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Act I
Aug 15, 2010 19:14:54 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 15, 2010 19:14:54 GMT -5
[[ooc: Mkay, so, I guess it's just a matter of whether we should divide the threads by act or scene. If we did it by scene, there would be more threads and we would look more impressive durrhurr, but whatever works. sob. I am not entirely sure what year/time period Midsummer is supposed to be set in. But considering the fact the piano has been around since...the 1700's, I think, let's just assume it's set then. :U So I'm going to use my book as a reference, just because this is the story of my life. Some of the posts will be rough translations of the dialogue and some of them will just be actual RPing. B-but if you, or anyone else, for that matter, has a question, I can probably answer it. D8 THIS TOOK TWO HOURS TO WRITE. DEDICATION]] It was late afternoon, crawling into evening, and the activity in the city of Athens had calmed down slightly. Roderich was faintly aware of the pedestrians and carriages below his window, but only faintly; he was more distracted by the room he stood in, surrounded by bustling servants who were for once not entirely focused on him. It had been busy as of late; nuptial plans had been taking over most of the life of the place, and especially the life of him. Under any other circumstance, he was certain, four days would have been the shortest amount of time, just a few short, mindless hours. He'd told himself things would move smoothly, quickly, but since he couldn't lie convincingly, even to himself, they didn't.
So, of course, he decided, the best thing he could do was vent. His fingers itched for ivory keys, but of course a piano was nowhere in sight. The Austrian turned, with a weak smile, and called out the name "Hungary" a bit less soft than what he had intended, but at least it was audible.
"Now, Hungary," he began, crossing his arms and calling out Elizaveta's name--or. at least the name he was to refer to her as for the time being. "Our wedding day will be soon be here; four happy days from now a new moon rises." He spoke languidly, perhaps in a slightly theatrical way, but he was often slightly theatrical in the way he spoke in the first place. "But how slowly this old moon wanes," he commented lightly, glancing off at the window and becoming promptly disappointed upon seeing it wasn't dark out yet. "It makes time drag."
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Act I
Aug 15, 2010 21:33:48 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on Aug 15, 2010 21:33:48 GMT -5
[[ooc: I am using MIT's online copy of Midsummer because I don't own a book of the play. ;; And, ah, I'll do the same thing with dialogue. Scenes would make me feel important, yes, but I'm not sure how long the threads would get if we only went to scenes. :/ Let's see if I remember anything from my freshman English class on the subject of translating Shakespeare.
I RESPECT YOUR DEDICATION. RESPECT. And...it's taken me about two hours to write this. Wow.]]
Elizaveta had intended to bake a linzer torte that afternoon, but she became lazy after returning from the market with a half-peck of apricots. Instead of making the torte, she retreated to one of the palace rooms and sat on the windowsill, eating the fruit as she watched seagulls. They were boring creatures, and not very bright, either; they saw the apricots and failed to realize that there was a glass pane between them and the fruit. She counted egy, kettö, három, négy, öt gulls crash into the window. After the fifth one she entertained the idea of opening the window and smacking the next thing that came for the apricots with her frying pan. Unfortunately--fortunately for the seagulls of Athens--Roderich called her name before the sixth could approach. She slid off the sill, with the apricot basket in her arms, and walked into the room currently occupied by her fiancé, hearing every word he said.
"But," she said, approaching him with long, smooth steps, "days quickly become nights, and nights pass quickly because you're dreaming the whole time. And then the moon on our wedding night will rise like it was shot from a silver bow in the heavens." My inner poet shining through, lovely, how stupidly lovely. For quite a while she had prided herself on being decidedly un-feminine, and even now she still felt that she was above talking like that, although it seemed to be the natural response to Roderich's theatrical discourse. She smiled at him but that expression quickly faded; she reached into the basket and took out a fruit, offering it to him. "Care for an apricot, Austria?"
