songerein | { lindwormeo and juliet }

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{ lindwormeo and juliet }

LINDWORMEO & JULIET

It is the third dreamshift, and when everyone rouses and becomes aware of their situation, they find themselves dressed in Verona, a gothic city where night reigns everlasting and violence lurks around every corner. Not because of crime, but because of the two main families, the Montagues and the Capulets, everlasting feud. Fights break out almost every other minute and peace is hard sought after. However, peace is perhaps on the table, for the Capulets are hosting a grand masquerade in a gesture of truce. But it's difficult when one of Montague's sons is cursed as a Lindworm, one of the key reasons why there is a feud to begin with.

"But that's not really all that important," a voice echoes around them. It's a voice different from the tapirs that they've grown accustomed to, and after another moment it chimes in again. "Up here my fair little dreamwalkers."

And lo, high above in the permanent night sky is a moon so full and bright that it almost feels as if it could swallow them whole. After learning about the Story Eater's actions against Songerein's moon, the appearance of a face would certainly alarm many. But then the face seems to recede before it changes into a full person holding a quill and manuscript.

"Greetings! I am William Shakespeare and you are now within my own dream, a dreamscape I believe you call it. My works can be found in many places and in many worlds. Yet that accursed Story Eater has been devouring my masterpieces! I must now pen them all over again, but one of its minions is invading my mind and altering everything and I refuse to become a brainless puppet like Marlowe. I have isolated it within this place of my own design based off of Romeo and Juliet. However it seems after my reading of the Lindworm King, my visions have been affected a bit, but no matter. A playwright must find inspiration where he can!

But it is now up to you to see this play through completion. Doing so will help those outside draw out the fiend through the accumulated dreamotion energy, and if you could give it a few stabs that will help as well. Not all of you need to partake in my play, and I have already chosen my leading actors and actresses. You should find a brief copy of the script on your person, but you may act however you wish. However, I should warn you—this is a tragedy, so deaths are expected. But fear not, you will leave this dreamscape perhaps a bit tired, but unharmed. It's all a dream after all.

Now that should cover it. I look forward to seeing how everyone's tragic romances will play out. It may give me material for my next masterpiece!"

And just as suddenly as he had appeared, Shakespeare disappears from the moon, leaving it to loom brightly over the otherwise dark city.

I. GENERAL PROMPTS

Reminder that those cast as Romeo and Juliet can participate in most of these prompts, but the timing would be set early on before they move onto their designated scenes.

A. Family Feud. Everyone in Verona is randomly split in allegiance between the Montagues and the Capulets, and whenever they meet there is some kind of tension. It could be violent, hostile, passive, petty, or even attraction. Surely Romeo and Juliet aren't the only ones who can love across the aisle. If not pit against each other to fight or exchange snide comments, opposing parties can also work together to deal with Erasers posing as creepy looking family members/soldiers/knights/etc.

» BONUS: TO ARMS. A city-wide family feud makes for good business if you’re in the weapons-and-armor trade. Gather materials to help smithies in creating armor and weapons.

B. Masquerade. Almost as if it's the opening act, everyone, both Montagues and Capulets are to attend a masquerade held within the Capulet's ballroom. It's a momentary "truce," and though tension between the families is still rampant, everyone is welcome to wear the finest clothing they can imagine and to partake in the festivities. The masquerade itself is in the ballroom, but there are also gardens and large terraces that guests can go to if they want some fresh air.

» BONUS: PREPARATIONS. Any good party requires a lot of preparation, and all of Verona is abuzz with activity leading up to the big night. Tailors need help getting fabric, jewels, and other baubles to create the finest dresses. Caterers need quality ingredients for the food that will be prepared and served. Someone needs to step up and be the band for the night. There are plenty of ways in which Dreamwalkers can help make the masquerade a success!

C. EXTRA SCENES. There are a few specific "scenes" featuring key characters from the original play. Whether taken voluntarily or "beckoned" by Shakespeare, those who participate will have a little "essence" of the original character. No full personality change, but they might feel certain impulses or find it easier to slip into the role. Note: anyone can fill in the roles of "Romeo" and "Juliet" for the Paris scenes; it is not exclusive to those who signed up for Romeo and Juliet.

