#— Jean Valjean (ic.)

[secretmellowblog]

It’s fascinating to see how much Jean Valjean’s characterization lines up with modern descriptions of PTSD. When Jean Valjean is triggered by upsetting reminders of the galleys —or believes he might be forced to go back to the galleys—he often forgets where he is, has “panic attacks” where he becomes disconnected from reality, doesn’t hear people when they’re talking to him, and behaves frantically/desperately or attempts to flee as if he’s being attacked even if no one is actually attacking him.

When he comes across the chain gang with Cosette, he becomes frozen in terror and seems to believe for a moment that he is the one being pursued:

Jean Valjean’s eyes had assumed a frightful expression. They were no longer eyes; they were those deep and glassy objects which replace the glance in the case of certain wretched men, which seem unconscious of reality, and in which flames the reflection of terrors and of catastrophes. He was not looking at a spectacle, he was seeing a vision. He tried to rise, to flee, to make his escape; he could not move his feet. Sometimes, the things that you see seize upon you and hold you fast. He remained nailed to the spot, petrified, stupid, asking himself, athwart confused and inexpressible anguish, what this sepulchral persecution signified, and whence had come that pandemonium which was pursuing him.

(….)

Jean Valjean returned home utterly overwhelmed. Such encounters are shocks, and the memory that they leave behind them resembles a thorough shaking up.

Nevertheless, Jean Valjean did not observe that, on his way back to the Rue de Babylone with Cosette, the latter was plying him with other questions on the subject of what they had just seen; perhaps he was too much absorbed in his own dejection to notice her words and reply to them.

In Arras, he spends most of the night overwhelmed by a sense of unreality that often turns to terror, and at one point even blindly runs through the empty halls of the courthouse “as if pursued” in a moment of panic:

He sought to collect his faculties, but could not. It is chiefly at the moment when there is the greatest need for attaching them to the painful realities of life, that the threads of thought snap within the brain. He was in the very place where the judges deliberated and condemned. With stupid tranquillity he surveyed this peaceful and terrible apartment, where so many lives had been broken, which was soon to ring with his name, and which his fate was at that moment traversing. He stared at the wall, then he looked at himself, wondering that it should be that chamber and that it should be he.

(…)

As he dreamed, he turned round, and his eyes fell upon the brass knob of the door which separated him from the Court of Assizes. He had almost forgotten that door. His glance, calm at first, paused there, remained fixed on that brass handle, then grew terrified, and little by little became impregnated with fear. Beads of perspiration burst forth among his hair and trickled down upon his temples.

At a certain moment he made that indescribable gesture of a sort of authority mingled with rebellion, which is intended to convey, and which does so well convey, “Pardieu! who compels me to this?” Then he wheeled briskly round, caught sight of the door through which he had entered in front of him, went to it, opened it, and passed out. He was no longer in that chamber; he was outside in a corridor, a long, narrow corridor, broken by steps and gratings, making all sorts of angles, lighted here and there by lanterns similar to the night taper of invalids, the corridor through which he had approached. He breathed, he listened; not a sound in front, not a sound behind him, and he fled as though pursued.

When he had turned many angles in this corridor, he still listened. The same silence reigned, and there was the same darkness around him. He was out of breath; he staggered; he leaned against the wall. The stone was cold; the perspiration lay ice-cold on his brow; he straightened himself up with a shiver.

In the bishop’s house, he panics at the sound of a door opening:

He decided on his course of action, and gave the door a third push, more energetic than the two preceding. This time a badly oiled hinge suddenly emitted amid the silence a hoarse and prolonged cry.

Jean Valjean shuddered. The noise of the hinge rang in his ears with something of the piercing and formidable sound of the trump of the Day of Judgment.

In the fantastic exaggerations of the first moment he almost imagined that that hinge had just become animated, and had suddenly assumed a terrible life, and that it was barking like a dog to arouse every one, and warn and to wake those who were asleep. He halted, shuddering, bewildered, and fell back from the tips of his toes upon his heels. He heard the arteries in his temples beating like two forge hammers, and it seemed to him that his breath issued from his breast with the roar of the wind issuing from a cavern. It seemed impossible to him that the horrible clamor of that irritated hinge should not have disturbed the entire household, like the shock of an earthquake; the door, pushed by him, had taken the alarm, and had shouted; the old man would rise at once; the two old women would shriek out; people would come to their assistance; in less than a quarter of an hour the town would be in an uproar, and the gendarmerie on hand. For a moment he thought himself lost.

He remained where he was, petrified like the statue of salt, not daring to make a movement.

He often behaves as if on autopilot, mechanically doing actions without seeming to understand what he’s doing or hear who he’s speaking to, the way he unfortunately does with Petit Gervais:

“My piece of money!” cried the child, “my white piece! my silver!”

It seemed as though Jean Valjean did not hear him. The child grasped him by the collar of his blouse and shook him. At the same time he made an effort to displace the big iron-shod shoe which rested on his treasure.

“I want my piece of money! my piece of forty sous!”

The child wept. Jean Valjean raised his head. He still remained seated. His eyes were troubled. He gazed at the child, in a sort of amazement, then he stretched out his hand towards his cudgel and cried in a terrible voice, “Who’s there?”

Prison had such a massive horrific effect on his mind, and on the way he interacts with the world. He’s constantly living under this sense of terror and paranoia that he’s being pursued, that he will be brought back to the galleys, a terror that often turns into blind almost-mindless panic.

It’s been mentioned before and is a kinda basic analysis, but Jean Valjean’s prison sentence was really far more than nineteen years— the severe mental physical and emotional trauma from those nineteen years lasts his entire life.

[ruedesfillesducalvaire]

Victor Hugo was literally insane for this chapter

like....the amount of quotes that could have been lifted straight from (good) fanfiction.....

