MAGICAL ANGELS OF CULLA CASTLE

Juliet Capulet, cat lover and party girl and Guardian of Earth. Taurus. Phlegmatic. Raven hair and hazel eyes. In black and gold when she transforms. With ADHD. Left at boarding school by her scheming stepmother.

Ophelia Brahe, music and plant lover and Guardian of Water. Scorpio. Melancholic. Ginger hair and green eyes. In mint green and turquoise when she transforms. Bipolar. Left at boarding school by parents who only have time for her brother.

Desdemona de' Brabanzi, literature and fine art lover and Guardian of Air. Sanguine. Golden hair and honey eyes. Aquarius. In lilac and white when she transforms. Autistic. Left at boarding school by a father who seems to only care for politics.

And Viola de' Montecuccoli, lover of the performing arts and martial arts and Guardian of Fire. Choleric. Nutbrown hair and violet eyes. In orange and red when she transforms. Leo. Antisocial. Left at boarding school by guardians who are raising her twin Sebastian to be the next heir (the twins are obviously orphans).

The four schoolgirls, all of them intelligent yet regarded as outsiders, spend days full of routine in a Catholic finishing school in Culla Castle in Castellón Province, away from royal courts' intrigues and from the carnage of war.

But at night, when no Muggles are watching and only the hoot of owls can be heard, the quartet of friends are elemental magical girl warriors, mentored by Mephisto, a talking black cat who is actually a Matagot and the Guardian of Quintessence. Armed with wands topped with precious gemstones (that also serve as their transformation trinkets), they confront threats each time more complicated. However, if a Muggle should find out that they are magical girl warriors, they will turn into frogs!!!

Visits from parents and from fiancés, the banishment of Ophelia's parents to the Finmark, trips to Castellón and to Valencia, a prisoner King Francis I, a visit from Caterina de' Medici to leave Viola's cupbearer twin Sebastian in Culla (after fleeing from his execution, a decoy shikigami was quartered in his stead), San Juan with Elf King Oberon and Fairy Queen Titania, the heroics of Literature professor Alonso Quijano and the flirts of Andalusian heartthrob Don Juan Tenorio, ever accompanied by his trusty servant Leporello who is sweet on him; mysterious messages on the walls, written in blood, every now and then; Deep Ones on the streets of Benicassim and Oropesa... And the awakening of ancient Lovecraftian Gods, something far more dangerous than the rise of Gustavus Vasa, the Protestant Reformation, or the Habsburg-Valois Wars of that era (the doomsday prophets were more right than it seemed). Not to mention all four of our Guardians discovering that they are bisexual.

How can we get bored if we live in interesting times?

SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NEW AUTHOR

This post deals with my fave Shakespearean characters and how they have impacted me. Long story short: I explain the character in shorthand (hashtag included!), what I admire in them and/or what has impacted me, what kind of person they would be in the present-day Occidental world, and also a few songs that would be on their playlist ;)


WISE MENTORS

Gonzalo: #AlwaysSunnyPacifist
What I admire/what strikes me: He's the token optimist, and the only righteous person, at a decadent royal court, which is a hard life... as Ned Stark got to know too late. However, Gonzalo still keeps his head on his shoulders and his position as the right hand of royalty without giving up his worldview and values. And, as proof, a few words from his vision:
[...] treason, felony,
sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,
would I not have; [...]
And some wise words from his section (my favourite, BTW) of The Sea and the Mirror:
A simple locus now, a bell
the Already There can lay
hands on if at any time
It should feel inclined to say
to the lonely--"Here I am",
to the anxious--"All is well".
In our days, s/he would be...: a cool flowerchild born in the 60s, who nowadays, in spite of being fiftyish and occupying one of the highest positions within a corrupt international group, still keeps his flowerchild values. A cool old(er) guy with a positive outlook on life and wise advice to dispense to the younger Shakespearean characters on this list.
Songs on his/her playlist: "Imagine," John Lennon
"Octopus's Garden", The Beatles
"Destra-Sinistra," Giorgio Gaber
Milky Way Song, Monty Python
"Alla fiera dell'est," Angelo Braduardi
"Fiorecrì," VillaZuk

Cerimon: #OthersComeFirst
What I admire/what strikes me: Let the Bard and the Lambs explain it themselves, right?
In reverend Cerimon there well appears
The worth that learned charity aye wears.
(Shakespeare)
In the worthy Cerimon, we are instructed how goodness directed by knowledge, in bestowing benefits upon (hu)mankind, approaches to the nature of the gods.
(Mary Lamb)
In our days, s/he would be...: a cool flowerchild born in the 60s, like Gonzalo, but as an eccentric healer who resorts to surprisingly good alternate therapies. Always ready to lend a helping hand, just like Gonzalo, to whom he is very close. Perchance tied with Gonzalo as the person leaning most to the left in the political spectrum of those I mention here.
Songs on his/her playlist: Meditation music
Hear the Loon Cry (or any loon song recording, for that matter)
Any quality whale song recording
"Within You Without You," The Beatles
Soothing Mozart

