#javert: out of the shadows

[for-the-love-of-javert]

Still no comments yet but I’ve now got 2 kudos.

I got excited just now when I got my second kudos 🤗🤗

Does anyone else get excited or is it just me?

[secretmellowblog]

I saw Les Mis live for the first time the other weekend, and the surprising standout performance for me was Kyle Adams as Grantaire. He is a performer who has obviously read the Brick, and uses all of his stagetime to convey as many aspects of Brick Grantaire as possible; he also reads Grantaire’s love for Enjolras as explicitly gay and romantic (there’s a moment I’ll talk about later where he blows him a kiss.) I was actually surprised by how much he managed to convey in so little time!

Some highlights:

When Enjolras is asking for a “report on the strength of the foe,” Grantaire enthusiastically raises his hand, posturing and gesturing wildly at himself to volunteer. Enjolras casts him a disdainful look like “anyone elSE?” And that’s when Javert jumps in with his “I can find out the truth.” It’s like a small silent version of the Barrier du Maine scene; Grantaire was really giving that “je suis farouche.”

In general, there was this repeated Thing where Grantaire obnoxiously acts out in order to get Enjolras’s attention, and then flails around uselessly whenever he actually has it. Very in character.

Grantaire often goes on uproariously and jokingly about love; then, whenever he’s approached by Enjolras, he doesn’t seem to understand what to do about it.

Whenever Enjolras is singing dramatically about revolution— during Red and Black, Do You Hear the People Sing, and One Day More— Grantaire gazes at up at him with a amazed, awed, and overwhelmed look on his face, sometimes with his hand on his heart.

During Red and Black, there’s a moment where Grantaire “jokingly” caresses Enjolras’s face. Then during Do You Hear the People Sing, Enjolras passes Grantaire by and casually caresses his face; Grantaire acts a bit stunned, as if surprised Enjolras would deign to touch him. Finally, there’s a dramatic “reassuring face-caress” during the gay verse of Drink with Me.

There’s a repeated thing where Grantaire keeps offering Enjolras a bottle of wine, half-jokingly, only for Enjolras to reject it. In the last verse of Drink with Me, after Grantaire finishes his verse and walks away, Enjolras finally accepts a bottle of wine (though another character gives it to him.)

Iirc Grantaire doesn’t join in the fighting initially; he just stares at Enjolras in awe, and then mainly stands by Javert to “guard” him. I mainly mention this because I think Javert and Grantaire are a very funny duo, just as a concept. I think “being forced to listen to Grantaire monologues” is an excellent punishment for Javert.

During Marius’s verse of Drink with Me, Enjolras climbs to the top of the barricade, standing in the light. Grantaire is at the bottom in the shadows, attempting to sleep. As Marius sings about his love for Cosette, Grantaire raises his bottle to Enjolras, and then blows him a kiss. It’s very “let me sleep here until I die here.”

Finally, Grantaire has his "book death." After he spends the entire musical on the fringes being skeptical, he joins Enjolras in the final battle. He climbs up the barricade and says (I was close enough to hear) "Long live the Republic! I am one of them."

I'm genuinely impressed by how much of the Brick characterization he managed to convey with so little time-- some ad-libbing and lots of silent acting moments! It really gave me a greater appreciation of what a strong performer in a musical can do, and how they infuse even 'smaller' parts with lots of nuance and personality.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Les Misérables 5.4 - Javert Off the Track

I have to say again how well I think the musical expresses the core of this chapter despite having far fewer lines to work with.

Book: Give up Jean Valjean, that was wrong; leave Jean Valjean free, that was wrong. In the first case, the man of authority would fall lower than the man of the galley; in the second, a convict rose higher than the law and set his foot upon it.

Musical: Damned if I live in the debt of a thief! Damned if I yield at the end of the chase!

Book: Javert felt that something horrible was penetrating his soul, admiration for a convict. Respect for a galley-slave, can that be possible? He shuddered at it, yet could not shake it off. It was useless to struggle, he was reduced to confess before his own inner tribunal the sublimity of this wretch. That was hateful.

Musical: How can I now allow this man / To hold dominion over me

Book: “This convict, this desperate man, whom I have pursued even to persecution, and who had me beneath his feet and could have avenged himself, and who ought to have done so as well for his revenge as for his security, in granting me my life, in sparing me, what has he done? His duty? No. Something more.

Musical: This desperate man who I have hunted / He gave me his life, he gave me freedom / I should have perished by his hand / It was his right

Book: But also why had he permitted this man to let him live? He had, in that barricade, the right to be killed. He should have availed himself of that right. To have called the other insurgents to hus aid against Jean Valjean, to have secured a shot by force, that would have been better. His supreme anguish was the loss of all certainty.