Upon what should he decide? One sole resource remained to him; to return in all haste to the Rue de l’Homme Armé, and commit Jean Valjean to prison. It was clear that that was what he ought to do. He could not. Something barred his way in that direction. Something? What?

Something??? What? HMM I DUNNO JAVERT WHAT IS THAT SPECIAL SOMETHING

Jean Valjean was the load which weighed upon his spirit. Jean Valjean disconcerted him. All the axioms which had served him as points of support all his life long, had crumbled away in the presence of this man.

I may as well just bold that whole paragraph like are you serious with this Victor

Certainly, and we insist upon this point, he had not yielded without resistance to that monster, to that infamous angel, to that hideous hero, who enraged almost as much as he amazed him. Twenty times, as he sat in that carriage face to face with Jean Valjean, the legal tiger had roared within him. A score of times he had been tempted to fling himself upon Jean Valjean, to seize him and devour him, that is to say, to arrest him.

Much has been made of 'seize him and devour him' and rightfully so, but literally the whole paragraph is so horny. Calling Valjean a monster and an angel in the same sentence? Literally enumerating the exact number of times (twenty!) he thought about 'flinging himself upon' Valjean?!

How had he come to such a pass? How had all this happened? He could not have told himself. He clasped his head in both hands, but in spite of all that he could do, he could not contrive to explain it to himself.

No further comment, just love that he literally has his head in his hands

All sorts of interrogation points flashed before his eyes. He put questions to himself, and made replies to himself, and his replies frightened him. He asked himself: “What has that convict done, that desperate fellow, whom I have pursued even to persecution, and who has had me under his foot, and who could have avenged himself, and who owed it both to his rancor and to his safety, in leaving me my life, in showing mercy upon me? His duty? No. Something more. And I in showing mercy upon him in my turn—what have I done? My duty? No. Something more. So there is something beyond duty?”

SOMETHING MORE

A terrible situation! to be touched. To be granite and to doubt! to be the statue of Chastisement cast in one piece in the mould of the law, and suddenly to become aware of the fact that one cherishes beneath one’s breast of bronze something absurd and disobedient which almost resembles a heart! To come to the pass of returning good for good, although one has said to oneself up to that day that that good is evil! to be the watch-dog, and to lick the intruder’s hand! to be ice and melt! to be the pincers and to turn into a hand! to suddenly feel one’s fingers opening! to relax one’s grip,—what a terrible thing!

I Can't Believe It's Not Fanfiction!!!! this is literally what Victor wrote I'm losing my mind!!!!!

[paladin-tourney]

Round 1, Side B - Javert (Les Miserables) vs. Brienne of Tarth (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin)

Propaganda:

Javert (Les Miserables)

This man is, as far as I've seen, the go to explanation for what an Oath of the Crown paladin should act like. In the name of the law, in the name of France, he will defend the people from (what he sees as) Dangerous Criminals and Revolutionaries. Unlike many other paladin pop culture examples, he did swear an oath, by the stars, to hunt down Jean Valjean. He serves as an excellent example of a paladin who is far more lawful than good, misguided by a restrictive black and white worldview yet still upholding all tenets of his oath.

He centers his entire life around the oaths he's taken to uphold the law to the letter and to hunting one man in particular. The moment he's forced by morality to break that oath he kills himself that night because he can't live with himself or understand a world more complex than blind unrelenting obedience.

Brienne of Tarth (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin)

Despite not technically being a knight, the truest knight there was. Brave, protects the innocent no matter the circumstance ("no chance against seven. No chance, and no choice"). Her quest to return sansa ended up being a riverlands goose chase, but that isn't her fault.

[cliozaur]

This one is really long, so I’ll start with the best part — the most stylish and iconic entrance: “'Would you like my hat?'…/All wheeled round. It was Javert.” This cop does indeed possess a sense of humour! And Javert’s entrance is intertwined with a series of coincidences. In fact, the entire book is teeming with coincidences, it sometimes feels as though Hugo is abusing them, yet this is an integral element of his writing style. Through sheer happenstance, Éponine scribbled "The bobbies are here" to showcase her writing prowess, by a mere stroke of luck, Marius in his stunned state recollected this piece of paper, and through yet another twist of fate, the police happened to arrive just minutes later without even being summoned! I adore the way the genre of the Gorbeau house scene transitions from horror to melodrama (with Marius' moral struggles), then to farce (with the bandits' chaotic antics and poor planning), and finally to comedy with Javert's entrance.

The bandits don't exactly shine in this chapter! While they initially appeared menacing upon their arrival (and there are three more in this chapter) this aura quickly dissipates as they start to act. Their actions are too chaotic, too disorganized, too unprepared for the challenges posed by Valjean’s courage and strength. A trio from the Patron-Minette quartet joins the fray, all brandishing (symbolic?) weapons. I am somewhat taken aback with Claquesous’ “enormous key stolen from the door of some prison.” Wow! Just wow! (on one of the illustrations - at the end of this post - it's grotesquely enormous) They lost Montparnasse along the way (he preferred the company of Éponine over joining the group of idiots assembled at the Gorbeau hovel). Their willingness to accept Thénardier as their leader and trust him with all the planning suggests that indeed, it’s a low season for crime and they are desperate.

Thénardier never shuts up in this chapter, he rants and rants. I was utterly outraged when he spoke of Cosette as a lost source of income. Well, he mentioned believing that she “belonged to rich people” and that he “might have extracted enough to live on all my life!” However, given that Cosette did not, in fact, belong to rich people, and considering how he used his own daughters for soliciting out, we can only imagine HOW he might have used Cosette to extract income from her. What a terrible alternative! Yet, he is once again telling some reasonable things about the plight of the poor, such as: “We, it is we who are thermometers. We don’t need to go out and look on the quay at the corner of the Tour de l’Horologe, to find out the number of degrees of cold; we feel our blood congealing in our veins, and the ice forming round our hearts, and we say: ‘There is no God!’”

