional choice, and much to the frustration of her advisors, she chooses a certain captain-in-training. How does Tilly respond to the proposal? How does their relationship work - do they make it work long-distance? 

Time Loop Can Only Be Ended Through Marriage; Marrying Someone To Save Their Life

Po someone sneaks into the wormhole in her little ship, but something goes wrong, and she gets stuck in a time loop. Marriage (possibly with a soulbond) is the only way to escape. Maybe Tilly uses the red angel technology to save her, or maybe Po's the one who realises what's happening, and figures it out herself.

Proposal Recipient misunderstands due to cultural differences; Courtship

Tilly doesn't understand Xahean courtship rituals, and doesn't understand that Po is asking her to marry her. Cue misunderstandings and a happy ending.

The Lord of the Rings

Note: I'm requesting the same things across both the films and the books, just to try and maximise my potential matches.

Aragorn/Boromir

"I would have followed you, my brother... My captain... My king." UNHOLY SCREAM. I adore the dynamic between them - mutual distrust and suspicion that turns into strong shared respect. They both have such a strong sense of duty, honour, and responsibility to their people, but they also, I think, share a gruff exterior that hides a deeper sense of kindness (which comes out really clearly in their interactions with the hobbits). I'd particularly love a Boromir Lives AU (mainly before it gives a bit more scope for marriage), but if you want to do something within the bounds of canon, that is fine too. As for Arwen, I'd prefer that she and Aragorn were just never romantically involved, to avoid infidelity issues.

Political marriage but mutual pining; Arranged Marriage - mutual pining between spouses; Both Spouses Are In Love But Believe The Other Is In The Marriage Out Of Obligation;Both Spouses Are In Love But Believe The Other Is In The Marriage Out Of Obligation

Their marriage is arranged as a political alliance to help stabilise and bring peace to Gondor. Maybe it happens after Aragorn becomes king; if you want to stick to canon timelines, maybe they were already engaged and they only met for the first time in Rivendell. How does this affect their relationship? How do they learn to rule together? Do they fall in love slowly over the course of their relationship, or were they both already pining for one another?

Old Married Couple
Okay, this one only works for a Boromir Lives AU, but it'd be cool to see them old and happy and ruling Gondor with kindness and strength and diligence. Like all old married couples, they still argue and disagree, but they fit together perfectly. 

Bringing someone back to life constitutes marriage; Resurrection Ritual Requires Marriage

Aragorn brings Boromir back somehow: maybe with elven magic, or maybe his reward for walking the Paths of the Dead is that he can bring one person back with him. The ritual, whatever it is, results in marriage - to the surprise of both of them. You can go for soulbond elements here if you want.