Musical: It was my right to die as well / Instead I live, but live in hell!

Book: acts of violence committed by pity upon austerity, respect of person, no more final condemnation, no more damnation, the possibility of a tear in the eye of the law, a mysterious justice according to God going counter to justice according to men. [Note: this is one area where I think the musical errs with Javert - it roots his inflexibility in a (rather Calvinist, for a majority Catholic nation) view of Christianity. That is not the case in the book, where Javert’s religion is the law, the state, order, and in the end that worldview breaks upon the rocks of Christianity.]

Musical: Shall his sins be forgiven? Shall his crimes be reprieved?

Book: He saw before him two roads, both equally straight; but he saw two; and that terrified him - him, who had never in his life known but one straight line.

Musical: And must I now begin to doubt? / Who never doubted all those years

Book: To be granite, and to doubt! to be the statue of penalty cast in a single piece in the mould of the law, and to suddenly percieve that you have under your breast of bronze something preposterous and disobedient which almost resembles a heart!

Musical: My heart is stone and yet it trembles!

Book: To have the unknown over his head, he was not accustomed to that…Now Javert was thrown over backward, and he was abruptly startled by this monstrous apparaition: a gulf on high…

The darkness was complete…A ceiling of cloud concealed the stars. The sky was only an ominous depth

Musical: The world I have known is lost in shadow!…I am reaching, but I fall / And the stars are black and cold / As I stare into the void / Of a world that cannot hold

Book: But how to manage to send in his resignation to God?…

Unnatural state, if ever there was one. There were only two ways to get out of it. One, to go resolutely to Jean Valjean, and to return the man if the galleys to the dungeon. The other –

Musical: I’ll escape now from that world / From the world of Jean Valjean

Book: Could that be endurable? No.

Musical: There is nowhere I can turn / There is no way to go on!

[catholic-character-tournament]

Catholic Character Tournament

Current Bracket

All polls here (tagged #cct polls)

Round 5 (16 nominees) is Wednesday July 5 12 PST

Character Submission List:

(Note, not in the order in the bracket. They were randomized for the bracket) (crossed out means dead-dead)

*707/Luciel Choi (Mystic Messenger)

*Abuela Alma Madrigal (Encanto)

*Akane Kurashiki (Zero Escape)

*Amon from (Tokyo Ghoul)

*Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series)

*Asia Argento (High School DxD)

Aslan from (Chronicles of Narnia)

*Aymeric de Borel (Final Fantasy 14)

*Aziraphale (Good Omens) (Disqualified) The Volturi

*Belizabeth Brassica (Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy)

*Bishop Raphaniel Charlock (Dimension 20 - the Ravening War)

*Blake Langermann (Outlast 2)

*Brother Cellanus (The Completely Unerotic Adventures of Brother Cellanus)

*Caesar Zeppeli (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

*Carlos Reyes (911 Lone Star)

*Carrie White (Carrie)

*Catherine of Aragon (SIX: the Musical)

*CC (Code Geass)

*Chrollo Lucilfer (Hunter x Hunter)

*Chuck E. Cheese

*Claude Frollo(The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

*Crowley (Good Omens) (Disqualified) Vanessa Ives replacement (Penny Dreadful)

Dana Scully (the X files)

Doomguy  (Doom)

*Double (Skullgirls)

Doug Jones (The VelociPastor)

*Dracule Mihawk (One Piece)

*Duo Maxwell (Gundam Wing)

*Eddie Brock (Venom)

*Emilio Santoz from The Sparrow

Enrico Pucci (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

*Farnese de Vandimion (Berserk)

*Father Alexander Anderson (Hellsing)

*Father Brown (Father Brown)

Father John Mulcahy (MASH)

Father Paul (Midnight Mass)

*Felicia Hardy/Black Cat (Spiderman)

Firestar (Warrior Cats)

*Flayn (Fire Emblem Three Houses)

*Frank Castle (Marvel)

Friar Tuck (Robin Hood)

*Gabriel (Ultrakill)

*Galahad (The Mechanisms)

*Gerard (Unholyverse)

Gloria Maria Ramirez Delgado-Pritchett (Modern Family)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb)

*Helena Bertinlli (DC comics)

Hell boy (HellBoy)

Homura Akemi (Madoka Magica)

*Hot Pants (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

*Ibara Shiozaki (My Hero Academia)

*Inori Yamabuki/Cure Pine (Fresh Precure)

Jason Todd (DC Comics)

*Javert (Les Miserables)

