A/N: I own nothing~~~
Eren gave a whoop and cheered. "I get to be a magician? That's so cool!"
"I'm Marie? I get to dance with my lovely prince, Connie, you say?" Sasha feigned a swoon and Connie burst out laughing.
"The Nutcracker. But yes … he is essentially the Prince," Armin corrected.
Everyone was chattering excitedly as Armin handed out everybody's roles. So far, no one has objected to the characters they have been assigned to which was a relief. He caught Jean's eye who was standing at the back of the room, away from the crowd and smiled. He certainly knew how to match personalities to the different roles.
He was right to have accepted Jean's help. His strong leadership skills was due to his acumen and ability to read people after all.
Then, Armin found Historia looking confused among the crowd. He approached her quickly.
"Hey, Historia," he said, touching her shoulder lightly. "Is it alright if you helped Jean out with the props?"
Historia's confusion disappeared, replaced by an understanding smile. "Oh! That's why I wasn't assigned a role. Sure, I'll do it!"
Armin grinned, it seemed like everyone knew what they were going to be doing and are satisfied with their characters. Now, the real work begins …
"Cut!" Armin yelled, stopping the production halfway.
"Mikasa, could you add more emotion into your lines please?"
"Which one?"
Armin refrained from sighing. "All of them. You only have 2 anyway. Let's start from after Marie dances with the Nutcracker."
Sasha and Connie immediately sprang to their feet and held each other dramatically.
"No!" Armin said, exasperated. "As in, the toy Nutcracker. In other words, the doll you were just holding. And Connie, you're supposed to be offstage …"
Armin frowned as he watched the cast act out the play. They had pushed all the tables and chairs in the cafeteria to the sides to create space for the rehearsal. Sadly, that was the only thing they did right. Looking at how the play was proceeding, it was heading towards disaster …
"Let me try it. I'll break a few nuts!" Mikasa snatches the doll away from Sasha and pretends to accidentally break it.
Oh? He could hear some emotion now.
"Look what you did! You broke my doll!" Sasha cried, faking a sob.
"Nutcracker!" Armin corrected.
"Sorry Marie," Mikasa looked to the ground.
That works, Armin thought. They are all wearing the appropriate expressions.
Soon, Armin finished overseeing Act 1 and told everyone to take five. This was the first time it had gone relatively smoothly. Perhaps there was some hope after all.
Armin decided to check on the props. He headed to the library where Jean and Krista were working at.
"How's the Nutcracker coming along?" He asked, opening the double doors.
Jean held up the wooden soldier dressed in felt.
"That looks good!" Armin clapped his hands together, delighted.
"Historia did a fine job with the clothes," Jean smiled at Krista who sat at the table surrounded by a bundle of cloth. She smiled shyly.
"Thanks Krista," Armin said sincerely. Then, he asked if he could use it for rehearsal.
"Not yet," Jean replied. "Wait till the glue dries. In the meantime, look at the backdrops I've been painting!"
Armin peered over his shoulder, admiring a backdrop of a house decorated for Christmas and another which was unfinished.
"Still working on this one," Jean explained. "I have no idea what the Land of Sweets look like though."
Historia who had gotten up from her chair, hurried over. "Want some help?" she asked, already picking up a brush. "I might have an idea," she gave Jean a bright smile.
"S, sure …" Jean said, scratching his head and moving over to give her some room. However, Historia only edged herself closer, closing the gap.
Armin wasn't sure if she did it subconsciously or consciously but he suddenly felt perturbed. Quickly passing it off as nerves, he awkwardly told them they were making good progress, thanked them and headed off back to the cafeteria.
Now on to Act 2.
Jean stood proudly before his creation. Admiring his masterpiece. He had successfully painted two sets in one day. Although, he did have some help from Historia who painted the detailed sweets and candy canes on the fluffy cotton candy.
"We're almost done!" He told Historia, running his finger down a list of items they had to make. All that was left were the actual parcels of the Christmas presents and costumes.
"How are the costumes doing?" He asked her.
Historia grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the table. "Ta-dah!" A multitude of costumes lay in front of him in colourful fabric.
"What do you think?"
