WWI-verse Anarchist AU

[ay_my_lord]

*Horatio has a room in a lodging-house not far from the castle; he shares the house with three other men on his floor and an extended family on the floor above him. his belongings, he has largely left in Wittenberg, on the (perhaps vain) hope that the war will soon be over and he will be able to return within a few months' time at most.

with his fellow-lodgers at work, though, he has the narrow front room to himself--or rather, in this case, to himself and Hamlet. he is pouring out tea for them, his spectacles slipping down his nose* I'm glad you came to call today. I'd been hoping I'd hear from you soon--it's been awkward trying to get back to the castle without a wedding invitation.

Comments

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

But they can't. The characters, that is. *quiet* I mean ... even when they try, they can't leave the story behind them. There's always a heart thumping under the floorboards, or a woman lying alive in the tomb ... and maybe I read too much Poe, but horror's not horrible because things are dead. It's horrible because things go on living even if you want them to be dead.

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

*as though he's agreeing* And that's the way it is in reality, too.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

*sheepish* Yes.

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

*leans over and kisses the bridge of his nose*

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

*his face feels very hot; he looks down at his cup and tries very hard not to think about kissing a beautiful blonde woman from Denmark who had madsweet eyes like Hamlet's*

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

*nudging up his glasses with a laugh* Adorable.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

*looks up, with a little smile* I hope Laertes can tell when you're playing with him.

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

I doubt it.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

Oh. *pours himself another cup of tea*

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

He's in love with somebody.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

Oh. *and topping up Hamlet's cup, while he's at it* That's ... all right, isn't it?

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

*mmtea* For me, it is. I think he'd rather not be -- that means it's serious. When you'd rather not love somebody and still do, it's usually serious.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

It must be. *well, drat.* So you're only playing with him ...?

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

At first, I was.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Are you trying to win his heart, now?

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

Do you think I could?

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

Of course you could. *more sugar for his tea* You can do anything you want to do--I've seen you.

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

Easier than winning a war.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

But he'll help you with that.

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

He believes that it's the right thing. That it could make the people he loves safer. I'd never thought about anyone but myself.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

Well--you came to see me.

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

*crookedsmile* But I worried you, for a while, didn't I?

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

You did. *quiet* You still worry me, a little. How did you get that? *touching his own cheek, indicating the bruise on Hamlet's*

[willnotbenow.livejournal.com]

Oh ... *touching it as though he'd forgotten it* He hit me.

[ay-my-lord.livejournal.com]

*frowning, leaning forward* He can't just hit you ...