PARIS V. JULIET. Paris meets and dances with Juliet, taking a fancy with her. With his arrogance believing he can win over the Capulet princess, throughout the night he attempts to woo Juliet, either in the ballroom or the gardens just outside. Juliet must not be swayed! (Or maybe a little swayed, but try not go totally off-book here). Juliet can shut down Paris however they want. (This scene happens during or immediately after the "Masquerade", but before the Balcony scene.)
PARIS V. ROMEO. Paris bullies his younger brother about the Lindworm curse on a near-constant basis. And to add insult to injury, after meeting Juliet he’s decided that he wants Juliet for himself. Obviously, Romeo is not about to let his stupid mean brother steal the love of his life! They’re going to have to fight this one out, either with words or via fisticuffs. (This scene happens during or immediately after the "Masquerade" but before the "Balcony" scene.)
BENVOLIO'S ATTEMPTS. Benvolio is trying to find a cure for Romeo's curse, and after some research in the library he finds something! Good cousin that he is, he puts the theory to the test immediately. Unfortunately, his attempt backfires and he gets turned into a lindworm (fully or partially) instead. The poor guy is now out of sorts, and he needs protection so that someone doesn't mistake him for some monster and kill him. At least the transformation is only temporary.
TYBALT V. MERCUTIO. The infamous duel. Considering how much their families hate each other, the inciting incident can be just about anything. The original story has Tybalt goading Mercutio into a duel by calling Romeo a villain, Tybalt killing Mercutio, and Romeo killing Tybalt. But no one’s enforcing the particulars very closely here, so players are free to proceed with the fight any way they please. (If this fight does end in one or more deaths, please refer to the event details on how death works within the dreamscape.)

D. Love is a Battlefield. As if there wasn’t enough drama to deal with, a large, winged noctaere can be found throughout the dreamscape firing arrows at the residents, turning them into Erasers. It can summon smaller winged noctaere to fight for it, and if a dreamwalker gets hit by the arrows, they will slowly turn into a lindworm that is full of hate. It's difficult to combat the boss itself, but it can be weakened by defeating its minions and those hit by its arrows. Love of any form will be a powerful counter that will hit the boss as well.

» BONUS: ROSE COLLECTION. In the forests are white and red roses that are hidden under logs and stones. They will sparkle a bit to make them look different than other flowers. They must be collected before the Erasers can get to them. A white rose fed to a lindworm will return them back to normal. Eating a red rose will allow characters to turn into a pink, heart covered lindworm for ten minutes to fly up and try to combat against the winged noctaere or the Erasers.

II. ROMEO AND JULIET'S OBJECTIVES

The following objectives are locked to those who signed up for Romeo and Juliet. Please refer to the notes for all the stipulations and effects characters will experience as the tragic couple. Final reminder that the characters will be aware of the tragic ending as well as reassurance that they will awaken unharmed at the end of their final scene.

Click for objectives.

A. Love at First Sight. Time to get your party-crashing pants on, Romeo, because there is a masquerade that you are not invited to but are attending anyway. Who doesn’t love a good party? If you wear a mask, no one will know it’s you! Here Romeo and Juliet have the opportunity to meet and flirt and make goo-goo eyes at each other. And if they really want to get into the spirit of things, they can go into a laborious metaphor about how holding hands is super hot but kissing is way hotter. (Yes, really.) At this point Romeo's curse is only a partial transformation, something along the lines of scales down one side of his body.

B. Balcony Scene. The time for light flirting is over–this is where Romeo and Juliet get to declare their undying love for each other. Romeo really needs to work it as his brother, Paris, has also made moves on Juliet. There’s some strangeness in the dreamscape at this point that seems to have mistaken Shakespeare for musical theater, so the loving couple must sing their love for one another. With that spirit in mind, the moment should be suitably big and dramatic! Immediately after this scene is when Romeo and Juliet get married, so there’s no reason not to put it all out there. Shakespeare will lend a "helping hand" in giving them knowledge of the lyrics to sing, though they are free to create their own song and freestyle it. (Players can use existing songs or make it up as they go.)

C. Elope. Being the very mature and intelligent lovers that they are, Romeo and Juliet decide to get married after knowing each other for a whole day. Time to get to the chapel, meet with the Friar, and exchange vows. Shakespear will lend a helping hand by providing wedding attire fitting for those who are cast in their role. That's right, every Juliet will have their own special bridal dress, isn't he so considerate? And then it’s time to do whatever it is that newlyweds do, if that's what they are into. Otherwise, Romeo and Juliet will need to return home to prepare for their future.