Jean Valjean (Les Misérables)

*Jeanne d'Arc (Alter) (Fate/Grand Order)

*Jesus (Jesus Christ Superstar) 

*John "Soap" MacTavish (Call of Duty)

*John Gaius (The Locked Tomb)

*John Ward (FAITH)

*Johnathan (Shin Megami Tensei IV)

*Junk Rat (Overwatch)

*Justin Law (Soul eater)

*Kawabuchi Sentarou (Kids on the Slope)

Kaworu Nagisa (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

*Kirei Kotomine (Fate franchise)

Knuckes the Echidna (Sonic)

*Kristen Applebees (Dimension 20's Fantasy High)

*Kuroe (Magia Record)

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (X-Men)

*Ky Kiske (Guilty Gear)

*Kyoko Sakura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

*Lady Rhea (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

*Leliana (Dragon Age)

*Leon (8:11)

*Lestat de Lioncourt (The Vampire Chronicles)

*Libra (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

*Link (The Legend of Zelda)

*Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Chronicles)

*Luis Serra Navarro (Resident Evil)

Mac McDonald (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia)

Maddie Fitzpatrick (Suite Life of Zack and Cody)

*Marcy Park (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)

*Mark Heathcliff (The Mandela Catalogue)

Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Marvel)

*Mello (Death Note)

*Mercedes (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

*Michael Carpenter (Dresden Files)

*Michael Corleone (The Godfather)

Miles Morales/Spider-Man

*Nate Ford (Leverage)

Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Trigun)

*Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson)

*Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg (Ride the Cyclone)

*Pastry Cookie (Cookie Run Kingdom)

*Patton Sanders (Sanders Sides (Web Series))

Pope Pinion IV (Cars)

Puss in Boots (Shrek)

Quasimodo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Remy LeBeau/Gambit (X-Men)

*Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)

*RoboCop (RoboCop)

Ronan Lynch (The Raven Cycle)

*Ryker (Roleslaying With Roman)

*Saint Citrina Rocks (Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy)

*Sasuke (Naruto)

*SCP-166 (Just a Teenage Gaia) 

*Seeley Booth (Bones)

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic)

*Shiro Fujimoto (Blue Exorcist)

Simon Belmont (Castlevania)

*Sir Keradin Deeproot (Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy)

*Sister Mary (The Young Pope)

Sister Michael (Derry Girls)

*Steve Rogers/Captain America (Marvel)

*Tammy Edwards (Legoland by Jacob Richmond) 

*Tatsumi Kazehaya (Ensemble Stars)

*Temenos Mistral (Octopath Traveler 2)

The Derry Girls (Derry Girls)

*The Penitent One (Blasphemous)

*Tobias Schneien (Ghost Eyes)

*Valeria Garaz (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reboot)

*Valery Michailov (Goncharov - 1973)

*Vector the Crocodile (Sonic the Hedgehog)

*Vito Corleone (The Godfather)

*Wesley Hailoh (Rhyme and Reason)

*William Murdoch (Murdoch Mysteries)

*Zakuro Fujiwara (Tokyo Mew Mew)

[songandflame]

@reverdies || continued from here.

Fantine dreaded winter too, though not for the reason Javert did. Once the streets were behind her, the anxiety winter ushered in with it remained. It was hard to put these feelings into words; it was almost melancholy, but it's root was memories she dared not share with anyone. Perhaps Javert would be privy of such confessions yet— with whatever this was between them.

The same question lingered too. Fantine left it, even as Cosette's eyes met Javert's. If Cosette expected anything then Fantine was sure she would ask her mother privately. After all, it was complicated for everyone under this roof. For Cosette's entire life the law had been dangerous; for Valjean, Javert had been his captor.

The sewing came as a welcome distraction to otherwise complicated realities. They would eventually have to address it, but for now they could enjoy each other's company under the guise of helping each other out. Not that their aid was for nothing, but Fantine couldn't ignore how she had come to anticipate time spent with the other over the actual task that brought them together to begin with.

"You're doing absolutely fine, Javert!" she reassured, nodding in affirmation as she spoke. "This is tricky work. I didn't learn how to do this overnight, and believe me I've stuck finger with many a needle."

At his question, she shifted her position from opposite him to next to him. The crackling of a fire filled whatever silence fell between them. She displaced her fabric and needle and thread as her slender fingers came to rest across Javert's own.

"You've nearly got it, here..." she moved his needle to the correct place, her face shadowed with concentration. "You just had it in the wrong place. See, this stitch you want to start here," she commented, "then you want to bring it up and diagonally, but you don't want to bring the thread down to cross the stitch back over."

