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tyllt · 9 months

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Quotes (pt. 3)

Poetry

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep - Mary Elizabeth Frye

The Second Coming - W.B. Yeats

All the world's a stage - Jaques, As You Like It

Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius? - Hamlet, Hamlet

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird - Wallace Stevens

Set your heart at rest - Titania, A Midsummer Night's Dream

O, that this too too solid flesh would melt - Hamlet, Hamlet

Do not go gentle into that good night - Dylan Thomas

I know you all, and will awhile uphold - Hal, Henry IV

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert Frost

There's rosemary, that's for remembrance, pray - Ophelia, Hamlet

Bandersnatch Monologue - Colin Jones

Lord, we know what we are, but not what we may be. - Ophelia, Hamlet

The rest is silence. - Hamlet, Hamlet

Take pains; be perfect. Adieu. - Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Well, we were born to die. - Capulet, Romeo & Juliet

What do you read, my lord? Words, words, words. - Hamlet, Hamlet

We must not make a scarecrow of the law. - Angelo, Measure for Measure

I am now of all humors that have showed themselves humors - Hal, Henry IV

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. - Hal, Henry IV

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow - Macbeth, Macbeth

And this same progeny of evils comes - Titania, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Praise

We owe God a death. - Hal, Henry IV

God is closer to me than I am to myself. - St. Augustine

When a man turns his face to God, he finds sunshine everywhere. - Abd'ul Baha

You have to ask God to defeat you, everyday. - Anonymous

Our loss is great, but God is greater. - Brandon Burlsworth

Every time I think of God it brings tears to my eyes. The one that holds the stars also holds my hand. - Liz's Happy Place

Then the sun smiled, and Christ smiled, and my laundry grew soft in the warm wind. There. See there. The world is good is me. - Linda Gregg

God is feeding me and what I'm praying for is an appetite. - Flannery O'Connor

Sisters, let us go mad for the love of God. - St. Theresa

When you are angry, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Offer righteous sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. - Psalm 4:4-5

Before God leaves, He clears the table, pats my head, and presses two messages into my palms. In my left, You are the bridge. In my right, you are the dust. - Paige Lewis

She would transform herself into sacred food. She would eat light, not matter; become food, not eat it. She would be consumed to become the host and consumed again as it. - Judith Van Herik

...God's incarnation in Christ is also going on in everyone, everywhere, at all times. - David Bentley Hart

Human nature is not a duality of body and soul; rather God's breath animates the dust and it becomes a single living being. - Anonymous

In early Christian hymns, hunger seems to mean human vulnerability; the implication is, therefore, that the hungry will be satisfied. In the spirituality of eleventh- and twelfth- century Europe, however, hunger began to mean a craving that can never be filled. - Caroline Walker Bynum

My fear is that much of what we call "spirituality" today is overly sanitized and sterile, far removed from the anguish of pain, the anchoredness of place. Without the tough-minded discipline of desert-mountain experience, spirituality loses its bite, its capacity to speak prophetically to its culture, its demand for justice. Avoiding pain and confrontation, it makes no demands, assumes no risk. - Belden C. Lane

Power

There are no bargains between lions and men. I will kill you and eat you raw. - Madeline Miller

I know these crowds have come from Paris to demand my head. I learned from my mother not to fear death, and I will wait for it with firmness. - Marie Antoinette

Everything had the boring residue of destiny on it. - Anonymous

There will be no further explanation. There will just be reputation. - Taylor Swift

I am the gun, the bullet, and the wound. I will not leave without you knowing I was here. - Anonymous

There is comfort in knowing the bones will win. - Anonymous

I am but mad north-north-west. - Hamlet, Hamlet

I don't have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you. - Anonymous

Higher, further, faster, baby! - Carol Danvers

This is the burden of the trailblazer and the solitude of the trendsetter. - Defunctland

So what a monumental achievement it is to be remembered for four. - Defunctland

If I die, I want to be born again and I want to be a footballer and I want to be Diego Armando Maradona again. I am a player who has given people joy and that is enough and I have enough. - Diego Maradona

I've got to stop getting obsessed with human beings and fall in love with a chair. Chairs have everything human beings have to offer, and less, which is obviously what I need. Less emotional feedback, less warmth, less approval, less patience, and less response. The less the merrier. Chairs it is. I must furnish my heart with feelings for furniture. - Carrie Fisher

Service

Do the good and throw it in the sea.

Life isn't about getting and having, it's about giving and being. - Kevin Kruse

What are you going to buy in your lifetime that is worth more than your humanity? - Anonymous

There are no lost causes.

Are you at peace? Can I pray for you?

Service to others it the rent you pay for your room here on earth. - Muhammad Ali

What do you want Me to do for you? - Mark 10:51

Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. - Hebrews 13:2

Grief

A man takes his sadness down to the river and throws it in the river but then he's still left with the river. A man takes his sadness and throws it away but then he's still left with his hands. - Richard Siken

Life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. - Leonard Nimoy

This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing! It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready. - Tom Hiddleston

I mean it this time: this is the last time I'm leaving without you. - firethesound

You wanted Death? This is it. Dirt and decay, nothing more. Death translates us all into earth. - Catherynne M. Valente

Dear Tree, I don't want to be sad: I just am. The explanation is just too far beyond anything. - Anonymous

Nothing is ever really over...just over there. - Carrie Fisher

Planets come and go. Stars perish. Matter disperses, coalesces, forms into other patterns, other worlds. Nothing can be eternal except GOD. - The Doctor

You will have days where you feel better, and you will have days where you want to die. Both are okay. There is no magical cure. You just need to close your eyes, and trust that the waves will pass, and soon you'll be able to breathe again. - Anonymous

Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you. - Jeffrey Cranor

I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye. - Yann Martel

To suffer together is to know love. - Anonymous

What is grief, if not love persevering? - Vision

There is no state of being healed...there is just healing. - Anonymous

To be alive at all is to have scars. - John Steinback

You have to allow the paint to break to make it beautiful. - Bob Ross

You see this cup? This is literally my favorite cup. Now it's gone forever. So it's not real and I don't care about it anymore. - Jake

The soul has to go on loving in the emptiness, or at least to go on wanting to love, though it may only be with an infinitesimal part of itself. - Anonymous

Because it's senior year, I have begun to see things as potential absences: the things I love will become the things I'll miss. - Anonymous

Love is so short, forgetting is so long. - Pablo Neruda

But then it passed, as all things do. - Anonymous

I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened. - J.R.R. Tolkien

And tomorrow will be kinder. - Secret Sisters

Everything stays, right where you left it. Everything stays, but it still changes. Ever so slightly, daily and nightly. In little ways, when everything stays. - Olivia Olson

#quotes

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blessednereid · 3 years

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Pity the Living

Daniel Sharman x Reader Series

A/N: The Much Requested, and By Requested, I mean @rogershoe wanted me to write this, MY DANIEL SHARMAN FANFICTION!!!!!! The character that Y/N plays is based on my OC for FTWD and is not an actual character in FTWD. Basic Premise of the setting for this chapter is that they're in high-school/ secondary school. But for the majority of the story(minus flashbacks) it's set in 2016/17 when s3 of FTWD was filmed.

Story Summary: When (Y/N) (L/N) reunites with a high-school friend on the set of the job she's been working on for the past 2-3 years, not only is she excited to work with the guy who inspired her to go into acting, but to hear about what he's done since she's seen him. But the more they talk, the more she realizes, this reunion is not going the way she had planned.

CW: Cursing? brief mention of alcohol, anxiety, mentions of food, fake dagger, fake blood, bets,

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Career Day

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Most of the students around you were chorusing to the tune of your school anthem, but not you. You had heard the melody and sung it almost a million times. Whether you were exaggerating or not, not even you knew. Instead, you were whispering and laughing with one of your best friends, Daniel Sharman.

You met Daniel when you first came to the school. You didn't know many people. You didn't even know yourself in this place. It was a completely foreign experience, but he stuck by your side and showed you around.

Since then, you had made friends, joined the swim team, learned your way around the school without ending up in the boys' restrooms instead of the girls' ones. Despite not needing Daniel to show you around anymore, he still provided plenty of comedic support and pick-me-ups and was a great mate all around.

Your teacher had just finished introducing all the parents who were presenting at career day. The assignment being after the presentations were finished, you were supposed to think about what you wanted to be in the future. You had no idea what you wanted to be. But of course… Daniel did.

"An actor."

"An actor?" he nodded. "Like Macbeth?"

"No, Macbeth is a character. An actor is a person who plays the character."

"Why an actor?"

"Dunno. Just seems right."

You frowned. "Huh, that's nice. Knowing what you want to be."

"You could always try acting. It's worth a shot."

"Hah, if I ever tried acting, it would probably be when I'm old, senile, and look like Betty White."

"Oh, come on. You're a great actress!"

