#how to have a perfect marriage

[carrymelikeimcute]

@little-spoon-izzy turned me on to an audiobook/play featuring Con O'Neill - 'Hammer Chillers' (thank you again!) AND upon clicking his name on Audible a second result showed up! - 'How to have a perfect marriage' - no idea as to the amount of con-tent but we shall see!

[starcurtain]

Another Phaidei Fic I Want to Read

It's the political arranged marriage AU but make it (ooooo) complicated~

Crown Prince Mydeimos of Castrum Kremnos was born under a dark star, with a prophecy of abject despair uttered at the moment of his birth: Mydeimos will be the last king of Kremnos. The city-state will fall, her people will be lost, and the glory of Strife entirely will fade into nameless oblivion. Year after year, the prophets repeat the same warnings: Mydeimos is cursed, and he will bring the downfall of their kingdom and all its inhabitants.

But no one in Kremnos knew just how cursed their prince was until the day the regent's war council convinced their king to do the unthinkable: If Mydeimos was sacrificed, perhaps their prophecy of destruction could be averted and Kremnos saved...

Only Mydei couldn't even die like he was supposed to. No matter how many times he was mortally wounded, the boy just kept standing up--not even Thanatos would take him. That glorious death in battle that all Kremnoan warriors were expected to achieve--even this most central aspect of Mydei's own culture rejected him.

This life of betrayal and total loneliness, with the promise of eventually destroying everything he knew and cared for, seemed inescapable--until one day, when Mydeimos had already passed the age of majority (and would have long since been allowed to challenge his father for the crown if it weren't for the despair prophesied to be his reign), a new vision was shared among all of their people's seers: There was a way to avert their kingdom's impending destruction and save their people. "Only the son of Aedes Elysiae can deliver Castrum Kremnos from the dark tide and restore the true king to her throne."

Aedes Elysiae is a tiny city-state with nowhere near enough military might to defend against a full onslaught from the Kremnoans. But the risk that the Elysian prince could be harmed--and all of Kremnos' future lost in the process--is too high to engage in a traditional war of conquest. Although it runs contrary to the Kremnoans' very natures, if it means securing their kingdom's future and hiding the truth of their foreseen fate forever, they will engage in any manner of subterfuge and political maneuvering necessary.

Namely, by using the threat of war to force Aedes Elysiae to surrender their crown prince to a permanent and binding political alliance. If the Elysians want to avoid obliteration by the military might of the Kremnoans, they will tie the destiny of their crown prince to the Strifewalkers' through blood and oath--a marriage to Kremnos' own Prince Mydeimos. In this way, perhaps the curse can finally be outweighed by the glory of a savior.

Enter Phainon: the pride and joy of Aedes Elysiae, the golden sun to his people, loved by everyone who knows him. Although his heart has always been soft and romantic, rebelling fiercely at the idea of marrying someone he's never met and doesn't love, there is nothing Phainon won't do to protect his people and his kingdom--even if it means sacrificing himself.

So Phainon agrees to leave his family and homeland behind, and makes the miserable journey to Castrum Kremnos to meet his destiny... as well as his new husband.

Too bad Mydei wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

Disgusted by his father's willingness to forsake Kremnos' sacred principles of pride and integrity by using underhanded tactics and falsehoods to force Aedes Elysiae's prince into compliance, Mydei refuses to even acknowledge his marriage to Phainon, let alone look in his fellow prince's direction.

Which wouldn't be a problem, honestly, if it weren't for the fact that poor Phainon is smitten within days.

When the Kremnoans were strong-arming Aedes Elysiae's king into giving up his beloved son, why had no one thought to just tell Phainon that Prince Mydeimos was so... so... upright and honest and brave and powerful and gorgeous and straightforward and humorous and quick-witted and honorable and also gorgeous? (Phainon thinks perhaps this last point should be repeated a few more times for good measure.) Truly, Phainon might have gone willingly if anyone had just thought to show him a portrait of his husband-to-be in advance!