I'm not inclined to delve into Marius' hesitations and quasi-moral dilemma at this moment. Despite my sympathies toward him, he did come across as rather insufferable here. But I like the fact that he was proud of Jean Valjean. Nonetheless, his contribution was rather minimal, with the sole positive action being the toss of Éponine's note into the neighbour’s room.

Valjean is truly amazing here. He is calm, unperturbed, inventive, and displays remarkable sangfroid. A real icon of stoicism. And I have a feeling that his shocking act of burning his right hand with the red-hot chisel is a clear allusion to the legend of Scaevola, a tale of significance to certain stoics. The emphasis Hugo places on Valjean gripping the chisel in his left hand assures me that my assumption is not unfounded. And I so much wish Hugo had afforded us even a fleeting glimpse into Valjean’s mind during this juncture! While we are privy to every trifling notion crossing Marius' thoughts, at this pivotal juncture in the narrative, we remain largely ignorant of Valjean's inner musings. It’s such a pity. But, at the same time, it makes him so mysterious.

Claquesous' enormous key:

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

ROUND 1!

To start, round 1 will take place during 2 days. Both starting at 5pm CET with the first 8 groups on each side, then with the other 8 at 8pm CET. With a break in between group 1 (apple) and group 2 (bapelsin).

We start with most votes, then by fandom. The rest is random

Round 1 - apple, 8/4-2023, day 1

God (bible) vs Reigen Arakata (mob psycho 100), finished

John Silver (treasure planet) vs Donquixote Rosinate (one piece)finished

Garmadon (Lego Ninjago) vs All Might (my hero academia), finished,

Bandit Heeler (bluey) vs Heinz Doofeshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb), finished,

Maes Hughes (full metal alchemist) vs Uncle Iroh (avatar, the last airbender), finished

Bob Blecher (bob’s burgers) vs Professor Utonium (PowerPuff girls), finished

Yosuke Koiwai (Azumanga Daioh) vs Iruka Umino (Naruto), finished

Asura (asura’s wrath) vs Darkwing Duck (ducktales cinematic universe I mean darkwing duck), finished, finished

Hakoda (avatar the last airbender) vs Kaname Date (ai: Somnium files), finished

Sojiro Sakura (persona) vs Ice King (adventure time), finished

Richard Waterson (the amazing world of gumball) vs Dr Venomous (ok ko let’s be heros), finished

Splinter (teenage mountain ninja turtles) vs Kazuki Kurusu & Rei Suwa (buddy daddies), finished

Jotaro Kujo vs Bruno Bucciarati (JoJo’s bizarre adventure), finished

Greil vs Eliwood (fire emblem)

Peony vs Kukui (Pokémon), finished

Seteth (fire emblem) vs Phoenix Wright (ace attorney), finished

Day 2 9/4

Largo the black lion (tales in the abyss) vs David Evans (Inazuma 11), finished

Loid Forger (SpyxFamily) vs Ferid (Suikoden V), finished

Kotestu Kaburagi (tiger and bunny) vs Tim Lockwood (cloudy with a chance of meatballs), finished

Naoki Gotoh (bocchi the rock) vs Oscar Proud (the proud family), finished

Shouta Aizawa (my hero academia) vs Bill Green (big city greens), finished

Dracula (hotel Transylvania) vs Donald Duck (ducktales), finished

Ken Shirashi (project Sekai) vs Sailor Uranus (sailor moon), finished

Skipper (penguins of Madagascar) vs Norisuke Higashikata the 4th (JoJo’s bizarre adventure), finished

red leg Zeff (one piece) vs Sully (monsters inc), finished

Kouhei Inuzuka (sweetness and lighting) vs Geto Suguru (jujutsu Kaisen), finished

Alibert (wakfu) vs Oboro (Suikoden V), finished

Meta Knight (Kirby) vs Senshi (delicious in dungeon), finished

Jades Curtiss (tales of the abyss) vs Gru (despicable me), finished

Pankraz Gotha(dragon quest 5) vs Zenkichi Hasegawa (persona), finished

Keiji Shinoji (your turn to die) vs Kanan jarrus (Star Wars: rebels), finished

Chilchuck (delicious in dungeon) vs Mr Ping (kung fu panda), finished

Bapelsin day 1, 11-4

Eddie Diaz & Evan Buckley vs Bobby Nash (911), finished

Benjamin Sisko (Star Trek deep space 9) vs Dad Egbert (homestuck), finished

Subject Delta (bioshock) vs Damien Bloodmarch (dream daddy), finished

Goldlewis Dickinson (guilty gear) vs Atticus Finch (to kill a mockingbird), finished

Paul Blofis (Percy Jackson) vs Kazuhira Miller (metal gear solid), finished

Gomez Addams (the Addams family) vs Din Djarin (the mandalorian), finished

Hans Hubermann (the book thief) vs Lee Everett (telltales the walking dead), finished

Kiryu Kazuma (yakuza) vs Waymond Wang (everything everywhere all at once), finished

PART 2

Jean Valjean (les misérables) vs Joel Miller (the last of us), finished

Calvin’s dad (Calvin and Hobbes) vs Augustus Aquato (psychonauts), finished

Pyrrha Dve (the locked tomb) vs Dustan Thron (stardust), finished

Neon J (no straight roads) vs Common Wubbox (my singing monsters), finished

Patton Sanders (sander sides) vs Doc Louis (punch out), finished

Alther Mella (septimus heap) vs Riki (xenoblade), finished

Digby Wolf (fables/a wolf among us) vs Bob Cratchit (a Christmas carol) , finished

