#cosette is rescued and everyone is fine

[clarisinne]

i've been reading the brick i'm like halfway through and i must say they're not that miserable so far

[cometomecosette]

“Look Down” and “The Robbery” (plus the end of the “Waltz of Treachery”), Walnut Street Theatre, 2008. Unknown Gavroche, Jeffrey Coon as Enjolras, Josh Young as Marius, Scott Greer as Thénardier, Dawn Spence as Mme. Thénardier, Christina DeCiccio as Éponine, Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean, Julie Craig as Cosette, Paul Schoeffler as Javert.

This video shows a moment I remember reading about in reviews of this production: a creative and poignant way of conveying the time skip between Montfermeil and Paris. As Valjean and Young Cosette establish their father-daughter bond, Young Éponine comes out of the inn and looks on, holding her own doll that’s much shabbier than Cosette’s new one. Then the grown-up Cosette and Éponine appear, Cosette wearing an elegant dress in the same shade of gray as Young Cosette’s rags, Éponine in a tattered version of her fancy childhood dress, and the little girls both hand their dolls to their older selves, then exit. Not only is this an effective way to move forward in time, it also ensures that the audience knows who the grown-up Cosette and Éponine are and ensures that their past isn’t forgotten: their costumes become constant reminders of their childhoods.

The setting for “Look Down” seems more intimate and sparsely populated than in replica productions, and the set design is slightly prettier and more Romantic than John Napier’s stark brick slum walls, but the staging compensates with the grittiness of the beggars, several of whom are shown lying or crawling on the ground and some of whom are clearly disabled. There’s also a particularly strong sense of how misery makes people act like animals and turn on each other. There are exceptions, of course: we see Gavroche’s kindness when he gives the bag he’s been carrying (which presumably contains food or clothes he either stole or was given) to a severely crippled beggar man. But right away the poor man is mugged for that bag by two able-bodied beggars. The fight between the crazy old woman and the prostitute is also more brutal than usual, and in the background during “See our children fed, help us in our shame...”  a man repeatedly kicks a woman on the ground for no good reason.

Gavroche is a bit generic, but still solid. He might have made a stronger impression if his face weren’t overwhelmed by his huge hat, though. Then again, I suppose it’s only realistic that his clothes don’t fit him perfectly.

Jeffrey and Josh both make strong, rich-voiced first impressions as Enjolras and Marius, even though the camera doesn’t show them during their first lines, favoring a view of the beggars instead. Josh is also excellent in Marius’s first interaction with Éponine: friendly and fond, but with a certain formality and with clear awkwardness when her teasing leans too close to flirting. Still, in this staging he leaps to her defense when he sees her mother roughing her up, and heartbreakingly, it’s in response to this that she orders him “Stay out of this!” It’s as if she’s used to being abused and would rather put up with it than have Marius risk his safety for her.

Christina’s Éponine also makes a fine first impression: scrappy and tomboyish, yet with the wistful yearning and girlish awkwardness behind her teasing facade made clear too.

It’s a nice touch when Marius is about to give Cosette back the apple he accidentally made her drop (for that matter, it’s a nice touch to show Valjean and Cosette handing out food to the poor), only for Valjean to establish his overprotection by snatching the apple from him and handing it to her himself. Apparently to him, even being handed back a dropped apple is too much contact for Cosette to have with a young man.

Scott and Dawn’s Thénardiers are both strong, with their lines’ traditional comedy downplayed in favor of nastiness and slime. Scott slightly flubs his first line, singing “You are all here, you know your place” instead of “Everyone here, you know your place” (not a big deal, but it does sound stilted and awkward), but is otherwise spot-on. Meanwhile, Dawn’s constant rough treatment of Éponine stands out. It’s evident that Éponine has become her mother’s punching bag now that she doesn’t have Cosette to vent her anger on anymore.

I’m surprised that the staging doesn’t have Marius rescue Cosette from Montparnasse’s clutches during the gang’s attack. Instead the poor girl is trapped in his grasp until Javert arrives. I’m sure Marius must have somehow been busy on the other side of the stage. I once read about a German production that had Marius be the one to go and get Javert; maybe this was the case here too, although the camera doesn’t show it.

Paul will never be my favorite Javert (nor will I ever fully dissociate him from the role of Captain Hook), but his stern, fierce voice and demeanor still make a strong impression.

Overall, an effective and creative take on the scene.

[angedemystere]

My Rewatch of Les Miserables, 1998

Ah, yes, I have decided to revisit that much panned film version, directed by Bille August and starring Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman and Claire Danes (and Hans Matheson and Toby Jones thrown in for good measure). This movie holds a complicated place in my heart by being the adaptation that introduced me to Les Miz, inspiring love for these characters and spurring me to look into the musical and the Brick itself .... only to then earn my distaste for all the inaccuracies from the original text.

So, now that I’ve revisited it with fresh eyes and a barometer by which to compare it to other adaptions, is it as bad as everyone says?

Well ... it depends.

Let’s start with how this stands as a movie.

First, the cinematography. In terms of setting and sets, this film is gorgeous. It starts with nature scenes (opens early on with a shot of the river ~ooohh~ foreshadowing) and provides a strong sense of location and space. Now I think in certain urban scenes, especially when the story moves to Paris, there’s a lot of washed-out grey that kind of blends together. It does have a purpose: to portray the desolation plaguing the poor that’s stirring l’ABC to action. Even so, it can be harder to focus on the details when color blends too much. Other than that (and some not necessary close-ups), the filming is dynamic, easy to follow, and overall really nice to look at.

Next, the script and pacing. The scenes within themselves are for the most part effective at getting across character and important information and making interactions feel natural. (The one bench scene between Cosette and Marius might be the exception - can no one write romantic banter well? Or is this true to how awkward romantic banter is in real life? Tell me, I have no idea). Of course you’re dealing with characters like Javert (and lovestruck teens) who make natural dialogue a challenge, but in the movie’s first half, there’s a strong reliance on exchanges from the book itself to make it work. 

Pacing within scenes keeps at a steady clip while giving time for important moments to breathe. But then the movie has to deal with time jumps, which can be awkward since we the audience are forced to reorient ourselves. The first jump works better because we’re meant to feel some suspense about what’s happened to Valjean between his encounter with Bishop Myriel and his being mayor. We instead meet Javert and follow him to his new post in Montreuil-sur-Mer I’ll ... get to that later. When he’s introduced to the mayor, we realize it’s Jean Valjean! That’s pretty satisfying. This movie most succeeds in the first half in giving us enough about Valjean, Javert and Fantine to get who they are, what their situation is and why we should pay attention. 

The next time jump brings us to 1832 and teenage Cosette. This time we’ve missed out on seeing Valjean and Cosette’s relationship grow, and not a whole lot is shown to solidify what their relationship has been like in the convent and what they stand to gain or lose by leaving that environment. We do get some insight, just not as much as I would’ve liked. 

Now, how are the actors? Everyone does at least a decent job, even sometimes a brilliant one. Liam Neeson brings warmth, shy awkwardness, and humanity to the character in ways that feel genuine. The awkwardness is most endearing when he’s interacting with Fantine, which is a deviation from the novel that I really don’t mind because, damn it, they’re just so cute! Speaking of which, this addition of a mild Valjean/Fantine romance (don’t worry, it’s as raunchy as kindergartners holding hands) actually plays a role in how Valjean handles Cosette and Marius’s romance. There’s a bit of lampshading when Cosette acknowledges that she has pretty strong feelings for a guy she’s known only a few weeks and it’s not rational, but her feelings are no less real. And Valjean respects those feelings because he experienced them in his own way with Fantine.

Hang on ... hang on a sec ...

Okay, I’m fine. BBC 2019 miniseries, eat your heart out.

Uma Thurman captures Fantine’s vulnerability without overselling it. She pleads for her case while flip-flopping between honest frustration and appeasing servility. But I must ask this: when her hair was cut, why wasn’t it cropped shorter? Maybe a clause in her contract? Also, no tooth removal. The filmmakers probably wanted Fantine to still look attractive enough for the little romance budding between her and Valjean. Points off for accuracy but still effective in pathos.

I remember not being a fan of Cosette when I first saw this film, not through any fault of Claire Danes or the writing but because I cared more about the Valjean-Javert dynamic than her romance (not predictable of me at all). And she can be pouty, but that poutiness is often justified by her cooped-up existence and a desire to live more freely. I also have renewed appreciation for the fact that Cosette 1) stood up to Valjean when he slapped her, especially given her abuse at Mme. Thenardier’s hands, 2) stayed fairly calm while lying to Javert’s face, and 3) held Javert at gunpoint while she freed Marius. For her sheltered upbringing, girl’s got nerves of steel.

This Marius, while still foolish (slipping out of the barricade that he’s supposed to be in charge of to visit Cosette and being not at all subtle while stalking her), has more sense than book!Marius. Granted, he’s undergone a fusion with Enjolras, but I understand the decision, which I’ll address shortly.

And Javert .... Javert is probably the hardest major Les Miz character to pin perfectly in any adaptation. This is for a couple reasons. One, because films have limited time, certain scenes that can establish an otherwise unseen facet of a character are often cut. This frequently happens with Javert’s later scenes: the police station (where he burns his coattails) and the Gorbeau house (twice - one when he’s disguised as a beggar, the other when he jokes about offering his hat and rebuffs Mme. Thenardier’s assault with his “claws of a woman” comment). Two, his frequent run-ins with Valjean are altered from being coincidences to international face-offs orchestrated by him, making him much more fixated, even downright obsessive, about catching Valjean. On both fronts, Rush’s Javert suffers from these cuts or alterations. But when it comes to the performance he delivers? 

