#escalawrence

[shadowofthemoth]

“Thy body is a map, and it tells me many stories."

-

I finally finished my fic for the RandJWeek challenge at @rjficexchange! It is a sorry attempt at Elizabethan English combined with some escalawrence and some pillow talk, because my brain was unable to come up with anything else for these two secret softies. And I am really grateful to this challenge for motivating me to overcome my writer’s block and finally create an actual text! 

[shadowofthemoth]

I couldn't resist, sorry not sorry.

[shadowofthemoth]

Escalawrence for the ship asks (obviously XD)

Haha, obviously indeed! xD Thanks! Here goes... 

Who said “I love you” first: technically Lorenzo used these exact words first; but Escalus’s way of demonstrating his love rarely involves saying “I love you”, so in a way he was the first to confess. 

Who would have the other’s picture as their phone background: Lorenzo. Escalus’s background is a picture of his nephews (and later, it changes into a group picture with the four of them together - Mercutio, Valentine, Lorenzo and himself). 

Who leaves notes written in fog on the bathroom mirror: Lorenzo, the ultimate dork.

Who buys the other cheesy gifts: Escalus, even if it may seem surprising. 

Who initiated the first kiss: Escalus. 

Who kisses the other awake in the morning: they both do, depending on who wakes up first. But usually it’s Escalus, since he’s the early bird. xD

Who starts tickle fights: no one really, but they both get dragged into them by Mercutio. Or Valentine. 

Who asks who if they can join the other in the shower: Escalus doesn’t really bother, he knows that Lorenzo won’t mind; whereas Lorenzo does ask, because Escalus is way more uptight than him when it comes to personal boundaries. xD

Who surprises the other in the middle of the day at work with lunch: Lorenzo, when it’s his day off; and definitely not Escalus, since it’s a bit difficult to turn up in the middle of a hospital and bring lunch to a surgeon who’s in the middle of yet another operation (and Lorenzo is exactly that).

Who was nervous and shy on the first date: uh, they didn’t really have a proper first date, they just met up as friends from time to time... and only realised that those meeting could be considered as dates when they were well into their relationship. So there was hardly any reason to get nervous at all... which didn’t stop Lorenzo from being nervous as hell when he decided to set up a surprise date for Escalus at some point after they had confessed their love to each other. All worked out well, though! xD

Who kills/takes out the spiders: ...Lorenzo. He usually keeps them alive though. Escalus dislikes spiders and will kill them on sight, but only the small ones; and he’ll run walk away from the large ones.

Who loudly proclaims their love when they’re drunk: Lorenzo. When Escalus gets drunk enough to lose self-control it’s usually when he’s in an extremely bad mood, and even then he just goes really quiet and moody. 

I hope you enjoyed this, my dear anon! :3

[shadowofthemoth]

Hi, I was just wondering whether there are any songs that make you think of RetJ characters or ships? And thank you btw for your wonderful blog and fics, I really appreciate them!

Hi there! ^^ Thank you for your kind words, I’m so happy you enjoy my writing and my little blog! :3 And thank you for the question!

Songs… I have a whole playlist of songs in Russian that I associate with RetJ in general, its characters, ships and my own AUs based on it. As for non-Russian ones, there are quite a few as well, let me list them for you! Warning: lots of Sting (though my heart belongs to Daniel Lavoie forever, Sting’s songs are somehow very applicable to RetJ).

Poets of the Fall - “My Dark Disquiet” for Prince Escalus.

Poets of the Fall - “Angel” for Friar Lawrence.

Sting - “Englishman in New York” for Prince Escalus.

Sting - “Fragile” for each and every pairing in the fandom and for the situation in Verona in general. 

Sting - “The Secret Marriage” for tycutio, bencutio, and bentycutio. 

Sting - “Lullaby to an Anxious Child” for Mercutio. 

Sting - “Every Breath You Take” for Tybalt and Juliette. 

Sting - “Shape of My Heart” for Escalus and der Tod in my chess!verse.

Sting - “Inside” for tycutio.

Sting - “It’s Probably Me” for bencutio and for Romeo and Mercutio’s friendship.

Of Verona - “Dark in My Imagination” for rocutio.

Louis Garrel - “Ma Mémoire Sale” for postcanon!escalawrence.

Luc Arbogast - “O Fortuna”, “Ad Mortem Festinamus” for Escalus and der Tod inmy chess!verse. 

Daniel Lavoie - “Qui va là?” for Mercutio who is thinking/hallucinating about Queen Mab pursuing him. 

Daniel Lavoie - “Bamboula” for Verona in general.  I haven’t found it on YouTube, so there is a link to the lyrics.

Daniel Lavoie - “Je n'y suis pour personne” for postcanon Benvolio. Same, only the lyrics here.

Daniel Lavoie - “Coeur de pomme” for Prince Escalus. Same, only lyrics. Sorry.

Panic! At The Disco - “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time“ for the montacrew. 

Tom Odell - “Another Love” for Benvolio/La Muette (la-volio). 

This is not the end of the list, believe me! I have many other songs I could name, but I don’t want to wear you out. If you want more songs, just send me another message and I’ll do it. ^^

Upd.: also all these songs are awesome and wholesome and dramatic and I definitely recommend them to everyone, even if you are not into RetJ. Poets of the Fall and Daniel Lavoie are my special favourites!

[shadowofthemoth]

I got tagged by @ilovedyouevenasisawyou to post the last sentence I wrote, and here we go!

“The first strikes fall across his stomach… but they are weak, more preparatory than anything, and definitely not painful enough to warrant any kind of reaction; so he doesn’t make a sound.”

This is from a new escalawrence fic, and I’ll just leave you guessing whom this sentence is about and what the circumstances are. XD

I tag @tveckling , @thehellsingalchemist and whoever else feels like doing it. ^^

[shadowofthemoth]

The Flower Plague

Genre: Hanahaki AU  Fandom: Romeo Et Juliette Ship: escalawrence Co-author: @shadowofqueenmab   Link to AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18804946

It is winter when the friar first develops a persistent dry cough that feels like there is a naughty cat trying to claw its way out of his throat. But the winds are cold and the rains are long, and Lorenzo doesn't worry too much, deciding that he must have simply sat in the draught for too long.

So he continues with his usual routine, which, by this time, looks a bit different from that of a normal priest's. Every Wednesday he visits the Prince of Verona in his library and spends a pleasant evening, talking to him and sipping mulled wine; this has been their favourite pastime for almost a year now. Besides, Lorenzo, skilled as he is in healing and the like, spends many evenings working on developing a cure for a peculiar illness that has been plaguing Verona for quite some time already. No one is sure who brought it into the city and just when exactly it happened, but it's been several decades at least.

People  call it the Flower Plague and fear it - quite fairly so, for Verona is a city torn by hatred and folly, and unrequited love is not a stranger to it. But never before has unrequited love equalled death... at least not until the Flower Plague came.

Lorenzo tries everything, but his medicines and potions can only numb the pain for a bit, and they certainly don't heal. He even tries to use the flowers that the sick people cough up, hoping that maybe fighting fire with fire could help...

He is not afraid of catching the disease himself: after all, he is not in love with anyone, is he? So there is absolutely no risk.