Petey (dogman) vs Mo Folchart (inkheart), finished

Day 2, 13-4

Alfred (Batman) vs Gandalf (lord of the rings), finished

Asgore Dreemurr (undertale) vs Micheal Bluth (arrested development), finished

Dave Seville (Alvin and the chipmunks) vs Martin Penderwick (the Penderwicks), finished

Anthony Herzen (professor Layton) vs Chimney Han (911), finished

Glamrock Freddy (five nights at Freddy’s) vs Mr Carrisford (a little princess), finished

Poseidon (Percy Jackson) vs bail Organa (Star Wars), finished

Neir Gestalt (Neir) vs Kim Dokja (Omniscient readers viewpoint), finished

Hal Wilkerson (Malcom in the middle) vs Ness’ dad (earthbound), finished

PART 2

Tony Stark (MCU) vs Lee Scoresby (his dark materials), finished

Dream (sandman) vs Kat (all quiet on the western front), finished

Thrushpelt (warrior cats) vs Teacher (the girl from the other side) , finished

Barret Wallace (final fantasy) vs Lazlo Cravensworth (what we do in the shadows), finished

Domingo Montoya (the princess bride) vs Charlie Swan (twilight), finished

Geralt of Rivia (the Witcher) vs Terry Jeffords (Brooklyn 99), finished

Dan Espinoza (Lucifer) vs Rupert Giles (Buffy), finished

Pollination Tech 9 smith (the sims 2) vs Marko (saga), finished

Okay basic questions time before I get a bunch of anon asks

“Two of these are women.”

Father figures also count

“Some of these doesn’t have their own kids”

See point 1

“Why is there only a few characters from the same franchise going against each other but sometimes they aren’t”

Because I only recognized fire emblem, Pokémon, and JJBA at first.

“Aus doesn’t count”

As a previous undertale fan. I could care less. And I am not replacing Tim with BAMSE.

“Replace x with Bamse”

Sorry but. Findus and Skalman have already won. 3 times are a bit too much for us sweds.

“911 is copaganda”

You see Brooklyn 911 (picked by wheel) and you go against fireback mountain. Shame on you anon.

“Dad council these aren’t all random”

Yeah but Neon J vs Wubbox = chaos

Code of conduct

EXTRA BATTLE

[everyonewasabird]

Brickclub 5.8.3 “They Remember the Garden in the Rue Plumet”

I hate this. I’m having trouble even participating in Valjean’s grief that Hugo wants me to feel, because the way this book treats Cosette at this point is so fucking bad it’s all I can focus on. There are absolutely ways of talking about the disparities that happen when one person has a whole life and a person they genuinely love has only them and nothing else; that’s a hard situation, that leads to tensions. But the way the narrative talks about Cosette is as if she makes no observations and has no opinions or thoughts other than how great Marius is. The narrative is absolutely bent her having no negative reaction to anything that’s going on, as if her head is perfectly empty.

Fuck you, Hugo.

Every time we see an actual record of her dialogue it becomes clear that’s not the case, but we’re not getting that this chapter.

I hate it so much.

Marius’s crimes here are at least deliberate on Hugo’s part:

"We have said that we would go to see our garden in the Rue Plumet again. Let's go. We mustn't be ungrateful.”

He’s using that devastatingly loaded word “ungrateful,” manipulating Cosette into going away to the garden and forgetting her father the way his grandfather manipulated him into forgetting his own. “Ungrateful” isn’t a particularly important word for Cosette--yet--but she’s happy to go out with him. It doesn’t occur to her that this is all a ploy to separate her from her father because why the fuck would it, that’s fucking nightmarish, and she’s seventeen or eighteen years old and not automatically looking for ways her new husband is lying to her and isolating her.

Was there, then, some truth in that comparison of the chrysalis which had occurred to Marius? Was Jean Val­jean indeed an obstinate chrysalis, who came to visit his butterfly?

This feels to me like a deliberate, ironic callback to the use of “ungrateful” above. A butterfly’s chrysalis is just like the rotting fish, or the wilted flower, and so on--it’s another one of those items from the convent passage about used up things demanding to be loved as if they were current, threatening their discarder with “ingratitude” for not needing them anymore. Marius has always been incredibly weak to that argument, so it’s pretty rich of him to say Valjean is a used-up thing that shouldn’t presume on old acquaintance.

I do really believe the text knows Marius is being fucking awful here. The problem is, the text knows he’s being shitty to Valjean--I don’t think it has any idea he’s harming Cosette. Which is terrifying: Cosette’s manipulative, underhanded asshole of a husband is trying to perpetuate on her the abuse that was done to him--for exactly the same reasons it was done to him: your father is a brigand! I want you all to myself! I want total control over you!--and all this book can think about is how that impacts her FATHER?

Fuck you, Hugo.

Valjean’s dialogue gets weirder, imitating the things he thinks Cosette wants to hear now: how she should buy herself pretty things because wealth makes everything better (is everybody gonna imitate Gillenormand this chapter?) and extolling the virtues of Marius, because he’s a subject she likes.... it’s bad. I hear the depression talking, obviously, but I wish we got some indication of how fucking weird it is for Cosette to talk to a father who’s trying to phase himself and his own opinions out of his dialogue. And, of course, he talks about the old days with Cosette, because he can only focus on his past with her, he’s cutting himself off from the future.