This is the silhouette of a man who makes criminals wet themselves.

Is he my definitive Javert? Oh no. That dream has yet to come true for me. But I rank him in my top five preferred Javerts. I do have issues with some of his actions, like toppling the mail coach (just .....why?), smacking Fantine, and pointing a gun in Cosette’s face. That’s the wrong kind of asshole or creep for him. I do think it interesting, on this rewatch, to be reminded that this Javert’s mother was a prostitute, and when Fantine is harassed by Bamatabois and then retaliates, he first holds back from interfering (and stops the captain from interfering) and then “takes care of this” by slapping Fantine when she tells him the gentlemen started it. I don’t see Brickvert doing any of these things, but the purpose of this moment is to give us a glimpse into the depth of his hatred for the class of people his parents came from. We don’t know why he hates them so much apart from his overall moral and philosophical perspective, but you can’t help but wonder about what he experienced in his early life that would make him act violently toward a woman with the same occupation as his mother, but ONLY when she lashes out (understandably) at a member of good society. This outburst could also explain why he fixates on Valjean, a thief like his father. It’s not just his commitment to his ideals; he’s living a morality play with his parents as the criminals he needs to punish in order to prove he’s not one of them, that he’s risen above them, that he will not and CANNOT fall to their level. The fact this movie captured that nuance and had it carry out in subtext is a credit, even if I don’t agree with all the actions this version has him do.

No surprise that, given how much attention has clearly been given to Javert’s character by the film, this adaptation chooses to keep the center of narrative focus on Javert and Valjean, sacrificing a lot of other characters in the process. Eponine? Gone. The Thenardiers overall, gone in the second half once Valjean has rescued Cosette (except for Gavroche, but you wouldn’t know he’s a Thenardier in this). The Les Amis exist as a collective but have no individual identities apart from Marius and, arguably, this movie’s Enjolras, who is reduced to a team lieutenant and stripped of all other book!Enjolras characterization. Again, a good chunk of Enjolras’s charisma and commitment to the cause is lumped into Marius. The writers were likely interested in making Marius a more dashing love interest. This doesn’t always jive with the moments he’s actually Marius: stalking Cosette, writing her pages of love letters, ducking out of meetings early to see her when he’s supposed to be heading the planning of the uprising. The clash can be distracting. Still, Matheson tries to balances these two sides as well as he can.

This is where a lot of Les Miz fans have or will have problems with this version. If you’re anything other than a fan of Valjean, Javert, Fantine or Cosette, you’re going to feel deprived. I don’t actually consider this a major flaw of the film because the filmmakers were at least consistent in their focus, preferring to develop a few characters than stretch too thin with more characters who would have ended up with shallow portrayals anyway. But I will highly suggest that if you’re a diehard Les Amis or Eponine fan and are annoyed when adaptations reduce those characters, you might want to skip this version.

Now that the issue of character omissions or reductions has been dealt with, let’s get to what I have problems with that are actually on screen:

Valjean’s outbursts toward Cosette - this aspect of his character isn’t as prevalent as I remember, to be fair. There is one scene where he snaps at her as a child (and he immediately apologizes) and two scenes where he yells at her as a teen and/or hits her. Nonetheless, the notion that physical assault was necessary in his character toward Cosette of all people--please no. There’s no reason for it. In fact, there’s better reason to go against it to show contrast with how Valjean reacted to stressful situations in the past. Yes, those knee-jerk reactions can be hard to shake, but Cosette’s presence in his life is meant to show how much he’s grown. Granted, Cosette acknowledges that his outbursts are out of character, that he’s “acting so strangely,” and we do see tenderness between them most of the time. Still, it taints the relationship when his and Cosette’s book relationship, while plagued by secrecy, is entirely wholesome. Any hint of violence makes me wary of when Cosette says she needs to be there for him after learning about his past and plans to flee the country.

Javert’s suicide - again, more on Valjean’s end. Obviously this version is different from canon; Javert makes it seem like he’s going to murder Valjean and let his body fall in the river, only to free him and do it to himself, and Valjean is there to watch. And he fails to attempt saving him, which, given his actions at the barricade and the kind of man he’s become, comes across painfully out of character. So does the glee he expresses when a man has killed himself in front of him only a minute ago. Maybe if Javert had said something or done something to make saving him impossible or clearly against his wishes, Valjean’s inaction would’ve been more understandable. I do also question Javert’s wisdom in killing himself in front of a man who tried to save him mere hours ago. Why did he not consider that Valjean might try rescuing him again? Well, he seemed to make the right call.

Both of these choices point to an attempt to make Jean Valjean more flawed. This is a conversation the fandom has had before, and the question of slipping in a sharpness to redeemed!Valjean has come up in other versions, even some actors’ portrayals in the Broadway show. I see the argument on both sides--he’s human, he suffered years of conditioning that turned him hateful and willing to harm others. But it should be noted that, while Valjean is physically capable of throwing someone around like a sack of potatoes, he’s never demonstrated an inclination to do so, not even from what few details we have of his life in prison. The movie adds that violent edge to Valjean’s narrative, from when he first hits Bishop Myriel on the head to smacking Cosette in the face. Javert gets some of this treatment, too--never shown violent behavior in canon, smacks around Fantine and manhandles Cosette in the film. Maybe the filmmakers were worried a modern audience wouldn’t find a nonviolent ex-con and a non-violent policeman believable. Yeesh.

All right, some minor issues:

The changing of names - Montreuil-sur-Mer becomes Vigau. Fauchelevent becomes Lafitte. Champmathieu becomes Carnot. What’s going on? Were they scared of pronouncing French names longer than two syllables? Oh, and Valjean as the mayor never has a name. He’s just “monsieur le maire” wherever he goes. You think his alias is M. Maire? So he became Maire Maire? No wonder he was pushed to take office.

Child actors - they aren’t great. Hardly any get dialogue and it’s no surprise why. For those who do, it’s obvious they’re being prompted offscreen. The kid playing Gavroche is the exception and there’s too little of him.

Illiteracy - eh, I kind of give this a pass. It’s not book canon that Valjean is illiterate post-Toulon, and I don’t remember if book!Fantine is illiterate, but it gives them a little bonding moment and gives Neeson the opportunity to show off his first-grader-concentration face when he practices his cursive.

Having addressed the big (and not so big) problems of the film, were there good parts in terms of adaptation? Yes--I think Neeson and Rush have a scintillating Valjean-Javert dynamic. I like how they have some understated snark jousting in the Vigau scenes. The 2019 series wishes it could achieve that level of sniping. But then, Brickvert wasn’t very subtle when he brought up how he knew only ONE man, one CONVICT, who could lift the cart, and Valjean is trying to deflect or ignore him while Fauchelevant is being crushed. Maybe not book-accurate, but entertaining as hell.

Also, while I don’t ship them, the Valjean-Fantine scenes were cute and made my heart squeeze. I know it was gratuitous. Their bond provided a little spot of light in their miserable (hah!) lives.

Also also, I like Javert’s informant in the 1832 scenes. He’s funny, cynical (he complains how nauseating Cosette and Marius’s romance is and swears off having daughters), committed to his job (he catches a cold from watching Cosette and Marius in the rain on Javert’s behalf), and respects Javert without being afraid of him. They even walk together to the barricade so Javert can get in and not draw suspicion. And for some reason he doesn’t have a name! Guys, if you like Rivette from the BBC series, let’s give this unnamed informant some love. I want a buddy cop series with him and Javert.

To wrap this up, I’ll say that Les Miserables (1998) is certainly flawed as an adaptation. Jean Valjean and Javert get injected with violent tendencies, Fantine stays prettier than she should, Marius and Enjolras have undergone fusion, and 80% of the book characters have vaporized or barely exist as bit parts. But I wont say stay away from this abomination because it’s not abominable. It’s ... ok. It’s serviceable in capturing the main plot arc of Les Miserables and a couple of its crucial themes. I think Les Miserables is one of those books where you’re probably not going to get the screen adaptation you want, so maybe watch a bunch, pick a few that least offend you, and fuse them together into your own imagined adaptation. With luck, the components are more cohesive than those of Marijolras.

[goodbyecringe]

(Un)Natural Selection Chapter 12

Éponine

I was sitting on my balcony reading over the letter that Justine had sent to me when I heard the knock on the door. After all of the stares I got during dining I just wanted to stay here, away from everyone else. But the knocking persisted and it took all of my willpower to wrap myself in my robe to answer the door. Enjolras was standing outside of my room still in his four piece suit.

“Well I feel terribly overdressed,” he greeted.

“I would have stayed in my dress if I would have known you were coming. Now you have to see me with my hair wrapped like a crazy person,” I laughed motioning at the rags Laila had arranged.

“If you don’t mind I don’t mind. May I come in?” He asked while we awkwardly stood in my doorway.

“Oh, sorry. Come right in,” I said, holding out my arm.

“I see you didn’t change any of the decor,” he noted looking around while I retrieved my letter from the balcony.

“I don’t mean to sound plain but this room is perfect just the way it is. This room is bigger than my family’s apartment so I’d be fine if there was just a bed in here.”

“So you’ve never had a room to yourself?” He asked, sitting on the couch at the foot of my bed.

I decided to swallow my pride for the next ten minutes in order to push some bonding.

