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Ballet - Blog Posts
i love ballet i love midsummer's night dream this is so beautiful
New York City ballet production of Midsummer Nights Dream
Princess Tutu and Grand Narrative
Once upon a time, there was a clumsy school girl granted the power to transform into the magical ballerina Princess Tutu.
“Once upon a time” is a familiar phrase used to connect stories that take place in lands distant and times different from one another into the same fairytale world. Each episode of the anime Princess Tutu begins with this familiar phrase and then proceeds to tell a story both known and new, where Hans Christian Anderson’s Ugly Ducking becomes Odette, the Swan Queen, from Swan Lake, thanks to the magic of the mysterious Drosselmeyer, who bares a striking resemblance to the character of the same name from The Nutcracker. Princess Tutu is not just a retelling of a handful of fairy tales, it’s an adaptation of stories across literature, ballet, opera, and of course, anime. Each piece of Princess Tutu’s narrative belongs to worlds larger than its own. The series challenges paradigms about typical narrative creation by weaving together multiple “grand narratives”.
While working as an editor for Kadokawa Shoten in the late 80s, Otsuka Eiji wrote a paper called “World and Variation: The Reproduction and Consumption of Narrative” in which he explains the idea of the grand narrative. An individual story only gives the audience a small glimpse into that wider world that the story is set in. This wider world is full of countless narratives told from countless perspectives that make up the grand narrative. Eiji uses the Gundam franchise to illustrate this concept where any given episode of the anime is a small snapshot of narrative within the larger universe(s) Gundam takes place in. Eiji explains, “Countless other [stories] could exist if someone else were the main character.”
Everyone is the main character of their own story. But most of these stories that make up the grand narrative of a world are hidden from view. It’s impossible to tell every story at once and have it be comprehensible. Instead we can only consume small bite-sized narratives that give us a snapshot of the (hopefully) interesting parts of a protagonist’s life. But who, exactly, is controlling these smaller narratives? This is a question faced by the characters of Princess Tutu.
The concept of shifting protagonists and expanding the audience’s view into the grand narrative heavily ties into Princess Tutu’s premise. The anime’s story is catalyzed by Drosselmeyer, the author of a fictitious book called The Prince and The Raven. The book’s ending is a stalemate between the titular characters so Drosselmeyer decides to promote the minor character of Princess Tutu to the role of main character to help the story move forward.
As you can probably tell by the name, Princess Tutu is heavily influenced by ballet. One of the show’s more significant influences is Swan Lake. Through the anime’s re-purposing of Swan Lake’s Odette as a magical girl, Princess Tutu continues to uphold ballet’s tradition of adapting the story for its own purposes.
Princess Tutu and Odette
The basic story of Swan Lake is about a prince falling in love with a girl cursed to be a swan from sunrise to sunset by an evil sorcerer. The sorcerer tricks the prince into confessing his love for his daughter, Odile, instead of the swan girl thus dooming the swan girl’s chance at true love and breaking the curse.
Amanda Kennell, an American scholar, outlines in her paper “Origin and Ownership from Ballet to Anime” Swan Lake’s production history and the evolution of the ballet’s narrative. The original staging in 1877 had the story end with the villain going unpunished and the two lovers drowning in a flood. In a revival staging from 1895 the villain was defeated and the two lovers reunited in heaven after throwing themselves into a lake. In a single scene production called The Magic Swan from the 1940s, the iconic “black swan” was introduced setting the precedent for the same ballerina to play the role of Odette and Odile in striking white and black costumes. And finally, another staging in 2006, not only adopted the White and Black Swan motif, but also changed the ending once again so that the prince kills the villain and he and Odette live happily ever after.
Despite each staging of the classic having significant differences, none of the variations are cast away as counterfeits. The value of the production isn’t in how close it is to the original Swan Lake but instead in the relative merit of each variation. In fact, it doesn’t really matter which you consider “the original” where the additions made by each carry their own merit and add to Swan Lake’s grand narrative. In this same regard, it would be acceptable to consider Princess Tutu another variation on the world of Swan Lake’s grand narrative.
There is terminology for this phenomenon in Kabuki theater. Eiji points out in his paper the similarities between the concepts of Sekai (world) and Shukou (plot) from Kabuki theater and his ideas of the grand narrative and the smaller narratives.