Or so he believes.

His belief shatters one winter morning when he wakes up to an unusually sharp coughing fit that soon subsides, leaving a small, soft violet petal in its wake.

Lorenzo crushes the petal in his hand and closes his eyes.

Later, he sets to work with renewed vigour, for the smell of the crushed petal and the colour and the shape of it send him to the library of the monastery. And indeed, after leafing impatiently through several old tomes, he stumbles upon - not even a recipe, just a tiny paragraph and a sketch of a flower that might just be exactly what Lorenzo needs for the medicine that he seeks to develop.

Having failed to find more information on the subject, he copies the paragraph and hurries home, not yet daring to hope. And a week later Verona is filled with rumours that friar Lorenzo has found a cure for the dreaded Flower Plague.

The rumours are soon proved to be true: those who have only begun to develop the symptoms are brought back to full health within a week, and those who have been suffering longer or developed the symptoms faster find it much easier to breathe, and none of them coughs up blood anymore - only flowers, and even those fits become shorter and less regular.

Verona is over the moon: finally there is nothing to fear. But no one knows just what exactly Lorenzo uses to make the cure; no one knows the cost at which it has come. No one even suspects that he suffers himself.

And Lorenzo doesn't want anyone to know. He doesn't even dare to hope that his feeling could possibly be returned; and what is more, through his own illness he can help others, so why even bother to stop it? It would be sensible to try and find the same flowers just growing somewhere in the woods, yes; but they look unfamiliar, he has never seen them anywhere, or he would know.

But Lorenzo isn't the only one in Verona who has something to hide. One evening, upon hearing his uncle's hacking cough, Mercutio enters his study, worried, without knocking, and freezes in his tracks. For there are bloodied violet flowers scattered across the table, and Escalus breathes heavily as he leans on the said table, pale and tired, one hand pressed to his mouth. He tries to smile at the sight of his nephew's shocked and frightened face, but the smile comes out a little crooked.

"Who?.." Mercutio dares to ask, not really hoping for an answer. The Prince waves his hand dismissively.

"Unimportant. Don't worry about it."

Mercutio knows better than to argue; but he also knows the Flower Plague when he sees it, and knows that it kills. So the next day, there is a tiny bottle of medicine in front of Escalus, on the very table where the flowers had been.

Time goes by, and the Prince's condition improves, for Mercutio brings him the medicine every week and makes sure that he drinks it. The coughing fits come less and less often, and by the beginning of summer Escalus is almost completely healthy... and has almost no time to care about his health, since Verona is once more filled with blood and death, fight after fight breaking out in its streets. Try as he might, he is unable to reason with his bloodthirsty subjects.

And then it's July. And there is a duel. And a funeral. And then more deaths and funerals, and then there is finally peace. And Mercutio stops bringing Escalus the medicine, Mercutio stops bringing smiles to people's faces; for he is no longer alive, and the only thing that he can now bring is bittersweet memories.

Lorenzo worries. His own illness develops very, very slowly, he is lucky; but the person Mercutio needed the medicine for might not be so lucky, and he doesn't know who that person is - Mercutio had never mentioned the name, and now Mercutio is dead, so how can he find out who needs his help?..

...he finds out soon enough, when at the end of August the Prince of Verona comes to the church for confession and he hears his wracking cough. Lorenzo doesn't need to ask: he knows the symptoms well by now, and he knows that the illness came back after a break... and he knows exactly how long that break was.

He also has no idea who the reason for the Prince's suffering is, and he dares not ask. He merely offers his help, wishing to save the person he loves from death; and Escalus accepts. Half because he doesn't want Mercutio's efforts to go to waste, half because it gives him the opportunity to see Lorenzo more often.

Their regular meetings had stopped at some point, which, to the Prince's mind, was easily explained by how much time Lorenzo was spending on his cure. Escalus doesn't wish to disturb the man's work... and oh well, the real reason he avoids Lorenzo as much as he could is that he is unwilling to make his feelings known but unable to hide them.

And yet Escalus is only human, so when the opportunity to see Lorenzo more often presents itself again, he seizes it without thinking.

So the Prince starts coming to Lorenzo for the medicine, every week, just like before. He has no idea what his visits do to the poor friar and how difficult it is for Lorenzo to hide both his feelings and his illness from him. He does notice that the friar looks more pale and gaunt than should be normal, though; but the man simply shrugs, "I work a lot." And there is really nothing else Escalus can say. 

On his third visit the Prince arrives a bit earlier than usual and hears something he was not supposed to hear - that is, heavy wracking coughs reverberating behind the closed doors of Lorenzo's... cell? laboratory? Escalus knows not how to name it, and really, it's the least of his concerns right now. Frowning, he pushes the door... and freezes in his tracks, just like Mercutio several months prior.

"What..." He shakes his head and reaches out towards the table in front of him, not quite touching the flowers scattered across it. They are violet, large, still smeared with fresh blood... and they look familiar. Too familiar, actually. "But these are... Where did you get these?"

Escalus focuses his gaze on Lorenzo and realizes that the man looks... pale, yes, gaunt, yes; but he also looks frightened and is pressing his hand to his chest, as if in pain.

"My friend..." Escalus pauses, not yet daring to voice his thoughts, even though deep inside he knows them to be true. "Whom do you love so?"

But Lorenzo is unable to respond, not when he is once again doubled over, coughing like mad and almost choking on the oh-so-familiar violet flowers. Escalus moves to hand him the medicine that he spots on the table, but the friar waves him away.

"It won't..." one more flower drops to the floor. "Won't help me. Not me."

And as the coughing fit hits him again with even more force, almost like a seizure, the Prince finds that there is only one course of action that he can take now. So he simply puts the bottle with the potion back and steps closer, taking Lorenzo by the shoulders.

"If your own flowers can't heal you, maybe mine could? They look exactly the same."

And as the friar simply stares at him, shocked, uncomprehending, Escalus leans in and gently touches Lorenzo's lips with his own, desperately praying that it would help.

Lorenzo doesn't move at first, too surprised to actually do anything but just stand there; but when Escalus is already about to step back, the friar's hands grab his shoulders convulsively, and he is pulled back into the kiss. Lorenzo kisses him hungrily, desperately, like their kiss is water and Lorenzo himself is a traveler in a desert, dying of thirst. Which, to think of it, is not too far from the truth.

And, embracing him and responding to his kiss, Escalus doesn't even notice that his own ever-present pain deep inside his chest dissolves into nothing, as if it were never there, and that it suddenly becomes so much easier to breathe... Escalus notices nothing, really, save Lorenzo's closeness, his warmth, his touch; he doesn't care about the weak taste of blood on his lips. The only thing that matters is that he was not mistaken in his assumptions, that Lorenzo loves him back; the only thing he feels is overwhelming tenderness... and overwhelming relief, for now everything will be all right, Lorenzo will be fine.

They both will.

Together.

[shadowofthemoth]

tycutio and escalawrence for the ship meme please ♥

Thank you! 💜

Tycutio: I don’t really ship it (due to some unpleasant personal experience I had several months ago, which was not fun)- or, actually, I do, but only as part of bentycutio. But I’ll try to answer this to the best of my abilities!

who hogs the duvet: Mercutio.

who texts/rings to check how their day is going: Tybalt. 

