[Anti-OTP - Hero/Hamlet]

[fair_hero]

*singing, shyly and halting, to herself--from here, in the loose shift and with her hair down, she might remind one of Ophelia in her madness*

Comments

[thanitohercules]

*but Hamlet, you'll remember, never saw Ophelia in her madness, and this Hamlet least of all-- as it is, though, she's a very pretty young girl, and may bear resemblance to another pretty young girl he knows, one who he's recently had mind to court*

*and so he bows, some distance off, and calls out, jovial* What, ho, pretty lady!

[thanitohercules]

*he looks absolutely delighted, a little breathless with pleasure, the way this Hamlet is when he sees a particularly moving play-- and, of course, were she to need a partner..*

[fair_hero]

*certainly she does--after a moment's pause she flashes him a little shy smile and holds out one of her hands, very carefully, so that if she's wrong it won't be so much a difficulty to step back*

[thanitohercules]

*he bows, with all the grace of a young prince, takes her hand, and moves closer* My gentle lady.

[fair_hero]

*she doesn't giggle--at least she has that much presence of mind--but she takes his hand and curtsies very deeply, then moving also closer* My gracious lord.

[thanitohercules]

*he smiles rather charmingly* Will you learn me of your step?

[fair_hero]

'Tis but--o. *there's not much to it, but she dances the step anyway, guiding him very lightly so that he can at any moment take the lead from her*

[thanitohercules]

I would be honoured. *and he does, after a moment, for it's a simple step and he's good enough at dancing-- and his step is perhaps a little different, a little more polished, but it's with a rather boyish smile*

[fair_hero]

*blushes and is easily led, her hands with his, her feet trying to move with his--she's concentrating a bit, and if her shoulder should brush him, it would be entirely by accident--*

[thanitohercules]

*of course, of course-- and should he smile a bit wider and perhaps look down (all modesty), it would not be an accident at all-- and his step is slow for her, light for her, and missteps do not throw it off at all*

[fair_hero]

*perhaps after a bit she'll lean against him, just a little--*

[thanitohercules]

*he won't mind, of course-- perhaps he'll even laugh, clear, good-natured, the kind that's not at anything but rather makes you want to laugh yourself*

[fair_hero]

*of course then she won't be able to help laughing back, and perhaps tilting her face up to him so she can shine him a smile*

[thanitohercules]

*then they're laughing-- and oh, that's a pretty smile on a pretty girl, and perhaps that laugh will fade into a smile of his own, one sweet and charmed and a little entranced* *then quietly, a quiet kind of ceremonial:* I am Hamlet.

[fair_hero]

Leonato's daughter I, of Messina in Italy. H-Hero, *she adds as an afterthough, because people here always seem to want to know her name*

[thanitohercules]

What fair name, lady. A most beauteous name.