How Did Your Character Propose? 💍💒😍

[DollyTH]

I know it’s not February, but after writing a scene, I got to wondering… How did other people’s proposals go - your characters, I mean. Did you write everything as a big deal with fireworks and a live band, or did you just toss the ring box up and tell the recipient to catch? Maybe there wasn’t even a ring involved, or the proposal was done in some traditional way? Please, sate my curiosity.

[NotARussianBot]

Urainia: Do you think we should get married.

Umbrum: I mean, I guess. It confuses people that we aren’t already.

That was literally it.

[DollyTH]

That’d sound so abstract to me if I wasn’t familiar with the characters, haha.

[LxstinNeverland]

@DollyTH

Maybe there wasn’t even a ring involved

Nope. It certainly shocked my female MC because it’s not like my male MC to propose at all, but there wasn’t any ring. He just took her on a cute date, baked her some sweets, and popped the question. It’s been a Rollercoaster of a marriage since then.

[DollyTH]

Dang, could’ve at least threw a home-baked donut on her finger .

[Akje]

A little long...sorry!

Ashanté wondered whether he was serious about living together. On the one hand it was a great way to get closer to him. Living together! And if one night he just happened to wander into her room by accident in the dark, it might turn out like a Zane novel, and─

What was she thinking?! Then she’d get pregnant and her parents would have a fit and drag her home in a chastity belt. Argh. “I’m sorry, Bryce. It sounds awesome, but I can’t move in with you without a wedding first. My parents would kill me.”

Her mother nodded smugly, and Bryce tried to process this. “Wedding?” But we barely know each other, really.

He pondered all the women in the grey room. There hadn’t been many. LuAnne, Clarabelle ─ yes, that was her real name ─ Katy… was that her name? Maybe it was Karen. Yeah, that sounded more familiar. Funny, he could remember all the bad girls, but of course, he had videos of them. How many more good girls were going to come along? Like LuAnne, they got married, and he wasn’t getting any younger.

I’m only twenty-five!

And Ashanté was almost twenty, and famous. What happened if she found someone else?

Oh my god, I’d lose her forever.

And what would she wind up with? Someone who’d use her to advance his own career. She was a nice, churchgoing kid; she didn’t deserve that.

Kid?

Okay, woman. But a trusting, innocent woman who needs protection from wolves and users.

He had no idea how she felt about him, but there was only one way to find out. How humiliating could it be if she says no? Everyone in the world has seen me naked. “So okay, when do you want to get married?”

[DollyTH]

@Akje

He had no idea how she felt about him, but there was only one way to find out. How humiliating could it be if she says no? Everyone in the world has seen me naked. “So okay, when do you want to get married?”

Me now sitting here like - what he do for a living? XD

Also, wow, that was out of left field lol.

[J.L.O]

A Proposal--no, two proposals is how Broadside starts out...

She sat down at the bar in as weary a slump as any mercenary could manage while still being wary of the room at large. “A pint of mead, sir.”

