#imaginary ballet

[pinknatural]

some sort of teen au

(commission info in my pinned)

[princesssarisa]

The Royal Swedish Ballet's Peter and Lotta-themed Nutcracker production has made me want to imagine other Nutcrackers themed to other classic children's books.

In particular, I've been imagining a Madeline-themed Nutcracker. It would combine the traditional Nutcracker plot with Madeline's Christmas, just as the Swedish production combined it with Peter and Lotta's Christmas.

It would start out with the plot of Madeline's Christmas: the eleven other girls and Miss Clavel all catch colds on Christmas Eve, so they can't go home from the boarding school for the holiday, and Madeline has to take care of them all.

During the Overture, the curtain would open on a Parisian street, and the girls would enter in their iconic two straight lines with Miss Clavel. Then there would be a short fantasy dance sequence, showing the girls imagining their families as they look forward to seeing them soon. Madeline would get particular emphasis, of course, and so would her parents in the fantasy. (Because, no, Madeline isn't an orphan. Her parents are alive and well in the books and in the earlier cartoons. The 1998 live action movie and the 1999 animated Madeline: Lost in Paris both made her an orphan, but this ballet is a separate canon.) But then, during the Overture's last bars, the eleven other girls and Miss Clavel would all gradually start sneezing, coughing, clutching their sore throats, etc.

The first scene proper takes place in the girls' dormitory, and show Madeline bustling from bed to bed, bringing the other girls tea, and giving some to the also-sick Miss Clavel when she comes in to check on them too. At one point she might stop to rest and gaze sadly at a photo of her parents. But then Pepito climbs up to the window and signals to her. (Pepito doesn't appear in Madeline's Christmas, but we need a mischievous little boy character to take Fritz's place in the Nutcracker plot.) They privately conspire together, then Pepito leaves, and a few moments later a knock is heard at the downstairs door, and Madeline goes to answer it. Then she reenters with Pepito, both dressed in special homemade costumes, and they invite the girls to put on their shawls and slippers and come downstairs.

The girls and Miss Clavel file down to the sitting room, where Pepito's parents and their servants from next door are just putting the finishing touches on a Christmas tree. Madeline announces that since they can't go home, they'll have a "Christmas at School" Party.

Happy dances proceed, with even Miss Clavel being persuaded to join in despite her initial shyness. At one point, though Pepito's "menagerie" of frogs, bugs, rats, etc. get loose from their cages and causes some funny chaos.

Suddenly, there's an unexpected knock at the door. Madeline answers it. Enter the Middle Eastern merchant/magician from the book of Madeline's Christmas, who is freezing and seeking shelter. He'll be taking the place of Drosselmeyer in this story. Madeline lets him in and warms him up with blankets and tea. As thanks, he performs a magic show for the girls and Pepito.

To fit the plot, I'll make the Magician into a toy merchant instead of a rug merchant. (I don't mind taking that liberty – after all, The Nutcracker, or Peter and Lotta's Christmas adds a romance between the charcoal-burner and the maid, when in the original book of Peter and Lotta's Christmas the charcoal-burner is a married man with children of his own.) Because it's Christmas, he gives each child a free toy from his supply. Madeline, of course, gets a nutcracker – maybe an especially French-looking soldier that resembles Napoleon. But of course mischievous Pepito tries to snatch it from her, and accidentally breaks it.

From this point on we follow the plot of The Nutcracker more closely. The party ends and everyone goes off to bed. But then Madeline sneaks downstairs in the night. She falls asleep holding her nutcracker, the Magician reappears, the room grows enormous, etc. But I don't think the enemy should be mice, because Madeline likes mice. Instead I think we'll use Pepito's menagerie of insects, bats, frogs, and rats, with a Rat King as their leader. This is why I included them in the earlier scene: to establish their existence.

To fight them, instead of the traditional toy soldier army, the Nutcracker would lead a mixed army of the other girls' dolls and stuffed toys, whose combat methods are unconventional but effective. Spunky Madeline will also play a more active role in the battle than Marie/Clara usually does.

After the Rat King is killed, the Nutcracker (played by an adult), will turn into a Prince who looks very much like Madeline's father, as we saw him in her fantasy and photo earlier. He'll be played by the same dancer and dressed in the same colors. Then, after the snowflake waltz (which will be much more urban than usual, with a theme of "snowfall in Paris"), he'll whisk Madeline away to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy, who, of course, will resemble her mother. The Fairy will be emphasized as the Prince's love interest, from whom he's been separated ever since he was turned into a nutcracker. Instead of Marie/Clara's traditional dream of romance for herself, Madeline's dream of the Prince and the Fairy clearly reflects her longing to spend Christmas with her parents.

All the dances will play out as usual, although they might be themed to traditional French desserts and such. Since Pepito and his family are Spanish, I might also want their dancers to perform the Spanish dance, with Pepito providing comedy.

At the very end, we find Madeline still asleep downstairs on Christmas morning. Miss Clavel comes down, all well again and dressed, and then a knock is heard at the door. Miss Clavel answers it, and in come Madeline's parents to greet her just as she wakes up. The other girls' parents start to enter close behind them, and the girls file downstairs to meet them as the curtain falls.

Can someone please find a choreographer to help me bring this outline to life? :)

@ariel-seagull-wings

[makemycitybreak]

I think what needs to happen to the international community of performing arts in this century is African ballet becoming a respected and admired (and separate from european and american ballet) style of ballet because otherwise what is there left

[soskinne]

as a young girl I had imaginary friends. as an adult I have an imaginary Russian ballet instructor who shames me for eating and makes me workout for 2 hours a day.

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs Part 7

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

So I hear there's been some fandom drama? Guess it's time for another fic rec list! This fandom is so lovely, so let's focus on the positive and give all the love to our writers and artists. You guys are so talented. ♥️

Work It Harder, Make it Better by dear_monday, two_ravens

Olympics AU! And kind of Sk8er Boi? Charles is an Olympic skateboarder at the end of his competitive career and Edwin is a rising star in the world of dressage. They fall in love at Paris 2024. Amazing writing, as always, and I also enjoyed Niko and Crystal as members of the skateboarding and equestrian teams having their own Olympics Romance and Jenny as Charles' world-weary coach.

Twin Flame by Leandra

Another "He was a punk, he did ballet" romance! This time, everyone is alive and the boys meet when Charles watches Edwin perform at his little sister's ballet recital. The romance and Charles as a big brother are very sweet, which is great as this fic also covers some heavy themes. It's set in the 90s so there's discussion of homophobia, the AIDs crisis and Charles' canon child abuse. Suffice to say, his bisexual awakening is quite fraught. Recommended!

Love for Hire by lucrow

Edwin hires Charles to freak out his parents with his obnoxious fake boyfriend. What could possible haaappeeen? And yes, it's a ballet/punk romance too. 😅 Anyway, it's giving fantastic banter, lots of emotions and great use of trope! I also enjoyed Edwin's relationship with his mum in this fic, excellent parental feels.

so I try to talk refined by shadowquill17

Charles finds out about the Cat King taking on his appearance and (somehow) arrives at the conclusion that Edwin isn't attracted to him. Charles having body image as well as chronic self-esteem issues was interesting but kind of heartbreaking. Read it for Edwin's agonised attempts to verbalise his sexual attraction to Charles without exploding. That's love right there.

A Royal Pain(e) (series) by handwrittenhello

Royalty AU! I love a bodyguard romance from time to time and this one is lovely. Lots of yearning.

Turnabout's Fair Play by LikeMmmCookies

Edwin enlists Niko and Crystal to teach him how to flirt with Charles. It starts off cute and awkward and ends up Master Of All He Surveys, which is very Edwin.

I will love you (I really love you) by ghostinthelibrary

Charles has a feelings realization and tries to confess to Edwin. Repeatedly. From a cock-blocking enchanted statue to a Hellhound, it's farcical and fun. This fic has been living in my head rent free for months.

seasons of mists by laiqualaurelote

Edwin hires Charles to be the barista in his book shop's cafe. Two cosy AUs in one! And it even comes (appropriately) with its own reading list and fanart! Very cute, excellent autumnal vibes and a superb imaginary book shop. I'm genuinely so devastated it's not a real place. 😭

Ariadne's Thread by hobbitsdoitbetter

In which Edwin is demisexual and trying to make it work with Charles. Love to see some ace spectrum representation!

you know the problem with history (it keeps coming back like weeds) by aletterinthenameofsanity

Amnesia AU! And kind of Secret Relationship? Edwin has Not So Temporary Amnesia that made him forget a whole romantic relationship with Charles early in their partnership. And Charles never told him... Surely this will have no impact on the events of canon?? 😬 I loved this twist on the trope!

scraped to the marrow by Anonymous

Edwin learned black magic in Hell and kind of went to the Dark Side. I love the trope of "Everyone thinks Character avoids violence because they're scared/weak/nice/bad at it, but actually they're a bit too good at it" and this fic does it well. I love regular Edwin, but Lord Bone was also pretty cool.

To Walk Back Into Hell by Asidian

Charles goes to Hell in Edwin's place, so naturally Edwin needs to find a way to rescue him! Interesting Hell lore and I loved all the Charles love in this.

