#mercutio is probably in love with romeo or at least at some point has been

[hyacinth-sims]

Romeo knew it was a terrible idea to bring Mercutio and Benvolio with him to the Capp party. Perhaps he would be able to sneak by with just Benvolio, but bringing Mercutio was almost like he was bringing a canister of gasoline to a bonfire. He knew Juliette probably wouldn’t be happy to see Mercutio there either—but Romeo knew he would probably want Mercutio there in case things were to potentially go awry. 

Romeo could not take Tybalt on alone if it came down to it, and Benvolio would refuse to get involved. Mercutio, while having a rather—disappointing track record when it came to Tybalt, would at least be willing to help Romeo get out of trouble. While part of him believed that he would likely regret his decision, it wasn’t something he wanted to dote on at that moment. 

He stared into the mirror, running a hand through his hair. Just how fancy was this party meant to be? Romeo had only heard secondhand about the lavish balls that the Capps would occasionally throw, he’d obviously never been given the opportunity to see it himself. While Romeo knew he wouldn’t be seen by anyone else other than his secondary school acquaintances, he still wanted to potentially impress Juliette. 

“Trying to pretty yourself up for your heiress?” Mercutio teased, sitting on the beanbag dead center in Romeo’s room. “Perhaps another pretty girl will come along at this stupid party who’ll end up being the “love of your life.” Mercutio never seemed to waste any time to bring up his disdain for Romeo’s romance with Juliette. It wouldn’t be a conversation with him without it. 

Romeo rolled his eyes as he grabbed the bottle of cologne from the top of his dresser, carefully spritzing some of it onto his body. “I can’t wait for the day that you finally get a girlfriend so you can stay out of my business,” He replied, “Although I can’t imagine any girls would like the bad attitude and axe body spray.” 

“Or boys,” Benvolio replied with a small smirk, “You have twice the options, y’know!” Right, Romeo sometimes forgot about his brother’s sexuality since he didn’t discuss boys with him at all. That was probably saved for Benvolio. To be honest though, Romeo didn’t care about the gender of a potential partner for Mercutio—he just wanted him to have one. 

Especially since it’d probably mean getting Mercutio off his back about Juliette. 

“I am abstaining from dating purposefully,” Mercutio pointed out with a scowl, “And I think I’ve made the right choice seeing as though everything Romeo does has to involve Juliette in one way or another.�� Maybe the ball would be the perfect opportunity to find someone for Mercutio, or at least find a distraction for one night. 

“You’d understand if you had someone,” Romeo stated with a small shrug. “Why don’t you just date Hermia?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, “You guys are pretty close, yeah?” The girl always seemed to tag along with Juliette whenever she snuck over to the Monty ranch, hoping to spend time with Mercutio. 

“Dude, she’s like Viola’s age!” Mercutio quickly retorted as he shook his head, “And she’s got like—little sister vibes anyways, that’d be super weird.” 

Benvolio thought for a moment as well, his eyes quickly lighting up soon after. “What about Miranda?” He asked with a small hum. Right, Miranda Capp. She was Juliette’s older cousin, and she was a bit—scary to say the least. She always looked as though she was severely judging him, although that could just be the genetically gifted Capp scowl. 

“What about Miranda?” Mercutio asked, reaching over to grab his trusted bottle of axe body spray. However, Benvolio quickly smacked it out of his hands. 

“Never touch that stuff again,” Benvolio exclaimed with a heavy sigh, “And obviously Miranda likes you, and she’s—kind of your type, I guess.” The boy seemed unsure of his statement, and clearly Mercutio seemed unphased by his statement. 

“Mercutio’s type is anyone attractive and willing to never speak to him again after 3 days,” Romeo teased with a snort, offering Mercutio some of his cologne instead. 

His brother rolled his eyes, “And yours is any woman that breathes in your general direction.” The two boys bickered for a bit longer, although it would eventually come up fruitless. Not any amount of convincing could convince Mercutio of being in a long term relationship—nor could any amount of convincing keep him off of his back when it came to Juliette.

It seems as though he and his girlfriend had overbearing older brothers in common. 

#ts2 #ts2 premades #the sims 4 #ts4 #veronaville #ts2 to ts4 #sims 4 #romeo monty #mercutio monty #benvolio bianchi #vendetta #vendetta benvolio #sims 4 story #the sims 4 story

[whomst-the-hell]

How To Write An Essay

from someone who did pretty well in school. and i don’t mean the structure of an essay, because someone probably taught you that in class, i mean the actual process of sitting down to write an essay, which for some reason no teacher has ever addressed (at least to me)

(for the sake of this, I’m going to pretend i’ve been assigned an essay about shakespeare’s depiction of love in Romeo and Juliet, because I feel like thats a relatable point of reference idk)

1: scaffold. go into your document and create an outline in dotpoints of all your arguments. this is also where you put your quotes. (some people might find it helpful to also create some kind of mindmap pre- scaffold, but i tend to just use the scaffold as a mindmap, it depends on your preferred brainstorming techniques) for example, my scaffold might look like this:

intro

point 1: the relationship between love and violence

-friar and the plants

-romeo and juliet eventually die for love

-“starcrossed lovers take their lives” (act 1, scene 1)

-romeo and juliets love is arguably the cause for mercutio’s and tybalt’s death

-“i died under your arm”-mercutio (act, scene)

point 2: etc

this is much less effort than sitting down and actually writing out that paragraph.

the number of dotpoints needed per paragraph varies but as a rule of thumb i’d say 3-5. if you know a lot of information about a topic, only a couple points with lots of depth will do. if not, briefly talk about lots of things.

if you find yourself struggling with motivation, try to make scaffolding a bit fun. meme the fuck out of it. talk abt how romeo was a lil bitch who got the infinitely cooler mercutio killed like a moron. talk abt how much you hate shakespeare. no one is going to see it. IMPORTANT: make sure that you make it easy to find and remove the scaffold later. i do it by writing all my scaffolds *like this* so that i can go through at the end with ctrl+f and find all the **s, which i don’t generally use in the actual essay. you could do something else (maybe pick a number, or some other character) if ** wont work for whatever reason. you could also colour your scaffold so that you can visually see which bits to get rid of.

further things to note: DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PLAGIARISM. if you found a really good paragraph online where someone dissected the language used in the balcony scene, copy and paste that shit directly into the scaffold (remember to include the URL to make citation easy later). that way when it does come time to write this fucking thing, all of your information is in one place and you really just have to decorate it, which is honestly the less important part anyway. you will get more points for a badly written essay with good information than a well written essay with bad information.

another thing i like to do here is calculate roughly how many words i should write per paragraph. for example, if my essay is 1500 words and i’ll have three points, my breakdown may look like this

intro (100)

p1 (433)

p2(433)

p3(433)

concl(100)

i might even break it down further eg

p1: love and violence

-romeo and juliets death (108)

-tybalts death (108)

-mercutio’s death (108)

-friar’s plants monologue (108)

i get these numbers by literally putting them into a calculator. it may seem useless but it’s actually really quick, and it will be infinitely easier to convince yourself to write 108 words about romeo and juliets death than it will be to write 1500 words about the concept of love throughout the play.

(heres the formula for breaking it down btw: intro + conclusion = about the same each, generally smaller than a body paragraph. pick whatever number you think is appropriate for the total word count, minimum 50 words. my rule of thumb is <1000=50, 1000=100, 2000=200, etc. next, [total word count] - [intro+concl] = [body paragraphs]. next, [body paragraphs] / [no. of body paragraphs] = [wordcount per paragraph], next [wordcount per paragraph] / [no. of points]. written out this seems long, but it takes 5 seconds with a calculator- i just use google)

2: actually writing the essay. tragically i cannot give you the magic words to write a perfect essay, but one really good tip that i can give you is this: don’t stop scaffolding when you start writing. personally, i tend to get tripped up on details, and get stuck in one spot. for example: i know what all my arguments should be in my paragraph about love and violence, but i cannot for the life of me think of an introductory sentence. my paragraph might look like this for a while:

*epic guitar intro like in smells like teen spirit* This concept is demonstrated in the eventual deaths of the titular characters, Romeo and Juliet, as foreshadowed in the line “starcrossed lovers take their lives” (act 1 scene 1).

its sort of like skipping a question on a test then coming back to it later. there is no point in struggling over one sentence for hours — often, writing the rest of the paragraph will actually fill in your mental blanks and make it easier to write whatever you were struggling with.

other places ive found this method helpful: quotes. for example:

Romeo and Juliet’s love also caused violence to those around them. This is evident in the death of Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend. **find quote, and include analysis*** This demonstrates Shakespeare’s connection between love and violence.

in my experience, actually searching for a particular quote can throw off my momentum and fuck up the whole process. its been much better to just mark where i want that quote to go and come back later.

you can do this for single sentences or even whole paragraphs. i often write introductions last, because i never know what to say the first go round. you do not need to write your essay chronologically. go through one pass without losing momentum, hit ctrl+f, or find your coloured bits, to locate the problem areas. has writing the rest of it managed to fix the problem? no? try the next highlighted section! go back and forth like that until theres no more highlighted bits.

other assorted tips for writing an essay: don’t worry about repetition. for a lot of people (including me), writing is something that is supposed to sound good. we try to avoid repeating words/phrases too much because it can read as annoying or boring. as anyone who has read an academic paper knows, that actually means you’re on the right track. if your thesis statement is “shakespeare depicted love as a destructive and negative force” the words “destructive” or “negative” should probably be used 2-3 times a paragraph. you really want to hammer your audience over the head with your opinion.

also, as much as possible, try to make whatever the prompt is fun for yourself. this isn’t always possible of course, but it can really make the process easier. i know this wasnt my longstanding example, but as an actual real world example of this, i had to write an essay about the movie gattaca and how it incorporated its political themes into the narrative, and i argued that actually it had done a terrible job at that and that the movie as a whole sucked ass. i got 95%. if you have any kind of strong feelings about the topic, make them fit the question. its much less mind numbing than writing 2000 words you dont actually agree with for the sake of your grade.

if you need to take a break, maybe try working on homework for a different subject. this’ll shake things up so your brain is doing something new, but you won’t exit school mode and lose momentum entirely.

3: editing. dont worry too much. read through it so theres no glaring issues. try reading it out loud — you’re more likely to pick up on clunky sentences or grammar errors out loud. if you really want to do well, have someone else look over it (a classmate/teacher would be best bc they know what info was available to you but anyone will do)

final tips: its better to hand in something unfinished/badly written than nothing at all.

it is 100% better to sit down for five minutes and add 20 words to your essay than not to do anything. you dont have to dedicate your evening to it. progress is progress. a good way to do this is to get word/docs on your phone.

high school isnt life or death - failing this essay will not destroy you.

for essays on an exam, my best tip is don’t worry abt making it pretty. use the first page to make a mindmap. write more info later and use an arrow to show where it should be. it doesnt matter.

this might not work for you, but i hope it can act as a jumping off point to find what does work for you! go forth and conquer!

#study tips #school tips #how to write an essay

[cto10121]

Greetings 👋

I'm currently reading David Blixt's essay on Romeo and Juliet "The origin of the feud". Have you read it? What are your thoughts about it? If you didn't, would you read it? So far I agree and disagree with some points he made but it is too early to say much since I started it a few hours ago.

…My man really just started writing fanfiction whole cloth. Woof.

So I did read (1) essay by him of the same title online, (he has a whole essay collection that somehow managed to be published) and boy, was it a doozy. Long story short, Blixt found it strange that Lady Montague’s off-stage death came so suddenly, basically tacked on at the end, and thought it might have a symbolic meaning—that is, signaling the end of the feud. From there he headcanoned that Lady Montague was the cause of the feud re: love triangle. Lords Capulet and Montague were once best friends turned rivals over the love of a woman, who would become Lady M.

First of all, the Chorus was clear that the feud was an ancient grudge; if a recent-ish love triangle were the cause, then it would certainly be the new mutiny. Second of all, for would-be ex-BFFs and rivals, Lord Capulet is eager to save face to young Count Paris and assure him that it would not be hard (he thinks) for him to keep the peace with Lord Montague, as they are both old. It’s possible, but not very probable.

Most likely Shakespeare axed Lady M off for symmetry—Romeo and Lady Montague from the Montague side, Juliet and Tybalt from the Capulets, and Mercutio and Paris from Escalus. Each side lost at least two people. (Then again, he did have Benvolio killed off-stage in the Bad Quarto, so it may not have been symmetry after all).

In any case, I also looked up some reviews of the whole essay collection and I’m not impressed, either. Apparently he is one of those R&J-is-a-comedy-turned-tragedy clowns, which makes sense given this fanfic-esque meta. He did write a fun-sounding novel called Her Majesty’s Will, though, so who knows? Maybe that will be my next read for some clown-eating.

#giuliettaluce #ask #romeo and juliet #david blixt #the origin of the feud #this guy is an actual director #ho boy #that is the magic of r&j tho #once you get in…

[thatonemouseykid]

the fact that i have the power to fuck up any conversation by even the mention of alloaro romeo montague makes me feel more confident than all the pieces of advice i have ever been given

#i am a chaos gremlin #aromantic #aro #aromanticism #aspec #arospec #lol #idk #those were all recommended to me i did nothing #alloaro #aro pride #chaotic aromanticism #honestly just the power and knowledge i have over allos by being psychologically incapable of conforming to amatonormativity is *chefs kis* #also for the record #mercutio and tybalt are exes #mercutio and benvolio are either dating or benvolio is aroace i switch between the two #mercutio is probably in love with romeo or at least at some point has been #but yeah honestly heterosexual or even bisexual aromantic romeo is so interesting to consider #and i find it really funny with some of my headcanons where i'm just wondering what it would be like if #or just seeing it as one interpretation #which is what this is #like shakespeare always has many paths to go down #but people get so angry because they think i'm trying to ruin everything they've ever loved #like i'm sorry i just love analysing fiction and am unsurprisingly slightly hyperfixated on the ace and aro spectrums! #gcse english #can you tell #also it's important to note that we can never definitively assign modern labels to old people or characters #once again this is just something i find narratively extremely interesting as an aroace #if i get one 'the whole point of the play is that he's in love with juliet' i will scream #revisit the play if that's your opinion

[emptymasks]

I’ve seen a lot about your thoughts on Elisabeth and Tanz der Vampire, and they’ve been really helpful getting into those musicals! But you have a huge list of other musicals that people can get into…

So I was wondering if you had any musicals you hadn’t mentioned in a while that you really like or would like to talk about??? (preferably something from your lists that has a blue heart please?)