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts: Mercutio.

who gets up first in the morning: Tybalt.

who suggests new things in bed: MERCUTIO I mean like can there be any doubt about that.

who cries at movies: no one (actually it’s Tybalt, but it’s a rare occasion and he’ll never admit it).

who gives unprompted massages: Mercutio. But it doesn’t mean he’s good at them. 

who fusses over the other when they’re sick: Tyyyyybalt. Mercutio too, but it’s a more worried and panicky sort of fuss.

who gets jealous easiest: both are disasters in this regard. 

who has the most embarrassing taste in music: Mercutio. His playlist is a mix of EVERYTHING. Fun fact: Tybalt’s playlist is alphabetized. 

who collects something unusual: Tybalt collects guitar picks even though he doesn’t play the guitar. 

who takes the longest to get ready: Mercutio. Because he doesn’t give a damn about being late.

who is the most tidy and organised: TYBALT. He is pedantic and organised and Mercutio is the opposite of that.

who gets most excited about the holidays: both equally, but Mercutio’s excitement is a bit more… noticeable. xD

who is the big spoon/little spoon: Tybs is the big spoon.

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports: Tybalt.

who starts the most arguments: Mercutio. 

who suggests that they buy a pet: Mercutio doesn’t suggest buying a pet. One morning Tybalt wakes up and the pet is just sort of already there. 

what couple traditions they have: no idea.

what tv shows they watch together: I have no idea because I’m no specialist in TV shows, but I think Mercutio would be an avid fan of B99, and Tybalt would be surprisingly into Big Bang Theory.

what other couple they hang out with: Romeo&Juliet; Benvolio&Muette (that is, if it’s not bentycutio); Rosaline & her girlfiend. 

how they spend time together as a couple: you mean, when they’re not having sex? xD Well, Tybalt is a busy guy (he works etc), so when he’s free they prefer to just chill at home. Sometimes they go to the movies, but Tybs is fond of long walks and so that’s what they do when the weather allows. Mercutio doesn’t mind walking in the rain, too, but Tybs is responsible enough to avoid it (or maybe he just knows that dealing with Mercutio-with-a-cold is one hell of a task xD).

who made the first move: Tybalt. He was drunk, too.

who brings flowers home: Tybalt, when the mood hits him. Which happens even less often than crying at movies. 

who is the best cook: Tybalt. Mercutio is awesome at making coffee though.

Escalawrence: THANK YOU FOR ASKING ABOUT THEM and sorry in advance, I’m going to call Lawrence Lorenzo, I’m too used to it by now. xD

who hogs the duvet: Lorenzo. 

who texts/rings to check how their day is going: both do. Only through texting though, because both are busy af and respect that.

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts: Lorenzo. Escalus is more traditional (or just lacks imagination) but he tries. 

who gets up first in the morning: Escalus. Even on weekends, days off and holidays. Lorenzo is so used to it by now that it doesn’t affect his deep slumber in the slightest.

who suggests new things in bed: both, but it depends on what sort of things those are. 

who cries at movies: neither. Lorenzo makes sassy comments and Escalus shushes him. 

who gives unprompted massages: Lorenzo. He’s damn good at that, too. 

who fusses over the other when they’re sick: Lorenzo is a gd doctor, he doesn’t fuss. He doesn’t. HE DOESN’T OKAY …actually it’s Escalus. Lorenzo may be worried but he’s in control. When he gets sick though, Escalus is like “I know what to do but omg omg omg whaT DO I DO”. 

who gets jealous easiest: neither. They trust each other so deeply that jealousy is not an option.

who has the most embarrassing taste in music: Lorenzo is never embarrassed about his taste in music, but Escalus honestly thinks some of his choices deserve a facepalm and a set of earplugs. 

who collects something unusual: Lorenzo collects small tomes of poetry (and puts leaves and flowers in them). 

who takes the longest to get ready: they’re both pretty organised and good at sticking to their schedule. But Escalus’s job requires that he look more than presentable, so naturally he spends more time getting ready and making sure everything looks as it should.

who is the most tidy and organised: Escalus, for sure. 

who gets most excited about the holidays: Lorenzo (and Escalus too, but he keeps his emotions in check).

who is the big spoon/little spoon: Escalus is the little spoon. Yes.

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports: Escalus when it comes to chess.

who starts the most arguments: they don’t really have arguments, so neither.

who suggests that they buy a pet: they need no pets, they already have Mercutio, Valentine and several other problematic teens to look after Lorenzo does.

what couple traditions they have: they play chess together regularly.

what tv shows they watch together: all sorts of ridiculous romcoms.

what other couple they hang out with: none. They don’t really like to make h\their relationship public like that, since both of them have to deal with lots of people at work. So their relationship is just for the two of them, no one else is required.  

how they spend time together as a couple: they don’t have much free time to spend together, so when they do get it, they basically just stay at home together, all snug and comfy, just talking and stuff. And yep, they spend a lot of time on, ahem, amorous activities of all sorts.

who made the first move: in the canon setting it was Escalus, in the modern AU it was Lorenzo. I can describe both situations separately if you like - just let me know! ^^

who brings flowers home: Lorenzo. And then he puts them in his poetry books to dry.

who is the best cook: Lorenzo. Escalus is spectacularly bad at cooking and no one knows how his nephews survived being raised by him without starving to death. But, just like his nephew, Escalus is a born coffee-maker (guess who taught Mercutio how to make coffee? Yep).

I hope you enjoyed these! I. for my part, loved answering them :3 Don’t hesitate to ask me for comments/explanations/details if you want or need any!

[shadowofthemoth]

Non voglio perderti

Note 1. The title is in Italian and means “I don’t want to lose you”. Also, click the title below to go read this fic on AO3. Note 2. This was originally written in Russian and published here: https://ficbook.net/readfic/7887201  Note 3. Sources of inspiration: 1) a Russian theatre adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” that I went to see in the autumn of 2018; 2) the new version of “Non so più” (“J'Sais Plus”) from “Romeo e Giulietta - Ama e cambia il mondo”. Here’s a link if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6pnaRUFCsA

Non voglio perderti

Upon hearing Lorenzo’s whimper Escalus literally tears the friar’s robe off his shoulders… and is struck speechless. He stumbles back, enraged, horrified.

“What the hell?! How… Who on earth…” the shock is too deep to allow him to be any more coherent. “Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Lorenzo is silent, unmoving, he is not even trying to pull his robe back on… he knows not what to say. Should he say – it was poor Juliet, banging her fists against my chest in a fit of despair, begging me to help her and her husband?.. Should he say – and it was me, who had failed to save them both, hoping that the pain of the body would drown out the pain of the soul?.. He would rather not say anything at all.

“Why didn’t you tell me anything?” the Prince repeats, calmer now, searching his face for an answer. He reaches out but hesitates, afraid to cause even more pain inadvertently; but then finally touches the friar’s forearm carefully. “Or…”

Lorenzo closes his eyes.

“You didn’t want me to know,” Escalus states, dropping his hand. Lorenzo remains silent, and his silence is enough of an answer for the Prince to know he is right.