She encouraged his hands to follow her own, pulling the thread through. "Instead you want to move back on yourself from the top of your last thread exit, understand?" She continued to make him follow as she performed said instructions. "Then allow the needle back through the fabric and bring it down diagonally over the original stitch and you've finished your first cross stitch!"

Her smile was full of pride and encouragement. He didn't have to be a tailor, but he could learn something useful in the way of having to visit them less. "Does that make sense?" Finally, her head lifted so she could meet Javert's gaze. In her concentration, she hadn't realised how close they had become. "We can finish for now if you'd rather, come back to it when the day grants us more light?"

[psalm22-6]

Okay so looking at the word frequency list for Les Miserables available on intratext dot com, here are some words that stood out to me (although everyone could look at this list and would find something different and interesting):

9589 il (he)

2556 elle (she)

2089 je (I)

1182 homme (man)

906 Marius (more than any other character but to be fair, other characters are frequently referred to by aliases)

727 Jean

685 Cosette

680 Valjean (There are 47 more Jeans than Valjeans!)

520 Père (Father, or in some cases, something like "old man")

508 Thénardier

454 Enfant (child) (plus there's 193 uses of children)

384 yeux (eyes) (157 instances of eye singluar)

364 femme (woman, wife)

349 mère (mother)

346 main (hand)

340 voix (voice)

338 dieu (god)

337 vieux (old, masc.) (194 old, fem.)

334 Paris

321 Hugo (actually this is a huge outlier. Hugo doesn't appear many times in the text at all, but it's in a lot of footnotes and the footnotes also get counted)

315 Javert

313 évêque (bishop)

283 Gavroche

270 maison (house)

267 Madeleine

251 mort (dead)

227 jardin (garden)

226 Fauchelevent

224 ombre (shadow)

221 Fantine

189 coeur (heart)

184 matin (morning)

176 lumière (light)

170 amour (love)

161 Courfeyrac

157 France

153 Napoléon

144 Révolution

133 Enjolras

129 eh

117 waterloo

116 barricade

83 dents (teeth)

81 Eponine (I was surprised there was more Courfeyrac and Montparnasse than Eponine!)

79 Grantaire

79 terrible (This is about where I got bored of scrolling but there were a couple words that I think of as quintessential Hugo that I had to look up also)

46 lugubre (lugubrious)

24 sépulcre (sepulchre)

20 lugubres (lugubrious make it plural)

19 spectre (Dumas complained that Hugo used "spectral" every ten pages, although spectral actually only appears twice but I see his point)

13 spectres

7 lugubrement (lugubriously)

4 sépulcral (sepulchral, plus three more instances but feminine)

3 spectrale

2 spectral

[patron-minette]

Les Misérables, 4.2.2

The Patron-Minette are back for this chapter, and now we get to know what happened to them after the disastrous Gorbeau ambush!

Initially, we learn that it was not only the mysterious "Urbain Fabre" who managed to avoid the clutches of the police that fateful night. In fact, 2/4 of the Patron-Minette's ringleaders actually avoided jail too!

First, there is Montparnasse— who "had escaped Javert" thanks to his languid nature and lustful desires (the reference to "Nemorin" made here indicates that Montparnasse and Éponine spent the evening doing much more than talking... Hugo is actually implying that they slept together!). Javert's annoyance over not being able to nab him does partially indicate this young criminal's serious reputation though... he even appears to have a street name for himself: the “devil’s dandy”!

It is Claquesous' escape which is far more compelling, however, seeing as he was originally arrested with the other criminals... but somehow "melted into the shadows like a snow-flake in water" on his way to prison!

With this unexplained disappearance, we begin to learn that Claquesous might not be quite as mysterious as Hugo initially described him... Well, perhaps I should say that Claquesous' mysterious nature shifts away from the supernatural and instead transforms into something very human... It definitely seems odd that the police agents and sergeants all managed to lose him. Javert is certainly right to raise his suspicions about this masked rouge (and we should keep them in mind in future chapters)!

If we are to believe that Claquesous is a double agent who might be working with the police, we are again provided with another example of the Patron-Minette's criminals being linked to certain political organisations and other related groups (the first instance being present in Gueulemer's description, where it is hinted to that he was involved with the royalist mob who assassinated Marshall Brune in 1815).

Outside of the continued presence of Patron-Minette's four figureheads in this chapter, a rather intriguing, previously unassuming criminal affiliate steps into the spotlight: Brujon! And— my goodness— what a performance he puts on in La Force. Again, crime continues to take on a theatrical twist here— not only does Brujon act in a certain way to deceive guards, but Hugo again explicitly compares criminals and artists:

Robbers do not interrupt their profession because they are in the hands of justice. They do not let themselves be put out by such a trifle as that. To be in prison for one crime is no reason for not beginning on another crime. They are artists, who have one picture in the salon, and who toil, nonetheless, on a new work in their studios.