Oh if only you knew how long the list of European musicals really is... I however have only seen 9 (if I counted right) and I have a lot more that I still need to watch. Oh also, I only put the blue hearts on any musicals that I was providing multiple links for so people could see which version I reccoment the most highly. If a musical only had one link and didn't have a blue heart it doesn't mean I didn't like it.

I've watched: Mozart das Musical, Elisabeth das Musical, Tanz der Vampire, 3 Musketiers, Mozart L'Opéra Rock, Dracula (the Graz production), Rebecca das Musical, Roméo et Juliette and Schikaneder.

If you enjoyed those two you're likely to enjoy Rebecca! It's written by the same composer/lyricist team as Elisabeth and Mozart (and same lyricist as Tanz der Vampire - though if you're listening to any German musical, original or translated, 90% of the time the lyrics will have been done by Michael Kunze that man is everywhere). The Stuttgart production has my favourite set design of any musical! Well... Actually probably. There are so many big set pieces it's insane, way more than I've seen in some Broadway and West End musicals. You can tell so much work went into it and the visual effects that I won't spoil if you don't know the plot but if you know the plot you know what I mean by the effects at the end are so good and I didn't expect them at all and I freaked out so much the first time I watched it. Jan Ammann as Maxim in the Stuttgart production is the best Maxim. No I won't take any argument. Other actors feel a bit one-dimensional to me, but the way Maxim acts at times comes from trauma and some actors and productions seem to forget that, but Jan really goes for it and his Maxim is a lot more sympathetic and I just want to give him a hug. Pia Douwes as Mrs Danvers, if you've seen her in Elisabeth what more do I need to say, she's amazing. A musical goddess. Her Danny is a bit more wild than some, but she kills it. My favourite video, which I put the blue heart next to, has understudy Christina Patten as Ich/I, but I adore her she's my favourite. She adds some spunk to Ich in act 2 and her voice is so pretty and aaaa. I just love these three actors together in these roles.

Roméo et Juliette is another favourite of mine! It's hard to choose which one to recommend, but it has to be the original 2000/2001 production because of the sweetness and chemistry and voices of Damien Sargue and Cecilia Cara as Romeo and Juliet. They're so pretty and work together so well. The only reason I say it's hard to pick is Mercutio. I adore him, but in the original production they cut out a song they had planned for him and he doesn't really do much at all? In the 2010 revival they gave him two more songs and you care about him so much more and John Eyzen plays such a good Mercutio. So I'd recommend the original but if you want to like Mercutio more, which you should he's amazing, I'd recommend watching at least clips of John's. It's an interesting musical because all productions are non-replica and also change around the order of songs, add or take away characters, all sorts. The Hungarian production is also very popular and I'm sure it's great, I just haven't' gotten around to watching it yet.

Mozart das Musical was the first non-English language musicals I watched so I have a fondness for it, but it's not my favourite. However, I do realise I have forgotten most of the songs and the few I've gone back and listened to are better than I remember.

Dracula isn't super popular and I understand why, I don't love the plot of the Dracula/Mina romance in it, however. I do love this musical because despite how I find the plot lacking, the songs are so good! At least, I love them. And the actors are all doing a great job. And it's one of the few Dracula adaptions to keep Quincy Morris so they get bonus points for that.

Mozart L'Opéra Rock and modern French musicals... This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but they're often more like pop-rock operas now. So if you're not into musicals with that style of music it might not be for you, but I still enjoyed it even though I didn't think I would because of the style of music. Mozart and Salieri's chemistry is very good, Salieri's bisexual crisis song is iconic, actually all of Salieri's songs are iconic.

Schikaneder... eh. I didn't like it that much and I didn't really like any of the songs. There's no English subtitles, but someone sent me the entire English synopsis and I watched it with a German friend so I had double the help of understanding it. Doesn't mean others might not like it, just none of the songs stood out to me and I had no desire to listen to any of them again. It's by Steven Scharwz of Wicked fame and I love Wicked, but I didn't love this.

3 Musketiers!! God it's so underrated and not spoken about within the European musical fandom that I even forget about it and literally forgot to write about it earlier in this post. It's a Dutch musical (though did also have a German production) and it's really good!? Faces you might know are Pia Douwes as Milady de Winter, Stanley Burlseon as Cardinal Richeliu (Netherlands Der Tod in Elisabeth), Henk Poort as Athos (Netherlands Phantom and Jean Valjean). The dialgoue is funny, the songs are good, some of the set pieces have no right to exist in this tiny musical?? They made this giant boat and pelt the actors with rain just for one 5 minute song and then we never see the boat again? And while I recommend the Dutch one because Dutch musicals deserve more love and it has official English subtitles!! Official ones, not fanmade! I have the DVD and it comes with English subtitles (and Dutch and German subtitles) which is so nice. The German version is also good, good cast, Pia came back and Uwe Kroger as Richeliu and omg they rearranged the songs and the German arrangement of Nicht Aus Stein is insane and amazing and frankly iconic.

That's all of the ones I have watched. Next on my list to watch are Rudolf and Notre Dame de Paris, both of which I have listened to some songs from and already love (I've listened to way too much of Notre Dame de Paris and am so in love).

I want to start organising streams where I'll host the musical either by getting the video from Youtube or my own files and anyone who wants to join can come along and watch with us, chat with us if you want or just watch there's no pressure to chat. I thought about doing weekly streams? This would also make me finally watch some of the ones I've been meaning to for ages. But I keep wondering about time zones. I'm in the UK and would want to stream at about 11pm at the latest (11pm BST/GMT+1 as we’re in daylight savings at the moment, if the streams continue past the end of October which would be wild then I’ll make a note of the time change that would be to 11pm GMT), which I know can work for other UK and Europeans, but for any Americans would be in the afternoon. So, I wondered if doing it on a weekend would be better? Then it doesn't matter if it's in the afternoon? Maybe Saturday evenings then? It would either be Saturday evenings UK time or Friday evenings UK time. What do you guys think? If people are down then I'll make a separate post with a list of what we'll be watching each week and if anything happens to me that means I can't stream one week then everything will just get pushed back a week, but I don't see that as likely to happen. And I'll only be streaming those that have English subtitles, so don't worry about not being able to understand anything.

edit: am also open to 10pm bst if others want that, im just trying to think of what time works best for everyone so sorry if 11pm is a little late for europeans, i know 10pm could be a little early for americans. also in case it sounded like these are the only musicals i will be streaming, thats not so, ive got more than just the ones mentioned on this list!

(Tagging some people who I know are or might be interested in streams to see what you think of that plan: @sirona-art @ringwraith100 @tanz-der-trash @smilingwoland @the-weird-dane @witchgaye @ami-fidele @kisstheghouls @looking-4-happiness @ladysapphire928 @sloanedestler @tinywound @persephonaae @phoenixdewinter @uwucoffee @freshbloodandgothicism )

#european musicals #mozart das musical #3 musketiers #dracula the musical #retj #romeo et juliette #mozart l'opera rock #mozart l'opéra rock #musical theatre #musicals #broadway #musicaledit #rebecca das musical #rebecca the musical #answeredasks #non english language musicals

[butchhamlet]

king lear fic recs!!!

i’ve been hyperfixating on king lear since april and there are only 62 fics in the ao3 tag (only 56 of which are actually about king lear and not, like, tagged that way because it’s an AU of another fandom). so i decided. i was going to read all of them.

and i did!

and it’s… really something. the tag is… really something. the fact that 7 of those fics (you know. 11% of the tag) are inc*st fics is… really something! (reminder that this blog is not a safe space for incest shippers!!! i don’t fucking care if they’re half brothers i’m going to beat you with your own bones)

but to say that the entire tag is full of creeps would be very incorrect because there is, in fact, a lot of very good content in there! so, as i now have a masters in this one ao3 tag, here are my recommendations :3c

(obligatory note that these are just my personal favs, ymmv, etc etc, but also please do go give these people some love dhfdshfsbfs. the Talent)

mumbling of wicked charms - MACY’S (@suits-of-woe) GLOUCESTER-BROTHERS-CENTRIC DND AU DESTROYS ME LITERALLY EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT. GENUINELY. EVERY LINE OF THIS FIC. IS A NEW GIFT AND A NEW KNIFE THROWN INTO MY HEART.

These Late Eclipses - genuinely one of my favorite lear fics of all time and probably my all-time favorite edmund characterization. this is the “what if edmund stepped in during the eye-plucking scene” au and it’s so so tasty. love that this bitch remains a bastard (metaphorically) even when he’s on the good side like. im obsessed

When She Was Bad - ANOTHER of my favorite lear fics of all time; this one is regan-centric pre-canon and it. is so well written. like i think i could write a fucking essay on this fic and its nuances and the way it foreshadows canon and the things it does with the characters of all three sisters. it is SO well written i am LOSING MY MIND

To Be King - edgar, post-canon, seeing ghosts. the characterization in this makes me litcherally insane like every character is so on point and also the writing is just lovely

Daisy Chains, Cuddles, and Crabbing - top ten fics to soothe the gaping hole left in my heart by the actual canon of king lear. this is literally just, like, the three lear sisters as kids going out to catch crabs and goneril is v gently implied to be nonbinary or at least gnc and cordelia is just. a BABY and it is so sweet [holds this fic to my chest]

Che nel pensier rinova la paura - this is that “hamlet and edmund meet” fic and i can’t say much more without spoilers but the ending hit me like a CAR

nadia's king lear au - shoutout to nadia @bisexualgloucester for writing a BANGER king lear AU/universe that caters to me specifically /half joke but only half. wtf gay little kent <3

Sky, Sea, and Storm - and shoutout to lucy @maryabolkonskys for writing this short gorgeous edgar piece that destroys me every time i think about it

most best, most dearest - A CORDELIA WHO ISN’T A WEAK INNOCENT NAIVE LITTLE GIRL… WE LOVE TO SEE IT. also this one is just very sweet! (cordelia & france focused!)

ACT V.3 - this one is lear’s pov and y’all know how i feel about lear as a person but this fic made me SCREAM it is so gorgeous and SO goddamn sad :(

within the gentle heart abideth love - you are going to look at this and you are going to think “edmund x romeo?? like romeo montague?” but i promise it is good. trust me. the characterization and the worldbuilding in this DID something to me

Mercutio Makes a Discord - god fucking knows if this counts as a king lear fic (the lear sisters & gloucester brothers are in it but not the main characters per se?) but literally every chapter of this fic has obliterated me im begging you to read it. shakespeare wants what ao3 user theevilsnuffleupagus has

honorable mentions because they aren’t on ao3 but are really really good anyway:

this piece by @stripedroseandsketchpads is almost 100% the background for the way i understand and characterize lear (the man)

and i CANNOT explain how much macy’s goneril and edmund piece haunts me. so many of these lines live rent fucking free in my head (though may i single out “no one would guess the man had three daughters”). transcendental

#max.txt #lear #i know some of the ppl who wrote the things on this list! not all of them! but the people i know are so very kind #and all of these pieces are beautiful #and very much worth checking out!!! #anyway if you write (non-inc*sty/etc) lear fic put it in the tag ill comment on it

[cornyregans]

Relationship with the Rivals

Word Count: 3,965

I have been planning on discussing the birth orders for what I call the “Lear” generation and “ABC” Montys for more than a year now. As I was compiling my entries, however, I thought it would be fun to look at how the ages of these sims might have contributed to each of their eventual roles in the feud. As such, I wrote this thing to show pieces of evidence that might explain where each sim fits on the feud spectrum, and how their ages might have something to do with it.

Roles in the Feud

Before we dive into the main body of this essay, we should first look at the different categories where each sim might fit. In my opinion, these sims can fall into one of six categories. Each group is rather self-explanatory once you see what they’re called; however, there are some nuances to these roles that I believe should be acknowledged.

The first group is what I like to call the “major players.” These sims play a large role in the feud as a whole; whether it be due to their role in starting it, or because none of them are all that willing to befriend anyone on the other side. In addition to their unwillingness to cross the canal, so to speak, these sims are also loathed by one or more sims in return, though the animosity the other sim shows them is not always mutual.

Within this group of “major players,” there are two subsections that I like to call “passively major players” and “aggressively major players.” Both groups are uninterested in burying the hatchet and don’t care for making amends with the other side. That said, their approach to the feud differs.

Aggressively major players are sims who take an active role in initiating disputes between the families, and who will probably hate on someone based on their last name alone. Also, aggressively major players not only hate sims on the other side, but their aggressive nature has likely earned them some enemies in return.

Passively major players, on the other hand, are more reactionary than their aggressive counterparts. While these sims don’t think too positively of sims on the other side of the canal, they will have an additional reason for hatred other than just the whole last name thing. Finally, passively major players do not need to have anyone on the other side hold them in contempt since, as stated previously, much of their disdain is more reactionary than anything else.

The second main group is the “minor players,” these sims are more willing to befriend people on the other side than the major players; however, some also consider one or more sims on the other side to be their enemies. Another kind of minor player is one who does not consider any rival family members to be enemies, yet one or more members of the rival family do hate them for one reason or another.

The third main group is what I like to call the “anti-feuders.” These sims do not consider any members of the rival family to be their enemies and they are more than willing to befriend them as well. Unlike what I mentioned above regarding minor players, anti-feuders are completely free of enemies on the other side. That said, given the nature of the feud, anti-feuders are probably more likely to be found outside the two feuding families, though there are some exceptions.