"Fiorecrì," VillaZuk

GIRLS IN BREECHES

Portia: #ThisIsNotAHashtag / #123Stella / #DamselOuttaDistress
What I admire/what strikes me: Her brains. Unable to attend any university due to her gender, and having never left her birthplace of Belmont, she is self-taught (just like me, btw). As an only child, an orphan, and the heir to a vast fortune, it comes as no surprise that suitors flock in throngs to her grand estate of Belmont. Yet she sees all of them as shallow opportunists, which is revealed when she puts them to the (casket) test. In the end, she finds a spouse worthy of her, a young man who loves her for her wit more than for her fortune or looks. Yet Mr. Right is broke, and his formerly loaded best friend is in a pretty shade of red, owing a pound of his own flesh to a certain Jewish loanshark. Portia is the one who saves the day, cross-dressing and appearing as the debtor's lawyer in court ("a young barrister fresh out of university"), then exploiting a loophole in the loanshark's contract (a pound of flesh... but without shedding any blood [you know, these Jews and their blood taboo]). The whole debt is cancelled as a result! Even the judge praises her, stating that he's never seen such a young body with such an old head... <3 <3 <3 Congrats, Portia!!!
In our days, s/he would be...: a Law student in her 20s, who is an ojou (heiress) kind of character like all others in this list, but also a bookish ice queen who, in spite of her cold-as-ice façade, never tolerates injustice and will do anything to set things right. Her appearance is that of the typical bifauxnen/otokoyaku character (think of Haruka Tenoh, a better-looking Brienne of Tarth, a blond Naoto Shirogane, Falsetto, Utena, or Oscar de Jarjayes). Her parents were killed by terrorists, which has largely shaped her worldview. She likes classical literature (Dickens, Voltaire, Rilke, Victorian poets...), Utena, La Rose de Versailles (and any other story with strong female characters in it), and Zexal. Oh, and she just luvs GoT (is a book and screen throny). Leans towards the left-centre when it comes to ideology. She is a popular "prince" figure at university (think Naoto Shirogane or Itsuki in Heartcatch Pretty Cure), both guys and girls in throngs want her, but she is still looking for Mr. Right: someone she can have interesting conversations with... She starts off as being cool and aloof, but gradually begins to warm up to others and welcome them into Belmont, which becomes their kinda after-school clubhouse.
Songs on his/her playlist: Game of Thrones opening theme
"Sans contrefaçon," Mylène Farmer
"Astrologen," Magnus Uggla

"Heidenröslein," Franz Schubert/¨J.W. von Goethe

"Das Karrusell," Rainer Maria Rilke

"Fiorecrì," VillaZuk
Every single Utena opening theme

SASSY GIRLS

Katherine: #DontCallMeK8
What I admire/what strikes me: Girl's got temper. Short temper. A fuse millimeters short. She is not afraid at all to speak her fricking mind. And she meets her Waterloo: she and her hubby interact at first like two zax in the prairie of Prax. In the end, he tamed her. But Kate... 'scuse me, Katherine is at heart the same old hotheaded tsundere.
In our days, s/he would be...: a hard-hitting and hard-drinking ladette, surely a biker and a hard rocker (li'l sis Bianca being a pink and prissy girly through and through). Her berserk button, as in the original TotS, is calling her Kate, or K8 (in whatsapps and other short e-messages). Her parents are divorced and she grew up with her dad, a university lecturer (while Bianca grew up with her fashionista mum in the capital of the country). Katherine is left-handed and does martial arts.
Songs on his/her playlist: "Mitt namn är Lena Philipsson"
A lot of Chenoa, in fact, all the major Chenoa songs
"Hard Rock Hallelujah", Lordi
A lot of hardcore Rammstein
The whole Carolus Rex album of Sabaton