"What's that supposed to mean, Sharman?" you gasped.

"Just that you tell fibs and stories as if they were the truth. That's all acting is."

"I DO NOT!"

"How did you convince your mum that your dog jumped onto the table and ate the cake without making any noise last weekend, then?" You opened your mouth to speak before closing it.

"Cat got your tongue?" he teased.

"Shut up, Sharman."

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L/N Residence

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You and Daniel were both swimming in the pool in your backyard when Daniel asked you the question.

"Did you think about it?"

Still floating, you asked, "About what?"

"Acting."

You laughed incredulously. "You were serious?"

"Of course I was." He swam closer to you and pulled your leg down, making you flop around and splash water.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"Was just trying to get your attention," he remarked innocently.

You coughed. "You had it."

"Picture this," he waved you off. "Us, on the red carpet-"

"Who's red carpet?"

"Does it matter? We'll be each other's dates anyways."

"Why is that?" you asked.

"Because we're best friends."

"What if one of us has a boyfriend or girlfriend?"

He shrugged. "Ok, whatever. We're on the red carpet separately. It's both of ours red carpet-"

"So, does that mean we're in a movie together?"

"Yes, Y/N," he muttered exasperatedly.

"But that's impossible?"

"Why do you say that?"

You leaned closer to his ear. "BECAUSE I'M NOT BECOMING AN ACTOR."

He jumped away from you, proceeding to splash you with water.

"Mark my words. I know talent when I see it."

You sighed. "Could this just be you not wanting to be lonely in the acting world?"

He jutted his lip and spoke in a whiny voice. "Maybe…"

You laughed before splashing a giant wave of water at him. While he still had water in his eyes, you dove under and pulled him down.

He flailed around before his head popped up, and he calmed down.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"PAYBACK, SHARMAN!"

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Announcement

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The intercom gave a heavy buzz, and static-y noises ran amok over the building before a voice actually came through the speakers.

"Hello, Teachers, Students, and Faculty. Welcome back to school. We hope that you all enjoyed your holidays and got the rest you needed to pay attention in class today," the last part was passive. Your principal gave more announcements for clubs and sports around the school, such as upcoming games or reminders for students to buy the school yearbook.

You were nodding along interested, or looking for interest really when something caught your best friend's attention.

"The school will also be hosting its first-ever play, Romeo and Juliet. Interested people should report to the music room before the end of the week to receive information."

You saw Daniel's eyes widen only moments before he spoke up. "Hey," he waved at you. "You should audition!"

"Daniel, are you insane?"

He chuckled, "No, but I think you'd like it."

You tried arguing, but he wasn't taking no for an answer. "You're the one who said you didn't know what you wanted to do after you graduated. Doing this cannot hurt."

"Yeah, it can't hurt until I trip on my costumes and break my neck!"

"That rarely ever happens," he said exasperatedly. "Ok, how about this? You audition, and if you end up getting a role and actually doing the play, I'll give you fifty pounds."

You squinted. "Do you even have fifty pounds to give me?"

"Do you even have to ask," he feigned shock in the accusation? You gave a sour face before he truthfully answered. "Fine, I don't have it now. But I will by the time the play comes around."

"What do I get just for auditioning?"

"I'll convince my mum to make that cake you like."

"Fine."

"BUT!" he exclaimed. "You have to audition for Juliet."

"You're kidding?"

He laughed. "No, I'm not. You have to audition for Juliet."

"I hate you," you mumbled before sighing a whispered 'fine.'

He gave a toothy smile. "Then we have a deal."

☆◦ 。＼｜／。◦☆

Auditions

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You reluctantly walked onto the stage, Daniel's widening grin so visible in the audience. He said that he only put his name on the audition sheet so he could watch the auditions. He would've already been gone by the time it was his turn.

"Hello, My name is Y/n L/n, and I am auditioning for Juliet," your lips pressing into a straight line after saying the sentence.

You stammered through your first few lines. "Sh-Shall I speak ill of him— that is my husband?" You said with a laugh.

"Ah," you paused and clicked your tongue. "Poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name… When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it?"

You said your following line in an accusatory manner. "But wherefore, villain... didst thou kill my cousin?" you said, though your voice squealed trying to pronounce 'didst.' "That villain cousin would have killed my husband."

"Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring!" Your voice rose and fell several octaves. "Your tributary drops belong to woe, Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy." Fake tears spring to your eyes, your voice cracked, and you began slowly falling against an invisible wall.

You looked down at your paper for what to say next. "My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain; And Tybalt's dead, that would have slain my husband. All this is comfort; wherefore weep I then?" You wiped your cheeks dramatically.

"Some word there was, worser than Tybalt's death, That murd'red me. I would forget it fain;" your lips quivered, and you sucked in deep, heaving breaths before speaking your line.

"But O, it presses to my memory. Like damnèd guilty deeds to sinners' minds! 'Tybalt is dead, and Romeo--banishèd!" You shouted.

You stood back up in a startling jump, and with a proud smile, you said triumphantly, "And Scene!"

The directors and some students in the audience, especially Daniel, gave a round of applause before the director dismissed you.

You took the steps to the stage and sat next to Daniel as the director called the next student to audition.

"You were amazing! The director might as well have given you the role right then and there."

You laughed, "Hang on, charmer. There were a bunch of Juliet's who literally said that entire thing so… fluently. I stammered through the whole thing."

"But you showed more emotion than anyone else. You only had a week to prepare. The actual show will be like child's play."

"They want people who can memorize and recite. The emotion can be added later, but it's worth nothing if they forget their lines."

"There is such a thing called improvising for a reason," he reassured.

"Who in their right, bloody minds wants to improvise Shakespeare?"

He turned his head and chuckled before waving a five-pound note in front of your face. "Here, I got to go before they call me, but you earned this at least."

"Five pounds for being forced to audition for a stupid play so you can prove a point? Wow, you must really fancy me, huh, Sharman?" you said sarcastically.

"Goodbye, L/n," he whispered before sneaking out the back door of the auditorium.

"Alright, next up. Daniel Sharman!" The director shouted your friend's name a few more times before giving up.

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Headmasters Office

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A week after your audition, you were called to the headmasters' office. Thus is the cause of the curious looks from your classmates. Oohs and Aahs flooded your ears as you grabbed your bag and headed out the door to the front of the school.

When you got to the front of the building and went into the headmasters' office, you saw the Theatre director, Ms Parker, standing behind the desk. "Headmaster Leo allowed me to use his office to do this. Isn't that cool?"

Ms Parker was one of the younger teachers in school. She was twenty-four, and this was her first year teaching after receiving her bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in music production. A fact she could astoundingly ramble about for fifteen minutes. As proven at the auditions.

"I didn't want to call you to the theatre room. That would be too predictable, correct?" You'd come to realize she was a very eccentric woman. "I have called you in here to inform you that you have been selected to perform in this year's play of Romeo and Juliet."

A wave of shock coursed through your body, and you were sure it reflected on your face. "Are you sure?"

"Darling, I'm positive!- your audition was totally spectacular! So brilliant-in fact- that I am completely sure in my choice to make you our female lead- Juliet!"

"What!" Your eyes widened into a blank stare. Your thoughts were running rampant in your mind. You thought that performing on the stage would be a breeze when you weren't the lead.

"Ms Parker, I didn't actually want the part of Juliet! It's just that my friend dared me to audition for Juliet! Is there no way I can get a smaller part? I'm no Juliet. The show would be ruined," you rambled.

The directors' facial expressions softened, "Darling, you are the only choice. None of the other people who auditioned can even compare to the amount of passion you produced in that audition. I am determined to have you as our Juliet."

You whimpered out an "Ok." Professors had a strange way of convincing you to do extra credit assignments or things that aren't necessary.

"We have a chemistry read for you and a few of our other choices for Romeo after school today. Do you need to contact a parent to let them know where you'll be?"

"Uh, yes, please."

After you made your call, you walked back to your classroom with shaky hands. The class period was almost over, but you had to tell Daniel that you had gotten a part in the show. Not just any part- THE PART!

You shuffled into the classroom reluctantly. All eyes were on you as every student had assumed you'd been in trouble. Either suspended, expelled, or told your parents were going to have a sit-down with the headmaster.

You took your seat next to Daniel before taking out a piece of paper and writing out a note, encompassing the words, "I got the part!"

You slid the sheet discreetly onto his desk. When he read it, his eyes widened, and he quietly moved his hands toward yours, beckoning for a high five.

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First Rehearsal

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After the chemistry read, the role of Romeo was given to a kid named James Mercer-Allen got the part. Though it was more because the directors were starting to become tired.

The next day was the first rehearsal. Swimming season was last semester, so there was no clash in schedules with the play.

"Alright, this rehearsal is to get acquainted with the stage, your fellow actors, and directors," she insisted. "Now, let's introduce ourselves. Can our Romeo please stand up?"