It does not stop by williamvapespeare

Now he's safe from Hell, Edwin finally works through his PTSD. Emotional, but peak Emotional Support Charles for the win!

signed, sealed, delivered by sulfuric

Outsider PoV of the boys and the agency through the years from the perspective of the Ghost Postman. He's kind of underrated as a side character, but there are so many Implications about the Dead Letter Office, so I enjoyed the worldbuilding. And the supernatural community of London gossiping about/shipping the boys (they're just like us, for real). Love that trope.

not so secret by lola_prongs

Social Media/Celebrity AU! In which they're both actors and Charles relentlessly thirsts after Edwin on Twitter. Great use of social media/epistolary storytelling.

Like a record, baby by singtome

Another celebrity/social media AU, but this time Charles and Crystal are budding rock stars and Edwin is their manager. Also Edwin goes viral as the mysterious #HotGuyatUnity after his picture's taken at an event and Charles *tries* to set the record straight. This one's funny, generous with the yearning and UST and is part of a series that also touches on the darker side of the music industry/celebrity, which I appreciated. And it also has this excellent visual representation of the online drama.

@ghostinthelibrarywrites @tumblerislovetumblerislife @shadowquill17 @neurodivergent-fangirling @whatthehorsedoicallthisblog @shazziez @many-gay-magpies @extremely-eager-reader @atariakana @guardianspirits13 @colourmornings @herebehunters @avoiceofnerat @littlepocketuniverse @overlord-of-chaos @fairandfatalasfair @handwrittenhello @every-moment-a-different-sound @williamvapespeare @laiqualaurelote @dear-monday @dear-lucrow @aletterinthenameofsanity @likemmmcookies @bibliomancer7 @c-rowland @nobledragonflying @hobbitsdoitbetter

I've tagged some people again. Let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list!

[teenidlegirl]

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ౨౿  ׅ ۟   ֪ 𝓛ove 𝓘n 𝓢ecret ۪ ׂ   𓈒 ୭

꒰⠀⠀⟡⠀.⠀ceo!miguel⠀𝓍⠀wife!reader⠀.⠀⟡⠀⠀꒱

⠀ ᰦ 󠄀 ྀ .⠀♥︎⠀summary.⠀everyone at work assumes you and miguel dislike each other. however, they don’t know their boss and his assistant are married and have a daughter together.

⠀ ᰦ 󠄀 ྀ .⠀♥︎⠀content.⠀modern!au, fluff, established relationship, secret relationship, swearing, pet names, hispanic/latina!reader

the irritating sound of peter’s voice was making miguel pinching the bridge of his nose for the millionth time. imaginary steam like a train coming out from his ears. face red of frustration. internally swearing to the point of almost speaking aloud.

you recognize that face in a heartbeat. it happens almost everyday at work because some employees seem to stubborn or screw up whatever they are working on. it adds more anger and stress to your boss, or should say, husband. the company don’t know of your marriage with miguel or that you two have a daughter. for the sake of your job, you and miguel established an agreement to keep this relationship a secret. imagine working for your boss who is also your husband and you’re his assistant. yeah, that would turn many heads immediately.

luckily, you’ve been hiding it well for three years.

you decide to hate, or dislike each other as a method to conceal your relationship. always bickering when coworkers are present. during meetings, lunch, happy hours, in the hallways.

but in private? oh you two are love birds. cute kisses, or sometimes heavy makeout sessions which leads to much more interesting things. cuddling or simply embracing each other for comfort, especially if either of you are stressed out. discussing your daughter’s hobbies, school, soccer and ballet practices. plan dates that you two would go on later.

just two people utterly in love with each other.

although, it sucks to hide it during work but at least you see each other everyday. acting like enemies, putting on a show to convince people. it’s been working for three years. no one has suspected, well some do but not everyone.

“peter, i swear — if you keep saying that one more, i’m going to throw you out the room.” miguel mumbled under his breath, rubbing the temples of his forehead with a hand.

“what! i’m just saying that maybe—“

before the man could continue his sentence, a loud slam on the desk makes everyone jerk in their seats. you don’t, this isn’t new to you.

“¡ya cállete! everyone out!” miguel shouts.

to not piss of the boss even more, everyone scurries out the meeting room with fear illustrated on their faces. you simply sit there with folded arms, staring at your grumpy husband with an unimpressed look. of course when he means everyone gone, you stay.

once everyone’s out the room and the blinds closed, you finally speak. “well, that went well.”

a scoff escapes his lips. he loves your sarcasm, one of his favorite traits about you. the only person he could tolerate their sarcasm.

“ese pinche mamón doesn’t pay attention to what i say.” he pinched his nose again. “sometimes i wonder why i even hired him in the first place.”

you huff, getting up from your seat and walking towards him. “he’s your best friend, that’s why.” you stand behind him and gently wrap your arms around his bulky shoulders, chin resting on top of his head.

miguel immediately relaxes in your touch, slouching a bit in his chair. “best friend, sure.” he huffs, rolling his eyes. “still a pain in the ass.”

“that’s how best friends are, whether you like to admit he’s your bestie or not.” you give him a light, comforting squeeze on the shoulders.

a low sigh spills from his lips. “pues si, i guess…”

“but hey…” you unwrap your arms and turn his chair around so he’s facing you. “let’s forget about work and focus on gabi’s ballet recital tonight, ¿vale?” you cup his face, your whole world in your palms.

the frustration vanishes from his face and is replaced with adoration the moment he sees your face, ultimately melting under your touch. “sí, she’s going to be amazing tonight.” his beefy arms wrap around your waist, gently pulling you closer towards him so there isn’t much space between you.

a soft smile forms on your face. “she will be. she’s been practicing for weeks now and she’s so excited about it. also her soccer game on saturday, too.” your thumbs caress his cheeks with such tenderness.

“active girl, como su mamá.” he mirrors your smile, gazing at you with pure adoration. broad hands gently squeezing your sides.

you scoff, rolling your eyes playfully. “ay si, working for her dad keeps me very active.” lots of sarcasm which ends with those heavenly chuckles of your husband that you love so dearly.

“and i tend to keep her mom active.” his hands squeeze your sides again in a teasing manner, earning himself a giggle that is music to his ears. “the recital is at 6:30, ¿sí?”

“mhm. after i get off, i’m picking her up from school and then help her get ready. make sure you leave on time, remember last time?” you shoot him a light glare, quirking a brow.

you can see the guilt forming on his face as flashbacks of last time when he barely made it out the door and was practically sweating when he entered the ballet studio consumes his mind. luckily he managed to get there right when the recital started. you forced him to take a good shower after.

“no te procupes, mi alma. i promise to be out way beforehand.” he smiles reassuringly.

“you better or your dumbass is sleeping on the couch.” you threaten playfully but you’re being serious and miguel knows that fairly well.

the man chuckles, nodding. “si, señora.”

you two smile at each other before leaning closer and collide lips in a passionate kiss. one of the very few moments when you can be intimate. to be a married couple without any worries or prying eyes.

“okay, i gotta go get gabi now.” you say as you break away from the kiss, hands still cupping his face. “see you later? and don’t be late.” you hold on a finger as a warning, lightly glaring at him once again.

he softly chuckles, gently grabbing your hand and bringing it up to his lips to planet a soft kiss on the back of it. “lo prometo, mi reina.”

a soft smile forms on your face. “te amo.” you plant a quick kiss on his lips before moving out of his hold.

“te amo más.” miguel whispers before gently swatting your ass as you walk away, the cheeky action making you smile and roll your eyes.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ ┈ ୨ ₊ ┈ ౨ৎ   ┈ ₊ ୧   ┈

“is papí gonna show up on time, mamá?” your adorable nine-year-old daughter asks, looking up at you through the mirror as you brush her hair.

“sí, mi cielo. papí promised this time he’ll be out the door way before this time.” grabbing a hair tie from the drawer, you gently pick all of her hair and make a ponytail before turning it into a bun.

the little girl smiles. “remember how sweaty he was when he ran inside? he was so stinky!” she giggles.

you giggle as well, remembering exactly how stinky miguel smelt and you shoving him into the shower the minute you got home that night.

“he was very stinky.” after clipping her baby pink bow on her head, you spray hairspray to seal the bun. “he won’t be stinky this time, that’s for sure.”

the two of you continue giggling before the sound of the front door closing makes you stop. gabriella rushes out of the bathroom and runs down the hallway to greet her father with much excitement. you quickly follow her, eager to see your husband.

“papí!” gabriella squeals as she runs up to her father with a big smile and jumps into his arms so abruptly, which he quickly catches her.

he chuckles wholeheartedly. “hola, mi princesa.”

“you’re home early! yay!” the little girl exclaims.

“sí, princesa. i wanted to come home early so mamá and i can take you to your recital.” he smiles.

“yay! at least you’re not stinky.” she fakes a disgusted face, fanning her face to pretend he smells like he was last time.

a little frown settles on his face, shifting his gaze from his daughter to you. you simply shrug with an innocent smile. miguel shakes his head, smiling.