The fleeting reference to Brujon's father's name being carved on the walls of the prison is a great minor detail that I particularly enjoy. Not only does it give us a glimpse of the Brujon "dynasty" that Hugo has previously mentioned to readers, but it also connects concepts of legacy and criminality, with this signature being one of the "souvenirs of La Force".

The references to some of the even more minor Patron-Minette affiliates sprinkled throughout this chapter (Kruideniers, Glorieux, Barre-Carosse) and other related connections (Babet's mistress, Magnon, Éponine) also give invaluable insights into how the gang operates and organises itself... and it is interesting (and important!) to note how women are involved in these criminal practices too!

One last point: Babet's mistress resides in La Salpêtrière, a hospital that housed "hysterical" women and also held illegal prostitutes in this period. Regardless of whether this unnamed woman was deemed to be "hysterical" or if she is being imprisoned for being an unregistered prostitute, the detail implies that Babet is likely exploiting her. It also links back to the cut Patron-Minette chapters, where Hugo talks in depth about the relationship between thieves and prostitutes.

[coffeewritesfiction]

Reason Why You Should Read Through the Yellow Window [when it's finished] #2

Its scary.

Clockwork guards made of unclaimed flesh. Buildings sewn together with yellow thread. A second shadow beside your own. Peacock feathers with blinking human eyes. Distant laughter, pursuing footsteps. Slick yellow fabric ghosting against your skin, a flutter of a god's cloak, a voice whispering between your thoughts, I can't wait to see what you become when I finish with you.

The King in Yellow is waiting. Can our protagonist deny his will? Or will the promises he made be broken along with his spirit?

Follow me to find out ;)

Reason #1: it's free

Tag list, ask to be added or removed

@slenders1ckn3ss @jacquesfindswritingandadvice @redacted-metallum @actualblanketgremlin @higgs-space @phantomnations @mushabumi @assistantdirector--janson @aldhidbah @sabtael @yourheartonfireblog @jade-island-lives @arsenwormwood @cecuesta @darkhorse-javert @comicgoblinart @lizadomuch @minutiaewriter @angelsofprey @izzyspussy @passthebeat-blog-blog @dragonedged-if @andromedaexists @cyanide-latte @lillis-writes @suckerpunchfemale @late-to-the-fandom @eldritch-flower @cljordan-imperium @royal1asset-if @pineywitch @fragrant-stars @mynameis40and4 @starry-voids @wubsbian @divine-anarchy @elbritch-kit @tousled-birdmad-girl @ajdoesthings @pen-for-sword

[ernmark]

Posting the first of my contributions for @valvertweek.

Rated T for mental health issues

Modern AU

Javert escorts Valjean on one of his almsgiving outings while dealing with a bad mental health day.

[cometomecosette]

Les Misérables 2012: The Director’s Cut

Inspired by this post, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the 2012 movie musical, let’s take the Goncharov approach and talk about the missing scenes as if they were really there.

I’ll start:

One of the most underrated, powerful scenes from the 2012 movie has to be the end of “Confrontation,” where Valjean sings “And this I swear to you tonight...” as he watches Fantine’s body be carted away, while Javert sings “There is no place for you to hide...” as he stands at the edge of the harbor. Why it isn’t talked about more often I’ll never know!

Just when we think we’re done crying about Fantine’s death, our hearts are ripped out again when we see her body wrapped in a rough shroud, faceless and unrecognizable, brutally dumped out of her hospital room window onto the cart, then hauled away for burial. Just like the random corpses of the homeless in “At the End of the Day” – the young mother we’ve followed, cared about, empathized with, rooted for, and cried for is now just another casualty of poverty, being “thrown into the public pit” (as Hugo wrote) by uncaring men who treat her body like a bag of garbage to dispose of. Hearing the instrumental melody of “I Dreamed a Dream” at the same time makes it worse.

(The brutal realism is enhanced by the fact that Anne Hathaway really was inside that shroud – they could have used a stunt double or even a dummy, but she insisted on doing it herself, and as a result, even thought we can’t see her face, the body really does look like Fantine.)

Yet there is one person who cares about her, secretly watching from a tunnel under the factory. Hugh Jackman gives us some of his best acting in this scene, which fully compensates for the fact that he speaks Valjean’s lines more than singing them. As he hides there in the shadows, still dripping wet and shivering from having faked his own drowning, his blend of quiet anguish and staunch determination as he vows to save Fantine’s child is heartbreakingly beautiful.