“But why?.. This is… Who did this?” he angrily clenches his fist, and oh, does Lorenzo know this gesture. Countless times has he covered those tightly clenched fingers with his own, rubbing them, his soft touch making Escalus relax his iron grip… He can’t do it anymore. Not now, not after this.

Not a single movement. Only words.

“No one is to blame, Bartolomeo. No one but me.”

The Prince frowns, confused. Lorenzo takes a deep breath, before diving right in.

“It was I who did it.”

“You are delirious,” Escalus counters immediately without a trace of doubt. “You have a fever, and you do not know what you are saying.”

“But I do,” Lorenzo insists. “It was I. I did it to myself. You were not supposed to know…” but the Prince is no longer listening, his eyes fixed on the woven belt with a massive metal buckle, tied over the friar’s robes.

“Bartolomeo, I…”

Escalus moves his gaze higher, staring intently at Lorenzo’s mangled back. The friar is holding himself upright, his spine straighter than usual; it clearly hurts him to slouch even a little. Long, painful abrasions and red welts cover his fevered skin; there are ugly bruises here and there, left by the heavy buckle; Escalus also spots several deep, clearly inflamed flesh wounds apparently caused by the forceful blows landing repeatedly in the same place. The pain must be excruciating.

Escalus sighs heavily and squeezes his eyes shut. In his mind’s eye, he sees Lorenzo down on his knees in this very room, hours earlier, whipping himself with merciless determination. He can almost hear his screams and groans echoing across the small, sparsely furnished cell; can almost see his beloved friar’s tormented face and the desperation in his darkened eyes as he keeps torturing himself with his own belt until it falls out of his shaking hand, all bloodied. There are still faint traces of blood on the floor, he recalls.

The image is all too vivid, all too horrible… all too real.

When the Prince opens his eyes again, his voice is calmer than he would have expected it to be. “You didn’t even think to clean these, did you?.. Let me help you now; you will explain everything later.”

Lorenzo does not move, hands clenched nervously in front of him, eyes cast down. “It won’t be necessary. You will regret having helped me when you find out what I’ve been hiding from you.”

Escalus freezes for a moment. Then takes a quick step forward, grabbing the priest’s hands and squeezing them, firmly, fervently.

“Whatever it is…” he finds that he cannot say anything further and simply drops down to his knees in front of his lover, pressing his forehead to their interlocked hands.

Lorenzo’s whole body is shaking – the Prince should hate him, not kneel before him! Escalus looks him in the eye as he gets back on his feet. His voice is calm and commanding once again. “Show me what I can use to help you. I am not losing you too.”

Escalus is an experienced warrior. He knows how to treat wounds. And as he skillfully washes his lover’s numerous abrasions with cold water and applies healing ointment, Lorenzo begins to speak, his voice trembling with pain. He speaks of Juliet’s despair, and of his seemingly impeccable plan, and of how it all went horribly wrong… He explains that everything that happened in the tomb was his fault; and that he could have prevented it all. He speaks monotonously, slowly, clutching his belt with both hands and staring straight ahead, the litany of admissions sometimes interrupted by a stifled moan when the Prince’s ministrations hurt too much. Lorenzo does not allow himself anything more than that – he did it all to himself and he must now suffer the consequences.

But physical pain is hardly a distraction from the confession he is making. And even as he speaks, the friar is expecting that Escalus will shove him away in rage and repulsion, realizing that his ill-fated lover deserves a much worse punishment than a mere flagellation. He is expecting – waiting – dreading to hear the scorn in his lover’s – his lord’s – voice, to hear the door slam… dreading the silence that will follow.

Escalus listens quietly, frowning at times but refraining from commentary, and never stops working on Lorenzo’s wounds. When Lorenzo finally falls silent, he continues to apply the strong-smelling ointment to the remaining abrasions, just as quietly, giving no immediate response.

In fact, he simply does not know how to respond. He does have many reasons to hate Lorenzo, to be in rage; but he has neither the strength nor the desire for it. More than that, he understands that Lorenzo despises and hates himself enough already. That was the reason for his merciless self-flagellation; that was the reason why he had been avoiding Escalus for days… and the Prince can’t bear the thought of torturing his beloved Lorenzo further.

“Go, Bartolomeo,” the priest says, eerily calm, as soon as Escalus steps back, having finished treating his lover’s wounded back. “You know everything, now go.” He hesitates. “Go, my Prince, I won’t run. I’ll be here until… until such time as you might need me in court.”

And that is when Escalus realizes with belated horror that Lorenzo is absolutely sure that the only outcome for him after his confession is arrest and… and then death.

But to Lorenzo, being arrested and executed are the least of his concerns. What he himself fears the most is that his beloved Bartolomeo will abandon him, simply walking out of his cell to never come back.

The Prince does not know it. But he knows what he is going to do.

“Do not send me away in such haste, holy father,” he replies after a short pause, gently taking Lorenzo by the shoulders and turning him around to look him in the face. “I am not done yet.” He traces the tips of his fingers down his lover’s chest and over the bruises there. “These should not be ignored, either.”

Lorenzo makes no attempt to move or speak; simply stares at him uncomprehendingly, his dark eyes full of mute disbelief. Escalus sighs and leans closer, barely touching the priest’s lips with his own, the warmth of their breaths mingling in the cool evening air.

“I did tell you I am not going to lose you, did I not?”

And then there is a kiss, tender yet deep and persistent; and Escalus can’t embrace Lorenzo properly without hurting him, so he resorts to simply holding his lover’s wrists to keep him in place.

“You are all I have left.”

Lorenzo is trembling, his voice barely a whisper. “I do not…” He falls silent again after that, averting his gaze.

“You do not what?” Escalus pulls him closer, searching his face for a clue.

“I do not want to hurt you,” the friar exhales. He tries to turn away, but Bartolomeo does not let him. “I do not want you to justify my actions.” God alone knows how hard it is for Lorenzo to say these words.

Escalus sighs. “I am not going to justify your actions. Nor am I going to blame you. I myself am guilty, no less so than others are; I have been turning a blind eye to too many troubles for too long, and look where it took us. But no one is innocent. For Mercutio…” he stumbles, and has to take a deep breath before he is able to continue, “it was his own temper, and Romeo’s clumsiness, too, that became his downfall. It was the feud between the families that destroyed Romeo and Juliet – listen, Lorenzo, listen to me! – the feud between the families, not you. It was the plague, not you, that stopped your messenger; it was Romeo, not you, who chose to drink that poison; it was Juliet, not you, who chose to pick up that dagger. You did what you could, but fate was stronger – and is it not always stronger than our dreams and choices?.. You are not omnipotent, and neither am I; but at least you did something. I didn’t even try – though who knows, maybe I could have prevented it all?”

The Prince’s words are cold, calm, rational – just as they always are; just as they should be. He pauses to take another long breath, and the corners of his mouth twitch, forming a sad smile.

“Maybe we could have done it together. If only I had known…”

He gently caresses Lorenzo’s cheek with the back of his hand, taking care not to smear his skin with the ointment that is still covering the tips of his fingers.

“See? I am not justifying anyone’s actions.”

The priest can only nod silently.

“I’m not saying you’re innocent, too. Nor am I saying that all of this did not hurt me.”