And then Marius escalates his slow campaign to ice Valjean out of Cosette’s life entirely, sending passive aggressive unwelcome signals through the furniture, talking about eschewing Valjean’s money. Again, Marius refuses to explain anything to Cosette, so she goes to Valjean hoping he’ll actually talk to her. Valjean, of course, upholds Marius’s bullshit and tells her nothing. Meanwhile, he takes the blame for all Marius’s horrible furniture moving, because obviously it’s better that Cosette think her father doesn’t care about her than letting her know that her husband is a fucking manipulative nightmare who’s ending the other most important relationship in her life via some underhanded bullshit with the chairs.

Between the two of them, they gaslight Cosette very effectively... and again, the narrative sees zero problem with that.

Finally, Valjean stays away two days, which is his own bullshit test of Cosette: she doesn’t realize it was two days rather than one, she doesn’t call him father when she inquires instead of the thing he asked to be called, she sends a servant (as is normal and customary) instead of coming herself--therefore it’s over, she doesn’t give a shit and she doesn’t get to have a dad anymore.

If any of this fucking book involved acknowledged that any of what happens in this chapter was shitty to Cosette specifically, I would be on board for it.

It doesn’t, and I’m really fucking not.

[averseunhinged]

guess what. it's wip wednesday. SHUT UP IT IS IF I SAY SO.

this is from the next chapter of and all that i've learned is everything burns and the rewritten version of this sentence. there's a kind of rough snippet with bonnie from earlier in the chapter right here. i wanted to give actual klaroline this week, but literally every scene between them in this fic has declared me its mortal enemy, and we must fight to the death, for there can be only one.

caroline didn't grow up in mystic falls but she's in town because of Reasons after the death of sheriff bill forbes. that is still the plot and we're slowly moving toward the why of it all. so, here's matt donovan! fun fact: he was turned by katherine in place of caroline in the original 7429475 versions of this, and it didn't work for a bunch of reasons, but mostly because i love the secret good matt who lives in my head and didn't want secret good matt to stake himself. normal matt kind of can go ahead and do that, tho. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"Top shelf vodka, Grey Goose if you have it," Caroline compelled the blond bartender, "and Coke with a splash of grenadine and four,” holding up four fingers to emphasize the number, “cherries, please."

“I don’t know. That’s a lot of cherries.” He was adorable and very much not compelled when he grinned a toothpaste commercial smile at her and replied, "Caroline, right? Bonnie said you'd probably come by. I’m Matt Donovan."

She groaned and gripped the edge of the bar, rolling her head along with her eyes and stomped her boot. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. You can have two drinks, maximum. You pay for them and tip well," he offered and shook a highball glass at her, raising his eyebrows.

"Deal," she agreed with a pout, unbuttoning her coat and shaking it off her shoulders, "and obviously, I'm going to pay. What kind of jerk compels stuff when they don't have to?"

"Try every jerk in this town,” Matt groaned and scooped ice into the glass.

"Well, not me,” Caroline reassured and slid onto one of the tall bar chairs. “My mom's head would explode if I even thought about it, and believe me, she would know. She always knows."

"Not much of a troublemaker, huh?” he queried in that casually interested, but undemanding way good bartenders always seemed to develop. “Are you sure you want top shelf in this? Not trying to talk myself out of a better tip, but you probably wouldn’t be able to taste the difference with all that sugar.”

"Okay, now I know it’s vervain and not the other one, because Smirnoff tastes like rubbing alcohol, now that I’ve,” Caroline waved her hand indistinctly before leaning forward and folding her arms across the bar, “other oned. And Mom totally is a troublemaker! Except her kind of trouble is overthrowing a two-hundred-year-old vampire's oppressive political regime like she's Jean Valjean. I just went to a frat party when I was fifteen."

Matt laughed, dropping exactly four cherries on top of her drink with obvious aplomb. "Your mother went to prison for stealing a loaf of bread?"

"Well. Sort of. It wasn't real prison, and it was because she killed a vampire who was trying to murder a witch, because she wouldn't do some spell for him. Mom was only in there a week before Enzo broke her out, and they came away with a ton of new witchy friends and babysitters for me.” Caroline shrugged. “So, all’s well that ends well."

[thelawsofdaylight]

Ten first lines game

I was tagged by both @pumpkinspice-prouvaire and @aromantic-enjolras to do this ask game a while ago but am just now getting around to it! It's made me realise how much I actually published this year which is a not insignificant amount, so thanks for the tag, this was fun!

Rules: Share the first line of ten of your most recent fanfics and then tag ten people. Don't have ten? Not to worry, just share what you have.

kisses of fire (bruning, burning), the exr smut fic that i published literally about an hour ago, it doesn't really have much of a plot it's just smut:

The first obstacle comes in the form of a heavy, iron-clad gate that's so rusted Grantaire always finds himself surprised it hasn't crumbled to dust.

obstacles, the modernised retelling of jean valjean's journey to arras, it's very silly but also required a ridiculous amount of research:

If a person were to walk down the Rue Saint-Gengoult in the early hours of the morning, they would find it quiet and empty, as often happens before a town has commenced its business for the day.

the art of translation, written for the drinkwithme platonic exchange, about feuilly and jehan's friendhsip:

“-and anyway,” Feuilly is explaining to Enjolras and Combeferre, “we scarcely have time to organise it before we meet with the medical students.”

a new day dawning, the ghost!triumvirate fic i wrote for the discorinthe exchange:

Anabelle Pontmercy dies on a Thursday afternoon, twenty three years and three months into the twenty first century.

until the stars burn out, another discorinthe exchange piece about space pirates enjolras and grantaire sharing a traumatic experience:

They’ll later learn it was an act of sabotage.

these roads were made for me and you, this is the first line of the car share au!!!!!! my in-progress fic that i just updated!!!

