#romeo and juliet inspired

[echoingvoids]

Accidental Romeo and Uncertain Juliet

Revali didn't want to join theater and here he was, with the main role in their current production "Romeo and Juliet". Things get even more complicated when Mipha is cast as Juliet. They have some difficulties to overcome.

<>

Theme: Highschool theater AU, performing "Romeo and Juliet".

Word Count: 6,020

Originally Posted: Feb. 7, 2025

Warnings: multiple descriptions of kissing.

Other: My sister and I decided to read through Romeo and Juliet and got the fun idea of the Champions group doing the play for high school. My sister asked me to write this oneshot, so here it is! I don't know how theater works for something like this. I'm basing things off limited knowledge and how my church has done skits.

Miphvali masterlist requests

<>

He hadn't wanted to join the drama club with the rest of their group, but his mother practically forced him to. Otherwise he wouldn't have been there. And of course, the drama group wanted people to try for the main roles in the most dramatic and ridiculous play known to humankind: Romeo and Juliet.

He had done it as a joke, thinking never in a million years would they cast him as Romeo. He gave it his all, of course, but he made it clear he wasn't interested. He didn't even try for another part, assuming they'd stick him wherever.

They got their scripts back today, with the list of characters. Not even bothering to look at the top of the cast list, he started at the bottom and made his way up, expecting not to be an extra, but maybe Tybalt or something. He frowned when he couldn't find his name anywhere, finally reaching the top. He froze, seeing his name clearly printed at the very top.

𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘: 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚒 𝙴𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚘𝚠

He sat confused for a moment and then wondered if their director, Miss Sonia, had made a mistake. She must've. He listened to the excited buzz of the other students as he looked to see who Juliet would be.

𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚝: 𝙼𝚒𝚙𝚑𝚊 𝙻𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚎

Even better. He glanced up, seeing people telling each other who got what roles and he quickly began to scan the list.

𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘: 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚒 𝙴𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚘𝚠

𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚝: 𝙼𝚒𝚙𝚑𝚊 𝙻𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚎

𝙽𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛: 𝚉𝚎𝚕𝚍𝚊 𝙷𝚢𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎

𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚛 𝙻𝚊𝚠𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎: 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚞𝚔 𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚌𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚑

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎: 𝙸𝚖𝚙𝚊 𝙺𝚊𝚔𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚔𝚘

𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘: 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚍

𝙱𝚎𝚗𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚘: 𝚃𝚎𝚋𝚊 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚗

𝚃𝚢𝚋𝚊𝚕𝚝: 𝙰𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚜𝚘𝚗

𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜: 𝚂𝚒𝚍𝚘𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚎

𝙲𝚊𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚝: 𝙶𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚏 𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚖𝚒𝚛𝚎

𝙻𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝙲𝚊𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚝: 𝚄𝚛𝚋𝚘𝚜𝚊 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚛

𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚞𝚎: 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝙴𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚎 

𝙻𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚞𝚎: 𝚁𝚒𝚓𝚞 𝚂𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚕

He didn't bother to read the extras list. He sat back, dropping the script onto his lap. No wonder his pamphlet was so big, he had the biggest role in the whole play! Normally he would've been thrilled about something like this, especially since his role was far more important than the oh-so-popular Link Wild's.

But this. This was awful. The most ridiculous, dramatic play known to mankind, a play about love and he had the main part. The part of the dramatic, lovesick fool who kills himself for a fantasy.

Maybe he should've tried out for Mercutio instead of leaving his fate in Miss Sonia's hands. 

And to make things even worse, Mipha was playing Juliet. It came as no surprise to him because she had the sweet, innocent demeanor that was perfect for the role but...

"Revali!" Teba materialized next to him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Congratulations on getting the main part."

Revali shook his head. "This wasn't even supposed to happen. I was mostly bullshitting them, Teba."

"Well clearly you put in too much effort. You're stuck with it now because there's no changing Miss Sonia's mind once its set."

The teenager sighed, running a hand through the loose bits of his hair. "I'd rather sink into the floor and die than be that lovesick fool."

Teba chuckled, clapping his friend on the back again. "Oh look, here comes Juliet."

Mipha was shyly approaching them, absently playing with the edges of her script. "Congratulations on getting Romeo."

He nodded. "Thanks. Good job getting Juliet."

She nodded back, smiling a bit. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess we will," Revali sighed dramatically. "In a very interesting way."

She giggled and he couldn't help but smile back.

This was going to be an experience.

<>

"I want you all to try staying in character even when you're just walking around set," Sonia instructed. "After years of trying this technique, it usually helps people develop into the character they're playing."

Revali sighed. "Do I have to?"

Sonia smiled. "It won't be too hard, I'm sure."

Teba chuckled. "I think she's calling you dramatic."

"Shut up, Teba."

The group dispersed to gather scripts and Urbosa joined the two boys. "Are you ready, Romeo?"

"Don't call me that," Revali grumbled. "This is dumb enough."

"That's not very in-character of you."

"Oh wait right, sorry. One second," he cleared his throat and fell dramatically to his knees. "Oh Juliet! You are fairer than the sun and you teach the torches to shine! Oh! Oh, have I not known love until now?" He flopped dramatically on his back. "Let me give up my life on the most unreliable thing known to mankind--love at first sight!"

He heard clapping and he sighed again, staring at the ceiling a moment before getting up. Link came over with a prop sword. "Good job, Romeo."

"Give me that," he took the sword out of Link's hand, pretending to stab himself with it. "UGH, JULIET IS DEAD! LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING!"

"No, Juliet is supposed to stab herself!" Impa called from across the room. "Romeo poisons himself!"