Meanwhile, Russell Crowe offers some of his own best acting – though as usual it’s quieter and subtler than Jackman’s – as he stares into the distance, while behind him other policemen search the water for the presumably-drowned Valjean’s body. He seems outwardly calm and composed, but it’s clear from his eyes and the subtle twitching movement of his head that he’s restless and disturbed: somehow he knows Valjean is still alive. And though he barely expresses it above a whisper, his resolve to find him is fierce.

It’s a small moment, cutting back and forth between the two men in their different locations, but it’s so effective!

[for-the-love-of-javert]

Well here it is. My fanfic. This is just chapter one there will be more to come.

First things first, this is an alternate universe fanfic. My universe. Some things will be similar to the canon storyline and others wont. This fic is about Javert and his overall character and developing that character in a way that I would have liked to have sene done in ‘The Brick’. I think Hugo did him dirty in numerous ways. So this is my take on Javert, his life and the possibilities for things he didn’t experience in the book. The first few chapters will be slow burn as I introduce you to a couple of new characters and allow things to develop from there. Who knows where this story will go in the future, but I have decided that instead of making it a one-shot I’m going to be continuing it and hopefully soon adding some illustration to it as well. Please note all places (inn’s, taverns, hotels, etc) are completely fictional with names made up by me because I havent had time to research everything yet and I’m still reading ‘The Brick’. My AU Javert will be based on Quastvert (particularly his image)

Trigger Warnings: This story as it unfolds (as previously stated more chapters will be added to this specific fanfic) will contain descriptions of a sexual nature, and descriptions of violent crime. It will also allude to mental health issues. Read at your own risk. I’d say this fanfic is not suitable for anyone below the age of 16. Also this is my very first fanfic so feedback is important to me. 

Themes: Friendship/Lovers/Romance/Character Development (Javert & New characters)/Mental Health/Culty Mindset Deconstruction/Learning to livea normal life. Also: Murder, domestic Violence/Other Crimes/ Police Investigations/Obsession.

New Characters: Catherine Bernard, Chloe Bernard, Pierre, Rose & Andre.

Pre Barricade Era. 

Javert: Out of The Shadows  

Chapter 1

It had been a long day, longer than it should have been, stressful and unpleasant. After finishing his shift, Inspector Javert made his way home, changed out of his uniform and into less formal attire and, having taken into consideration advice that was offered by a few of his colleagues, he decided to go out and try socialising once again. he had attempted to a couple of time previously after he got a bit of rubbing from two junior officers about his lack of a social life, wife, girlfriend, family and even friends. He had always ignoreed his collleagues when theysuggested he ‘get out more’. he had never had any interest in mixing with society. But lately he had begun to relaise how little he had in his life, besides his job his life most certainly lacked all of the things his colleagues had mentioned. Relationships had always been a no,no for him. He saw women and emotional attachment as inconvenient, however he had never experienced these things so how could he possibly know? 

A week or so prior he had met a woman in Le Chien Noir, a tavern where he had stopped by and indulged in one or two drinks. Not much of a drinker of alcohol it had taken him almost 4 hours to drink 2 glasses of red wine and the next morning he had awoken with a headache. His new lady friend, although he had only seen her once since meeting her was called Catherine or Cathy as she preferred to be called. she was an attractive 38 year old widow who had moved back to Paris from Boulogne-sur-Mer 2 years after her husbands death after finally being able to sell their properties and close up his estate. Catherine had no children due to her husbands propensity for violence having afflicted 4 miscarriages. 3 years prior to moving home her husband had murdered his business partner and tried to flee France. Luckily he was caught at Calais and apprehended. From there he was taken to jail, but rather than take accountability for his crimes and face the likelihood of the death penalty, he had hung himself. Uncomfortable living in Boulogne-sur-Mer Catherine returned to Paries and a neighbourhood not too far from where she grew up to start her life over. 

On the night they he met her, Javert had been almost instantly captivated by Cathy, she was vivacious, fun and had a wonderful sense of humour. She had blue eyes and dark brown hair, she was short, around 5 feet in height, and voluptuous. But she had no edge to her, she was polite, well manner, kind and attentive to the various customers in the tavern. On and off throught that evening they had talked and he had enjoyed their conversation. Cathy had even managed to amuse him more than once and once he had relaxed a little he had even managed to smile. He had been able to tell that she had been curious about him and no doubt the parisian grapevine had provided plenty of tid bits of information about him and his unusual lifestyle.   

