So my mind was going a thousand miles an hour whilst brainstorming and bam! Suddenly I had an idea! (The song up top is what it feels like to brainstorm, by the way.)
Just a short little theater scene. Demi is cast, Helena is crew. It's canon AMSND this time.
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For anyone who's never played mingle, 1: what are you doing with your life (jk) (kinda) and 2: it's an elimination game, and this is a common way to end a round when there's only two people left.
~ Hamlet's PoV ~
"Should I be mean?" I joked to Horatio beside me.
He gave me a skeptical smile, then fixed his gaze back on the three remaining players. Demetrius, Helena, and Puck. Most of the tech kids had gotten out in the first few commands, so the fact that Helena was in the top three was quite unexpected.
"Right. Ready? GROUPS OF ONE- no, I'm kidding. London bridge!"
Demetrius and Puck immediately put their hands together and held them up to create an arch. As my countdown reached two, however, the latter did something that didn't normally happen.
Puck jumped back and shoved Helena toward Demetrius, effectively getting himself out and ensuring Helena made it to the last resort commands.
Several cheers erupted from the watching crowd, the loudest from his friends, but through the ensuing chaos of someone committing mingle-cide I saw Hermia staring intensely at her best friend.
I knew exactly what to do.
"Alright, alright, calm down guys, this isn't working..." I nudged Horatio with my shoe and gave him a pleading look. He tapped Laertes, who tapped Guildenstern, who tapped Ophelia. She took a deep breath and brought her hands to her mouth.
"THE FIRST RULE OF MINGLE IS NO TALKING!" She barked above the chatter. Everyone shut up.
"Thanks, Phe. Now, I would normally do a moo-off, but I happen to know that Demi here has the worst cow impression on the planet-" he made a "hey!" gesture at me "-sooo, I'm going to say toe to toe."
Helena stuttered quietly for a moment, and I assumed she was asking what the hell toe to toe meant, but then Demetrius gently grabbed her shoulders and shuffled closer until their shoes were touching.
Poor Helena was blushing redder than Rosencrantz's hair, but one glance at a maniacally grinning Hermia confirmed that I was doing the right thing.
"Okay. The rules of toe to toe are that only these two are allowed to talk unless I get desperate, and the first to smile or laugh loses. Cool? Cool. Begin," I explained before Helena could protest.
There was a long moment of anticipating silence and excruciating eye contact. Excruciating for her, at least. Demetrius was a veteran of mingle, and completely unfazed.
And slowly, ever so slowly, he was leaning in.
I had to physically stop myself from muttering "oh damn," because I'd only seen this tactic used once, and it ended with Ros and Guil announcing their relationship by kissing in the middle of a circle of their peers. As if anybody didn't know about them already.
Helena was leaning back for every inch Demetrius leaned forward, though, so I supposed that wouldn't happen.
What did happen was equally interesting.
She fell. She leaned back too far and ended up losing her balance, landing on the floor with a small "oof."
"You okay?" Demetrius chuckled. He held out a hand to her, smiling, which technically made Helena the winner, even though she fell, but I digress because this isn't my one shot so I'm not allowed to monologue.
She sheepishly took his hand and stood up, still blushing hard. He shifted his hold to her wrist and raised her arm, the clear "this one wins" sign.
(A/N: technically it only counts if I do it, but being the author I can temporarily give that power to Demi in order to write this.)
His happiness must've been contagious. Helena let out a small giggle, which escalated, and soon they were both laughing with red faces, just standing in the middle of the circle, not giving a rat's ass about the people around them.
Said people eventually shook out of their stupor and joined the laughter. The room was suddenly so full of sound that I doubted even Ophelia could break it. But that was fine, because she was laughing too.
Demetrius and Helena quieted long enough for him to lean toward her ear and say something, which caused Helena to nod vigorously, and then hug him.
I collapsed in my chair next to Horatio.
"When those two get married they'd better thank me. You're welcome, guys," I remarked to him.
"I hardly think being caller for the mingle round in which he asked her out makes you the person who got them together. If anything, that title goes to Puck."
"I'm the one who said toe to toe, though!"
"Whatever you say, my lord."
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Whoo! Another one!
If anyone would like me to explain the rules of mingle, I'm more than happy to. I love this game way too much.
Farewell, my faeries. May Hamlet never narrate your one shots.
"Hey!"
Hush, prince. We did not need that much description. This was supposed to be short.
"But-"
No. Shh.