“no, i’m perfectly clean.” he gazes switched back to gabriella. “look at you, a ballerina princess.”

the little girl giggles, twirling in her puffy baby pink tutu. “sí! i’m the princess and mamá is the queen.” she walks back to you, grabbing your hand.

the compliment melts your heart. your daughter is utterly adorable. your precious baby.

“and you’re the king, papí!” she points at miguel.

the both of you laugh.

“sí, princesa. we’re one happy royal family,” miguel walks up to you. “y tú mamá es la reina de mi vida.” gently cupping your face, he captures your lips in a soft kiss that you happily accept and reciprocate.

his words were just a smudge cheesy but they make your heart flutter. such a romantic dork.

“tonto.” you whisper, making him smile.

“no kissing! save that for later! it’s recital time!”

the sass in your child’s tone makes you and miguel laugh. she definitely gets it from you.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ ┈ ୨ ₊ ┈ ౨ৎ   ┈ ₊ ୧   ┈

the ballet recital was a success. gabriella did an amazing performance, as well as the other children. you and miguel are proud of your little girl. you went to a diner afterwards and treat her with ice cream of her favorite flavor. now looking forward to the soccer game on saturday. but, you have to deal with work before you could indulge in that.

miguel is in the middle of a meeting when you wander in the room with a file on your hands prepared to give him. you notice his eyes lighting up as soon as you enter, making you almost smile but immediately stop yourself from others noticing.

just as you hand him the file, jessica stops speaking whatever she’s discussing and looks at you two with a skeptical yet unimpressed look.

“forgive me for stopping but come on, you two. just admit you guys are together.”

the meeting room went silent, the statement lingering in the air. everyone turns and face you both with anticipation, waiting for your answer.

well, shit.

you and miguel share a worrying glance before he rises from his seat. a bulky arm sneaks around your waist, gently pulling you closer towards him.

“yes, we’re together.” he states, feeling prideful.

you watch jaws drop and eyes wide in surprise. others, like jess, don’t seem surprise but rather relieved the suspicion is gone and truth revealed.

“we’re married.” you hold up your left hand and show off your big ass diamond ring.

some gasps but mostly aww’s fill the room.

“and we have a daughter.” miguel adds.

now that shocked everyone.

⠀ ᰦ 󠄀 ྀ .⠀♥︎⠀note.⠀probably one of the fluffiest things i’ve ever written and i love it so much. also, need some fluff with ceo!miguel because we need cute moments with him. ♡

© teenidlegirl. don’t steal, plagiarize, or translate my work. ♡

[puppys-tiny-space]

🧁Games to play with your plushies/sibbies/cg's🧁

This list is mainly focused on games I like to play and aren't focused on proper pretend play but more things that follow a script of sorts as I'm autistic and don't enjoy playing differently

🩹doctor office, I love playing doctors office, I even make little patient sheets for everyone, set up a proper office, and waiting room, this games is great because there is a clear structure to play with and focus on🩹

🍨ice cream shop, ice cream shop is such a fun game, I have a Play-Doh set to make ice cream with that's really fun to play with, I like to set up my plushies in a line and give them fake money and then arrange them in groups to eat that candy together🍨

🦴puppy pound, playing things like animal shelter can be lots of fun with your plushies, you can make little introduction cards for each of them and makeup backstories, then you can lead another plushie or imaginary person through your shelter and introduce the animals🦴

🍼tea party, now this one is a classic, having real or pretend tea and cakes or other snacks with your plushies, discussing funny gossip or plushie land political issues, maybe even giving good life advice to your furry friends all this and more can be super great for playing tea party🍼

🪽funeral, this might seem morbid for some but for me it's very fun as I want to become a mortician, you can craft a pretty casket for the plushie, make a flower bouquet with paper, write a eulogy and set everything up nice and pretty, don't forget to make sure it worn make you sad though🪽

🧴beauty salon, I adore this game, giving a silly makeover to your plushies or human friends is so much fun, you can put bows in their hair, pretend to wash it, put makeup on them, paint their nails, give them silly outfits and talk about their life's🧴

🍥grocery store, playing grocery store isn't for everyone and I have to admit it's not something I like too much but for some people it can still be lots of fun, I especially like the organizing part🍥

📖library, this is a game I adore, you can make little library cards for your plushies and friends, set up books in piles, read story times to the visitors, help everyone find thr books they would like and give your recommendations📖

🌸flower store, for this game you can draw and craft lots of pretty flowers to sell to your plushies, advice them on the perfect way to put together their bouquet, add beautiful ribbons and lave to the flowers ans write nice cards for them, I think especially flowers out of pipe cleaners are amazing for this🌸

🩰ballet, now this could either mean you out on a show for or with your plushies or even going to a ballet with them, either way you can dress up beautifully and either dance together or watch a ballet on YouTube and pretend you are in a theater, I really like the Russian ballet's 🩰

Fun fact of the day: a cloud weighs around a million tonnes

[museenkuss]

Marie Museenkuss Advent Calendar

For this advent season, I've prepared a selection of little treats - recipes, things to read or things to watch that I enjoy (or wrote) and am excited to share with you over the next few days. Each day, I'll 'open' another door to reveal the treat. I hope we can celebrate and have fun together!

[💎] To start, a cosy Christmas crime classic: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

[🦊] One of my all-time favourite fairy tales, Allerleirauh, can be read on this website! If you'd like to turn pages and see an illustration or two, you can also read it in the Green Fairy Book via archive.org, but beware - that version is censored!

[🪞] An all-time classic of a different kind, maybe just in time now that the New Year is slowly seeping in: Joan Didion's Essay "On Self Respect"

[💌] Feelings inspired to write? I’ve got some shimmering, cool, delicate december prompts ready for you!

[🗝️] In the spirit of the censored Allerleirauh: Read my thoughts on death, mutilation and the gruesome in fairy tales

[👢] On the morning of the sixth, German children will find little treats in their boots that Nikolaus left for them the night before. Let's use some of them (apples, marzipan(optional), nuts) to make a traditional German christmas treat - the Bratapfel. Rezept. Authentic English recipe.

[🏮] Let's take a virtual trip to the Tate and look at Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose in two short videos that focus on description and technique!

[✨] The nostalgic excitement of entering a theatre and watching the other guests before the show - Chanel's A/W 2024/25 Haute Couture Show blends Opera and High Fashion.

[☕️] Today (very appropriate for the temperature drop), we're learning how to make French hot chocolate: [written recipe] [video]

[🦢] Do you have an hour to spare? Enjoy this charming little volume on perfume from 1928, a love letter to fragrance filled with anecdotes from all over the world and illustrated by the wonderful George Barbier: The romance of perfume by Richard Le Gallienne

[🌹] A Renaissance princess and her baroque prince... Here's a magical performance of Sleeping Beauty by the Bolshoi Ballet

[12] 🎪

[🍰 ] With eleven days left, there's still more than enough time to make the Fortnum&Mason Christmas Cake in time for Christmas! [the official F&M christmas cookbook has a very similar recipe for a fruit cake, but without the soaking and with a layer of fondant on top. let me know if you'd be interested in that, I'll post a pic]

[💋] today, let’s read one of my favourite sensual poems for winter: Francis Jammes — Tu Seras Nu (You will be nude), translated by Kenneth Rexroth

[🖋] This sunday, let's write! Or, alternatively: Let's daydream! Here are some brand new prompts for inspiration.

[🎞️] In the spirit of daydreaming: You and I by Papooz, Weak for your Love by Thee Sacred Souls, Mystery by Raveena are three extremely different but visually stunning music videos to songs I absolutely adore. To start this week, take a little moment to watch and listen, dream and dance.

[🍷] Easy poached pears in red wine with vanilla - a gorgeous, ruby-coloured dessert. I've made (regular) poached pears before and they are just as easy as this title suggests. But I'm SO eager to try (and share <3) this variant!

[18] 🎠

[🐻] After a long, tiring day of Christmas shopping (or Christmas stress), let's relax with a whimsical film! Panna a netvor (Beauty And The Beast) from 1978 <3

[💫] Imagine a zine, except more whimsical and more complicated - today, we're learning how to make a Victorian Puzzle Purse! They're so pretty, perfect add-ons for a christmas gift - or adorable presents in their own right.

[🩰] I feel like Christmas is the time where we can truly reconnect to the magic of childhood. So today, let's put on our (imaginary) ballet slippers and do a little 5-min Nutcracker ballet choreo in our living room! Whether we're dancers or not honestly doesn't matter - nobody is watching us, this is all about enjoying the fantasy of a snow-sparkling night. We're playing pretend! And if you'd rather improvise to something more dramatic, I used to whirl around to Borodin's Polovtsian Dances.

[🕰️] During this cold, dark evening, I present to you one of my favourite poems, caught between romanticism and irony: Heine's Old Chimney Piece (in translation).

[🎟️] About a year ago, Joel Haver made a video looking back on 4 years of uploading weekly short films. It's one of my favourite videos, visually, in its tone and regarding its message, and I feel now that the year is coming to a close, it might be a really inspiring watch: it's been fun.