“A bed. I’ve never had a bed to myself,” I said looking at him.

I could tell that this struck a nerve with Enjolras and could see the wheels turning in his brain.

“Serious note aside,” I said sitting on my bed, “why are you gracing me with your presence tonight?”

I could actually see his mind switch tracks.

“I came to apologize for throwing you under the bus during the Report. I should have asked you permission before telling the entire country about our secret encounter. I was just trying to keep the mood light so Kyran wouldn’t bring up that horrible fight,” he said, turning around to face me.

“Oh, don’t apologize. I was actually going to say the same thing for when I threw Kyran’s question back at you,” I laughed.

“No need to apologize. I also came to congratulate you on your first Report of many. I met with Combeferre after and he said that you were very composed and charismatic.”

My first Report of many? Did that mean he kept on keeping me around? Was he going to every girl’s room to congratulate her?

“It’s probably thanks to the meetings. Thanks to you I feel much more comfortable talking in a group setting.”

“The pleasure is mine. Have you ever considered furthering your education Éponine?” He asked, sitting up straight.

“Never seriously, since I technically don’t have an education to advance. I know I said I didn’t go to high school, but I’ve even never been inside a school. I mean the only reason I can read is because my mother wanted to prepare me for the Selection,” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

“That sounds very considerate of her. What are your parents like? I’ve really only heard you talk about your sister.”

I felt my heart rate increase. My mouth became dry and I struggled to swallow. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t lie about my parents. Why couldn’t I tell Enjolras that his possible future in-laws were the perfect couple with no sort of criminal history? I had never had any trouble lying. It was a survival tactic engrained for personal protection.

“Éponine? Are you alright Éponine?” Enjolras asked, moving to sit next to me on the bed.

“Sorry. I just need some fresh air, it’s a bit hot in here,” I lied, moving towards the balcony.

It was a horrible lie. The room was the perfect temperature, just like the entire palace. Everything and everyone here was perfect.

“I’m terribly sorry for offending you, Éponine,” he apologized, approaching me.

“No I’m not offended. I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed,” I breathed, feeling the cool breeze on my skin.

“Yes of course. I shouldn’t have come to your room unannounced after your first interview on the Report. I’ll let you get some sleep,” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I could feel an excessive amount of heat on my shoulder. I turned my head to look at Enjolras and I was immediately disgusted at the amount of sympathy on his face. It was the face that my neighbors gave me after listening to my parents argue all night. It was the face my stylist gave to me when he first looked at me. It was the face that every Five and above gave to me when they saw me walk to work in the morning. That sympathetic face evoked a different kind of anger that coursed through my body. I stood in place to watch Enjolras walk towards the door.

“Should I send for one of your maids?” He asked as he opened the door.

“No thank you. They should be allowed to sleep at night,” I said.

“I’ll post a guard outside of your door tonight, just in case,” he persisted.

“Thank you, Enjolras.”

“It’s my pleasure, Éponine. I’ll see you for the meeting tomorrow,” he said, closing the door.

I stood outside until I felt calm enough to get into bed without crying. Everything part of me hated that Enjolras and I had yet to learn anything deeper about each other than our political opinions. I remembered how Cosette asked him about her life at home and how Enjolras said that her father sounded admirable. But she probably didn’t tell him about her father rescuing her from my family.

As I walked towards my bed, I picked up the picture of ‘Zelma that Justine sent me in her letter. My parents didn’t believe in spending money on pictures so I didn’t have any with me when I came to the palace. In this picture, Azelma was holding a cup of tea in the Brouder’s kitchen. Her curly blonde hair was pulled in a messy ponytail while she worked, and she was wearing one of my old T-shirts. I wondered if she regretted asking me not to write to her and if she was taking the blunt of my parent’s aggression again. I wondered if Enjolras could let me call her so I could make sure she was okay.

The next morning I took breakfast in my room while Mariam chastised me about needing to sleep more. Our relationship had greatly increased since Laila and Elise had told me about her daughter. When I decided to let her fuss over my appearance she became much more agreeable, and I became used to her presence. I was curious how the other girls interacted with their maids and remembered the constant commotion I could hear from Tereasa’s room, which was across from mine. Before her first date with Enjolras we could hear her throw a vase at one of her maids, who narrowly missed it, and flew at the wall.

“After you finish your breakfast you’ll need to go see the Doctor in the infirmary,” Miriam reminded me.

“If it makes you feel better, Miriam had to let out some of your dresses,” Elise chimed from my vanity.

It was my second time making a trip to the Palace’s Infirmary during my stay. During the last visit the Doctor said that I needed to gain at least two more pounds to stay on track, but I wasn’t feeling optimistic about my odds. As I walked towards the Infirmary I smiled at Grantaire, who guarded the Men’s Room. Grantaire and I had become acquainted since he walked me to the kitchen before every meeting. I learned that he had a real passion for painting and that he dreamed to one day save enough money to become a Five. At one point we spoke about our worst experiences as Sixes, which for Grantaire was only a few months ago. He said that he had lost his job and become a roaring alcoholic before he applied for a position at the palace. But the bright smile on his face as he waved back to me said that he was doing much better now than a few months ago.

When I entered the Infirmary I was surprised to be greeted by Joly and Combeferre instead of my usual Doctor.

“What brings you in today Éponine?” Combeferre asked, pulling out a chair for me to sit in.

“I had an appointment to have my weight recorded today. If this isn’t a good time I could come back later.”

“Dr. Tapp was called away for a few hours, but Joly and I would be happy to weigh you. Only if it’s okay with you, of course,” Combeferre said, pushing up his glasses.

“I don’t mind at all,” I said sitting down.

“Excellent, I’ll go look for your file,” he said leaving the room.

“Would you mind changing into this gown for me?” Joly asked, holding out the thin slip that I wore in my last appointment.

“Not at all,” I said, walking towards the divider in the corner of the room.

“How have you been Joly?” I asked, deciding to make small talk.

“I’ve been closely monitoring the pollen count for this week, which looks dreadful by the way. Needless to say I’ve been a bit agitated this week,” he said, the frustration in his voice evident.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I sympathized. “Have you been doing that breathing treatment you mentioned in the last meeting?”

“Twice a day and whenever Combeferre says I’m getting out of hand. I’ve found it to be quite effective, but lacks a long term effect.”

“Maybe you could try yoga, the woman I work for goes three times a week to help lower her stress,” I said, walking out from behind the divider.

“Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll be sure to add it to my ever growing list,” he said, sanitizing his hands for the second time since I walked in.

“Now, sit tall and take some deep breaths while I listen to you,” he said as I sat down.

Combeferre came back with my file while Joly was putting something around my pointer finger to measure my oxygen levels.

“How have you been sleeping Éponine?” Combeferre asked.

“Well, to be honest every day I feel like it’s time to wake up as soon as I fall asleep,” I laughed while Joly removed the sensor.

“So the sleeping pills you were prescribed a few weeks ago haven’t been working?”

“No they haven’t,” I said, looking at the ground.

I would dare to tell him that I’d never taken a sleeping pill before in my life, or that my mother probably sold them for booze money.

“I’ll talk to Doctor Tapp about getting you a stronger prescription. I also see that your blood pressure is a bit elevated, have you been feeling a bit stressed?”

“I mean, I’m only here competing against a bunch of girls for a guy that’s out of my league, so yes I would say I’m feeling a bit stressed,” I sighed, partially relieved to finally tell someone.

“Why do you think Julien is out of your league?” Joly asked in shock.

“Because he’s a Prince. A highly educated, well-versed, charismatic, and all too perfect Prince. And I’m a housekeeper,” I stumbled.

“Éponine, I’ve known Enjolras for sixteen years, and trust me when I say, he is the least perfect person in the entire palace,” Combeferre comforted.

“Yeah well the only flaw I’ve found is that he lacks self-preservation skills. God, I can’t even talk to him about anything personal. He came to my room last night to apologize for throwing me under the bus during the Report and I freaked out. He asked me about my parents and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, so he left.”

I felt a tear hit my wrist. Was I actually crying over some guy? Joly and Combeferre exchanged a look.

“I know that this experience might be difficult for you, especially since you’re a Six,” Combeferre began.

My head snapped up when he said Six. The entire time I had been here no one had addressed my caste specifically to my face.

“When Énjolras says he doesn’t want to know your caste it’s because he’s trying to show Illeá that society can be so much more than a caste system. You’ve been to the meetings, you know how Enjy gets when he gives his speeches.”

“It’s like nothing else in the world matters,” I said aimlessly.

“Because to Enjolras, nothing except for Illeá matters. That’s why he skips meals, why he doesn’t go on a date every single day, why he insists on going by his surname. Nothing in the world trumps the future of Illeá,” Combeferre finished.

“Was that supposed to be a pep talk? Because if it was, it sucked,” I laughed as Joly handed me a tissue.

“It was meant to be informative. All of these girls here think that they’re competing to be first, but they’re really just competing for second place to the country.”

“What about me? Aren’t I one of these girls?”

“You might be. But it might help you to know that you’re the only Selected girl that Enjolras ever talks about,” Combeferre said, helping me over to the scale.

The stupid light that lit in my chest my bright enough to help me through the rest of my time in the infirmary. Even though I had actually lost two pounds instead of gaining them, I was still happy. I had a new found hope that was going to get me through the other girl’s stares and day spent practicing my high heel skills. I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot while I walked back to my room. Azelma would have a chance to go to school and we would be able to move out of Allens. Just as I was thinking about what to Justine in my next letter I smelt a nauseating amount of pine. It smelt like an expensive bottle of cologne that only one person that I knew would wear.