In Kabuki, Sekai represents the world a story takes place in and Shukou represents the story that is a product of that world. Each staging of a Kabuki play is its own Shukou derived from either a single Sekai or the mixing of Sekai. What matters in creating a good performance is not necessarily conveying the Sekai but instead the relative merit of the Shukou’s take on things. No performance is exactly the same and different actors bring different strengths to a performance and in turn provide a different experience for the audience’s entertainment. This of course carries over to more art forms than just Kabuki, classic ballet is in a similar position where entire songs are sometimes re-choreographed just to match the strengths of an individual ballerina. Ballet in particular has a long tradition of making minor and major changes to suit an individual performance. Whether it be tweaking choreography or straight up giving the story a different ending. The evolution of Swan Lake’s production is an excellent example of how productions of what are considered to be the same story can dramatically vary.
But Princess Tutu borrows from more stories than just Swan Lake. This brings us back to Kabuki and the idea of mixing Sekai in order to create another Shukou.
Princess Tutu takes pieces of classic stories and rearranges them to create something simultaneously familiar and completely new. Princess Tutu is not forging a new Shukou from only Swan Lake’s Sekai, but instead is connecting the canon of European literature and performing arts together into an even more extensive grand narrative.
Just look at the series’ opening for example, where Swan Lake and The Nutcracker are intertwined with one another as the anime’s titular character is dressed in the ballet costume of Odette and dances to The Nutcracker’s Flower Waltz to simultaneously combine the worlds of two ballets while producing an entirely new moment unique to the Princess Tutu anime.
The anime ends on the implication that if one person tries to control a story and the grand narrative it’s connected to, that person will fail. Princess Tutu is an excellent reminder of how stories are dynamic. Stories end up taking on a life of their own evolving, expanding and being reworked by both creators and consumers.
Eiji explains that once the consumers feel they have a grasp on the grand narrative they are free to produce their own small narratives from it. This is exactly how its creators forged Princess Tutu from the grand narrative of classic literature and performing arts. Just as mangaka can’t help it if a doujinshi adds to the narrative of their original story, Travosky can’t control the new life his ballets have taken on in Princess Tutu. Stories will take on a life of their own, abandon the need for an original and become a part to a larger grand narrative to be consumed and reworked over and over.
I’m currently writing swan lake chapter 3 and would you guys like to see things like other people povs? Like Crowley or Lilia? And would you also be open to the idea of Yuu having some amounts of magic due to the fairy queen helping her out, her magic would definitely relate to things like dance and the forest.
I do want to write it but I wanna know other opinions to
Odette!Yuu and Malleus’ song is ‘A thousand years’
MASTERLIST
Twisted Wonderland
1. series
Swan Lake (ongoing)
prologue
chapter one
chapter two
2. scenarios
nothing yet
3. headcannons
nothing yet
CHAPTER TWO
The walk of silence came to an end as they approached massive double doors that no doubt led to an even bigger room.
‘Like the my old castle back home’ the fair maiden held the doors to comparison, while the one at night raven college have a more dark rusty touch with the grand old wood doors, her castle doors back home were colourful and detailed taking at least over 3 months to make each with details of old stories made of clay and wood, the handles made of gold yet still able to swing open easily even with the sizes they were.
Voices speaking caught her attention and she stopped behind Crowley to wait and listen. He also seemed to be mosey as instead of going in he leaned his ear against the wall. ‘Maybe he wants to know if they realised his absence, he is headmaster after all’
~~~mirror chamber~~~
A short boy with red hair spoke up over the commotion of the other students talking. “We're done with orientation and dorm assignments?” He asked then turned to a group of students near him. “All right, new students—let me be clear. At Heartslabyul House, I am the law. Break the rules, and it's off with your head!” A few people seemed to flinch and step back from him a bit due to his voice raising with the last sentence, even the girl outside the door let out a squeal, although it sounded more like the bugle noise a swan makes.
“Yawn* Well, that ceremony was as boring as ever. I'm going back to the dorm. If you're in Savanaclaw House, follow me.” A boy with feline ears seemed to slope around the place ready to get out, his eyes were dropping, and dropping a bit more now, and now there closed, now he’s letting out what sounds like a snore. His dorm mates sweat dropped at that.
“New students! Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your achievement. As dorm leader of Octavinelle House, I am honored to have the opportunity to support you in what I hope will be a fulfilling campus experience.” The boy with glasses seems to really like his new dorm mates.
“Hey, does anyone know where the headmage went? He disappeared midway through the ceremony...” a pretty looking boy finally spoke up about the problem at hand, took them long enough to notice.
“Some headmage he is.” A voice came out of a tablet contradicting the headmage’s decision to leave.
“Maybe he had a tummyache?” An innocent looking boy with red eyes proposed an even more innocent answer. Suddenly the old wooden doors burst open and crowley stepped through martching to the front with a leashes up cat and a hooded student following behind him.
‘This must be an all boys academy, I see no women in sight’ the new information did not make the maiden any less nervous, she remembers what the last male sorcerer she encountered did to her.