James stood up and gave a brief introduction. You were called on next. You stated your name, "I was on the swim team last semester, and I'm in my thirteenth year. I hope I can do this role justice."

More students stood up to introduce themselves. The entire process took more than thirty minutes.

The next thing to happen was that the rest of the students were called to recite lines for various roles. The only parts that had been cast preliminarily were Romeo and Juliet.

You and James had sat on the wooden stools unless there was a scene going on that needed Romeo and/or Juliet.

By the end of the first rehearsal, the majority of the speaking roles were cast. You went home exhausted but not expecting the conversation that waited for you.

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The Talk

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"We're moving?" you shouted at your parents from your seat across from them in the sitting room. "What do you mean we're moving."

"Honey, your dad got a job in the states, so we have to move," your mother argued.

"But what about school? No school will take me in the middle of the year, and it's my last year of secondary school. I don't want to spend the rest of my last year knowing nobody."

Your dad, the man of the hour, spoke up. "Dear, we're moving at the end of the year. After school ends."

"But- What about Uni?"

"You said you were taking a sabbatical year!"

"Yes, so I could intern in London!"

"Can't you intern in California?" Your mother whined.

"We're going to California? It's the furthest state?"

Your dad attempted to reassure you but failed. "Darling, it won't be that bad. Maybe you'll like it there more than you like it here!"

"I could never like anywhere more than I like it here!"

You agreed to go to your room and spent the rest of the day there. Later on, after you finished moping, you ringed up your closest friends to tell them you were moving. You did that until you were so tired you fell asleep on the phone with Sarah before you even called Daniel.

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Confrontation

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"Why am I hearing from everyone besides you that you're moving?" Daniel appeared out of thin air behind you, and the accusation was an assault on your conscience.

You could lie and tell him that you wanted to reveal that to him in person, or you could just tell him the truth- say you fell asleep. Mix-and-Match? You ended up just telling the truth. "I fell asleep when I was making some of my other calls. I was going to tell you, I swear!"

"Why didn't you call me first. I'm your best friend?"

"That's why! It was too hard. I kept putting it off and putting it off and putting it off because I didn't want to tell you, I don't want it to be true, and telling you of all people would make it feel real."

"Why can't you stay for Uni?"

"I already told my parents I was taking a gap year. I didn't apply to any colleges."

"Crap!" he sighed. "Ok, well, we're going to have to make the most of it. And! You're getting a going away party!"

"Daniel, I don't need-"

"No debate! You are getting a going away party!"

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Opening Night

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Four months later, after all the rehearsals and memorizations of lines. After much running around the entire film department, it was finally opening night, and your nerves were shot.

You were scrambling all morning to find everything you needed. All your costumes were at the school, but you still needed to bring your black leotard, skin-coloured tights, and wear your hair in an up-do style.

You decided to do your skincare routine, but your panic got the best of you, and you forgot what every single product was used for.

Daniel came over and helped you get ready but found you practically hyperventilating.

Your parents drove you both to the theatre, and when Ms Parker told you that Daniel couldn't be backstage, you promptly told her that he was your emotional support. After much arguing, she finally let him backstage.

Around an hour before showtime, the director told Daniel that he had to go wait in the audience if he already bought his ticket or that he had to go do it now.

Before he left, he gave you a pep-talk. "Hey, so one time, I was in this play, and the idea was that I was expelled, and there was a piece of paper I had to give my 'mother,' but I lost it. So we had to improvise, but I couldn't find the paper, and I felt horrible. So just know, even if you forget your lines, you must improvise, and remember, it still probably won't compare to the embarrassment I felt that day. So you can laugh at my humiliation. "

You chuckled, "I will. Ok, go before you get in trouble."

"Ok, me, our parents and all your friends will be in the front row. I've already reserved the entire row. I brought a whole bag of jackets just for that reason!"

"You can't do that," you said in between cackles.

"For you, I'll do anything," he grinned.

A few hours later and the show was almost done. "What's here? A cup, closed in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end," you wept.

"O, 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 die with thine restorative." You leaned over James and let your hair fall to the side of your head to cover your face. You pulled back without actually kissing James.

"Thy lips are warm."

A whispery voice came from offstage, "Which way?" The cue for you to take the poison, which was actually cranberry juice.

"Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger!" You grabbed the dagger and brought it near your chest. "This is thy sheath;" you drew the fake knife back three inches from your chest and stabbed it to where the bag of more cranberry juice was and punctured the bag. 'Blood' soaked through your dress. "There rust, and let me die." You fell dramatically onto the altar and waited for the scene to end as the crowd cheered.

After the show, you dashed into the crowd where your friends and family waited for you. Ovations and Applauses were passed, lauded boxes of chocolates and gorgeous roses were given.

When you got to Daniel, he practically tackled you with a hug. "I actually thought you died for a split second. The blood looked so real."

"Daniel, most people don't bleed that fast, do they?"

"I don't know but fear kicked in, and I couldn't make sense of anything."

You grinned and almost went to your parents before Daniel grabbed your arm. "You don't have a date to the Leavers ball, do you?"

"No, I don't. Why?"

He sighed. "Well, I was thinking that you could go with me. I don't have a date either."

You squinted, thinking there was some ulterior motive behind his actions. "Ok, I'll go with you if you give me the money you owe me before then."

"It's right here," he smiled.

Your face scrunched up, but you reluctantly agreed. You only had a month of school left, and you might as well spend it having fun with your friends.

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The Leavers Ball and the Getaway Party

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You were dressed in a light blue, pleated, Mikado prom dress that cut off at mid-thigh. You had black wedges on your feet and a black pearl-beaded bracelet on your arm.

You were wearing a half-up, half-down style that framed your face and a silver necklace with a circle-shaped diamond.

You were sitting in the parlour when Daniel rang the doorbell. He was ten minutes late.

"Sorry," he said when your dad answered it. "I know I'm late. I was picking up Kat and James."

Kat and James were your and Daniel's respective friends who'd started last year after you and Daniel introduced them.

"Hi," you popped out of the shadows. "Alright, Mom, Dad, we're late, so we're just going to get goi-"

"Wait! I have to take pictures! Go get Kat and James."

"No, Mom. No pictures!"

"It's only right. I just want a few. We can take it outside."

You sighed but reluctantly caved into your mother's will.

The four of you took pictures outside of Daniel's Jeep Wrangler. You took ones with silly faces, just girls, just boys, and ones with all four of you before your parents allowed you to leave.

You were forty minutes late, and the ball was already in full swing by the time you got there.

You got on the dance floor immediately because one of your favourite songs was playing, but the DJ switched the song as soon as you found a decent spot. It was a slow song. You chuckled, and Daniel put his hands on your waist.

"Well, this is awkward."

A few minutes later, Daniel posed an interesting question.

"Did you know that I had a crush on you when you first came to school?"

"Uh, you stammered. "No, I didn't know that."

"Yeah, I did. It was short, though. Surface-level."

"Oh," you said. "Should I take offence to that?"

"What?" His eyes widened in realization with what he said. "No, that's not what I meant. You have an amazing personality. I just meant that… I just meant I like you more as a friend than to ruin that with any of those feelings."

"Oh, ok. You wouldn't have, though."

"I wouldn't?"

"No, everyone needs an ego boost every once in a while."

"Haha!"

"And besides, I've had feelings for you at one point too. But it was very cliche, so I tried to shake it as hard as I could."

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows. "And did you?"

"Like I said, as hard as I could. If it's still there somewhere, it's buried very deep, so much so that I was embarrassed."

"Embarrassed to like me?"

"I mean embarrassed to try and make my life seem like some movie."

"Oh, well, if you did, it would've just made you that much better as an actress. Speaking of that, would you consider acting in the least?"

"Maybe, now that I'm leaving, it's basically the last thing I have to connect me to you."

"No," he said, pointing to your bracelet. "You have that."

You had forgotten that it was Daniel who gave it to you, but the realization brought a smile to your face. "Oh yeah, I'll never take it off."

Later on, long before the ball ended, you saw many of your friends leaving.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" Daniel approached you.

"Where is everyone going?"

He wriggled his eyebrows. "Afterparty!"

"But it's not over?"

"Quit being a party popper and just come with us, L/N!"

You gave in, something you did a lot, and you all started driving. When you got there, you realized you were at Daniel's house.

"The afterparty is at your house?" you asked.

"Well…" James answered.

Kat joined in. "It's really an afterparty!"

"This is your going away party!" Daniel finished.

"But I'm not going away for another month."

"Well, now you have an entire month for people to give you gifts and stuff, and you don't have to worry about the party!" He reasoned.

"But why did it have to be after the Leavers ball?"

"Because you're already in a dress, and it has to be a surprise! Surprise!" Kat exclaimed.

"Alright, fine!"