Beatrice: #IWontSayImInLuv
What I admire/what strikes me: So Lizzie fricking Bennett. In fact, mentioning Bea as proto-Lizzie ("cool" girl with a heart of her own, who develops sexual tension with her spear counterpart) is the first thought I have. Plus the savviness of a female Mercutio or of Toph Beifong, or Astrid Kolfinnsdottir. There's a soft centre within that prickly chestnut...
In our days, s/he would be...: a Lizzie Bennett kind of girl (with Benedick for her Mr. Darcy). Ostensibly savvy yet with a soft centre, even more of a tsundere than Katherine. She puts on the façade of a tough-as-nails and witty ice queen, more feminine and far cooler than Katherine yet still tomboyish, dressed in a salopette and boater hat; something along the lines of Margaery Tyrell, Lizzie Bennett, and/or Megara in Hercules, or the aloof ally in every magical girl warrior series. Speaking of which, she likes magical girl warrior anime, especially the the mature aloof ally members of every sentai, whose persona she emulates.
Songs on his/her playlist: "Roar," Katy Perry
"I Won't Say I'm In Love!"
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"¿A quién le importa?", Alaska y Dinarama
"Mitt namn är Lena Philipsson"
A lot of Chenoa, in fact, all the major Chenoa songs
"Lady Marmalade", Christina Aguilera

Emilia: #DesperateArmyWife
What I admire/what strikes me: That she has survived for so long the ordeal of being married to Iago without losing her sanity. No matter how much she has to endure. And she's been through hell, to say the least. As lady in waiting to Desdemona, she's like a cool aunt or older sister, a fricking oneesama, far more sensible and realistic, the Tiana to Desi's Lottie, or the Elsa to her liege lady's Anna. And, in the end, when Desi is gone, this Desperate Army Wife snaps. And spits out all the poison and all the truths she had been holding back for, surely, decades. And she dies singing out the truth, right when Iago told her to shut the bloody hell up in the most dramatic way possible. Right. Milly, you were the only one who could stand against that dastardly, sinister plotter in faithful right-hand-man's clothing. And you went out in the most badass and shocking way possible, letting everyone alive deceived by Iago what a bloody snake he was...
In our days, s/he would be...: Iago's spouse and the show's resident Desperate Army Wife. Tough as nails, savvy, sarcastic, yet soft and broken at heart... she would look and act a lot like Catelyn Stark (actor allusion) crossed over with Tiana and Meg from Hercules, as well as a tsundere oneesama and Desi's older sister/aunt figure, perhaps even her sitter since childhood. Surely, this left-handed darkhead's got bruises and a badass look, as well as quips to give... and, when she loses her beloved ward, she will reveal every secret that she has kept inside herself out of fear... Milla, as Desdemona calls her, is also a fiery feminist and crusader for the rights of outgroups, knows martial arts, and is pretty leftish (which Desi keeps a secret from her parents): the perfect role model, idealized by her ward, for the sheltered, innocent ojou.
Songs on his/her playlist: "Roar," Katy Perry
"Nada que perder," Amistades Peligrosas
"I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor
"Det gör ont," Lena Ph

"Malo," Bebe
"Ni tú ni nadie", Alaska y Dinarama
"Bad Romance", Lady Gaga
"Lady Marmalade", Christina Aguilera
"Rytmen av ett regn", Millas Mirakel
"Torn", Natalie Imbruglia

MALE TRAGIC CASUALTIES

Mercutio: #TheFairyFeller
What I admire/what strikes me: The mercury in his veins. As quick with his wit as with his rapier. And he manages to keep his face up even as he's dying in agony. Seriously, to die of a punctured lung is excruciating... but to keep on joking and crazy ironic while dying such a slow, painful death, and to go out with a pun and a smile, one must be either mad as a hatter or have one worldview of a kind!
In our days, s/he would be...: the ideal senpai and the eccentric class clown rolled into one. Like the Weasley or Hitachiin twins fused into one person, or a male Pinkie Pie/Ty Lee. Always the centre of attention and the life of the party. Luuuuvs classic British humour (Blackadder, 'Allo 'Allo, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers...) and Tarantino films alike. Left-handed.
Songs on his/her playlist: A lot of Monty Python: "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" would definitely come first...
...followed by the Penis Song...
...and the Milky Way Song
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", The Beatles
"For the Benefit of Mr. Kite," Eddie Izzard version
"Hakuna Matata"
"Sir Reginald's Marvellous Organ"
A lot of Queen: "I'm Going Slightly Mad," "Killer Queen," "Bohemian Rhapsody..."
"Harold the Barrel," Genesis
"A Very Merry Unbirthday"
"Dumb Ways to Die"
"Sjuttonde balladen," Evert Taube
"Forever Young," Alphaville
"Das Karrusell," Rainer Maria Rilke