"Oh right, sorry," he tossed the sword to Mipha, who had drifted over, then grabbing his water bottle and taking a dramatic swig out of it. With a sigh and a choking sound, he slid to the floor, landing at Mipha's feet. "Oh, Juliet! Parting is such sweet sorrow!"

A long moment of silence ensued, Revali staring up at Mipha, who was clutching the sword handle with her eyes wide. Then he burst into laughter, causing her to giggle, and the whole cast was soon in an uproar. 

Revali sat up and did a dramatic half bow, looking over to Sonia. "Was that in-character enough for you?"

She blinked in response and Mipha tapped his shoulder. "Wait, lie back down."

He did as instructed and she pretended to stab herself. "Oh Romeo!"

She flopped to the ground like a fish, causing more laughter from everyone. She held the sword so it looked embedded in her side, flopping a bit before she went still.

Revali grinned. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

<>

Mineru, Sonia's sister-in-law, had them start showing up earlier so she could begin altering (or in Daruk's case) making costumes. She was currently pinning up Revali's doublet, sizing up his hair. "We might have to cut your hair for this. I don't think the braids--"

"You will absolutely not cut my hair for a stupid play," he snapped. "I'll find a way to make it work. I doubt the audience cares about Romeo's hair anyways."

Mineru eyed the navy braids skeptically but shrugged. "If you insist..."

"I do insist."

"They're an important part of our culture," Teba explained as he went by, helping Robbie Guardian (who was on the backstage team) carry a large prop. "You can't just cut them off. Unless you're starting a rebellion or something else very serious."

Mineru nodded slowly, moving on when she Mipha emerge from the changing room in one of the pre-existing dresses acceptable for Juliet to wear. "That looks like it fits you well."

"It does," she walked excitedly over to them, holding the front of the dress up slightly. "Its a bit long, but I think it works well!"

"I'll have to tweak the waistline a bit too," Revali turned to look as Mineru analyzed the fit. "You are absolutely tiny, Mipha."

"I know," she blushed a bit, smiling when she noticed Revali looking. "What do you think?"

She did a little spin and Revali couldn't help but smile a bit at her. "I think you look great."

"Heh, thank you. Mineru, should I take it off or..?"

"Just wait a minute. I'm almost done with Revali here and I'll go pin your dress up."

"Okay!"

She skipped off towards Zelda and Urbosa, presumably to show off the dress and Revali found himself watching her leave. Until a needle-like pain pricked him through the side of his abdomen. "Ow."

"You know, if you look at her like that on stage you'll have an excellent performance."

"I beg your pardon? I wasn't--OW you're doing that on purpose!"

"I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about," she put the last pin in (thankfully not pricking him again) and nodded. "There. And I'm serious, Revali. If you were aware of it or not, you were looking at her like someone in--"

"I have no idea what you're saying," he cut her off, using a version of her own line. "Mipha is my friend and I thought she looked nice. End of discussion. I'll go take this off now."

Mineru simply shrugged, calling Mipha over as Revali stomped to the changing rooms. He hadn't been looking at her like anything. He had simply admired her dress.

He was not in love with Mipha. He didn't fall in love with anyone.

<>

Practice began in earnest and the weeks began to trickle by. Miss Sonia had them simply read through the play several times and then they finally began to practice with motions, going through scene-by-scene. She wanted them as well prepared for the performance in December as possible, and always reminded them to study their lines.

Everything was going smoothly. Despite his moaning and groaning, everyone (even Revali himself) agreed that he really did make an excellent Romeo. Mipha was a perfect Juliet, letting her sweet and innocent nature shine through.

Although there was one scene Revali wasn't exactly looking forward to.

Where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. Where they kiss for the first time.

On stage. In front a bunch of students and their parents.

They were practicing that scene this coming Monday and Mipha had yet to say anything about it to him. Maybe she wasn't worried about it. That was fine with him.

Of course, that mindset changed when a very nervous looking Mipha approached him after rehearsal. "Revali?"

He was eating an apple, looking up from his script. "Hey, Mipha, what's up?"

"Hi, uhm..." She twisted her rings nervously on her fingers. "So..."

He raised his eyebrow, calmly waiting for her to work out what she was trying to say. It took her a minute and she was blushing hard. "Uhm...on Monday we're practicing the...meeting scene."

So she was worried. "Yeah, we are. Are you nervous?"

She pressed her lips together, nodding. "I'm...anxious about the kiss."

Fair enough. "You know, Mipha, it won't mean anything. All just acting, right? So you don't have to be nervous."

"I know that, I--" she took a deep breath and with a nervous glance around the room, she leaned closer to him, eyes wide. "I've never kissed anyone before."

He blinked. They were in their senior year and he partially couldn't believe that no one had ever tried to kiss her. She always heard boys pining after her (ew) and it wasn't like she didn't have options. "Are you serious right now?"

The way she nodded completely answered his question. He leaned back in his seat, dropping his script into his lap and rubbing his face. "Well shit..."

"Sorry, I just--" Her face flushed red. "I thought I should let you know."

"Hey, don't apologize, its fine." Revali contemplated the options. He was an exact opposite of her, having kissed plenty of girls in his high school career. All hookups, obviously, but when it came to the act of kissing, he knew a lot more than he ever let on. For good reason.

"I just don't know what to do."

"Alright, look, you have a few options. You could do nothing and just let me kiss you on the practice day or you could find a guy who likes you and convince him to kiss you. Its not like that would be hard," when she wrinkled her nose at the last option, he sighed, looking away. "Okay, this last one is going to sound very weird to you but we could...ugh, you could come by over the weekend and we could...practice or something."