The entire night you partied and danced, and though you didn't drink alcohol, plentiful amounts of pop and mocktails were passed around. The music was a delight to your ears with all your favourite songs. There were chips and pizza with all your favourite toppings.

"This party is awesome!"

Daniel grinned. "Well, I am an amazing party planner if I do say so myself."

☆◦ 。＼｜／。◦☆

Airport

☆◦ 。／｜＼。◦☆

Daniel's parents drove your family to the airport. Your parents had sold the car. Your dad would return in a week to close a deal on the house. Everything was official, and now you were leaving.

You got out of the car, and the tears forcefully began to fall.

"I'm really gonna miss you, jerk," you said disdainfully to Daniel.

He chuckled. "I'm going to miss you more."

"Impossible!"

He wiped the fallen tear from your eye, and for a moment, you could see every single multi-coloured speck in his eyes and noticed how sometimes they looked blue, and at others, they looked grey or green.

You noticed the curvature of his smile and the chisel of his jawline.You saw the hurt in his eyes that said, 'why do you have to go? You're killing me,' and wanted to never move from that position.

He continued to rub the tears that fell onto your cheek, and the sad moment was as sheltered as it could be. You felt safe with him, in his arms, just looking at his face and being reminded of how he comforted you in a place that felt as familiar as Oz felt to Dorothy.

"What am I gonna do without you?" you whispered.

"Get at least one acting job, get an assistant and an agent, I'll do the same thing, and then either one of us has our assistants reach out to our agents, so we get back in touch in case we ever lose touch."

He sounded so grave that you couldn't help but laugh. "That's assuming I do become an actress, Daniel."

"You're right," he whined. "But don't forget me."

"I promise."

And you tried to keep that promise. Throughout your first year, you interned at UCLA, working in the lab. You then applied to go to school there, and you still tried to keep Daniel in your mind. Maintaining a social life on campus combined with schoolwork already wasn't easy. However, you still wouldn't let yourself forget your best friend.

It wasn't until you entered your senior year and you were about to graduate that he started to wane in your memories. The things you did together became obsolete as new friends and memories replaced the old. The things he taught you were thrown out to make space for the new lessons you learned each day.

Even when you did become an actress, you never really remembered why you decided to. You remembered that your friend pushed you to do that play, but it was almost ten years ago, and for the life of you, you couldn't remember his name.

But you did do it, first as an extra, then a body double, and then you started getting l roles on smaller shows. But your big break was getting a quasi-lead role on the spin-off of a big television show, The Walking Dead. For two years, you enjoyed going to conventions and playing the complex character, Valeria Bishop, and you thought you had it all figured out.

But life has a funny way of coming full circle and throwing you a curveball that knows you off course and changes your life.

#Daniel Sharman x reader #daniel sharman fic #Daniel Sharman imagine #Daniel Sharman fluff #Daniel Sharman angst #very angsty #ftwd imagine #twd imagine #troy otto imagine #dylan obrien imagine #that last one is for exposure #I have no regrets

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arthursknight · 2 years

Note

ok I love shakespeare and have been meaning to reread some lays/branch out from what I read in school pls tell me where to start/what I need to know

CRACKS KNUCKLES

okay so it really depends on what your tastes are.

if you're an American (or really, anywhere outside of the UK), it is very likely you were not taught the histories, save for maybe richard iii. that is a goddamned shame. Fuck That. yes, the histories contain a lot of... well, history. there's names and places and shit that you probably won't recognise if you haven't been taught it. it will take some research and cursory knowledge for the reading of the plays (though i believe, as with all shakespeare, that if you know how to play the damn thing, then such details are irrelevant and the audience should understand what is happening regardless of their knowledge of context). but the histories contain some of the most gutwrenching portrayals of humanity i have ever seen. these are some hidden fucking gems, dude. which is silly to say bc like. it's shakespeare. the man is arguably the most known writer in the english language. but here i am, the president of the The Histories Are Good, Actually club, and i am telling you. read the histories.

good place to start is the henriad. *the sun shines, angels sing, flowers bloom, etc*

the henriad is the love of my life and yes I will elaborate, but probably later. it comprises of richard ii (my underrated love), henry iv parts i and ii, and henry v. henry iv pt i is, quite literally, my favourite shakespeare play. is it the best? objectively probably not. does it make me absolutely fucking insane? Yes. this is a whole separate post, babes, but the first time i saw henry iv pt i (and, at that time, i was well cemented in my shakespeare knowledge), i literally had to fucking pause my life and consume as much of it as i could. absolutely unbelievable. william, you're crazy for this one!!!!!

ahem.

weakest parts in my opinion are the back half of the henriad-- pt ii is a joke (sorry, will, babes, but. come on) and henry v, while still being about the Love Of My Life, has incredibly great moments and beats and scenes, but it just. it's not part i. you can never be that girl. (i am currently getting flayed as we speak for speaking this treason, esp for someone who literally cries every time they hear the st crispin's day speech)

anyway what were we talking about.

reread romeo and juliet and forget fucking everything any English teacher ever has taught you. i have Strong Opinions on romeo and juliet and in due time you will hear them but. reread it. stop applying any lens to it and just read the damn thing. form your own opinions. do not let Everyone Else's Opinion matter on this.

reread othello and really sink your teeth into why iago is the villain beyond the fact that he's literally called a villain. think about how incredibly radical it was for the villain of a play about a black man was, arguably, its most racist character. (we will have the Shakespeare And Race talk another time.)

reread hamlet just because that shit is a good play. reread macbeth and for the love of God stop taking it so seriously. we get it, it's about murder.

read king lear and let it wrench out your heart when you think about how age and madness can consume the best of us (and fucking shudder at the "let him smell his way to dover" line, jesus)

and read the comedies! the loves of my life! and don't you DARE listen to anything anyone tells you about taming of the shrew without first understanding that the crux of any shakespearean play is the idea of play. just trust me on that one and maybe i will elaborate if you buy me a cuppa.

read much ado. it's the love of my life.

just pick up the works and read. read titus, because it's an early work and it's a silly as fuck play and we all love young William in his Revenge Play era. read the tempest and weep about him being at the end of his life (though we have no real validation it was his last play, it is a later play, and the themes are there). read everything in between.

and, and this is most important

don't you dare listen to a single soul who tells you some posh snot nosed fuck from Oxford, of all places, wrote his plays instead. punch their classist nose right in. they deserve it.

enjoy my dear. i will be here with you to scream.

#duchesschameleon #shakespeare #ask #all about cee #i love u shakespeare.

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winterscaptain · 4 years

Text

an unrivaled force of nature.

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader

a/n: thank you all for taking this ride with me. we’re almost finished, so tell me what you think, how you felt, how you are. i couldn’t do this without you.

words: 3.3k warnings: language, sad

summary: “give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o’er wrought heart and bids it break.” - william shakespeare, macbeth. a eulogy, an offer, a return.

masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | requests closed!

You brush some wayward snow off of Anderson’s coat as he puts his pallbearer gloves on, and one corner of his mouth tips up. “Thanks.”

“Mhmm.”

You have to do something. Staying still and letting your restlessness eat at you right now is not an option.

Will tacitly asks for your help with the little buttons on his pair of gloves, and you secure and smooth them over his wrists. When you’re done, he presses a kiss to your temple before taking his place on the curb.

Derek is crisp and stone-faced, his gloves perfect as he prepares for Haley’s arrival. You cross to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and kissing his cheek. His eyes shut for a second, but otherwise, he doesn’t move.

There’s a tug on the hem of your coat, and you find Jack standing before you. You kneel to his level and needlessly fuss with his collar.

“Are you coming with us?”

You nod. “Yes, my love. I’ll be right there with you and Aunt Jess and Dad.”

He nods and grabs your hand. You keep his fingers tucked into your palm as you stand back up. Aaron’s a little ways off, speaking with the Father before the hearse arrives. You lead Jack to his side, and he absent-mindedly puts a hand on his son’s head.

When you move to give them a little space, Jack holds you fast, so you settle for stepping just off Aaron’s shoulder. Jessica approaches you then, and you hug her with your free arm.

“Thank you for being here,” she whispers. “I know it’s -” Her breath catches. “I know it’s hard.”

You shake your head where it rests on her shoulder. “Anything for you, anything for her.”

She leans back, and you catch Aaron’s final words as the hearse arrives.

“...Thank you, Father. I appreciate it.”

+++

You walk a little in front of Emily, behind Jessica and Aaron. Jack let you go and is walking steadily beside his father. You have no idea where Aaron’s head is, but all you can do is be there, on his six, just like you always are.

The pallbearers set Haley into her place with a reverence that makes you dizzy. Or, maybe that was just the tears already pushing at your eyes or the fact that you couldn’t stomach breakfast.

