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Act II
May 16, 2010 14:22:36 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 16, 2010 14:22:36 GMT -5
Arthur exhaled, taking this in for a moment. Though his arm stayed extended up towards the balcony's railing, he dropped his hand from his chest and thought carefully. "What shall I swear by?" he asked--part of it was a genuine question, though part of him was also simply speaking for the sake of it. He knew he needed to say something--the only purpose words served was to pleasure, to ponder upon. Every moment he spent not speaking, he felt thousands of darts being set free to poison him and end his joy.
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Act II
May 16, 2010 16:50:33 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on May 16, 2010 16:50:33 GMT -5
"Do not swear at all," Kiku insisted, nervously wringing his hands. Then, realizing that this might not dissuade Arthur from swearing his love, he added, "Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I'll believe thee." One's own existence tends to be a reliable constant, as it is: one has never lived without oneself. This state was not a difficult one to acknowledge or prove; Descartes had done it well enough.
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Act II
May 16, 2010 16:56:07 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 16, 2010 16:56:07 GMT -5
Arthur sighed again, somewhat exasperated, but not losing his temper like he would in any other situation. Instead he lowered his extended hand a bit, rubbing his bicep for a moment in a thoughtful way. What use was proclaiming love, he wondered, if there was nothing to swear by to prove it? He pondered this for a moment before continuing, this time in a more persuasive tone. "If my heart's dear love..."
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Act II
May 17, 2010 19:18:27 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on May 17, 2010 19:18:27 GMT -5
"Well, do not swear," Kiku proposed, deciding to do away with that silly notion that love needed to be promised. "Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, too like the lightning, which doth cease to be 'ere one can say, 'It lightens.' Sweet, goodnight! This bud of live, by summer's ripening breath may prove a beauteous flower when we next meet. Goodnight, goodnight, as sweet repose and rest come to thy heart as that within my breast." For a moment he held his hand to his heart before stepping back from the railing, as though he were ready to flee at a moment's notice.
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Act II
May 17, 2010 20:19:41 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 17, 2010 20:19:41 GMT -5
Almost defeated--though not entirely--just at the thought of his departure, he let his hand brush his own chest for a moment, repeating the vow. "O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" he asked, with a barely audible desperate tone in his voice. Why did things have to go by so quickly, when he had barely said anything?
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Act II
May 20, 2010 17:20:12 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on May 20, 2010 17:20:12 GMT -5
Kiku folded his arms, not as a harsh gesture, but in a soft, contemplative way. Tensing his lips in a curious expression that appeared similar to a repressed smile, he studied Arthur briefly, then asked, "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?" His voice remained gentle, restrained, a vocal foil to the half-desperate request.
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Act II
May 20, 2010 21:07:54 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 20, 2010 21:07:54 GMT -5
"The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine," Arthur replied, the same hope he had had at first gracing his voice again. He pursed his lips in embarrassment, but he stopped once he had reassured himself there was nothing to be nervous about in the first place.
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Act II
May 21, 2010 14:28:23 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on May 21, 2010 14:28:23 GMT -5
He flattened his left hand on his chest, near the middle of his collarbone, now intently thinking over his words as he so often did. "I gave thee mine before thou didst request it, and yet I would it were to give again." Dark eyes shining in the dim moonlight, he held a steady gaze to the field below him, looking at Arthur and yet trying to remain discreet about it out of foolish fear of embarrassment.
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Act II
May 21, 2010 20:40:54 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 21, 2010 20:40:54 GMT -5
"Wouldst thou withdraw it?" He paused for a moment, thinking over it. It seemed like any moment leaving him on edge dragged his soul down deeper into bitterness, then alternated to complete bliss. It was an odd sensation, switching back and forth restlessly like that--it took him what seemed like quite a while to speak again. "For what purpose, love?"
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Act II
May 21, 2010 21:12:05 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on May 21, 2010 21:12:05 GMT -5
"But to be frank, and give it thee again..." Kiku murmured, lowering his hands to his side and thinking, speaking more slowly now. "And yet I wish but for the thing I have. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep! The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infini--"
"Japan!" came Ludwig's annoyed voice from inside. He was probably folding clothes or doing some other bothersome, trivial chore that anyone could have managed on their own but did not wish to waste time on.
Now Kiku jumped, looking over his shoulder back at the house. "I heard some noise within," he said, turning back to Arthur. "Dear love, adieu!" Again he called over his shoulder before turning back to the Englishman: "Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true. Stay but a little; I will come again." With that he spun around and ran the full length of the balcony, disappearing behind a cast iron-wrought door.
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Act II
May 21, 2010 21:22:48 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 21, 2010 21:22:48 GMT -5
Once Kiku was gone, Arthur looked towards the sky, almost hoping for it to have some advice to lend. "O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard," he said, his voice reaching barely over a whisper, but seemed much louder in his mind. "Being in night, all this is but a dream"--he sighed with satisfaction, realizing his victory--"too flattering-sweet to be substantial." [/color][/size]
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Act II
May 21, 2010 21:40:04 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on May 21, 2010 21:40:04 GMT -5
Panting, Kiku reappeared at the balcony, definitely looking like he had rushed to be here, with his hat askew. "Three words, dear England, and good night indeed. If that thy bent of love by honorable, thy purpose"--here his voice grew as low as he could get it while still remaining audible below--"marriage, send me word tomorrow by one that I'll procure to come to thee, where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, and all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay and follow thee, my lord, throughout the world."
"Sir!" [/b] called Ludwig again, this time far more impatiently.[/color] "I come, anon!" Kiku shouted, to appease Ludwig; then he continued to Arthur, "But if thou mean'st not well, I do beseech thee--""Sir!""--by and by, I come to cease thy suit and leave me to my grief. Tomorrow I will send."[/b] [/color] [/center][/size]
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Act II
May 21, 2010 21:43:46 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 21, 2010 21:43:46 GMT -5
Arthur smiled, a genuine smile he found himself reserving for Kiku, and nodded--the only reluctance left on his body was in his wave, but that was mainly due to his hands shaking from both apprehension and excitement. He paused, wondering if he could say something; when he did, his voice faltered slightly, but he was confident after the first few syllables. "So thrive my soul..." [/color] [/size]
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Act II
May 21, 2010 21:48:42 GMT -5
Post by Tiger on May 21, 2010 21:48:42 GMT -5
"A thousand times goodnight!" Kiku shouted before sprinting back through the door and into his quarters, where Ludwig waited for him, looking stern, as always. He knew that he would not be getting any questions about the incident from Ludwig, just a scolding and a warning not to dilly-dally like that again. It was not in the man's nature to ask questions; he didn't like excuses and actually found them to be unnecessary and distracting.
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Act II
May 21, 2010 22:09:57 GMT -5
Post by Jimmeh on May 21, 2010 22:09:57 GMT -5
"A thousand times the worse, to want thy light," he breathed, a gentle smile gracing his lips. For a moment, his eyes grew lost in the stars that stretched themselves out above his head, and some part of him wondering why he had never seen this night coming. "Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from their books," he concluded before he lowered his gaze to the balcony again, then to where Kiku had disappeared, searching through the cheery yellow light coming from the windows, "but love from love, toward school with heavy looks." [/color][/size]
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