Romeo and Juliet PH STyle 3

"Good work Sir Elliot, that was a really nice performance. I was watching"

Elliot Nightray rejoiced at the thought of getting some rest after the hassle on the stage, but as soon as he retreated backstage, he was met with the smiling face of Ada Vessalius who went before he did. "A-Ah… y-you too…?" he nodded in response. He really had nothing else to say. Especially with the really intimidating death glares clearly directed at him from the male Vessalius. And weirdly, from another one as well, although this was quite different.

All the same he'd never known just how scary overprotective blondes could be until now. Due to the incredibly uncomfortable feeling of having death glares sent at him from all sides, he made up some excuse to get away from Ada Vessalius and, thankfully, managed to get away from all three without any mishaps.

"Whew… I mustn't underestimate those Vessalius. They are really creepy. I seriously thought I'd get a heart attack" the Nightray murmured under his breath.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_Romeo and Juliet: Act 1 Scene 2_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"GRAAH! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU CLOWN!" thus the curtain is raised once more, revealing an evidently miffed Alice hiding behind an intricately carved wooden table.

The cause of this obvious displease, Xerxes Break, sulked, his expression that of a heartbroken man's although whether it was genuine emotion or fake was lost on all observers.

"Ah, dear Lady Capulet, please do not dishearten me so. I am merely here to ask permission from thee to ask your lovely daughters hand in marriage" the Hatter declared, coupled with overly dramatic, but not impolite, gestures.

Alice seemed to contemplate this for a moment, wondering what the clown could possibly be talking about. But then a look towards Oz (who was at the time, backstage, holding out a signboard with Alice's supposed-to-be lines on it) enlightened her to the actual course of the play. Gaining back her confidence, she sat atop the table with a smirk, facing the bowing Break with her arms and legs crossed, she began to speak.

"HAHAHA! So, you want to marry my daughter do you? Well, I'm not so heartless to deprive you of that right, and I really might just let you. However, my daughter is only thirteen right now and I deem her too young to be wed" the Bloody Black Rabbit announced, voice full of authority.

Break was impressed, although the character was wrong Alice did get the flow correctly. And her confidence was such that she would not make such a bad actor. A smile stretched his lips. "Ah but Your Grace, many women in Verona are wed much younger that your daughter and they lived happy lives"

"Are you opposing my words?" Alice demanded, expression darkening.

"No, not at all My Lady" Break sweat dropped.

"Then no means no. But, I give you permission to try and court her at tonight's feast and see if you can get her to like or even look at you. Hmm… a feast, I wonder if there's going to any meat" the B-Rabbit mumbled the last part dreamily before her smirk was back on her face. Clearing her throat, she continued in her haughty tone "After all it's not exactly me who really decided if she wants to get married or not"

Break gave a smirk of his own at that. "And if it is you My Lady?" he asked in a purely curious tone complete with a charming smile.

Alice turned an interesting shade of red as she lost her composure and scurried, once again, behind the table. "wha-wha-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING YOU FREAKY CLOWN! LIKE HELL I WOULD EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT! YOU MAKE ME SICK SO GO AWAY!" she bellowed. Break gave a pout at that as he rubbed pretend tears from his eyes, bowed and complied, but not before he flashed her a mischievous smile.

Alice stayed behind her little hiding place to see whether the clown was actually gone. And when he was indeed out of sight, she stood up and approached center stage where Liam was waiting.

At first she really didn't know what to do, but a quick call from Oz backstage reminded her of the letter currently in her pocket. "Oh right" she mumbled as she took it out. "Here you Servant. Take this and find everyone on the list. Got it?"

"Yes Lady Capulet" Liam gave a nod and at that, Alice huffed and exited the stage, leaving Liam alone.

"I-it is written, that the shoemaker should meddle with his yard and the tailor with his last, the fisher with his pencil and the painter with his nets. But I am sent to find those persons whose names are here written, but how am I to do that if I c-cannot read? But ah, here come some people just in the nick of time" Liam recited, his nerves were making him stutter, however he was able to pull it off.