Fate has always been a cruel mistress to Grantaire, and today is no exception.

strikin' around the christmas tree, my holiday exchange piece, a silly political take on a classic hallmark fic:

The day is cold, the ground sparkling with newly formed ice.

the art of merriment, my bahorel and enjolras friendhsip piece for last year's drink with me platonic exchange:

The first time Bahorel sees Enjolras fight is during an ambush.

we know what it's like to be reckless, another discorinthe exchange piece about jehan and grantaire and some late night graffiti:

Jehan has always loved the sound of spray paint.

under the eyes of the revolution, a same prompt fic challenge fill that focuses on enjolras and feuilly after the execution of le cabuc:

Enjolras sat upon a loose paving stone, his back to the Corinthe's walls.

What we have learnt from this is that klee aka thelawsofdaylight aka quillsand tends to go with shorter sentences for opening lines. Interesting!

I was tagged quite a while ago so I'm not sure who has and hasn't done this yet but if you haven't but have been wanting to, consider this your tag!

[lesmissamepromptficchallenge]

Same-Prompt Fic Challenge 2022 Master List

We had so many wonderful submissions this year, so first and foremost thank you to everyone who submitted! I'd also like to thank everyone for being so patient in waiting for this post.

Check out below the cut for the full collection of this years submissions for the prompt "How exactly did you think this worked?"!! The AO3 collection (contains only fics) can be found here, and the parent collection containing all SPFCs ever is here!

In order submitted:

Green Card (fic)

by kjack89 (@kjack89 )

(Enjolras/Grantaire, 4384 words, T-rated)

Courfeyrac’s expression gave absolutely nothing away as he sat down next to Grantaire again. “He’s in.”

“He – what?” Grantaire managed weakly.

“Enjolras agreed to marry you.”

Court-Circuit (fic)

by WilwyWaylan (@wilwywaylan )

For most people, coming home means getting to relax and unwind after a long day. For Joly, it means a lot of very diverse things, but certainly never boring. It's not always a good thing.

(Joly/Bossuet, 3446 words, G-rated)

A Perfectly Planned Evening (fic)

by Wildrivver (@wildrivver )

(Enjolras/Grantaire, 1652 words, G-rated)

Enjolras is on his way to grab some food with Grantaire. Grantaire has planned the perfect first date.

***

Enjolras and Grantaire go on a date only Enjolras doesn’t realise its a date.

Thénardier and the Spine-Chilling Sneance (fic)

by PagoniTrismegistus

When Thénardier concocts a con involving psychic snails, all hell breaks loose at the inn.

(3833 words, T-rated)

Little Blue Flowers (fic)

by RiotStar (@riotstarruika )

(Enjolras/Grantaire, 6724 words, M-rated)

Enjolras takes a breath, and voices his request in one long, unbroken sentence, before he succeeds in talking himself out of it: "I would like you to spar with me – not practise bâton de combat or savate, but to fight as they do on the streets or in the alleys behind gambling dens; I wish to improve my capabilities in fighting unarmed."

"You'll have to specify which streets; I need to be certain I haven't grasped the wrong end of the stick on this occasion," Grantaire jests, predictably.

Ch’i’ Non Ti Lascerò (fic)

by TheLyricalQuill (@wandererslyric )

Ever intrepid, Jehan finds himself wounded. Ever the compassionate doctor, Joly stitches him up. But frustrations boil in the silence of the apartment.

(les Amis de l'ABC friendship, 1965, T-rated)

Love Bites (fic)

by ShameDumpster (@shamedumpster )

(Enjolras/Grantaire, 9572 words, T-rated)

"What—" Enjolras says, breath hitching at the sight, “What are you doing?”

Grantaire immediately freezes, and then pulls back, slightly. Even still, it’s closer than they’ve ever actually been, barely a foot between their faces.

"I…need to bite you?" he says, managing to sound both wry and nervous at the same time, "How exactly did you think this worked?"

In which Grantaire has recently been turned into a vampire, and Enjolras offers to help him.

Ares (fic)

by ShitpostingFromTheBarricade (@shitpostingfromthebarricade)

(Courfeyrac/Marius Pontmercy, 6750 words, T-rated)

“Your aunt sent him to spy on us,” Courfeyrac concludes.

“Why? To what end?”

“Uncovering scandal, I’m sure,” sighs Courfeyrac.

“I’m probably the least scandalous person in this library.”

“Your aunt seems easily enough scandalized. Have you considered exposing your kneecaps? Dancing with the same lady three times in one night with no intent to marry? Adopting a cat?”

A gasp. “Courfeyrac, I know what we need to do.”

A Courfius fake-dating AU.

Vengeance, the Night, etc. (fic)

by zade (@racetrackthehiggins)

(Grantaire & Jean Valjean, Cosette Fauchelevent & Grantaire, 1940 words, T-rated)

He hadn’t been moving, and decided to tell Valjean as much. “I wasn’t moving.” It was a relatively small cut, but deep, and Grantaire prayed Valjean would reach for the butterfly bandages and not the surgical thread. There were only so many stitches a man could take at once. “Regardless, I told you the suit’s too heavy. It slows me down too much. Speed is a big advantage, I need that.”

“Put the ice pack back on your eye, Grantaire,” Valjean muttered, turning away from Grantaire, and turning back, mercifully, with the butterfly bandages. “You got shot tonight.”

“Correction: I got shot at.”

--

a batman au that is a secret set up for whumptober probably

True Fraternity (fic)

by MagicalDragon (@thevagueambition)

When Feuilly goes on a trip with his bourgeois friends to practice shooting, he feels increasingly out of place.

(Enjolras & Feuilly, 1966 words, G-rated)

I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship (fic)

by Need_to_Comment_Rising (@aromantic-enjolras)

(one-sided Enjolras/Grantaire, 5865 words, T-rated)

Nothing had to change, they agreed. They would stay friends, with the added bonus of being able to call the other when they wanted a good time or needed to let off a little steam. Friends with benefits. Fun, efficient, simple. A win all around.

