songerein | { 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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's just not how she wanted to hear that word. It's kind of weird hearing your boyfriend say it so casually- fake or not. In this particular case, it's a reminder of how messed up the situation is. She's trying to play along, but that rattled her a bit. And it's not like her little 'threat' is all that serious. More like a gentle warning that she'd kick his butt later. No less different from usual when he teases her too much.

Anyway... she's debating whether to even tell him. Would he be upset over it? Would admitting it break character and make this less fun for Marui? Perhaps she shouldn't burden him with the details, but...

Well, more than likely he'll find out, and it might be less damning if he heard it from her. She inhales deeply, fingers anxiously tugging on the sleeves of her dress, her gaze downcast and not fixed on anything in particular.]

That was Romeo.

And Romeo is... is Jude.

[Well that gets his attention real quick. Jude was Romeo? Thanks to Leia's transparency with him at the onset of their relationship, Marui immediately understands the significance of that casting to Leia.]

That's cruel. [He says on her behalf. Marui can only attribute her seeming anxiousness to the dread of what she's got to act out with Jude, because she certainly has no need to be nervous that it will shake his faith in her. It's not like she chose this.

Even if she had, if there were a tactical reason it made more sense having it this way, that would be okay, too. He trusts her. And he trusts himself-- that if she weren't happy with him, he'd know it.

So it's without a moment's hesitation that he reaches for her hand and covers it with his own, sneaking a small squeeze in as he continues quietly.]

I know you're strong enough to get through this, but try and remember you're not alone here.

And you won't be when we wake up, either.

[As much as she appreciates Marui's optimism and general cheer, this is one of those times where she'd like to be comforted and told it's going to be okay. Distractions are great. But this situation is a lot to take in and there are so many things she's about to endure that make it hard for her to swallow it down and chalk it up to bad luck, laugh it off.

So his reassurances help. But she still feels so silly. Useless. And completely not herself. His hand on hers pulls her from more grim thoughts, seemingly easing the ache in her heart, even just temporarily. She glances at him, but has trouble holding it, her gaze dropping down to his hands.]

I know this shouldn't be such a big deal. It's not real. But how I feel is real. And watching this all play out doesn't seem like a dream at all.

[Gently, she returns the squeeze, a small gesture of appreciation before she meets his eyes once more. This is a tough situation on its own. Having Jude directly involved, with her, makes it worse.]

Just... promise you won't get too mad at me?

[She doesn't need to downplay the situation like that, as though her response to it is excessive. Of course it feels real. It is real. Maybe not permanent, but it's definitely happening.]

Why would I get mad?

[Was it not obvious? Or maybe he wants to hear her say it. She averts her gaze for a moment.]

Y-You know...

[She says, trying to remind him of something he already knows, a little hesitant to bring it up again. It's still awkward.]

Romeo and Juliet are in love with each other. I know you didn't mind when I told you how I used to feel about Jude, but us getting paired up like this... It's really not going to bother you?

[Romeo and Juliet is a story she was never familiar with until today. And she saw what's in store for them- falling in love, marriage, the hint of something... more than that. The fact that her emotions are a huge mess right now, she knows that Juliet's romantic inclinations were being pushed onto her.]

[Marui pulls a face.]

Of course it bothers me-- I'm bothered on your behalf. This is dirty play!

But if you're asking if I'm going to be jealous, I don't see any reason for that. This doesn't change anything between us, right?

[Marui doesn't have any doubts, but maybe Leia does. Is that why she's asking? Or is she just so confused with Juliet's essence mingling with her own that she doesn't know where the line is with that history in the backdrop?]

[It's times like these she's reminded of how lucky she is to have him. But it's not that she thinks he'll get jealous, she's already convinced he's not the type.]

Of course not! But it's... complicated.

[Her gaze falls to their joined hands. It's not just a worry that something might happen. But who knows what forced feelings might dredge up? She's already been thinking of ways to keep Jude safe and she's not sure Marui would approve of any of them considering the lengths they would require.

There's also the small matter of something Jude reminded her of that is haunting her, but she's not ready to really acknowledge that yet.]

It's only complicated if you make it that way... [He responds, sounding a bit nonplussed. He hates to see her like this, tangled in anxiety and doubt and dread. It's not just the former crush status that makes this hard for her, after all.

"If he's ever in trouble, or needs help, I would drop everything to do whatever I can for him."

Seriously, fuck this Shakespeare guy.

That ripple of anger stays coolly in check, however. It's not constructive. He's not wasting his time or his passion on it. What will be constructive is helping Leia recenter herself. He's determined to do that.

So he changes his focus back to her, flashes her a grin, and squeezes her hand with a lean in to touch their foreheads together.]

Listen, it's this simple: we're gonna do what we have to do here and then we're gonna work through whatever's left together when we're back home. Take care of your friend. The rest'll be okay.

[Her eyes are on him the second he inches closer, their foreheads touching, her stomach fluttering a little in response. That smile of his tries its very best to wash away her fears. But it is his words that ground her, that bring her back. Naturally optimistic as she is, she's still human. She's prone to being overwhelmed, getting down, and having someone that understands her that can support her has always helped her.

Now is no different.

She takes a deep breath, nodding a little in agreement.]

Yeah... Yeah, you're right. One thing at a time. [she smiles- it's hard to not kiss him at this moment, but she should try to keep her Juliet in check a little.] Thanks, I really appreciate it, Bunta.

{ lindwormeo and juliet }

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