Escalus almost touches Lorenzo’s quivering lips with his own again and exhales softly.

“But I am still saying I do not want to lose you.”

[shadowofthemoth]

FL/Escalus and/or Tycutio!

It’s gonna be escalawrence for this one, because as of right now I don’t really ship tycutio without Ben ^^ (Ok, who am I trying to fool, I’m just neck deep in the escalawrence ship and… duh).

when I started shipping it if I did: almost a year ago, last spring! Fyi, I first watched RetJ last January. I started off imagining their postcanon friendship, and here I am. 

my thoughts: I think it is not a ship most people are able to see as a possible one, for sure; but for me, it’s no less realistic than bencutio or tycutio. There is no such version of RetJ where I’d be unable to ship them - including musicals, screen adaptations, and theatrical performances (and that ice show too!). 

What makes me happy about them: Escalus and FL fit together very nicely. They are both not that young, their actions are carefully considered and well thought through, and the fact that even their rationality and experience doesn’t stop them from falling for each other and acting upon it is mind-blowing for me. Lawrence is softer and milder and more open emotionally than Escalus, whereas the latter is much more stern and distant and controls his emotions carefully, only opening up when he’s with those he trusts - that is, his family, Lawrence included. As I imagine it, they both understand each other completely. Their relationship is not just about love, or lust, or passion - it is about trust, and friendship, and tenderness, and always being there for each other, and healing the other’s wounds, be they physical or mental, and about this warmth inside that keeps you going when nothing else can… There are no storms and conflicts between them - maybe only misunderstandings caused by something outside of their control.

What makes me sad about them: first of all, the fact that I am so far the only one in the fandom who actively ships them. I am too slow a ficwriter and there are no fics about them yet, so I am simultaneously sad that 1) it will take me a lot of time to write some, and 2) if someone else writes something about them first and beats me to it, I’ll be both glad and envious. xD Also, in the canon setting it makes me sad to imagine Escalus and Lawrence trying to cope with all the events and deaths and to support each other through it. It’s heartbreaking, and I am not sure if having each other makes it easier for them or not. 

things done in fanfic that annoys me: the absence of this ship in fanfic! xD

things I look for in fanfic: the existence of this ship in fanfic! Beggars can’t be choosers, yeah. xD But also I’d really love to be the one to introduce the ship into the fandom through my own fanfiction, so maybe I’m looking for the absence of this ship in fanfic, too. Logic what logic xD

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: depends on the setting. In most cases I’d say they’re better off alone, but there’s an AU in which I ship Escalus/Mab really hard. 

My happily ever after for them: canon is canceled, no one dies, especially not Mercutio (then again, if he doesn’t die then no one else does, too), they all live as a big happy weirdly shaped ridiculous fully functional family (and a bonus is if it’s a modern AU because then they don’t even need to hide their relationship that much). 

who is the big spoon/little spoon: believe it or not, Escalus is the little spoon more often than not. But it can change depending on their mood and other circumstances. Usually the one who is more tired and needs more care and support is the little spoon, and it’s not a conscious decision - it just happens somehow. But the thing is that it’s Escalus who is normally the more tired and done TM so logically Lawrence assumes to\he role of the big spoon to provide comfort and stuff.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: literally anything they can do together - Escalus doesn’t have much free time, and they have to keep their relationship secret, so anything counts. They love to discuss books they’ve read (and that’s a lot), or just talk, or walk together… In a modern AU, which gives them more freedom and the ability to actually live together, it’s relaxing after work, just doing nothing in particular or doing random minor activities but staying together. Actually, even cleaning the apartment can be fun when they do it together (because they compete who finishes their part of the task first. Big babies, that’s all they are, really. xD).

[shadowofthemoth]

Okay; idk if giù want just a prompt or a ship to go with it too, but maybe Escalawrence - fernweh? Or Bentycutio - frisson

Thank you so much for this delightful prompt! 😘 I picked the first option (of course I did, ah duh, you’re probably not surprised), and so here we goooo! 

Note 1: I am using the Italian spelling of Friar Lawrence’s name, Lorenzo, to match it to the Prince’s name, Bartolomeo, and also because I am more comfortable calling him that way.

Note 2: click on the title to go read this fic on AO3!   

“Wish For You”

“I wish I could just leave.” The friar blinked, tearing his gaze away from the fire crackling in the fireplace, and turned to the Prince, not really surprised by what he had just heard. When it became clear that no explanation would follow, he sighed and leaned forward, reaching out towards Escalus and gently taking his free hand in his. “And what exactly do you mean by that?” he prompted. 

The Prince mirrored his sigh, setting his wine aside on the small table next to a mostly empty bottle and Lorenzo’s cup, and pinched the bridge of his nose with a wince. “Nothing. Nothing, really.” “You’re a bit like an oyster, you know? Snapping shut whenever it seems that someone might accidentally get too close.” Escalus hummed in agreement, “So I have been told.” “Well, you don’t have to be.” Lorenzo brought the Prince’s hand to his lips, the familiar feeling of hot breath against cold skin making Escalus shiver just like it always did, and lifted his gaze to look in his lover’s face. “At least not here and not now.” “I know. I’m just… formulating.” The Prince dragged a free hand through his graying hair and finally relaxed his posture, sinking into the depth of his favourite armchair. Now he, in his silvery black attire, seemed to Lorenzo like a darker shadow in the shadows of the room, with only his skin glowing softly in the uneven firelight. His voice grew slightly pensive. “I love Verona. I was born here, I grew up here, my family has ruled this city for years; I know it from the inside and from the outside, I have learned its inner workings, and I try my best to make my city better. Not only because I must, but also because I want to.” He paused, then added almost as an afterthought, “though I am no longer sure I can… oh well, that’s beside the point.” “You can and you do,” Lorenzo argued, squeezing his hand reassuringly, and the Prince’s firm lips formed a weak smile. “Maybe. I don’t know. But there’s one thing I really can’t do, even though I want to.” “Leave?..” “Yes, dear friend. I can’t leave. Only for a short period of time, and only if my political affairs demand that I go elsewhere… and then I must go back, and that’s the end of it. But I’ve had enough wars and conquests already.” Escalus frowned, unconsciously rubbing at his left arm, just above the elbow, where a long ugly scar was hidden beneath the layers of expensive fabric; and Lorenzo made a mental note to himself to dig out one of his healing balms. He remembered that scar well - just as well as all other scars on the Prince’s body; he remembered them with his eyes, and his hands, and his lips. They were not many, those scars, but they spoke to Lorenzo of bloody battles, painful wounds, and countless feverish hours of recovery. He remembered which of them troubled Escalus, especially when the weather was chill, and knew how to make it better, putting his experience in healing to use. Meanwhile, Escalus continued, “And a peaceful visit to the Duke of Mantua or some other ruler is not much better than a war against them… don’t tell anyone I said so.” Lorenzo huffed a laugh, surprised by his lover’s unexpected admission. “Are they that bad?” The Prince smiled again, this time with a hint of amusement in his expression. “Oh no; just boring. Politics and business, that is all there is to my life, as well as theirs. To me personally, it is boring. But in general…” he made a vague gesture that could mean anything. “They are all good leaders and honourable men, though some less so than others; but that’s inevitable. None of them are perfect, but neither am I. None of us are saints, and those who possess power don’t have the slightest chance to even try to become such. Power and perfection… It is a contradiction in itself, dear friend.” “Oh Bartolomeo… Would that I could change your mind about that.” Escalus raised an eyebrow, leaning forward a bit. “Then… tell me: what think you of me as a ruler?” He didn’t seem to be seeking affirmation or approval, Lorenzo noted, even though his question seemed to indicate otherwise; but what Escalus was driving at was still a mystery to him. Lorenzo looked into his eyes, momentarily transfixed by the warm light shining in them - was that the reflection of the flames in the fireplace, or was that something else? - but quickly recovered his composure and nodded. “There is a lot to say in response to this, Bartolomeo, you know it. You’re a born leader, dear friend; Verona prospers, and the peace between us and other cities has never been so sound as it is now. And all of that is due to your efforts.” “Verona prospers…” Escalus echoed, shaking his head. “Oh, dearest friend. She prospers like a rich woman, dressed in finest robes but suffering from severe pains inside her fragile body; and I have no power over her pain, just like one man’s head has no power over the ache in another’s stomach. I have run out of remedies that could stop the disease. It needs a different physician and a different treatment, which I can’t provide.”