Laertes: #TheGoGetter
What I admire/what strikes me: That hot blood, that big brother instinct, the fact that he's the extroverted, impulsive, and sportsy go-getter foil to emo Hamlet... The kind of oniisama that every only child, not only yours truly, would like to have got along with. Of course his short fuse gets him into hot water and leads to his untimely demise, but he remains loyal to those he loves until the end of the day, acknowledging his mistakes, and regretting that he had been too rash, in his last words.
In our days, s/he would be...: a hot-blooded tennis-playing and fencing half-French half-Scandinavian preppy, crocodile on the polo shirt and all (he would never be out of place in the anime The Prince of Tennis, which is all about hot boys with rackets)... and Ophelia's older brother of course. Don't get too close to her, or you'll get to face the end of a fleuret or (more probably) a racket. His greatest dream: to win Wimbledon. His worst nightmare: Ophelia dying dreadfully due to his own rash actions.
Songs on his/her playlist: "Gonna Fly Now"
"Eye of the Tiger"
"O Fortuna"
Every single Prince of Tennis opening
"I'm Almost There" (Tiana's song)
"Search for Your Love," ThreeLights
"Teenage Icon," The Vaccines
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga

Percy Hotspur: #INeedNoIntroduction
What I admire/what strikes me: The same as for Laertes, plus that intolerance and the far more ideological bent he gives to that youthful passion... there are things about this dapper young rebel with a short fuse that I love to hate. At first I was a bit hesitant of whether putting him here or with the villains... but at least his intentions were good yet misguided.
In our days, s/he would be...: That guy in every teen class with his head shaved like an eight-ball (and a fuse as short as his hair to match), wearing a punk jacket and presumably swastikas. Long story short, the leader of the local far-right hooligan circle, putting on that façade to cover up his own dad issues (which do not differ from those of Okonkwo or Tywin Lannister). Hates being called "Percy" by given name, obviously... for is that a name scary enough for a Führer? Also hates sissies with a passion, as well as active women.
Songs on his/her playlist: The whole Carolus Rex album, Sabaton
A lot of Rammstein, especially songs about sex, violence, and warfare, his fave being "Wollt ihr das Bett im Flammen sehen?"
"Kuruc-Labanc", Kárpátia

FEMALE TRAGIC CASUALTIES

Ophelia: #SaveOurNargles / #ABasketCase (post-snapping)
What I admire/what strikes me: How she goes from "average" eccentric girl to outright psycho yandere in response to Hamlet friendzoning her. How her sanity gradually slips and she develops from adorable quirky ingénue into the drowned maiden in the Millais picture, which leaves no one indifferent.
In our days, s/he would be...: an artistic, eccentric teenage girl like Luna Lovegood and Ty Lee. Until emo Hamlet turns his back on her. Then, she becomes a sinister emo/perky goth and goes full-on yandere mode (think of Alison, the basket case in The Breakfast Club), even taking drugs like Xanax (until she finally drowns in a lilypond trying to pick some water lilies... or to kiss a frog prince?). She is exceedingly fond of 80s fantasy films like Labyrinth and The Princess Bride.
Songs on his/her playlist: "Wuthering Heights," Kate Bush
"Neverending Story," Limahl
"Son mis cuentos," Amistades Peligrosas
"Désenchantée," Mylène Farmer
"Tristana," Mylène Farmer
"I Dreamed a Dream," Anne Hathaway version
"I'm Going Slightly Mad," Queen
"Harlequin," Genesis
"Total Eclipse of the Heart," Bonnie Tyler
"Delirium," Lena Ph
Anything by El Último de la Fila or Manolo García written in their particular lyrism
"Torn", Natalie Imbruglia


Desdemona: #FairWarrior
What I admire/what strikes me: Her death, together with Ophelia's, is one of the most heart-rending female casualties in tragedy. Accused by her no-longer-loving spouse of having an affair with her childhood friend, and then, while defending herself, violently strangled by her husband in an irrational fit of rage. And all because she wanted to heal a rift between both men... The primrose path is paved with good intentions, and her story, of innocence lost and good deeds twisted, exemplifies it.
In our days, s/he would be...: the typical sweet and demure, cultured and friendly ojou (daughter of a runway star and a right-wing MP), who can be cool and/or bold if pressure is put on her (think Mayu Miyuki, Cornelia Hale, or Minami Kaido). Sheltered as she has been, she is quite innocent and naive, though always ready to lend a helping hand. Intelligent, learned, cultured, open-minded kindred spirits with Portia, though not that fond of GoT, preferring historical shójo and magical girl warrior anime. And 80s fantasy films like Labyrinth and The Princess Bride (the latter being her favourite). Think Disney's Rapunzel crossed over with Éowyn and with one of the three ojou characters above... Or, to be more precise, with Sansa Stark. Many characters do compare her to Sansa or Éowyn, indeed.
Songs on his/her playlist: "When Will My Life Begin?"
"I See the Light"
"For the First Time in Forever"
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" (duet with Othello)
"Désenchantée," Mylène Farmer
"Harlequin," Genesis
Go! Princess Precure opening
DokiDoki! Precure opening
"Search for Your Love," ThreeLights
"Högt över havet," Arja Saijonmaa
"Das Karrusell," Rainer Maria Rilke
"Fiorecrì," VillaZuk
Anything by El Último de la Fila or Manolo García written in their particular lyrism