“I most certainly did not!” Crowley even had the heart to seem offended, listening only when it involves himself.
The short red head spoke up “Ah, speak of the devil.”
Crowley seemed to hate her at this moment “If you must know, I was searching for the new student who'd failed to show for orientation.” All eyes turned to her as she tried to stay standing straight and not quiver under their gaze. “You are the only one who has yet to be assigned a dorm. Step up to the Dark Mirror, and be quick about it. I'll watch your weasel.” He showed her to a mirror, one that looked familiar in the sense that her stomach dropped when her eyes met with its own. Even worse was when it spoke to her.
State thy name.
“Yuu..” she felt unsafe giving her name away yet she had to remain some form of strength to show the sorcerers that she wasn’t weak or to be laughed at.
The Dark Mirror seemed to drag out her name. “Yuu…
The nature of your soul is...” the pause it seemed to take was long enough to keep her there until she had to become a swan again.
“...unclear to me.”
“What did you just say?” Crowley seemed appalled and the few that were talking quietly completely stopped, this was shocking enough that they didn’t even make a gossip riot about it.
“I sense no magical power from this one that they themself own, magic from another running through them in such a crewel way perhaps but other then that, none. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant of their own. Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate.
“Are you suggesting that the black carriage went to receive a person who cannot even use magic?But that is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existence! How could this have happened?” His yelling of utter nonsense right in her ear made Yuu raise her neck and push her shoulders back a bit.
Grim seemed to struggle in his restraints before getting out “Mmmph! Nnnrgggh... *GASP!* ME! Let ME have this student's seat!” ‘Again what is so special about this school that he has to get in’ she wouldn’t dare say this aloud as people might get offended.
“Not so fast, you hyperactive weasel!” Crowley scolded.
“Unlike that human, I can actually use magic! So let me be a student here! Look, I'll show you! My spells're the cat's meow!” He seemed to charge up, his blue ear flames rising higher.
“Everyone, get down!” The short red head seemed to realise what was happening before others and ducked taking the nearest student down buy the arm with him. Yuu felt someone else yank her down just like everyone was doing with each other, she turned and saw it was the really pretty boy with the blonde hair and.. colour at the tips..?. His eyes seemed to widen a smidge upon seeing her appearance.
“Your a girl..?” She nodded and told him later before they both stood up and looked back at the pyromaniac of a cat.
“Myaaahhh!” He spewed his fire all around the room.
“AHHHHH! HELP! I'm on fire over here!” The boy with the red eyes was panicking not knowing what to do when one’s butt was on fire. So Yuu quickly walked to him and pulled the sleeve of her jacket down a bit before telling him to stay still and began to hit the fire until it died down. He rubbed his but sore from both the fore and the hitting before looking at her. His eyes also seemed to widen making the same realisation as the pretty boy from before.
“Oh! Your a girl!” He seemed to not mind and smiled at her “thanks for that!”
“Your welcome” she gave him a polite smile ‘maybe there all not so bad’
“Someone catch that blasted animal before it sets the entire school ablaze!” Crowley ordered around.
“Ugh. Can I go now, or...?” The boy that was snoozing around before seemed to wake up at the commotion a while ago and watched with bored eyes.
“Oh? I thought you fancied yourself a hunter. Go and help yourself to that plump little morsel!” The pretty boy seemed to snap at the human feline.
“Too much effort. Do it yourself.” He waved the other off
“Allow me to handle this, Headmage Crowley. If none of you are up to the task of catching a small animal, I will accept the responsibility.” He seemed to want something out of this with the tone of his voice, Yuu learned to pick up on this all the time before becoming a swan when she had her lessons as a princess.
“WTG Azul. Rackin' up those participation credits.” Yuu had stared at the floating flat box that seemed to speak words she hadn’t heard before, the box noticed her and flew away a bit into the shadows averting her attention back to the pyromaniac.
“I'm sorry, were my instructions unclear?!” He seemed to stress out the issue ducking from an incoming fire ball.
“Sigh* Preeetty sure you can handle catching one mangy weasel all on your lonesome there, headmage.”
“He’s right” she mumbled out no one hearing her, although the lion boys ear twitched and he looked a bit smug.
“How many times do I gotta say it? I'm Grim, spellcaster extraordinaire! I am NOT a weasel!” It seemed to irritate Grim more calling him names.
“Aren't you a spunky little fellow? Riddle, would you be so kind...?” The boy with glasses, Azul..? Turned to the short red head who’s name is revealed to be Riddle.
“Furry miscreant. I will abide no rule-breaking. You will be judged by my hand.” Riddle seems to bask in the fact that he could stop someone from breaking many rules that we’re definitely in place, one probably being to not set the place on fire.