She didn’t tower over men—in fact was slightly on the short side of the average woman of the Empire. Her hair was straighter, darker, as was her skin. Her eyes were almond shaped, tilted, and hard to define the color of in a bar’s normal lighting, but at least they were well-spaced. Her nose was too sharp to be tip-tilted, which matched her chin and widow’s peak. Overall, the woman’s appearance was pleasant, but the one feature that drew men to her was her mouth—generously proportioned, full, damn near edible. The rest of her appearance, from gear to weapons, usually kept men from noticing how favorable her looks were. Kind of hard to think about bedding a wench when she could bust your balls as well as look at you.
The big bear of a bartender poured her one, and placed it to her hand, cup brushing her curled knuckles gently, but did not take his hand off it.
“You want something?” She asked this without bothering to look up at the man, quite yet.
“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing still being single?”
She looked up…and further up still, into the big man’s eyes. He looked her over in appreciation, certainly, but he wouldn’t have asked it out of nowhere. No man initiated with a woman warrior out of nowhere. She rubbed the intertwined snake ring one her thumb while taking in the full sight of him—the common ring of the single woman. He had missed hitting it with the drink by a hair. “I’m from Svolkard.”
The big man broke into a soft grin, showing perfect teeth—a rarity in a bar. “Ah, wrong tack…what I mean is, why is a strong strapping woman like yourself still available? Are men such cowards?”
Her estimation of him went up a notch—not just a pretty piece of manflesh, but a brain to know how different their cultures were. No wonder this bar was crowded with all kinds of peoples. “I’ve had offers, but not any that I’ve cared to take on. What are you offering?”
“Tonight or eternity, my lady, your pick.” His look spoke of desire, but still, he didn’t touch her—only the glass graced her flesh, and his hand rested on it, daring her to touch him, to wet her too-dry throat.
“For what purpose?”
He leaned down, to get more on her level, to lower his voice to something a bit more intimate. “Look, lass, you’re the type of woman that turns my head. Strong enough to handle bedding a big brute like me, yet definitely feminine under all those muscles. I’ll bed a woman like that any time she assents to being in my bed. But I’m getting older, and have no heirs to pass on my business and fortunes to. Plus, I could always use more hands around the place.”
This time, she did touch him, and pulled her drink from out his grasp. “I’ve never seen myself as a barkeep or a serving wench.”
He watched her down the glass as he spoke, “You could play door guard for all I care. I just need someone who can handle themselves, preferably.”
She set the empty glass down, bit her lip as she considered it, then asked, “Hrm, polygamous or monogamous?”
He had noticed because he was looking more at her lips than anything else. “My wife will dictate whatever she wants, and I will abide by it, provided we have kids. But for sport? I will keep looking until I find who I need.”
For the first time during this exchange the young woman leaned forward, herself, bringing their faces close together, for the moment. “If you are serious, then we have much to talk about.”
He stared into her eyes for a moment, finally catching the flecks of green as he thought about how he wanted to handle this. Then he stood back up, and signaled for a youthful patron to come over. “Could you handle the bar for some time, mate? If I’m not back, within an hour, Marta will be in, to take over.”
“Aye, Jameson, I can.” This man looked her over, a tad more coolly than had this Jameson—but only by so much. He broke eye contact, first, then tried for an uninterested tone, as he turned to his friend. “If she won’t do for you, ask for me.” Then those eyes traveled to look his own hands over. “I still don’t know where to start.”

In Begging is for Losers, she damn near gets bit when he planned on giving her a ring, which changed how he was going to go about it. No proposal if he can just bite her.

In Cold as Ice, it’s a contract that the MC has little say over, as it’s drawn out between three men: her Alpha, father, and mate.

Jonah’s Gamble, MC fought a pack war to find his mate. What ring is going to top deliberate savior behavior?

In the Game of the Gods, their ever-changing scenario forced a hasty marriage before the MC was ready, just to tidy up legalities, although they were certain they were for each other long before they became an item. Literally, sanctioning claims against a member of their mercenary guild required that the ML have enough counters against the person in question, and he couldn’t claim his partner’s debts-owed without being married, and he wanted to make sure his partner had lawful right as head of household behind him over the baby mama trouble that was brewing at the same time. She thought their wedding customs were weird in the first place.

In To Make a Kinder Children’s tale marriage is assumed, as the ML has no rights to refuse because she merely exists. In fact, it’s so assumed that the ML’s father doesn’t really care for the MC when they first meet and STILL is the first to tell them bluntly to finagle everything into a spring wedding: after they have a baby, of course. He gives her a house, decorating some of the rooms with their memories, not a ring.

[DollyTH]

These are interesting, the first story in the bar particularly.

[J.L.O]

It’s the most way-out there.

[DollyTH]

I’ll say, haha XD.

[Akje]

He’s a music producer worried about false accusations of sexual harassment, so he films all his sexual encounters as proof that he had consent.

She’s a newly signed musician at his label. ♫•¨•.¸¸♪

[DollyTH]

Well, that’s one way to get fame…

[Akje]

Totally! (>‿◠)

[DomiSotto]

I have two big proposal scenes.

In Winners Don’t Have Bad Days, the Librarian puts the ring inside a blue rose referring to him dorkily giving a rose for her on Christmas and then realizing that not everyone might be a fan of Song of Ice and Fire. Anyway, it goes into the rose, and the skating flower girl delivers it to my Figure Skater while they are waiting in Kiss and Cry.

In Raised by the Mafia. It’s the final chapter, so due to plot points, they are in arranged marriage to get at her ex, and well, they false die. Their fake documents are for not married people. So, just as she thinks of it as the world’s fastest divorce, he proposes with a ring from Tzar’s treasure they were chasing (against her mafia ex, obviously)… lol. Iirc she tells him, I hate you! when he does it, and he parries with, It didn’t stop you the first time.