Lorenzo winced at the bitterness in Bartolomeo’s voice and could only run his fingertips tenderly over his hand in response to his words. He knew his lover’s sorrow well, he knew how much work the Prince was putting into stabilizing the situation in his city, torn by feud and soaked in blood… and how little it seemed to help. If only he could do something…

“You do what you can. And if it is not enough, then it is hardly your fault, my liege. My love. My Bartolomeo.” The Prince drew a shuddering breath and bent his head to press a grateful kiss to Lorenzo’s hands clasping his own. He then straightened up and smiled at Lorenzo with incredible warmth. “I do not know what I have done to deserve your kindness, dear friend, but I am eternally grateful to have you here with me.”

That smile… oh, that genuine, happy, beloved smile. It was a rare sight, and there were not too many people who got to see it; most were used to a stern gaze, a sharp gesture, a sombre expression… the Prince of Verona guarded his emotions well. But the rarer the sight, the dearer it was to Lorenzo. The friar could not explain what it was about the Prince’s smile that made his heart flutter and melt so easily; but then again, he would probably also be unable to explain how he had ended up loving the man in the first place, if asked. Not that it any longer mattered.

“You never answered my question though,” he reminded gently. “You said you wanted to leave Verona?..”

“Ah yes. I beg your forgiveness; my own thoughts led me astray. Yes, I said so, and I meant what I said. I am… tired, Lorenzo,” Escalus had never complained before, and so his wistful honesty surprised the friar a bit more than it probably should have done. “It is not even the fact that I stay here all the time that is daunting; it is the knowledge that I will never leave. Not even after death will I leave Verona’s beloved walls. I will be buried next to my ancestors, and then my kin will be buried next to me… All will be as it should be, and it is a good thing. But,” the Prince turned away to stare into the flames, pressing the tips of his fingers together, “some people are born with a strange innate need to see new places, and they are never content with their lives until they are on the road. This, too, is probably a good thing. Except it is not, not for those who can’t go to see those places. Some don’t have enough money, some have to remain with their families… and so they stay, and in their sleep they dream of faraway lands they will never see. And then they wake up to live their daily lives in a place they have known since birth, the place that will house their remains after their death… the only place they get to know.”

“You’ve never spoken of this before…” Lorenzo had moved closer at some point and was now half-perched on, half-leaning against the armrest of Bartolomeo’s seat. “You’ve never shown that you…”

“That I am not so different from my crazy, foolish daydreamer of an heir after all?” Escalus joked with a laugh. “Well, we are related, aren’t we? The only difference is…” his tone suddenly lost all the mirth, “that my nephew can say and do things openly, while I…” Escalus let his voice trail away, leaving the rest of the phrase unsaid.

Both men fell silent for a moment, Bartolomeo deep in thought, Lorenzo waiting for him to continue; for he felt there still was something weighing on his lover’s mind.

“Maybe I am too soft with him,” suddenly added Bartolomeo. “But I cannot be otherwise. He is sixteen now; I was his age when I first led my father’s men into battle. Oh, I was a good condottiero. Not a single lost battle. You know why? Because I hated war. I still do. The absence of war doesn’t mean peace, and you, living in Verona, you know what I mean. But at least there are no conflicts between Verona and other cities now, all because I am good at war. And at politics. But I hate politics, too. I am really good at things I hate. Wars, and treaties, and trade, and law, and dishonesty - all of these are things a proper ruler must be good at. No one had asked me if I wanted it or not, and I am what I must be, not what I want to be. I am not regretting it. But I can’t bring myself to do the same to Mercutio.”

Lorenzo could have argued; he could have stated the obvious and said that most people usually ended up being what they had to be, not what they wanted to be; that Escalus was not the only one. He didn’t. He only shifted a bit closer.

Escalus shot him a strange look, then reached for his half-empty cup, shaking his head to throw back a loose strand of hair falling on his forehead. “It’s ironic, really,” he twisted the cup to make the wine swirl. “I bet if I start hating travelling I will immediately be presented with hundreds of opportunities to travel. And if I stop wanting to end that damned feud then I will immediately see numerous ways to end it once and for all. Stop wishing for something and you will get it, is that how everyone’s lives work?”

“Don’t you hate the feud though?” Lorenzo pointed out sensibly.

“I do. And apparently, which is, to think of it, quite logical, I am good at not stopping it. But,” Escalus turned back to the friar, surprisingly looking a bit sheepish, “that’s not what I was going to talk about. I probably shouldn’t have drunk as much wine as I did, dear friend; it loosened my tongue and tangled my thoughts. Please do forgive me for not making much sense tonight.”

“You’ve been making perfect sense… up until now. What should I forgive you for, your honesty?” Lorenzo carefully pried the cup out of his pliant hand and set it back on the table, then put an arm around his lover. “There is no need for you to be tense and reserved all the time. One evening of relaxation and honesty could do you a lot of good, and wine is a good way to achieve it.”

“You sound like a physician,” huffed Escalus. He was now leaning against Lorenzo’s side, nuzzling into the soft creases of his robe. The friar was not so sure whether he was doing it unconsciously or just pretending to be unaware of his own actions, but couldn’t help but smile at the catlike gesture and resisted the urge to scratch the tired Prince behind the ears.

“I could be one,” he agreed instead. “I know how to heal wounds and treat illnesses.”

“I am not ill.”

“And I thank God for that. But you know what, there was something you said a minute ago… A question. I never answered it.”

Escalus looked up at him, intrigued. “So?’

“You said something like…” Lorenzo frowned, thinking. “Oh yes. ‘Stop wishing for something and you will get it, is that how everyone’s lives work?’ Did I get that right?”

“You did,” nodded the Prince. “Though that was more rhetorical, I wasn’t really expecting you to answer that.”

“Nevertheless. Bartolomeo,” the friar tenderly caressed his cheeks with his thumbs. “My liege, my friend, my impossible love. I never stopped wishing for you.”