He pointed what seemed to be a pen with some sort of gem on its end at grim and shouted “Off With Your Head!” A red and black heart shaped collar with gold trim appeared around grins neck weighing him down a bit.
“MYAH?! What are you doing?!” He flailed around.
“The Queen of Heart's Rule 23: "One must never bring a cat to a formal affair. Your very presence here is a violation of order. You will vacate these premises immediately.” He carried a stern voice and upon seeing him like this Yuu could tell he’s done it before multiple times.
“But I ain't a cat either! Don't try to collar me! I'll burn it right off! Huh...? Wh-what gives? My fire ain't workin'!” He tried doing his little charge up but nothing happened for him, the fire on his ears stayed still and no signs of his magic activating appeared. This calmed Yuu down a fair bit and she relaxed herself letting her shoulders and neck fall not holding them up anymore.
“Until I deign to remove that collar, you won't be using any magic. You're naught but a pet cat now.” Riddle now seemed to calm down a bit and talked more smug and relaxed.
“M-meoWHAT?! I ain't nobody's pet-NOTHING!” Grim shook his head.
“Oh, you've nothing to worry about there. I certainly have no interest in having you as a pet. The collar will disappear once you're removed from campus.” He waved the cat off as if he were nothing but a little grass bug, the maiden could tell he was of high status, a noble definitely with the way he carried home self and the confidence he had in his skill, he must be very well trained.
“Ha-HA! Good show as always, Riddle. You're signature spell locks down any magic. It's quite handy. I've just GOT to have it—ah, I mean, I've just got to have respect for it.” Azul seemed to arise a major suspicion in Yuu, she knows how to point out slip ups in their speech and personality and this guy slipped up.
‘He’s definitely a manipulator, look at how he’s obsessing over riddles magic’
“Yuu! Was I not clear that you are expected to take responsibility for your familiar?” Crowley turned to the girl. “Now discipline your—What's that? It isn't yours?”
“Sir, I’ve told you times before, but this creature is not mine, I don’t even know what he is, I’ve never seen a cat like that, especially one that spews fire” she put the emphasis on the words pointing at Grim and trying not to show how overwhelmed she was with a talking, fire magicking cat.
“Oh...Is that so? *Ahem* Then I shall have it expelled from campus. I shall even spare it from being served as dinner. My, but I AM kind. ...Someone take this away, please.” Dinner, this man was even considering making it dinner
“Nooooo! Let me gooooo! You fools better remember my name! Cause I'm gonna go down in the annals of magic history! Just you wait!” Grim kept yelling on his way out of the room.
“I feel a bit bad for the poor thing..” Yuu mumbled, the boy who she had forgotten she was standing next to also nodded at her statement, a bit of a sad look on his face.
“Well, that was quite the unexpected fracas. I hereby declare that orientation has concluded. Housewardens, please escort your students back to the dorms.” He looked around the room for a second. “...Hm? Come to think of it, I don't see Housewarden Draconia of House Diasomnia anywhere.” Yuu had moved back a bit as the commotion picked up again with the new topic.
“And that surprises you? Dude's a total recluse.” The smug human cat rolled his eyes, obliviously not caring about this Draconia.
“Wait a sec... Did anyone even invite him?” The boy she was previously standing next to looked at the others around him awaiting a response.
“If you're that worried about him missing out, maybe you should have told him yourself.” The pretty boy she had first met told the boy with the red eyes.
“Maybe, but I don't know him too well either...” he trailed off. Yuu moved back another step and suddenly bumped into someone.
“Oh! So sorry sir, I didn’t see you” she apologised looking at the person she hit, to say he looked different from what she’s used to is an understatement, he was a bit short and had choppy hair that reached a bit past his chin and.. pink? In his hair. ‘Is that pink streaks in his hair?? How unusual’ the boy looked at her and giggled.
“It’s alright young one” he observed her for a moment, furrowing his brows for a split second before returning to his normal face. “I just need to get passed you m’lady”
“Oh yea of course sorry!” She moved a bit to the side enough so he could get passed her towards the front.
“Thank you beastie” he smiled at her before walking towards the big group. ‘How peculiar of a man he is, but who is beastie..?’ she wondered.
She heard whispers erupt all throughout the room “Draconia... Like, Malleus Draconia? THAT Draconia?”
“So it's true? He really does go to school here?”
“Yikes.”
“Ah. Just as I'd expected.” It was the boy who she ran into before. I figured I'd come down and see for myself whether Malleus had made an appearance. But once again, he was evidently not informed that his presence was required at an official ceremony.” He sighed and shook his head.
“You have my sincerest apologies. I assure you, this oversight was in no way intended as a snub.” Azul apologised
“I mean, you must admit, he's not exactly the easiest person to strike up a conversation with.” Riddle said.