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Act I
Aug 16, 2010 20:28:45 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 16, 2010 20:28:45 GMT -5
[[ooc: Pffft, we forgot Philostrate. We can just make him be some random person. :U I am just going to auto slightly in an attempt to avoid all those "whatshisface stepped forward" things. Jeez, it was harder to write this than it should be. BUT DEDICATION. Oh, and did you see the latest Hetalia episode? It's about the Anglo-Japanese alliance. <3 ]]
Roderich smiled--a rare expression from him--and took the fruit with a nod, turning it over in his hands a few times and wondering vaguely when it was she'd bought them. Disregarding it, he turned towards his page, Philostrate, his unusually cheery mood staying intact instead of fading, which was what usually happened. "Go, Philostrate." He spoke a bit more casually than he usually did, but was still articulate and authoritative. "Get the youth of Athens in a merry mood; we want no dreary companions at our nuptials." He then turned back to his fiancé, speaking in the most sincere tone he could muster. "Hungary, I wooed you as a conqueror, and won your love by defeating you. But I will marry you in a different manner -- with spectacle, with festivity, and rejoicing." And with this, he reached out to kiss the other's hand. He froze after a moment, realizing others were behind him. And when he turned, he immediately cringed at the tall, big-boned Russian man--by the name of Ivan--standing in front of two slightly younger and smaller men. At the side stood a silver-haired Prussian, causing him to cringe yet again. Nonetheless, he stepped forward, silently greeting all four.
"All happiness to Austria, our distinguished Duke," he said, somehow injecting a cheerful tone into his generally icy, heavy accented-voice.
"Thanks, good Ivan," he replied, his tone softening slightly in belief that the Russian was in one of his rare good moods. "How are things with you?"
Of course, at this question, he snapped; Ivan's temporarily soft eyes turned into cold steel. "I have come to you in distress, furious with my good son Lithuania." At that, he sent a poisonous glance in Toris's direction. "Prussia, step forward." With that, he sent a glare in Gilbert's direction, then smiling towards Toris, before going on. "My noble lord, this man has consent to marry him." Roderich paused after Ivan said this; did the Russian really want his son to be miserable with someone like Gilbert? "Poland, step forward." His tone was icy, but Feliks was not even slightly fazed by him as he moved forward; he was one of the rare people who wasn't afraid of the man.
"This one, my gracious Duke, has infatuated him. You, Poland--you!--have given him poems, and exchanged love-tokens with my child. You have serenaded his window by moonlight, singing songs of so-called love." He was rambling now, and Roderich contemplated trying to calm him down, but decided to avoid one of Ivan's frequent bouts of serious anger. "You've turned his head with bracelets made from your hair, and rings, and ribbons, presents, candies -- all very influential with the immature. Very cleverly you've turned his heart and turned the obedience I'm entitled to into stubborn resistance. And, my gracious Duke, if he will not agree -- here, in front of your grace -- to marry Prussia, then I beg my ancient Athenian right. As he is my son, I can decide his fate. He shall either marry this gentleman or she shall die, according to the law applicable in these cases."
To this Feliks simply furrowed his eyebrows, stepping closer to the Lithuanian and exchanging confused, slightly oblivious glances with him, muttering: "...Like, what?"
Roderich sighed, crossing his arms and looking over Ivan carefully, before turning his violet gaze towards Toris. "What do you say to this, Lithuania? I'll give you a word of advice. To you, your father should be like a god; he gave you your beauty. Indeed, to him you are like a figure he has stamped in wax, his to let be or destroy. Prussia is a worthy gentleman." He added that last sentence for the sake of pleasing Ivan; in fact, he held a deep hatred for Gilbert, and he knew Toris was aware of this.
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Act I
Aug 16, 2010 21:49:41 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on Aug 16, 2010 21:49:41 GMT -5
[[ooc: I literally just watched the episode. It was lovely. <3 The way England and Japan met is romantic in a bizarre way, don't you think?
The colors of my post are striped like the Bulgarian flag. ;∀; /shot]]
Elizaveta first went very red, embarrassed at having been engaged in such a violent manner to such a gentleman. After Ivan began speaking, however, she started smiling with faint amusement, although she did her best to try and hide this; she recognized the importance of the matter. But she had to take a bite of an apricot to hide her laughter when Gilbert entered the problem. Oh, poor Lithuania! A-are they serious? He cannot be serious. Yet something told her that yes, this was serious, or, if not spoken with sincerity, intended to be heard as such.