"Torn", Natalie Imbruglia

TRAGIC SURVIVORS

Cassio: #RightfulLieutenant / #INeverGaveYouCause
What I admire/what strikes me: Out of all the tragedy survivors the Bard has portrayed, IMOHO, the young lieutenant in Othello takes the cake. At the end of the play, he has lost his female childhood friend and his commanding officer (who were married to one another), the two most important people in his life, at one fell swoop, plus one of his legs (left or right, Shakespeare does not specify), which abruptly ends his military career due to disability. And he must surely be traumatized: had he resisted a little more that offer to drink liquor that night when he was on duty... That has made all the difference (to quote Robert Frost). The by-the-book young lieutenant, charming with women and insecure with men, whom we saw at the start of the story... has lost his innocence and everything that defines his life, and he must surely feel that it was all his fault. For want of a nail, a war and a kingdom were lost; for want of a sip, everyone and everything he cherished was lost. Definitely, give him a hug.
In our days, s/he would be...: a nice guy, charming, cultured young cadet or lieutenant, a ladies' man socially awkward in the company of other males and with a prominent bookish streak (think of Napoleon as a teen), who wants to rise in the military hierarchy and still become "one of the boys." After the end of the play, he's got massive PTSD, takes Xanax regularly (feeling guilty for the loss of his childhood friend and commanding officer), and turns to academia for a new future, having had to leave the military due to his disability. Likes classical literature (Dickens, Voltaire, Rilke, Victorian poets...) and beautiful women, aside from being an officer and wearing fancy attire. He's also a Throny, but he reads the books instead of watching on screen. To sum up: pre-downfall he would be like Lon Hammond; post-downfall, like Haymitch or Remus Lupin.
Songs on his/her playlist: "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," Eddie Redmayne version
"Careless Whisper," Wham
"The Joker," Steve Miller Band
"Teenage Icon," The Vaccines
"Ingenting," Kent
Dennou Boukenki Webdriver first opening theme
"Vandrar i ett regn," Pugh Rogefeldt
"Snart kommer det en vind," Pugh Rogefeldt
"Bröllopsklockor," Pugh Rogefeldt
"Livet är en fest," Nationalteatern
"Lady Marmalade", Christina Aguilera
"Search for Your Love," ThreeLights
"Frauen dieser Welt," Die Toten Hosen
"Forever Young," Alphaville
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond," Pink Floyd (dedicated to Othello)
"Jag ville sjunga om Katarina"
Anything by El Último de la Fila or Manolo García written in their particular lyrism
"La mère de l'officier", Matthieu Côte (post-snapping)


SINISTER VILLAINS

Malvolio: #KilljoyPuritan
What I admire/what strikes me: Like Hotspur, here's another character that makes me wince, yet for whom I develop feelings as his character arc unfurls. Picture yourself a curmudgeonly and unpopular estate steward (jobsworth, of sorts) secretly in love with his mistress, a brooding young orphan countess in mourning for her brother/guardian. The other servants, to play a prank, send him a letter with handwriting very like the countess's, saying that she'd like a rendezvous in the estate gardens... if he wears what she likes: oodles of brightly coloured and thickly embroidered gold brocade, garters tied up in bows, and a Cheshire-cat grin from ear to ear. What the countess says is that Malvolio looks silly, ridiculous. And she has him locked in a dark room throughout her wedding revels!! There he got his karma for being such a Puritan!!! At the end of Twelfth Night, he is the only character who does not live happy ever after!! :D :D
In our days, s/he would be...: The typical stiff-upper-lip British butler/jobsworth, usually called James or Jeeves and always a sharply dressed, no-nonsense curmudgeon. He would do great at Belmont as Portia's retainer. He is perchance the character that leans second most to the right on the political spectrum of the ones I cover here.
Songs on his/her playlist: "The Passion According to Matthew," J.S. Bach
"Zadok the Priest," Händel
(nothing more, after all, he is a Puritan and only listens to select sacred music, preferently Bach)

Bawd & Pander: #7SeasThénardiers
What I admire/what strikes me: These are clearly the Thénardiers in a Mediterranean Pirate Greek-islands setting. A devious married couple who run an inn of ill repute and do not hesitate to oppress their adoptive daughters just for the money's sake. Clearly Hugo's inspiration for his evil innkeepers (Hugo translated Shakespeare into French!).
In our days, they would be...: A Thénardier-esque husband and wife couple who run a three-star nightclub. She (Bawd) is the one in charge (think Bonham-Carter and Baron-Cohen as the Thénardiers).
Songs on their playlist: "Masters of the House," notch. Precisely the Bonham-Carter & Baron-Cohen version.
"What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor?"
"The Drunken Scotsman"
"Lady Marmalade", Christina Aguilera