The fourth category is what I call the “undecided” because there is no way for us to say how they feel about the feud since they lack relationships with the rival family. That said, the fourth category will not come up in any capacity later in this essay since the game either strongly implies or outright confirms that all seven of these sims had an opinion on either the feud itself or the sims from the other family.

There are two other categories I will not be covering here that deserve a mention. Both groups are exactly what you would expect upon seeing their names, “Capp allies” (sims from auxiliary families who display loyalty towards the Capps), and “Monty allies” (basically the same as Capp allies, but their loyalties lie with the Montys instead). Given the dearth of premade families in modern-day Veronaville, these final two groups no longer exist in the neighborhood unless the player decides to incorporate townies into these factions or create some new families to fill some empty houses.

Premade Roles at Capp Manor and Monty Ranch

When it comes to categorizing the individuals living at the Manor or Ranch, it is probably safe to say that Consort, Patrizio, Isabella, and Tybalt are major players. Consort and Patrizio are self-explanatory: both of them were essential in starting the feud, and neither of them seems to have any intention of letting bygones be bygones as far as the narrative is concerned. An argument could be made for Isabella being more of a minor player due to the implication that she’s getting tired of Patrizio’s anti-Capp ways; however, she doesn’t seem very willing to befriend any Capps herself, so it’s hard to categorize her as anything but a major player as a result (though, I would place her in the passively major subsection). Tybalt, whose biography highlights his Capp pride, considers both of the Montys he knows enemies, so there’s no way he could fit into any other category when the game begins. All four of these sims have a few individuals on the other side who consider them to be an enemy, so they really can’t fit anywhere else on this spectrum.

Romeo, Juliette, and Mercutio are more minor players in the feud since they have both friends and foes on the opposite side (though most of the hatred is one-sided). Romeo and Juliette are friends, which is practically a necessity for a romantic relationship in TS2. As for Mercutio, he considers Hermia and Miranda Capp to be his friends, in addition to having a crush on the former and being crushed on by the latter. When it comes to the enemies they have on the other side, Romeo is considered an enemy by Consort and Tybalt Capp, Mercutio is enemies with Tybalt, and Juliette loathes Bianca Monty. Mercutio and Juliette also aren’t all that fond of each other, though not to the point of considering the other an enemy when the game starts. The same can be said for Romeo who, while loathed by Consort and Tybalt, lacks enough animosity towards either sim when the game begins to reciprocate their feelings of hatred.

Hermia is the only sim living at either the manor or ranch to be an Anti-Feuder since she isn’t enemies with any of the Montys when you first play the manor, nor do any of the Montys consider her an enemy in return. She considers Mercutio Monty to be a friend and also reciprocates his crush on her (though, the fact that she also reciprocates Puck’s crush on her slightly complicates things).

So with that out of the way, let’s begin by looking at the five-generation four sims still alive when the game begins.

The Living Capps and Montys

Given that they consider all of the living third and fourth generation members of their respective rival families to be enemies, it seems safe to say that Goneril, Regan, and Antonio are all involved in the feud in some way. That said, only Antonio’s bios (both personal and household) and Regan’s household bio reference their thoughts on the feud. Rather than touching upon her opinion of the feud, both of Goneril’s bios instead focus on her marriage and motherhood.

Antonio’s personal bio references the feud by stating:

“…what will be his role in the family feud that may have cost him his one true love?”

By taking this quote into account, Antonio’s involvement in the feud is more of a recent development. Either that or he wasn’t much of a player until he lost his wife. His household bio says the same thing as his personal bio so there’s no need to go into detail about it.

Regan’s household bio refers to the feud here:

“…Bianca Monty’s affections for Kent have the family on high alert.”

Regardless of how you interpret Bianca’s “affections” for Kent (I’ll probably cover that at a later date), this biography is rather interesting. Though this line from Regan’s household bio doesn’t reference her specifically, the implication is definitely there when it comes to her involvement in the feud. The fact that Regan is concerned about a Capp/Monty friendship makes her a strong candidate for being a major player in the feud since such a concern would be considered silly for minor players and anti feuders.

Even though neither of Goneril’s bios specifically reference her thoughts on the feud, they may be subtly alluded to in her daughter Miranda’s personal bio:

“Miranda’s cynical and rebellious — and wants out of her parents’ crowded house. Could that explain her sudden interest in Mercutio?”

By combining Miranda’s interest in Mercutio with her being described as “rebellious,” we can probably conclude that her attraction to him might be, at least in part, due to Goneril and Albany’s views regarding the Monty family. Also, when comparing her relationships with her parents, she starts the game closer with Albany than she does Goneril. As such, her interest in Mercutio may have started to get a rise out of Goneril in particular. If this is the case, then Goneril would most likely be a major player in the feud.

Kent and Bianca are also involved in the feud, but to a lesser extent. Kent is mutual enemies with both third-generation Montys, considered an enemy by Antonio, and friends with Bianca. Conversely, while Bianca is friends with Kent, she hates Consort, Goneril, and Regan. She’s also not super fond of Tybalt either, but her negative feelings towards him are one-sided since he doesn’t seem to acknowledge her existence.

How did Claudio and Cordelia feel about the feud?

While we can get a general idea regarding their siblings’ opinions on the feud, the fact that Claudio and Cordelia are deceased when the game starts makes it difficult to decipher their feelings on the matter. That said, it’s not impossible to form a hypothesis by looking at two bios that are not immediately accessible to the player.

This line from Claudio’s personal bio implies that he was involved in it:

“…will he be able to reconcile his son’s romance with the enemy family?”

Conversely, this line from Contessa’s personal bio implies Cordelia was against it:

“…Will [Contessa] let go of her anger at the Montys and do her daughter Cordelia’s memory justice by allowing Juliette to pursue her true love?”

Additionally, there is an image of Cordelia reacting negatively to Patrizio and Consort fighting, further reinforcing the idea of her being anti feud.

Of course, it could be possible that I’m completely wrong about these two. However, the textual evidence is hidden inside those two biographies, as well as the picture of Cordelia, which are things I cannot ignore due to the lack of evidence to the contrary.

Their Ages

Goneril, Regan, and Kent’s age bars all line up with Consort’s memories. On the other hand, Antonio and Bianca’s age bars do not line up with Patrizio’s memories. While I do plan on looking into this more in the future, I will be going off of age bars here since that’s really where the crux of this argument comes from.

According to their age bars and SimPE, Antonio has eighteen sim days left until elderhood, whereas Bianca has twenty-three. Should the player use a rotational play style, then the only living Capp who would be close in age to both of them is Goneril, who would be four sim!days younger than Antonio and two sim!days older than Bianca. Not only that, but there is also a possibility that the age gap between Goneril and Claudio is small enough that she would have had ample opportunity to interact with him as well.

Regan is three sim!days younger than Bianca and eight sim!days younger than Antonio. As such, it would be easy to assume that Regan’s antipathy towards the enemy family would be weaker than her older sister’s. Despite this, two factors may have ended up making Regan a bigger player than her age would suggest.

The first factor involves the late Claudio’s age. Of the two living Montys, Regan is only really close in age to Bianca, who seems like a fairly minor player in the grand scheme of things. As mentioned above, Claudio’s bio implies that he was involved in the feud as well. If he was younger than Antonio, then Regan would have had a greater opportunity to interact with him than if he was the elder Monty brother. The other factor is Regan’s relationship with Goneril. A look at both of their relationship panels shows that each sister considers the other to be a friend when the game begins. If Goneril and Regan were close back when they were growing up, then it wouldn’t be too farfetched to assume that Regan being close to Goneril may have influenced how she saw the Montys and could have made her a bigger player than she otherwise would have been.

As stated above, even Kent’s not entirely immune to Anti Monty sentiments. According to his relationship panel at the start of the game, he considers Isabella, and Patrizio Monty to be enemies, so Bianca is more of an exception than the rule since those three Montys are the only ones present in his relationship panel. As such, Kent’s hatred towards those two Montys (possibly three if he considered Claudio an enemy as well) is likely more reactionary than due to family rivalries. A case of “I don’t hate them because they’re Montys, I hate them because they’re jerks.” Bianca is also closer in age to Kent than Antonio is when taking age bars into account. As such, their bonding over their mutual disdain of the feud would be easier than Kent possibly doing the same with Antonio provided the latter also has (or had) his misgivings about it.

Taking Cordelia and Claudio into Account

If Cordelia was the eldest Capp child, then we know she would have been closer to elderhood than Bianca before her death. That said, it is unknown whether she would have been older than Antonio and/or Claudio (at least according to their age bars).

Speaking of Claudio, SimPE states that he had twenty-three days left until elderhood when he died. If this is the case, then we know he would have become an elder sooner than Bianca in rotational gameplay. While we cannot say for sure when he died, his sons’ ages point at it being a relatively recent event. Should you use both SimPE and this timeframe in determining Claudio’s place in the birth order, then he would likely have been somewhere around the same age as Goneril.

Most people who I’ve seen interpret Cordelia as the eldest Capp child also interpret Claudio as the eldest Monty child. This is likely due to their children’s ages when the game begins. That said, their ages concerning each other is something that I’ve never seen discussed. I’ve never seen any argument stating whether Cordelia was younger than both of the Monty brothers, sandwiched in the middle of them, or older than both of them. As a result, I can’t analyze a possible dynamic between the two, let alone if one existed in the first place.

Claudio’s Age and his Role in the Feud

Claudio, the Eldest Child

The way I see it, Claudio’s involvement in the feud correlates with how much older the player considers him to be than Antonio. If he’s too far ahead of his brother in age, then his interactions with the enemy Capps would have been somewhat limited throughout the years. This would be problematic since the oldest Capp to be involved in the feud is Goneril.

While the player could view Cordelia as the oldest Capp child, the evidence we are provided with paints her as being anti feud. As such, Claudio only being close in age to Cordelia would somewhat isolate him from his generation’s major players on the Capp side. That said, this would not be a problem should the player view Claudio and Antonio as twins, since he would have had as much opportunity to interact with the rival Capps that Antonio did when growing up. If this was, in fact, the case, then Claudio would have eighteen days at most until elderhood if he were still alive.

Claudio, the Middle Child

Claudio being the middle child means that he would have anywhere from eighteen to twenty-three days until elderhood if he were still alive. As such he, like Goneril, would be sandwiched between Antonio and Bianca.

As you have probably already figured out, Claudio being the middle child would have meant that the Capp he would have likely interacted with the most would be Goneril (and possibly Cordelia, should you consider her to be older than Goneril but younger than Antonio). Claudio being close in age to Goneril could have easily played a role in the latter being involved in the feud. Of the two living Montys, Goneril is closer in age to Bianca, a more minor player, than Antonio, a more major player. If the player considers Claudio to be a major player in the feud, it may explain not only why Goneril could be a major player, but also why Miranda’s interest in Mercutio (Claudio’s son) might upset her.

Claudio, the Youngest Child

Claudio being the youngest means that he would have had at least twenty-three days left until elderhood if he was still alive.

If Claudio was the youngest Monty child then he would have been more likely to interact with Regan and Kent than either of his siblings, at least while growing up. Should this be the case, then Regan’s involvement in the feud might not be entirely due to being close to Goneril. That said, Claudio might have also had ample opportunity to interact with Goneril as well, though to what degree depends on how much younger the player considers him to be than Bianca. Should the player consider both Claudio and Cordelia to be the youngest in their families, then Claudio most likely would have to be older than Kent. The reason for this will be explained in the next section.

The Isolation of Cordelia Capp

There is a possibility that Cordelia being anti-feud could have been a result of her being somewhat isolated from the Montys of her generation. As mentioned above, Goneril being sandwiched between Antonio and Bianca (and possibly Claudio) could have played a role in dragging her into the feud. As such, Cordelia’s aversion to the feud may have been because she might not have been all that close in age to any of the Montys.

This is a theory that only works should Cordelia be either the oldest or youngest Capp child. That said, some layers to it should probably be analyzed further.

Cordelia as the Oldest

As mentioned above, for this argument to work there would need to be a considerable level of isolation between Cordelia and the three Montys. As such, Cordelia would likely have to be older than all the Montys to keep her interactions with them to a minimum while growing up.

Also, there would probably have to be a pronounced age difference between her and the oldest Monty since them being too close in age might have had the potential of dragging her into the feud in the first place. The only real exception to this rule that I can think of would be Bianca, whose Anti-Capp sentiments seem quite a bit weaker than those of her brothers. That said, the fact Bianca’s age bar lists her as being younger than Goneril makes this seem unlikely should you use the age bars to determine the birth orders.

Of the brothers, Antonio’s personality seems less confrontational than Claudio’s, so of the two brothers, Antonio would be the safer option as the oldest Monty for this theory to work. That’s not to say it couldn’t work if Claudio was the oldest, just that his two nice points might have made it a tad more difficult to pull off.

Cordelia as the Youngest

If Cordelia were the youngest Capp child, then the isolation argument is pretty self-explanatory since she would have been younger than all three of the Montys (at least as far as the age bars are concerned).

Also, the Capp who would be closest in age to her is Kent, who is less involved in the feud than either Goneril or Regan. Not to mention, Kent is on good terms with Bianca, who is the youngest living Monty as far as age bars are concerned. If Bianca is younger than Claudio, then that would further limit the negative interactions Cordelia could have had with the Montys because Bianca herself is probably the most anti feud among the Montys of her generation.

Final Thoughts

Since there are a variety of ways one can play Veronaville as far as the ages of these seven sims is concerned, the bits regarding the correlation between age and role in the feud will not be universally agreed upon. This is an idea that works better with some birth orders than others, and I will be the first to admit that.

The individuals you are exposed to during your life play a role in determining the person you become, whether you choose to associate with them or not. There are some people who you meet and become close with who you may never have known had you been any older or younger, and the same can be said with people you meet and try to keep your distance from. I know for a fact I wouldn’t have become the person who I am today had I been born a year earlier or later, so I believe that it’s worth talking about when it comes to this topic.

