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The theatre was unlit except for the worklights and the small aisle lights, and empty except for the two on stage and one girl, up in the light booth, with her headphones in and not paying attention. This theatre was, oh so luckily, equipped with a roundtable, thus, why the two dancers needed some kind of operator up in the booth, just to turn it on and off as needed. Both of them are just a little bitter, because she was getting paid.
In time with the music playing from their (rather busted) boombox, the first dancer takes a running leap at the second. However, the first trips, and instead of smoothly landing in her partner’s arms, she smoothly lands on her face. She lets out a little scream of frustration, before flipping herself over to see what the culprit is.
A fake, plastic spyglass, slightly bent now that the weight of a whole human has stepped on it. “What do they even need a spyglass for, for this show?” she scoffs.
“El, they put on Peter Pan last week. We were there.” He reminds her, sardonic, before turning off the music, “ We choreographed it. ”
“Ah, yes.” Edelgard responds, “Thank you, Claude, for your unyielding wisdom.” After which, she throws the plastic prop at him.
He fails in catching it, and picks it up to put in his back pocket. “Sorry, love. Want to take ten and try again?”
“No.” Despite this, she doesn’t move from her position, prone on the ground.
“Do you want to keep going…?”
“No.”
“Just gonna lay there, huh?” He’s teasing now.
“I’m just so tired of choreographing Dr. Casagranda’s shows for her.” Edelgard explains, “I love her to death, do not get me wrong, but we have a dance teacher at the college, and I still have assignments for other classes! What is the point of this?”
“Maybe to teach us something about the theatre world?” Claude tries, knowing he’s not going to get much out of her. “Hey, at least it’s better than the last two year’s trend?”
“Oh god, yeah.” She snickers, finally sitting up, “If I have to play one more pair of doomed lovers, I’m striking.”
“Can you strike from being a student? Is that a thing?” Claude questions, sitting down next to her.
“I’ll make it a thing.” Edelgard tells him. “And then I’ll get suspended, but it will have been worth it.”
“You are willing to die on this hill, I see.”
“We played the Orphean myth twice.” she snorted, “ In the same year! I mean, that’s just typecasting, at this point.”
“I know, I know... Let’s see: Troilus and Cressida,” Claude starts them off.
“Romeo and Juliet - though, should we count that? It was a ballet, not the play itself.”
“I’d say count it. Oh, Pyramus and Thisbe.” They pause, both thinking. “Is that it?” Claude returns.
“I don’t think so…? But I can’t remember the last one. Though, I sure am tired of it.” Edelgard responds. “Next time we put on a silly, normal musical, I am willing to force our way into the romantic leads.”
Claude faux-gasps, “Edelgard, that’s cheating! We’re both talented enough to get the leads on our own.”
“But I want to kiss you, on stage, and not have our characters have to die at the end or stab our hearts out, and I’m not willing to risk it any longer. We’ve got one more year of graduate school, and that’s it.” And there shines the ever elusive pout, “They don’t do this to Dorothea and Sylvain.”
“Dorothea hates his guts, though-”
“That’s the point!” She throws her hands up.
“That’s an entirely different curse. Imagine if you had to kiss someone you hated in every single show.”
Edelgard snorts, “Well, there was a considerable period of time in high school where Ferdinand and I were cast opposite each other.”
“Okay, but you don’t hate Ferdinand.”
“Not anymore.”
“Oh!” Another fake gasp, and Claude is laughing as he says, “Is there drama I’ve missed?”
Edelgard rolls her eyes, “Nothing that drastic, he was just annoying and refused to yes, and me during improv.” She moves a little bit, and puts her head on his shoulder.
“Well, he’s a champ at it now. I guess some people do change.” Claude rolls his eyes, and then asks, “What show do you want next year, anyways?”
“I dunno.” She shrugs, “ Wicked? Simple, easy, no one dies.”
“They have to go on the run as fugitives, though.”
“Yeah, but they live. ” Edelgard remarks. “Or, I don’t know, hell, I’d take How to Succeed in Business, at this point.”
“Ouch, you would resign me to being J. Pierrepont Finch, just for a show where we end up together?”
“It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. After all, I’d have to play Rosemary. ”
“Touché.” Then, suddenly, he snorts, “Well, what about Grease? ”
“Honestly? Maybe. I would take Grease. ”
“God, Dr. Casagranda has broken you.” He laughs, before gently pushing her off of him. “Do you remember when we did that scene for Acting One?”
Edelgard rolls her eyes, “I do, actually. Our one actual love scene, but that was way before we started dating.”
“Do you remember what I told you after our first rehearsal?” he’s teasing.
She plays dumb, “No, I don’t, you should say it again.”
He puts on an affect, sounding nothing like his freshman self, “Well, Edelgard, you’re actually a really good actor - and I think you’d make the most beautiful Cinderella.”
Happily blushing, and perhaps preening a bit, she follows, “You’re not half bad either, and you play a very charming Prince.”
“You still think I’m charming?”
“No.” Kissing his cheek, Edelgard sounds utterly like sap when she speaks, “I think you’re the best man in the world.”
“I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive.”
“Well, mutually exclusive or no, we need to stand up and start working on this scene again, so the board op can go home.” Edelgard moves to stand, groaning as she does.
“Don’t bother!” she calls, over the speakers, “I’m being paid by the hour.”
“Sorry!” Claude responds, snarky, standing up, “But we want to go back to our apartment before midnight!”
They start their routine, trying without music this time; passing in and out and under. They move together so perfectly, having practiced for hours, and having worked together for so long. They lock eyes, and the energy of the room is electric, if only there was someone there besides a bored tech to witness it.
It doesn’t matter what it is, Edelgard and Claude work well together. Once they start, even if it's something as simple as a puzzle, they know how to keep the other on their toes. Perhaps that was why Manuela had them choreograph the shows - they’re two bright minds with good work ethics.
They get to the dreaded jump, at which point Claude should catch her sideways, and move into the final spin, after which, the main couple kiss, and the audience always roars in cheers.
But, as soon as she lands, though, they both laugh, and stagger, before Edelgard and Claude both cry out, “It was Heathers! ”