D. Runaways. Juliet learns that she is being forced to marry Romeo's brother, Paris, which is a problem because she’s already married and also she doesn’t like that other guy anyway. In a major divergence from the source material, Romeo and Juliet decide to make a run for it instead of that whole poisoning-yourself business. It’s just a better idea all around. The goal is to get out of town undetected, which means that this is a stealth mission. Romeo and Juliet must follow a path and avoid getting caught. Whatever it takes to get past the guards and would-be snitches that would turn you in!

E. Find the Cure. Even after making it out so far, fate is against them. At this point Romeo's curse is advancing, so they need to look for the cure. Just outside of town they encounter a very trustworthy set of three witches who provide a list of items for them to retrieve and mix into a potion: rainbow mushroom, feather of a dove, three snails, and lavender. No one said this was going to taste good. However, while it will work temporarily, only Juliet is told that the final ingredient must be the blood of his lover. It's a cryptic message, however they do not specify how the blood is taken. Do they mean just a few drops? Or her life?

F. Tragic Ending. Upon learning of the young couple's running away, the Capulets have declared war with knights out hunting to kill Romeo and bring back Juliet. They are soon found and no matter what they do, death will await them. But how? Players can direct this however they want. Did the soldiers catch them? Did they decide that the whole double-suicide poison thing was a good idea after all? Does one tragically sacrifice themself to save the other? Does Romeo go full Lindworm and eat Juliet? The possibilities are endless. At this point Romeo is capable of turning into a full lindworm if he's taken the cure without Juliet's blood. If he drinks the cure with Juliet's blood, then he will revert to a normal human (teenager) with no extra powers.

[Mod Note: Details on this event can be found here and we request all thread submissions to be made here.]

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[He's by her now, and he can hear her voice and the emotion behind the words so clearly. Yet how much better would it be if it weren't Romeo's name but his own?]

Just call me your love, and I will answer.

[The lines...end up being altered, moreso to suit his needs than the play. But his voice, though low, rings clear from the far end of the balcony, his figure hidden within the shadow before he finally steps out.]

[When she hears his voice from beside her, Tifa loses all sense of the character, dropping it to the ground carelessly when he steps into the light, the moon illuminating both the flush and relief on her own face as she rushes across the balcony to him. She should have stopped herself from crashing into him—so as not to spoil the mood of the scene or something—but she doesn't bother. Shakespeare be damned, she's glad to see him...

Her body lands against his sturdiness, hands catching around his shoulders, his words drawing more saturation to the colour in her cheeks that she has no choice but to avert her gaze.

Still, vines of flowers begin to crawl up around the railings of the balcony, twisting around and across from where the two of them stand together, stopping only when she gently thumps a hand to his chest.]

How did you get up here?

[That hand curls beneath his collar.]

If they find you...

Edited 2022-02-16 04:07 (UTC)

[His arms automatically open to receive her, wrapping around her as he pulls her in. Only once he feels her warmth, her breath, her scent does he relax, a long exhale as he holds her close. Again this thunderous feeling in his chest that echoes in his mind, again wondering if it's his own or Romeo's. But it doesn't matter—even if the degree is exaggerated, it's no lie that he feels relief in holding her.

And as if the words flow out of him to follow the role, he whispers softly into her ear:]

No walls can keep love out. Whatever a man in love can possibly do, his love will make him try to do it.

[In many ways he does feel a little...awkward using the word "love," but it just comes out so naturally as if the words are his own rather than Romeo's. And similarly, the way he pulls back slightly so that he can look down at her, palm pressing against her cheek as he gazes deeply into her eyes, the sorrow and trepidation contrasted against the flush of her cheeks.]

One look of sorrow from you would pierce me worse than twenty of your family's swords. [He tilts her chin up slightly as he lowers his face, lips lightly brushing against hers.] Just give me your smile...and I'll be invincible against them.

[Again, the lines are somehow muddled, matching more of his sentiments than the original script. Yet it's uncanny how it can still work.]

[It feels just as strange for her to hear it as it does for him to say it. Each time it rings in her ears, she can feel her heart try to break free from the confines of her chest, and once again she wonders, her mind racing a million thoughts a second—is this Eustace, or Romeo speaking them? How much of this is genuine, and how much is the script influencing him? Them? This hold she has on him now that she only lets go when she feels his lips brush over hers... Is this her own desperation turning her knuckles white?

In spite of the questions she's asking herself, she feels obliged to answer in kind.]

I'd give anything to keep you from them...