_______________________________________________________________________

Thank you so much for reading, it’s been a while since I posted one of these essays. This was originally part of a larger project where I look at the birth orders for the gen. 4 Capps and Montys, but I thought it worked well enough to stand on its own. Most of the other entries in that group focus more on looking at programming and Shakespeare inspirations with multiple perspectives in mind. This one, on the other hand, looks more at character dynamics when taking one perspective (the accessible age bars) into account.

Outside of that, this is the essay that I mentioned in my 100 followers post (sorry it took so long). While I have plans to start the Great Veronaville Genetics Project, I still haven’t found a way to extract Damon Featherlight and the Bramble couple for it. I tried installing neighborhoods, but all of them seem to be improperly deleted. The only option I have left, other than asking if anyone has BodyShop templates of the three, is to make them myself (something I will admit I’m atrocious at). So, if anyone has BodyShop templates of these three sims, I would appreciate it if you would share them with me (don’t worry, I will give you credit for sharing).

Thanks again for reading, and for those of you who followed my simblr, thanks again for following, I sincerely hope you enjoyed.

#sims #sims 2 #veronaville #capp family #monty family #antonio monty #bianca monty #claudio monty #cordelia capp #goneril capp #kent capp #regan capp #veronaville vault

[aki-draws-things]

Apollo

[Reading you’re having a hard time I decided to dedicate this little thing to you @soetpotatis . It’s short and fluffy and warm.

Based on the life model post, a sweet modern AU. <3 ]

If Tybalt had to be fully honest with himself he never thought he would end up liking that little job.

He started it because he needed money and asking his uncle again was pretty much out of question; Juliet tried to smuggle some of her money to him only to have them returned together with a little note on a red lined piece of paper only containing a drawn frowning face. - She actually found the message quite funny coming from her cousin, but again, they spent years communicating through drawn emoticons on paper. -

He thought of giving up with the fencing class, he actually thought about it. He felt bad for it after all those years and loving it more than anything else he tried, he even wrote down something to say when he would drop the news.

That was when the Art professor dropped the proposal. He was going to make a new class focusing mostly on the human body, and they needed a model. He would even pay him for that.

There, magic words said and Tybalt didn’t hesitate a second more before accepting.

He had always been conscious of his look, not in a pretentious way, more in a realistic one; he knew there were scars around his chest and back, thin white lines that the strong light pointed at him showed more clearly than what he would’ve liked, a mark right over his heart, like a scar too, just darker, there ever since he was born. - People sometimes said that those marks showed where and how you died in your past life. If that was to be true, and Tybalt didn’t believe it one bit, then he had probably been stabbed right in the heart. - It wasn’t that he felt ashamed or shy, he was just overly conscious of what he looked like, and now there were fifteen more people staring straight and concentrated at him, sitting naked on a platform.

There were murmurs going around, as always, he had learned to ignore voices when he was working or training, it was much easier. And yet sometimes voices slipped through.

“Fuck…”

“Escalus –” The professor warned slightly.

“I fucking hate dicks. No, actually no, I don’t. I kind of love them but – - He muttered something else that Tybalt didn’t catch, charcoal scratching over the paper, he passed a hand on the face in concentration leaving a black smudge on the cheek. - Fuck his dick.”

The professor gave a strangled sound as a couple of other students tried to hide a laugh.

“It’s flat. Why is it flat? It’s not supposed to be flat! - Tybalt felt the heat rising over his face, he felt his cheek and ears turn red and looked in the opposite direction of the boy talking rather desperately. There was a little awe sound coming from someone close to the boy still muttering, and some more intense charcoal scratching. He didn’t notice the boy looking up again and stare intensely at him from behind the easel. - It is definitely not flat, for fuck’s sake.”

“Escalus!”

He kept muttering on his own, keeping the voice lower this time and Tybalt tried once more to isolate sounds from the room.

“I apologize for earlier.” The professor said passing him a robe at the end of the lesson. “He was having some troubles with the shades, he’s just… he’s very vocal about everything.”

“That’s what I though, it’s fine… really.” Tybalt smiled, what else someone in such a class could mean with comments like that one? Sure, he got him flustered but it was quite normal; shade or not, picture or not, the dick he was commenting was his. At least it wasn’t a too bad comment.

As days went by, as the classes proceeded Tybalt found himself more and more comfortable in his position, sometimes students engaged in little chats as their sketches progressed, like what classes he was following, never trying to actually track him down or finding out more than what he was comfortable to give them. - And he was already giving them enough, said one of them nodding at the fact that he was currently standing there on a platform, naked, and with a shield prop borrowed from the theatre. He was giving them more than enough. - Everyone wanted both to know him and to keep some sort of veiled mystery, it was different from how they behaved with the other models, Tybalt saw that, he saw them being friendly and chatty while with him they all were careful. Almost like they feared him.

- “He’s quite dreamy, isn’t he?” “More than quite, yes. He seems to be out of a painting.” “Or a statue that took life.” They didn’t fear him in truth, they adored him, in hushed whispers and scratchy charcoal. -

“He should have a lyre, not a shield.” the boy commenting the previous time said, his hair tied back this time, out of the way in a loose ponytail.

“Why so? Ares has a shield, obviously.” The boy, Escalus the professor called him, laughed, he peered from behind the easel and smirked, admiring Tybalt a moment longer before returning to his paper.

“Well, then you obviously are oblivious in Greek mythology. - He commented lightly. - Or you would agree with me that he’s more like Apollo than Ares. The way he captures light, like it belongs to him and its his to direct wherever he wishes. He could just makes this whole room fall into pitch darkness only for him to be the only light and we would still be able to see.”

“Someone has a crush here?” One of the boys snickered amused.

Mercutio fell silent again, he wasn’t completely right, no. But it was also not a news that beauty attracted him, and Tybalt was indeed beautiful. Well, maybe he did have a little crush, nothing big, just… just a little innocent crush. Just a small pull toward him for some reason. Just – He felt like he should know him. Like he could stretch his hand out, brush his fingers through the golden curls, over his cheek, over his lips. Like he could do it and Tybalt wouldn’t step away.

When he looked up again, to capture the right line of the leg Tybalt was looking straight at him – Or, actually, over him, just in his direction. - and he was smiling.

How could that smile belong to a God of War? How could a God of War cast such a light where he decided to lay his gaze on?

Well, maybe it was not just a little crush after all.

Mercutio was turning the pages of his last sketchbook, the one he completed only the day before, showing his friends the pictures. Well, he was showing them to Benvolio since their other friend, Romeo, was currently too busy playing with his girlfriend’s hair. A cute girl, Juliet, Mercutio thought of asking her to pose for him, he really was going to ask her when another boy joined their little group, dropped a bag on the grass and sat there next to Juliet. He looked tired, blond hair tied back, he passed a hand over his face, hid a yawn and put his head on the girl’s shoulder.

“Tired yourself again?” He muttered an answer and loosened the hair with one hand. “You know you shouldn’t, or you’ll just fall asleep somewhere.”

Mercutio turned another page and stilled for a moment. There, on one of the last pages, one of his favorite works. Apollo holding Ares’ shield. Apollo. He started to call that model like this ever since that one class, at least now he had a name, even if not his real one.

He looked up briefly, the stranger had his eyes closed, he seemed ready to doze off on Juliet, the hair falling on one shoulder. He looked down on the paper, his Apollo smiling back at him from the picture.

Up. Down again. And up once more. And down. The up one last time.

And then he gasped attracting his friends’ attention. Tybalt opened one eye and looked at him confused, and a bit sleepy too.

The boy looked familiar, somehow, he was sure he saw him –

“Apollo.”

Oh. Oh, of course. That’s where he saw him.

“I – Ah! I’m sorry – - Mercutio looked down, suddenly embarrassed. Why now? He saw him in much more exposed ways. Hell, he saw him completely naked. Why was he embarrassed now? - I didn’t recognize you…” He admitted. Tybalt stood up a moment leaving his comfortable place on Juliet’s shoulder and crossing his legs before cocking his head at Mercutio, confused.

“You know each other already? - Juliet inquired looking at her cousin. - Why didn’t you said it before? Oh, Tybalt we could have gone out sometimes, together, instead of you closing yourself in the dorm.”

Tybalt. Mercutio repeated the name in his mind. It was… It was kind of sweet. It was familiar too.

“It’s not that we know each other, Julie… It’s complicate…”

“I never saw you with your clothes on.”

Immediately Mercutio clasped both hands on his mouth, eyes wide as he realized what he just blurted out. Damn his tongue!

“I’m… sorry?”

“Mercutio…”

“What the fuck?!”

Mercutio tried to ignore the three voices suddenly speaking as one, he kept his mouth closed and looked at Tybalt, for a moment fearing his reaction. Instead Tybalt laughed softly and Mercutio breathed out in relief.

“He’s not entirely wrong, you know? He also has quite an eye for… details.” Mercutio quickly hid his face behind the sketchbook not realizing the page dropped showing them a more detailed study of the human body.

#aaahh... yes. Mercutio is having the best time when talking of Tybalt as Apollo #no one believes it's a little crush #and now everyone in that class call him Apollo because Cutio started it #but also. now he knows his real name and yet he never uses it in class to keep the secret #and probably will ask him to pose for him again outside #dressed this time unless they're alone. #maybe poses with Juliet or something... #it's just.. all so sweet #tycutio #romeo et juliette #aki writes

[alleyskywalker]

hey! look, please tell me of I am mistaken, but there is a Romeo and Juliet Musical? I think I saw something like that in your blog, and it caught my eye. I really adore Shakespeare and I'd love to hear more about the musical (if there is one lol)

Yes, there is. It was originally a French musical that came out in 2001 called Romeo et Juliette. It’s been translated into a bunch of different languages and different countries have put on their own productions. It was also revived in France in 2010. There’s a bunch of different productions. For example, the Hungarian is quite different (in costuming/staging/design) from the others but absolutely excellent. (And we are blessed with both a proshot and subtitles.) The most recent is the Italian (proshot; boot - missing some of the dialogues and obv. video quality concerns but the Romeo casting is much better and it makes a lot of other things better tbh.) The Italian has canon gay :D The Russian is really fun (though, bootleg quality video and no subs) and the Austrian is super cute. (BN: version with no subs but also without text that takes up half the screen xD) Mexican version (I think a few of the songs are missing…) There are def other ones but finding video/audio for them can be really hard. Like there’s only an audio boot of the London one. (And good luck with any cast recordings that aren’t the French or Russian ones lol.)

The characterizations (and some plot points) vary between the musical(s) and Shakespeare canon as well as between the various musical productions themselves. Like, musical!Romeo is kind of a party boy who’s been with girls before, apparently, but just has never found the one to really go crazy about (until Juliet, supposedly). In contrast to Shakes!Romeo who is a quiet, moody dork who falls in love hard every time but just can’t seem to get a girl to like him back (until Juliet). Mercutio in the various productions runs the spectrum from spunky, flouncy gay (Hungarian) to lovable little shit (Russian) to really fucking Extra (French revival) to wtf this guy def has issues (Italian). Tybalt also spans the range from goon to Kylo Ren-eque woobie (Hungarian). 

And while no one asked, my favorite production is the Hungarian. But it’s also quite unique in its feel and approach to the other ones. The original French is, well, the original, but oddly enough, it’s probably one of my least favorite ones.

Anyway, yea, it’s a lot. But it can be fun too. The fandom is its own story.

#romeo and juliet #romeo and juliet musical #asked and answered #op #helplesscomet

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

Chapter 42: The Show Must Go On

Becoming The Mask

It felt so good to jump back into his usual routine on Monday morning. Jim hummed as he diced vegetables for omelettes. He'd need to go grocery shopping after school, or maybe shop tomorrow and do coupon clipping today. How much leftover pizza did they have? Enough for dinner?

Maybe dinner for one, he confirmed, checking the fridge, so he really should pick up something more substantial. Unless …

Yes, there were cans of mushroom soup in the cupboards, so if they had that for dinner tonight, Jim could put off grocery shopping for one more day.

He brought Barbara's breakfast upstairs. She'd remembered to take off her own glasses last night. Jim kissed her forehead on reflex, and then froze.

Barbara didn't stir. He let out a whisper-soft sigh.

For the past week, Jim and Toby had been brushing their teeth side-by-side, since the Domzalskis only had one bathroom and there was only so much time in the morning before school. Jim had started checking on Jay-Jay using his cellphone instead, even after Toby learned he was a Changeling. Today, brushing his teeth alone, he spat on the mirror again.

Toby deserved something special for lunch, Jim thought, considering how well he had been handling all the strangeness and stress that Jim dragged into his life. Let's see, there were still more eggs …

Jim went through the first few steps of making French toast, but as soon as one side of the bread was finished and flipped, he put cheese on top to melt. He was frying thin slices of onion and tomato and some diced red peppers as well.

Toby loved Chef Jim's Famous Ultimate Grilled Cheese.

Jim left Barbara's lunch in the fridge, like usual, and left to bike to school with Toby, like usual.

It felt wonderful to cook in his own kitchen again.

+=+ 

Jim seemed chipper, Walt noticed. He hoped that meant the boy was in positive contact with his Familiar's mother again, not that Jim was putting up a façade.

Of course he wanted Jim to be able to hide his feelings well, especially vulnerability. Such thespianism was a vital life skill for any Changeling. But he could hope for Jim to genuinely experience whatever positive emotions the young Changeling expressed as well.

"I've got some worrying news," Jim announced, popping into Walter's office after school. The words were at odds with his tone, grin, and bouncing step. "We have a ticking clock, of sorts? The kids want to tell their families trolls are real. Mom hasn't met them but she knows they exist and she's given us a month to do it before she starts trying. So, they're trying to persuade Vendel it's a good idea. Thoughts?"

Walter just gaped. Jim had barely gotten the door closed before he started bubbling out this very disconcerting information. He was still adjusting the piano stool.

"I suppose the possibility of a troll being photographed or filmed and spread by social media could make it worth attaining human allies who are beyond adolescence."