[🎄] I wish I could invite you all over to show you the illustrated edition of E.T.A. Hoffmann's Nutcracker that my parents gifted me in 2001. Instead, I offer you a very nice translation: Nutcracker and the King of Mice - and, if you're the audiobook type, I found a good translation with Tchaikovsky's music here. The story is haunting, delicate, glittering, unheimlich. It starts on Christmas Day and infuses the following days and nights with magic. It was such a joy to share this Advent Calendar with you and I hope that with this, I can share some of my Christmas festivities with you, too, since they're so entwined with this story (and since the first chapters also somewhat accurately depict how I celebrate Christmas, too - on the evening of the 24th, after decorating the tree). Lots and lots of Love, darlings! I hope you have a magical day, a magical evening, and a very Merry Christmas!

[gerbithats]

Absolutely everything I want to see for the next few years of The Sims 4: an extensive and giant list to check back in the next few years

update wishes:

UI update (even on CAS, why are we at 2 columns by default yet with so many packs released)

wants and fears system better connected with traits and aspirations

aspiration overhaul

plantsim overhaul

mermaids overhaul

new textures for the leaves on the ground during autumn in seasons (ik this is very specific but it bugs me so much)

collections like sims 2

riskier fires

animated elevators

disabilities

allergies

living in the same lot as a business

picture frames out of screenshots

overall wishes:

less rabbitholes

better animations for the little things (pulling a chair while sitting down, entering the elevator instead of vanishing, etc)

sims to react better to what is currently happening (standing up for wedding entrances, looking at eachother while sat, stuff like that)

new features wishes:

create a world

fairies

hobbies as a system with new features (ballet, karate classes and kites for kids, skateboarding for teens, dance classes and pottery for adults, bingo for elders, etc)

hotels and resorts where you can also run your own hotel

cars.......... fixer uppers, school buses, taxis

driving lessons, bus passes, etc

on stage: bands (with new instruments), magic shows, kids recitals, concerts and music festivals

bands to be able to host auditions, set rehearsals, go to the recording studio, sell merch, go on tour

a sports pack: separated skills with new kinds of sports: gym equipment, soccer, volleyball, golfing (with retrocompatibility with high school years and university)

parks stuff: for kids: see-saw, roundabout, bouncy castles, trampolines, merry-go-round for older sims: fun-houses, roller coasters, ridable ferris wheels, target shooting

a time travel pack: travel to the past and end up in strangetown of the sims 2 timeline or to the future and go to a dystopian world with ZOMBIES

zombies!!!! (with compatibility with life & death, with a grim phone like the one in sims 2 or something)

underwater exploration (with smntg fixed to give new features to mermaids and island living)

imaginary friends

a travel based exploration pack, like world adventures and bon voyage

more interactive museums 'cause i wanna live my animal crossing fantasies

more playable careers

burglars

an alien world based on sixam

summer camp with lots of new activities (archery, log rolling, canoeing)

supermarkets and grocery stores (or maybe even drugstores)

this thing

[ohquail]

Ashlyn x Aiden (Aidlyn) Headcannons

Their song is Pretty Please by Dutch Melrose & benny mayne

Aiden is Ashlyn’s hype man. He always goes along with what she wants to do/has to say for the most part.

Aiden constantly asks Ashlyn to ask her mom to make him a pair of ‘Killies’

Aiden always knew he wanted to be friends with Ashlyn and he thought she was pretty but the arcade was when he decided that Ashlyn was going to be his girlfriend.

Aiden constantly leaves his sweatshirts in Ashlyn’s room, hoping that she’ll wear them to school the next day. She did it one time because Taylor told her too, and Aiden didn’t stop blushing the entire day. She hasn’t done it since.

Aiden likes to arrive 5 minutes before Ashlyn is done with ballet and watch her dance.

Aiden always carries a pair of earplugs for Ashlyn in case she loses one because, one time he happened to have some on him and she did lose one. She smiled at him and now it’s an excuse to see her potentially smile.

Tyler is the only one to have ever seen them kiss, the others won’t believe him because Ashlyn hates physical contact and has punched Aiden in the face when he tried to kiss her in front of the group.

When taking walks, they always end up sprinting trying to win the imaginary race against each other.

[volturissideslut]

hiii!!! could you make dating hc for ron weasley? love your writtint btw

𝕽𝖔𝖓 𝖂𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖑𝖊𝖞

Ron Weasley who loves to take naps on you, he's always trying his best to keep up with Harry and Hermione but he always feels hidden and able to rest in your arms.

Ron Weasley who exists to make you laugh, always trying to do something to impress you whether it be a joke or lifting something up for you. He just loves the way it makes you look up at him.

Ron Weasley who, in his quidditch games, just has to lock eyes with you every couple minutes. He's making sure your eyes are on him and nobody else, did you see how he just dodged the bludger??

Ron Weasley who never shits up. Its like he looks at you and suddenly every though he has ever had in his entire life just falls out of him mouth with no order or sense to it. One second its his every thought about his great aunt's cat, and the next he's on about these buttercream candies you have to try.

Ron Weasley who practically lives ten years in the future. It's lunch time in the great hall and hes asking you if you should sign your kid up for ballet classes. What kid, you may ask? Well, the one you'll have after he's married you of course! Now will it be ballet or swimming lessons?

Ron Weasley who pretends to hate doing couple things like matching clothes and refuses to do it outside of holidays like Christmas or Birthdays or days that end in 'y'. Even if nobody can tell, he'll be begrudgingly matching his socks with you almost every morning.

Ron Weasley who doesn't care that Percy tells him off for stealing his own, he's got important letters to send to you and whats a bit of snark and yelling between brothers? It's far too important that he tell you about the soup he had for lunch because he knows you'd love it too.

Ron Weasley who loves you very very much. Enough to convince Fred and George to let him help out at the shop to save up some money. He's got a girlfriend and imaginary kids to save up for.

[operafantomet]

Following up the post about the most original non-replica productions, here's a photoset on moments I thought rather original in the POTO Mediterranean production (Italy, Spain, Monaco):

Having some key scenes from the first act re-enacted - in slow-motion and in reverse from the chandelier crash and up to Hannibal - during the Overture was definitely something I have never seen before! Quite odd, yet cool and fascinating.

For quite a few mirror set designs it is obvious Christine will step through it at one point. Not here. Cause how in the world will she get up there? Ah, of course by stepping at the chair, then the dressing room table, lined up like a staircase... Cool take on it.

Whereas the First Lair was pretty conventional in staging and directing, the set design was out of this world. OK, so "only" a backdrop, but to amazing effect. Very Piranesi "imaginary prisons" look to it - and with that glowing, candle light lit organ in front. Loved it. Loved it a lot.

The Phantom swinging back and forth, like a Tarzan stuntman, during the Il Muto ballet - as a foreshadowing of poor Buquet who will swing across stage in a similar manner in a few seconds. Not my favourite take on it, but A+ for creativity.

The whole of AIAOY taking place on a narrow ledge, which made it both more restrained than usual, and a bit more intimate - with Raoul acting like Christine could really fall down (or jump for that matter) any second. So most of his singing is about trying to get her into safety, while she is utterly despairing:

The Phantom riding the crashing chandelier. Truth be told, a bit less impressive live than in photos. In photos it looks like a giant drop, but live it was more a case of a chandelier moving forward, then pyrowork. Yet... Even if it's been a part of the Phantom repertoire in movies and artwork, and even if Las Vegas had a stunt man appearing hanging from the chandelier, it was cool to actually see it done in a stage production.

Each cast member dancing with a cloaked dummy on wheels in Masquerade. Again - maybe not my favourite thing, I didn't find it super convincing. But original? OH YES.

ENDLESS LOVE FOR ANDRÉ'S FLOUNCED DRESS! And for dressing Meg Giry like a perfect bigger version of the Monkey Musical Box, with a yellow tutu:

The slow motion fighting with chairs and vocal scores in the Don Juan sitzprobe, while Christine walks slowly away with a red rose, starting on the WYWSHA intro? Fascinating.

The Phantom in giant black wings flying away during the Mausoleum scene? What even? (no, it did not make more sense live)

Then a bunch of tricks for the Final Lair, first and foremost Raoul trapped in a magical lasso hoisting him up in the air, supported by the bed frame. Originally topless (Trieste), later (Madrid) wearing a shirt. Ar'right. Then the Phantom disappearing by laying down in the bed and disappearing in the sheets when the mob enters the lair. Rather cool trick because it wasn't obvious how it was done. Alas no photos of that, but at least one of the trapped Raoul:

All in all a production full of surprises and unique moments, even if some other scenes were more or less the same or very similar as the replica version. I liked it a lot! For more thoughts and moments, you can have a look at the review I wrote here)

[onlyonetifosi]

Behind the camera: chapter 1

<- previous series masterlist my main masterlist next ->

It was a warm summer afternoon in the small town of Monte Carlo, Monaco, where the Leclerc family resided. Yn and Charles, just three years old, were playing in their backyard, their laughter echoing through the air. Despite being twins, Yn and Charles had their distinct personalities and looks, yet they shared an unbreakable bond

"Charles, catch me if you can!" Yn giggled, running around the garden, her little feet barely keeping up with her enthusiasm

"Attends, Yn! I'm coming!" Charles called back, his eyes shining with excitement as he chased after his sister

Their playtime was always filled with joy and mischief, and today was no exception. Their older brother, Lorenzo, joined in the fun

"Lorenzo, regarde! Look at me!" Yn shouted as she tried to perform a somersault. "Je peux le faire! I can do it!"