“Well if it ain’t the little Lady ‘Ponine,” a dark voice snarled from behind me.

[kitkaty731]

Anybody else like, super obsessed with the BBC Les Miserables miniseries?

My understanding of Jean Valjean’s character arc from the musical was basically, Jean Valjean never really did anything very wrong, and then once he decided to really be Good and Catholic was rewarded with like, money and acclaim. Which, to me, was fine but dull. 

I was always more interested in Javert, whose insanely strict and unbudging moral code was wild to me. He was like some bread theft avenging robot, and high school me who was still working out my own moral code found that very interesting for some reason. 

MINISERIES VALJEAN THOUGH!

SUCH a good CHARACTER! He goes from being poor and desperate to just absolutely destroyed in prison for decades. He was not a monster, but the system turned him into one. He doesn’t give a fuck, he’s been betrayed in every possible way and he will fucking murder you. 

Every SECOND Jean Valjean is trying to be a good man, Dominic West plays him like you can see the monster inside just waiting to jump out. He still TRIES so HARD, though! And he still fucks up!

Like Fantine! In the musical I always felt like Fantine’s situation was just some sort of tragic misunderstanding, but the miniseries lays the blame for her fate squarely on Valjean. He fired her because she lied to him. This, as a manager, is a wholly understandable thing to do. It is, unequivocally though, the most fucked up thing he did in his life. By firing her he killed her. I love this, because it shows you can do irreparable harm by just following the rules (aka Javert’s whole existence). 

And then when he tries to rescue Cosette and EVERYONE, literally EVERYONE assumes he’s a pedophile. DAMN. This rang EXTREMELY TRUE to me, but didn’t even cross my mind in the musical. When she’s a teenager and he’s buying her a dress and the dressmaker assumes she’s his mistress? BRUTAL.

And when he shows Cosette the prisoners to try to teach her a lesson about how hard life is, and she calls them subhuman!? UGH!!! POOR VALJEAN! 

Anyway, Jean Valjean portrayed as an ex-con who constantly fucks up and yet still tries so hard to be a moral person is a VERY SATISFYING JEAN VALJEAN! Well played by Dominic West, I gotta say.

[pilferingapples]

Beeble Mis Episode 4 Part 2a: Marius and Some Guys

Part One, focusing on Cosette’s side of the story, Here 

  Again, this is not gonna be a Happy or especially Orderly Recap; I’ve seen this once and this is as much for my own processing/sorting as anything. Episode Four starts with Cosette as a teenager in the convent, and ends pretty much right after the Gorbeau raid. So that’s our …framing set of events, here, because I have no idea what year it is or how much time any of this is supposed to be taking?  

This section covers the Marius-focused path of events.

ANYWAY HERE WE GO, under the cut for abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, weird incest vibes, discussions of lots of things and me probably cursing a lot!  There is a LOT going on in this one!  So much that I’m actually gonna try cutting it into two parts, a Cosette Recap/Reaction post and a Marius Recap/Reaction post! here’s ...well, here’s some things that sure did happen with Marius.  A warning: at times, this show has caused me to resort to ...sarcasm. 

...remember when the Pontmercy parts of this series were really good? We’ll take a brief scene in remembrance of that, as Marius prays at church, and then stops and helps an old church warden to stand up from where he’d kneeled to pray.  Mabeuf-- FOR INDEED IT IS HE-- then proceeds to tell Marius about a poor man who’d sit behind that pillar riiiight over there, and watch his child who he was never allowed to see because of family arrangements. Marius in a gloriously Pontmercy moment, fails to see how this is relevant to himself and tries to go Cool Story Bro and zoom on out. BUT WAIT! That Poor Man was...COLONEL PONTMERCY! Yes, Marius, he was your father! 

...and then, okay, then I really have to protest. Because what follows isn’t about Mabeuf telling Marius how much Georges loved him; it’s about how BRAVE Georges was , and what a great fighter he was. And then there’s sort of a montage scene of Marius finding more evidence of Georges’  bravery, and this is why he comes to admire his father, because his father was Super Brave and Tough, and then he just charges all in and yells at Gillenormand for keeping him from knowing his father and slandering Georges’ name--all of which Gillenormand absolutely did!- and then there’s the WELL THEN LEAVE THIS HOUSE WELL FINE I WILL conflict, which feels less dramatic when Marius looks like he’s 30 (update, I checked, this actor is 28) than if he’s a teenager, and I don’t know how old anyone is because what is pacing or a timeline, Beeble Mis doesn’t know. Nicolette, who’s the current Best Person in the Gillenormand House and Maybe In This Episode, chides her boss (!!!) for his behavior, and Gillenormand is like “eeeeh he’ll get over it” , because Marius is a hot blooded teenager, or else he’s fifty, WE DON’T KNOW. WHAT YEAR IS IT. 

A Digression:  

Georges is Very Brave, but what MATTERS to Marius, what really melts his heart about his dad, and gives Marius the determination to turn against Gillenormand, is that Georges loved him , loved Marius, deeply, when Marius feels that he has never been loved. That’s  what matters to him; if Georges had been a Bonapartist gardener, Marius would have been obsessed with gardening. He falls for the military glory because that’s what brings him closer to the one person who loved him.  It’s not the other way around! 

 And I think that speaks to a real flaw at the center of this series; it doesn’t  believe love can change people,it doesn’t think love is really important at all. It believes in anger, and in obsession, and in Fighting, and in pride and hate and guilt. But the idea of love--actual love--as something that people live and die for, it’s not on with that. And that is genuinely the whole soul of the story; that love is what we need to change the world, love on a personal and societal level, that it rescues and heals and is worth  agony and even death.  Anyone who doesn’t get that just can’t get this story-- and I really think this series does not  get that. It makes love the also-ran in so many ways, and that guts every character but the very worst, and it guts the story. 

End Digression. 

Anyway, Marius stomps out of the house, and Why Not, he’s like 30 , he can live on his own, and he goes to find lodgings with Courfeyrac in tow. (Also, apparently Marius knows Courfeyrac already, and very well.) They’re heading to the Gorbeau house , and they pass Eponine and Azelma on the way; Courfeyrac sees them and calls them “home comforts” and Marius, unfortunately correctly, tells him he’s disgusting, to which Courfeyrac laughs and says he knows. 

(A Parenthesis: Courfeyrac is, to be sure, a sexually active young man who is unabashed about his own and others’ sexuality. He sees women as potential lovers and comments on their looks. Yes, Courfeyrac Fucks. Yes, he is a horny college kid.  This is true; and a modern or more mature reader might wish that, ideally, he was a bit less objectifying about it. BUT : Courfeyrac, in the novel, is expressly disinterested in underage, badly-dressed Cosette. He has some standards , and “starving ragged barely-teens” don’t meet them.  This is, sadly, relevant to future developments. End Parenthesis.)

Marius takes the Gorbeau apartment and then goes with Courfeyrac to meet up with the other Amis, all three and a half of them!-- Enjolras The Badly Goatee’d,  Grantaire, and also theoretically Bossuet is there! It’s okay, we can all forget about that, he’s barely on camera and has no important lines!  Apparently they all know each other already! Marius announces his change of political allegiance to Bonapartist Democrat and everyone kind of rolls their eyes AS THEY SHOULD , but Enjolras(?!?) interjects to say that BONAPARTE FOUGHT FOR THE REPUBLIC, BEFORE HE BETRAYED IT, and then speaks on a bit and god y’all, this is how badly this show is written: I don’t give a damn, I can’t be bothered to remember what else the BBCAmis said. ME. I DON’T CARE  ABOUT THE POLITICAL DISCUSSION.  It’s all buried under in the rampant sexism and disastrous pacing and characterization choices. Beardjolras gets Combeferre’s To Be Free line. I cannot overstress how little I Care. #Not My Amis, #Not My Historical Political Discussions.  

...Annnnd I’m cutting this in two parts here, because it’s gonna be at least a couple thousand words altogether and this is not even close to the worst part. 

[kainosite]

Les Misérables 2018, Episode 2

Welp, Anthony Perkins is not going to be knocked from his pedestal of “Most Brick-Accurate Interpretation of Javert Despite Being Far Too Attractive for the Role” any time soon.

The Good:

• Finally we get an adaptation that will force both us and Valjean to confront the question “Does Petit Gervais deserve the protection of the French criminal justice system, and if not why not?”  The miniseries kind of had to do this because it made Valjean’s theft of the coin so much more deliberate than in the book, but it has done it, and not before time.  Les Mis fandom has been willfully avoiding this question for years.

• The Thénardiers were superb.  I know Olivia Colman is contractually obliged to appear in every BBC production ever, but her ubiquity is entirely justified here because she may be the best Mme. Thénardier of all time.  Thénardier was good too, and that brief flash of violence against Mme. T when she challenged him was a valuable addition, both because it explains a lot about her character and because it foreshadows what he’ll become in Paris.  So far we’ve only seen him as a corpse looter, a dodgy innkeeper and an extortionist, but he’s more dangerous than that, and we caught a glimpse of that here.  There were some nice subtle touches: the Sergeant of Waterloo sign and the story of Thénardier’s heroism, the fact that the girls only have two good dresses between them (Azelma immediately gets Cosette’s; when they’re showing off Cosette to Victurnien she’s wearing Éponine’s), the inclusion of unloved, adorable baby Gavroche.