Mrs Nuñez was a local politician, and Mr Scott was a police officer. The scope of damage control they could truly offer in the event of a secrecy breech was limited but existent. Truly, Dr Lake would probably be the best 'respectable figure' to calm the public, if it came to that, since many humans assumed their politicians and law enforcement were corrupt in any case, but first it would be best to try discrediting the evidence and minimizing its exposure.

"Yeah, Mary pointed out basically every human has a camera at all times now." Jim turned idly side-to-side on the rotating stool. "I'm worried about Enrique, though. If Claire exposes him to their parents … He can't 'stay with a friend' like I did while they cool down. But if they're only letting him stay for appearances and don't get a chance to calm down –" He spun all the way around. "D'you think we can talk her out of it?"

"You know Ms Nuñez better than I. Do you?"

Jim made a whining noise high in his throat and spun the stool again, in the opposite direction this time.

"If it's any comfort," Walter offered, "I've seen Ms Janeth's rehearsal and performance schedule for this week, and I imagine Ms Nuñez will be too thoroughly occupied with the Montague-Capulet feud to want to create additional family strife off-stage."

There was a rehearsal for the first three afternoons that week, with the full dress rehearsal Wednesday, opening night on Thursday, and with Friday and Saturday performances to follow.

He should tell Jim about his own worrying news, his plans to leave Arcadia once he found a deputy who wouldn't be subverted or murdered, but Walter hesitated. Face to face with Jim, he found himself wondering if he ought to leave at all. His presence offered some token protection; Otto knew, even if the Polymorph survived a fight with the Trollhunter, Walter would bring about consequences. But if Walter were gone, Otto would have time to disappear.

But Jim was an excellent fighter in his own right, Walter chided himself. The boy had successfully stabbed Bular and lived to tell the tale! And he'd be safer still if – when – Walter's plan succeeded.

Still, he hadn't found a deputy, so perhaps he needn't add to the boy's worries yet.

+=+

"There's a school play," said Jim, apropos of nothing, at dinner on Tuesday night. "Later this week. I'm not in it, but, do you want to go anyway?"

"That sounds nice," said Barbara. "I'll try to clear my schedule."

"It's three nights. I could get tickets for all three. You know, school fundraisers, they're not going to turn down extra money."

"What's the troll school system like?" Barbara had decided to try to ask this sort of thing casually whenever a conversation seemed like it could flow in that direction, to get Jim used to telling her things about trolls and get herself used to hearing it.

"I have no idea. I've never seen a school in Trollmarket, though, so they might do an apprenticeship instead of general education? I'll ask Blinky. Or you could ask Blinky."

Barbara hesitated. She wasn't sure she had the nerve to go back underground yet. "You should invite him to dinner some time."

Jim laughed. "I don't know if you'd want that if you knew what trolls ate." He gasped at his own words. "I meant garbage! The stuff trolls eat is usually really unappetizing to a human. Smelly socks are tasty snacks. I mean, we've – Changelings – we've found some stuff that tastes good in both forms, but I don't know how good they'd be to an unaltered troll."

+=+

"Where have you been, young lady?"

"Dress rehearsal?" Claire frowned at her parents. "The school play, remember?"

Enrique made a happy noise from his doorway-mounted baby-bouncer. Sometimes that dispelled the tension. Tonight it didn't.

"We're very proud you're keeping your commitment to the school," said Javier. "But you have to call us when you're going to be out late. We were worried."

"I told you when you dropped me off this morning!"

She had. Enrique had been in his car seat right behind her. He hated that thing. It was cushioned, and his Familiar's parents had been very fussy about making sure the straps weren't too tight when they noticed he always cried when they put him in it, but that wasn't the point. He hated not being able to move. He couldn't wait until he got big enough not to need it anymore.

"You at least remembered you promised to come tomorrow, right?" Claire continued, narrowing her eyes.

Ophelia checked her phone. Behind the parents' backs, Enrique winced.

"Of course. For opening night."

+=+

"Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance," said Logan – Mercutio – to Steve.

"Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes, with nimble soles. I have a soul of lead, so stakes me to the ground I cannot move."

"Steve's a better actor than I thought," Toby whispered to Darci. He and Nana had ended up beside her and her parents. Darci's dad was a huge, muscle-y guy who had given Toby a suspicious look when the teens greeted one another by name, but hadn't tried to stop them from sitting next to each other.

Steve seemed utterly woebegone, being dragged by his friends to a party to make him forget the girl Romeo liked before meeting Juliet. Toby hadn't known Romeo had a past love – he'd never actually seen the play, but he'd thought part of the point of it was that first love made the characters reckless?

Mercutio launched into a speech about some fairy queen creating nightmares until Romeo interrupted him – "Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Thou talk'st of nothing!" – and Benevolio pointed out they were missing the party they'd planned to crash – "This wind you talk of blows us from ourselves. Supper is done, and we shall come too late."

Toby had to choke back a laugh, midway through the next act, when Romeo approached his priest friend and Friar Laurence fretted that young people didn't tend to be awake so early, and so Romeo must not have slept.

"The last is true. The sweeter rest was mine."

"God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosaline?!"

Who knew Shakespeare had snuck so many raunchy and risqué stuff into his work? When Mary, as the Nurse, thought Juliet was simply sleeping in as opposed to faking her death, she teased that Juliet's arranged marriage would be keeping her up late soon and so it was best Juliet got as much sleep as she could before.

"Why, lamb! Why, lady! Fie, you slug-a-bed! Why, love, I say! Madam! Sweet-heart! Why, bride! … What, not a word? You take your pennyworths now. Sleep for a week; for the next night, I warrant, the County Paris hath set up his rest, that you shall rest but little. God forgive me," she added idly, in that way that meant she was only apologizing because it was expected, not because she was truly sorry.

There was a curtain across the stage, dividing Nurse from Juliet's 'bed' while the audience could see both of them.

"Marry and amen, how sound is she asleep! I must needs wake her. Madam, madam, madam!" Mary pulled the curtain back. "What, dressed and in your clothes, and down again? I must needs wake you." She started to shake Juliet, growing increasingly frantic as Claire appeared limp and unresponsive. "Lady? Lady! Lady!"

Mary's last cry was a full-on scream that made everyone jump.

It wasn't really all that different from a soap opera. Even with all the death and tragedy, Toby was quite enjoying the play.

At least, he was, up until the last scene.

"What's here? A cup, closed in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end. Oh, churl – drunk all, and left no friendly drop, to help me after? I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die with a restorative."

Juliet leaned over Romeo. Toby had heard, once, somewhere, that the hardest role in theatre was a dead body, because the actor would feel the urge to move or laugh. Steve let out a brief little "ha!" at the kiss, and then went back to being dead.

"Thy lips are warm … Then I'll be brief. Oh, happy dagger," drawing it from Romeo's scabbard, "this is thy sheath!"

Toby, and several others in the audience, gasped as Claire pressed the prop weapon to her stomach.

"There, rust … and let me die."

"What?" Toby whispered. "Juliet dies in this? No!"

The curtain closed, and Eli came out to deliver the epilogue. "A gloomy peace, this morning with it brings. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; for never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo!"

The audience applauded, and cheered, and whistled, and Claire and Steve got up and started bowing. But all Toby could see was his friend collapsing from a stab wound.

"Toby?" said Darci, putting her hand on his. "You okay?"

"I can't believe Juliet died …"

Jim kept warning them that troll stuff could get them killed. Toby had tried to take the warnings seriously, he really had. This, though, actually seeing Claire die – even a staged death she got right back up from, like Juliet's first, fake death with sleeping potion – this hit Toby harder than all of those warnings all at once.

He forced himself to his feet, forced a congratulatory smile onto his face, and forced his hands into applause.

+=+

Previous Chapter (Vendel is reluctant to let more humans learn trolls exist)

Table of Contents

Next Chapter (Toby has an emotional breakdown)

Whee, I figured out a way to make Romeo and Juliet plot relevant!

I actually read a transcript of 'Romeo and Juliet' to prepare this chapter. I really wanted Mercutio's Queen Mab speech, but couldn't justify quoting the whole thing, so I just referenced it happening on stage. (No, I didn't study this play in school. The Shakespeare plays we studied were Twelfth Night, Julius Ceaser, Hamlet, and the Scottish play with the cursed name. You know the one.)

Logan is the guy partnered with Mary in the flour babies episode. Darci mentions, "Logan and Mary already killed theirs. They gave Dwight D. Eisen-flour a bath and he turned into mush." Based on screenshots of the classroom, I think Logan is also the unnamed boy seen in the seats at play tryouts.

My high school typically did three performances of the school play, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Arcadia Oaks High School seems to do only one performance, but I think that's because the first half of the first season ends on opening night and the writers were done with that plotline. The next episode starts a month later, according to Toby's dialogue. That's plenty of time for more performances.

In other news, I’m thinking of doing a podfic for this story. My computer has a decent microphone, but I can’t seem to convert M4A files into MP3s, except by using external websites. I’ve followed the tutorial for doing the conversion with Windows Media Player exactly and it doesn’t work. I need MP3s if I’m going to post podfic on tumblr because tumblr can’t accept M4A uploads.

Apparently I’ll need to have the files hosted on another website, because AO3 can’t accept audio files downloaded directly or works imported from tumblr. SoundCloud sounds like it would work? Do people have recommendations or suggestions? 

#trollhunters #Tales of Arcadia #Changeling Jim #Walter Strickler #Dr Barbara Lake #Claire Nuñez #Councilwoman Ophelia Nuñez #Javier Nuñez #Not Enrique #Nana Nancy Domzalski #Tobias Domzalski #Darci Scott #Detective Louis Scott #romeo and juliet #Steve Palchuk #Eli Pepperjack #Monday is fanfic day! #My Fanfiction #fanfiction #canon divergence #alternate universe #Becoming The Mask chapters

[shadowofthemoth]

20 (w Tybalt), 9 and 17 for Paris in the headcanon meme. (Also, I can't help asking whose performance of Paris you like best — by Alexandre Galopin or by Patrik Ščasnovič. Or by anyone else actually.) All the best for you btw!

Aw, thank you! Paris my boy, come here... 20. Relationship with/thoughts on Tybalt headcanon Paris doesn’t really pay much attention to Tybalt personally, simply because he has never had any reason to do so (or at least not until he decided to wed Juliette). He knows, of course, of Tybalt’s existence - how could he not, being Mercutio’s relative? - and of all the brawls and fights and occasionally duels (with aforementioned Mercutio more often than not) that Capulet youth gets involved in with troubling regularity. But he never focuses on Tybalt longer than necessary. If anything, it is Mercutio whom he is more worried about, Mercutio’s life and health, not Tybalt’s. Paris may seem full of himself and nothing more, but family means a lot to him, so he cares. And the reputation Tybalt has gained makes Paris both respect him as a good swordsman and at the same time think of him with a certain scorn. He doesn’t like Tybalt as a person, but he doesn’t show it because he doesn’t actually know the guy well enough to judge his personality. Thus, all their interactions (for example, at balls and other social events) are polite. An easy (if a bit haughty) smile and a perfectly appropriate (if a bit too strong) handshake on Paris’s side, a proper nod, and that’s it. Perhaps a warning glance if the situation calls for it (meaning that Mercutio is nearby), but never open hostility; Paris remains as neutral as he can. 9. General physical contact headcanon Paris is actually pretty tactile. He’s a trained fighter, a good dancer and a ladies’ man, and feels comfortable surrounded by people; so physical contact is an easy thing for him. Paris has had several lovers before his decision to get married, and from the very start he had no problems with touching someone else and and letting them touch him. However, he doesn’t crave human touch and can do perfectly well without regular hugs and kisses and handshakes; so he doesn’t go searching for physical contact when there is none, and doesn’t shy away from it and will initiate it if he feels that it is appropriate. One downside of all this is that Paris can’t quite wrap his mind around the idea that some people may be less comfortable with physical contact than he is; it simply doesn’t occur to him that it is a possibility. So his presence may be a little too much for some people, because Paris is one of those guys who will touch your hand or shoulder constantly when they’re talking to you; or sit a bit too close to you; or take your hand or hug you without making sure you’re ok with the gesture. 17. Soft spot headcanon Strange as it may seem, Paris’s soft spot is his family. He is a Scaliger by blood, if not by name (my headcanon is that he’s related to Escalus through the female line: if we accept that Escalus's father had a sister, then Paris could be that sister's grandson, aka Escalus's first cousin once removed. Though tbh, my headcanon changes from time to time, sometimes I imagine him as not a Scaliger at all); so he cherishes his family. And especially after the death of his parents, now that his family consists of a royal uncle and two younger cousins. Paris respects the Prince and is quite attached to Mercutio and Valentine; but out of all three, it is Val, the youngest, whom Paris has the best relationship with. I think that Paris did love Juliet in his own way, though probably not as passionately as Romeo. So at some point Juliet became his soft spot, too; and he was truly devastated when she ‘died’, and truly grieved for her. There has always been only one thing Paris cherished the most and was prepared to die for, and that thing was his family. And in a way, in his own eyes, Juliet was his family... and he did die for her, after all. Ok, I didn’t mean to angst my way through this ask meme, but oops, it somehow happened. Sorry!  Now to answer your other question: I love both Patrik and Alexandre! But I haven’t seen Alexandre as Paris live so it’s a bit difficult to compare them, sadly. And my favourite Paris is from a performance of “Romeo and Juliet” by the Russian theatre FEST. Paris there is a very nice young man, and my headcanons are mostly based on that version. I think I described that performance in one of my posts here and dwelt upon the image of Paris there!

#ask meme #retj #musicals #paris #FEST #Anonymous

[freshprinceofverone]

For the “Things you did for me” ask meme : 18 Juliet/Benvolio and 15 Tybalt/Mercutio

This has taken so long I’m so sorry, but I’ve decided to write two prompts in one fic so…

I hope you enjoy world-building and long descriptive passages because I have written a lot of that. It’s also kind of a reflection about the notion of letting go(???)

Benvolio/Juliet: Held me while I cried & Tybalt/Mercutio: Trusted me enough to show vulnerability

Enjoy!