Lady M.: #IceIceQueen
What I admire/what strikes me: she's got the lust for power and the guts to reach out for it. This fiery ice ice lady (later on, ice ice queen) eschews traditional gender roles, and she is clearly the one in charge, her husband being her second-in-command. She has the idea, the strategy, carried out like clockwork. Then, having become Queen of Scots, the pangs of conscience, the blood that cannot be washed away, no matter how much soap and water and scrubbing.
In our days, s/he would be...: an ambitious, beautiful, and intelligent entrepreneuse, ready to tread on anyone to reach the topmost rung of the ladder, yet also decadent and half-insane (think of Cersei Lannister as Dolores Umbridge and/or as the owner of the magazine in The Devil Wears Prada, with just a hint of Mme. Thénardier).
Songs on his/her playlist: "Roar," Katy Perry
"I'm Almost There" (Tiana's song)
"Rainbow High"
"The Art of the Possible"
Game of Thrones opening theme

"Diamanter," Lustans Lakejer

"Ma Baker"

Iago: #IAmNotWhatIAm
What I admire/what strikes me: IMOHO, this is the most sinister villain Shakespeare has ever created. Like the mirror of truth (and its victims) in The Snow Queen: unable to feel positive emotions and see the bright side of reality (perchance envying the outpost's beautiful elite for having those warm feelings), utterly cold, calculating, and rational; if you, like most humans, have a soft spot or two, Iago will surely find out and strike them, all while maintaining an elusive façade of the perfect best friend or right-hand man, so subtly that you would not notice you have been fooled. And then, he will add more fuel to the fire by giving advice that may be helpful out of context, but merely serves to tangle things up even more, all while not looking or sounding sinister. The Bard has given us a psychopath at his finest.
In our days, s/he would be...: a badass veteran with PTSD, ostensibly an unusually reliable and efficient non-commissioned officer, actually a broken soul ravaged by the hell of war and unable to feel positive emotions, which inspires him for his psychopathic games with others. An abusive childless husband who has just discovered that he is actually gay and sweet on his commanding officer, and wonders what is this thing called "love" and why Cassio and the other officers just see him as the perfect right-hand man... Iago, who had previously only liked Hitchcock thrillers, bonded with Cassio over GoT, and, unlike his lieutenant, prefers the show on screen. Besides, he idealizes Tywin Lannister for many a good reason. Aside from Tywin, Iago also worships Blackadder, aside from Walter White and sees his kouhai, flunked cadet Roderigo, as his Jesse. They operate a secret meth lab as well (which they'll use in the kegger scene, slipping their crystal into a certain lieutenant's drink...). Oh, and they use the respective codenames "Blackadder" and "Baldrick" as a reference to Iago's favourite British comedy... (second fave is 'Allo, 'Allo: it was Leutnant Grüber's hots for René that made him realize. Oh, and the fact that Iago himself looks a tad like René and Cassio looks just like the Leutnant!)
Songs on his/her playlist: Game of Thrones opening theme
Blackadder opening theme
'Allo, 'Allo opening theme
"The Art of the Possible"
Iago's Credo from Verdi's Otello
"Loathing, Unadulterated Loathing"
"Livet är en fest," Nationalteatern
"Skenet bedrar," Kaipa
Any Rammstein song involving sex and/or sadism
"Livet är en fest," Nationalteatern
"The Drunken Scotsman"
"Lady Marmalade", Christina Aguilera
Music from the shower scene in Psycho
Music from the cropduster scene in North by Northwest


SUPERNATURAL CHARACTERS

Robin "Puck" Goodfellow: #NamesGoodfeller
What I admire/what strikes me: all the pranks and the mess-ups that this perky, plucky pixie causes dripping nectar from the love flower on sleepers' eyelids left and right. And that during the shortest night of the year! Not to mention the pranks they have previously played on people in the villages around the woodland...
In our days, s/he would be...: a non-binary Peter Pan-ish trickster who does matchmaking as a hobby and also enjoys playing pranks. Something like Austen's Emma in the 1990s film, but more of a tomboyish/ambiguous gender character. Emma mashed up with the Amazones Quartet in SuperS, to think of it.
Songs on their playlist: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
"I'm Going Slightly Mad," Queen
The Love Boat theme
anything by Wham!
"A Very Merry Unbirthday"
"For the Benefit of Mr. Kite," Eddie Izzard version
"Lady Marmalade", Christina Aguilera