[But it's hard for her to smile as her hands trail over his shoulders and down his arms, her gaze following to examine the fabric and how it's frayed and tattered in some places, parts of it stained darker with the blood that's started to dry underneath, and her brows knit together. Her fingers trace a delicate line over one of the thin cuts on his bicep, carefully so as not to hurt him, and her eyes flicker with a darkness in them. With anger and outrage, kept in check with a sigh.]

They got you, didn't they...

[Her supposed family. Tifa deflates, her forehead falling to his chest.]

This is too far...

[He knew she'd notice eventually, and it pains him a bit that she feels this way. At the same time, it's a little sweet how angry she is for them, and he just lightly kisses the corner of her mouth.]

Not only yours, but mine as well. I had a bit of a "spat" with dear brother. [And then a light grin.] You should see him and the others, they're worse off.

[She doesn't even chase his lips this time, only staring up at him as he does, her worry growing. It doesn't look as bad, but if they know he's here, it's only a matter of time... And of all the times to be cocky about it, it's now?]

Of course they are.

[There's a ghost of a smile on her lips and even the faintest bit of laughter in her breath, but it fades as she drags him from the balcony and into the light of her room so she's able to see him better. Where to even start with all of this!?]

We need to get these cleaned up, but after...

[There's a brief pause, and slowly, she begins to roll up his sleeve.]

What if we just left...

[He's fine, fine, he's been through worse. But he will allow her in, sensing she's still worried. Granted, he is in a rather dangerous situation should he be caught.

So he just watches her and there's just a beat before he answers.]

Why not?

[He looks at her.]

Let's just leave.

[He's been wanting to get to this point for ages, he will take whatever opportunity granted to them.]

[Her eyes widen when they look back up at him, but there's conflict within them too. Her mouth opens to answer him... to say that yes, let them leave. Let them run off to the horizon and find their way home back in Reverein and never look back, but something inside her chokes those words right out of her and he's met with an unnatural silence before she speaks words that plague her with dread.]

But we can't.

[He must know where that came from, and how those words are hardly Tifa's. Just how the things he had said... That wasn't Eustace, was it? Although her heart continues to thunder in her ears when she remembers how easily he had said it, how his voice softened when he did.

She tucks his sleeve back and looks over another one of the cuts on his arm, thumb tracing delicately and carefully over it.]

This is the next part, isn't it?

[He just makes a small sound of frustration. He knows what she's getting at it, but it's frustrating all the same. How much more do they have to do to play this farce until they can leave? He takes her hand into his, his eyes clear in how he feels. But when he opens his mouth—]

You know I want you.

[—he stiffens and stares at her wide-eyed as his voice just changed slightly in pitch and tone, a musical lilt to it. Those weren't even the words he was thinking about saying?? And again he opens his mouth for only another line to come out instead:]

It's not a secret I try to hide...?

[What is happening—

"Ah yes, don't forget you have a musical number!"

The words from the script flash through his mind and if he could he would swear out loud right now, but he has a feeling that would come out in song instead. So instead he just internally swears at the playwright hiding in the moon, his hand tightening its grip on Tifa's.

Seeing her stunned face, Eustace knows she's just as confused, but he can't even explain. He can only go with it. So he once again looks at her, almost pleading with frustration, "Just wait and go along with it."]

I know you want me
So don't keep saying our hands are tied.

[...Funny how these words seem to fit their situation almost to a T. It's enough to make him just mentally say, "Fuck it," and continue on. Maybe Romeo's essence is giving him a nudge as well. So his expression hardens a bit, as if the words he's singing are ones he would say in a normal conversation, and the energy picks up as music somehow begins to fill the room despite there being no obvious source for it.]

You claim it's not in the cards
And fate is pulling you miles away
And out of reach from me.

But you're here in my heart—

[His other hand reaches out to touch her cheek again before he takes a step back, pulling her as if trying to take her away with him.]

So who can stop me if I decide
That you're my destiny?

Edited 2022-02-16 06:02 (UTC)

[Stunned would be an understatement.

Tifa has no words for what's unfolding in front of her right now, her own look of surprise and confusion mirroring his, and she would recall that the script had made a point of there being a musical number if her mind hadn't struck a complete blank in the moment. Just as she finally opens her mouth to ask—to stop him from going any further, music swells in every corner of the room from nowhere and it interrupts her question before it can start, so loud that it drowns the thought out so that all she hears is his voice.

