Chapter 1: Cast
Chapter Text
Montagues
ROMEO the heir of Montagues
BENVOLIO his cousin
LORD MONTAGUE his father
Capulets
JULIET the heir of Capulets
TYBALT her cousin
LORD CAPULET her father
LADY CAPULET her mother
Others
SAMUEL ESCALUS the prince of Little Verona
PARIS ESCALUS suitor to Juliet
MERCUTIO DI LAURO honorary Montague
LAURENCE SANTOS biology teacher
MRS FERRARO cleaner
Chapter 2: Prologue
Chapter Text
Before you read further on, I need you to understand: there's a toll to be paid. Of course, you knew that already. Look at them — the cats and the dogs, biting, snarling, scratching; the only way they'd shut their maws for once and look up is if they lost one of theirs. And here they are — two, three, four picture-perfect sacrifices, with their soft young meat and aged eyes. How else would the animals understand? How else would they get it?
It's not like we're doing further harm. One of them is already a sacrifice — a price for a different product, not peace but victory; cannon fodder — unwilling, yes, and determined to avoid such a fate, but she is cannon fodder either way.
The other won't remain alive for much longer, either. If he knew for certain that he was dying, and if he had even an inkling that he was dying for peace, by God, he'd already have done it. I suppose the only reason he hadn't yet is because he is but a bitch in heat, in love with every other person to cross his path, and thanks to us, he met the only one to truly love him back.
And the rest… well, you might say that they brought this upon themselves. They're bloody animals, aren't they, like their peers. Perhaps, it makes them feel alive — the blood rushing in their ears; their heart pumping in their chest as their brain goes into overdrive; the sound a knife makes as it rips skin, as it rips muscle and fat… No. Of course not. Of course that's not it. It's loyalty or it's the desire of safety or a mix of both — sheep in wolves' clothing, scared as anyone else in this damned place; scared that they will die tomorrow and their friends will follow suit, and scared that they haven't stolen enough teeth for their family to spare a single fuck.
They all want peace, they all want to live, that's all they want, but they wouldn't have survived long enough either way. This is a theatre, and for the next two hours on our stage, they have a part to play, and they have a price that they must pay. They are so young, and they hate the feud so much, so even if their names weren't already in the script, who else would be there, really?
This text shall examine the patterns of love, loyalty, and bloodlust in cats and dogs.