Javert’s life beyond his work as a police officer was quiet solitary. With no family to visit him or vice versa and no real friends to socialise with and not to mention an aversion to getting to involved in society generally, he was not used to being out in public, drinking in taverns and fratinising with the ladies who worked in them. He just wasn’t comfortable in these situations and preferred to be alone. Though he occasionally admitted, only to himself, mind, that he did get lonely and yearned for companionship of some kind. He had never had a relationship, never courted in his youth, though he did flirt with girls back then as he got older and more devoted to his work he decided those kind of distractions were something he didn’t need. So he committed himself to his work, to the law and allowed himself no time for pleasure or company of any kind. Not even a pet dog or cat. 

When Cathy had finished her shift that night, Javert, who had just finished his drink to a little plunge into the uknown and offered to walk her home. Cathy had happily accepted his offer so they walked into the night towards Cathy’s home which was close to an area where a series of violent robberies had taken place in recent months. On top of that two women had been murdered on the route that led to Cathy’s neighbourhood. Cathy had been understanbly concerned about walking home alone and seemd glad to have the company of the normally distant and somewhat mysterious policeman. 

On the way to Cathy’s home they had talked about the recent crimes in the area.

“I’m not a regular member of staff at the tavern, the owners, Pierre and Rose are friends of mine, I help them out when they are short staffed. It’s not fun, finishing a shift and having to walk home when the fastest route is on the exact street where two women have been murdered.” She said.

“I exepct not, but you need not worry, I’ll walk you to your door and as long as I’m not working and you don’t feel like I’m imposing, I can walk you home from the tavern when you have shifts there in future.” He replied.

“You surprise me Inspector. Everything I’ve hear about you is turning out to either be complete lies or only half truths.”

“How so?” Javert asked.

“Well town gossip states that you never go out, have no friends, no family and beyond your work your not interested in anything.” Cathy replied.

 "Well, it is true that I have no family, I am unmarried and have never been married. My parents are dead and I have no ther family. It is also true that I don’t go out much if at all and when I do it’s usually to eat.“ He said.

“Yet you have, been to the tavern a few times in the past few weeks. Also you have been quite sociable, especially this evening. I’ve rather ejoyed talking to you.“ 

"The feeling is mutual Madame and I am glad to be able to make sure you get home safely.”

“So am I Inspector.”

“Please call me Javert.”

“Has the killer been found yet?” She asked

“Sadly and rather annoyingly, no he hasn’t. But we are searching for him.” He replied.

For a few moments they walked in silence and turning into the street where Cathy lived, he wondered whether or no he should ask her to go out with him. But what on earth would make him think she would want to. 

They reached Cathy’s front door and she turned to him and asked

“Would you like to join me for a drink or some supper?”

He was a little taken aback and trying not to seem to eager he replied

“No, that is quite alright, I don’t expect you to go to any trouble. Besides, it is late, I’m sure your tired and would prefer to turn in for the night.” He was blushing and felt a bit of a dolt for turning down her offer. 

“It’s no trouble at all, and you didn’t eat at the tavern this evening, I bet you’re hungry. Come on in.” She insisted, smiling. 

Then she turned to open the door. As she walked into the house she found Eponine (Thenardier), who had been taking care of Cathy’s young neice while she was working, curled up asleep in a chair. Cathy gently woke her and queeried as to how things had been while she had been out and was pleased to hear that her niece, Chloe who was four years old had been well behaved and was fast asleep. Cathy paid Eponine and Eponine left to go home with arrangments made to take care Chloe again on Sunday afternoon/early evening. 

Cathy handed Javert a bottle of wine while Cathy made some sandwiches for supper. Normally she would have a soup or a stew prepared and ready for heating up but she hadn’t had time to make either of those meals today because Pierre had sent is 12 year old son, Andre to give her a message that they were short staffed at the tavern. She had literally only had enough time to change her clothes, brush her hair and leave the house. Eponine had stayed overnight the night before so she was already there and happy to stay and look after Chloe for what was only supposed to be 4 hours but ended up being 8 hours because the tavern had been busy. 

Javert and Cathy chatted well into the night. Luckily, neither of them wer eworking the next day and by the time Javert got ready to go home, Cathy had already decided she had wanted him to stay. But before she could ask him, on reaching the door and bidding her goodnight he turned around and why he did it, he had no idea, but he had the urge to touch her, even to kiss her, and without thinking he gently stroked her cheek with the back off his fingers, and then again with the palm of his hand, wondering as he did this if he was going to get his face slapped for pushing his luck. Cathy, stood there looking up at him. Her eyes met his and she placed her hand on top of his pressing it more firmly against her cheek. She then moved his hand a little, down towards her lips anf she kissed the palm of his hand. Needing no further encouragment, Javert gently took her face in both of his hands, leaned down and kissed her, softly and politely at first and then a little more passionately, she returned his kiss with a needy enthusiasm and he gathered her up in his arms and held her tight as he kissed her. When they ended their kiss, she reached up and placed her hand on his face with a pleading expression on her face she said softly.