Lorenzo clapped his hands, "Wow, Yn! That was great!"

Charles, feeling a little competitive, decided to show off too. "Watch this! Je vais faire un saut en hauteur! I'm going to do a high jump!"

Yn and Lorenzo watched in awe as Charles jumped, trying to touch the lowest branch of a nearby tree. He didn't quite reach it, but his attempt was still impressive.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the following weeks, Yn attended her ballet classes with enthusiasm, and her love for dancing only grew. Charles, on the other hand, developed an interest in racing from a young age. Hervé, a racing enthusiast himself, couldn't be happier to see his son's passion for speed and cars. He gifted Charles a small toy race car, which quickly became his most treasured possession

"Maman, look what I can do!" Yn twirled around clumsily, trying her best to imitate the graceful movements she had seen on TV. Her parents smiled lovingly, encouraging her tiny attempt at ballet

"Très bien, ma chérie! You're doing great," her mother praised, clapping her hands. "You'll be a wonderful little ballerina!"

"Charles, you should try too!" Yn beamed, hoping her brother would join in her enthusiasm for ballet.

Charles laughed and shook his head. "No, no, Yn. I want to be a race car driver like Papa! Vroom vroom!" He pretended to steer an imaginary car, and Lorenzo enthusiastically joined in the play

Pascale and Hervé watched their daughter with pride, celebrating every little step she took in her ballet journey. However, Yn's clumsiness soon caught the attention of the other girls in her ballet class, who began to tease and make fun of her

"Regardez-la, elle danse comme un éléphant maladroit! (Look at her, she dances like a clumsy elephant!)" one of the girls mocked, causing the others to giggle.

Yn felt her enthusiasm waning, her heart heavy with sadness. She couldn't understand why the other girls were mean to her, but she was determined not to let their words discourage her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the twins grew older, they started kindergarten, and Yn was excited to embark on this new adventure with her brother. However, things didn't go as smoothly as she had hoped. Charles, being the more outgoing and confident of the two, quickly made friends with the other children, while Yn struggled to connect with her peers

One day, after a particularly challenging day at school, Yn came home feeling downcast. She sat at the kitchen table with her parents, sharing her feelings

"Maman, Papa, pourquoi est-ce que Charles a toujours des amis, et moi, je n'en ai pas?" (Mom, Dad, why does Charles always have friends, and I don't?) Yn asked tearfully

Her parents exchanged understanding glances, and her father pulled her into a comforting hug. "Ne t'inquiète pas, ma chérie. Les amis viendront avec le temps. Tu es spéciale, tout comme ton frère." (Don't worry, my dear. Friends will come with time. You're special, just like your brother)

Yn nodded, trying to hold back her tears. She wished she could be as confident and popular as Charles, but it seemed like an impossible task

Months passed, and Yn tried her best to keep her feelings buried, not wanting to upset her brother or their parents. But one day, the weight of it all became too much to bear. Unable to hold back any longer, Yn confronted Charles during their walk home from school

"Charles, tu ne comprends pas. C'est difficile pour moi. Les autres se moquent de moi et je n'ai pas d'amis" she finally confessed, her voice quivering with emotion. (Charles, you don't understand. It's hard for me. The others make fun of me, and I have no friends)

Charles stopped in his tracks, finally seeing the pain in his sister's eyes that he had been blind to for so long "Je suis désolé, Yn. Je ne savais pas) he said, feeling regretful (I'm sorry, Yn. I didn't know)

They sat down on a nearby bench, and Yn poured her heart out to Charles about the loneliness she had been enduring. Charles listened attentively, his heart aching for his sister. He realized how selfish he had been, caught up in his own excitement without noticing the pain she was going through.

"Je suis vraiment désolé, Yn. Je ne voulais pas te faire du mal. Je serai là pour toi, quoi qu'il arrive" Charles said, his eyes filled with sincerity. (I'm truly sorry, Yn. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'll be there for you, no matter what happens)

Tears welled up in Yn's eyes as she hugged her brother tightly “Merci, Charles. Je t'aime” she whispered, feeling a rush of relief (Thank you, Charles. I love you)

From that day on, Charles made a conscious effort to include Yn in his circle of friends, and the two became inseparable. Yn also found solace in pursuing other hobbies and interests, such as drawing and storytelling, where her creativity and uniqueness were celebrated.

Their relationship grew stronger as they navigated through childhood together. Their parents often marveled at how inseparable they were, and even though they had their fair share of fights, their bond only deepened with time.

[mazamba]

Youngblood is a Wayne

Basically Bruce's great-great-uncle or something. Died of polio back when that was a bigger problem.

As a child, Bruce thought he was an imaginary friend, mostly because no one else seemed to be able to see him. They would play pirates, cowboys and aliens, cops and robbers, etc.

Then his parents die and he suddenly can't see Youngblood anymore.

It's many years before he even hears the name again, when his newest ward asks about the green, glowing boy in the house.

----

I made this one with Carrie Kelly in mind (she's way underrated), but any mini bird or bat works.

Maybe it's Damian after he finally loosens up? Dick five minutes after arriving? Jason for some unknown reason? Cass after her first day of ballet? All of the above in varying orders?

Actually, it could be the whole house trying to get Bruce to loosen up enough to see Youngblood again.

[wonwoosthetic]

Hi Maddie! Hope you are also keeping happy and healthy! Not sure how caught up you are on this week's going seventeen special, but I watched 'I want to see you do this' and totally thought that DK could have written that wish for Wonwoo in your Minnie fic. I imagine that instead of Hoshi, Minnie gets it, and chaos ensues even before they play that hat game. Her wish is maybe for someone to go to a ballet class or an aerial yoga class with her? Anyway, this isn't a request for you to write, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sometimes thinking of this imaginary world when I watch seventeen content now too. Take care! -boo's pld anon

HIIIII☺️ I know writing this took quite some time, I‘m so sorry!!!!🫶🏼🥺 I truly wasn’t very well caught up with GoSe sadly but let me just tell you: you sometimes thinking about my little fictional world on here when you watch Going Seventeen means so freaking much to me!!! Like… I can’t even believe it😭😭😭 you actually think about this?!?!? That’s insane and a massive compliment!!!!!

I absolutely loved this request and I had a lot of fun writing it, I hope you enjoy it!!!🫶🏼🤍Thank you again for being such a wonderful reader and anon and I can’t even put into words how much it means to me how emerged you are in this story🥺🥺🥺

< series masterlist

word count – 5k

pairing – minnie x svt

[GOING SEVENTEEN SPECIAL] ETC: I Want To See You Do This 🌷 Minnie

'I Want To See You Do This' was the title of the next game the group would play in the long list of what Minnie liked to call 'random games we once mentioned or kinda played and now get to do again'. She was sitting between Dino and Joshua when Minghao introduced the start of the video as he would be the MC for that game.

After a bracket of the idol group had their short jittery moment, the '97 Liner got to finally present the rules of what was to follow.

"You just need to write down something you don't want to do, but you want someone else to do," Minghao explained. "And then we're going to sit here," he pointed to the open space right in front of the couches they were occupying, "and play the hat game."

Minnie smirked to herself before she even opened her mouth to speak. "So like sending Mingyu skydiving?" Earning her a gentle elbow to her side by the '95 Liner to her left and a snarl from the other end of the line.

"Ha ha!" Her fellow '97 Liner called out in clear sarcasm while the rest couldn't help but chuckle.

The girl leaned forward, an annoyingly wide grin on her lips, and turned to the side. She stuck out her tongue in between her lips, getting another annoyed huff in return before Mingyu just copied her facial expression.

[we promise, SEVENTEEN really loves each other]

Before she could react, a soft hand on her arm pulled her back - at least the vice leader could keep one of the members in line.

"But didn't you say, you wanted to go skydiving?" The maknae suddenly wondered at the female member.

Woozi could only frown, mumbling quietly, "Who wants to go skydiving?"

"I do," Minnie nodded, falling back against the cushion behind her as she crossed her arms, "But Mingyu's being mean to me today, so I wanted to mention it." To which Dino could only shake his head with his signature laughter. The other '97 Liner held himself back with a scoff.

[another normal day in the life of roommates]

The producer of the group decided to change the topic. "You could write something you want to do on the chance that you get your own though."

"But the chance of that happening is one in 14," Mingyu clarified, getting corrected that for that day's shoot, it would actually be one in twelve as the two oldest of the group were missing due to their injuries.

"You could be really smart about this," Seungkwan started, "and write something that a member will find really difficult." Before changing his idea again. "Or, you write something that will be heartwarming and beautiful."

Getting a "That's right," in agreement.

Minnie perked up again, straightening her back to move her body forward, eyeing the members to her left that had just spoken. "And what about things you'd want to do with the members?"

"What would you want to do with others?" The '98 Liners nagged her with a smile, but the girl just shrugged.

"Don't we spend enough time together already?" The girl heard from the very end of the line, her gaze meeting Vernon's, who was clearly judging her question, based on his reaction.

