pomme de terre

All The World's A Stage (Shakespeare Modern AU)

Lavinia was feeling a bit overwhelmed. She would have liked very much to politely decline this gentleman’s offer to help her and head straight back home and tell her father that she would try again next year. Maybe Lukie would be disappointed, but Lucas and her father—they would understand, surely.

“I think I’ll look for them on my own,” she said, a little weakly. “Thank you all for your offers, though… I’ll be fine.”

She stood up, knocking the taffy apple to the ground in her haste, and started to walk away, back toward her house. By the time she was about halfway across the square, however, she was beating herself up. This certainly wasn’t helping. Those people posed absolutely no danger to her or anyone. She didn’t like the way they looked at her, like she was something to be pitied, but, honestly, they didn’t know her and she was sure acting like she deserved pity. She needed to prove to herself, and everyone else, that she was Lavinia and she was okay.

Going home would just be another ten steps backwards. She’d been prepared for this. She’d spent all day looking forward to it—something like this shouldn’t ruin it. Lavinia slowed her steps. She really regretted leaving that little group, but she certainly couldn't turn back now. That was okay, though! She’d find Lucas and if she ran into one of them again she’d apologize. Not a big deal.

All The World's A Stage (Shakespeare Modern AU)

Demetrius, my sweet young child.

(Did I mention that I played Lysander in Midsummer once? Because that was a lot of fun and it was 80s themed and just an all around good time.)

Also, I will be getting a post up tomorrow hopefully! (sorry for the wait!!!)

Torn Across the Rift

Rozalind made her smile, though Gemma couldn’t imagine what she might have done to get on Twain’s bad side. It didn’t seem like Twain even had a bad side. Either way, she was looking forward to meeting her when the time came, though hopefully TIGER’s help would be unnecessary. She couldn’t help being relieved that they wouldn’t disappear like MOON did, though. To have someone on backup like that was reassuring.

Hoping that they would be able to drive right up to whatever horrific locale that they were going to be exploring was just wishful thinking, of course. It wasn’t long before they were heading out to the site of the event on foot, and oh, how Gemma hated it. Her headache and the sticky dread festering in her gut were just complimented by the bitter cold, icy thin air. Progress was slow, mostly held back by her, probably, but she refused all help that Icarus offered her. Who- or whatever had forced her to climb a god damn mountain when she was being pelted by god only knows what kind of occult crap while she was in the middle of her first serious investigation in her first serious job was going to get it when they finally got to that plume of smoke. As long as she didn’t freeze to death first.

As soon as Gemma saw the creepy castle in the distance, she knew that that had to be the source. She wasn’t even being influenced by the movies she’d watched as a kid; the power emanating from it was so strong that her fingers went numb at the tips, and not from the cold. She’d stuffed her mittens with hand warmers. The numbness was definitely a side effect of the event.

“I can’t just wait here!” Gemma protested at Twain’s suggestion. She’d come all this way, and to be left out when the real investigation began… “I feel fine, Twain, I swear. We have backup on its way and I’ll… I’ll freeze to death if I just sit here!” She felt like Zesiro, complaining like this. But it was true!

Torn Across the Rift

The silence was heavy, and not only because of what Zesiro had said. Maybe MOON was dead, maybe they weren’t. It didn’t really matter, because now they was chasing after their shadow, and whatever MOON had gone up against that had made them lose contact for so long was MERCY's responsibility now too. They could very well be chasing after their deaths.

Gemma shook her head; that was pessimistic talk. They’d be fine. If there was a connection between whatever was happening up on this mountain and what had happened to MOON, they would find out soon enough. They were actually climbing it now, keeping a good pace. She watched the sparse countryside sink below them.

The dark feeling was growing, pulsing, dread thickening and rising from her stomach to her heart. What she felt defied words and explanation on a good day—this feeling was so far from normal that she was pretty sure that the hurt in her head wasn’t just from whatever particles she’d been hit with. She felt like anxiety and black bile and wood smoke.

“It’s getting stronger,” she said, casually as she could. “Do you think the road leads straight to the source?”