"I don't know," Toris whispered back to Feliks, feeling increasingly nervous under the gaze of Ivan. He did not wish to marry Gilbert, and he felt certain that everyone in the room was aware of this. Were they trying to spite him? Furthermore, he had considered Roderich to be his ally in this tense situation, but now, calling Gilbert a "worthy gentleman"... "So is Poland," he countered, ignoring the stifled laugh-turned-cough he heard from Elizaveta. Although he wished to say more, he could not think of any words that could come to his defense. He had always been rather weak in that manner, being all thoughts and no talk.
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Act I
Aug 16, 2010 23:53:29 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 16, 2010 23:53:29 GMT -5
Roderich sent an apologetic look in Toris's direction. He was aware of the other's uneasiness, and the fact it was his fault; it was simply his duty to side with Ivan, or inevitably be doomed. "Seen on his own, apart from these events, he is," he replied, glancing towards Elizaveta and silently apologizing for making her have to stand through the entire matter. However, upon realizing the entire thing was more amusing than annoying, he disregarded it and turned back towards the Lithuanian, occasionally moving his gaze back to Ivan. "But in matters of this kind, since he lacks your father's approval, the other man--" and with this, he sent a small hand gesture towards Gilbert, "--must be regarded as worthier." [/size]
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Act I
Aug 17, 2010 20:13:45 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on Aug 17, 2010 20:13:45 GMT -5
Toris folded his arms across his chest and shifted his weight uneasily from his left leg to his right and back. "I wish my father would look with my own eyes," he grumbled, glaring at Ivan while still wearing a thoroughly nervous expression. This permanent state of terror made him appear weak (which, to a certain extent, he was) and defenseless (also true), and he knew this would not help him avoid the arranged marriage at all. Any possible way to get out of marrying Gilbert would require something decidedly gutsier than he could muster; things like murder, running away, and faking his own death came to mind. None of these things were really up his alley.
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Act I
Aug 18, 2010 19:45:18 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 18, 2010 19:45:18 GMT -5
"Rather, you must see things as he does," said Roderich, adjusting his glasses slightly, as was a nervous habit. He knew Toris was trying, as hard as he could, to get out of marrying Gilbert, but unless somehow Ivan had some change of heart, it was inevitable. His gaze traveled to Elizaveta, then back to Toris, momentarily glaring at Gilbert before nodding towards Ivan, hoping he was pleasing the Russian with his attempt to convince his son. [/size]
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Act I
Aug 18, 2010 20:01:59 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on Aug 18, 2010 20:01:59 GMT -5
He shook his head vigorously, expressing disapproval for the turn of events. This did two other things for Toris: it allowed him to dissipate his nervousness and it also bought him time. "I'm hoping you can get me out of having to do this," he began, absentmindedly picking at his thumbnail. "I don't know why I'm being this straightforward, or how it's going to affect me while I'm here asking you this, but I really would like you to tell me what's the worst that could happen if I refuse to marry Prussia." Well, I'm done, he thought, and probably done for too. Although he did not exactly know what the circumstances of not marrying Gilbert would be, he could guess that they were none too pleasant, given Ivan's involvement.
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Act I
Aug 18, 2010 20:26:28 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 18, 2010 20:26:28 GMT -5
Roderich sighed, looking down for a moment, before trailing his eyes back up to meet Toris's. He was aware, just faintly, of Ivan standing not too far away from him, his somewhat self-satisfied gaze probably melting away. "You must either suffer death, or have no further contact with men. Therefore, Lithuania, you must think about what you want. Consider how young you are. Examine your feelings carefully. Those who can control their passions and undertake a lifetime of virginity are blessed three times over, but here on earth, the rose that gives off its perfume is happier than the one which, withering on its untouched stalk, grows, lives, and dies in a state of blessedness." He let out a small exhale after saying this; he was in a bit of a poetic mood today, probably due to his love sickness. [/color][/size]
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Act I
Aug 19, 2010 21:04:49 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on Aug 19, 2010 21:04:49 GMT -5
That was not so bad. Toris would not have to die, and that, certain death, was all he had really feared. "I'd rather live and die a virgin, sir, than lose it to someone I don't love," he simply said, dropping his hands to his sides and then swinging them behind his back, where he clenched them. Appearing defiant did not matter to him, and even if it did, he would never have been able to manage it. All he wanted to say was what had to be said, the truth, or something like it. What he had said was true; he feared death more than suffering, especially when he knew his death would most likely not be a merciful one.