In To Marry a Dragon, the proposal takes part after a dragon battle, and it’s what happens just as it is about to be sealed with a kiss that is fun… it involves lightning bolts and a magic contract that serves as a chastity belt…

[MatthewJH]

The only proposal so far is between the main characters of my first novel. The other proposals occur between novels.

Here's Ashley asking out Zorik. First novel, chapter eight (Ashley's 17th birthday)

Ashley clutched the large mug close to her lips as she took small sips of the steaming coffee. Movement caused her to look out the café’s windows and her shivering eyes followed the crowds trudging through the soft snow on their way to work. ‘This city is very big. Is this Hungary’s capital?’

‘We are not that far north,’ Zorik replied between sips of his coffee.

Ashley turned to Zorik and smiled. ‘Your jacket looks like a quilt.’

Zorik glanced down at his green coat with strips of tape over the bullet holes. ‘Your clothes have fared better than mine. But you must be cold with only jeans and a jumper.’

Ashley shrugged. ‘I’m okay.’

‘Excuse me, sir,’ a waiter interrupted them. ‘Will this be all?’

Zorik looked up at him, then down at Ashley. ‘Do you want anything?’

Ashley took a long sip from her coffee. ‘No, thank you.’

‘Very well, I will prepare your bill.’ The waiter bowed then snapped upright and paced back to the counter staff.

Ashley froze as she heard the waiter’s hushed voice drift through the café.

‘I don’t know many languages,’ Zorik whispered. ‘What is he saying?’

Ashley remained silent then bowed her head and cringed.

Zorik snarled. ‘Now, that I understood.’

Ashley glanced up as her mountainous guardian edged out of his seat. ‘Zorik, stop.’

‘I heard what the fool called you,’ Zorik said. ‘He probably looked down your top and thought that I hurt you.’

‘Let him go,’ Ashley said as she set down her coffee mug. ‘No fighting, remember?’

Zorik slumped back into his seat. ‘I still don’t like what he said about you.’

‘I have been called worse many times at school, so forget it.’ A faint smile returned to Ashley’s lips and she leant closer to her companion. ‘Do you have a girlfriend in Israel?’

Zorik raised an eyebrow. ‘Why have we gone from morons calling you names to my personal life?’

Ashley rested her chin in her clasped hands. ‘I’m curious. I wish to know if you are taken.’

Zorik shook his head and looked out the window. ‘I was once close to a Bedouin girl. But that was in another life. We have both changed.’

‘Oh.’ Ashley glanced down at her mug. ‘Is there anyone else close to you now?’

‘You’re persistent.’ Zorik sighed as his hand strayed towards the sword wound beneath his jacket. ‘There is my employer, a young woman called Karen. After the disaster in Gaza I was hired by Karen’s father to be her bodyguard…when I was not doing other jobs. However, I’m not a good bodyguard.’

‘You’re wrong,’ Ashley whispered. ‘I think you are a great bodyguard.’

Zorik shrugged. ‘That title is just a formality. I believe Karen adopted me when we met. She tried to save me from a dark place, and I tried to save her from a thrown machete. So Karen and I share a bond, and a set of matching scars, but she is not my partner.’ Zorik withdrew his hand and turned back to the porcelain girl. ‘Does this answer your question?’

‘Oh…Yeah…Um…’ Ashley cleared her throat and sat up as a prickling heat washed over her. ‘Can I be your girlfriend?’

‘Whoa–’ Zorik tried to suppress a startled cough. ‘Pardon?’

‘You have been fighting since you were my age, and this has become all you think about,’ Ashley stammered as her features burned pink. ‘You need to stop and do something different. So, while you rest, we should be a couple.’

Zorik gazed at the blushing girl. ‘Uh…Okay…’

Ashley gasped and her gaze darted downwards. A whimper seeped from her lips as a tear fell into her coffee. ‘I’m sorry. I said too much. I just thought we were close enough and maybe I could–’

‘Relax,’ Zorik whispered. ‘What you said is fine. It just caught me by surprise.’

Ashley glanced up to find the giant smiling at her.

‘You are quite generous to make that offer,’ Zorik continued. ‘I would be honoured to be your boyfriend.’

‘Thank you,’ Ashley said with a slight smile. ‘Um, I haven’t had a boyfriend before. Is there anything I should do?’

‘Being yourself works well,’ Zorik replied. ‘Is there anything you want to do, as my girlfriend?’

Ashley’s brow furrowed then she giggled and stood up. ‘Can I pay our bill? I want to tell the waiter he was almost right. You are a Mafia assassin, but I’m not a girl for hire.’