It's one that makes her heart flutter, and his words make the air around her teem with a warmth that boils over and almost bursts. She's nervous and afraid—Tifa has never had to sing quite like this in front of anyone before, nor has she had anyone sing to her like he is now, and the things he's saying... No, it's all part of the song, isn't it? Part of the script that's written on those pieces of paper with its corners tattered and torn on the table in her room.

She wants to argue and to fight against them, but there's something in the back of her head that tells her it isn't quite her turn yet.

So, all she can do is allow him the moment and to hear what Romeo has to say, even if it's Eustace's hand pressed to her cheek. And when he gives her a tug, she can feel her feet carrying her across the room in a sort-of dance, twirling until she crashes into him. The music halts when she looks up at him, and little lights begin to form and drift around them, but Tifa pushes herself away, forced to step back like every step is already written for her, as the music picks up once more.]

[He wants to take her away the moment she's with him, but instead he's lost in her gaze before she pushes him back. A part of him recognizes it's part of this "scene," but he still can't help but be a little annoyed as he chases after her.]

What if we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine.

[He grabs her hand and pulls her back to him, spinning her around as he does before his other hand catches her waist.]

Nothing could keep us apart
You'd be the one I was meant to find.

[It's only after the words leave his mouth that he feels an odd prick in his chest, a feeling that somehow the words aren't just a song but perhaps an actual mirror for them. But that would be putting too much meaning, wouldn't? When they're still in a strange phase?

It's still enough for him to soften a little, his hand once more brushing against her cheek as he pulls her closer.]

It's up to you, and it's up to me
No one can say what we get to be.
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
Maybe the world could be ours...

[As he sings, his face dips lower, voice softening to be almost coaxing.]

Tonight.

Edited 2022-02-16 15:50 (UTC)

[Tifa feels it too—that same piercing in her chest when his hand finds her face. This is more than just ink scribbled over a piece of parchment, more than just a scene. She can feel the conviction in what he sings, and that trickle of belief beneath all of the ambiguity of what they are, and that maybe this song was partly written not for Romeo and Juliet, but for them.

There is a pull, and a desire to believe it with all her heart that they could do exactly that, but she knows what's on that last page.

So she opens her mouth to say as much, but she's so caught up in the moment of him lowering himself to her that she's forgotten briefly that they were in the middle of their musical number, and song comes out instead with a voice so strong that may surprise.]

You think it's easy...
You think I don't wanna run to you.

[Tifa dips out from under him again, escaping the hold he has on her. She only spins a foot away, but her eyes fill with desperation when they fall back to him, the words clearly paining her to say.]

But there are mountains,
And there are doors that we can't walk through.

[A single beat passes when a realization dawns on her, and she averts her gaze.

But then she returns to him, expecting him to catch her when her body comes flush against his, her leg coming up to wrap around his waist, and her hand runs over the cursed scales spread across his cheek. Her breath tickles his lips, and as much as she'd prefer the song to end now, she continues, voice softening as if she were keeping it from an enraptured audience—a moment for just the two of them—]

I know you're wondering why because we're able to be...
Just you and me within these walls...

[Before her voice grows in her chest again.]

But when we go outside, you're gonna wake up and see
That it was hopeless after all...

[Even if a response is expected, he's still caught off guard by the sound of her voice and th words that come out. It makes it easier for her to escape his hold and he can only watch as the distance once again forms between them.

He's about to step to her again, but then she's returning to him. Yet the words haunt him, striking unwanted thoughts and reminders. Their "mountains." Their "doors." The inevitables that seem worse than death and what made them hesitant to begin with. So when he holds her, when he feels her hand on him, on the scales, his expression is a little pensive. That yearning conflicting with that fear.

How strange that he had taken the part of the "dreamer."

How he wants to seal her mouth with his so she doesn't continue...but he can only wait.]

[For all the fighting against Fate and Destiny she's had to do, it pains her to admit that she trusts in what she's saying. Not Juliet, but Tifa. No matter what they try to do to struggle against it, this world and all the others continue to turn.

Even if she opened herself up to him, could she say that she was fully his? That if she placed her heart in his hands, it would be all of it? There were so many ways this world tried to bring them together, but so many more things that kept them apart, in spite of the things they wished for.

She doesn't know how this magic happens or why, or if it's all part of the show, but seeing the longing in his eyes mirrored so clearly from hers makes the lights around them pulse and glow a little brighter with life, like they're waiting for that perfect moment to burst.]