The Witches/Norns: #RlyWeirdSisters
What I admire/what strikes me: These three speak always in rhyme. Their prophecy soup includes the liver of a Jew, the nose of a Turk, and a Tatar's lips. And they are most surely the Norse Norns (equivalents of the Fates in classical lore).
In our days,they would be...: three Wiccan sisters (the eldest middle-aged, the youngest still a child) who run a coven together. They also worship the old Norse gods and tell fortunes in Crowley-Harris Tarot cards, and they give séances. Their foretellings are seldom wrong and always cryptic.
Songs on their playlist: their incantation from the cauldron scene
O Conxuro da Queimada
anything Celtic-sounding by Amistades Peligrosas

LES ENFANTS-TEMPÊTE

LES ENFANTS-TEMPÊTE

A story freely after the tales of Shakespeare
meant for reading today,
on his birthday...

Midsummer Night, shortest night of the year.
While her husband was away, tending to affairs of state in the capital of another land, the lady of the estate knew the officer who was stationed in their keep during the uprising.
She's got a bastard son, a boy with his father's Liliene dark hair and her own green eyes. And skin of a colour between Liliene tawny and the fair one of her own realm. A half-Liliene unwanted child, who could not have been the heir.
The fey-queen, at her court in the woods, has also had a daughter. A girl with hair of light, periwinkle eyes, and slightly pointy ears. Her firstborn as well.
Cradling the cause of her sorrow, the Freelady gets on her dun mare, a dagger of steel on her belt, rides until she reaches the edge of the woods.
The fey queen comes towards her, irradiating the light of a star, bringing her heir as well.
Words are exchanged, a bargain is made, the Freelady cuts the palm of her hand and the fey drinks her blood, both infants are exchanged.
The fey queen warns the noblewoman that her bastard son and her foster daughter will both bring misfortune to seven kingdoms. The Freelady won't listen.
She rides off back to her estate birthplace, cradling her daughter, cooing her new daughter's name.

Les années s'écoulent. À la Cour des Feÿ, le lieu le plus sombre des forêts du midi (une région éternellement dans la penombre, sans animaux, ou aucun mortel ose entrer), le petit bâtard démi-Lilien est élevée par toutes les dames de la cour. Ce sont des filles toujours enfants, luminiscentes. Il y a d'autres pages et dames qui sont toujours des enfants lumineux. C'est le même destin qui lui attend. Cinq ans plus tard (cinq ans qui, par les Feÿ, sont un an du monde éxterieur), le roi et la reine de cette contrée discutant pour lui. Leur mariage semble avoir entré en crise.
Enfin, ils font les paix, mais il faut éloigner cet échangé des domains des Feÿ pour éviter de pareilles débâcles. On laisse le garçon sur la lisière des forêts, et un carrosse s'arrête en trouver le garçon au milieu du chemin. Il y a une femme de noir, une marchande Lilienne veuve sans enfants. Il le trouve et l'emporte dans la carrosse.
Pendant ce temps, les Liliens sont dévenus membres de la Ligue. La guerre est finie, en fin, mais les prejugés y restent.
Il est élevée de cette aventurière bourgeoise, et il parcourut toute la Ligue avec elle. Il apprend à lire, écrire, de la poésie, des maths. Sa mêre l'aime beaucoup. Comme les autres Liliens, elle ne croît pas aux dieux. "Hérétique", "libre-penseuse", c'est ce qu'on dit de la capitale jusqu'à les villages plus rétranchés et les groupes de fermes. Chez les Liliens, les femmes sont égales aux hommes et il n'ya pas de dieux.
Dix années plus tard. Sa mêre lui a laissé chez une amie, dans cette ville universitaire où tous les littérateurs et les gens d'État plus connus de la Ligue ont été élévés. Il n'avait pas d'amis que l'hôtesse et les enfants de celle-ci.
Un an plus tard. Printemps. Il prend congé de l'hôtesse et des enfants, parce-que il a été expulsé de l'uni. Il est libre-penseur, dit-on. Alors, il est parti pour l'armée. Là, personne ne pense pas aux dieux.
On l'embrasse et lui donne un porte-bonheur, mais pas de cheval. Un militaire doit être dur!
L'automne du même an, il gagne la forteresse et s'y enliste. Il a réçu une veste d'uniforme verte, des bottes noires, une rapière, un tricorne de soldat. Il est un três joli jeune homme, et les autres ne s'empêchent pas à coucher avec lui.
Un démi-Lilien, un étudiant libre-penseur. On dit encore cela de lui, mais il veut quitter son passé et sa réputation. Le sergent est dur avec lui. Le sergent lui fait son ordinance, pour lustrer ses bottes et son tricorne, lui faire de valet et d'échanson. "Ce gars est trop jeune pour combattre", pense-il.
Il y a aussi une jeune Liliène, une fille de village orpheline de guerre, de son même âge. Elle porte un uniforme et des pistolets, et elle les fait servir plus vite que les hommes de l'avant-poste. On appelle cette fillette "la fille du régiment". L'ordinance tombe amoureux d'elle, mais le sergent aime l'ordinance et se couche avec lui.
Et la fille Feÿ de la dame du manoir? Elle a appris à lire et écrire aussi, à jouer des instruments, composer, écrire des verses. Très savante, très intelligente, douce, bonne, tranquille, parfaite.
Une princesse de province, aux yeux violette rêveurs. Une jolie Rose-Blanche en attendant sortir dans le vaste monde et charmer tous les coeurs.
Quand elle à seize ans, le comte son pêre vient en fin la chercher. C'est de cette façon qui Rose-Blanche arrive au Palais, grand complexe baroque des environs de la capitale.
Le comte est un des sept régents qui forment le Conseil de Régence, jusqu'à la czarevna atteint l'âge adulte. Il est l'aîné de tous les régents. Le cadet, c'est un Lilien de sang pur, colonel de mercenaires. Un étranger discriminé, mais habile et brave militaire, qui n'a que vingt-et-cinq ans.
Toutes les dames courtisanes ont leurs regards fixés sur cette rivale parvenue de province. Elle même brille avec des lumières pas connues. Une douairière a offert son fils aîné pour fiancé de cette rarité.
Mais elle seulement aime le Lilien. Parce qu'il est étranger comme elle. Et parce qu'il l'aime pour son esprit, pas pour sa beauté ou son héritage.
Enfin, le fils de la douairière apprend cela et l'explique a sa mêre, qui est elle aussi une des sept régents. Alors, on décide de donner au colonel une promotion à général, mais seul si il renonce a son poste au conseil et déménage dans une forteresse de province. Il dit oui.
Ce soir, il entre dans la chambre à coucher de la damoiselle. Elle se réveille. Elle s'habille en garçon, en page ou en valet, et écrit, vite, une lettre qu'elle pose sur le lit de son pêre: le régent est encore endormi, il respire tranquille, il n'a entendu pas les passes de son héritière sur l'estrade.
Les deux amoureux partent sur les deux coursiers les plus véloces de la Cour.
Le jour suivant, le comte se réveille et lit la lettre de sa fille. Une lettre de congé et de merci. Il tombe, inconscient, dans son lit plus encore. Son coeur est brisé.