And here entered Oz and Elliot, with the blond happily conversing with a bright smile, except there was a particularly evil aura that was clearly surrounding him. "Come on, man. You can put out one fire by starting another. A new pain will make the one you already have seem less. If you make yourself dizzy, you can cure yourself by spinning back around in the opposite direction. A new grief will put the old one out of your mind. Make yourself lovesick by gazing at some new girl, and your old lovesickness will be cured. So forget about A- I mean Rosaline and think of Le- I mean look for some other girl"

Elliot's eyes narrowed at that. Leo? Was that what Oz was about to say? What about Leo? The Nightray was once again nervous; it was evident in his movement and his expression. He didn't exactly have stage fright, no he can practically shout whatever he was thinking in public if need be, and he was able to fully memorize his lines, he damn well knew them, but Oz was intimidating and he's having a hard time deciding what he should do, and safety comes first.

Turning his attention to Liam, he decided to just forget about his lines and greeted him. "Good Evening good fellow, how may we help you?"

Liam obviously stiffened at the order of events, but he just went on anyway. "May God give you a good evening. Please do excuse me sir, but do you know how to read?"

"I can read my own fortune in my m-misery" Elliot replied reluctantly.

'This would have to do' thought Liam as he continued "Perhaps you've learned from life and not from books. But please tell me, can you read anything you see?"

"Yes if I know the language and the letters"

"I see, well that is an honest answer. Good day"

"Wait Mr. Liam, he can do it, he can read. Come on, give me that" Oz merrily snatched the paper from the retreating Liam's hands, and the poor brunette just sighed in defeat.

"Hmm" Oz inspected the piece of paper. "Hmmm, hmm, mhmm. Yada yada yada. Aha…"

Liam looked like he was about to cry.

Elliot twitched. "Give me that" he snatched the paper from Oz's hands and began reading, properly. "Signor Martino and his wife and daughters, Count Anselme and his beautiful sisters, The lady widow of Vitruvio, Signor Placentio and his lovely nieces, Mercutio and his brother Valentine, Mine uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters, My fair niece Rosaline and Livia, Signor Valentio and his cousin Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena. A fair assembly, whither should they come?"

Regaining the little composure he has left, Liam cleared his throat. "Up"

Elliot was prepared for this. "Up where?"

"Up to our house"

"Whose house?"

"My Master's house"

"Indeed I should have asked thee that before…" Elliot was indeed prepared… but he couldn't resist his irritation. 'No one, not even a servant, COULD BE THAT SLOW! WHAT IS WITH THIS?' He didn't put it past Liam, but just the thought that this 'Peter' of Romeo and Juliet could exist gets on his nerves.

Liam flashed a smile of understanding at Elliot which the latter nodded to. "Now I'll tell you so you don't have to ask. My master is the great rich Capulet, and if you don't belong to the house of Montague, please come and drink a cup of wine. Have a nice day!" the brunette gave a bow and exited the stage.

Beside Elliot, Oz hummed. "The beautiful Rosaline whom you love so much will be at Capulet's traditional feast, with all other admired beauties of Verona. Let us go there, and with untainted eyes compare her with some that I shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow. Not that she is a crow and she's absolutely beautiful but seriously, back off" he whispered the last part with a wink.

Elliot just rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in Ada Vessalius ok, this is a play Oz. I have absolutely no intention" he admitted in a low voice that only they can hear.

Oz smiled, without the evil aura this time, but there was definitely mischief within those emerald orbs alright. "Of course I knew that Elly" he winked "I wouldn't really put it past you. I approve of you and Ada actually, but Uncle Oscar is a different subject so be careful" he gave a little wave before exiting the stage.

Elliot, who was left dumbfounded alone on the stage, knowing precisely well that he was ditched on purpose when the scene isn't even supposed to be finished yet, marched right back behind the curtain with an indignant huff.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_End: Act 1 Scene 2_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

After scene two, there's supposed to be a 10 minute break to change the background, Elliot was quite thankful for that. "That Oz Vessalius is always so irritating… and what was he going on about Leo anyway?" he huffed again, idly walking away from the stage to find a place to rest.

A beat

Halt

… 'Oh right'…. He had nearly completely forgotten, about Leo's… current situation, and he tried to fight off a blush. 'Don't think about it don't think about it don't THINK! Damn IT Elliot Nightray stop thinking!'