"No, we don't!" She defended herself quickly. "At least not all of us."

"Who do you not spend enough time with, Minnie?" Dokyeom's kind voice rang through the room, getting a moment of silence from the girl as she glanced around at each member, thinking to herself.

"Mmmm," she hummed out loud, chuckling once she saw how some of them had started to avoid her gaze. "Junnie-hyung!"

"We just went out to eat together!" The '96 Liner replied, making her head snap towards him.

"And?"

"That was recently! We do spend time together." But that only got a frown out of the female member before she went on to the next one.

[not enough]

"Woozi-hyung!"

"We spend more than enough time together," he stopped her quickly, his palm facing her, putting a little sass to his words.

Minnie scoffed, "In the studio! That's hardly spending real time together."

But he ended the discussion promptly. "It's enough for me." Getting a round of laughter from every member, but her.

[today is a hard day for some people]

While the other ten of them were hardly able to control their chuckles, Minnie threw her hands up in desperation, "Do all of you not want to spend time with me?!"

"Noona," Dino put one hand on her arm and one on her back, comforting her as his lips stayed curled up. "I'll spend some time with you."

[maknae coming to the rescue]

With a big smile, she let her head drop to his shoulder, just as a,

"I'll spend more time with you too," came from her left - a voice she knew all too well. 

[suddenly spending time together is popular]

She didn't even try to hide her grin as she looked past Joshua and found Wonwoo's eyes fixed on her, sending him a nudge with her head,

"Thank you," followed by a sweet grin.

Minghao continued to lay out the rules of the game, letting everyone know that the person who would lose, aka have the red hat in their grip by the end of the round, would have to post a picture or video as evidence of them executing their penalty.

"Wait, but I don't get this-" Seungkwan interrupted. "Are you writing this for a specific member?"

"No, no, no." Before anyone else could even open their mouths, Mingyu beat them to it, "You just write, 'I want to see you do this'. And whoever picks it has to do it."

"But what if I want a specific member to do it?" Minnie wondered, mostly hoping that only the members right next to her had caught it, but her voice seemed to have been loud enough as her fellow '97 Liner continued to run his mouth.

"Well, that's not what this program is about," he told her monotonously. A clear frown formed on her forehead as she turned to glance over at the slightly older member. Shooting her brows up, Minnie nodded at him in annoyance,

"Sorry for asking," slightly rolling her eyes before sulking back into her seat. The members could only chuckle at their antics again, deciding to move on, not commenting on their behaviour even more.

Minghao, being the good and well-prepared MC he was, had started ripping apart the notebook, to hand out exactly 12 sheets of paper. Once everyone had gotten one and Mingyu finally passed around the remaining pens, each member got down to writing. They mostly kept to themselves, some clearly grinning as they put down the penalty they had come up with. The clear box in the middle of the room was slowly filled up by the crumbled-up pieces of paper.

"I probably won't get mine," Dokyeom commented as he stood, strutting over to the box.

Minnie smiled, "I hope I get mine." But Minghao was already shaking his head,

"If you get yours, we'll go again."

"Then I won't say that I pulled my own penalty," she sheepishly grinned at him, to which he could only shake his head with a chuckle.

[keeping secrets]

Finally, it got to the point of the lucky draw. The MC followed the line of the members, letting each pull out one piece of paper after the other. They were ordered to keep them folded, yet, of course, not everyone had gotten that message.

Dino's million-dollar cackle made the girl turn her head, her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Did you look at it already?" She asked him as if she didn't already know.

He nodded, continuing his chuckles. "Who wrote this?" Making Minnie's nosiness spike up. "It's nice. It's very nice," he kept on saying to himself.

"Oh-" Minnie laughed, "Then it's not mine."

The youngest turned towards her. "Why, what did you write?"

"I'll tell you once the member reads it," she assured him.

They decided to go down the same line in which they pulled their penalties, starting with Vernon and ending with Minghao. The '98 Liner didn't seem all too excited about possibly having to become TWS' manager for one day but took it without any complaints before they moved on to Jun. 

"Write a sincere letter to a member and buy them a gift."

As soon as he had finished reading it out loud, the group already had an idea of who this could've been written by.

"Members? All 13?" Dino misunderstood.

"It doesn't say 'all 13'," Jun showed them the piece of paper. But as soon as Minnie's seat neighbour spoke up, she had made up her mind about who could've possibly written that 'penalty'.

"Just one member," Joshua let him know, to which the girl glanced at the '95 Liner with a cheeky smile. She got a chuckle out of him before he shoved her slightly, making her lean into his side and wrap her hands around his biceps. Another hint was a slight misspelling, but even without it, the group knew it could've only been him.

"Hey," Hoshi suddenly started, gaining the attention of the room. "But at least that one had a set person. Mine says, 'I want to see you pole dancing'."

The entire room erupted in loud laughter and almost immediately, Minnie felt a smack to her upper arm - the maknae couldn't control himself - but she tried to not react as best as she could. Failing. Hard.

"What?" Mingyu chuckled, throwing his head back against the couch.

"Minnie, who do you want to see pole dancing?" Seungkwan's sudden accusation made her shoot up.

"What?! Why me?"

"As if this could've been written by anyone else!" The '98 Liner threw at her.

For a second, the girl fell silent, letting the members' laughter die down before she snapped back.

"So what?!" Getting another round of chuckles in response. She shook her head and turned towards Hoshi, grinning at him as he met her eye. "Let's do a class together."

"Together?!" He stopped her with a cackle, the members joining him only a second later.

"Ah- no- wait-," Minnie tried to explain, but interrupted herself with her own laughter. Quickly, she hid behind the oldest member's shoulder, gripping onto them with her life. Suddenly the situation felt a lot different than what she had wanted it to be like. "That sounded weird," she sulked. "Please cut that out," smiling shyly at the producers, who had been laughing just as much as the members.

"That's not what I meant..." she quietly said, but no one was believing her, still insanely amused at the scene.

Woozi shook his head in disbelief, "Mh, sure."

"I don't know what sounds worse. You wanting to see someone pole dance or wanting to do a class with them," Joshua added, earning him a sharp smack to his arm.

"Don't make it weird!" She complained, still whining.

"Did you have someone specific in mind?" Dokyeom continued teasing her, only grinning even harder once he saw her eyes glaring at him.

"No!" She defended herself, even though the question had caught her off-guard.

He continued to push her further, "Who did you want to get the card?"

"You have to be honest, you can't lie!" Seungkwan added, making her roll her eyes.

"I didn't have anyone specific in mind!"

"Are you sure?" Seungkwan made his eyebrows wiggle, continuing to stare at the girl, who was already glaring at him.

"Yes!" She snarled at him, "I told you, I want to spend more time with you." Mumbling to herself, "Idiots..." which only the audio technician caught as he started to chuckle. Her lips curled up at his reaction.

"Spending time together in a pole dancing class?" Mingyu jumped into the conversation, but Minnie only sent a warning finger straight at him.

"Minnie," Hoshi started again. "I would do this happily. Alone or together 

with you." His comment made the female member smile. "Even though it sounds weird." And with that, it faded just as quickly, getting a chuckle from the members surrounding her. A comforting hand found its way onto her knee. Joshua had noticed the slight heat that had come up to her cheeks, making him smile even more as she shook her head in embarrassment, crossing her arms in defence.

-

If Mingyu were to lose, he'd have to write a book report, which they agreed on, would never see the light of day or take multiple years to finish. Minnie couldn't help but smile to herself, not remembering the last time she had seen him even pick up a book out of a reason other than cleaning hers and Wonwoo's up from the living or dining room.

Woozi drew having to go to a workshop retreat alone - which, even he himself, admitted to never wanting to do completely on his own.

And then came Dino, who read out loud,

"I want to see you climb to the top of Halla Mountain and shout 'Hooray'," getting the entire room to laugh and gasp in synch. It wouldn't take him forever, only about 4.5 hours, but still, it was regarded as the highest point in the entire country, altitude-wise.

"Wow," Jun exclaimed, "who wrote that? That's good!"

Considering, the place was in Jeju, Minnie's glance immediately fell on the '98 Liner on her left. And Minghao seemed to have had the same thought as he pointed at the younger member,

"Seungkwan! Because it's in Jeju-" but he was already brushing off the accusation.

"What do you mean, no? Of course, it was you," Minnie threw at him, getting a side-eye in return.

"Not everyone writes so obviously that everyone immediately knows it's you." She was ready to fight back, but also knew that today's shoot already had a few too many bickerings probably and God knows, where this could lead to more, so she decided to retreat.

The discussion immediately switched to the right gear you'd have to own if you were to climb Halla Mountain, making you almost think Dino had already lost and was preparing for the execution of his penalty.

"Alright," Hoshi moved on. "Now, Minnie."

Letting her finally unfold the piece of paper she had been holding onto. At first, she let her eyes look over the characters quickly, followed by a frown making its way to her brows. Only then, did she read it out loud,

"I want to see you sincerely p-pro...pose? Propose?" Once she said the word out loud, Minnie realised what she had just read, "OH-," repeating it in English, "Propose?"

