#it's the steadfast tin soldier

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

I think my whole life I've mistaken The Nutcracker for one specific other story - but I haven't thought about it in so long I couldn't remember the name. I tried to recall... right, he was a soldier, wasn't he? The Little Bitch Soldier? Well that's what he is from now on

[quasiimodo]

women of disney 38. fantasia 2000 (1999)

[yuri-is-online]

Ok but how did ace even get a girlfriend in the first place? Did she confess and he just went along with it? Did he think having a girlfriend would make him seem cooler? Was it a dare or something? Cause for someone like ace to just go ghost on her and not have an actual talk, kind of makes me feel like these two were not friends before they were partners.

So then, fast forward to nrc, ace is trying so hard to lose the feelings he has for his best friend. Because that's all they are: friends, homies, if you (duece) will. Yuu has the cream of the crop to pick from, he's kind of at a disadvantage here.

Plus, whose to say their entire dynamic won't change the second they get together? He doesn't want to get bored and start to hate one of his dearest friends by proxy, so might as well just play it safe and suffer a little than take that risk and the both of you suffer a lot 🤷‍♂️.

Meanwhile yuu, who still has their old phone/mp3 player, has been playing Jenny by Studiokillers on repeat. Lying in their bed, just down horrendous for this absolute ball of boyish mischief. How dare he, honestly?

Well. At least he gives them a lot of openings to flirt with him?

*disclaimer, I was home schooled so my actual knowledge about middle school dating is beyond non-existent so take what I say with a grain of salt

The information we get about Ace's girlfriend comes from his suitor suit vignette and he does not mention how they actually got together, just some of the things that they did and how boring Ace thought all of them were. And I agree! The way they broke up does not make it sound like they were friends before dating, though they could have been casual acquaintances. The way Ace likes to goof around makes me think he was probably pretty popular, and had a lot of those types of relationships. His description of the relationship makes me think he probably went out with her because he thought she was cute and that it would be fun to have a girlfriend, but didn't actually stop to think about who she was as a person or what dating actually means. And hey, he was in middle school. He was going to be a bit stupid about those sort of things. The experience seems to have made him think a lot about what he wants in a partner, and we know from Ortho he was telling the truth when he's forced to spell it out:

His voice lines flesh out what he wants a bit more; he says he thinks it's important to find someone you have fun with and that he wants to get married later in life. So Ace knows what he wants... he just gets really embarrassed when called out on it and refuses to talk honestly about his feelings (though he kind of does that in general hehe)

So flashing forward to NRC. Ace knows what he wants and Yuu is such a perfect fit it hurts. Best friends to lovers is a popular trope in fiction sure, but in real life? At a school? Yeah right, Ace still has to see them every day if they break up, and not to mention... I feel like Ace, Deuce, Grim, and Yuu sort of fell into their dynamic almost immediately after the mine adventure and didn't ever stop to think about it because of how natural the friendship felt. And Ace knows if things end badly he's losing the whole squad, so yeah. Better to just swallow this and stay where he is. He's still in school! He doesn't need to think about dating! He's got a housewarden to surpass, upperclassmen he admires, and a bunch of idiots to take care of. He can worry about dating later. Besides, these feelings will go away after graduation he's delusional sure of it!!!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch Ramshackle Yuu is literally in a living hell. Maybe they're a bit more emotionally mature than Ace and they just know this could work out but THEY CAN'T TELL IF HE LIKES THEM BACK BECAUSE HE KEEPS GETTING SHY AND MAKING JOKES FML!!!! But like he also lets them steal his gym shirt :ccc and he gets pouty when someone else makes an offer :ccc and really smug when Yuu says no ccc: so like maaaybe? Or maybe not and this meaningless flirting is all they'll ever have and they just. Try to be ok with it and they sort of hate themselves for it.

until Sebek properly joins the friend group and looses his fucking shit

[thestuffedalligator]

For context I’ve been running a folk/gothic horror D&D campaign based on fairy tales, and the party will have to break into a toy store in the next village they come to as part of a quest from a hag.

The toy shop will be guarded by a one-legged sentient animated armor named Standfast, and when the party first meets them, they will be distracted and looking up at a window of a dressmaker’s shop, where a tailor will be working with a sewing mannequin.

And I can’t decide if I want to do something sweet and romantic or something silly and goofy, so I’m just going to put it to a vote:

[marysmirages]

The Steadfast Tin Soldier (2023)

[furiouskettle]

Да, любимая, да... Нет, любимая, нет.

[stingrayextraordinaire]

Fairytale Moodboards // The Steadfast Tin Soldier

She too was steadfast. That touched the soldier so deeply that he would have cried tin tears, only soldiers never cry. He looked at her, and she looked at him, and never a word was said.

[arinewman7]

The Tin Soldier and the Ballerina aka The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales

IIlustration by Kay Nielsen, 1924

[entropysanyt]

FAVORITE PUBLIC DOMAIN LITERATURE GOGOGOGO

[reinekefoxart]

“and it was burned as black as a coal….” - The Steadfast Tin Soldier - Christian Andersen

[neviayue]

the steadfast tin soldier and ballerina line illustration and animation, commissioned in 2024

A commission from a long time friend of mine to celebrate her wedding. I drew this aligned with the invitation design theme and colour she made, which is Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Happy wedding, Ratna & Bharadwaj!

[chiropteracupola]

steadfast sailor, paper captain...

[3lawzdef1ant]

the image for steadfast tin soldier on TVtropes is princess tutu fanart

[desos-records]

I blacked out and woke up with this in front of me. I claim no responsibility.

[lucyt-art]

KrtskValentinesWeek

Day 3: Movies/Series AU 💂‍♂️🌹🩰

[chernobog13]

Mike Mignola’s cover for the novel Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, by Mignola and Christopher Golden.