The Father starts to speak. Jack looks up at you where you stand behind Jessica, and reaches for you. Jess makes some space, and you settle in beside her. Your hand falls to Jack’s shoulder, and Jess tucks her hand into the crook of your arm.

Sooner than you thought possible, Aaron leaves Jess’s other side and pulls his notes from his coat pocket. His hands shake.

“W.S. Gilbert wrote, ‘It's love that makes the world go round.’ And if that's true, then the world spun a little faster with Haley in it.”

How does he always know what to say?

“...Haley was my best friend since we were in high school.”

You’ve thought about it before, and you know you’d think about it again, but the loss of a twenty-five-year friendship makes your heart ache. There’s part of you that wishes you could check out, let your mind drift as you stand in the December chill.

But you can’t. You have to feel this. You need it.

You can’t leave Aaron, Jess, Jack alone in this.

“We certainly had our struggles, but if there's one thing we agreed on unconditionally, it was our love and commitment to our son Jack. Haley's love for Jack was joyous and fierce. That fierceness is why she isn't here today.” He takes a breath. “A mother's love is an unrivaled force of nature.”

He looks around and you meet his eyes. Your sole focus is your breath. He can see it in the cold air, and does his best to match it. It’s your eyes and the eyes of his son keeping him upright today. You nod, and he turns back to his notes.

The whole exchange takes less than a second.

“And we can all learn much from the way Haley lived her life.”

So so much.

“Haley's death causes each of us to stop and take stock of our lives. To measure who we are and what we've become. I don't have all those answers for myself, but I know who Haley was. She was the woman who died protecting the child we brought into this world together. And I will make sure that Jack grows up knowing who his mother was and how she loved and protected him,” he swallows thickly, “and how much I loved her.”

Aaron loves like you’ve never seen before. He’s reserved, quiet about it, but somehow it’s also the most obvious thing about him.

His love is deep and intense and all-consuming.

You see it in the way he watches his son.

You see it in the way he deftly guides victims to safety, making them feel safe on the worst day of their lives.

You see it in the way he takes care of all of you on long days and longer cases, the way he tells you all to get some sleep.

In short, you’ve never once doubted his love for Haley.

You choke back a sob, and you can hear Jess do the same beside you.

He collects himself again. “If Haley were with us today, she would ask us not to mourn her death but to celebrate her life. She would tell us -” His voice breaks along with your heart and he takes another breath.

You can feel Dave shift beside you and you’re not sure what he’s going to do, but you reach for his sleeve, letting go of Jack for just a second. “Let him,” you whisper. He looks at you, nothing but concern in his eyes. You nod. “Let him.”

Dave nods, and you return your hand to Jack’s shoulder.

“She would tell us to love our families unconditionally.” Another crack in his voice, another in your heart. Your tears flow even faster now, your hand shaking where it rests on Jack. “And to hold them close, because in the end, they are all that matter.”

You take stock of your own family. Derek stares straight ahead on the other side of Haley’s casket, but his eyes are misty. JJ is practically a puddle, her lashes wet and blue eyes oddly beautiful - the color brightened by her tears. Emily’s beside her, as is Will with Henry in his arms.

Dave, Spencer, Penelope - all in shambles.

Jessica.

Jack.

Aaron.

Haley.

She’s your family too. You’ll love her for the rest of your life. You’ll love her son. You’ll love her Aaron. You’ll not only love them for yourself, for them, but for her.

Aaron’s right. Family is all that matters.

“I met Haley at the tryouts of our high school's production of The Pirates of Penzance. I found our copy of the play and was looking through it the other night, and I came upon a passage that seemed appropriate for this moment.” He settles himself again with another deep breath. You're proud of him - for breathing, for speaking, for being brave.

You knew there was no way to prepare, but it’s harder than you thought - standing here, listening to Aaron attempt to summarize all that Haley was, is, to him.

Even harder still? Knowing that the last time you spoke to her, embraced her, laughed with her is already behind you.

You look down and your tears fall into the grass. The story of how Haley and Aaron met is one of your favorites. Once, Haley snuck you into the garage and showed you the photos, making you swear that the knowledge will go to your grave.

For you, Haley? Anything. I never need to breathe a word of seventeen-year-old Aaron in tights and a ridiculous hat.

"Oh, dry the glistening tear that dews that martial cheek…”

That’ll be just for us.

“...for, oh, they cannot bear to see their father weep."

+++

“No, not today.” You look across the table at JJ, who stands as her phone rings. “They can’t call us in.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

The next minute or two is tense while you wait for JJ to finish the call. She returns, and you know just by the look on her face you’re not going to like what she has to say.

So, you preempt her. “Tell Strauss they need to send another team.”

She shakes her head. “No other teams available.”

“I’ll get Rossi,” Derek says with a sigh. There’s nothing you can do. He walks out onto the patio and exchanges a few words with Dave and Aaron.

After a minute, Derek and Dave leave Aaron out on the patio. He turns, looking at all of you through the window for a moment before turning his back, resting his elbows against the stone balustrade.

You gather your things, following Emily out into the main foyer, but you lose your breath along the way, your shoulders sinking and your eyes dropping to the floor. Will places a soft hand in the middle of your back.

“You alrigh’?”

You shake your head, pulling a sharp inhale in an effort to keep your tears at bay, and he catches JJ’s wrist. She looks back for just a moment before reaching forward for Derek, tugging a little on his sleeve.

Your acting unit chief turns around, a softness in his dark eyes. The rest of the team is staring at you. An overwhelming feeling of weakness, almost humiliation, falls over you.

Why can they leave him and I can’t?

Derek heaves a sigh and says, “Five minutes,” gesturing with the tiniest dip of his chin. The rest of the team follows him out like a pack of well-trained ducklings. JJ’s hand runs down your arm as she passes, and Will presses a kiss to the side of your head.

Sometimes, you think, Will is a better man than any of you deserve.

You send him a silent thanks and turn on your heel, almost jogging out into the cool night air. It’s more than kind of Derek to release you for even a moment - he doesn’t have to, but you know the role is wearing on him.

The more time you get with Hotch, he figures, the faster he can come back to work.

Aaron hasn’t moved by the time you reach him. You breeze to his side, only slightly out of breath. His scotch sits untouched in front of him, but you can’t fault him for that. Today is not the kind of day that can be blunted by alcohol.

You’re quiet for what feels like a long time, just sharing space with one another.

“You should go,” he says. “The team needs you.”

“I -” You cut yourself off, afraid of sharing too much. There’s so much you could say, so much you need to say. Both to him and to Haley.

You miss her. Even when she was in WITSEC, there was the hope that one day she would be home, ready to greet you with a wide, crooked smile and, if you were lucky, a laugh.

That hope is gone and with it, parts of your life you never thought you’d lose.

Fuck it. Nothing you can say will be wrong.

“I wanted to be with you for another minute before we left.”

Aaron’s quiet, but his shoulders drop just the smallest amount. “Thank you.”

You tip your head to the side, letting it rest on the edge of his shoulder. I wish we didn’t have to leave you.

I know, his sigh says. It’s okay.

Tears spring into your eyes again without prompting. It seems your heart has been breaking since Hotch’s voice first wavered in his eulogy. The grief radiating off him in waves only amplifies your own.

There’s a thickness in his voice as he speaks again. “She really liked you, you know. She -” He clears his throat, a useless endeavor. “She loved you.”

A little smile pulls at your lips and tears leave your eyes - just two - without your permission. “I know.” Quietly, you add, “I love her, too.” The past tense is too painful, so you keep her with you in the present.

“She trusts you with Jack. Always has.” He huffs a humorless laugh. “Can’t even say that for myself.”

There’s nothing you can say to that, but you shake your head. An inaudible, “Yes you can,” leaves you. You know he hears it - the little smile that pulls at the corner of his mouth tells you as much.

Belatedly, you realize it’s probably been more than five minutes, but you can’t bring yourself to care.

“Can I ask you for something?”

You lean back, looking him in the eye. “Anything.”

“Can you -” He stops, his lip quivering and tears pushing at his eyes. He swallows, his jaw tight, as he collects himself enough to speak without losing it. “Can you help me keep my promise?”

Your brow tugs in the middle. “Which one?”

“All of them,” he says. “I want Jack to know -” He can’t finish, but you watch him. He knows you understand. “I also promised to spend the rest of my life making up for…” He gestures vaguely. “...this.”

You reach toward him, pressing a fervent kiss to his cheek before hooking your chin over his shoulder. You cling desperately to his coat, knowing if you hurt him, he’ll tell you.

He returns your embrace, locking his arms around your back. A whisper leaves you. “Of course.” Now that you’re pressed against him, you’re not sure if you’re shaking or he is, but you only hold him tighter to stem it.

There are no other words exchanged between you as you pull away and meet his eyes. You needlessly smooth his collar.

When you make your way to the door, you turn over your shoulder once more. He’s watching you. “See you when we get home.”