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Act I
Aug 19, 2010 21:25:35 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 19, 2010 21:25:35 GMT -5
Roderich nodded appreciatively at the other's words; he was sure it took courage to say something like that, and Toris was not known for such a quality. Absentmindedly, he ruffled the hair that stuck to the back of his neck loose, in a futile attempt to cool himself. Summer in Athens, especially when forced to dress formally, was never pleasant. "Take time to think, and, by the new moon--Hungary and I's wedding day--either be prepared to die for disobedience to your father's will, to marry Prussia, as he wishes, or to to vow single life." [/color][/size]
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Act I
Aug 20, 2010 16:00:07 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on Aug 20, 2010 16:00:07 GMT -5
At this point Gilbert decided to try to plead his case. "Oh, hell, Litauenschatz, just give up." He could not imagine a lifetime of chastity to be preferable to himself, nor could he fathom anyone incapable of loving him. I'm way too awesome for him to be serious, he thought, smirking and folding his arms. For good measure, he cocked his head and addressed Feliks: "Oh, and Poland, stop acting he's yours. I've more a right to him than you do." There he stopped, unable to think of anything else to say that would further his own mental superiority over not only his rival but over everyone in this room.
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Act I
Aug 20, 2010 20:54:08 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 20, 2010 20:54:08 GMT -5
[[ooc: I feel like I murdered that speech by adding in all those "like"s. :B]]
Feliks bristled in response to this, clenching his teeth and stepping forward to look Gilbert directly in the eye. "Like, Prussia, you, like, just have Russia's love, which is totally weird because you, like, totally hate him anyway. Like, why can't I have Liet's?"
"Yes, Poland, he has my love; and because of that love, I will give him what is mine," replied Ivan, who sent a glare in both Roderich and his fiancée's direction. He was still convinced things would go his way, but would not be entirely sure until it was certain. "Lithuania belongs to me, and I hand over all my rights to him to Prussia."
This provoked an angry scoff from Feliks, who briefly examined his nails, for once thinking over his words. "Yeah, but, like, I'm in as good of a family as he is, and, I'm, like, as rich, and I'm more in love than he is. Like, it's not like Prussia's, like, any better than me, and Liet loves me anyway, which is, like, totally the most important thing. So why shouldn't I, like, say so?"
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Act I
Aug 20, 2010 23:03:29 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on Aug 20, 2010 23:03:29 GMT -5
I believe the next dialogue is Theseus!Austria's, and then a bit more before I have to come in, but I feel like writing, so...I shall write. Aw, but it was, like, so totally entertaining, though!]]
Toris meekly raised a finger in an attempt to say something, but he felt too meek and couldn't think of anything to say anyway. He resented being talked about in third person; he might as well have been off in the other room watching seagulls fly into the window for all the power he had in this conversation. This had been his life, sitting around while others discussed his fate when he could do nothing to alter it. Occasionally, he liked it, but most of the time it was rather irritating and belittling, and often painful (mentally and physically) when Ivan was involved. He hoped that could be avoided.
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Act I
Aug 20, 2010 23:36:53 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on Aug 20, 2010 23:36:53 GMT -5
[[ooc: Ach, my mistake.]]
"I must confess I have heard so much," said Roderich, thinking carefully over both of the two's words. "Prussia, Ivan, come with me; I have words to you both. Lithuania, again, think carefully. Either fit your father's desires or have the law of Athens yield you up; to death, or a vow of single life." And with that, he gave a curt nod, trotting off with the others behind him, simply leaving Toris and Feliks alone.
Upon seeing the other's shaky expression, the Pole frowned, stepping closer and crossing his arms. "Aww, Liet, you're, like, so pale," he said, drawling slightly, as was a habit. "Like, how come?"
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