So...I always imagined people see Essek as being lesser because he's on his first life. Well...he catches the eye of someone who's very...experienced. Lots of lives, lots of prestige, lots of power.
He asks his den's Umavi to give him Essek as his...I dunno. Bride? Consort? Either way it's clear what he wants him for. She agrees in spite of, y'know, being Essek's mother. She knows it will bring great esteem and power to their den. Essek would normally be agreeable but lately he's been so 'bratty' and 'selfish' and he does NOT want this. He resents his mother pressuring him and clearly using him and the guy is for sure skeevy and way too handsy. He makes it excruciatingly clear what he plans to do with Essek, grabbing his wrist and whispering into his ear at a party to remind him who he'll belong to...maybe even takes 'trial runs'?
Anyway the Nein immediately notice Essek hasn't been around...and if they DO get to see him it's very little and he's acting strange. Maybe one day Jester messages him and gets a weird response...so they go to investigate and end up crashing a wedding. It's utter chaos.
Bonus: Secret Shadowgast relationship...a very gentle, loving, sugary sweet sort of relationship. Lots of hand holding and forehead touches and nuzzles and such. Bonus Bonus: They get married right after the rescue, while Essek's still in his wedding finery...which is probably much worse for wear now but he still looks good. Bonus Bonus Bonus: They use the original wedding venue, possibly doing it while they're still fighting the dick fiance actually. Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus: Essek is really fucking short.
I headcanon Essek as having chronic pain but that and most other details don't necessarily have to be included. I'm mostly just setting a scene. Like I've had this idea for a while but couldn't think of how to explain it...so it still came out really rambly but oh well.
Essek forced marriage (+bonus Shadowgast?) TW mentions of noncon
He asks his den's Umavi to give him Essek as his...I dunno. Bride? Consort? Either way it's clear what he wants him for. She agrees in spite of, y'know, being Essek's mother. She knows it will bring great esteem and power to their den. Essek would normally be agreeable but lately he's been so 'bratty' and 'selfish' and he does NOT want this. He resents his mother pressuring him and clearly using him and the guy is for sure skeevy and way too handsy. He makes it excruciatingly clear what he plans to do with Essek, grabbing his wrist and whispering into his ear at a party to remind him who he'll belong to...maybe even takes 'trial runs'?
Anyway the Nein immediately notice Essek hasn't been around...and if they DO get to see him it's very little and he's acting strange. Maybe one day Jester messages him and gets a weird response...so they go to investigate and end up crashing a wedding. It's utter chaos.
Bonus: Secret Shadowgast relationship...a very gentle, loving, sugary sweet sort of relationship. Lots of hand holding and forehead touches and nuzzles and such.
Bonus Bonus: They get married right after the rescue, while Essek's still in his wedding finery...which is probably much worse for wear now but he still looks good.
Bonus Bonus Bonus: They use the original wedding venue, possibly doing it while they're still fighting the dick fiance actually.
Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus: Essek is really fucking short.
I headcanon Essek as having chronic pain but that and most other details don't necessarily have to be included. I'm mostly just setting a scene. Like I've had this idea for a while but couldn't think of how to explain it...so it still came out really rambly but oh well.