She was pinker than her magenta hair, all the way to the tips of her pointed ears. For a moment he was worried she'd shut down and panic, but she squeaked out, "If you...really don't mind, I--I'd prefer the last one."

Okay. Okay, okay, okay, that was fine. "Yeah, that works. You could swing by tomorrow afternoon if you want. You know where I live."

"Yeah, uhm," she tucked s loose wave of hair behind her ear. "Is anyone...uh, going to be home at your house?"

He shook his head. "My father is on a business trip for two weeks and my mother works all Saturday. So no," he paused. "Would you be more comfortable if someone was there?"

She immediately shook her head, waving her in hands in that nervous little way of hers. "Oh, no, I think I'd actually prefer if no one was there. Don't want anyone getting the wrong impression."

"Absolutely," especially with his track record. His parents didn't care who he brought home or what they were doing but he didn't want Mipha to get dragging into that. "Great, uh, just drop me a text when you're on your way and...yeah. Bring your script, I guess."

"Okay," she nervously wrung her hands. "Uh, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah."

He watched her hurry over to her stuff, grabbing her bag and disappearing out the door. Link appeared at Revali's side a moment later. "What was that about?"

"Just because we're friends in the play doesn't mean we're friends in real life, Wild."

"Hey, I get that. But Mipha's my childhood friend and she looked awful flustered."

"Don't worry about it. Maybe try asking her yourself," Revali stood, gathering his things. "I'll see you on Monday, Wild."

<>

Mipha had texted him twenty minutes ago and now Revali sat at his kitchen table, a half-eaten sandwich on his plate and his script on his lap. He noticed his leg occasionally bouncing nervously and he tried to force himself to calm down. This was just a practice and this meant absolutely nothing.

So why was he suddenly so nervous? So eager?

The doorbell echoed through the house and he vaguely realized he was out of his chair way too quickly as he scrambled to grab his script. He forced himself to walk slower to the front door, trying to make it look casual when he opened it.

Mipha stood there in a sundress and leggings, which he had come to notice was one of her favorite outfit combinations. She held her script in one hand and she smiled shyly when he met her eyes. "Uhm, hi."

"Hey," he pulled the door open wider. "Come in."

She nodded, stepping inside and setting her bag down while he locked the door. "So, uh, where are we doing this?"

"Guest room," Because there was no way in hell he was taking her to his room. "Come on."

He led her down the hall to the guest room, gesturing for her to enter and leaving the door semi-open behind them. She settled herself on the edge of the bed while Revali scanned the script, open to the part they needed.

He already had it memorized but he was stalling a bit.

Mipha was very fixated on her script too and after a loaded moment, Revali suggested, "Why don't we practice up to the point, starting at the beginning of the exchange between them?"

"O-okay," she stood, placing her skit down and nervously smoothing her dress. "That works for me."

He nodded, offering her his hand which she took. After a moment, he began, "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:" he hated the next line. "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

He brought her hand up, bending slightly to press his lips to her knuckles. She blushed pink.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrim's hands do touch," she brought his hands together in prayer. "And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim," she turned away slightly, like how Sonia had been suggesting she do. "Lips that they must use in prayer."

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, least faith turn to despair?"

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

Revali turned her face to his. "Alright, listen," he murmured. "Just do whatever feels natural to you and we can adjust as needed. Don't be scared. I won't hurt you or do anything."

She nodded, face pink. "Right."

He nodded back, placing a hand on her back. "Then move not while my prayer's effect I take."

Her golden eyes were wide as he leaned towards her. Just when their noses brushed, she shied away, covering her face with her hands. Revali paused, raising an eyebrow. "Mipha?"

"I-I'm sorry! I--I just can't do it!" Her ears were red and he could just imagine the state of her face under her hands. "I'm sorry!"

"Hey, hey, its okay," he sighed, stepping back and running his fingers through his hair. "I can only imagine how much this sucks for you. I certainly wouldn't want this to be my first kiss."

She peeked at him through her fingers and she lowered her hands, face aflame. "Its not you, I promise, its...I don't, maybe it is you, but I'm just...nervous."

"Would it help if you pictured someone else instead of me?"

She thought about that for a moment, before violently shaking her head. "No, that's worse."

"Uhm...you could pretend is not actually happening. Trick your brain into thinking you're dreaming? Surely you've dreamed of kissing someone before."

She blushed anew. "Well, yes, but I don't think that will help either."

Revali pressed his lips together. "I've only got one suggestion for you then. Focus hard on something else. Completely fill your brain with thoughts of that one thing and only that thing. It doesn't matter what it is, just focus on it and you won't think about what you're doing at all."

She thought for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Okay."

"Perfect," he stepped in front of her again, taking her hand in his and positioning his other hand on her back. "Let's start with 'saints do not move'."

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take." He stepped a bit closer to her and this time she closed her eyes while he leaned over, his nose again brushing against hers. Their lips finally met and the gasp that left her encouraged him to pull her against him, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her hands landed on the back of his neck, effectively keeping his mouth on hers and their lips began to move.

It was raw, unpracticed, and he found himself loving it despite of what he told himself. This wasn't supposed to mean anything, was only supposed to be acting, and yet he knew they were getting carried away. He was getting completely lost in her, lost in her soft lips and her hands on the nape of his neck and the sigh that escaped her nose.

He forced himself to pull back. Her eyes stayed closed a moment longer and he watched as her lashes fluttered before golden orbs looked up at him. Her face was flushed, lips slightly parted.

Good Hylia. They had completely lost it.

They stared at each other a moment, neither moving to take a step back like they knew they should. After a loaded minute, she asked, "Uhm...how was that?"