Or so Enjolras had thought.

----

Enjolras is so happy with his friendship with Grantaire. The man is funny, intelligent, good in bed, and, most importantly, is completely accepting of his aromanticism. ...Or is he?

[lenievi]

Les Misérables BBC episode 2

LM2000 has my favourite Thénardier, and I like how that adaptation portrayed him and Madame Thénardier as people in love. Were they scoundrels, sure, but they weren't necessarily villainized nor made into a comic relief. So seeing Thénardier hitting his wife in LMBBC is hmmmm (maybe it's book canon idk yet tho) but like it doesn't really add anything? Just because Thénardier is a thief and scoundrel doesn't mean he has to abuse his wife...

The obvious "I know who you are" the moment Javert saw Madeleine is not bad (I think most adaptations go that way, more or less, but LM2000 was very subtle about it and I liked how Madeleine was not visibly bothered (he knew that Javert was coming so he could prepare himself) and always spoke to Javert from a position of power, and Javert only realized/confirmed whatever !! thoughts after the cart scene, even though thanks to Malkovich's acting you could see his brain working upon meeting Madeleine for the first time but he said or implied nothing)

(I knew I would compare them, but I haven't realized they'd be so... opposite... and so far I do like both approaches)

not a big fan of Javert telling anyone about his suspicions before Madeleine humiliates him :((( The cart scene just wasn't enough in the book. The cart scene happened like two years before Fantine's arrest :((( But here he just goes to Paris. Hey, I found Jean Valjean. just to be told that Jean Valjean was arrested a few days ago. And now Fantine's timeline will get too messed up :((( (2000 was better about this. Like it's not a big issue but I do think that humiliation played a big part of Javert's denunciation. "You humiliated Javert? It's over for you.")

that said, the way they did it fits this adaptation, so I'm okay with it.

I also, I think, like that Valjean didn't lost his irritability and his "do before think" trait he had in/after Toulon in this series. He was agitated because of Javert, because he knew that now Javert had proof (even tho the proof was "he strong" lol) so that influenced the way he dealt with Fantine (which is obviously not book!Valjean, but feels IC for this one) (also liked that in the dubbing, Madeleine started using the equivalent of "tu" with Fantine when firing her, and then when she was in the infirmary, he went back to "vous")

Fantine's arrest was fine imho but I would enjoy if Fantine's descent to misery and towards prostitution wasn't done in the matter of days instead of months/a year.

Javert: "What exactly does this woman mean to you?" Javert pls

"You astonish me."

hm, I wonder if the reason why Javert went to Madeleine to tell him that he denounced him only now (and not when he came back from Paris) was because he wanted to see what Madeleine would do. He knew he would risk his good name to save Fantine, so did he want to see what he would do if Javert told him that "Jean Valjean" was arrested? I can't see that scene as Javert genuinely apologizing, there was too much tension for that. (Even tho this Javert genuinely apologizing and trembling would be chef's kiss, but I do feel like he was testing Valjean. Hence the handshake too)

But I also think that Fantine's arrest was the beginning of "Javert is starting to crack" because "you astonish me" felt genuine, as if he couldn't grasp his mind around Valjean (because he never stopped believing he was Valjean in this version, imho) genuinely wanting to help someone, someone who could tarnish his good name as Madeleine - since that's the way society worked. And that's also what made him go to Madeleine and tell him about "Jean Valjean's arrest"

honestly the Valjean/Javert relationship and dynamic is good in this, and the characters really work for me in this version because they have the inner continuity. Because when you change the beginning, you have to keep them in line with that rather than trying to align them with the source material (even though they still need to arrive to the same ending).

is this like the book? Not really. Is it entertaining? Absolutely yes.

BBC!Javert will probably be on the same level as Malkovich!Javert for me. And if nothing goes wrong, BBC!Valjean will be my favourite Valjean.

[dadvaljean]

jean valjean in an illegal underground bare-knuckle boxing ring

there are plenty of job opportunities for an ex-con with no discernible skills other than having big muscles, but few of them are legal. at least this way he isn’t a lackey, following someone else’s orders.

until. he’s told to throw the fight. and he won’t! that’s lying. that’s *cheating*!

and to make things worse, who is investigating these illegal underground fights but javert?

[cyberhedgehog233]

What flavor of ice cream do you like?

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

Okay, 3 days left.

MOST SUGGESTED CHARACTER TIME!

Also the apple and bapelsin basically stands for said category. Apple is anime, western cartoons, and video games associated with anime. Bapelsin is live action, books/comics, and video games not associated with anime.