He nods. Be safe.

You offer him the smallest of smiles. Always.

+++

It’s the middle of the night when your phone rings. You answer it before looking, your last name rough as it leaves your mouth.

“It’s Hotch.” His voice is just more than a whisper, but of course, you’d know it anywhere.

You sit up straight in bed, rubbing your eyes. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Is Jack alright?”

There’s a sigh. “Nothing. I’m...fine. Jack’s asleep here with me, but I just…” He pauses. “I just needed to know you’re okay.”

The tension leaves you as relief floods your system. “Yeah. I’m okay. We’re sleeping in shifts. I’m back on in,” you check the clock on the bedside table, “four hours.”

“Ah,” he says. “I’ll let you sleep then.”

You know he’s about to hang up, but you stop him. “Hotch, wait.”

There’s silence on the other end of the phone, so you can only hope he’s listening.

“If you want to stay on for a little while, I can’t promise I’ll stay up, but you don’t have to hang up.”

A heavy exhale sounds in your ear. “Really?”

“Yeah.” You tuck yourself back into bed. “I can talk about nothing, if you want. I’m no Spencer, but I’ve picked up a few of his tricks.”

“Alright,” he says with a quiet laugh. “I don't want to keep you up, but -”

“Oh, please. Let someone take care of you for once, would you?”

There’s a huff followed by silence, so you take your cue. You tell him all about the drive out to the crime scene today - it was a gorgeous, winding road through the Tennessee mountains. There was plenty of snow and the air was crisp and cold.

You skip over the case details, just describing the landscape as best you can. Your yawns come faster than your words after a while, and you figure it’s time to check in.

“Hotch?”

There’s a little shuffle on the other end of the line, and a little hum. That’s good enough for you.

“Goodnight, Aaron.”

Another hum. “Night, sweetheart,” he slurs.

You know he’s barely conscious, but that doesn’t deter the adrenaline rush. You manage a, “Sleep well. I’ll text you in the morning,” before hanging up. You stare at the dark screen of your phone for a moment. The dark is the only thing there to hear your whisper. It listens.

“I love you.”

+++

There’s another call in the late afternoon. You step out to take it. Derek hardly takes a second glance at you as he and the rest of the team continue working.

“Aaron?”

“Hey,” he says. “Strauss just left.”

Your brow crinkles. “What?”

“We did have a meeting scheduled, but she came to the house so I wouldn’t have to take Jack to the office or leave him here.”

“That was...generous.” It was hard to find the word, but you got there eventually.

He sighs. “Yeah, I thought so too.”

“So, what’s up?”

I know you’re not calling me without reason so just spit it out.

“She offered me retirement. Full pension, full benefits.”

Your heart drops and you try to hide the anxiety in your voice. You’re not sure it works. (From his end of the phone, it doesn’t.) “Are you going to take it?”

“That’s the thing -”

You check the team on the other side of the window. Derek taps his watch, and you nod.

“- Jess offered to take Jack whenever I’m away. She wants to.”

You’re speechless. You can’t say you’re surprised, knowing Jess as you do, but it's so big. She’s basically becoming a mother overnight. “Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“Aaron, I’m so sorry -”

“- Get back to the case. I just wanted to tell you because...I don’t know. I’m gonna sleep on it and then figure it out in the morning.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” You check the time. “Kiss Jack goodnight for me, will you?”

“Of course. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” You hang up, neither one of you stuck on pretenses of politeness anymore. You slip back into the room with an apologetic glance at Derek.

Spencer looks back at you. Hotch?

You wave him off. Later.

+++

You're antsy to get off the plane, your knee bouncing, and your lip between your teeth. With Derek’s permission, you fly out of the office like a bat out of hell in the afternoon light, trying to make it before the sun sets.

You know exactly where to find him.

Parking the car, you step out and button your coat against the chill. He’s visible from here, on the bench, with his elbows resting on his knees and his head bowed.

You don’t know this, but of course, he knows you’re coming. He’s not surprised when you sit beside him. He offers you a hand and you take it.

“Have you told her, yet?”

There’s an almost-smile on his face, closer to something you recognize than anything the week prior. “Told her what?”

“That you’re coming back to us. That this team, this work, is who you are?”

His eyes are trained on the temporary marker as he replies. “You know I don’t have to tell her. She already knows.”

You look at him for a second, studying his profile. “I’m proud of you.”

He looks at you, almost doubtful.

With the smallest of smiles, you add, “She’s proud of you, too.” At another questioning glance: “She told me as much, last spring. She’s so proud of you, Aaron.”

He nods with a deliberate slowness and turns his gaze back to Haley. He squeezes your hand.

You squeeze back.

+++

tagging: @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @agenthotchner @hurricanejjareau @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts @shrimpyblog @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @good-heavens-chris-evans @davidrossi-ismydad @angelsbabey @writefasttalkevenfaster @venusbarnes @hotchsflower @ogmilkis @marvels-agents100 @hotchslatte @risenfox @mrs-dr-reid @captain-christopher-pike @dwellingsofrosie @pan-pride-12 @sunshine-em @word-scribbless @jdougl-love @sageellsworth05 @dreila03 @forgottenword @aaronhotchnerr @ssa-morgan @buckybau @sana-li @tegggeeee @abschaffer2 @ssacandice-ray @ellyhotchner @lotties-journey-abroad @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @laneygthememequeen @violentvulgarvolatile @mooneylupinblack @ssareidbby @violet-amxthyst @bwbatta @roses-and-grasses @lcvischmitt @capricorngf @missdowntonabbey @averyhotchner @mandylove1000 @cevanswhre @qvid-pro-qvo @jeor @spencers-hoodrat @infinity1321 @zizzlekwum @popped-weasels @evee87 @nuvoleincielo @this-broken-band-girl @reidtomestyles @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @winqhster @spencerelds @the-falling-in-the-danger @nattylite49 @crazyshannonigans @softbibxtch @iconicc

#aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #hotch #tali writes fanfiction #tali talks cm #a joyful future #shut up tali #a joyful future fanfic

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splitting-infinities · 3 years

Text

jonah’s stream of consciousness in MAG 193 - an analysis

I’m prepared to be proven wrong, of course, but I’d like to think think what Jonah is saying in the background of 193 is plot relevant.

The fact that there’s no punctuation means we could split the words in the wall of text (to a degree) any way we want to get a meaning. So because I’m extra, I decided to treat this like I would with a long poem, and picked a section to analyze in literary tidbits with commentary.

I assert the following excerpt is (or will be) about Martin, specifically how he might need to kill Jon at the end of S5.

upon the door is written not his name but words that mean no more to him than jumbled symbols twisting in the edges of his sight

So, a large portion of the Lonely in MAG 159 and 186 was dedicated to questioning how well Martin knows/loves Jon, and how well Martin knows himself. Does anyone know Martin, really? Throughout the show people seem to think Martin’s along for the ride, Jon’s plus one, a valet, an associate. There’s a constant theme in TMA of Martin not being understood, and of Martin not understanding right back (he’s trying to go with all of Jon’s statement stuff this season but it’s clear he can’t really ever fully get it).

For me, this part also conjures an image of s1 Martin standing outside the door to his inscrutable boss’s office with a cup of tea, wondering if he should knock.

Alternatively, we know that the fearpocalypse in 160 was ushered in by Jon opening a door. I’d hazard a guess that Martin might be the one to close that door, which could be what the line refers to here. But why would Martin do it and not Jon? ...yeah.

that tries to focus on the emptiness around him but the mist that curls its bitter weeping ache around his legs that bristle up with shivered gooseflesh stained with red

again, a callback to the Lonely

that’s not his blood

whose blood

he bled but this is not from him

a question, a concerned reaction. If it’s not Martin’s blood, whose blood is this?!

and yet he knows he loved this blood when once it beat within a heart that joined to his through choice or circumstance

It’s Jon’s blood.

Attributing the evolution of his and Martin’s relationship to choice OR circumstance is some heavy stuff. Is it both? Would they choose each other if things had been different? Would things be different if they hadn’t chosen each other? Do those answers matter?

but now it stains his weeping edges scarlet

gloating now of all the butchered ugly fates

Getting some serious Macbeth vibes from all the blood and fates here...

that might already have befallen what you still might boast he loves

The use of what here rather than he is interesting. Jon’s musings on his own humanity are the crux of the later seasons of TMA, but what about Martin’s humanity?

He has his own domain, he’s aligned with Jon/the Eye, and is somewhat immune to the fearpocalypse. He was well on his way to Lonely Avatar status even before this, and though Jon’s inhumanity crisis takes the front seat in seasons 4/5, there’s probably a part of Martin having the exact same struggle, just silently.

Nevertheless, the use of boast here sounds like both Jon and Martin are proud of the fact that the other loves that part of them anyway.