Zorik 'proposing' to Ashley. Second novel, chapter twelve

Karen awoke to the muffled roar of jet turbines. Her eyes fluttered as they adjusted to the diffused glow of the florescent lights behind the hospital curtains drawn around her bed. Karen winced as the dull throbbing in her chest and neck resisted her attempts to sit up or roll onto her side.

‘I would not advise any movement for a while,’ an ageing voice croaked from the far corner of the curtains. ‘The doctors informed me you have substantial soft tissue damage and five fractured ribs. Two of your ribs required metal braces. Yet even with these wounds you have been most fortunate.’

Karen scowled and peered down at the foot of her bed. ‘Yitzhak, why are you here?’

Yitzhak smiled and scratched his sparse hair. ‘You can tell who cares about you the most by taking note of who is the first to you side when you are unwell. One would assume this phrase refers to me but tonight this is not the case.’

Karen groaned. ‘What are you talking about?’

Yitzhak pulled aside one of the curtains. ‘These three have been with you since your arrival at the airbase. Gulliver and Snow White are quite stubborn in their persistence to remain close to you. Even during surgery, your friends refused to allow you out of their sight.’

‘Zorik, Ashley,’ Karen whispered as her eyes focused on the snoozing figures huddled on the visitors’ couch. ‘Wait, you said three friends.’

‘Yes,’ Yitzhak said. ‘Look at the bundle in Ashley’s arms.’

Karen leant over and gasped. ‘Elli’s child! But how did the little one survive the gas?’

‘Many doctors asked similar questions,’ Yitzhak replied as he paced towards the sleeping guardians. ‘The child was asleep under the blankets of Ashley’s bed. Not wanting to wake her new friend, Ashley placed a gas mask beside the child’s head and the mask’s oxygen tank in the mattress hollow of her giant partner. Zorik also packed old towels and shirts into the air vents, thus making Ashley’s room almost gas-proof.’

‘Clever,’ Karen said.

Yitzhak bent down and tapped Zorik’s shoulder. ‘Your employer is awake now. You should be, too. Look after Karen. I have another mound of paperwork to conquer.’

Zorik rubbed his eyelids and glanced over at Karen’s bed. ‘How is the patient?’

‘I’m feeling a little better,’ Karen replied as Ashley awoke and smiled at her. ‘Did you two watch over Polanski as well?’

Ashley sat up and edged off Zorik’s lap. ‘Naida and Mica guarded Polanski. They are still with her.’

Yitzhak chuckled as he opened the door of Karen’s ward. ‘Those two promised to do many inventive and terrifying things to me if I approached the wounded Russian. Your soldiers’ loyalty, to you and each other, is both inspiring and frightening.’

Karen shuffled up against her pillows as Ashley sat beside the bed. ‘How is the child?’

‘Still asleep,’ Ashley replied as she raised a small bundle of blankets into Karen’s view. ‘She slept through everything.’

‘Have you thought of a name for her?’ Karen asked.

‘It’s not my place,’ Ashley replied.

Karen smiled. ‘Until Elli returns there is no one else to name her. You may have to adopt the child.’

Ashley gasped and gazed at the bundle. ‘But I don’t know what to do…How can–?’

Zorik wrapped his arms around Ashley’s shoulders as he knelt behind her chair. ‘Did anyone say you do this alone?’

‘I want to have children, Zorik,’ Ashley whispered. ‘But not like this. I thought I would be a little older, and we would be a proper family.’

‘When we first met you wore a jumper with a hood,’ Zorik said. ‘When you have some free time, and this fighting is over, search the pockets of that jumper for a small present.’

Ashley smiled and lifted Zorik’s hand to her lips. ‘Thank you, Zorik. Is there any reason why you chose this time for the gift?’

‘Maybe he remembered to think beyond our battles,’ Karen said. ‘Well, Ashley, do you have a response?’

Ashley glanced at Karen. ‘I will know what to say when I open–’

Karen looked up as a few light knocks echoed from the door. A second later the door opened and an exhausted freckled face covered in a mess of red hair peered into the ward.

‘You need more sleep, Naida,’ Zorik said. ‘Do you want to go home now?’

Naida shook her head. ‘The nurses threatened to evict us by force. So we have to go anyway.’

And Ashley's formal* reply. Second novel, chapter sixteen

‘Where is Zorik?’ Karen asked.

Ashley smiled and sipped her wine. ‘He is bundled up around Elli’s child in my bed. They are both in a deep sleep and quite happy.’