• One consequence of Colman’s excellent performance is that Fantine’s choice to leave Cosette at the inn appears quite reasonable, as it should.  Fantine did exactly what a young woman traveling alone is supposed to do: she gravitated towards the mother playing with her children because that’s the person who is supposed to be safe.  Mme. T was welcoming and sympathetic, though still with a bit of a Thénardiery edge, the little girls played together like sisters, and Fantine’s decision to leave Cosette in this stable, apparently happy environment seems entirely natural.  She had no way to know that wholesome surface was wallpaper over an abyss.  The people who can afford the diligence get a recommendation for the other inn, but she had to walk.  (The Vimes theory of Yelp reviews.)

• Having Fantine walk in on Madeleine’s mayoral inauguration was a clever way to handle that exposition in theory, although slightly clunky in practice.

• Madeleine is so awkward.  His speeches are so bad.  His hat and coat are so ugly. <333

• I love every OC in Montreuil.  I love the bourgeois who is super excited about Madeleine becoming the mayor (I hereby dub him “Robert”).  I love Fantine’s factory friends who gossip about their sexy boss and his bedroom grotto and then run to get him to rescue their fallen coworker from  evil cops.  I even love the public letter writer with his creepy but pragmatic advice.  I imagine he’s been witness to a lot of human misery and has developed that cynicism and dark humor you often see in people in frontline emergency services.

• I don’t love Mme. Victurnien, but that’s her, all right.

• This adaptation is doing an excellent job with Fantine’s illiteracy, and has been since the first episode.  The skin-crawling awfulness of having to conduct your most private, personal business through the public letter writer and have him know and comment on all of it really comes through.

• The police are all in plainclothes and basically look like a gang of thugs.  This adaptation has really grasped the 1820s French police aesthetic.  I also appreciated how hostile and judgey everyone at the Prefecture was towards Javert.

• I don’t know what it says about Davies that the characters he can most consistently write well are the asshole fuckboys, but Bamatabois was great.

Also I don’t think I’ve seen a Fantine beat up a Bamatabois this bad since 1934 when she put his head through a glass window.  As in the 1934 adaptaion, this creates a minor problem with the narrative because it means she really is guilty of a serious assault and Javert is right to arrest her, but you’d have to have a heart of stone not to enjoy seeing Bamatabois punched repeatedly in the face.  I do not have a heart of stone.

• I’m choosing to believe that Javert’s handshake following his resignation is a little nod to readers of the novel, who know as well as he does that a legitimate magistrate has not taken the hand of a spy.

• Nice fake jet manufacturing process in Valjean’s factory: they even included the gum-lac.  The flag at the Prefecture of Police is the white fleur-de-lys, not the tricolor.  They really are putting tremendous effort into getting some of the little details right.

• This adaptation’s sense of place continues to be excellent.  Montreuil-sur-Mer has its steep hill; during Madeleine’s inauguration you can even see the Canche.  The soldiers from the garrison are a ubiquitous background presence. The Prefecture of Police in Paris looks like the old headquarters at the Rue de Jérusalem, which if it wasn’t a happy accident shows a truly remarkable degree of historical research and commitment to accuracy.  (They then proceeded to cover it up with that hideous red font, truly the ‘YELLOW’ of this adaptation.)

The Meh

• If you must go with a “Javert immediately makes a positive identification of Valjean” plot their first meeting wasn’t a disaster, I guess.  There was some decent dramatic tension.  I appreciated Madeleine’s initial cunning plan to stare out the window for the entire rest of his life so that Javert couldn’t look him in the face, before realizing that this probably wasn’t going to work.  The little slip where he called Javert ambitious and betrayed his prior knowledge of him was good.

• Why does every person in this adaptation have a ridiculous and implausible horse?  Why does Javert have a horse to ride to Paris, which is far enough away that you’d need to change horses and you should probably just take the diligence, but not to Arras, which is within riding distance?

The horses are elevated from “bad” to “meh” by the fact that Valjean’s palomino is gorgeous, though very unlikely to exist in northern France in 1823, and if he must ride an implausible horse it might as well be an anachronistically pretty one.  Also by Valjean and Javert’s fraught moonlit horseback encounter, which is obviously what an adaptation should do with its ridiculous horses if it insists on having them.

• The Chief Inspector in Paris was neither Chabouillet nor attractive, nor did he have any fun hierarchical tension with Javert.  Boo.

• This adaptation is sure going hard on the Valjean/Fantine vibes, huh.  I don’t hate it, which probably counts as an enormous accomplishment for the miniseries.  I think it manages not to come off as gross mainly because Madeleine is so incredibly awkward that it’s impossible to imagine it ever progressing to the point of a sexual relationship.  Fantine smiles at Madeleine because she’s so relieved to have found a safe harbor.  After an internal struggle Madeleine manages to smile back because that’s what you’re supposed to do when people smile at you, right??? and she’s so powerless that she’s the only adult in Montreuil he doesn’t find threatening.  In a decade or two they might progress all the way to reciprocal “Good mornings” when she comes in to work.  That’s as far as this is going to go.

• Sadly this vision of social harmony and human connection will never be realized, because Fantine got fired.  Specifically she got fired by Valjean for added drama.  I know people are up in arms about this, but honestly I think it’s fine?  At the end of the day it is Valjean’s sexist policy that costs Fantine her job and his chosen supervisor who implements it.  The franc stops with him.  Having him fire her himself just makes his responsibility a little more apparent. I don’t think it’s necessary to depict it this way, but it’s fine.  Adaptations do this sometimes.  In 2012 something very similar happens, where Valjean is too distracted by Javert to deal with the Fantine Baby Drama and lets a malicious subordinate call the shots.  The Original French Concept Album has Valjean fire her directly without any excuse for his behavior at all, and nobody thinks the musical is a irredeemable character-ruining travesty of an adaptation– well, one guy.

• Shouty Valjean is not doing anything for me but he’s not catastrophic either.  It is unfortunate that most of the people he interacts with in this episode, and therefore most of the people he shouts at, are female, but we know from Episode 1 that he’s equally happy to shout at bishops who have just saved him from a lifetime sentence of forced labor.  Westjean is an equal opportunity shouter.

The decision to portray Valjean’s saintliness as a constant effort that slips whenever he’s stressed is an unusual one, and certainly not Brick-accurate (Brick Valjean’s saintliness is a constant effort that almost never slips), but I don’t think we should dismiss it out of hand.  Television needs to externalize internal conflicts in some way, and I can’t say this is a less artistically valid method than eg. I Miserabili’s tendency to have everyone monologue all the time.  We’ll have to see where they go with it.

• Valjean didn’t refuse Javert’s resignation.  The resignation scene is so weird that I’ve decided I’m actually okay with this, because it’s really very unclear what Javert’s is resigning over.  Is it the “false” denunciation?  Is it the argument over Fantine, which he also apologizes for?  Has all this turmoil just made him reconsider his life choices, and he’s decided to emigrate to America and become a paddleboat pilot on the Mississippi?  Who knows!  Valjean has a moral responsibility to stop Javert falling on his sword over the denunciation, but not to keep him on the police force.  If Javert is going to be this vague, it’s his problem.

• The Burning Coin of Shame was so melodramatic Hugo’s ghost is presumably kicking himself for not making Valjean pick it up in the novel.  I don’t hate it, but when you’ve out-melodrama’d Hugo it may be time to take a step back.

The Bad

• That red font looks worse every time I see it.

• Valjean’s godforsaken ponytail.  WHY.  It’s not even attractive!  Who the fuck decided to lift every aesthetic decision from the 2012 movie except for the period appropriate hair!?

• Speaking of period appropriate hair, your prospective employers might be less likely to assume you’re a slut if you put it up like a respectable woman instead letting it flop all over the place like a prostitute, Fantine.

• I don’t love Fantine’s intake interview.  There are ways they could have depicted the factory’s morality policy without making Madeleine come off like such a nosy sexist asshole, and Davies should have found one.  Being the nosy sexist asshole is Victurnien’s job.  Madeleine is meant to be the paternalistic, well-meaning sexist asshole.

• The Brick glides over Marius’s childhood in a few sentences, so I appreciate there is a difficulty in finding incidents to fill the Pontmercy sections in these early episodes.  TOO BAD.  You decided to merge the timelines, Davies; it was self-evident that this was going to be the major problem with that approach when you did it.  THIS IS THE LIFE YOU HAVE CHOSEN.  Go over the novel with a fine-toothed comb or make some shit up, but it was your responsibility to  fill this gap somehow.

Killing off Georges Pontmercy ten years early is not a solution.

a) You gave us Hot Sad Dad Pontmercy and then tore him away from us two episodes before you needed to.  HOW DARE.

b) The Marius timeline in the Brick makes sense.  His father dies, he finds out Georges loved him from Mabeuf, he starts researching his dad and Napoleon and grows estranged from his grandfather, Gillenormand kicks him out of the house, he meets Bossuet and Courfeyrac.  Marius’s internal growth, the timeline and the plot all work together as a cohesive whole.  Fuck knows how any of that is going to work out now.

c) Marius is still going to be a child next week, so killing off Georges didn’t even solve the problem, it just postponed it for the space of a single episode.

d) The gap wouldn’t even have been that hard to fill!  Georges could have fought with the prosecutor about his decoration and spied on Marius at church or something.  It would have given us a chance to meet Mabeuf properly.  Fuck this bullshit so much.