Den nye kommendanten, den yngste store fältherren, generalen frân fiendeland, har anlänt till fästningen med sin unga fru. Hela garnisonen och folket i byn nedanför har skridit fram man ur huse med blommor i hand under jubelrop.
Generalen sâg rätt läcker ut i sina epâletter och med det kryssformade ärret pâ pannan. "Ligans nya svärd" kallas han av hovfolket och det övriga herrskapet. Men här i provinsen är han en hjälte, och inga kyliga fördomsfulla blickar lär riktas mot honom.
Generalskan bar, konstigt nog, piskperuk och trekantig hatt, och byxor i vita guldbrokader. Hon var klädd som en hovman, fast man av de fina anletsdragen och händerna, och det smala livet, sâg att hon var en flicka. Troligast en herrskapsdotter som flytt med honom: ett fint krigsbyte! Fast det lâg nâgot sällsamt över henne. Lila ögon, som violer. Och en slags strâlning ur henne som fângade allas hjärtan: officerare, meniga, vanligt folk, herrskap frân trakten, kvinnor, barn, de äldre.
("Fey-ljuset", viskade kloka gumman till de minsta barnen. "En fey-flicka som har lämnats in bland oss dödlingar. Det brukar de göra, ni vet.")
En avdelning ledd av en trettioârig ryttmästare eskorterade generalen och hans fästmö till skansen. Den vanligtvis allvarsamme fältherren omfamnade den äldre sergeanten:
"Vi ses igen, kamrat!"
De hade varit vapenbröder, fast den ene blev officer och ödet skilde dem ât. "En fin skatt du har!" "Det är en flicka som flytt sitt öde. Ikväll äktar jag henne."
"Jasâ?", frâgar sergeanten ironiskt. "Lilla fröken verkar vara rätt dristig..."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAKESPEARE!

A special greeting for a middling glover's son, who became the most renowned playwright that there "Will" ever be:

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,

happy birthday, dear William, happy birthday to you!

Thanks for all the lovely plays and poems!
My gift is a Victorian e-book, written by a lady who fell in love with your characters two centuries ago:
http://books.google.es/books?id=YbQ0AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=es#v=onepage&q&f=false