"Perfect," he whispered. "Are you sure you've never kissed anyone before? You sure fooled me."

She let out a breathy laugh, flushing crimson all over again. "I assure you, that was the first time. That was..."

Phenomenal was the first word that sprang to mind. "Perfect. Seriously, I don't have any corrections. I think you're just naturally a good kisser."

If she could go any redder, she would've. "Oh, stop it. You made me completely forget my line."

Revali stamped down the prideful response that flared up in him. This kiss was just acting, all for show, and it meant nothing.

Nothing at all.

"And think, we have to say things between and kiss again."

She let out another breathy laugh. "Right. Uhm, I think you say something after the kiss."

"Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged." He murmured. 

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took?"

"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."

He took her face in his hands and kissed her again, as directed in the script. This one he kept much more restrained, keeping himself in control instead of whatever animalistic drive that had taken over the first time. 

No one had made him lose composure like that.

She felt more confident now, he could tell by the way her lips moved. They broke apart far sooner than the first time and she announced, "You kiss by the book."

For some reason, he burst into laughter. He threw his head back and laughed and in turn, she began to giggle. "Why are we laughing?"

"I don't know!"

Which just made them laugh more. As their laughter died out, their eyes met and they exchanged a loaded glance. She cleared her throat and took a step back. "Thank you."

"You feel ready for Monday?"

She flashed a smile. "No. But I do feel a touch more prepared. Thank you."

He shrugged. "Don't mention it."

<>

People were gathering in the theater room. Revali was perched on one of Robbie's props, muttering his lines under his breath. 

"Excuse me."

Revali looked up to find the aforementioned Sheikah there. "I need that prop you're sitting on."

"And what if I don't move?"

"I'll set Purah on you."

"Ah yes, your girlfriend."

"I have a girlfriend. Purah's not her."

Revali snorted, standing up and looking around as Robbie dragged the prop to the stage. Most of the students had arrived, but they were missing one key player: Mipha.

"You good?" Teba asked, coming up alongside his friend. "You've seemed spaced-out all day."

"I have not been. I'm fine."

Both of them knew he was lying only one didn't know what had caused the zone-out in the first place. Revali was thinking about Saturday, and in spite of himself, Mipha. He just couldn't seem to forget that kiss, and none of his usual distraction methods were working. He had kissed plenty of other girls but none of them ever haunted him like this.

It was her first kiss. He got to share that. He liked that thought way more than he should.

They were just friends, they were just friends, they were just--

"Has anyone seen Mipha?" Sonia's voice drifted over the buzz of student chatter. "We need to start."

Teba nudged Revali's arm. "Go look for your Juliet, Romeo."

He grunted. "She's probably just late or something."

"Revali." Teba's tone caused him to look at his friend. "Go find her. She's probably really worried about today's scenes and it would probably mean a lot to her if you looked for her."

Revali sighed, heading for the doors and pushing them open, ignoring the questioning looks from some of the students. He looked around a bit and then peeked into the hall leading to the nearest bathrooms.

Mipha was tucked against a wall, looking nervous, and as soon as she noticed him she let an alarmed peep. He raised an eyebrow and with a quick glance over his shoulder, approached her. "What are you doing? We're supposed to start."

"Sorry, um," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the lights reflecting in her golden eyes. "I got nervous at the last second. Couldn't bring myself to go in there."

"Fair enough," he offered his hand to her. "C'mon. They're waiting for us."

After a moment she took his offered hand, and let him lead her to the theater doors. She let go but before he could open the door, she asked, "How do you deal with the thought of everyone staring at you?"

"With that trick I taught you: I focus. On something, someone, anything that'll distract you from the crowd."

"Right," she nodded slowly, shyly looking up at him. "Can I...focus on you?"

He blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, if that'll help you absolutely."

"Okay. I...just wanted to ask, because if I'm looking at you too intensely I don't want you to be freaked out."

He smiled. "I appreciate that. Come on, lets go."

They entered the theater room, Sonia immediately gesturing them into their places. They begin to run through the party scene and during Tybalt's angry speech to Capulet, Revali notices Mipha's gaze intensifying on him while they danced. There was small things in her demeanor one would only notice up close, like a slight twitch of her hand or her eyes flickering over his face. 

Their conversation began. Revali found himself focusing more and more on her instead of his usual things, like the lines he was saying or how his hand was moving as he spoke. She was staring back, watching him as she pressed his palms together. "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take." It was time. He nodded slightly and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as he pressed his lips against hers. They moved so slow, so dramatically compared to the first time and he couldn't tell if he liked it more (he shouldn't like it all. This was his friend).

They parted. "Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged." 

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took?"

"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."

They kissed again, his hand sliding into her hair. This was shorter than the first, Mipha pulling back. After a moment, she announced, "You kiss by the book."

"Stop right there!" Sonia announced, standing excitedly and coming onto the stage. "You two. That was beautiful! Anyone could clearly tell how in love the characters were from what you did. Your body language, how close you stood to each other, how you kissed--flawless!"

Mipha was beet red. Revali could feel the back of his neck becoming extremely hot. Sonia nodded. "Do it just like that at the performance and it'll be perfect! The chemistry was undeniable."

She moved on, saying something to Impa that Revali didn't hear. He was so focused on what Sonia had said, on this chemistry they had supposedly infused into the kiss.

But here's the thing--he hadn't even tried to do that at all.

<>

The following weeks were gossip hell.

Someone (he presumed a backstage worker) had spread the word of their "flawless" practice. Everywhere Revali went he was assaulted with overheard whispers and looks. Some people, both boys and girls, went straight up to him and questioned him, much to his embarrassment. 