• This is a minor thing, but there should be women at Gillenormand’s table.  Ancien Régime salon culture was run by women; the exclusion of women from male political and social life in France was a nineteenth century invention.  The Brick is very clear about this – Gillenormand generally hangs around with Baroness T.  History has enough sexism in it already.  There’s no need to invent more.

• I have no objections to Valjean firing Fantine in person, but the toy bird introduces a pretty serious flaw in Victurnien’s “She’s a callous whore who doesn’t care about her child” case, one you’d think Valjean might notice.  There’s no reason for it even to appear in that scene!  Have the Tories cut the BBC’s budget so much they can’t afford script editors?

• Gosh those are some bright, white street lamps they have in Montreuil.  I wonder what sort of oil burns with such a constant flame?

• If Davies wanted to dissociate his adaptation from the musical, a good first step might have been to spend much less time with the campy tooth and wig guy.  Fantine’s plot arc was actually fairly good up until that point, but after that it really did devolve into misery porn.

• Oyelowovert has a very pretty face.  What he does not have is any coherent motivation for his behavior in this episode.

Javert’s plotline was such a fucking disaster in this that I gave it its own post.

• If Davies insists on doing this stupid Arras entrapment plot, the least he could do is give us a Robert and a Genflou to make up for it.  Well, we got a Robert but not a Genflou, and I’m mad.

This episode was a mix of the sublime and the grotesque, and therefore, in a certain sense, truly worthy of Victor Hugo.  But Gavroche is going to have a lot of work to do at the barricade to make up for this mess.

[lesamisandlesmiserables]

I'm bored so have a spam of questions: 1) Favourite type of music to listen to? 2) Any pets? 3) Plans for the future? 4) Is the glass half full, half empty or entirely full of water and air? 5) Oddest thing you've done when bored? 6) Favourite hobbies?

Cosette: My favourite sort of music is classical compositions, no words at all, just the beautiful flood of the music that plays, relaxing and comforting, there is a haunting beauty within it! I have one dog, who I’ve had ever since he was a newborn puppy, when I was first taken in by Jean Valjean, I received him, and he’s been my constant companion ever since. As for my future plans…Hmm. I suppose I’m just letting the tide of fortune take me wherever, a chance moment can change all. I personally like to look at the glass as full! Why be negative when you can fill your life and the life of others around you with the beauty of positivity, I say. Oddest thing I’ve ever done when bored…Hmm.

Combeferre: If I’m actively listening to the music then it has to be classical music. If it’s just music I have on in the background then it can be virtually anything. I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to background noise/music. Enjolras finds it frustrating when at home because I can only study with music, whereas he studies best in silence. We compromised and I got him some noise cancelling headphones. I have one cat and between us Enjolras and I have two dogs. (They’re scared of the cat) My future plans line up with E’s in that we’re both studying law, although specialising in different areas. From there I’ll probably practice for a few years before settling down to teach.This is an entirely ridiculous question, which is wholly subjective and says more about a person’s outlook than it does on the factual state of the glass itself. In any case, the glass is a container filled with water and air. I serenaded my bookshelf once… that was a weird day. I enjoy reading, listening to music, gardening (Mabeuf introduced me) yoga, and generally being at home.

Enjolras: I don’t listen to music very often, though, if I had to pick a favourite, it would probably be alternative or classical. Ferre and I own two dogs (Maximilien and Socrates) and he also has a cat. As Ferre said, we are both studying law, though I am studying International Human Rights Law specifically, so that way I can better help all people. I don’t tend to view it in any particular way, though I would have to say half full. There is always room for more, but at least there’s something there. The oddest thing i have ever done while bored? I once gathered all of Ferre’s chairs and flipped them over to build a “barricade.” This was when we had just learned about the rebellions after the French Revolution in school. And as for my favourite hobbies, I tend to enjoy attending protests, reading, taking the dogs on walks, and walking around in the rain.

Babet: My taste in music is all over the place. I like a bit of everything. I want a pet bat but apparently that’s unhealthy. I want a dog too, but I wouldn’t have enough time to look after one right now. My plan for the future is to finish my degree and then get my doctorate. Other than that, I tend not to look too far ahead. The glass is probably empty if I’ve been anywhere near it. I’ve done a lot of odd things when I’ve been bored, and I probably shouldn’t admit to most of them. I have too many hobbies to count, but playing instruments is probably my favourite, especially guitar and piano.

Fantine: 1) My favorite type of music is anything upbeat and gets me moving. Life can be hard but you can at least control what you listen to and that is a blessing! 2) No pets sadly. The Thenardiers don’t allow pets in their building. As a child I had a couple of birds, larks actually. 3) Plans for the future? Find my Cosette of course! I haven’t seen her in so long and I hope and pray desperately that she is safe somewhere! I could never manage if I knew she was out there all alone! 4) The glass is empty. That way you can fill it with what you want. 5) Oddest thing I have done out of boredom was knit a scarf that was nearly 8 feet long! I was really distracted with a really good podcast and boom a scarf long enough for a hippo. 6) I don’t have much time for hobbies but I like baking. It’s very methodical (you know exactly what happens next) and as long as your follow the recipe you get something delicious. It is also handy when you are late and need something to convince your boss not to fire you!

Valjean: I don’t really have a favorite music type, anything with a good beat and good message is fine by me. I have a very old dog. She’s a rescue and her name is Cayenne. I’m at that point in my life where I don’t have distinct plans, besides to enjoy working at the library and spend time with my daughter. It’s definitely full. I told the entire library once that we were switching from Library of Congress system to Dewey Decimal system. You should have seen the looks of horror. My favorite hobby, besides gently teasing library student workers, is definitely reading.

Mabeuf: 1) I quite enjoy folk music, and murder ballads are especially fun! 2) My six cats are glorious creatures. I’ve been looking after rescue cats for decades, and one had a litter, so now I have many beautiful darlings. 3) I’d like to see some more change in the world - keep supporting protests, though I’m likely too old to do a great deal myself. Perhaps I can stay around to haunt the university, or something like that… 4) Half full, I suppose - it’s not perfect or finished, but that’s okay. Things don’t have to be. 5) Started translating Dorian Gray into Polari. Oscar would be proud, I think. 6) Reading, gardening, petting cats, teaching, and drinking tea.

Marius: 1) I love most music, but my favourite kinds would be indie and folk. Sometimes pop, too.  2) I don’t have any pets, but every now and then some birds drop by my window sill for bread crumbs. 3) In the future I plan to be with my true love. It seems silly, but I want a ‘happy ever after’ with my soulmate, you know? In the future I want to help people learn to be accepting and inclusive of everyone no matter what someone’s race or religion is. I also want to come to terms with my grandfather. He can be a stick in the mud, but we love each other and I admit I sort of miss him. New York is a big place, and it’s easy to get cold and lonely. No I’m not crying, it’s just allergies I swear. 4) I think the glass is entirely full of water and air. Although we only see the water, the air is there too and it’s just as important, even if it’s not what we’re looking for. 5) This will probably ruin my reputation but the oddest thing I’ve done when I was bored was stalking Mr. Valjean. In my defense, I had never spoken to him back then and he seemed intimidating but I wanted to find out more about him without actually confronting him and I had a spare class and… anyways I found out that he spends an awful lot of time strolling the streets with Cosette. 6) My favourite hobbies would be walking, reading, and blogging. 

[machihunnicutt]

Fic-vember Day 4

I’m cutting it a little close tonight lol. Have some les mis antics (that will be continued.)

Lost and Found 

Chapter 1: Preparation

(or read on ao3.)

“How bad does this sweater look?” Marius stood in his roommate’s doorway in a lumpy, bright orange sweater. It was one of those sweaters that wasn’t even bad in an ironic way. It was just bad. The orange brought out the freckles scattered over Marius’ Parisian nose and cheeks and down his neck and the lumpiness of the poorly executed stitches made the way he was hugging himself, awkwardly with his twig arms, seem even more nervous. Cosette said what she always said, and it was the truth.

“You look great.”

His shoulders relaxed a fraction so she continued. “And we talked about this. You’ve got to practice framing questions in a neutral, if not positive way.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, face going pink. “I’m a little nervous about tonight.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Cosette shut her laptop on the half-finished essay she was writing for her childhood trauma class. It wasn’t the most pleasant of assignments for the fall vacation but she was nearly finished and with any luck there were better things to come. She smoothed the hair out of her eyes and walked to her closet. He was still standing in the doorway so she gestured for him to come in and sit on her bed.

“Courfeyrac planned today for everyone to get together and have fun,” she said. She rummaged in the top of the closet for a moment. “If you’re not ready to tell him it’s okay you know? You should do it on your own terms.”

“I know,” he began, curling his knees to his chest and nestling his socked feet in her comforter. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell him. I’m just scared.”

“Of Courf?” She laughed, though not unkindly.

“Well when you say it like that it sounds stupid.”

“Whatever happens he won’t be mean.”

“I know. I just want him to you know…to feel…”

“You want him to feel the same.”

“Yeah.”

She had found what she was looking for and turned back to look at him. His hands were fumbling in his lap. His corduroys meshed oddly with the sweater in a way that made him look a little like a pumpkin.

“Here.” She held out a matching orange hat with a big pom pom at its top. “Wear this, it matches and it’s good luck.”

“Why is it good luck?”

“Because I said so that’s why.” She stuck the hat over his mess of hair and kissed him gently on the cheek.

He smiled, just a little so she could see the crooked row of his bottom teeth and she knew she’d done her job. “You’re going to be just fine Mari.”