All The World's A Stage (Shakespeare Modern AU)

Trouble? Lavinia thought, the word clenching in her stomach as she watched Constable Macbeth head off toward the two men talking. They were both well dressed, haughty looking types—not a terribly uncommon sight in Stratford. One smoked a cigarette with a disdainful look on his face, the other smiled easily and held a chalice of wine. Both were older than her but younger than Lucas; she pegged the smoking one to be around Quin’s age, but the smiling one was older.

She didn’t know why she followed Macbeth. She didn’t want to be anywhere near those two men, yet, when the constable was about halfway across the square, she started off behind him, taking a seat on a bench not too far from the drama. A woman in yellow was sitting there too, daintily gripping a caramel apple on a stick. She was alone, and Lavinia only wondered why briefly when she heard the smiling man’s response to Macbeth’s inquiry. His accent was foreign, and though he’d responded sincerely enough she heard a tint of irony in his voice. A delightful evening?

Perhaps he was one of those Montague boys, always trying to infiltrate the Capulet masquerade. Though the feud had gotten bad before, it had never involved neutral citizens, so she and her brother and nephew were safe. He could go have his delightful evening and she and Lukie would make masks. Right?

She was reading far too much into this. She sighed, noticing her hand was wrapped around the bench armrest in a death grip. She should have never followed the constable, she thought, as she relaxed her arm and leaned back. Now she’d spend the whole evening looking over her shoulder and lord only knew she didn’t need that. None of her family did.

Torn Across the Rift

So, I'll be going on a family vacation beginning tomorrow, lasting until next Saturday. I don't expect to be too terribly absent, as I will still have wifi and stuff, but just letting you guys know!

Also, I should have a post up tonight sometime!

All The World's A Stage (Shakespeare Modern AU)

Agh... I hate to do this, but I think I will have to drop it. I just don't have the spark for it.

@ArenaSnow

That's alright :( See you around hopefully!

I'm still here too! (had a busy few days, will be posting tonight)

Edit: Also, I will be going on a family vacation starting tomorrow and lasting until next saturday, but I will have wifi so I don't expect to be absent too much. I'll be around!

All The World's A Stage (Shakespeare Modern AU)

<Snipped quote by Polyphemus>

Either way, it's gonna mean trouble for everyone else. :P

@Phloem

ಠ_ಠ

All The World's A Stage (Shakespeare Modern AU)

Sorry guys, but I'm thinking I'm going to wind up dropping this RP. I really wanted to do this, but... my inspiration has fled. Also I'll be only spottily available all summer and I'd rather only have a couple RPs to keep on top of.

@RomanAria

Of course! See you 'round!

Also, I'm super excited about these Demetrius and Iago shenanigans that are about to go down. I wonder if Iago could convince Titus to chop off his own hand like in the play...

Also super excited about cop!Macbeth! He would actually make the best cop though. Macbeth has a special place in my heart.

All The World's A Stage (Shakespeare Modern AU)

Lavinia didn’t see Constable Macbeth approaching; she was focused on the music. She’d remembered where she’d heard it before. Before the accident, she used to dance. Ballet and jazz, mostly, but she had some friends in the Stratford Steppers and probably would have joined eventually. She danced to this song, way back in high school, and had gotten in a huge argument with her instructor about the choreography. She was surprised she could actually still remember what she wanted to change. She’d almost forgotten about it entirely.

She only jumped a little when he spoke. She wasn’t jumpy as a rule, but the adrenaline still poured into her veins and made her blurt “It’s okay!” before she even really registered what he’d said. It wasn’t a big deal, what he’d said—her dad always needed a hand, and said so—but something about the entire situation made her gut twist and her mood took a hit.

It really was okay, though. The constable hadn’t meant any harm. Macbeth was a good man—he’d been kind upon her and her dad’s return to Stratford, and Lavinia had even met Mrs. Macbeth once. Her dad probably considered him a friend; though she wasn’t sure to what extent the feeling was reciprocated. “Hi, Constable Macbeth. I’m fine, just waiting for my brother to show up. He’s bringing Lukie for the fireworks…” A little bit too much information. She took a breath. “How are you? Enjoying the festival?”

She was worried she might have made him worry. She really was fine. She just needed to stay sharp was all. She should thank him for that, at least—though Stratford was no London, she could still get overwhelmed and distracted, and then where would she be?