This time Escalus remained silent. But the soft smile that spread slowly across his noble features, the warm glow that settled in his eyes, and the firm embrace he drew his lover into spoke volumes. They spoke of affection, and of love, and of gratitude; it was a thank you for giving me not only empty hope but a base for that hope, too; it was a thank you for being there for me; it was a quiet, wordless I love you.

Maybe wishes could come true after all?..

[shadowofthemoth]

RetJ for the ask meme for sure lol

Okayyy guys I love ya’ll: I got asked by three (3) separate anons to do RetJ for this ask meme. So I am gonna answer this one and give a link to this reply in the replies to the remaining two asks, I hope it’s ok with you!

Let’s get started?

favorite otp 😍: Escalawrence OF GODDAMN COURSE even though there’s literally not a single direct interaction between the two in the musical (unlike in the play, btw).

second otp 😘: Bencutio

cutesy ship 😚: Romeo/Juliet, because come on, they’re everything that can be described as ‘cute’! And also (a shoutout to my dear @ilovedyouevenasisawyou) escaliet works the same way. 

wasted potential ship 😡: NOTHING IS WASTED IN THIS FANDOM WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT but I would have loved to see La Mort paying more attention to Escalus if you know what I mean

could’ve been cute if they weren’t enemies at the end 😭: Tycutio is the literal embodiment of this type of relationship.

ot3 🤝🤝: Bentycutio for sure!

guilty pleasure 😶: …benscalus I blame the Hungarians and Cocciante for that

guilty pleasure incest ship 😳: *righteous anger* are you really going to shame me like that, I have nothing of the kind! in fact I do How dare you! it’s Escalus/Mercutio The insolence! but I must say that it only works in a very peculiar context in which this ship isn’t technically incest at all  I am shookt by such impertinent questions! so I’m not sure it counts

brotp 🥰: Romeo&Benvolio, FL&Romeo, La Muette&Juliette… there are way too many of those in this fandom!

notp 🤬: some people in the fandom like to ship the Prince with Lady Capulet (based on Lady C’s character and on the ball scene in RetJ 2001) or Lady Montague (based on her having no husband, I guess); and even though I do see the reason behind it, I myself have never been able to enjoy these two ships. 

villainous crush ship 😲: I am not sure this fandom has one, but… I guess Tycutio could have this kind pf dynamic?.. Idk, I am not sure about this one.

Thank you so much, dear anon! And thank you, the notp ask anon, and thank you, the other full RetJ ask anon, for sending these asks! I thoroughly enjoyed answering these, and i hope you like my answers too! 

[shadowofthemoth]

Romeo and Juliet (what else?) and 😡 for the ship meme!

Hiii, thanks dear anon!

wasted potential ship 😡: uhhh... here’s what I wrote in the full RetJ ask for this meme: 

NOTHING IS WASTED IN THIS FANDOM WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT but I would have loved to see La Mort paying more attention to Escalus if you know what I mean

But now that I am thinking of it more carefully... if you don’t take headcanons, AUs and the like into account, almost every potential ship in this play/musical could be counted as wasted. 

Tycutio? They basically kill each other. Tymeo? Same. Bencutio? No development is possible because one of them dies. Rocutio? Same. Escalawrence? This ship literally doesn’t really exist unless you’re me (as in, mad enough about Escalus to go out of your way until you find someone to ship him with). Benvolio and La Muette? Nothing happens! Escalus and Lady C or Lady M? Nooooothing (not that I’m upset about it). Basically, you name it, I will tell you how and in what ways it is wasted. 

And at the same time there’s just so much potential and so many headcanons, AUs, interpretations, versions, approaches etc that i can no longer be objective and look at the play and the musical without keeping all of those in mind; and as a result, nothing is wasted. Quite a practical approach to the fandom, 10 out of 10 would recommend! xD

[shadowofthemoth]

Friar Laurence and Prince Escalus for the ask meme XD

Hello and thanks, wahah, now that’s what I call a perfect ask! 

Friar Laurence (or Lorenzo, as I like to call him):

favorite thing about them: his general goodness. I love that he is a benign and good-natured character, very understanding and willing to help. 

least favorite thing about them: he really should have thought of telling someone ahem, the Prince, ahem about the whole “secret marriage and fake death” affair instead of just keeping it all secret like a little boy playing spy. So many problems could’ve been avoided, but no. (But I still love the man).

favorite line: all of them! And in particular, this part of “J’Sais Plus”:

La vie était facileIl suffisait d'aimerMais l'encre des EvangilesDans mon coeur a séchéOh, Dieu de tous les hommesToi qui sait tout sur toutEcoute la voix d'un hommeQui te dit à genouxQu'il devient fou

brOTP: Romeo, in a way, especially if you think of the new Italian Lorenzo. They’re such good bros there! xD

OTP: Prince Escalus (obviously).

nOTP: everyone but Escalus? xD Idk, I just don’t really ship him with anyone else… 

random headcanon: 1) in a modern setting, Lorenzo is a surgeon; 2) when it comes to escalawrence, Escalus is the one to fall in love first, but it is Lorenzo who confesses first. 

unpopular opinion: as opposed to the way he’s portrayed in many versions, Lorenzo is actually not that old, 40 years maximum. I’d even say 36 to 38. 

song i associate with them: “Angel” by Poets of the Fall. 

favorite picture of them: all credit goes to Julien Vachon and my dear Rubick Chen.

Prince Escalus:

favorite thing about them: I admit that these features may be more of a headcanon than not, but I love the man’s strength and determination. He’s immensely charismatic, for sure; but it’s a character whom I - first of all - respect and admire because of how strong and resilient he is. Even based on the La Vengeance scene after the duel, it’s clear to me that Escalus hides his emotions well. He seems calm on the surface, but on the inside, there is a storm that no one is meant to ever catch a glimpse of. And being calm and rational and fair, all the while hiding that storm inside you… that takes immense strength. And that aura of strength-despite-all-the-pain was what drew me to him in the first place; and it’s still my favourite aspect of this character.

least favorite thing about them: this is more about the way he’s shown in some versions, thanks to the Le Pouvoir thing (a grateful shoutout to the Austrian and the Hungarian versions for leaving it out). I don’t like this lust for power he’s shown to have, so I invented a separate explanation for this, because I love the song itself, I only don’t like what it does to the whole image of the character. 

favorite line: guys, honestly, come on, it’s “favourite lineS”. 

1) Austrian: 

Willkommen in der Stadt! 

(”Verona”. Iconic, fucking iconic, man).

Ich als Fürst hatt’ hier die Macht,Der Hass hat mich um sie gebracht.Nur der Friede war mein Ziel,Bis meine Welt zerfiel.…Viva Verona, dunkles Verona.

(”Verona II”).

2) French:

On m'envie mais de quoi?On dit lui en parlant de moiOn me craint on me croitPour qu'ils aient chaud j'ai froid…Le pouvoir ça brûle en vousLe pouvoir ça vous rend fouLe pouvoir on s'y cramponneEt quand il vous abandonneOn en meurt!

(”Le Pouvoir”)

brOTP: idk… I headcanon that he has a close relationship with his nephews (Mercutio and Valentine), but that’s not a brOTP. I also headcanon that he was best friends with his younger sister Beatrice, his nephews’ mother, in their childhood and youth and up until her demise. Guess it counts as a brOTP? 