The defiance of love in the face of fear in the TMA universe is another post I already wrote, but it’s worth repeating here.

at hands that might be moved by others or that might just now be his

Jon’s fear of the Web and fear of being manipulated into his actions is another key aspect of TMA, and it’s clearly still a factor as we approach the finale. We have yet to find out what Annabelle’s big plan is, but based on her statement earlier in the show, there’s a fundamental question for Jon specifically about whether his actions are his own, or if he’s been a puppet the whole time.

Whatever Martin’s own relationship (or lack thereof) to the Web might be, it might be worth remembering Martin seems to keep being the wrinkle in the plans (as with the dog incident, his CV getting him into the Archives, his burning of statements in S3, and his choice to prevent Peter from winning the S4 wager). How much does Martin control his own role in all of this? Has he been manipulated here for the sole purpose of eliminating Jon?

If Martin does end up having to kill Jon and usher in that butchered ugly fate, will that even be his choice? And what would he prefer, if given the option:

Would knowing he was being manipulated assuage his guilt and grief?

Does choosing to do it on his own mean he honored the promise he made Jon in the tunnels in 191?

what have you done what have you done what have you done what have you done

whatever happens to Jon at Martin’s hands would probably stir that kind of reaction. Like, this part’s pretty self-explanatory; TMA sure is a tragedy horror podcast isn’t it :(

#tma #the magnus archives #tma spoilers #tma season 5 #jonmartin #tma 193 #tma meta #it's sad hours y'all #big long analysis

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myspacerocks · 3 years

Text

You Are My Reason

“Hang our banners on the outer walls! Let them come. Our strength will outlast any siege they try!” Macbeth paced about his throne room, his eyes wide and wild. “They’ll starve before they crack us open like an egg!” His voice boomed off the marble stone. “We’ll kill them all if it comes to combat.” A scream tore through the halls, making everyone present freeze. A woman shouted, another wailed, then all was silent. “What is that noise?” Macbeth growled and turned to the servant standing by. Seyton, his loyal butler, stepped forward and bowed low before the king of Scotland.

“It is the cry of women, my Lord.” He explained, looking at his king through his black brows.

“Find the reason!” Macbeth bellowed. Seyton didn’t even flinch as he left, casting one glance behind at his perturbed King.

“I had almost forgotten the feel of fear,” Macbeth muttered as he turned towards his throne. “Long ago I might have feared a scream like that, but now I feel nothing. My thoughts bring worse sounds than this.” He sat. “Such a sound will not frighten me.” Seyton returned and approached the throne. “What was the noise?” Macbeth commanded. Seyton straightened and looked his King in the eye.

“The queen, my Lord, is dead.” The court fell silent. Macbeth stood.

“What?” He asked, his voice still and level.

“The queen is dead.” Seyton repeated.

“I heard you the first time!” Macbeth cried, slamming his fist on the throne. Seyton didn’t flinch when everyone else did. Without warning, Macbeth leapt from his dias and charged out, pushing aside soldiers and courtesans, until he reached the crowd of maids in an outer hall. They were weeping, one was still trying to revive the queen.

Macbeth shoved them out of his way. He heard a crack and a small cry of pain when he threw the woman still touching his wife against the wall. “Leave!” He swept around, brandishing his sword at the hovering maids. They scattered. Once he was alone, he fell to his knees and grasped his wife’s face.

“Gruoch?” He whispered, brushing her cheek with a gentle thumb. “Gruoch, wake up.” She didn’t stir. Her eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. Their fire gone out. “You could have died later,” Macbeth groaned, leaning his forehead to touch hers. “There would have been a time for that.” His voice broke, a ragged sob tore from his throat. “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day, forever and ever.” His lip trembled as he somehow found the strength to speak. “We have lighted the way to dusty death for so many fools.” He shook his head against hers, tears spilling onto her face, her beautiful, dead face. “Out, out brief candle. Without you, life is full of shadows and I, a poor player who does nothing but the will of the fates and then is nothing. This tale is told by an idiot. It means nothing.”

His heart pounded. He wanted to be angry, but suddenly he could feel nothing but aching loss. There was a hole where his wife had been. Nothing but the memory remained. He pressed his hand to her heart and wept when he felt nothing.

“My heart is beating, Gruoch.” He murmured. “And my hands are shaking.” His lungs heaved as more sobs forced their way out. “You are the reason for everything I’ve ever done. Please,” He cried. “Please come back. I’d climb every mountain and swim every ocean. Just to be with you and fix what I’ve broken. I need you, Gruoch. I need you.” He buried his face in her bosom, taking in the smell of her that was slowly turning sour. “I would give up everything if I could turn back the clock. I’d fix it all and spend every waking hour keeping you safe.” He lifted his head and kissed her unmoving lips. “Come back!” He shook her in a fit of anger and collapsed over her. “I have nothing if I don’t have you at my side.”

That was it. He had nothing else to give. He cried and cried and cried until there were no tears left in his body. His wife was his light, she was everything. He remembered their whole life together: from poor to rich, grief to joy, sickness and health, cherishing each other til-

Until death do us part.

#macbeth #lady macbeth #shakespeare #fanfiction #tragedy #hurt but no comfort #you are the reason #calum scott

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gpsoftun · 3 years

Text

Is there a secret memo floating around? What is it, Bring Your Contempt to Work Day? And by day I mean the last year or more. Employers are starved for new hires yet keep giving them every reason not to sign on. These higher-ups need to realize that they can't just-

😁😀 My favorite night watchman.

Goliath: Sunset could not come soon enough, your grace. I know there have been many changes for you, even since we last saw each other a few months back.

ATG: I'm still trying to get my.... Everything together.

Goliath: Yes, I know. But remember, you've already come so far from those nights my clan and I spent safeguarding you.

ATG: Only way I could sleep. Though I still don't know how you guys were able to care about me or the rest of my species after what was done to you.

Goliath: Are you wondering about that for my clan or yourself?

ATG: More and more that last thing. I can't find it fulfilling anymore. Not with what's going on all around.

Goliath: I remember with full clarity the injustice heaped upon my kind. Back then, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness; a world of fear.

ATG: Now, hysteria and cancel culture rule. Darkness and fear don't begin to describe it.

Goliath: Slumber throughout the day. A warrior come night.

ATG: Slumber if I was lucky.

Goliath: You've been betrayed by the very humans you swore to protect. They left you frozen, all but completely immobilized. Your own body became a prison for unrelenting thoughts with no means of relief. Now, in your new village, the spell is broken. At last, you're alive again

ATG: ..... Okay, first Peter Venkman, now you. Where are you guys getting these prophet powers?

Goliath: I believe that's one question above our collective understanding.

ATG: What about this one- Has the spell really been broken?

Goliath: Something certainly has. And it isn't you. You're trying to make sense of things the same way my clan and I had to once our eyes opened again after so long. The others had an easier time transitioning. It took me longer to find purpose.

ATG: What I thought gave me purpose only ended up hurting me.

Goliath: Yet the humans to which you pledged your allegiance could not be bothered to show you the bare minimum of compassion or gratitude. They hold their furnishings in higher regards. Once essential, they now deem you expendable.

ATG: I'm so sick of it, Goliath.

Goliath: No one can blame you for that. Only remember what you've emphasized many times. Respect for life. Don't let the wickedness in some spur you to give up on them all. Life is worth protecting, Princess.

ATG: Yes, it is. But I don't think I'm doing that these days. It all feels so superficial.

Goliath: If one industry is too laced with corruption, pursue another. Your passion is wounded, not defeated. Use that to reach out and connect with people everywhere. Make them your new protectorate.

ATG: Like you guys did with Manhattan.... And Japan, England, Egypt- wow, that Avalon World Tour was long.

Goliath: Recent explorer Christopher Columbus did not sail to such lengths.

ATG: 😏.... Recent?

Goliath: One thousand years, child. These United States are infantile next to me.

ATG: ☺ Thanks, Goliath. You still always know what to say.

Goliath: Which reminds me.... *removes sealed envelope from his waste belt pouch* A 'fellow new yorker' asked me to pass this along to you.

ATG: *Opens it and removes the folded paper within* Who?....

Goliath: I've been sworn to stone silence.

ATG: *Reads*

'A joy all too short but oh so sweet

You lay shattered and alone to weep

Burning tears that refused to seep

If it is restoration you still seek

First see the monarch from the peak

Part of your heart he forever shall keep

Who taught the blemish a lesson so bleak

What you sow is what you reap'...... Oookay.

Goliath: I take it the monarch in question isn't referring to Macbeth?

ATG: Actually.... I'm pretty sure he's more like Hamlet 😊

#disney's gargoyles #gargoyles #goliath #keith david #macbeth #john rhys davies #hamlet #found family feels #pro man #platonic love #reap what you sow #respect for life

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princesssarisa · 4 years

Text

from @cinefantasticquemitho, for the fictional character asks: Juliet Capulet

@cinefantastiquemitho accidentally answered my ask as a private message instead of a post, so I’m copying and pasting her answer here.