"That's amazing!" He answered honestly, picking up one that was meant for the Nutcracker in animated form. "This is Connie's right?"
Historia nodded eagerly. She seemed delighted. Jean couldn't help but notice how close she was standing to him again and moved away, feeling a little uncomfortable.
"So uhh … what about all the mice?"
"Oh, I haven't got to those yet," Historia bowed her head. "I've only finished the costumes for the main characters. I'll finish it all later."
Just then, the double doors flew open with a bang and Armin rushed in looking frenzied.
"Is everything -" Jean started.
"No," Armin grabbed his hair, running towards Jean. "I forgot to compile the setlist for the carols!"
Historia clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oh no. It's almost 5!"
"There isn't much time," Armin said shoving the script into Jean's hands. "I'm going to go do that now. In the meantime, could you help stand in for me?"
"As …" Jean looked wholly bewildered. "As the Director?"
"Yes!"
"You mean," he tried to wrap his mind around the idea. "I'd have to direct the play?"
Armin nodded frantically. "Just help me oversee the third and fourth act. They're the shortest and you should have no problem …" then, he glanced away.
"Okay," he admitted at last. "Knowing them, there might be some issues. But you'll do fine and they'll get it after some coaxing!"
Then, Armin clapped his hands together above his head. "Please!" He bowed his head. "There's no one else who knows the script in its entirety."
Historia gave Jean a little push forward. "Go on. I'll be fine here."
"You sure?" Jean looked at her for confirmation. She nodded. Then, he turned back to Armin. "Umm .. alright, I guess -"
"Thank you!" Armin yelled, already running off.
As Jean headed towards the cafeteria, he wondered for the second time in two days what he had gotten himself into …
"Why do you get to direct the play, Kirstein?"
"Why do you get to push us around, huh?"
"Horseface!"
"Yeah, yeah." Jean closed his eyes, took a deep breath and roared, "CUT IT OUT."
He glowered at everyone in the room. All them annoying bastards. It was so hard to get their cooperation. "Listen! I get to push you around because your Director put me in charge!"
"Armin?" Eren yelled back. "Why would he put you in charge?"
Jean crossed his arms. "Yes, Jaeger. Your best pal left me in charge. Because I was there while he wrote the script and helped cast it, while you were snoring away!"
There was a hushed silence. Eren was confused. What? Was he with Armin in the library? When? Wanting more answers, he started to open his mouth but felt Mikasa's hand on his shoulder.
"Let's trust Jean. I believe Armin had a reason for this," she said under her breath.
Grudgingly, he nodded.
Jean walked to the front of the cafeteria and climbed onto a chair place there. "Now if there are no more questions, everyone take your places for Act 3!"
Minutes later, Jean had successfully gotten the soldiers to start working. Act 3 was tricky because there was choreography to oversee due to the amount of dancing that was involved in a particular scene.
"No! Wait - okay. Cut! CUT!" Jean yelled, hurrying over to break up the fight that had ensued between Eren and Connie.
"He stepped on my foot first!" Eren claimed angrily as Jean pulled the two apart.
"You were getting in the way!" Connie glared.
"I'm sorry but the world doesn't revolve around -"
Connie stuck out his tongue. "Actually, the script says all the candy are to dance around the Nutcracker and Marie!"
"I don't even get why I have to play two roles as the magician and a blasted candy cane!"
Jean rubbed the bridge of his nose as the two continued to argue heatedly. He was about to blow when someone tapped him from behind.
It was Historia, holding a bundle of costumes. "I've just finished the mice's costumes." Then, she frowned at the fight. "What's going on?"
"They're arguing because both of them are clumsy and horrible at dancing."
Historia looked thoughtful. "Why not have the sweets dance first, followed by the Nutcracker and Marie?"
Jean looked as if he had the solution to every problem in the world. Putting his hands on Historia's shoulders, he shook her gently. "That's brilliant!"
"Hah?" Connie and Eren looked over, scowling.
Jean clapped his heads together for everyone's attention. Time to make some changes …
Armin searched the large storage warehouse with much fervour. There must be something here to help him …
Soon, he began to perspire furiously as he sifted through the junk. There was so much dust and objects covered in weird substances. Armin was beginning to wish he had brought gloves and a piece of cloth to cover his nose with.