***

Since he was small, people had told Enjolras that there were just some things he didn’t understand. They didn’t say this in hopeful, encouraging ways or try to explain what they meant. Consequently, any time the phrase was used he found it infuriating. I will understand he challenged. Or sometimes, when his patience ran thin or temper flared: Then it isn’t worth understanding.

Usually it was people. It was people and feelings and the self-destructive habits of a certain member of their group that he couldn’t understand. It had taken him a long time to warm up to the friends he had. Jokes never clicked with him in time to laugh with everyone else. It pissed him off at first that whenever R told a story he drew everyone in instantly. He could command a room with anything; a pointless anecdote or stupid impression could send the likes of Courfeyrac, Joly, and Bossuet into fits of laughter in an instant. Even Combeferre and Feuilly, who were usually the most focused members of their group, let Grantaire lead them astray, stifling snickers and exchanging bemused raised eyebrows.

When Enjolras captured people’s attention he did it with grand, sweeping prose. He did it by scaring them a little. It was a productive intensity, sure, but it was an intensity that didn’t translate well to causal settings. He sucked at Cards Against Humanity. He was too tense for dancing or drinking or Truth or Dare or anything else normal people did for fun.

“Are you ready to go? Feuilly just texted me the address.” Combeferre knocked on the door frame gently and came in when Enjolras nodded. They worked well as roommates because Ferre understood Enjolras’s privacy and personal space sensibilities and Enjolras didn’t mind that every free surface was covered with Ferre’s books. They were going to a hay bale maze put on by a local organization that worked with kids in the foster system. Feuilly and Eponine, being especially passionate about the cause, were volunteering. Since Enjolras and the other amis (save Grantaire) had been hard at work planning their next rally, they’d missed the deadline to volunteer as well. Nevertheless, now that the final posters and speeches and venues had been established, Courfeyrac had suggested they attend. For fun. And Enjolras wasn’t good at fun.

“Yeah,” He stood and rolled up the sleeves of his sweater, attempting to appear casual. Ferre’s eyebrows rose.

“You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he shot back defensively. R had been on his case about this outing all week. Joking, in that maddeningly sarcastic way of his, that their fearless leader was too uptight to spend a day on Earth with the rest of us mortals. He laughed at him when he argued, for what felt like the millionth time, that R was putting him up on an unnecessary pedestal. He’d shaken his head the way he always did, and clapped him on the shoulder. No one but R was so free with his touches, at least when it came to Enjolras, and something about it made Enjolras’s insides feel warm and liquidy. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. He sucked in a breath. Let’s just get this over with.

***

If Marius wasn’t going to take this hint Courf didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He’d told him at the last amis meeting that he wanted to hang out with him specifically on this trip. When Marius gave him a confused head tilt, he’d leaned in close so Enjolras wouldn’t notice them talking (and also because he liked being close to Marius Pontmercy) and asked him if they could do the maze, just the two of them.

Courfeyrac didn’t know if the look on Marius’s face was good surprise or bad but god he hoped it was good surprise.

It was stupid how long he’d had a crush on this dork. It was stupid how long he’d gone without saying anything about it. Tonight Courfeyrac was going to stop being stupid.

Bahorel was driving (despite everyone’s best judgement as he’d honked the horn five times and they’d only been driving for ten minutes) and gradually everyone was piling into the beat up SUV: Bossuet, Joly, and Musichetta climbing over the first row of seats to squish themselves in the back. They didn’t mind. They were usually in a big tangled heap. Enjolras took shot gun and Combeferre knowingly slid over to make room for Marius to sit beside Courf. Marius and Cosette got in last.

“Hey,” he said gently, as Marius was pushed into his space. The sweater he was wearing was horrendous. Courf loved it.

“Hey,” Marius replied. Bahorel was cranking the radio as Enjolras rose his voice to be heard over it as he repeated GPS instructions. There was already a twinge of annoyance to his voice, probably because Grantaire was meeting them there instead of riding with the rest of the amis.

He shifted so he could face Marius directly and read the nervousness written on his face. “Are you okay?” Courf was good at reading Marius in particular. He knew, just by a glance, when it was time to rescue him at a party. Last year at New Years Marius had gotten himself trapped by the punch bowl and surrounded by a number of drunk party goers. Courf had woven his way through confetti covered friends and friends of friends and slipped his hand into Marius’s. He remembered how relieved he’d looked when they made it outside. The freezing air was preferable to the heat of the crowd, at least for Marius. Courfeyrac thrived in the scalding joy of a dance floor and warm comfort of piling on an unfamiliar couch with people who knew your secrets just by looking at you. But he’d go anywhere for Marius Pontmercy.

“I’m okay,” he said. Courf glanced down and saw that Cosette had put her hand on Mari’s knee. She was looking out the window. “I’m excited to uh...to do the maze with you. I just hope we don’t get lost.”

Courfeyrac grinned. “Yeah,” he laughed.  “Yeah, and I’m excited too.”

He didn’t think anyone would be getting lost tonight.

[reystars]

Victor Hugo wrote Cosette as having no character traits other than blind obedience to the men in her life, because he considered that the "ideal woman". What an amazing character amirite?

lmao okay if you wanna fight we can fight

I’m pretty explicitly talking about the musical in my post, so if you REALLY wanna be a dick you should probably take this up with someone who’s actually read the brick, which I haven’t. But let’s talk about musical!Cosette, shall we?

Cosette has plenty of character traits that aren’t “blind obedience”. She’s kind, thoughtful, and optimistic. She grew up in an extremely abusive household, and when Valjean takes her away and treats her with kindness and respect, she shows him that same kindness and respect in return.

Take a look at In My Life…

There’s so little I knowThat I’m longing to knowOf the man that you wereIn a time long agoThere’s so little you sayOf the life you have knownWhy you keep to yourselfWhy we’re always aloneSo dark, so dark and deepThe secrets that you keep!

She’s acknowledging that there’s secrets he’s keeping from her and that she wants to understand why they’re always alone, what’s happened in his past. A line later she apologizes because she doesn’t want him to think she’s ungrateful for everything he’s given her, not because she’s ‘blindly obedient’. In fact, she reminds him that she’s not a child lost in a wood anymore, that she’s capable of understanding things.

But Papa, dear Papa,In your eyes I am still like the childWho is lost in a wood

And even when Valjean brushes her question off again, she presses on

In my lifeI’m no longer a child and I yearnFor the truth that you knowOf the years… years ago!

It’s not her fault that Valjean refuses to enlighten her on his past. He’s trying to protect her but she’s ready and willing to know and understand things. She’s not naive and stupid, she doesn’t just sit at her window and sing to the birds without caring about her own life and dreams and ambitions. She’s obviously lonely and wants more than just Valjean is offering her. (Here’s where I insert a reminder that women are not invalid for wanting to fall in love! This is a clear desire that Cosette has and that does not make her any less valid as a woman.)

Of course, then Marius shows up, they fall in love, and then the attack on Rue Plumet happens. Eponine screams, saving Cosette and scattering the men. When Valjean runs out, Cosette straight up lies to him to protect Eponine and Marius.

VALJEANMy God, Cosette!I heard a cry in the darkI heard the shout of angry voices in the street.COSETTEThat was my cry you heard, Papa,I was afraid of what they’d do.They ran away when they heard my cry.

Of course, Valjean is afraid that it’s Javert that’s found him, and he says they need to leave immediately. Cosette is obviously devastated but you have to remember that he is her guardian and she doesn’t really have a choice. She doesn’t just trail after him like a brainless bimbo, completely compliant and happy to do whatever Valjean tells her to. She still longs for Marius. “How can I live when we are parted?”

Then of course, we have all the action at the barricades. Can I also remind you that Valjean’s entire motivation in going to the barricades and rescuing Marius lays in his love for Cosette? He would do literally anything for her and her happiness. He goes through battle and drags Marius’ unconscious body through the Paris sewers without really knowing if he’ll even survive or not. He does that all for Cosette. 

And after Marius is distraught after Empty Chairs, Cosette comforts him. She reminds him that even though his friends have died he still has something to live for, and Marius is so grateful to her. Valjean watches them together and sings…

She was never mine to keep.She is youthful, she is free.Love is the garden of the youngLet it be… let it be…

Valjean, as we’ve already established, loves Cosette more than anything. But he isn’t possessive of her, he doesn’t restrain her or order her around, she doesn’t have an opportunity for “blind obedience” because Valjean gives her that freedom, the freedom to be with Marius. At this point Valjean doesn’t know that Javert is dead and is expecting him to show up at his doorstep, so he knows he has to leave. He’s okay with this decision because he knows that Cosette is happy.

Fast forward through the wedding (Marius’ revelation: COSETTE’S DAD SAVED MY LIFE) and when they rush to Jean Valjean he’s dying. 

COSETTEYou will live, Papa, you’re going to liveIt’s too soon, too soon to say goodbye!VALJEANYes, Cosette, forbid me now to dieI’ll obey,I will try.

This is my favorite exchange from them. Cosette is almost demanding that he live, especially now that she finally knows the truth about him and his past. There’s just SO much they never get to talk about. And the laughter in Valjean when he says, “Yes, I’ll obey, I’ll try to stay alive.” (Who’s obeying who now, huh?)

Just to list off the character traits we’ve seen from Cosette so far, y’know, for reference.