But the members were already giggling left and right. Dino's well-known cackles filled the room while Joshua nodded at her question, shaking his head with a chuckle.

Minnie laughed along with them, glimpsing around the space in confusion, "What?" She was watching the members being clearly entertained by the penalty she had pulled. Her eyes locked on Wonwoo, who was already looking over in her direction, his lips parting,

"Who-... Who wrote that? What?" He tried to find the gaze of one of the others, but they were too occupied by still chuckling at what they had just heard.

"Does it mean like really propose? Or like propose an idea?" Minnie wondered out loud, still looking over at the left side. No answer, just laughter.

"I don't think anyone thinks about proposing an idea in this context," Minghao let his comment slide into the moment, slightly mumbling, but still loud and clear enough for everyone to hear.

The female member shrugged, "I don't know... it could be. Why would-"

"You don't actually believe that!" From the other end, Vernon's voice rang through the room as he pointed at the girl, his smile still wide as he had just calmed down from his laughing fit.

With wide eyes, Minnie snapped, "How would I know?!" Her exclaim got another round of laughter. "I don't know what they meant by that!"

"But this is perfect for you," Woozi's remark surprised her.

"For me?!" She exclaimed maybe just a little too loud as the members grinned at her. "Why for me?!" Chuckling nervously as she shifted in her seat.

Dokyeom decided to take the next word, all heads then fixed on him. "Isn't it because they want to see what you would be like if you were proposing to the person you love?"

Minnie was already opening her mouth to speak, but the maknae behind her beat her to it, pointing a finger at the main vocalist. "You wrote this, huh?"

"That's right." With no hesitation, DK raised his hand in defence, getting another round of laughter from all of them including their female member.

"Why would you want to see that?" Minnie giggled at him in slight confusion while the youngest member next to her had a hard time holding himself together once more.

"Because it's cute!" He defended himself.

Before anyone could say anything more to that, Hoshi jumped in.

"But... but isn't it a bit weird if Minnie does it?"

Her head immediately turned towards the '96 Liner. "Why?"

"Don't you think someone else should do it?" 

While everyone else seemed to have understood the implementation of his question, some smirking to themselves, others opening their mouths, ready to stop the discussion immediately, the female member glared at him.

"Why?! It's 2024, I could propose as well!" Taking clear offence in his statement. The members glanced at her in slight confusion before they realised that she had misunderstood him.

"Oh- no," he stuttered, "that's not what I-" Hoshi tried to explain, but was cut off by Mingyu's arm in front of him and a slight shake of his head. He understood. "Ah, yeah... sorry, you're right, Minnie," nodding at her. "Then please, propose."

A short second of silence passed before she opened her mouth again. 

"That's crazy..." She chuckled, looking around, trying not to let her eyes land on a specific person, knowing it would gain unwanted attention.

"You can decide to who," Dokyeom declared. "But it has to be romantic. Very romantic."

"OH, yes!"

"That's right!"

"It has to be genuine!"

Different loud hollers filled the room. Minnie sent a quick surprised facial expression into the camera, putting a piece of hair behind her ear while she waited for the voices to die down.

"It has to be?" She wondered, making her fellow '97 Liner nod, along with the other members, who were grinning widely.

Suddenly, Mingyu's voice reached their ears. "Ya... Isn't that a bit much?" Tilting his head with a somewhat smile at the guys who were now looking at him.

"But she gets to choose the member she does it to," Seungkwan replied. "So it won't be weird." Hoping to end the topic of conversation right there.

"Okay, I can do that. I think...," she giggled, "but you guys are weird." Getting a soft chuckle from the members next to her in response.

Joshua was next to reveal his possible penalty.

"I want to see you reveal your abs at our concert." The reactions came immediately.

Throwing her head bag together with Dino, Minnie couldn't hide her amusement, laughing loudly together with the maknae as they held onto each other.

Hoshi let out a loud "Woooo!" Getting even more chuckles out of the other members.

"I want to see that too!" Minnie's comment earned her a slap on the shoulder, making her lean into Joshua's side, laughing against his shoulder as he tried to brush her off.

An arm reached over her before snatching the piece of paper out of the oldest's grip.

"It's so obvious that it's Hoshi!" Dino pointed out the handwriting that clearly indicated who it came from. And the '96 Liner didn't even try to deny it, continuing to smile proudly.

-

Wonwoo had already taken a sneak peek at the folded paper before he revealed it to the room.

"For me," he started. "This is so Jun," getting a few chuckles in return. "I want to see you go skydiving."

But that thought was quickly denied as Jun spoke up from the other side,

"It's not me."

"Oh-," Dokyeom glanced over, "It's not you?" Making the other member shake his head.

Dino grinned. "If Minnie's wasn't already revealed, I would've thought it might be from her."

The girl stopped mid-sip she was about to take from her iced coffee, her eyebrows scrunched up immediately. But before she could say anything, Wonwoo replied,

"But this isn't her handwriting."

"And!" She exclaimed, looking over to her left, "I wouldn't do that to you."

"But to me?!" Mingyu shouted, earning himself a sarcastic smile and nod from the female member. With a scoff and shake of his head, he decided to quiet down again, getting a soft smack to his upper arm from Hoshi, who was grinning at the duo.

"Isn't it Hao maybe?" Minnie wondered after taking a closer look at the paper Wonwoo was holding up.

"Is it?" He asked himself out loud before turning to the member in question, "Is it you?"

Minghao was already smiling from ear to ear, nodding his head excitedly.

-

They moved on quickly, going through Dokyeom, who was challenged to eat 10,000 calories in a day, over to Seungkwan, who would have to buy hotpot for all the members of Seventeen - that was immediately debunked to come from Jun. He had even drawn a small picture of a hotpot serving, making the members chuckle in awe. Minghao's penalty was revealed to be a fitness photoshoot. The culprit was first to be thought to be Mingyu, but he quickly denied it, leaving the answer to remain anonymous.

After going through each member, they were finally able to move on to the game that would determine who would have to actually execute the penalty given to them. The production crew opted for a hat game the group had never played before, giving them a new challenge to face. Even after all these years and videos with the same crew members, they were still able to keep the idol group on their tippy toes.

Sitting in a circle on the floor, each of them was given a white hat, with one of them, at the beginning Wonwoo, wearing a red one. They would be singing the chorus of the all-so-beloved trot version of their newest title track 'God of Music' while moving the heads from the members in front of them onto their own ones, moving to the beat of the song. Whoever ended up with the hat by the end of the round, that either being by the end of the song or a mess-up from one of the members, would lose and eventually have to go through with the penalty they had pulled.

It started out smoothly, with Dokyeom starting to count the beat before everyone else joined in. But only after a few seconds, they had already run into their first mess-up, making them have to start from the top. And that was only the warm-up. For the second round, they decided to start by singing the chorus already, hoping it wouldn't mess up the rhythm all too much. But that was too much to hope for.

"Ya Mingyu-ya!" Jun exclaimed with a smile on his face. The '97 Liner giggled to himself, three hats stacked on his head, clearly showing who was to blame for another round they had to stop.

Minnie, sitting between Wonwoo and Woozi, turned around to snarl at the rapper, but couldn't hide her grin as she saw the amusement on his face.

"Get it together!" She giggled at him.

"Seriously!"

"Hey!" Joshua called out. He pointed at Hoshi, who not only had one white hat on top of his head but the red one as well.

"It's him!" The leader defended himself, straightening his back and turning around, taking off both hats before he shouted at the younger member. It was only then that he realised he was holding onto the red hat, a look of shock coming to his face in an instant.

As he at first started to blame Mingyu, all eyes were now on Hoshi, pointing fingers and shouting at him.

"No, no," he tried to defend himself, "this isn't it! This isn't right!"

"You're holding the red hat!" Minnie threw at him, followed by a chuckle that made her lean forward, resting her forehead on the 58cm shoulders in front of her.

"B-But I-" Mingyu stuttered as he explained himself, "I was doing it normally like 'one, two, one, two'," counting the beat out loud when he pointed at Joshua behind him, "But you weren't taking them! So I kept on putting more and more hats on." Amid his rant, Hoshi placed the hats he had worn just merely seconds ago, onto the '97 Liner's head.

"No!" He took them off, "It's not my fault!"

He continued to try to explain his side of the situation, only getting giggles and chuckles from the other members in return as they continued to find nothing but humour in the moment. Hoshi was nodding along to his words, completely dismissing the fact that he had technically lost the round, and pretended to agree with everything the younger member was saying.

In true Seventeen fashion, the members had started to randomly stand up, making a bigger scene of their exclaims. After Mingyu was finished with the details of his story, Joshua tried to explain himself while the others seemed to have already been on Mingyu's side.

Finally, everyone agreed, that TECHNICALLY, Hoshi would've lost the round, but due to the circumstances and confusion, they opted to play another round, hoping for the best. They couldn't just let the video end without getting the entire chorus right at least once. With big gestures, Dokyeom and Seungkwan clarified the rules one last time, clearing up most of the confusion that was left in the room, before they sat down in a circle again.

"Woah...," Minnie sighed out loud, "This is so much fun." Drumming with her hands on Wonwoo's back.