Favorite thing about them: The apeal of Juliet is that she is one of the earliest examples of a young rebel being portrayed positively in western literature. She lives in a world that was screwed over by the violence of the adults around her, and is one of the few people in the story who is inteligent anough to not see this violence as something natural, and question it. Another interesting element of Juliet is that, troughout the play, she learns to be very cunning and witty. Now usually, this characteristics (specially in a female character) would be portrayed as the start of a path to villany, where a character would use them to gain power over the unhapiness of others (think of Tamora and Aaron the Moor, the Macbeths, Richard III, Iago and Edmond). But in Juliet’s writing, she is still the heroine of the story, who as a young woman in the Renaissance, is justified to use cunning and witty as a means of trying to survive and find happiness for her and Romeo, the person she loves, in a world where she lacks power. And this cunning and witty, contrary to the most popular belief, does not contradict her loialty, with is another important characteristic that she shows in relation to her beloved husband Romeo.

Least favorite thing about them: Actually, i don’t have a least favorite thing about Juliet herself. In reality, when i was young and was only familiar with the play trough parodies in pop culture, without actually having readed or watched the play properly, i disliked a caricature of Juliet, that stereotyped her as just “a cute girl who is there to suffer”. Later, when i actually readed and watched montages of the play online, i saw that this wasn’t at all the actual character that Shakespeare wrote.

Favorite line:

So many, is hard to choose just one.

“My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy”.

“Ay me!

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself”.

“ O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Do not swear at all; Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, Which is the god of my idolatry, And I’ll believe thee”.

“The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse; In half an hour she promised to return. Perchance she cannot meet him: that’s not so. O, she is lame! love’s heralds should be thoughts, Which ten times faster glide than the sun’s beams, Driving back shadows over louring hills: Therefore do nimble-pinion’d doves draw love, And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings. Now is the sun upon the highmost hill Of this day’s journey, and from nine till twelve Is three long hours, yet she is not come. Had she affections and warm youthful blood, She would be as swift in motion as a ball; My words would bandy her to my sweet love, And his to me: But old folks, many feign as they were dead; Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead”.

“Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Brags of his substance, not of ornament: They are but beggars that can count their worth; But my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth”.

“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Towards Phoebus’ lodging: such a wagoner As Phaethon would whip you to the west, And bring in cloudy night immediately. Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, That runaway’s eyes may wink and Romeo Leap to these arms, untalk’d of and unseen. Lovers can see to do their amorous rites By their own beauties; or, if love be blind, It best agrees with night. Come, civil night, Thou sober-suited matron, all in black, And learn me how to lose a winning match, Play’d for a pair of stainless maidenhoods: Hood my unmann’d blood, bating in my cheeks, With thy black mantle; till strange love, grown bold, Think true love acted simple modesty. Come, night; come, Romeo; come, thou day in night; For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night Whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow’d night, Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun. O, I have bought the mansion of a love, But not possess’d it, and, though I am sold, Not yet enjoy’d: so tedious is this day As is the night before some festival To an impatient child that hath new robes And may not wear them”.

“O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather’d raven! wolvish-ravening lamb! Despised substance of divinest show! Just opposite to what thou justly seem'st, A damned saint, an honourable villain! O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell, When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend In moral paradise of such sweet flesh? Was ever book containing such vile matter So fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell In such a gorgeous palace”!

“Blister’d be thy tongue For such a wish! he was not born to shame: Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit; For 'tis a throne where honour may be crown’d Sole monarch of the universal earth. O, what a beast was I to chide at him!

Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?

Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name, When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it? But, wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have kill’d my husband: Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring; Your tributary drops belong to woe, Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy. My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain; And Tybalt’s dead, that would have slain my husband: All this is comfort; wherefore weep I then? Some word there was, worser than Tybalt’s death, That murder’d me: I would forget it fain; But, O, it presses to my memory, Like damned guilty deeds to sinners’ minds: 'Tybalt is dead, and Romeo—banished;’ That 'banished,’ that one word 'banished,’ Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt’s death Was woe enough, if it had ended there: Or, if sour woe delights in fellowship And needly will be rank’d with other griefs, Why follow’d not, when she said 'Tybalt’s dead,’ Thy father, or thy mother, nay, or both, Which modern lamentations might have moved? But with a rear-ward following Tybalt’s death, 'Romeo is banished,’ to speak that word, Is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, All slain, all dead. 'Romeo is banished!’ There is no end, no limit, measure, bound, In that word’s death; no words can that woe sound”.

“It is, it is: hie hence, be gone, away! It is the lark that sings so out of tune, Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps. Some say the lark makes sweet division; This doth not so, for she divideth us: Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes, O, now I would they had changed voices too! Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray, Hunting thee hence with hunt’s-up to the day, O, now be gone; more light and light it grows”.

“ Art thou gone so? love, lord, ay, husband, friend! I must hear from thee every day in the hour, For in a minute there are many days: O, by this count I shall be much in years Ere I again behold my Romeo”!

“Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again. I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins, That almost freezes up the heat of life: I’ll call them back again to comfort me: Nurse! What should she do here? My dismal scene I needs must act alone. Come, vial. What if this mixture do not work at all? Shall I be married then to-morrow morning? No, no: this shall forbid it: lie thou there. [Laying down her dagger] What if it be a poison, which the friar Subtly hath minister’d to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour’d, Because he married me before to Romeo? I fear it is: and yet, methinks, it should not, For he hath still been tried a holy man. How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? there’s a fearful point! Shall I not, then, be stifled in the vault, To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes? Or, if I live, is it not very like, The horrible conceit of death and night, Together with the terror of the place,— As in a vault, an ancient receptacle, Where, for these many hundred years, the bones Of all my buried ancestors are packed: Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth, Lies festering in his shroud; where, as they say, At some hours in the night spirits resort;— Alack, alack, is it not like that I, So early waking, what with loathsome smells, And shrieks like mandrakes’ torn out of the earth, That living mortals, hearing them, run mad:— O, if I wake, shall I not be distraught, Environed with all these hideous fears? And madly play with my forefather’s joints? And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud? And, in this rage, with some great kinsman’s bone, As with a club, dash out my desperate brains? O, look! methinks I see my cousin’s ghost Seeking out Romeo, that did spit his body Upon a rapier’s point: stay, Tybalt, stay! Romeo, I come! this do I drink to thee”.

“Yea, noise? then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! [Snatching ROMEO’s dagger] This is thy sheath; [Stabs herself] there rust, and let me die”.

brOTP: In the plays actual text, we see her being great friends and partners with the Nurse, and get some insinuations that Tybalt, her cousin, was also a very close friend to her. The TV series Still Star Crossed gaved to her a close friendship with her cousin Rosaline, what i apreciate very, very much. And i also like to imagine that in a Everybody Lives!AU she would be very close friends with Benvolio Montague.

OTP: With Romeo Montague.

nOTP: With Count Paris and/or Tybalt Capulet.

Random headcanon: 1. Her favorite colors are red, orange, white and gold; 2. Her favorite story from greek mithology is Eros and Psyche; 3. Her favorite fairy tale is Jack and the Beanstalk; 4. In a Modern Day Everybody Lives!AU Juliet graduates in Philosophy, Psychology and Social Services and becomes a social worker, focused on atend teenage girls and women living at risk of suffering abuse or on abusive situations/child attorney. For more details about it, here is the link for the list of ideas about a Happy Ending Modern Day! AU made in collaboration with @giuliettaluce :

https://cinefantastiquemitho.tumblr.com/post/617097864129200128/modern-headcanon-romeo-and-juliet

Unpopular Opinion: Well, i like some elements of the Zefirelli 1968 movie adaptation: the costumes are beautifull to look at, Nino Rota’s score is the worlds eight wonder of an icon, the casting choice (specially of Leonard Whiting and Olívia Hussey as Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, respectivelly) is pretty spot on… Buuuut: with the cutting of lines like the “Gallop apace” soliloquy, the lines where she reflects, deduces and concludes that Tybalt started the fight against Romeo with the intention of killing him and the “Potion” soliloquy, i think it reduced a lot of the huge inteligence that Juliet actually has, and with its extremely huge popularity it ended up contributing with the pop culture stereotyped idea that Juliet is just a “cute girl who is there to suffer”.

Song i associate with them: Flor, Minha Flor, by Grupo Galpão de Teatro (from the soundtrack of my favorite Romeo and Juliet montage)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koIO15cI-8Y

And Nino Rota’s What is a Youth, from the 1968 Franco Zefirelli film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VsgolqoeJw

Favorite picture of them:

#cinefantastiquemitho #fictional character ask #romeo and juliet #juliet #other people's writing

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