It was snowing in Verona. The summer fever that had taken hold of the city only a few months before had sweated itself out. Mercutio and Tybalt had both been severely injured during a duel. The next day, Juliet’s hand had been promised to Lord Paris, and she and her husband Romeo had tried to take their lives. The feud between the Montagues and the Capulets and the ensuing bloodshed had only ended when Friar Lawrence had spoken with Prince Escalus and they had exposed how both families’ selfishness and hatred had nearly cost them what they treasured most. Peace had been reached thanks to Friar Lawrence’s negotiating skills: Juliet and Romeo had accepted to reconsider their wedding as an engagement.

The summer passions had indeed dimmed as the weather had cooled and the weeks had passed. In their stead came strong, secure attachments – less romantic perhaps but also less deadly. Juliet had been introduced to Benvolio and Mercutio. They quickly became friends and even learnt to enjoy each other’s presence without Romeo. Juliet braided Mercutio’s hair, or tried to sit on both the boys’ laps at the same time and they laughed so much people in the streets stared at them.

At the start of the winter Juliet had invited Tybalt to join their friend group. All involved parties thought she took a risk, but perhaps they had used up all their hatred during the heatwave, or perhaps they understood the value of friendship better once they had nearly lost so much; in any case the five of them became firm friends.

As everyone became used to Romeo and Juliet’s engagement, it became less of a subject of conversation. At the same time, the two lovers themselves seemed to become more casual.

Benvolio in particular was grateful for the change. He had no reason to object to Juliet – far from it – but Romeo tended to be obnoxious about his love life. Besides, as time went by, Benvolio started to believe that she and Romeo were not as well-matched as they had once thought.

**

Romeo, Juliet and Benvolio were strolling in the snow-covered streets, holding hands. Juliet’s gloved fingers seemed tiny in Benvolio’s. The three of them had started holding hands ironically and the surprised looks it produced in strangers had persuaded them to do it regularly, Juliet always standing between the two cousins.

A few feet behind them walked Mercutio and Tybalt, arguing. It was so usual for them that the others hardly took notice. Only Romeo could sometimes be persuaded to listen.

“Hey Romeo!” called Mercutio. “Help me prove a point!”

Romeo rolled his eyes but let go of Juliet and fell back. Benvolio was left holding her hand, and suddenly the situation felt terribly awkward. When the three of them were together it felt right: they were young and cool and they did not care for strangers’ disapproving looks. If Romeo went away however Benvolio was left holding his cousin’s fiancée’s hand. So after a few steps he dropped her fingers, clearing his throat with a sound that could have been a very small “sorry.”

Juliet smiled but did not say anything, so they continued to walk in a comfortable silence only broken by the argument behind them that was continuing with Romeo. Silence was always comfortable with Juliet, it mostly meant that Romeo was not chattering away. Words were sometimes superfluous.

Behind them, the argument was centred on whether the weather was cold enough in Trento – about 100 kilometres north of Verona – for there to be penguins. Mercutio said that yes, Romeo argued that penguins lived in Antarctica and that if it was really cold in Trento maybe they had razorbills, and Tybalt mostly expostulated that the other two were stupid.

**

That night Tybalt was awoken by a noise outside his window. He quickly lit a candle and saw someone softly knocking on the glass pane. It was Mercutio.

Tybalt opened the window and Mercutio climbed clumsily through.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he whispered angrily. “This is literally the second floor.”

“Well I evidently climbed to – and then through – your window,” answered Mercutio a little too loud.

He was drunk, and his hair and coat were covered in snow. He sat on the carpeted floor.

“Listen,” he said, “I was with Romeo, and he’s in bed now…”

“And you-…?”

“Well I’m a bit drunk…”

“Oh are you?” said Tybalt sarcastically.

“Romeo was way drunken-er than me y’know.”

Tybalt huffed: “If that’s all leave now.”

“Oh, sorry…” said Mercutio standing up uneasily. “I just wanted to talk to you…”

Tybalt was cross. Once he was awake he would not go back to sleep before sunrise. He might as well spend his insomnia talking with a friend, or at least someone with whom he had common friends.

**

Soon they were both sitting on Tybalt’s bed – Mercutio had been given a glass of water and a change of clothes. Tybalt was impressed with his own civility.

“Romeo and Juliet aren’t engaged anymore,” finally said Mercutio.

Tybalt’s mind went blank. Mercutio nearly upset his water as he lied down on his back.

“She’s the one who called the shots,” he continued. “And… This is weird, am I sobering up if I want to confess stuff to you or am I even more drunker than I thought? … Anyway, it’s kinda like it was before: Romeo, Ben, and me, except… it’ll never be the same will it? You’re not going to like go away or anything…”

Thoughts were swirling in Tybalt’s head. He tried to cling to the idea that if Juliet was single he had his chance, but the thought kept being chased by new others.

“It’s never going to be the same yeah…” said Tybalt, still lost in thoughts.

“Cool.” Mercutio’s tone brought him back to reality and he shook his head.

Mercutio sat up, finished his glass of water and placed it on the floor.

“You know I tease you and stuff but… it’s easier to be detached and ironic than serious … and arguing is just a way to not address the changing nature of our relationship and feelings… Whoa I’m getting so deep I can hardly see the surface right now!”

Tybalt deemed that their conversation felt more like he was getting repeatedly slapped in the face by what Mercutio was saying.

“Anyway!” he concluded. “Sobering up now gotta go!” He sprung up, grabbed his clothes, and bounded to the window. “Thanks for the water, I’ll send the clothes back tomorrow… today, later… Soon! Byeee!”

Tybalt leapt after him but as he got to the window Mercutio was already touching the ground. The sky had become lighter. Tybalt still did not feel like sleeping.

**

It was early morning when Juliet paid a visit to Benvolio. He was having breakfast – Romeo had stayed out late and did not seem ready to face breakfast, let alone the ordeal of getting up.

“Hi!” said Juliet. “How’s Romeo?”

“Probably hungover, what’s up?”

Something was off.

“Can I talk to you?” she asked sitting down on Benvolio’s bench.

“Of course. What’s the matter?”

Juliet told in detail how she had plucked up the courage to talk to Romeo about their engagement, and how they had gone back on it. It did not feel right out of the context of that summer. They would presumably stay friends though. “But I feel horrible for inflicting all this pain on him for no reason? Because he’s sweet and he’s one of my best friends in the world and I just leave an engagement because I feel I don’t love him enough? How selfish is that!”

Benvolio shifted on the bench and opened his arms around Juliet, who squeezed him in hers. He closed his arms around her and they embraced each other for a long time, rocking gently to and fro. Juliet started shaking with repressed sobs, and Benvolio only hugged her more firmly. She cried, and still Benvolio held her in his arms, until her sobs subsided.

“Thanks,” she said as their embrace loosened.

“It’s ok. You’ll both work it out somehow some time.”

Juliet made a watery smile and said, “Also I kind of have a crush on someone but I want to take it slow this time, even if he did happen to like me too. Plus it would only make things worse for Romeo if he thought I’d left him for his own cousin…”

“… His what now?”

**

As spring came around the corner Mercutio and Tybalt were discovered to have been together since the end of January. (“You could’ve told us!” complained an offended Romeo while the others, remembering the summer’s events, rolled their eyes.)

Sometimes Benvolio and Juliet held hands but no one thought anything of it. They took their time, and summer was well underway when Benvolio asked her out. Romeo was not as hurt as they had feared he would be.

Sometimes we need to let go of the burden of our past selves in order to find the path to our happy endings to come.

#probably the resolution of the play wouldn’t work if no one had really died but can a man not dream? #can you renegociate a wedding? #probably not #do i look like i care #probably not either #half the time i spent on this fic was searching if the adige ever froze over #the answer is no #even considering r&j takes place at the beggining of what climate specialists call the little ice age #also the penguins #idk why i found it so funny but hey it's my fic #no one dies #everyone is happy #i hope you're proud of me #and of them #alcohol #alcohol tw #fresh prince writes #so yeah if you're still reading those tags id just like to say that i would die for ben/juliet #i've never heard of anyone shipping this but if you do (or are curious) hit me up #they deserve everything ok

[fallinfor-youreyes]

Cotton Candy Smile

For Unwrittenmusing’s Valentine’s in Verona Challenge! Ao3

Week 1: Firsts. I mashed up first dates and first kisses.

The second the fireworks ended, the carnival started to wind down. The lines for the rides shrunk, vendors sold their last pieces of delicacies, and Rosaline shivered as the wind decided to pick up.

Benvolio glances at her over their giant stick of cotton candy, and the next thing she knows, he tossing his thin jacket at her, before taking a giant bite out of his side of the sugar.

“Thanks,” Rosaline says, trying not to think about it to much as she shrugs the coat on, pushing the sleeves up enough so she can see her hands.

Juliet giggles a couple of feet ahead of them, Romeo twirling her along to the music streaming from the speakers placed all around the fair grounds. Benvolio makes an annoyed sound, probably his 30th of the night, and takes another bite of the cotton candy. Rosaline’s not sure if she’s ever seen someone eat fluffy pink sugar as angrily as Benvolio Montague.

Honestly, she isn’t entirely happy about their current situation either, but she does love the Carnival. It comes to Verona every year, and it’s full of happy memories with her parents and Livia and even on occasion a little Juliet, and her Aunt and Uncle smiling in the time Rosaline labeled ‘the before’.

Before the accident, before her aunt never did anything but scowl, before her uncle locked himself in his study, before her and Livia became burdens instead of nieces, before when life was easier.

The carnival is a happier place in her heart, and she’s not going to let a Montague ruin the night simply because he doesn’t want to play chaperone. That’s basically what they are tonight. Her uncle ruled that Juliet could only go out with a boy if Rosaline was going too, something he didn’t think would happen, but apparently, Benvolio would do anything for his cousin, much in the same way as Rosaline. Enough that he sacrificed his Friday night to come and scowl throughout the whole adventure.

Livia has escaped from the rather depressing chaperone party, having asked to go out with her friends before Juliet had the bright idea to go on a date with a Montague of all people.  

“Oh my god!” Juliet squeals, and grabs Romeo’s arm, dragging him back toward Rosaline and her grumpy partner in cotton candy treats. “The tunnel of love! We have time for one more ride, don’t we?” Juliet asks, her eyes pleading.

Benvolio checks his watch before glancing at Rosaline. Rosaline shrugs.

“C’mon Ben!” Romeo knocks his shoulder against his. “You know you love the tunnel of love.” His eyes  jump to Rosaline in Benvolio jacket and he winks.

Rosaline checks the time herself. “We still have a couple of hours until curfew.”

“Fine,” Benvolio says, taking himself and their cotton candy toward the closest bench.

“Woah! Hold on!” Romeo runs and jumps in front of Benvolio before he can sit. “It’s a four person ride.”

Rosaline can feel Benvolio’s glare from her spot next to Juliet. Juliet links their arms. “So, he gave you his jacket huh?”

Rosaline pushes her as Romeo tries to gab the cotton candy from Benvolio.

“We still have half a stick of cotton candy!” Benvolio says, jumping over the chair to get away from his cousin.

“You can finish it online!” Romeo jumps onto Benvolio’s back, and grabs a piece of the fluff for himself.  He took it from Benvolio’s side, Rosaline notes, pleased. “Rosaline, knock some sense into him!” Romeo says, trying to direct Benvolio back toward them.

Benvolio shakes his head, his eyes pleading. And, really, she doesn’t want to go through the ‘most romantic ride you’ll ever be on’ with Benvolio Montague of all people, but she also can’t pass on the opportunity to make him a little uncomfortable. He’s been closed off and grumpy throughout the entire night, so he deserves some sort of punishment for being a bit an asshole.

Rosaline shrugs. “I don’t mind going on.”

Benvolio groans, and finally pushes Romeo off. “Rom, you owe me two weeks worth of dishes now.”

Romeo plants a wet kiss on Benvolio’s cheek before skipping his way back to his girlfriend. Benvolio is much less enthusiastic as he makes his way back to Rosaline.

“I thought we were partners in this, Capulet.”

“This is payback for not coming on the roller coaster with me.”

“I told you I don’t trust carnival roller coasters.”

“Sucks to be you then, huh,” she teases.

Benvolio studies her for a minutes, and then his entire demeanor changes. “If ya wanted to get me to romance you so bad, Capulet, you should have mentioned it.” He slips into a smile and his arm drops over her shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“You asked for it.”

Juliet glances back at them, and an evil twinkle enters her eyes.

Rosaline wants to toss the empty cotton candy cone at her head.

They make it the front of the line, and Rosaline and Benvolio try to follow Romeo and Juliet to the enter line, but the worker stops them.

“Two people at a time, loves,” the worker says, way to much enthusiasm in her voice for the time it is.

“Of course it is.” Benvolio sighs, and shoots a glare at Romeo who blow him a kiss.

Rosaline watches as the actual couple disappears into the tunnel, and Benvolio’s arm around her shoulder goes slack.

“I hate them.” he says. There’s no venom in his voice though. He just sounds tired.

“No you don’t.” Rosaline glances up at him. “They just indulge in driving us crazy, and we love them too much to deny them.”

Benvolio studies her from his new vantage point and sighs. “Sorry if I’ve been a bit shitty all night. I just wasn’t prepared for Capulet’s.”

Rosaline snorts, and crosses her arms across her chest, the sleeves of his jacket covering her hands again. “I wasn’t expecting a partner at all, so image how I felt when I saw a Montague who wasn’t Romeo driving the car.”

“Fair.” He pulls her closer, and Rosaline is pretty sure it’s accidentally. “I promise next time, I’ll be more agreeable.”

“Next time?” Rosaline raises an eyebrow at him. “What makes you so sure there’s going to be a next time, Montague?”

His eyes go wide, and she’s pretty sure his ears turn pink, but it could be the light from the tunnel.

“No, I meant-” He scrubs his free hand down his face. “Mercutio will probably be up for babysitting duty-”

“Ben.” Rosaline squeezes the hand over her shoulder. “I was joking. We’re partners now.” She nudges him with her hip, knocking both of them a little off balance.

