A/N: A somewhat tongue-in-cheek skit as you can probably tell from the title, but this was plenty of fun to write. Maybe I'll return to properly finish it one day. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqK3sNkmXw
-:-871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1NUEDNYsc
THE TYPICAL GOTHIC VICTORIAN MELODRAMA, ONLY GAYER AND LESS WHITE871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMzY6YM44p
CHARACTERS871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E1HGzlfaj
CECIL - male, twenties, biracial, well-dressed871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYl9zdVCl1L
XIUYING - female, twenties, Chinese, no-nonsense; a suffragette871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMHDs1nIeM
--871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWbyRttyOo
EXT. GARDEN BENCH, NIGHT871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IGRPfuAkx
Early twentieth century. CECIL sits, head in his hands, as XIUYING studies a handwritten letter with furrowed brows. She carefully folds it back up and turns to CECIL.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1zylP1VA4
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOljSKjrBR
We don’t have much time.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0N867EjH5b
CECIL
I’m surprised we have any time left at all! It only came in the post this morning. What the hell am I going to do?871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjBLmUZxhe
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2dqHanYYT
First, you need to calm down so we can consider the situation. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ985nodXUfu
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDFP5mswiE
Calm? Calm? How can you expect me to stay calm after that? My lover is blackmailing me over poetry - explicit poetry that I sent him! He expects a thousand pounds by tonight, or else I’m in for ruin and two years hard labour!871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7o8bEA6veN
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoR6W33kifb
I understand you’re upset - 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHnmD45VJf
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi23ooQCmas
I damn well am! 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZ13YGIxXe
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LXzi9tASG
- but panicking will get nothing done. I am so sorry this happened, Cecil, and… I’m so sorry about Laurence.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMoFBs0Nwu
CECIL, stricken anew, breaks down. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6XOlUWRDE
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwYK7mU16R
Dear God, I trusted him. The first person I ever trusted with my love, and he betrayed me. I didn’t know he had it in him. We were all so careful. There was no possible chance of discovery. The three of us were the only ones who knew. I don’t understand why he could do this. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOChAp1jm3C
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNY6v6qAsKl
(slowly)871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRerUGdsB9w
As a matter of fact, I highly doubt it was him at all.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsJDsU0rgR
CECIL freezes and looks up at her. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCX8YG7WHbX
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbEI9TOX6A
What?871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIyPDRncII
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgbqD3qK13
I cannot in good conscience believe that Laurence is behind this.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCT6bEjchB
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5DX0VLqjj
Xiuying, what on earth are you talking about? This is Laurence’s handwriting. This is the very ink and paper he uses to write his plays! (He gets angry.) Do you think I haven’t considered the possibility that the love of my life couldn’t be blackmailing me like this? This is undeniably him!871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTGcJEn5Ge
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiANhBWzOnu
Yes, but if you had taken the time to read over this thoroughly, you would notice that his handwriting is wobbly.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7DQSuKiVw
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUgLxgIQsm
It’s always wobbly. Messy handwriting is the staple of any artist.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zTWpMJit8
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIi2unFrQN
Messier than usual, I mean. You two may be lovers, but I’m the one who’s known him since grammar school. He only ever writes like this when he’s upset or under exceptional stress.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUDpy5nH93
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEkYEcY6se
Well, maybe he was nervous, pulling the rug out from under someone who trusted him. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmKrPlC9D0
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcwhhQeV2Y
That may be the case, but look at this.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KTJrhUZKr
She points at several dark brown and rust-coloured stains at the edges of the paper. There are ink blotches everywhere, but these particular spots, upon close inspection, are distinctive. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2wsQoCSpf
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeYgMULrtY
If I’m not mistaken, that is blood.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyatRguQfi
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KE0DHkcMY
Blood? (A pause as horrified realization creeps in.) Oh, dear God. Laurence.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmg8HejSko
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxp3G4GzB6Z
(grimly)871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDspVfxpLBI
Exactly. There’s something deeper here, far worse than what’s on the surface. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANP17Y0UW9
CECIL871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZhrxGEhxn
But - but if someone is forcing Laurence to write this, then how - how can we get him back? I don’t own a thousand pounds. I couldn’t possibly pay this person off.871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqVf9ED9gf
CECIL is shocked to turn and see XIUYING smiling faintly. 871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhBVWZpyWL
XIUYING871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqbm4Vlztc
Who said anything about paying them off?871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwQEwrJINJ
--871Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHo7YfjIJX
然後按「加至主畫面」