“No matter. All who were assigned to House Diasomnia, follow me. I just hope he doesn't sulk about this.” He waved his hand, mumbling the last part.
“Well, Yuu. This is a most unfortunate turn of events.” Crowley turned to her “I'm afraid that you will not be attending Night Raven Collage after all. Surely you realize that I cannot very well admit a student with no magical ability to my academy”
“That’s alright sir, I didn’t plan on attending your all boys magic school” she took down her hood that was masking her appearance, as well as making her very hot. She played with her hair a bit, neatening it up from its messiness. She heard the man let out a little gasp.
“Your a girl, my this is an even more reason to not admit you into the school I’m afraid, But worry not. The Dark Mirror will see you safely home.”
‘Home, with the others..’ she smiled at the thought, then went sour ‘home where Baron is..’
“Now, step into the gate, and visualize the place you whence you came.” She stepped up and imagined home, with her 11 other siblings and her parents, her father the king, a man of great power who was soft on his daughters yet stern when needed, and of her mother, oh her dear sick mother that she missed dearly, the woman who raised her, the woman that made her cookies within the royal kitchen, the woman who taught her to dance, the loving mother that held her when she cried, the mother that spent all her free time surrounded by her daughters, the woman who taught the youngest 3 daughters to sing carols on Christmas, who taught the twins to sneak off and participate in the royal guard training, the woman who spent her days personally teaching her eldest daughter Yuu, the mother that kissed them all to bed no matter how old they got she would tuck them in and sing a song or tell a story, the woman who started to get more ill it was like a curse that wouldn’t go away, the mother that mourned her children upon hearing of their curse, the woman she left behind.
Her sisters all 11 of them, all turned into swans because of her, they took her fate along with them and carried it for 3 years rarely seeing their parents, following Yuu around, living there lives on a lake, the sisters that she left behind and now they would befall the fate of her curse. The family she would return to.
“O Dark Mirror! Return this soul to where it belongs!” Crowley commanded, yet nothing happened
‘No..don’t tell me’
“Ahem* L-let us, er...try this again. O Dark Mirror! Return this soul—“ he was cut off
“There is no such place.” The dark mirror stated plainly.
‘No..No, no, no’ her mind started panicking, no such place?!.
“What?” Crowlwy asked
“here is no place in this world where this soul belongs.
None.”
“How can that be? My, but today is a veritable cavalcade of impossible phenomena!” Crowley stressed.
The mirror didn’t respond.
“This has never happended throughout my long tenure. I must confess that I am at something of a loss. Tell me: From what land do you hail?” He turned to her and asked.
“I’m from the Rhodanthe”
“Rhodanthe? I'm afraid I am not familiar with such a place.”
“But how, it’s one of the most powerful kingdoms across the land” she tried to block out the thought that drifted at the end of her mind.
“I am intimately acquainted with the origins of every student who has ever come here, and yet... This mysterious homeland of your eludes me. Let us go to the library and look it up, shall we?”
NOTE: that is chapter 3 YAY! I start holidays on Friday but I am going away for about a week so I’ll try to have something at least in the making, I’m glad other are liking this story so tell me what you imagine odette!Yuu to look like and the clothes she wears.
I also took the sisters thing from barbie and the 12 dancing princesses, it’ll provide for good angst in the future and it also says that Odette has other swans with her so I decided to go with that and make them her sisters. Hope you all like this chapter it takes a while to make these but I enjoy it, we’re getting closer and closer to day time in wonderland so I’m exited to write the swan. Also if anyone wants to drop a name for the sisters mother or father I’ll try and use it so I can build up their characters, it just needs to have a medieval touch yk not TO modern and if it comes with a meaning I would love to know that to.
IMPORTANT!! I think I might make other posts like incorrect quotes and stuff based on odette!Yuu and stuff like scenarios or answering questions so I’ll try to see how an ask box or whatever it’s called works and use it, I might even posts other Yuusonas I’ve got but I’ll mainly try to focus on odette Yuu.
Tag list: @just-here-reading
Chapter one
The maiden fair and wise opened her eyes to be greeted by an old looking mirror, holding flame of green like wild trees.
Ah, my dear esteemed benefactor…
‘Huh, who’s speaking?’
My proud, beautiful flower of evil.
‘Is it..the mirror’
You are truly the fairest one of all.
‘Where am I, is this one of Barons tricks?’
O magic mirror, thy wisdom I entreat…
Reveal unto me the visage I seek…
‘It sounds like it’s casting a spell
You, whose image the dark mirror did beckon forth…
If you heart buds it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.