It was going to be living hell until the performance. 

They began full dress rehearsals. Revali noticed he and Mipha had started interacting less and less until they only spoke to each other when necessary. He assumed it was because of all the rumors flying around, but he was starting to miss joking around with her and doing dramatic little speeches off stage.

"You need to talk to her."

Revali glanced up from his sandwich at Urbosa. It was Saturday and they were doing one of their last dress rehearsals before the performance the following Friday. "Beg your pardon?"

"Everyone's noticed you and Mipha talking less. I'm the only one who's willing to say something to you about it," she sat down next to him on the bench. "Did something happen?"

"No-ugh, I don't know. Probably those stupid rumors," he took an aggressive bite from his sandwich. "Trying to stop more of them from spreading."

"Hey, that's not a good way to live your life. If you go around sacrificing something you want to diffuse rumors, you'll soon find you have nothing at all," she opened her lunchbox, starting on a mushroom skewer. "Since when do you care about what people say?"

"I don't. I care about Mipha though."

"Then go talk to her. She's missing you, I can tell, and if you care about her, you'll go. Screw the rumors."

He sighed. "What if--"

"That wasn't a suggestion," Urbosa nodded. "Go. Tell her the truth."

"And what truth is that?"

She gave him a loaded look. "What truth do you think?"

The truth that he missed her. The truth that he loved the taste of her lips. The truth that he couldn't stop thinking about her and get her out of his head. 

He stood with a sigh, leaving his sandwich behind and approaching her. She sat on a different prop, carefully eating a tuna sandwich over a napkin, trying to evade crumbs on her dress. Her snapped up when she noticed him, watching him sit down next to her. "Hey."

"Hi," she swallowed a bit of sandwich and after a long moment, asked, "Are you alright?"

No, he wasn't. He suddenly found himself aching in an unfamiliar way. Aching for her and he hadn't the slightest clue what to do about it. He cleared his throat. "Look, if it seems like I've been avoiding you, I promise I'm not. I was--I was trying to keep the rumors more toned down because of...well, my reputation and I didn't want you getting mixed up in that."

She blinked, lowering her sandwich to her lap and suddenly taking his hand. "Oh Revali, don't worry about that! I don't care as much about what they say. I'd rather be around you."

He wished they were alone right now. He wanted to tell her the complete truth but here there were too many prying eyes and ears. "Well now I feel like a massive idiot."

"Don't. I really appreciate you thinking of me like that, Revali. Truly."

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, no problem. Are you ready for the performance?"

She smiled nervously, picking up her sandwich again. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Just remember what I told you. Focus on something as hard as you can. You'll forget the crowd," he smirked. "I don't mind if you stare at me."

His line was pushing it a bit but the blush that spread on her face had him wondering if she was just generally embarrassed by it or actually liked it. Oh Hylia help him, this is why he didn't let himself get emotionally involved. He had bigger fish to fry.

A slam made them both jump, and they turned towards the stage to see a shocked Robbie standing over a prop wall that had fallen forward. Purah's voice echoed from somewhere in the room, "Good job, Robbie."

"Hey, I literally did nothing! I was checking the supports to make sure this wouldn't happen!" He bent down, pulling the prop back up. "Isn't it better I figure out it needs adjusting now instead of on opening night?"

"Whatever you want to tell yourself."

Revali sighed, dramatically rolling his eyes and smiled when he heard Mipha giggle.

He was screwed.

<>

It was opening night. Everything they had worked for led up to this. Sonia had given them an encouraging speech and now they were scattered backstage, getting in costume and makeup while Purah checked the props one more time and Robbie settled himself at the soundboard.

Revali was ready. He had his costume on and his stage makeup done. He knew his lines so well he could say them in his sleep.

There was one thing wrong though. He couldn't find Mipha.

After looking around for a few minutes, he found her tucked into a dark corner among some props, nearly hyperventilating. "Mipha!"

Her wide eyes met his and she gasped, "I'm scared. I'm suddenly really scared and I don't know why!"

"Hey. Hey, look at me," he took her face in his hands. "Take deep, slow breaths. You're cutting off the oxygen to your brain which is just making your panic worse."

She inhaled sharply. It wasn't exactly a calming breath but it was far better than the short and shallow breathing from mere seconds before. "What if I mess up on stage in front of everyone?"

"You're not going to, I know it."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're so talented. You're incredible and you are Juliet," he let out a breathless laugh. "You're my Juliet. Who doesn't shy away from things because they're scary or considered wrong by everyone else. She's strong and loving and I know she can do anything."

She was staring at him, breathing slower. "You mean it?"

Goddess, he was in deep. "Every word. You will awe them all. I know you do that to me every single day."

Now wasn't the time for a confession, but these words were tumbling out of his mouth without checking with his brain first. He rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she grabbed his arms, gripping him like a lifeline. They had twenty minutes, maybe, until the crowds would show up and maybe thirty-five minutes tops before they had to be on stage.

Mipha's eyes opened. "Revali?"

"I'm here, Mipha."

She squeezed his arms lightly and without a word, leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. They stood like that for a long moment, her breathing finally even, staring at each other. "Don't let me go."

"I'll have to eventually."

"Then hold me in your thoughts."

"You're always in my thoughts, Mipha. Every single day."

She pulled back and stared at him and Revali's heart dropped. He had overstepped, he had screwed it up, he had--

She surged forward, grabbing his collar and dragging him down, caught his lips in a rough kiss. His eyes immediately closed, his hands still holding her face as their lips moved against each other. Feeling bold, her lightly bit her bottom lip, tugging her mouth open slightly and relishing the gasp this pulled from her. 