‘We should stop calling the girl “Elli’s child”,’ Karen said. ‘She needs a proper name.’

‘I’ll think of one later.’ Ashley made another attempt to finish her wine in a single go and shuddered again. ‘Or maybe her father can suggest one now.’

‘You heard me from this distance?’ a hushed voice asked from the shadows of Karen’s Audi. ‘Quite impressive.’

The two women turned to the slim figure approaching them.

‘We have been looking all over the desert for you, Elli,’ Karen said. ‘Where did you go?’

‘I just visited an old friend.’ Elli sat in front of the two women. ‘I know I have too much to apologise for, but I need a favour.’

Ashley shrugged. ‘Forget the apologies. How can we help?’

‘I would like to stay here,’ Elli said as he rubbed his brow. ‘I need to sort my head out and let my mind catch up with what’s happened. I know I am in for a rough time. However, after that I’m yours like we agreed.’

‘No,’ Karen said. ‘You answer to your daughter and to no one else. Otherwise, as I said to Julia, this is your home now. Stay as long as you wish.’

Elli gave them a weary smile. ‘Julia always enjoyed giving me challenges, and her last one may defeat me. I’m not sure what’s going to be harder; sneaking into a Syrian prison or raising a child.’

Ashley filled her glass to the rim and offered it to Elli. ‘If your girl takes after her mother, the prison is a walk in the sunshine. Well, for me that is not good either.’

Karen laughed. ‘At least you were not sunburnt today, Ashley.’

Elli looked down at Ashley’s hands and frowned. ‘A week has gone and I do not see a ring. Does Zorik think he is now safe from Julia?’

‘Zorik gave me a ring, but I haven’t put it on,’ Ashley replied. ‘Other things happened.’

Karen cleared her throat. ‘Before our late Shabbat is over either put on the ring or return it to Zorik.’

‘Okay,’ Ashley sighed as she retrieved a small silver ring from her shirt pocket. ‘I was going to wear this though, with our friends’ problems and the possible war, it did not seem right.’

‘Always cares for others too much,’ Elli said, ‘never enough about herself.’

Ashley slipped the ring over her finger and giggled as she held her hand up to the moonlight. ‘Zorik’s card was right. The silver matches my skin and the blue gems match my eyes.’

‘You are fortunate to be with a smart man.’ Elli drained his glass, then refilled it and pushed the bottle into Ashley’s hands. ‘Mazel tov and locheim.’

‘Uh, okay. Locheim!’ Ashley raised the bottle to her lips. Her wandering eyes flickered over to Karen’s upended glass as she gulped down the mouthfuls of wine flowing from the bottle. Suddenly a bubble of sweet-tasting gas rocketed up Ashley’s throat. A gurgling burp erupted from the porcelain woman’s lips as her bottle dropped onto the grass. Ashley wiped the spilt wine from her chin, then glanced back at Karen and noticed the woman’s dry lips and empty glass.

Ashley scowled and mumbled, ‘Har, har, very funny.’

Elli laughed as he stood up. ‘The week begins with a happy occasion. This is always something to be proud of. I’m going to find a dark corner to curl up in. Good night.’

*A/N: In chapter fourteen Ashley tells Zorik she opened his gift, and she’s certain Zorik predicted her response before he bought the gift. But that gets placed on hold until the other issues are solved.

^These are all chapter extracts, with some background context.

[J.L.O]

@DomiSotto

chastity belt…

Ok. Caught my attention. Someone had a “Call the Locksmith!” moment?

[CMF_Wright]

I wrote a scene once where one of my characters proposed to the other in a broom closet during a party, because they were both king and queen of their respective countries and hiding from the courtiers who were trying to bother them, and the question just sort of accidentally slipped out.

[stella_vigo]

I haven’t written it yet because it’ll happen in the third book and I’m barely done with the first but anyway, here’s how it’s going to happen.

Some context: my MC was found lying unconscious in a meadow in the middle of nowhere, and just before his body succumbed to death, the female MC found him and rescued him. A lot of things happened after that.

Years later, he’ll ask her to meet him at sunrise, in the meadow where she first found him. Then when she arrives, he’ll get down on one knee, present a ring, and propose to her.

Technically that’s not the only proposal that we’ll see in the trilogy, but the other one happened in a flashback and the one who proposed is now dead so

[TheTigerWriter]

Proposals. I forgot their existence.

Makes me realize none of my characters are ever in this “let’s get married” stage.

I wonder…maybe it will happen in my current story. Maybe.