"Here" a cold glass of water was placed in front of him and, after staring at it fully aware of whom it was from, he reluctantly accepted it.

"Th-thanks… Leo" he stuttered out, drinking the offered beverage and keeping his sight averted from the shorter male. "S-speaking of which, y-your part comes up next right?" it was more of a statement than a question as he tried to keep his composure. Eyes still averted.

"Yep" Leo replied, his voice cheerful.

Elliot felt a nerve pop.

"This has to be my first time on a stage, it's pretty exciting don't you think?" his servant continued.

Twitch.

"What is it Elliot? You look angry" Leo pointed out.

"WHAT IS WITH THAT CHIPPER VOICE?" Elliot snapped. "ARENT YOU AT LEAST NERVOUS? DO YOU LIKE DRESSING AS A GIRL OR SOMETHING?"

"Nope, not really. It's uncomfortable; the shoes are tight, the dress is itchy and too frilly, plus I can't walk or move properly" the black haired teen replied calmly.

"Then explain to me WHY you sound like your enjoying you're situation?" Elliot demanded, eye twitching.

Leo stayed silent for a few seconds before replying. "It's not so bad. Did you know that in Elizabethan times all the theater was only an all-male cast? At those times, women weren't allowed on stage so the roles, whether male or female, were played only by young men. Of course it was pretty much discrimination towards the women but that was how it was. I read about it once in a book, especially in Shakespearean plays" Leo began explaining. Elliot just sighed in defeat and continued walking, idly listening to Leo's explanations.

"Hey Elliot?"

"What?"

"Where are you going?" Leo asked curiously, treading alongside his master. Elliot just shrugged and continued.

They walked like that in silence for a couple of minutes before a voice resounded through the stage alerting them that the play was once again about to begin.

"Hey Elliot?" Leo asked, breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna watch the next scene?"

"Yes, I'd have to anyways. Why'd you ask?"

"Well, it's only because it seems you're avoiding me somehow" Leo explained. His tone was purely conversational and Elliot had to raise an eyebrow at that.

"I'm not avoiding you Leo. What makes you think that?" the Nightray heir asked skeptically.

Leo was silent for a couple of seconds. "Well, nothing really. It's just that you nearly tripped twice, ran into a pole, shouted at the direction of a poor girl who I'm quite sure you nearly scared the life out of even when it was quite obvious that it was me you're talking to… and probably because you haven't looked at me once since I started talking to you" he explained in a perfectly casual manner, turning around and walking back towards the stage. "Well, I should probably get going now Elliot, the curtain rises again in a few minutes"

"Wha-? Wait. Leo?" and, yes indeed for the first time Elliot actually raised his head from the concrete floor and turned towards Leo. Sure enough the guy was half turned towards him, head slightly tilted to one side waiting for him to speak.

"Yeah?"

A beat.

Elliot was quite sure that he felt a mysterious force or blast sending him backwards right then and there as all the blood rushed to his face. (He was NOT going to get a nosebleed, no-sir-ee)

"Elliot?" Leo ran towards his master who was currently sprawled on the ground apparently having fainted… oh wait, he was conscious.

Elliot looked up at Leo, unable to stop all the blood rushing to his face as it turned various shades of red that I'm quite sure, hasn't exactly been named yet, he was currently very lightheaded.

I-I-is that MAKEUP on Leo's face? And there is absolutely NO WAY that his servant's hair could be that neat with the braids and the tiara and the ribbons! He looks absolutely absurd and creepy and disturbing and cute and adorable and be—SHUT THE HELL UP ELLIOT!

Leo just stared, puzzled as to why his master was currently banging his head on a wall, having mysteriously moved from his former spot on the ground. "Elliot, you're all red and you're starting to go crazy. Are you sick?" he asked as he stepped closer to his now standing master.

"No. I. am. not. sick. But. please. Just. leave. me. alone. for. now." Elliot replied, still banging his head on the wall.

Leo just stared at Elliot's back before shrugging and walking away. "Well, if you want to break your skull or get a concussion then be my guest. See you later Elliot, just don't kill yourself okay?"

"Okay…" the Nightray heir replied. "DAMMIT!"