A hand reached out from the reflective surface willing the swan to hold it dearly
‘I have a desire to hold this hand’ and hold it she did, the two hands male and female grasped each other in an embrace of strangeness and curiosity. The mirror flickered.
As flame refuses even the stars to ash.
It showed a fire, burning of destruction and comfort.
As ice seals away even time itself.
Ice that holds a memory of fear and desperation.
As great trees swallow even the sky.
Earth swaying with beauty.
Fear not the power of darkness.
The hand held her tighter and her skin seemed to ache.
Common now, show me your power.
‘I have none but this curse I’m afraid’ all her words became trapped in her mind as her voice would not bare to interrupt the stranger.
We only have a little bit of time left.
All started to fade.
At all costs, do not let go of that hand.
She gripped it tighter fearing for if she lets go she would fall into a place much worse then now.
The soft fabric of the cramped space gave the girl a small amount of comfort, the thing she was in was very small not giving her room to extend her arms nor twist her body.
‘Whats going on.. where am I?’ She tried to push forward on the enclosure that was trapping her but nothing moved, not even allowing a crack of light to enter her space.
“I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me...” a voice spoke from outside of her imprisonment, a squeaky voice.
“A, child..?” She let out a murmur her, voice coming of a bit starchy from not using it and squawking.
“Urgggh... This lid weighs a ton! Try this on for size! Mya-ha!” Suddenly hot steaming blue fire, one she’s only seen the dark sorcerer Baron use, had blown the lid of her confinement. She stumbled out with the flames only slowing their heat to touch her for a moment, leaving no traces it was ever there apart from the smoking lid.
“Fire!? Dark magic fire!” She panicked but all she saw was a weasel cat like creature.
“Now to grab the good- HEY! You ain’t supposed to be awake!” It yelled at her from its place on the ground. The thing had a grey coat of fur and white fluff in the middle with blue flames emitting from the ears, and a tail that looked like a pitchfork.
“The weasel talks..” she stated to no one but herself, her confusion, shock and a small amount of fear all mixing together to make an unnamed emotion settle in her.
‘Why am I shocked..? I turn into a swan when dawn makes her presence’
“How... How DARE YOU! I am no WEASEL! I'm Grim, sorcerer extraordinaire! Tch. Whatever. You...human! Just gimme your uniform, and be quick about it!”
‘And it wants to undress me as-well.. does this thing have no manners?!’
“If ya don’t your gonna regret it” he seemed to be ready to strike her down, even if she made no offensive moves towards him.
“You don’t even know if I have any under clothes on and you ask me to undress?!, how impolite” her tone held words used only to defend herself yet this animal went in for a strike of flames, and that’s when she realised that maybe being rude to another dark sorcerer while already being cursed isn’t a good idea so she ran.
Running hasn’t left her breathless in along time so she arrived to what appeared to be a library holding and ever continuing amount of books, like actually ever continuing, some books just kept coming through with no one there to restock them.
“More magic..” she felt dread in her. ‘What if I’m in a sorcerers lair? What if that animal back there was a henchman of Baron, what’s going on??’ The poor girl was left confused until said animal burst through the doors after her and her clothing.
“Foolish human! Did you really think you could slip away from ME?” the little beast had found her and cornered her inside the library. “Now, unless you wanna get burned to a crisp, take off that—“
Something suddenly wrapped itself around the cats neck halting it from further aggression.
“YEOW! That hurt! What gives!” It started strangling around in its capture wanting its previous sense of freedom.
“Consider it tough love.” A man with a crow like mask that covered half his face appeared reprimanding the beast.
‘Now he definitely seems like a dark sorcerer’ everything thing in past experiences was telling her to run but she couldn’t move, especially not when the man set his eyes on her.
“Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students?” ‘New student..? I’m not a student, is this an academy?’
“My, were you ever eager to make your debut. And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school's rules.” He tugged at the rope that bound Grim the creature, who seemed aggravated by being called a familiar.
“Oh sir, he’s not mine I don’t-“
“As if I'd serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!” Grim struggled uselessly against his restraints once again not changing the fact that he was captured.
“Yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit, won't you?” The crow man did not seem to be very pleased when he turned to the girl with a tired look.
“Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it.Does the very notion of patience elude you?No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.”
The girl was now experiencing only one emotion in the moment, confusion. “Gate..?”.
“You awakened in a room full of gates, did you not?” If he meant the floating coffins then she nodded.
“All of the students here at the campus arrived by passing through such gates. Although typically the students have restraint enough to wait until I open them before waking up.”
“So the floating coffins are the gateways..?”
“The design is intended to symbolize a parting with your former world, and a rebirth into a new one.”
‘Rebirth into a new life..is my curse really still untaxed then, it’s only night so I really can’t tell, but..’ how she hoped it was true.