No one can rewrite the stars.
How can you say you'll be mine?
Everything keeps us apart,
And I'm not the one you were meant to find.

[Tifa starts to wander away from him now, her own expression turning forlorn, but her hand takes his in hers with the lightest, most careful grip.]

It's not up to you,
It's not up to me,
When everyone tells us what we can be.
How can we rewrite the stars?

[And with her gaze never once leaving his, she leads him to the glass doors of the balcony, where the stars that follow them and the ones in the sky outshine the moon, and beneath their light, she lifts his hand to press it to her cheek, seeking its warmth.]

Say that the world can be ours,
Tonight...

[Again the words twists his heart in such a way that he will constantly question what is his feeling and what is Romeo's. It's so strong and overwhelming, emotions he's never felt rising until it crashes against his chest, making it almost difficult to breathe.

It has to be because of this play, there's no way he could feel so...so strongly. And yet when he stares down her, there's a sudden rush of resolve and determination, a want so strong it carries into his voice as he shoves the doors open, pulling her out with him. And whether it's his own actions or influenced by the magic around them, he swings her around as if in a dance.]

All I want is to fly with you.
All I want is to fall with you.

[He pulls her to him in a dramatic spin, holding her by the waist.]

So just give me all of you...!

[Her own voice helps to carry some of that melody, the words belting out of her the same way it does for him, and they move together as if they had rehearsed this a thousand times, and this was it. This was the culmination of everything they'd been through—all the sweat and tears, all the awkward pauses and subtle gestures. They've all lead to this moment for...

Them.

No.

For Romeo and Juliet... right?

With pleading eyes, she looks up at him as he catches her in another twirl.]

It feels impossible...

[She can feel the climax building and buzzing around them. The climax to the story. That moment when he finally convinces her...]

[He lowers his face, voice coaxing.]

It's not impossible.

[It transforms into another one of those moments. A quiet one, where the only ones who could hear their voices are the two of them, if there were anyone else around to hear them. With his eyes and lips only inches from hers, it's trying to get the next words out, her breath hitching somewhere in the middle of it, her gaze and voice flooding with understanding and the desire to finally seal that distance between their lips.]

Is it impossible?
Say that it's possible.

[But then the music surges for its climax, and the lights that had been thrumming and building with their energy finally burst into a thousand more to paint the air around them into their very own colourful starry sky that rains down all around them—one unlike anything she's ever seen before.

It reminds her of that one night...]

How do we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine?

[He can sense and see the changes around them in his periphery, but he pays no attention. The only thing that captures his attention is the woman in front of him, her eyes the only "stars" he sees. So bright and red like the evening sun, reflecting everything he wants to see, including himself.]

Nothing can keep us apart
Because you are the one I was meant to find.

[It certainly feels that way at this point. Maybe they could question how often they've been together and how it's happened, but at this point, it might not even matter. A person could be paired with another a million times, it doesn't mean they have to form such a strong attraction to the other. And she had met him once before, in another world. Even if he doesn't remember any of that...

Maybe they really are meant to find each other.

His hand brushes back her hair, palm cupping her cheek as he gazes into her eyes.]

It's up to you...

[She's up against the railing of the balcony now, with him looming over her and the stars creating a blanket above them. It's a sight to behold—one that has her eyes widening when she catches a glimpse of Eustace with the lights twinkling around him, reflecting in the blue of his eyes as if she were gazing into a whole other new sky within them.

Her words come breathlessly, but in that moment, she's truly starting to believe them. Starting to believe that maybe they could fight back against whatever was written in these stars for them.]

It's up to me...

No one can say what we get to be.

[To make their own choice. To follow what they want to do. He can be compliant and allow himself to be leashed, follow whatever he's told. But when he decides to do something of his own volition, to choose to rebel and follow his own instinct, he's capable of ripping off that leash and run how he wants.

It's the same here. Whatever "leashes" he had allowed to hold him back, to make him cautious and hesitate in moving forward, they're being snapped by this sudden overwhelming feeling and energy that makes him think that maybe they really can change things. That maybe even if worlds separate them, here they're together. So why not take that chance, that opportunity? Why not enjoy what they have now?

Of course, whether those are his true feelings or again an influence of the scene he's caught up in will be a question for him to figure out later.

For now, the music quiets as Eustace leans closer to her, his voice clear but softer and lowering as he nears the end of his verse.]