Then, he began to feel a huge sneeze building up inside him.
Letting it go, the sneeze made him stumble backwards. Armin tripped on something and yelped. He fell backwards into a pile of boxes, causing them to tumble down all over him. Armin held up his hands to shield himself.
Luckily, none of them were heavy and they didn't bruise him. Armin struggled to his feet. Just then, he spotted a cardboard box with the lid half open. Through the crack, he thought he saw something shine. Curious, he approached it and opened the box.
To his utter surprise, Armin found himself staring at an aged gramophone.
Taking it out, he inspected it under a pool of light that had fallen in the warehouse. The brass was starting to rust but everything else seemed to be in working condition. Then, something else caught his eye.
Reaching into the very bottom of the box, Armin lifted up what the gramophone had been sitting on - records!
He looked through them one by one. Most of them were albums and songs he didn't recognise, though one or two did stand out. Finally, he reached the last one he was holding in his hand. It was labelled "For Christmas".
A jolt of excitement shot through him like electricity. Armin hurriedly took the huge disc from its paper envelope and placed on the gramophone. Then, he wound it up and adjusted the needle as the record spun.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas … everywhere you goooooo." A voice warbled out in time with the festive instrumentals.
Armin clapped his hands in delight and couldn't help letting out a squeal. He couldn't believe he had found this treasure! He could use some of the songs in here for tomorrow's performance!
"Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again …" Armin stood and started to waltz around happily.
He wasn't much of a dancer but hearing the Christmas songs added even more festive cheer to the season. He spun around, stumbled and caught himself. Armin giggled at his own actions.
Finally, he sat down and started to listen to all the tracks. The sun was just beginning to set when he eventually decided on three songs.
Armin rushed to the library in excitement. Flinging open the double doors, he realised Jean wasn't here and remembered he had asked him to help direct the play while he was gone.
As he reached the cafeteria, a most astonishing sight greeted him. The soldiers were rehearsing Act 3 and looked well practiced. Even the steps looked polished. However, they were all supposed to be dancing around a waltzing Marie and the Nutcracker, which they weren't doing. Where were Sasha and Connie?
Slightly confused, Armin spotted Jean and hurried over.
"Oh, hey Armin!" Jean grinned. "The play looks good, eh?"
Armin frowned. "Isn't Sasha and Connie -"
"Right!" Jean interrupted halfway. "I know you had scripted their dancing in this part but it's too crowded with everyone on stage and accidents are bound to happen. So …"
Jean waved Historia over who had been sitting on a chair watching the play. "Historia here," Jean gestured, "had come up with the amazing idea to separate the dancing!"
"What?" Armin blinked.
"To minimise accidents! Isn't that brilliant?" Jean clapped Historia lightly on the back.
She beamed at Jean and then gave a small smile towards Armin, realising he was still there.
Armin suddenly felt a prickle of irritation.
Noticing he was speechless, Jean decided to prompt him. "Is anything wrong? Do you not like the idea?"
As much as Armin would like to say "no" for some reason, Historia's idea was actually really good thinking on her part. Squashing down on his out-of-place sense of annoyance, he forced a smile back at Historia.
"It works great!"
Happily, Historia clapped her hands together as Jean praised her again.
Armin sighed as he walked past them. He had to pull himself together. There was still much to do.
After overseeing the fourth act which Jean had helped rehearse prior to Armin's return, he dismissed the soldiers and told them to meet early Sunday morning to rehearse their carolling before they head off in the evening to the orphanage.
Then, he walked back to the warehouse and picked up the box which he had packed the gramophone and records in. Carrying it to the library, Armin sat down and began to write the lyrics for the songs he chose.
Let it Snow, Here Comes Santa Claus and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.
Putting the record on, Armin started to scribble down the lyrics for tomorrow's rehearsal. As he let himself get lost in the music, he started to drift off too, eventually dreaming about reindeer, crackling fire and ochre eyes …
A/N: Could it be ... you're getting jealous, Armin? XD