Romi & Juri, a Shakespeare adaptation

Romi lifted the piping bag up, finishing the last rosette. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and grinned to herself. I did it!

Then a finger came into view and swiped one of the rosettes off of the cake.

Romi snarled, turning and ready to bash the brains out of whatever punk decided to mess with her cake - but she lowered her fist immediately when she saw the two men. Masaru was sucking the icing from his finger and Satoshi gave her a sheepish "I couldn't stop him" shrug.

She sighed and started cleaning up. "Why are you guys here?"

"Nice to see you too, sheesh." Masaru hopped up onto to the table, blocking Romi from cleaning that area.

"I told you guys not to come when I'm - did you guys get into a fight?" She peered at the bruise on Masaru's face.

He grinned and reached over to swipe another rosette. "You should see the other guys."

Romi looked to Satoshi for confirmation. Satoshi gave a slight grimace. "Yeah, but don't ask about the newbies."

"It's been a month since they were recruited - they haven't gotten any better?"

Satoshi shook his head. "The Capulets have been pushing hard. We're getting them into dead zones but they've gotten used to fighting without their magic. The newbies just haven't been any match against them." He stepped forward, eyes pleading. "Romi, if you could teach them just for a couple hours -"

Masaru raised his palm to Satoshi to stop him. "Romi is doing important work. I'm sure she's not avoiding us." Romi tried not to flinch. "Besides, that's not why we're here." Masaru turned back to Romi with a grin that made her nervous. "We heard this bakery was commissioned to make the cake for the Center's party tonight."

"That's right - I'm doing the delivery."

"Perfect! You wouldn't mind some company, of course." Masaru's tone was light but the sharpness in her eyes made Romi swallow hard.

"Of course not. You're welcome to come along."

Masaru hopped off the table with a gleeful laugh. "I knew we could count on you. We'll see you tonight!"

The bell above the door chimed as they left, the bright sound warping into dread in Romi's ears.

*

I should've known they would do this. Romi sighed as she looked down from the balcony over the crowded ballroom. Masaru and Satoshi had disappeared into the sea of masked faces immediately after she'd let them in.

She had hoped she'd be able to talk to Masaru and finally tell him about her acceptance into the culinary institute, but he of course had other plans. Not that she should have been surprised. It was what made Masaru a great leader for their gang, his ruthless ability in achieving his goals, and his goals alone.

Romi leaned against the railing, to watch the crowd below. When the bakery had been commissioned, they had been told the event was to "promote healthy relationships and heal community differences." But Romi knew it translated to, "pretend the melodists are friends with those pitiful magic drained voiceless so we can get more money from the government." She had a feeling Masaru was here to plant the seeds of one of his plans, or start some kind of ruckus.

Either way, she didn't want any part of it. Romi stuffed her hands in her pockets and was about to leave out the back when an announcer took the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, to show our appreciation for your attendance, the Center is honored to have the premiere melodist of Verona tonight." Romi paused at the doorway as a flurry of gasps and murmurs rose from the crowd.

The announcer gave a slow smile. "A woman who needs no introduction, please welcome to the stage, melodist Juri!"

The crowd's applause, her earlier irritation - everything seemed melt away when Juri took the stage. Maybe it was the dress she wore, how the cream silks caught the light like an early morning sun. Maybe it was her voice, how it weaved delicate strands of remorse and hope into images and melodies that filled the entire ballroom, colors and sounds that Romi had never known possible.

Or maybe it was her eyes, peeking out from long, dark hair, sparkling in the light. Romi swore she caught Juri's gaze several times throughout the song and that the smile that had graced the melodist's lips afterwards was for her.

Whichever it had been, it struck Romi still, save for a powerful yearning in her heart that she had never felt before.

The roar of the audience jolted Romi out of the spell and she realized she had somehow moved back to the railing, leaning over it precariously as if to get closer to Juri. She leaned back and coughed to herself, though no one had probably seen her. She glanced back down and saw Juri stepping down from the stage.

Everything in her was urging her to go downstairs and meet Juri. But Romi hesitated, eyeing the crowd forming around the melodist.