And why don't we rewrite the stars...?
Changing the world to be ours...

[His lips are now brushing against hers, coaxing and tempting her as the music fades.]

[Several beats go by as the song begins to fade, with Tifa caught up in the moment. Caught up in wanting to drink him in before it's all over, and the way his eyes glimmer with the stars before they, too, begin to dim, until all they're left with is the light of the moon. Where they began.

She feels the brush of his lips against hers, enticing and tempting her, and it pulls the air right out of her, rendering her so out of breath that she can hardly finish the song as she chases him, running hers over his with a maddeningly feathery touch. She feels weak.]

You know I want you.
It's not a secret I try to hide...

[She knows, and so does he. If there was one thing that rang true to both her and Juliet in the song, it was that her longing to be with him was always there, and always present and overbearing in his presence. Tifa can no longer pinpoint the exact moment when she realized it. It could have been when they met at the riverbank and he didn't even know her name, or when he had rescued her from the cold depths of the lake. One thing she is sure of is that she has never wanted him more than she does right now, the script be damned.

It didn't matter, though. At the end of the day, at the end of this all, what they wanted could never be, could it? A lifetime spent together would be torn apart by the unpredictable nature of this world. No matter how hard they fought against it, no matter how certain she was about crossing that line, to hand him her heart to hold and protect, there was only ever one ending for this story, and Tifa could never forgive herself for doing that to him. Not after all this.

Now it was time to finally bring this to a close.]

... But I can't have you.
We're bound to break, and my hands are tied...

[The world around them falls silent. Not even the crickets or the rustling of the wind through the tree's canopies in the gardens can be heard, as if everything has frozen around them. It's only the sound of the breaths they share... as their gazes lock on to one another...]

Edited 2022-02-17 02:39 (UTC)

[Even if he was aware they're still in this scene, because of how closely tied they ended up being to this song, how much of their own emotions came through, he can only hear her words as her own response rather than a scripted one. That this is how she really feels. And it momentarily knocks the wind out of him, the sinking feeling of rejection. Of her pulling back from him. Disbelief flickers in his eyes for a moment before they harden.]

Marry me.

[Yes. Those two words just pop out of his mouth without a second thought. Clearly it would fit the script—it's part of it and he knows it. Yet the way his eyes carry an unknown heat, his voice carrying a harder edge and impulsive passion.

Of course, in his right mind he wouldn't propose to Tifa like that—no matter how they felt it would have been way too soon. They still don't even know where they stand. Perhaps it's Romeo pushing his feelings out. Perhaps Eustace got swept away by it all and refuses her answer, using the line as just an excuse to pry at her further. Regardless, he doesn't let her go and there is determination in his eyes, in his actions and words.]

[A breath catches in her throat, sudden and sharp and unsteady. The words make her head spin, and Tifa tries to fathom whether it was Eustace who'd said it, or if it was written in the script. Romeo and Juliet... they do wed, don't they? After this, their next scene would be that. They would declare their love for one another and run away from this war, as far away as possible, to the horizon she had gazed out to and longed for.

The words were written out on the parchment, but the way he says them and the look in his eyes to match, Tifa wonders.

There's that little spark of hope that ignites within her, spreading like a wave through every neuron and vein and nerve until she has nothing else to do but pull him into a fervent, aching kiss. A kiss that feels as if she's robbed all the power from the stars to fuel the desire behind it. It's with the love of two souls that she pours herself into him, the feeling so overwhelming that she doesn't know herself from Juliet anymore.

And when she needs to come up for air, her eyes flutter open, half-lidded and darkened with her passion and conviction, and she whispers a single word over his lips.]

... Okay.

[The kiss she gives is just as overwhelming as he can feel all the emotions and strength etched within it all. And he eagerly receives it, his arm behind her head, cradling it as he returns it all in full. Maybe it is the two souls using them to reach other, maybe it's their own feelings, maybe it's both.

He doesn't care.

Right now he just wants all of her, the only one so far capable of igniting such fervent heat and passion within him. And when she accepts he kisses her again, a strange feeling of elation soaring through his chest. Of all the many times they've kiss, of laying themselves bare to each other, somehow this seems the most ardent and feverish.

It all would be perfect, a perfect chance for them to escape right now...

If not for the sound of someone calling for Juliet.]

{ lindwormeo and juliet }

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO28Z5_Eyls REWRITE THE STARS LET'S FUCKING GOOOO

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