1. Donquixote Rosiante (one piece) 10, apple

2. Garmadon (Lego ninjago): 9, apple

3. Eddie Diaz & Dave (9-1-1): 9, bapelsin

4. John Silver (treasure planet): 9 apple

5. All Might/Yagi Toshinori (MHA): 6, apple

6. Bandit Heeler (bluey): 5, western cartoon, apple

7. Heinz Doofeshmirtz (phineas and ferb): 5, western cartoon, apple

8. Greg Universe (Steven universe): 4, western cartoon, apple

9. Professor Utonium (ppg): 4, western cartoon, apple

10. Bob Blecher (bobs burgers): 4, western cartoon, apple

11. Din Djarin (mandalorian): 3, live action, bapelsin

12. Paul Blofis (Percy Jackson), 3, bapelsin

13. Subject Delta (bioshock): 3, video game, bapelsin

14. Reigen Arakata (mod psycho 100): 3, anime, apple

15. Maes Hughes (FMA): 3, anime, apple

16. Phoenix Weight (ace attorney): 3, apple

17. God (bible): 3, apple

18. Jean Valjean (les mis) 2, bapelsin

19. Bobby Nash (911): 2, bapelsin

20. Yosuke Koiwai (Azumanga Daioh): 2, apple

21. Sojiro Sakura (persona): 2, apple (anime)

22. Doctor Venomous (OK, KO): 2, apple

23. Waymond Wang (everywhere everything all at once): 2, bapelsin

24. Hans Hubermann (the book thief): 2, bapelsin

25. Calvin’s dad (Calvin and Hobbes): 2, bapelsin

26. Augustus Aquato (psychonauts): 2, bapelsin

27. Benjamin Sisko (DS9): 2, bapelsin

28. Gomez’s Addams (Addams Family): 2, bapelsin

29. Simon Petrikov/Ice King (adventure time): 2, apple

30. Splinter/Lou Jitsu (TMNT): 2, apple

31. Pyrrha dve (the locked tomb): 2, bapelsin

32. Seteth (fire emblem): 2, apple

33. Iruka Umino (Naruto): 2, apple

34. Joel (the last of us: Pedro pascal version): 2, bapelsin

35. Kiryu Kazuma (Yakuza): 2, bapelsin

36. Uncle Iroh (avatar): 2, apple

37. Kaname Date (AI: Somnium files): 2, apple

38. Drake Millard (dark wing duck): 2, apple

39. Lee Everett (the walking dead, video game): 2, bapelsin

40. Hadoka (ATLA): 2, apelsin

41. Dustan Thorn (stardust): 2, bapelsin

Extra stuff

Basic Code Of Conduct

Current Phase and Propaganda Explained

AND HERE IS THE FORM

Reminder the ask box is always open if you need to ask anything and also. Please don’t use the Anon asks to correct me on spelling or grammar. English is my second language so if I mess up something just tell me straight ahead. You’re not rude for correcting me (unless it’s really passive aggressive)

Oh wait, what is this…?

Yeah these 5 men are getting in because why not! Those are Bruno Bucciarati & Norisuke higashikata IV (jjba), Bamse (bamse), Barret Wallace (ffvii) and Pollination Tech #9 Smith (sims 2)

[shipsdoctorforhire]

Your Muse In Lyrics!

Repost, Don’t Reblog! HOW TO:  using only songs, cleverly answer these nine questions and then tag ten people

WHAT’S YOUR GENDER? “I am a man No worse than any man”     - ‘First Attack’ from the Les Miserables Complete Symphonic Recording

DESCRIBE YOURSELF. “I’ve done no wrong Sweet Jesus, hear my prayer Look down, look down Sweet Jesus doesn’t care ... When I get free You won’t see me Here for dust ... Freedom is mine The earth is still I feel the wind I breathe again And the sky clears The world is waking Drink from the pool How clean the taste Never forget the years, the waste Nor forgive them for what they’ve done They are the guilty, every one”     - ‘Prologue’ from the Les Miserables Complete Symphonic Recording

HOW DO YOU FEEL? “When the world’s saying not to By God, you know you’ve got to March on, boys”     - ‘Into the Fire’ from The Scarlet Pimpernel (Original Broadway Cast)

“Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you’ll never walk alone”     - “You’ll Never Walk Alone” covered by Josh Groban, from Carousel

“Our steel is ready And our retribution is severe We plunder from the greedy With blood and with our steel We rob the rich of their ill-gotten gain And make them kneel”     - ‘Beneath the Black Flag’ by Miracle of Sound

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? “There will always be a valley Always mountains one must scale There will always be perilous waters Which someone must sail Into valleys, into waters Into jungles, into hell Let us ride, let us ride home again With a story to tell Into darkness, into danger Into storms that rip the night”     - ‘Into the Fire’ from The Scarlet Pimpernel (Original Broadway Cast)

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION? “I’d rather be sailing Yes, I would On an open sea I’d stand at the railing If I could Wild and free The sun is on my neck The wind is in my face The water’s incredibly blue”     - ‘I’d Rather Be Sailing’ covered by John Barrowman, from A New Brain

YOUR BEST FRIEND. “And now I’m all alone again Nowhere to turn, nowhere to go to Without a home, without a friend Without a face to say ‘hello’ to”     - ‘On My Own’ from the Les Miserables Complete Symphonic Recording

FAVORITE TIME OF DAY? “Sunrise, sunset Sunrise, sunset Swiftly flow the days”     - ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ from Fiddler on the Roof (2016 Broadway Cast Recording)

YOUR LIFE’S A TV SHOW, WHAT’S IT CALLED? “We will have our day Sailing into the fire”     - ‘Into the Fire’ from The Scarlet Pimpernel (Original Broadway Cast)

RELATIONSHIP STATUS. “If I loved you Time and again, I would try to say All I’d want you to know If I loved you Words wouldn’t come in an easy way Round in circles I’d go Longing to tell you, but afraid and shy I’d let my golden chances pass me by Soon you’d leave me Off you would go in the mist of day Never, never to know How I love you If I loved you”     - ‘If I Loved You’ covered by Josh Groban & Audra McDonald, from Carousel

Tagged By:  no one; commandeered from the dash Tagging:  anyone who wants to!

[balaga]

Valjean: i’ll steal everything

Javert: [thinking] you won’t steal my heart

Valjean: you look stunning btw

Javert: [under breath] fuck

[lesamisandlesmiserables]

Feuilly: Long ago, we received an ask about what our favorite vines were (pardon the wait- we had various technical difficulties). Rather than simply telling you our choices, we decided to show you. So, I have taken up the burden honor of getting no sleep and creating this collecting our choices and forming a compilation! Enjoy!!!!

undefined