Then Juri's eyes lifted. The depths of those eyes made Romi felt helpless in its pull, caught in the eye of a storm with no choice but to dive in.

*

"Thank you, Mr. Jagasaki, you're very kind." Juri tried to curtsy her way out of his persistent reach, but she wasn't fast enough. Pain lanced up her wrist from the his grip.

The other attendees around them didn't seem to notice. Or rather, because of the medal that marked him as a government official, they were affecting not to notice.

She swallowed hard and tried to keep calm. "Good sir, I must ask you to let go."

"You can ask and beg and scream all you want later," he said, a leer smeared on his face under the shimmering jewels of his mask.

"How about you go first."

Juri brightened. It was the tall woman who had been watching from the balcony. But the warmth in her dark eyes were completely gone as she stared down at Jagasaki.

Jagasaki had stepped back unconsciously but managed to snarl, "This is a private matter."

"This is a public space."

His eyes narrowed behind his mask. "All the better to teach you a lesson in minding your own business."

Juri gasped as she watched his other hand swing towards the woman's face. But she swore she saw a smirk appear but she couldn't be sure in the sudden blur of movement.

Everything stilled with Jagasaki's arm trapped within the other woman's hold. Juri wasn't sure what was happening, but his face was contorted in a grimace. His body was starting to bend over, as if trying to alleviate the pain. To anyone watching, it looked like an odd embrace.

"Isn't this a great lesson?" the woman asked, a smile on her face but with a tone ice cold. "Just think of how much more I could teach you." She shifted her grip and Jagasaki let out a yelp. "Now, because I'm so kind, I'm going to let you go. But if I hear you trying anything like this again, know that Romi is going to find you."

Jagasaki's eyes widened and he nodded frantically. Romi released her grip and he stepped back immediately, cradling his arm tight against him.

Romi stepped toward him. Jagasaki jumped and ran, bumping into several couples before disappearing into the crowd.

"Sorry you had to see that."

Juri turned back towards the woman, amazed at how different she seemed with the ice gone from her eyes. Someone with less confidence would have seemed out of place standing plain clothed and maskless in the middle of a crowded ballroom. But somehow, Romi seemed utterly at ease.

"It was the most entertainment I've had all evening." Juri smiled shyly at her. She reached up to brush her hair out of her eyes but winced at the pain in her wrist.

Romi frowned. "Here, let me see."

Juri lifted her hand and Romi took it gently, the warmth soothing compared to the rough heat left from Jagasaki's grip. Romi turned her hand over and carefully inspected her wrist.

"It should be all right. There might be some bruising later, but it's nothing a bit of ice won't cure."

Juri tilted her head and gave her an amused smile. "A doctor and a knight. You have quite the pedigree."

Romi met her eyes and everything seemed to still. The clamour of conversation, the curious gazes, the sudden rush from her own beating heart. Romi's words were soft but they sounded through the space between them crystal clear.

"For you, I'll become anything."

The warmth from their clasped hands seemed to grow and Juri found herself desperately wanting more of it. The space between them grew more heated as they moved towards each other, as if knowing the only relief would be found from the font of each other's lips.

They kissed slowly, the softness melting the world away so that only the two of them existed.

But it was shattered quickly. Juri's shoulder was yanked roughly, and she stumbled backwards. Her cousin's back filled her vision. "Tadashi, what -"

"You stay away from my cousin, you Montague rat," he growled.

Juri gasped. Romi is a Montague?

Romi raised her hands, palms outward and surprise on her face. "I meant no harm, Tadashi." She glanced at Juri from over Tadashi's shoulder, desperation and apology in her eyes.

"I'll show you harm -"

"Tadashi! I had no idea you were going to be here." A masked Masaru stepped in between them, a wide grin matching his wide spread arms. He lowered his voice with a gleam in his eye. "If you want to settle this, meet us at the docks at midnight."

Masaru reached behind him and grabbed Romi. "The guards are coming, we have to go."

He raised his voice once more as he tugged on Romi's arm and backed away. "Let's catch up later! There's oh so much to talk about."

Tadashi rushed forward but Satoshi stood silent in his path. Romi followed Masaru through the crowd and fled out the main entrance, but not without a backward glance and a silent apology at the stunned Juri.