Curiosity (She wants to know and understand Valjean’s past)

Intelligence (She’s clearly been educated and can hold her own in a conversation with Valjean)

Charity (in the staging for the show Cosette and Valjean walk through the town helping the homeless, which is when she bumps into Marius)

Love (This is pretty much her biggest character trait, her huge heart. I’d say lying to protect Eponine and Marius falls under this, as well as her comfort for Marius after all his friends died)

Playfulness (You see this in her interactions with both Marius and Valjean)

Determination (Her resolve for Valjean to live is massive)

Respect (She respects Valjean, not out of duty, but out of love)

Understanding (She listens to Marius and empathizes with him and his loss)

Patience (This is another big character trait of hers, she has patience when Valjean withholds the truth from her, she has patience with Marius when he’s going through his hard time)

Bravery (It takes bravery to be so open to love and affection after the kind of abuse and trauma she suffered as a child).

Cosette is not a one dimensional character. I think she’s often played that way because people take feminine and soft traits and think you can’t do anything with them to make a character interesting but there’s nothing inherently boring or one dimensional about a woman who’s strongest character trait is to unequivocally and unconditionally love everyone around her despite the fact that as a child she was shown no love, no safety, no tenderness, no kindness. She rose above it and let her heart be open and free.

But if you want to keep reducing her to “blind obedience” that’s fine. It just completely weakens the entire point of the musical.

[to-the-will-of-the-people]

Unsent Letters - Feuilly

January 8th, 2017

Dear Feuilly,

I’m sorry that this is the first I’ve written you in the first year. It can be difficult to find the time to sit down and write. I know you’ll understand. You always do. That’s one thing of many things to be admired about you; you understand people. I wish I could say the same for myself, but I lack comprehension of the human psyche and I can’t read people very well. 

You could always read people so well. You knew if someone was having a bad day just from looking at them. More importantly, you knew how to turn that day around. So empathetic and so considerate. So likable. You, who had no family, could make anyone feel like family, could make anyone feel at home. Not to mention your charisma. 

Little Abrielle is getting bigger. She looks like Courfeyrac, you know. I think it’s her nose. She has his nose, only smaller. Did I tell you about Grantaire’s daughters? They’re five years old, I think. Around there. They’re very energetic, which can sometimes be trying, but it’s also nice to watch because they’re very joyful.

We’re going to return to France soon. Then we can resume planning revolution. And the others will be in Delft shortly, so that means we can return that much sooner. They’re all right, too. That makes matters much better. They’re safe and they’ll be back with us soon.

I’ll try to write you soon, my brother.

Love,

Dominic Enjolras

December 27th, 2016

Dearest Feuilly,

Hello, my brother. I’m writing to you now to tell you that we will be returning to France as soon as possible. And we’ll even have somewhere safe to stay. Do you remember Katherine Jacobs? A long time ago, she published some articles for us in her zine, “The Voice of the People”. She has offered to provide us with secure lodgings, for which we are very grateful.

The new year is coming up. I have always loved this time of year. I think we all have because we’ve always associated it with change. And rightly so. 2017 is going to be the year of change. We are going to free France in 2017, I have no doubt. There will be no more turmoil, no more violence, no more death. I only wish that you could be there with us.

How are things in Poland? Is it very cold there? I hope not. I should hate to think you inconvenienced by the weather. I know you’ve never really cared for the cold, even though you never wanted to admit it. I wouldn’t blame you for being averse to it, given that you grew up in coldness. Heat, too, I guess, but that’s much more bearable, I think. 

I think Cosette is starting to feel stressed out by there being so many of us at her house. And this is with the others being absent in Saint Pierre et Miquelon. Oh, did I mention that? I think I might have in my last letter to you. In case I didn’t, that’s where they are. And they’re safe. 

Oh, the girls are inside now. It’s getting loud again. I think I’ll have to end this letter here.

Love,

Dominic Enjolras

December 24th, 2016

Dear Feuilly,

Great news! Wonderful news! Glorious news! Our brothers are safe! Mind you, they somehow ended up in Canada, but they’re safe.

Currently, they’re in Saint Pierre et Miquelon, which Combeferre insists is still France, but they might as well be their own country. They’re these two small islands just off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Don’t ask me why they count as France, but they do. 

They’re safe. That’s what matters. It is such a relief to know that none of them are hurt. Or worse. They’re an ocean away, but they’re safe. For the first time in awhile, I feel calm, almost. It’s kind of nice. But it’s not going to last for long, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing in that it means leading the people into revolution. It’s a bad thing in that we may (and likely will) lose more friends. But we’re all willing to take that chance. It is necessary. 

We miss you. All of us.

Until we meet again,

Dominic Enjolras

December 10th, 2016

Dear Feuilly,

I’m sorry it has been so long since our last correspondence. I shouldn’t have neglected writing you and I sincerely apologise for it. I had to write you now though because you’ll never believe what’s happened.

Grantaire is a father. Of twin girls. When Sierra went into that coma all those years ago, she was pregnant. The hospital never told anyone and the babies were put into foster care after birth. Then when the government realised this, they used it against us and took one of the girls, Servane. The other one, Juliette, Sierra found. I’m not sure how and when anyone asks, she just smiles. 

The girls are very active. I don’t know how else to phrase it. Grantaire is having trouble adapting, I think. But it’s understandable, given the circumstance. I think it’ a bit of an adjustment for all of us, having two little ones around. And there’s Abrielle, too, but she’s not too fussy. I do worry about what will be done with the girls when the revolution is upon us. Naturally, they shouldn’t be near it. Something will need to be figured out. 

And we don’t know where the others are. We have no idea what happened to them. We don’t know if they’re dead or alive or hurt or captured. We have no way of contacting them. They say no news is good news, but I don’t think I can believe that. It’s all very troubling.

I believe I feel a migraine coming on. I will write you again soon, I hope.

Love,

Dominic Enjolras

September 1st, 2016

Feuilly,

I’ve begun to worry that the others don’t want to return to France. They are enjoying Delft immensely, which isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, but they don’t seem to want to go back. We have to go back. We can’t just abandon our country. That may be what Pontmercy did, but that can’t be our fate as well. We can’t give up. We can’t just walk away! France needs us, the people need us!

We have to go back soon. We can’t get used to Delft. Not like this. We need to go back home, where we belong. We need to make things right there. 

This one has been a short one, but I’m stressed out and I’m tired. 

Dominic Enjolras

July 22nd, 2016

Feuilly,

I’m on my way back to France. Courfeyrac is alive. He’s alive and he’s different. He betrayed them and he turned them in to the government. 

I have to save them, no matter what the cost. I can’t lose my family.

Enjolras

June 22nd, 2016

Dearest Feuilly,

Bahorel, Gavroche, and I are in England. I hate England. I hate English. But at least we can speak with members of the UN, try to convince them to get involved. We can do interviews with different news stations and we can gain a following in other countries. This is a good thing, yet it feels wrong.

I don’t like not being in France, Feuilly. It’s awful. Our brothers are across the English channel. It doesn’t feel right. At all. 

And this language. I know it, yet it’s so unfamiliar. Hearing it spoken to me... I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. 

I just know that if you were here, you would make it better. You always could make the best of a situation. I admired that about you. I admired so many things about you Feuilly. And I know Bahorel misses you. I can see it in his face every day. You were his best friend. And you were a brother to all of us. 

I should probably try to get some sleep. Sleep well, my friend.

Love,

Dominic Enjolras

March 14th, 2016

Dear Feuilly,

It has been awhile since my first letter. I wasn’t going to continue to write them, but now I’m starting to change my mind. To catch you up:

Lesgle isn’t dead. He is very much alive. He was being held at Beswic, but he has been rescued and he is recovering from a rather nasty bout of pneumonia. He is alive.

I’m in rehab. I lapsed back into heroin use, but I’m getting treatment and I’m going to get better. I promise. I’ll get away from it for good this time. I’m sure I said that last time, but I mean it this time. I really do. I’m going to get clean. I promise you, Feuilly. Don’t you worry about me. 

Third thing: I have a sister. I didn’t know about her until recently. Her name is Augustine and she was locked away in an asylum for being trans back when I was first born. She kidnapped our friends and was keeping them in cages. From what I gather, they are free now, but she continues to plague their lives. I have yet to meet her and I’m fine with that. 

I have to go for treatment now. It’s been nice to recap what has happened. I know you’ll never actually read it, but it’s still comforting.

Love,

Dominic Enjolras

October 10th, 2015

Dear Feuilly,

This is a new thing I’m trying out, to cope. I don’t know if I’ll make a habit of it, but I think it’s a good thing to try out. Now seems as good a time as any to start because your funeral is tomorrow.

It’s not right. It’s not right that you’re gone. Only a few days ago, you were alive and smiling. Now you’ve been stolen from us too soon and I can’t stand it. It isn’t right. It isn’t right. This isn’t how things should be. This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

You deserved better.

You deserved so much better.

I hate this. I hate that you’re gone. It’s so wrong and I don’t know what to do anymore. You were so important to us, Feuilly. You mattered so much.

You were family to each and everyone of us. We love you, Feuilly. You are our brother and you always will be. 

And damn, this hurts so much. It’s so wrong. So, so wrong. I don’t know if things can ever be right again after this. They stole you away from us too soon and now everything is wrong. 

I’m sorry that this has happened. You didn’t deserve this. You were so good, so kind, so warm. You always knew what to say, what to do. Sometimes, you knew it was best to say nothing. Thank you for being who you were, Feuilly. You were an amazing person and an inspiration to us all.

Love,

Dominic Enjolras