“But now is not the time for such prattle. You've a student orientation to attend! Go on, now. Make haste.” He turned away from her to walk before she spoke again.
“First can you tell me where I am?” She knew it was risky asking a sorcerer such type of question but she would like to know.
“Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness?The timespace teleportation must have addled your memories...” he trailed off “Well, these things happen, I suppose. I shall explain it to you while we walk. Truly, my graciousness is boundless”
‘He makes it sound like he’s the king of the world’ the maiden gave a subtle roll of her eyes and walked forward with the man.
“This is Night Raven College.” ‘College?’ “It is an institution for students the world over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic.” ‘So I was right this is something of great sorcery’
“It is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland. And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmage.”
“An academy of magic..?” Her face was drowned in confusion and she kept swimming down the river called fear.
“Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted to the college. Those who are selected are summoned to the campus through those "gates," which can appear anywhere. A black carriage bearing one such gate should have come to meet you.” Headmaster Crowley answered her.
“I do remember a phantom carriage with no rider and only horrific horses..” she still remembered the splash of water when she hit the ground, or the door opening with no one to greet her but a coffin.
“That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate that connects to this campus. And as you know, sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a time-honored tradition.” Grim started to talk in a muffled sense although drowned out by his restraints.
“But I bare no magical talent headmaster Crowley-“ he seemed to not hear her and went in his way.
“Now then, let us attend you orientation” and off they all went, in a silence that left unattended questions in the air.
NOTE: yay! Finished chapter one so I hope it’s to people’s liking this is not like edited as I’m doing this all my self and I’m confident it makes sense. I’ve also decided with the help of someone that Malleus will be the final love interest as I does make more sense. I don’t really have an update plan as I sometimes lose motivation for things but I’ll try to attest have one chapter a week it’s not a promise though, I’m quite exited to write yuu in her swan form, I think I’m still gonna make her a student so imagine a swan showing up to a potions class trying to learn. I think it’ll be funny, also gonna have to get someone like silver to translate for her since he’s good at talking to animals, anyway I don’t wanna spoil much but have a nice day everyone!!
Yuu inspired by odette from swan lake.
Sypnosis: where yuu was cursed in her old world to be a swan by day and a girl by night all for rejecting an angry old wizard, upon entering twisted wonderland she still has her curse but no other swan companions with her. She must try and brake the curse whilst struggling to attend a magic school (she’s kinda scared of everyone as they all are male wizards, and we know what happens with her last encounter with one)
Prologue
The sun was setting and dusk was making its short return before its sister night took over, out on a lake as clear as a gem on the royal crown, was a flock of swans all settling throughout the lake, sat in the middle surrounded by the others ever so still was one swan bigger and more beautiful then the rest, with feathers of pure white snow and a circlet with a singular gem sitting in the middle.
The swan lifted her gaze up to the setting sun making way for his sister the rising moon, her everlasting beauty shines upon the singular swan and the animal seemed to soak up her beautiful rays of light before the water that she sat on raised up surrounding her in a swirl of beautiful water magic before it dropped to reveal an ethereal girl standing on the waters surface taking in her own appearance. At the sight of her face and the touch of her hair a smile graced her face before she walked to the waters edge placing her feet on the wet sand of the shore.
The sound of horses and a carriage approaching caught the swan queen’s attention. Her head turned and saw a dark carriage descending upon her with horses that held a face she had never seen before on such animal. The carriage stopped in front of her and opened its door revealing a coffin, that was the last sight her newly human eyes saw before her back hit the shallow water and she entered the void.
NOTE: I just wanted to see how a swan attending NRC would be and now I have this, I wanna try and make yuu’s appearance as vague as possible so people can kinda imagine a self insert but I might make a few mistakes.
Somethings that yuu will be described to have is hair long enough to be styled in any way, be a white swan, sort of elegance to her, wearing a dress and circlet.
This will be following the plot of only having someone swear themself to her out of pure love be able to break the curse but thankfully no Odile and throwing ourself into lakes.
Im thinking of having Malleus or Leona maybe even Vil as the final love interest but I’ll need help for that decision so tell me who you think.
TW:Hints at possible suicide, and hinted at sexual harassment (maybe?)
For the last three days, I’ve been having the same dream.