While Phainon struggles to catch his own husband's attention and soften Mydei's seemingly unbreakable stone heart, Mydei struggles with his father's demands to keep his curse hidden, to not reveal the omen of destruction lurking behind this sham of a marriage. Though having to lie shreds every last tatter of pride Mydei has, if this prince of Aedes Elysiae discovers the truth, that he's been brought here solely to counteract Mydei's prophesied inability to reign, Kremnos' enemies will know it within the hour. A single weakness will be all the world needs to turn on the Kremnoans, to bring Mydei's terrible destiny to pass.

And... And if Phainon learns the truth about Mydeimos, about his curse, about how he is an abomination that not even death will accept, about the misery he is destined to bring, about the failures that are sure to come, about how he is hated by his country, his people, his own family--then Mydei will lose the first person who has ever smiled freely at him, ever wanted to walk beside him, ever spoke kind words in his direction...

There is no way Phainon would ever look at him the same again.

There is no way Phainon would stay.

And that would be cruelest fate of all.

(What Mydei and Castrum Kremnos don't know is that Phainon has a secret of his own: He's not royalty by blood in the slightest. He was a penniless orphan who just got lucky enough to be taken in by the castle and end up, through twists in his own destiny, to be raised by the childless rulers of Elysiae from nothing but the kindness of their hearts.

There is no son of Aedes Elysiae to save Castrum Kremnos from its fate--and the dark tide comes for all.

But visions bestowed by the gods must not be doubted. Perhaps the combined efforts of two lonely people--the one who forsook his own land for love and the one who could only be loved by someone from another land--will see the sun of Aedes Elysiae delivered to Kremnos once more...

And put a true and honest king upon her throne at last.)

[forzathunder]

"I have many fears, most of them about Lucrezia." — Cesare Borgia (The Borgias, 2011-2013) + hints of insecurity

that she adores someone that much / if she will reject his dark nature and act of love and violence as Ursula did / if he truly is not part of her desires / that she easily forgets him

[creating-by-starlight]

Me, every time anyone says anything about "waiting for The One God has for you"/romantic soulmates/etc: Stop, stop, stop! Why are we implying that everyone has a soulmate when everyone does not have a soulmate? God's going to get nasty letters saying "Where's my soulmate? Why haven't I found my soulmate?" and do you want Him to have to deal with that? I don't think so! Stop spouting heresy being so silly!

[beaulesbian]

Dragon Age: Inquisition |vs.| Dragon Age: The Veilguard [1/2]

» The Inquisitor Reio Lavellan

[fruitageoforanges]

my conspiracy theory is that part of daemon’s strained relationship with baela in f&b (not sure to what extent they’re going to go down that route in the show, especially as they seem to be somewhat butchering baela + rhaena) is due to gender envy.

[made-my-peace-with-all-the-bad]

“But who bought daisy’s diamond ring and put a baby in her arms” as Trip

VS.

“do you know what I did when my baby was born? You don’t. Because no one was there” as Marcia

[carrymelikeimcute]

do you have an update on the con-tent of how to have a perfect marriage? x

Sorry it took so long! Had to wait for audible credit day :P

Right - the breakdown.

Background on the show:

'How to Have a Perfect Marriage' is a radio drama, 4 series, each 5 episodes around 13mins each. The whole thing is available as an omnibus on audible - I couldn't find a free source as it's no longer on the BBC Radio 4 website.

The plotline revolves around Jack and Karen, who have two teenage daughters and are settled into their marriage. However, Jack has been struggling with his sexuality since university, when he had an affair with his professor (Ben) and is now ready to come out as gay. The series follows him as he comes out to Karen and gets a boyfriend (Tom) whilst still trying to make his marriage to Karen work. He remains friends with Ben in the present, who kind of provides a sounding board/gay wisdom.

Con's role:

Con O'neill plays Ben in series 1 ONLY. There was around a 2 year gap between that and s2, during which they re-cast the part to John Sessions (who plays the character older and cattier in my opinion - also I think the writers forgot the name of Ben's boyfriend because it seems to change between Simon/Steven but remains the same character?).

Con is in 3 of the 5 episodes of series 1 and has some great lines in his roughly 5 mins of combined airtime. (If you're familiar with Val in Uncle or Cliff in Cucumber - blend those two together and that's basically his baseline here). Very cheeky. (Special mention for use of the phrase 'rumpy-pumpy' which doesn't get enough press in my opinion).