OTP: Lorenzo, Queen Mab, der Tod, Juliet (in various AUs). Benvolio, if it’s the Hungarian version where Escalus is younger than everywhere else. Mercutio, if they’re not related by blood (and only in the Italian version). Also I now have a headcanon that (in some AUs of mine, especially in the modern AU) he was married once but his wife died very tragically, together with their child (either unborn or still very young), well before his sister died and left her children in Escalus’s care… and I’ve yet to come up with his wife’s name, yeah.

nOTP: pretty much everyone else.

random headcanon: 1) Escalus sings really well and can play more than one musical instrument. 2) in the modern AU, Escalus works in the police. Bonus round, because I feel like it: Escalus and Lorenzo have matching tattoos which depict two intertwined snakes. Escalus’s is on his left bicep, covering an old scar he got on an operation. Lorenzo was the one to patch him up afterwards; and that was when Lorenzo couldn’t hide his feelings for Escalus anymore, and they’ve been a couple ever since.

unpopular opinion: more of a headcanon rather than of an unpopular opinion, but oh well, Escalus is afraid of spiders.

song i associate with them:“My Dark Disquiet” by Poets of the Fall.   

favorite picture of them: can’t find my all-time favourite atm, so I’ll post a sketch I drew based on it, ok? 

Whoa, that took long! Hope you enjoy this monsterpost, my lovely anon! :3

[shadowofthemoth]

Get to know me!

Rules: Tag 9 people you want to get to know better and answer the questions. Got tagged by @peachofhighgarden - thaaank you :3

Relationship status: kinda have a boyfriend.

Favourite colour: blue and purple to wear, green to look at.

Top three ships: escalawrence (Prince Escalus/Friar Lawrence), bentycutio (does it really need deciphering), mozalieri (yep, I know, I know).

Lipstick or chapstick: chapstick, mostly because I’ve yet to find a lipstick I’m not allergic to. Duh, this life is fun.

Last song: Avoir 20 Ans, because I use it as a background track for my morning exercises, it has a perfect rhythm and is very upbeat. The downside is that it is an absolute earworm and so I keep humming it every day for hours on end. xD

Last movie: uuuhhh... I watch them so rarely! I think it was my attempt to watch Romeo + Juliet (1996) a few weeks ago 

Aaaand I don’t know whom to tag... @majesticfantasticglorious @talesofsorrowandofruin @mechazilla94 @thehellsingalchemist @team-mom-wannabe, @freshprinceofverone, @capuleti, @ilovedyouevenasisawyou, @acquagalaxies - guys, how’s that? But don’t feel pressured to do it, just do if you want to ^^ 

[shadowofthemoth]

Giiiirl I raise to you ✿ for Escalus and ▼ for whichever you want between Mercutio, Tybalt and Benvolio

Huhuhu, me likes it, me likes it v much ^^

✿ - Sex headcanon for Escalus

I’ve spent enough time pondering this question while thinking through and writing my fics, and I have arrived at a headcanon that might seem somewhat strange if you know that I ship Escalus with Lawrence and Queen Mab (it works differently in different settings, but nevertheless).

Anyway, Escalus is what we now might kinda call a biromantic asexual (that’s maybe a stretch, but I’m still figuring out what fits into this definition and what doesn’t). Yep, that’s a sexuality headcanon, not a sex headcanon, I know; but oh please, they are interrelated. Basically, Escalus’s asexuality means that he does not need sex or crave it, he can do perfectly fine without it and is actually very comfortable this way. But that’s not to say he is actively opposed to it or doesn’t physically enjoy it when he does partake in such amorous activities (the lines from Le Pouvoir ”les velours des femmes qui me font la cour” and “Et quand je donne ma semence c'est à l'histoire que je pense” are pretty telling, right?). Escalus can be a charmer and a ladies’ man when he wants to, plus he’s a Prince; so there’s no shortage of potential lovers (of both sexes) from which to pick. But he only takes lovers because that’s what is expected of him as an unmarried man in full strength, not because he wants it; and he does it rarely, favouring women over men when he does because, again, that’s the norm. Maintaining the image, lol. But he doesn’t really need someone in his bed every night.

What Escalus does crave is emotional closeness with someone, which he doesn’t have because it is something he thinks he can’t afford. Partly due to his duties which eat up most of his time; partly because he has to be careful about whom to trust and let close to himself; partly because he’s just not really good with emotions on the whole. His own emotions, to be precise. So when he does have sex it’s usually a purely physical interaction with little to no emotions involved. 

Well, all of that was about canon (be it the play or the musicals). But if we’re talking about ships such as escalawrence or Escalus/Mab (gotta think of a suitable name for this one, any ideas? Mabscalus doesn’t sound nice, shall I just call them The Royal Couple because they’re Prince and Queen? xD), well then, that’s an entirely different matter. In this case (in both cases) there’s a strong emotional connection between the people involved. Being with a person he loves really changes the way Escalus perceives sex, and even though to him sex still isn’t a necessity and he values it no more and no less than hugging or kissing or discussing something interesting etc, he still relishes the opportunity to make his loved one feel good.

And now admit it, you came into my askbox for saucy details and are now disappointed to have gotten a long sheet of pseudo emo psychological ramblings, am I right? Well, buckle up, your naughtiness, because I got ’em! (no i am not ashamed. Well, maybe just a little. But it was you who asked for it, so there you go).

- with a male partner, Escalus is always on top when it’s a one-night stand; but with a long-term partner whom he trusts, he bottoms more often than not. It helps him relax and takes away the responsibility for at least something in his life (which is a rare treat since he’s burdened with a glorious pur… responsible for everyone in his gd city like 24/7).

- when he’s with a trusted partner, he rarely takes the lead. Normally he just follows the partner’s initiative and lets them do (and make him do) what they want. 

- when Escalus does initiate something himself, it’s either because 1) it’s a one-night stand and he has a “must behave like this” setup in his mind; or 2) he knows his partner really well and is certain about what exactly will please them. He himself doesn’t really have any preferences in bed (as in, there’s nothing he likes more than the rest of it and nothing he is really adverse to), the important part is to make the partner feel good.

- it follows from the above that… dang, it sounded like a school essay, better try again. 

- oral is a go, both giving and receiving. Because again, it’s caring about your partner’s pleasure and letting the partner care about you. And it’s pleasurable, yeah. 

- Escalus enjoys massage, be it sexual or not. (But then again, who doesn’t?).

- his favourite positions… come on, you want me to name ‘em, I know. But I won’t. Because I gd don’t know what they’re called and I’m not gonna google this sacred knowledge up in the middle of the night. Oops, sorry. xD 

▼ - childhood headcanon for Mercutio or Benvolio or Tybalt

I shall answer this separately later, because this post is getting too long and it’s past 2 am when I’m writing this, so I just can’t formulate things properly anymore. xD Sorry again! And I hope you’re ok with this ^^

[shadowofthemoth]

Known for giving us Escalawrence and making everyone sad :/

I love you too sweetie 😘 

Also, this is RetJ, how can I not make everyone sad? xD