"Right?" Joshua nodded at her excitedly.

"But now I'm nervous that I'm gonna mess it up," she whined with a chuckle, suddenly feeling a comforting palm on her leg. Wonwoo had reached behind him,

"It's okay," giving her knee a few pats before he retreated his hand to get back in position to start the next and final round.

-

Only a few seconds after the producers had put on the song, the hat order was already messed up. Hastily, the members threw around the ones they had too much to the others that didn't have one anymore, quickly wanting to get back to finish the chorus in unity. Starting again, they were forced to break it up after two seconds, coming to the realisation that lifting the hats and shaking them was throwing off most of the members, causing a chain reaction of issues to happen within the circle. Minghao asked to just let out that one move, but Dokyeom was too motivated to get it right. He whined out loud, begging for everyone to finally get it right so they could move on.

Deciding that it might be easier if they sang the song themselves instead of listening to it through the speakers, the game started for the last and final time. Singing at a slower BPM than the original, they found it much easier to keep up with the hat switch. That was until Minnie was trying to grab the white hat from Wonwoo, but couldn't quite get it off at the right time. He moved the red hat from Dino onto his own head, stacking it on top of the white one that Minnie was still holding as she was about to take it off.

"IT'S WONWOO!" The members clapped in glee. With a loud laughter, the girl fell forward, her hands and forehead resting on Wonwoo's back.

"I'm sorry!" She called out as the rapper turned around to glance at her, his lips curved up to an amused smile. "I'm sorry," she patted his shoulder, still giggling, so her excuse was hard to take seriously.

"WONWOO, WONWOO," Seungkwan continued to chant.

"What was Wonwoo's?" Dokyeom wanted to know.

The rapper held up the red hat proudly. "Skydiving," getting a louder round of claps and hollers in response.

"I wrote that!" Minghao announced with a big smile, taking the '96 Liner's hand into his.

While some members wondered whether or not it was fun to send him skydiving, Minnie felt a poke to her back, making her turn around.

"He lost because of you, right?" Woozi sneakily grinned at her.

With a shy smile, she nodded, running a hand through her hair, "But I didn't do it on purpose. I couldn't get the hat off." She explained while demonstrating the situation.

"At least he won't hold a grudge against you," the producer told her, but Minnie shook her head with wide eyes,

"I wouldn't say that," getting a chuckle out of him. "I'm serious!" She exclaimed as Woozi had pushed himself up to stand. At that same moment, Mingyu passed the duo, coming to a halt to hold a hand out for her to take and to pull her up on her feet. Just as she reached out and was about to place her palm into his, he suddenly pulled his hand away. A giggle escaped Minnie's lips as she leaned forward, smacking his legs with an exclaim. Her fellow '97 Liner joined her chuckles, getting a hold on her elbow to actually pull her up.

Just before the two went to their designated places, Mingyu brushed a hand over her head, earning him a slight nudge to his side.

Taglist: @waosobii @chaebb @lunarxsun @hoe4wonwoo @kimhyejin3108 @soobzao @billboard-singer @cosmicwintr @zwiehe @alixnsuperstxr @angie-x3 @smooore @allthings-fandoms @lllucere

[try-set-me-on-fire]

I was tagged by @iinryer and @eddiebabygirldiaz for fuck it Friday yesterday, and Saturday can be Friday if you want I think, and Kaitlin shared Eddie seeing ghosts so sticking with the theme: here’s the start of witch Eddie! Which is actually the third part of werewolf buck and Bobby and the devil… it’s Halloween season babyyyy

Since I’m a day late in place of tags I’m just going to ask you, dear reader, to share your spooky season wips or favorite fics or headcannons or etc etc if you want! I’d love to hear about them!

The thing about it all is that Eddie’s never been particularly good at being a witch. There are fundamental skill sets you need to deal with magic, and he’s always been lacking in all of them. When he was seven — sometimes too young for the magic to show up, but definitely an Age — his favorite game to play pretend was baseball. He’d stand in the backyard and throw empty pitches from imaginary gloves, run around bases that didn’t exist. It had made Ramon laugh — hot pride in Eddie’s stomach, twisting around with its rarity — and call out “I can take you to the ballpark, Edmundo, there’s no need to Imagine this.” Abuela had shushed him, though there was something a little worried about her eyes.

“Practical,” she’d called him. “A practical boy.” But years later when she’d coo-ed and awed over Adriana and Sophia and their intricate games of princesses and monsters and astronauts and deep sea diving, he’d come to understand what she probably meant — kindly, his grandmother loved him — was that he just wasn’t particularly imaginative, the word damningly and correctly uncapitalized.

Faith, he tried so hard to be good at. He knew all his prayers, said them when he woke up and before he went to bed and at dinner and all through church every Sunday. Some of his other friends, his cousins, the other little boys who fidgeted in the pews and looked longingly at the stained glass like they might be able to see the sky outside, they always complained about being dragged to church. Eddie never minded, though. He liked when they all got to sing, he liked that everyone he knew was there, he liked that he knew all the words. A part of something. He liked to be a part of something. But then his abuelo had died, and abuela was going to move out to California to live near her daughter there, and he’d really thought about God for the first time. “He’s a mean man,” he’d cried to mother, “He’s too mean, why did He do this? Why does He take things away? It’s not right. If I was God-” and he’d been smacked before he could finish the blasphemy, but there it was.

Abuela had come to him later, banished to his room. “Faith is a practice, mijito.” Her eyes were so sad, now. “If you cannot believe the big things, how will you Believe the small ones?” She’d sighed, and kissed his forehead. “Even when it’s difficult, even when it’s trouble. Promise me you’ll try.”

“I promise,” he’d said, curled up against her, meaning it with all his heart, but the next day she’d got on a plane and that Sunday he’d stared at the stained glass, wiggled in his pew.

Wanting. What do you want Edmundo. What do you want, Eddie. Seventeen years old and abuela had lived in California for more of his life than she’d lived in Texas, and he’s been the Man of the House since not long after, and he gets up at five to got to practice before school and he drives his sisters to ballet and gymnastics afterwards, and he works at the grocery store over on Third Street in the evenings and on weekends whenever he’s not at baseball practice again. He doesn’t know when he’s supposed to find time for wanting, for Wanting. He’s pretty good at baseball, but not good enough, he’s never going to make it anywhere. He doesn’t mind the store, but making $5.25 an hour to mop floors and let blonde women with expired coupons yell at him for the rest of his life fills him with just slightly more dread than when Ramon takes him around the oil company offices, talks to him about business school. What do you dream, Eddie? Nothing in particular. What do you want, Eddie? Something other than this.

He meets Shannon in class or by a lake, he's not sure which he should count. The lake is the first time they talked, the first time he saw her freckled shoulders and heard her hoarse laugh and thought he wanted to get to know her better. He wants to kiss her. He kissed Marnie Phillips at homecoming last year, and it was fine, kind of wet. Shannon’s lips are always dry even though she has a graveyard of chapsticks at the bottom of her backpack. She smiled at him when he brought her a new tube from the grocery store, cherry flavored. When he tells Ramon he’s going to ask her out when they see each other in 3rd period English, Ramon looks over his glasses at Eddie, eyes stern.

“Be careful, Eddie. Young love can be intense. You have to keep yourself under control. You cannot Want this girl to like you.”

“Am I supposed to want things or not?” Eddie had snapped — cheeks red at the word love when really all he was thinking about was maybe making out at the movies — because of course he wouldn’t, using magic to make someone do something they don’t want to do is horrible, and he thought he was doing pretty okay winning Shannon over the old fashioned way. He was grounded for his trouble, but Shannon had laughed when he told her about it, and agreed to go out with him once his punishment had lifted.

Shannon wanted easily. She was on the school newspaper, she wanted to study journalism, she took the bus to Austin one weekend to talk to the professors at UT, see what their school paper was like. She had an after school job at the movie theater, and saved most of every paycheck and talked about how she’d decorate her apartment when she moved for school. She wanted to tell stories that were important, she wanted to change the world. Eddie only wanted as much time with her as he could get before she left to live a bigger life than he could ever picture, but then there were two little lines on a white stick, and the two- the three of them forever, and all he wanted was to get away.

And even if he’d had a better Imagination, even if he had stronger Belief, even if he knew how to Want without ruining everything, the last thing — Intention — would always trip him up anyway. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. Abuela had done it so easily, Believing so strongly that what she Wanted was true that the whole world twisted itself around until it became so. But Eddie always thought that the last step — Intending the change to happen — was more or less admitting the thing you Believed wasn’t true, and his magic would always fall apart at the finish line. He got a little better at it in the army, because working with his hands made a little more sense to him. Packing gauze was a physical action he was taking to tend to a wound, something he was actually doing to help all the Wanting and Belief along. People under his care healed a little faster maybe, got less infections maybe. He was never entirely sure what was him, what was magic, what was luck. He was untalented (unTalented). Whatever. He could do his best anyway. He’d decided to stop thinking about it so much.

And hadn’t the universe had a big old laugh about that one?

Now, Eddie stands in his kitchen, and what he wants — damn the capital letter — is for Buck to pick up the fucking phone.