This kiss was wild, uncontrolled, and conveyed desperation he had never felt before. Pulling her mouth open was akin to opening a floodgate and her tongue fought with his, making a muffled hum resonate from his throat.

He tilted her head, hearing her gasp in the gap before they interlocked again. He had completely lost control of himself, kissing her in a way he had never kissed anyone else before. It felt...incredible.

His lungs threatened to explode and he reluctantly pulled back, breathing hard. She was fighting to regain air, looking at him with hooded eyes and swollen lips. After a long moment, he rested his forehead against hers again and they stood like that for a long moment.

"That," she breathed. "Was not kissing by the book. That threw the book out the window."

He chuckled, swallowing thickly. "I'm sure it exceeded expectations."

Her eyes opened fully, looking at him with an emotion he couldn't quite figure out. "You always do."

"Well, well," Urbosa's voice made Mipha jump and Revali's head whip over so quickly his neck popped. "I think I can gather what's happening here from the way you two are standing. Trying to get some extra practice in, hm?"

Mipha made some sort of strangled noise and Revali scowled at the taller woman. "I swear to the Goddess, you say one word to anyone and I'll--"

"Relax, whatever you two are hiding is safe with me. Curtain's up in ten minutes and Sonia's looking for you frantically. Be grateful I found you and not her."

"Of course. We'll be right there," Mipha watched Urbosa leave, her face aflame. "Well. I suppose we should go then."

"I guess so," Revali smiled. "Are you ready to wow everyone?"

"As ready as you are," they began walking through the props, back towards everyone else. "As much as I'd like you to, don't kiss me like that on stage."

"Are you sure? It would probably really add to the experience."

"You might get in trouble with the teachers. And besides, that wouldn't be kissing by the book."

"Hm, alright, but only because I'd much rather kiss you like that in private. Away from prying eyes."

He could tell she was fighting a blush as they emerged from the maze of props, receiving instant quizzing from Sonia and knowing looks from Urbosa.

<>

The play was such a success that on the final night, a local newscaster came and did a live broadcast of the whole thing. Not once did Mipha freeze up or forget her lines and people said that the way the two actors looked at each other truly showed the love Romeo and Juliet shared.

When interviewed by the news reporter after the play, Revali was asked how he made his performance so convincing. His response was a shrug and a cryptic reply of, "You focus on one thing. Something that makes you forget everyone and everything else is there and you just do."

Mipha's response to the same question was to blush and she couldn't formulate enough words to respond.

After high school, the two enrolled in a renowned college for the performing arts and they did Romeo and Juliet yet again, receiving just as many compliments about their chemistry as before.

[depressed-crayon]

The Prince and the Villain

Soft, yellow street lights

Glowing over touching hands

A pinky held above, never fully joining 

Two people, stand together in secret

Stories tell us

“Star crossed lovers always die”

It killed the capulets and the montagues

It burnt up and destroyed the love they shared

So why should the love

Of these two work?

They are just two people

On opposite sides, yet they hold the same values

Values that power should be held

By hands that do not hurt

Values that say violence

Can be justified, by not forgiven

Their values say family is chosen by love

And not beaten through blood and bruises and broken bones

And through these values

They come to love

And a Prince of nothing meets

A villain made of dust and bones

Who breaks down the walls

Built from locked doors and innocent screams

For the prince, there was a princess

Standing alone in their castle

And for the villain waits an empire

Made of stolen souls

A begging voice asks

“Join me, join me and burn it down”

And the prince thinks,

“Why not”

Because he’s been hurt and forgotten

The abandoned son

The son with nothing

And he wants to destroy everything

Destroy the fire that killed his brother and 

Shattered the ice that scared his replacement

So he agrees

Agrees to watch it burn

Watch it all turn to ash

While he holds his lover close

Because they are star crossed lovers no more

Now, they are dust and bone and nothing and everything

Two sides, both alike in power, In fair society,

Here we lay our scene, 

From failed creation breaks to new betrayal, 

Where heroic blood makes villainous hands unclean.

So, once again, in the silent streets

Under soft yellow lights

They come together

And become one

[max-reblogger]

Stay Until - Poem #130

But you cannot leave me, The gods shan't allow it, Stay. Stay with me til the morning rises and darkness falls to sleep, Stay with me til we know how to love each other forever, Stay with me til there is nothing left but us together, Stay with me. Let the stars know our names, As we are the ones who fought fate and lived, Let the gods remain on our side, As they couldn't bear to tear us apart, Let no mortal know that we still remain on this earth. Don't leave me, my Romeo, This shan't be our end, Let me love you until I hate you, Such simple desire, Must we be star crossed, You and I?

[tidetower]

The Prince of the Hightower and the Heir to High Tide

Artist: erchitos

[nemesyaaa]

AND I SAID " ROMEO TAKE ME SOMEWHERE WE CAN BE ALONE."