There’s a girl in a sky blue dress, brown boots, and a green jacket that’s just a bit too big for her. The girl is on top of a rooftop, with a blank yet solemn look on her face. All of the sudden, she starts to dance ballet. She pirouettes across the rooftop, music starts to play softly. It’s eerie and slightly makes you feel unpleasant. She dances closer and closer to the edge of the roof, as she dances the expression on her face never changes for even a second. All of the sudden, three demons appear. I guess they were demons, they had horns. They had charcoal black skulls but their bodies were complete muscles, like if you look at the muscular system in an anatomy textbook, that’s what they look like. Their lower bodies however, were made of vapor. They started dancing with her, similar moves to how regular male partners dance with female ballerinas, but they were touching her in a strange way. They were caressing her thighs, hips, shoulders, and face. They tossed her around to one another, as the music gets louder and starts to build up. The girl is let go and she dances gracefully on the very edge of the rooftop. The music pauses… then reaches its climax as she does a grand jeté leap off the roof. The demons catch her and continue to dance and grope her in the air. The music continues to build up as they throw her to each other and get higher and higher above the city… but then they disappear… and the girl plummets into the street below her, still wearing that emotionless face as she hits the concrete…
And then I wake up…
2 Things I Appreciate about Princess TuTu
1. It's Respect towards Ballet
Barring that first episode, the main focus of the ballet is not as a gimmick.
Dance is an art form and a style of communication. As my theatre teacher once said, "When words aren't enough, you sing. When singing isn't enough, you dance. And when dancing isn't enough, you sing and dance together."
Throughout the show, the "fight scenes" are a "war" of ideas, and ballet is used as a conduit and punctuation for said ideas.
The ballet is used for expression, and while magical elements do occur (for example, Tutu dancing on top of water, or practically flying, or growing plants instantaneously. (which isn't totally uncalled for given that it's taking place inside a story)) the ballet puts the characters thoughts, feelings, and beliefs center stage.
2. The Character Development
Okay, confession time.
When I was first watching Princess Tutu, THIS guy made me really upset. I stuck around for a few episodes because I wanted to see Duck and Mytho end up together, but THIS GUY. EUUUGH......
I didn't hate him (To quote Swoozie, "My gang would never let me be a hater"), but I did dislike him to an extreme degree. Like, I loathed him. So I just quit watching the show and decided that I would look at some fanart to satisfy my desire for Mytho/Duck cuteness, except.......
All y'alls just had Fakir/Duck drawings everywhere, and to be honest, I thought you guys were crazy.
So I just swore off Princess Tutu, until one day I decided to give it another go.
And let me tell you....
I was not disappointed.
All four of the main characters grow in some way or another. THAT guy pictured above, went from being my most disliked fictional character to my most favorite fictional character.
The Heroine grows
The Villain-ess grows
The Jerk grows
The Prince grows
And all in ways that, to me, felt very satisfying and natural. I may be remembering this show through rose tinted glasses, but these characters were very human.
Even if one of them was technically a duck.
Instead of making up shitty racist headcanons about Miles shoplifting join me in headcanoning him picking up ballet because he thought Gwen being a ballerina was super neat and it would help him in his spiderman job
She's so omg???!!! /pos I literally want to be her I swear
Marianela Nunez and Carlos Acosta in Don Quixote.
Mewtwo in a tutu
The Nutcracker 🩰🎄❄️
My recent Nutcracker illustrations and costume designs!
Prints available in my shop!
Drawing Corpse doing Ballet
Black and white swan 🖤🤍🦢🩰‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
I know I was supposed to do the leftover requests but I prefer drawing girls in tutus thank you very much
Black and white swan 🖤🤍🦢🩰‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
I know I was supposed to do the leftover requests but I prefer drawing girls in tutus thank you very much
Black and white swan 🖤🤍🦢🩰‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
I know I was supposed to do the leftover requests but I prefer drawing girls in tutus thank you very much
Drawing my plushies
I saw someone on YouTube humanizing their plushies and I thought it was super cute!!! So I wanted to try it too
This is my little candy girl bonbon I associate her with sweets because I got candy scented candles the same day I got her, anyway here she is!! i referenced a pose from a photoshoot of barbie Ferreira ✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧
Ballet aesthetic 🤍 I have goosebumps, very touching 🩷✨
Prima ballerina assoluta🧡
Happy heavenly birthday, Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya🩷
Wish they still do one of this shows, it’s really funny lol 😂
🎄 The Nutcracker 🎄
(PureCacao ver.)
ESP:
Mi regalo de Navidad para todos ustedes, ¡que pasen felices fiestas con sus seres queridos y como más les guste! 🎁💕🎄
ENG:
My Christmas gift for all of you ❤️ Merry Christmas everyone!! 🎁💕🎄
"at the end of the day, she'd trade lives with me if God let her"
Duck girl 🐤 #ahiru #duckgirl #princesstutu #swanlake #ballet #anime #artwork #digitaldrawing #sketch #cartoongirl #prettygirl #fakir #princesstutufanart (at Paris Opera Ballet School) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQvdAPeFglY/?utm_medium=tumblr