And really, she wouldn’t mind being stuck with him again the next Romeo and Juliet get enough courage to ask their parents to go out. He has stayed with her the whole time, has asked which side of the cotton candy she wanted, and he gave her his jacket the second after she shivered. The worst thing he had done was be grumpy, which was valid, considering he had given up his Friday night to baby sit his younger cousins date all because his cousins girlfriend had a slightly crazy dad.

“Yeah?” He asks.

“Yeah. I mean, I also already punished you for being shitty by forcing you on the ride so...”

The ride carts around the corner, and the super enthusiastic worker beckons them forward. “You guys are so cute! Enjoy the ride!”

Rosaline resists the urge to laugh out loud, as they slowly make their way into the intoxicatingly pink tunnel.

Xxx

They wander out the car as the carnival is officially closing, Romeo and Juliet whispering together, pausing before they reach the car.

“So...” Romeo spins on his heel and turns to face the two of them. “You know how Mercutio and Antonio took separate cars tonight and basically avoided all of the friends in an attempt to make this a  realistic date?”

Benvolio nods, narrowing his eyes at Romeo. “Yeah. What of it?”

“Well, they are taking the same car home.” Romeo pauses, for what Rosaline assumes dramatic affect. “And they need someone to drive it back.”

Juliet bites her lip, and turns to Rosaline. “And, we have over 2 hours until curfew.”

Rosaline sighs, and drops her head into her hands. “You guys want to take the car.”

They nod simultaneously.

“No.”Benvolio shakes his head, and starts moving toward their car. “I told you, if you made me come out with you tonight, that I was staying with you the whole time. Rosaline and I sacrificed our Friday nights so you two could go out, and-”

Juliet turns her eyes to Rosaline, and Rosaline sighs, again. For some reason, she can’t say no to Juliet when she gives her the puppy dog eyes.

“Wait,” she hooks her hand around Benvolio’s elbow, and he stops. “What if we let them?”

Benvolio turns to her, and the entire fight dies in his eyes. If Rosaline didn’t know better, she’s say he was fighting this for her.

“What?”

“We give then an hour and a half. You’d only be stuck with me for a few more hours.”

He cracks half a smile and then waves his hands at Romeo. “Fine. But you better be back in time for their curfew. And now you owe me three weeks of dishes.”

“Thanks man.” Romeo grabs Juliet’s hand, but before they can to the car, Rosaline stops her.

“Juliet. You better back at the house at least 20 minutes before curfew. You know we can’t be late, and that I can’t walk in without you.”

“I know, Ros.”

“Jules.” Rosaline pulls out the big sister voice, and Juliet runs over to her, wrapping her in a hug. “I’ll be home 25 minutes before curfew if it makes you happy.”

Rosaline scoffs at her and pushes her toward Romeo, watching them rush away and disappear into the parking lot.

Benvolio laughs, and rubs his hand down his face. “They owe you so much.”

“Oh I know. I have a secret stash of favors both her and Livia owe me.” Rosaline says.

Benvolio spins his keys around his finger before starting off toward the car. “How do you feel about milkshakes?”

“You can still think about sugar? After all that cotton candy?”

Benvolio shoots her a grin as he climbs into the car. “I know a place with great milkshakes and even better fries.”

“I am a sucker for fries.”

Benvolio throws the car into reverse and for the first time all night, Rosaline allows herself to have some real fun.

Xxx

“You’re lying.” Rosaline says, dipping her fry into his milkshake again.

“I am not. I’m telling you, Mercutio has gotten us into some really weird places.” Benvolio swats her hand away so he can dip his own fry into the shake.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so pleased getting caught sneaking into the Mayor’s office.”

“What can I say,” Benvolio shrugs. “I multifaceted, Capulet.”

She’s still in his jacket, but he hasn’t asked for it back yet, and she’s quite comfortable at the moment.

“So,” Benvolio swipes his shake for a sip before she can dip another fry. “What happens if you miss curfew?”

It should be an easy question, but Rosaline tenses, and Benvolio shakes his head. “You don’t have to answer that,” he says, sincerely, and it makes her feel all warm inside.

“No, it’s cool. My aunt and uncle are just a little intense.” Rosaline shrugs, trying to play it off. They’re more evil than intense, but that’s a lot to unload to anyone, especially a Montague. “Nothing would happen to Jules, except a stern talking to, but I probably wouldn’t be allowed out for two weeks. Extra chores.”

Benvolio’s jaw tightens, but Rosaline can’t figure out why. “I’m pretty sure all uncles in Verona are terrible.”

Rosaline studies him for a moment, before grabbing his shake back. “So, what did you give up tonight so we could follow the misfits around?”

She’s pretty sure his cheeks turn pink but he ducks his head before she can be sure. “Um,” He pauses, like he’s contemplating how much to tell her. “There’s this pottery class I go to.” His eyes snap up before she has a chance to process his words. “And I swear Capulet, no one knows, so you can’t tell anyone.”

“Scout’s honor.” Rosaline holds up her hands and Benvolio rolls his eyes. “Do you have pictures?”

He looks at her in that way that makes her think he’s starting to trust her when he digs his phone out of his pocket and passes it to her.

She assumed it would be small plates or bowls, but the pictures on his phone are giant vases, delicately painted and sculpted with intricate designs. “These are amazing!”

This time, his cheeks do turn pink, and there’s no way he can hide it. Benvolio shrugs. “I was thinking about going to art school, but my uncle already has my business school and classes picked out.”

He tries to brush it off, but Rosaline can hear the regret in his voice, the longing, the tinge of resentment. She recognizes it.

“Promise me you won’t stop.” Rosaline grabs his hand. “Keep taking classes, and see if you audit courses, just promise me you won’t let them win.”

Benvolio stares at their hands linked across the table and then his eyes meet hers, blue and beautiful enough to take her breath away.

“You can’t let them win either.”

She nods, and then he smiles, and Rosaline finds herself blushing because of a Montague.

Xxx

They’re parked halfway down the block, near the park at the edge of their street, when Juliet texts to say they are five minutes out.

Benvolio jumps out of the car and rushes around to get her door before Rosaline can type out a reply, and then he’s holding out a hand, and helping her jump down.

“Thank you, for tonight.” Benvolio says, his hand still in hers. “I was a dick. And you forgave me.”He scratches the back of his neck, before smiling at her. “And I had a lot of fun.”

Rosaline takes a step closer to him without really meaning to. “Thanks for giving up pottery to hang out with me.”

“Anytime,” he says, more of a whisper than anything, tugging her closer.

Rosaline bites her lip, and then -

Lights flash behind them, and Juliet is rushing out of the car, Romeo close on her heels.

Rosaline drops his hand as Juliet collides into her. “Fifteen minutes until curfew!” Her cheeks are flushes and her hair is a mess, and Romeo looks positively love struck, and Rosaline can’t help but laugh at them.

“Good job.” Rosaline attempts to make her cousins hair the semblance on normal, when Juliet grabs her hand.

“Can we say good night one last time?” she whispers, and Rosaline has given in to so much tonight, but they have a few extra minutes, and she’s in a good mood.

A really good mood.

“Fine. I’ll meet you at the end of the driveway, do not make me have to drag you away.”

Juliet squeals, and then collides into Romeo, pushing him back toward his car for one more kiss.

Rosaline smiles after them, before turning to Benvolio, her stomach flip flopping in some dumb way. He’s resting against his car, his eyes trained upon her in a way that makes her cheeks heat up

“Well, good night then Montague,” she says, saluting him before turning toward the house.

“Capulet.”

She can hear his footsteps, and her step falters for a second. His hand slips around her elbow and then she’s spun into his chest.

“I think you’re wearing my jacket.”

“Oh.” Rosaline glances down at her arms, to see that his jacket is still very much on her person. “I am.”  

He swallows hard, and his hand slides from her elbow until it’s cupping her cheek. “I would let you keep it, but I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Then you would have no one to share cotton candy with.”

“Exactly.”

She leans into his hand, and then the next thing she knows, his lips are on hers, and she’s gripping the front of his shirt so she can pull him closer to her.

It’s good, as far as first kisses go. Better then good.

He’s smiling against her lips, and then his hand slides around her waist, and he tastes like chocolate milkshakes and too much carnival sugar, but she doesn’t pull away until she’s about to go light headed.

He tucks a curl behind her ear, and presses another kiss to her forehead. “We have an audience.”

Rosaline hides her head in his chest, before she slips off his jacket and pushes it into his hands.

“Until next time Montague.” She says, spinning on her heel and grabbing Juliet by the arm.

“Looking forward to it, Capulet.”

Juliet’s nails dig into her arm, but Rosaline keeps marching them toward the door.

She doesn’t turn around until they make it the driveway, finding both Montague boys watching them walk away.

She still feels a little breathless. Juliet is still almost buzzing with questions.

Rosaline waves and then pulls Juliet the rest of the way to the door.

Maybe, just maybe, being forced to play babysitter for Juliet and Romeo wasn’t the worst thing to happen to her Friday night.

#Valentine's in Verona #rosvolio #still star crossed #still star crossed fic #ssc #ssc fic #benvolio montague #rosaline capulet #my fics #a monster and a half this fic is #pls let me know if the spacing gets messed up

[cto10121]

Prince of Shadows (2014): Part 3

In which the Mercutio/OC drama becomes a tad contrived, Romeo becomes even more OOC, and Benvolio/Rosaline is much better than R&J’s, we swear!!!! Spoilers of course

This is genuinely sad and dramatic, and for once Benvolio is not a dick, so I’m not going to point out that lords with mistresses and/or male lovers were extremely common in these times so Mercutio keeping Tomasso would have been perfectly possible. Marriages are for alliance, after all, not love, and nobody dared touch the lords. Some wives even knew and probably preferred it that way. But I’m not going to do that. Nope.

So nice to see Mercutio being so considerate, so I’m not going to say that giving up a serious five-year relationship in Tomasso for the sake of a girl he doesn’t know must be the most un-Mercutio thing I can think of.

This is horrific, so this is certainly not the time to point out that most likely he would have been burned, historically speaking.

Okay, this is hilarious. Also, Mercutio’s “I do not look for a fight, I let a fight have a chance to look at me” is something Mercutio would definitely say.

It’s Vitruvio, and so far I’m not liking this unholy mélange of AU and canon.

And of course Romeo is the one to decide to go even though it was Benvolio’s idea in canon. But at least this Romeo acknowledges the possibility of his love fading.

So now grandma Montague, who is a bit of a villain here, has goaded Romeo to seduce Rosaline out of revenge.

Sure, we only nodded while my cousin and Juliet were calling each other sun, saint, angel, god of idolatry, and fucking falcons, but it was so much better, I swear!!!

From saint to sun to nyas to flower, eh? Shakespeare!Romeo would be slapping this one silly and asking him who the fuck is Paris.

Aaaaaand this is your daily reminder that Romeo is literally the least violent when he is with Juliet than at any moment. He only killed Tybalt out of revenge for Mercutio and killed Paris only because he was about to take him to the Prince. There is going to be some contrived explanation to this, isn’t there? [Edit: Yep. Apparently R&J’s love is the result of Mercutio’s curse after losing Tomasso. Kill this with fire.]

[fandomsandfeminism]

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe was an Elizabethan playwright, friend of William Shakespeare, and a gay atheist spy. Let's talk about that. 

(video does have closed captions) 

Full text transcript below the cut

Hello everyone! Let’s talk about Christopher Marlowe being super gay.

For those of you who don’t know: Christopher “Kit” Marlowe was an Elizabethan poet and playwright, and contemporary, rival, possibly collaborator and friend of William Shakespeare. He was born the same year as Shakespeare, in fact, but only lived to be 29, when he was stabbed to death.

He was a huge influence on Shakespeare, inspiring him to use Blank Verse in his plays. and Some people have even suspected Marlowe of writing, or at least co-writing, some of Shakespeare’s early plays. Marlowe and Shakespeare were close enough that many scholars think  Mercutio, in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is based off Marlowe as a sort of tribute to the man after he died. If you like Shakespeare’s work, I highly recommend Marlowe. His most well known works are Doctor Faustus, which my personal favorite, Edward the Second, and The Jew of Malta.

He was also a spy for the crown, probably, and was accused of being an atheist and super gay.

Caveat:  a few months ago, I made a video about Shakespeare being pretty damn bisexual. I said this then, but it bears repeating now: discussing the sexual orientation of historical figures can be tricky. Modern terms and understandings of sexuality and sexual orientation are modern. The way we view and contextualize sexuality is very dependant on our place in history. If you were to ask Marlowe if he was gay, he wouldn’t have really known what you meant by that.

Also, People in our culture tend to view Heterosexuality as the default, that in the absence of evidence, people are assumed straight. We are going to try to work against this. What evidence is there for Marlowe’s sexuality at all, straight or otherwise, and why might that lead us to believe that he is, well, decidedly not straight.

So, let’s talk about Kit Marlowe and how he was, maybe, probably, a gay atheist spy as well as one of England’s greatest playwrights.

Born in Canterbury in 1564, he went to Corpus Christi University in Cambridge as a young man. During this time he has several long absences from school, and spent way more money on food than his scholarship funds would have allowed. He almost didn’t graduate because of all his absences in fact, but was given his degree after the Privy Council sent the University a letter saying that he had been engaged in unspecified "affaires" on "matters touching the benefit of his country". This letter, combined with his unexplained source of income, has led many to think he was...well, a crown spy. Which is pretty great.

After college, Marlowe seems to have dedicated himself fulltime to his writing. In 1593 though, Marlowe was accused of heresy and atheism. He was never put on trial as he was stabbed to death 10 days later. Why he was stabbed is a point of debate.  It might have just been a fight over a bar tab, but other far more sensationalist explanations have been suggested over the years, including that he was murdered to cover up some spy secrets or to keep him from naming others in the government as atheists.

Marlowe never married. He never had children. As far as we can tell, he never had any serious relationships with any women. Part of that might just be that he was a very busy man, writing all those plays and being an...atheist spy for the government.