At first I was like, YAY! a happy queer character! But (SPOILERS) Ben suffers a stroke in the latter part of s1 and is determined to have serious health issues, which he asks Jack to keep from his boyfriend/fiancé - phenomenally acted. But ouch.

Thoughts on the show so far:

I listened to the first 2 series last night because I couldn't sleep. It's really well acted and covers the complex relationships really well.

I will say that I LOATHE Jack with a passion at the moment. He really craps all over Karen, especially when she gets a boyfriend of her own (the hypocrite). I could understand his possessiveness even if it wasn't justified, but (and this is possibly down to the condensed episode lengths) after Ben has a STROKE and is rushed to hospital, Jack shows up to literally dump all his relationship drama on his friend who has only just regained the power of speech. - AH move.

I am invested in it now and will probably finish it, but I really wish Con was in more of it, because his version of Ben was a lot more likeable.

[mydaylight]

If Julian Fellowes really intends to make us go through a GeorgeBertha divorce a la the Vanderbilts, can we at least have Alva's 1884 pregnancy first? I mean I am not usually a huge fan of pregnancy storylines but the least they could do is to give us something sweet to tide us over

(I mean I'm definitely not convinced it will happen, but just saying)

[rainybraindays]

Worst writing trope is character going "I'll never get married/be in a relationship " and it being treated as if thats silly and its an inevitably that they will in fact end up in a relationship that ends on marriage especially because it always ends up with them getting [usually straight] married

[kdramaxoxo]

Every time I want to post something about how I feel about My Man Is Cupid and Marry My Husband my brain is like nahhhhh

[itspileofgoodthings]

okay the OTHER thing I’m thinking about on this Saturday morning is that I am going to have to come to grips with the fact that there is no place to hide. everything is so much more public than I realize or want it to be. and everything I say in my teaching and my tumblr, my two favorite places to say exactly what I am feeling at any moment, will be echoed to so many other people. and that kind of makes me want to die.

[mcybree]

"if you happen to fall in the subcategory of people who are really into third life and also rain world lets talk. please. i have an au come back"

i am staring at u with my artificer plushy in my hands

*walks onto the stage. taps mic.* um. Jimmy sliver of straw incident. *jumps off the apron breaking all of my bones immediately upon contact with the floor*

[the--days]

so it's like this.

you're young and you're scared and you're trapped in the feywild (happens to the best of us) with the love of your life. You're a half-elf and she's a fullblooded elf but you don't think about it very much because you're barely surviving day to day. And you get offered a deal to get yourself home again, and you take it. And the price of your freedom is that you leave her still trapped there, alone.

And then five years pass. And you age a century in that time, and you grow, and you change, and you find her again, and you're still in love, and you meet people, and you lose people, and you love them too, and you learn, and you start wanting a future again, and caring again, taking care of yourself, taking care of other people--

and after all of that, at the end of things, you find out the man responsible for all of the misery in your short, sad life has cast a spell which gives him complete control and ownership of you- mind, body, and soul (again. this happens to the best of us). And you are given the choice to stay under his thrall, and live a thousand years-- or to age and die, like humans do, and to be free of him.

And the love of your life is there, and you're married now, and she's still a full blooded elf, and you're still a half-elf, and you think about what that means a lot more than you used to.

And still, after everything you've learned-- you choose your freedom. You choose leaving her behind.

[apopcornkernel]

one day later and now i wonder if i even like him That much or if it only hurt me bc he's the only safe choice i can ever have and if i can never have him i can never have the life i want

[quietwingsinthesky]

no wait okay follow me on this once again. but funniest lucifer redemption arc speedrun is the timeline where mary has sex with him and he (<- lost his virginity like 2 seasons ago and immediately wanted to settle down and have a kid) falls head over heels for her. (mary just wanted some stress relief.) he’s built for soul-crushing devotion, not a fling, so he’s now hanging onto her every word and helping just to get a little approval from her. clingy devil who follows her around like a lost puppy dog and looks so sad when she brushes him off or won’t let him touch her.