AND MY DADDY SAID " STAY AWAY FROM JULIET. "

“ I TALKED TO YOUR DAD, GO PICK OUT A WHITE DRESS. IT'S A LOVE STORY, BABY, JUST SAY "YES. ”

🌹 it was a tragedy but you were already hooked. if you die for me, i would die for you, as he always murmurs in your ears.

romeo!jj who knelt down for you the first time he saw you in that rose garden, on one of his knee, dressed in his shining silver armor. he was a fallen prince that reached for his sinned princess.

romeo!jj who complimented your sublime, long dress, a gift from your father, but who wanted to see you without it.

romeo!jj who helped you lace up your corset, but had to refrain from touching you in front of your servants every time your breasts bounced above the cleavage.

romeo!jj who helped you undo your dress, sliding the threads through his hands, while kissing your skin every time he undid a lace.

romeo!jj who liked to irritate your father because he was young and arrogant. romeo!jj who showed up at balls where he is not invited, drinks from the cup of wine of your dad before throwing it on the ground, and sneaking among the guests to find you. you. the woman he seeks and wants. romeo!jj who kicked out all the dance partners you had, just because he was the only one who can make you dance.

romeo!jj who fighting your father with his precious sword in front of everyone, while making you dance. he was meticulous, his blade never touched you.

romeo!jj who may loose the fight but will end up finding you on your balcony later while you wait for him in the light of the moon.

romeo!jj who kissed you passionately, with the love you deserved. romeo!jj who was all dirty after a long battle, messy sweaty hair that smell victory, bruises on his pretty young face, and blood but who refused to be far away from you.

you were his juliet to whom he wrote love letters with ink stains but you loved to smell his scent in every word.

romeo!jj who was not a music lover but such a fan of hearing you play the harp late at night.

you had tried to teach him but his hands were always somewhere other than on the tiny fragile ropes.

romeo!jj who forced you to leave your prison while your parents slept to take you to have fun. you threw yourself off the balcony and he caught you in his arms. but often complained about the size of your dress. sometimes, jj fantasized about seeing his princess in silver armor.

you had tried to push him away dozens of times, but it never worked because he was stronger than you at this game. romeo!jj wanted you, and even if he had to have the world against him , it didn't matter, because he would let this world burn for his only love.

romeo!jj who fought duels with all his rivals, and who took pleasure in capturing you whenever he could. he had a big white horse and took you for rides. sometimes he dreamed of being an evil prince and kidnapping you, and locking you in a giant tower. but you were too beautiful in his eyes to be hidden from the world.

you were his juliet, the one to whom he revealed his scars, to whom he let see his weaknesses, his true nature, weak and sensitive.

you were his juliet and he agreed to cry in front of you because of his father.

you were his juliet, a sin. but he was in love. no matter how much hell tormented him, he would descend there for your beautiful eyes.

he was your romeo, and he taught you how to use the sword, one hand on your waist, and another on his weapon. romeo!jj who had engraved the initials of your name on his blade.

he made you a soldier capable of fighting, but you remained his princess who would never be able to kill anyone. but you didn't have to worry, that was his favorite part. fighting for you.

he was dressed to kill every person that pissed you, and make him jealous, and you were dressed to be his favorite pure and soft angel. and in the future, his perfect wife.

romeo!jj who knew how much your families hated each other but couldn't stay away from you for more than five minutes. romeo!jj who planned to run away with you.

romeo!jj who knelt in front of you one day, “will you marry me ?” with the most precious ring in his hand. romeo!jj who had found nothing better than to make you cry on your birthday with his surprise. romeo!jj who wanted nothing more than for you to be his.

even if your father humiliated him yesterday because a capulet would never marry a montague. that the blood of your family was superior to others. that he would never have you.

there had been another fight between the two. he never gave up, even when your father placed a blade against his throat, forcing jj to go on his knees. you begged your father to not kill him. while you cried your heart out, jj's blood stained your dress, he whispered in your ear.

“ already in tears for me? i didn't fuck you well yet. don't be a crybaby, princess. your romeo will not die tonight. ”

you wanted to hit him. but you smiled at him when he got up.

but you knew that his own father had also beaten him for this betrayal and shame that was your love for each other.

“ my father is going to kill you.” you said with a soft voice, your fingers stucked in his blonde curls, while he was on his knees, his hands on your waist covered by your big princess dress. and his eyes all over you.

“you are the only one capable of killing me. and you've already done it a million times.”

“ don't die, jj. i forbid you. you think you can conquer everything like achilles, but you will die because of your ego. you are young and i still need you."

" you trust me ? "

"my father is a monster. he won't be afraid to kill you."

" are you afraid of dying with me?"

“nothing scares me more than dying without you., jj. ”

but you had let yourself be blinded by love and happiness, you could never have known, neither you nor jj, that it was the last time you kissed his cold and bruised lips.

and the saddest part was that you died without knowing where your romeo was. you had both been consumed.

you had forgotten god, and you had been punished with jj for that.

credits to @daddldee for the dividers <33 moodboards was made by me. and i'm proud fr 😭 yes, it's inspired by love story/white horse by taylor swift, dont ask me why 😔 i dont think it's really angst but yes, both jj and reader die at the end💀

[sovamurka]

J. C. Leyendecker's "Study for Butterfly Couple" (1923) // unused vinyl design for Arcane's "Pretend Like It's the First Time" episode title card // marble statue of Liang Shanbo & Zhu Yingtai, also known as "Butterfly Lovers" from the eponymous chinese legend

[rancidsugar]

[theobsidianpage]

Thus with a kiss, I die...

25 writing prompts compiled from Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare:

[Please feel free to use! I would love for you to tag me if you post any writing pulled from or inspired by this list so I can read all of your amazing work! <3]

Image: Gustav Klimt, The Death of Romeo and Juliet (detail), 1886–7.

"These violent delights have violent ends..."

"Don't waste your love on somebody who doesn't value it."

"Parting is such sweet sorrow..."

"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs..."

"I am fortune's fool..."

"Under love's heavy burden do I sink."

"You are a lover. Borrow Cupid's wings and soar with them..."

"...dreamers often lie."

"It's easy for someone to joke about scars if they've never been cut."

"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorns."

"I must be gone and live, or stay and die."

"Give me my sin again."

"Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied..."

"...where two raging fires meet together, they do consume the thing that feeds their fury."

"I have a soul of lead, so stakes me to the ground I cannot move."

"I love someone. She doesn't love me."

"Some grief shows much of love, but much of grief shows still some want of wit."

"There's no trust, no faith, no honesty in men..."

"What must be shall be."

"If love be rough with you, be rough with love."

"In truth...I am too fond."

"I have no more care to stay than will to go."

"Well, we were born to die."

"Tis not so sweet now as it was before."

"I long to die."

[heavenbloom]

🇵🇸 BEFORE YOU READ: DONATE • BOYCOTT TLOU

ꫂ ၴႅၴ — 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 | 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕!𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆

a vague continuation of this, but you don’t have to read it to understand this one

song: vicino a te — stevio cipriani

summary: after your first, brief encounter, ellie sends you a letter — with this sweet, foreign feeling blossoming in her chest, she’s too nervous to say anything in person.

warnings: 18+ mdni, fluff, letter format, ellie’s pov, yearning, kinda love at first sight, mentions of (greek) mythology, religious imagery, probably ooc, flowery language, not proofread

a/n: i should be writing other, bigger projects but i love letter writing so much, they’re the purest form of love

Dear moonlit one,

How terribly confused you must be by this letter; I am sorry for it in advance.

Perhaps it might have been more appropriate to visit you, to speak more than a few pleasantries before scampering off into the night, but, as you may have noticed… well, I have no talent for speaking.

How ironic that seems coming from a poet! Words are my profession, perhaps even my religion. I suppose, however, I can only wield them with ink and not with my lips. I have always been this way; a penchant for the quill in preference to conversation.

That is why I write to you. I can be honest here, without my nerves getting the better of me.

I want to express my deepest apologies for my insolence on that revelrous eve. Rushing off without so much as a goodbye in spite of your good nature was unkind of me, and there is no justification for it. Even so, I must explain myself;

Excuse my cynicism and my continuous irony, but I have never believed in a fairytale love. I have an apt appreciation for the picturesque and I feel deeply about many-a-thing; these qualities have made me an adequate enough poet, for I can replicate the beauty of the world that surrounds me. I can structure stanza upon stanza inspired by a scent or a face. I am an observer, therefore I have endured.

But a love that strikes as abruptly as a serpent unsheathes its fangs? A love that robs the lungs of air and renders one’s body feather-light? All because of a glance, a smile, a laugh— of course I was skeptical. How could one not be?

But it was not until I saw you on that argent night, dreamy and gentle, that I could at least come to an understanding. You appeared like the goddess Selene, so very luminous that no words could form in my useless mouth. What was I to say, in that moment? What words spoken could have done justice to the divinity before me?

And your laugh, oh, that laugh… it was as if the sound of your voice was laced with the very harps of heaven. I have not been able to listen to another’s joy without missing the beauty of yours. How foolish I am.

Why do I ramble in such a way? What I mean to say is that your mere existence has awoken me to the pearl ensconced within the centre of our lives. A precious and delicate thing that hit me, unabated. That is why I left you in such a hurry. I was enchanted, and I was afraid of it. In that moment, I was afraid of you, too. The power you held over me was seizing.

But I have gained my bearings. Of course, I cannot say that I love you, a stranger. I know near-nothing about you, and yet, in these sleep-laced hours before dawn, I wish I knew everything.

Sealed within this envelope are dried apple blossoms, birthed from a late-blooming tree. The little buds make the paper smell fragrant, but they also reminded me of our fleeting encounter. And of you; sweet and vibrant. Cheerful, even towards a person you had never spoken to. I hope they soften the suddenness of my letter.

In earnesty, I pray that you write back to me. Even if it is just to reprimand my audacious behaviour, that would be enough.

With sincerity,

E. Williams

[kiisuuumii]

@kiisuuumii (tragedy in love)

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Paul's names and titles, Dune Part Two from start to finish

Methodology and notes:

Had to be addressing or referencing Paul specifically, so general discussions of prophecy (ie. "the mother of the Lisan al-Gaib will be a Reverend Mother") were not included

I didn't include things that weren't proper nouns like "cousin" BUT if I had, the last name Paul would have been called on screen is "your brother"

That one Kwisatz Haderach is from the line "Kwisatz Haderach, climb up, arise," which I treated as a direct command

The Atreides name carries its own connotations, so "Atreides" and "Paul Atreides" were treated as separate from just "Paul"

Gurney calls Paul "Paul" several times when they first reunite, but after Paul snaps and gives him a direct order ("Go south, protect my mother") he immediately course corrects to "my Lord" and only addresses him that way for the rest of the movie

[jackdaww-draws]

sunglasses

[fancyschmancyopinions]

RACHEL ZEGLER at Variety’s New York Film Festival party on October 8th 2024 wearing CHRISTAN DIOR

[queeringclassiclit]

Mercutio & Tybalt

from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1597)

[scorp-simran]

When Shakespeare wrote these violent delights have violent ends. It made me contemplate.

The love between Romeo and Juliet was so passionate that it brought violence into both of their lives.

A delight which ends violently.

A delight of love.

[mercutiosometimes]

1 overture

star-crossed this, star-crossed that, we all know the real star of the show is the one and only mercutio!

welcome to the opening night of this art/ask blog!! featuring mercutio from roméo et juliette (2010). the doodles definitely won't be as polished as this, i just thought it'd be nice to start things off with a bang :]

please be my guest and send some asks/requests! i'll doodle em, mercutio will answer, or both . . .

(heavily inspired by @/dailymercutio ! check 'em out!!)