However, we have...some pretty good reasons to think Marlowe was gay and it's a pretty well accepted theory in some scholarly circles. We’re going to look at two broad sources: Marlowe’s writings and things his contemporaries, especially Richard Baines, said about him.

Now. It’s important to not ascribe too much biographical reading to fictional works. Straight men CAN write about gay themes of course, though...I would argue that it really isn’t that common. And Marlowe wrote about gay themes….like...a lot. Far more explicitly than Shakespeare ever did.

In Hero and Leander, Marlowe writes of the male youth Leander, "in his looks were all that men desire" and that when Leander is swimming, the sea god Neptune becomes really...turned on, and interested in him "imagining that Ganymede, displeas'd, had left the Heavens ... the lusty god embrac'd him, call'd him love ... He watched his arms and, as they opened wide at every stroke, betwixt them would he slide and steal a kiss, ... And dive into the water, and there pry upon his breast, his thighs, and every limb, ... and talk of love",

Edward the Second, a play that explores the homosexual relationship between Edward and Piers Gaveston, and Edward’s reign as king, and eventual fall as a monarch, is a very sympathetic view of the historical figure and contains the following passage supporting homosexual relationships:

The mightiest kings have had their minions; Great Alexander loved Hephaestion, The conquering Hercules for Hylas wept; And for Patroclus, stern Achilles drooped. And not kings only, but the wisest men: The Roman Tully loved Octavius, Grave Socrates, wild Alcibiades.

Marlowe’s play “Dido, Queen of Carthage” begins with a scene of the God Jupiter fawning over Ganymede. There’s...a lot of good quotes from this scene, since it’s basically just a lot of flirting before Venus shows up and  There’s lots of “Come gentle Ganimed and play with me, I love thee well, say Juno what she will.” and “thou wilt be my love.”

So, Marlowe was definitely not shy about showing and talking about gay love in his plays. Which again, isn’t 100% proof he himself was gay, but...I would argue strongly hints towards the possibility.

Now, Our second set of evidence about Marlowe comes from the accusations against him in 1593. grains of salt since this came out when Marlowe was accused of heresy, and so there are shades of possible libel and exaggeration going on. But, like, it was not common to accuse your enemies of being gay at the time, so this kind of stands out.

Now, The quote you’ll see most often is that   Richard Baines reported Marlowe as saying: "All they that love not Tobacco and Boys are fools" Which...is a great quote. We have no idea if Marlowe ever really said this, but I kinda like to imagine him and Shakespeare laying around in some flat in London, smoking tobacco pipes and talking about cute boys. Maybe co-writing the Henry VI plays? Flirting and arguing about how to word Richard’s soliloquies? Yeah I’d pay good money for that movie. Hollywood, are we taking notes? Excellent

Baines also claimed that Marlowe told him that St John ‘was bedfellow to Christ’ which….again, I don’t know if Marlowe ever really said Jesus was...having lots of sex with St. John….but it makes me laugh to imagine it.

Much like Shakespeare, and like a lot of possibly LGBT+ figures in history, we’ll probably never know for sure. But Marlowe has become a gay icon of the theater of sorts, accepted as such by scholars and historians and actors alike for the most part. So I’ll leave you with this, a lovely quote about Kit Marlowe from the great Ian McKellen himself:

“When Marlowe met his own violent death, his glittering reputation was overtaken by law-abiding Shakespeare.  Had Will liked Kit Marlowe so much, that he recreated him as the roistering, iconoclastic Mercutio, who so resents Romeo's love affairs with women?” I don’t know Ian, but it’s a pretty good story.

#christopher marlowe #william shakespeare #shakeslowe #lgbt #feminism

[starry-kfics]

when in verona [1.0] [minhyuk]

day 3 of mel’s aroha sweet sixteen! enjoy part one of some minhyuk hs au!

(1.0) (2.0) (3.0)

word count: 1994

warnings: none

“I said I love you.”

♡

"Play auditions are next Thursday!" Your friend Woosoo squealed, pointing to the flyer pinned up in the hallways at your school.

"Okay?" You said, not particularly interested in participating.

"You said you would do it with me this year!"

"When did I say that?"

"April 27th, at 2:48 am."

"Oh jeez, Woosoo."

And so you ended up in the drama room the next week, nervously flipping through the script again. You only had to do one scene, but you didn't want to. You didn't want to be in drama club. And yet, Woosoo had managed to convince you anyway. And you especially didn't want to do Romeo and Juliet, one of the dumbest and most overused plays in existence. In your opinion, at least.

"Next up, Y/L/N Y/N and Park Minhyuk." The drama teacher read your names off the list, and you took a deep breath before walking up to the stage.

The boy you had been paired up with was someone you had seen in a couple of your classes, but you didn't know him very well. He was well built, with messy brown hair that he brushed out of his eyes as he looked up from his feet to you. Your breath hitched in your throat for a moment as his eyes connected with yours, and you were thankful that he had the first line in this scene, you would've barely been able to stutter out a single word.

Thankfully, you had gained your bearings as you focused yourself in on the scene, on the emotions Juliet was having. No matter how misplaced and just wrong they were. Like, seriously, she supposedly falls in love with this dude that's sixteen while she's not yet fourteen. It was just gross, dumb teenage infatuation to you. Not love.

After your scene, you were somewhat surprised to see how much Minhyuk really got into it. You sort of knew that he was into the arts, after all, you'd been in classes with him before. But you didn't know he was so passionate about drama. His voice was strong and clear, deep and resonating in your ears as he spoke his lines.You gave Minhyuk a polite nod before sitting back in your chair, next to Woosoo. Just as you sat down, she was called up to audition as the Nurse, along with another boy, Kim Myungjun, who was auditioning for the role of Mercutio. From what you knew about Kim Myungjun, you could see him fitting the role perfectly, especially with how he preformed. They preformed well together, and you couldn't help but clap for them afterwards.

The next week, Woosoo was excitedly pulling you to the doors of the drama room before first period. The drama teacher was just taping the roles to the door, and kids were already crowding to look at it. Woosoo pushed her way through to look at it, and ran excitedly back to where you were hanging at the edge of the crowd.

"We both got the parts we auditioned for!" She exclaimed, and you couldn't hide your disappointment, which she easily picked up on. "You really don't want to do this, do you?"

"I just, don't really understand the point of this play." You sighed, explaining your feelings to your friend as you walked away from the drama room. "The whole concept of love at first sight is ridiculous, suicide is being glorified as the only option, and not to mention that Juliet is only thirteen while Romeo is sixteen or seventeen years old. It's gross when you think about it."

"Then don't think about it as trying to show us what's ideal. Think of it more as a cautionary tale, warning us against passing lust and youthful stupidity." Woosoo suggested, stopping at her locker to start twisting at the lock. "Or even a comedy, making fun of people who believe so heavily in love at first sight."

"The idea is pretty dumb." You smiled, a small laugh coming from your lips. "Alright, I think I can do this."

"Excuse me," A voice requested from behind you, and you turned around to see Park Minhyuk, politely clutching his book in his hand. "You're in front of my locker."

"Oh, sorry!" You apologized, stepping away to the other side of Woosoo.

She was just closing her own locker, having gotten the books she needed, turning to you with a bright smile. "Ready to go?"

"Yep." You gave Minhyuk a small wave as you left, saying, "See you later, Minhyuk."

The first practice was after school that day, and Woosoo found you outside of your last period, insisting on walking with you to practice. When you both sat down, you found that you were one of the first people there, not even the teacher was out yet. People slowly started trickling in as you pulled your script out of your bag to review and start memorizing.

"You're so lucky, Minhyuk! I wish I was Romeo!" The familiar loud, and exasperated voice of Myungjun came from the doorway, and you saw him and few other boys walking in together.

"Why?" Minhyuk questioned, and you watched them out of the corner of your eye. "You tried out for Mercutio, isn't that the role you wanted?"

"Well yeah, but Romeo has all the romantic lines, and doesn't die halfway through. Romeo's story with Juliet is so entrancing and has so much meaning about how hatred can twist and ruin love, but eventually love conquers it."

Next to you, Woosoo let out a snort at the older boy's words, obviously disagreeing. "Bull." She gave him a side-eye, which he seemed to notice as he changed directions.

"Woosoo, now he's walking over here!" You hissed, not wanting your belligerent friend to get into a fight on the first day of practice.

Myungjun gave you both a lopsided grin before taking the seat directly behind you, his friends doing the same, but much more hesitantly. "Say something, Woosoo?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Myungjun." She rolled her eyes again, and you were surprised to see that they were familiar with each other. Not friendly, obviously, but familiar.

"I'm Kim Myungjun, by the way." He introduced himself to you.

"Y/L/N Y/N." You replied, and he then gestured to his friends in turn, most you already knew the names of.

"Lee Dongmin, with the role of Benvolio."

Dongmin nodded to you, offering a hello.

"Moon Bin, with the role of Paris."

"Ah, Paris the Perv." Woosoo commented, and you turned to her, not able to contain your giggle. She was right.

Myungjun continued on, not appreciating you finding it funny, "Yoon Sanha, with the role of Balthasar."

The tall, lanky boy was one you didn't recognize, he must be new at your school, a freshman probably. "Hello." He nodded politely as well.

"Park Jinwoo, as the King of Cats, Tybalt."

"Hey, Y/N." The boy gave you a friendly smile, you shared a lab table in Chemistry, along with a few other people.

"Hey Jinwoo."

"And you probably know Park Minhyuk, seeing as he's the literal Romeo to your Juliet."

Minhyuk apparently didn't like his friend's phrasing, groaning under his breath, "MJ, please."

"Anyway, now that we're acquainted, I'd like to get your opinion on something, Y/N." Myungjun spoke candidly, and you raised an eyebrow.

"On what, exactly?"

"Why you think Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet."

"He based it off a poem, right?"

"Yeah, but I mean, do you think it's a tragic love story, or a cautionary tale?"

Woosoo looked to you, not seeming very interested, as she already knew the answer from your discussion this morning.

"Ah, well I personally think it's more of a comedy, you know, to make fun of the people that actually believe in the notion of love at first sight." You admitted, observing Minhyuk out of your peripheral, he seemed intrigued by your answer. "It's definitely not a love story, in my opinion."

"I agree." Dongmin spoke up, and Myungjun turned to him with the clearest look of betrayal.

"Ha!" Woosoo exclaimed triumphantly.

"Bin, what do you think?" He inquired to his friend, who seemed somewhat ashamed as he answered."I think it's a really sweet love story."

"Seriously, Bin?" Jinwoo suddenly spoke up as well. "It's not love, it's just lust and infatuation."

"Exactly!" Woosoo was elated that others agreed with her, but Sanha spoke up for his older friends, agreeing that it was a tragic love story.

Soon, the whole group was turned into a squabbling mess, but you still didn't know Minhyuk's opinion on it. Glancing at him for a moment, you tried to gauge which side he was on.

"What do you think, Minhyuk?" Myungjun suddenly put the boy on the spot, and he looked up to find everyone's eyes on him.

"I'm not... I don't know." He seemed unsure as he spoke, and his friends all started trying to convince them of their own side, the clamor soon growing to indistinguishable yells.

"Hey! Stop it!" The drama teacher had suddenly entered the room, successfully shutting everyone up. "Come on, we're doing our first read-through today."

It wasn't long after that practice that you realized the drama club was divided. Those who thought it was a tragic romance rallied behind Myungjun, while those who thought it to be a cautionary story rallied behind Woosoo. You didn't quite agree with Woosoo, but you definitely didn't agree with Myungjun, so you found yourself with Woosoo's unofficial faction. Minhyuk had assimilated himself into Myungjun's, making it a fairly even split.

At practice you noticed they sat on opposite sides of the room, never really talking until they had to practice their lines. You tried to stay out of the occasional bickering, until it started finding it's way into your classes and the hallways.

One day you were walking with Dongmin, who had suddenly became your best friend since the 'Great Divide', as you had taken to calling it, happened. He was walking you to your third period, and suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence, glaring at something down the hall. You got on your tiptoes to peer around, finally seeing that Bin was at the end of the hall with Sanha.

"Here, let's go this way, Y/N." Dongmin insisted, tugging on your arm, and you followed him with a shrug. "Mind if we stop at my locker?

"You checked the time, "Ah, my class is still pretty far away, and we're getting our project partners today, so I don't want to be late."

"I understand. See you at practice, Y/N." Dongmin gave you a small smile as you took off down the hall.

You were almost to your class when you saw Woosoo at a locker that wasn't hers, squabbling with the apparent owner of it, Myungjun. You could their voices from down the hall, and ducked into class. In your opinion, this whole situation was starting to get ridiculous.

Once inside the room, you began looking for your project partner, he usually got here before you. What you had told Dongmin was somewhat true, you did have a project in your Language class, but you had already selected your partners. And you'd chosen Minhyuk.

Would your friends be all that upset about it? Probably not, but you still felt somewhat guilty, like you were betraying them in some way. Woosoo especially hated Myungjun's group, which Minhyuk was a part of.

"Hey, Y/N." Minhyuk smiled up at you brightly as you sat next to him.

"Hey, Min." You tried to ignore the twisted feeling in your stomach when he smiled at you like that. "Ready to keep working?"

"Ah, my favorite thing, researching the basic syntax of some random foreign language that I'm not even interested in learning."

At the end of the period, you and Minhyuk had been laughing and talking too much to actually get very much work done. You were disappointed, at this rate you wouldn't get it done in time.

"Want to come to my house after practice and keep working tonight?" Minhyuk offered as the bell rang, and you quickly stuffed your binder in your bookbag. "I can drive you home, and I'm sure my mom would love to make you dinner."

"Sure, I'll text my parents and let them know." You replied, and he gave you one last heart-stopping smile before going to opposite way of you.

[okay so the actual 5 word drabble request will be in the next (and probably last) part. hope y’all enjoyed!]

#drabbles: rocky #rocky #minhyuk #park minhyuk #astro #astro imagines #astro imagine #astro scenario #author: mel #rocky imagines #rocky scenarios #fluff #add #mp: wiv