“please stay with me.”

He wanted to, oh god he wanted to, at that moment he wanted all of the things he had never had or experienced. But a voice inside his head told him it was the wrong thing to do, that if he stayed with her he would be taking advantage of her even though she had asked him to stay. She asked again;

“Please, I’m not expecting anything form you. I’d just like you to stay with me and hold me.”

She couldn’t remeber that last time she had laid in bed with a man who was happy to hold her, show her any kind of affection or even make love to her. Her husband had been something of a  savage beast. Everything he did was done with anger and haste as though he were doing it literally for his own satisfaction. He had never been loving or even caring for that matter and their marriage had been deeply unhappy. Their physical relationship was more often than not forced and brutal and she had dared not complain because he would beat her if she did. Violence was something he really liked, he enjoyed it other than that his only other pleasures were alcohol and money. When he killed himself in prison he she was glad that part of her life was over. Relieved that she could move on and make a life for herself elsewhere. She could not lie to anyone but not least to herself that she was glad her husband was gone. She didn’t miss him at all. The thought of anyone justing lying in bed with her and holding her made her happy, but after what had just happened, how she had felt when Javert held her and kissed her, she wanted more, and she wanted it from him. He had lit a flame in her that had long since burned itself out, and she had lit a flame in him that had never even existed. 

Javert, now feeling guilty at the thought of leaving her alone relented and agreed to stay. vowinf to himself that he would behave like a gentleman and only hold her as she had asked him to. But he was not so sure that he could keep that vow. Cathy smiled and he retook his seat at the kitchen table, while Cathy washed their supper dishes and finished her glass of wine. After that she led him upstairs to the bedroom. 

Eponine stood outside on the street deciding whether to go to the hovel she had been staying in with her mother and sister or whether to go and find her friends and spend the night in their company. She watched from across the street as Cathy’s house went dark. She had also taken a mental note that she had not seen the Inspector leave. Eponine decided to keep this information to herself, she liked Cathy and adored her niece, Chloe and did not want to cause problems as Cathy would often give her food and allow her to spend the night and on that night like an idiot, Eponine had told Cathy she had made arragements to spend the night with her mother and sister. It had been a lie, but in a way she was glad to not be in Cathy’s house this night even though nothing at all might have been happening, though she knew that thought was probably unlikely. 

Cathy led Javert into her bedroom and lit a lamp then hung it on the hook on the wall. She left the bedroom for a brief moment to check on Chloe who was sleeping soundly. On returning to her bedroom she found Javert sitting on the bed looking a little unsure of himself and of what to do next. She closed the bedroom door and walked over to Javert, she could tell he was nervous. He opened his mouth to speak and she placed her finger on his lips, then, taking his face gently in her hands she leaned downa kissed him. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her body against him. Their kiss became more passionate, more urgent, as he slipped his tongue between he slightly parted lips and into her warm, moist mouth. His tongue stroked hers and hers in return, stroked his, they kissed deeper, harder and began to undress each other. She slipped his jacket over his shoulders and then removed his cravat. Frantically unbuttoning his shirt she brushed her lips across his face and then down passed his jaw, to his neck as he removed her blouse and unfastened her skirt allowing it to fall to the floor. With an even great sense of need and urgency she removed his undergarments and then started to unfasten his trousers. As her hand moved slowly over his groin she felt his manhood hardening. He broke off the kiss and pressed his face against her ample, curvaceous breasts. 

“I need to take off my Shoes.” He whispered.

“As do I.” she respinded with a giggle. 

They removed their shoes and he then took on the challenge of removing her corset. He failed to understand why w woman would want to go through such rigmarole just for the sake of keeping the wobbly parts in place. Cathy giggled like a little girl as his finger lightly tickled he spine while he was unlacing her corset. His hands were warm though a little bit rough. As he removed the corset and the rest of her undergarments he cupped his hands gently around her breasts, coaxing her nipples with his fingers until they were erect, while she reached behind her having still not removed his trousers and slowly caressed his manhood which was now almost fully erect. She then pulled down his trousers and as they dropped to his feet he kicked them off. Then he removed his socks, and lay down on the bed pulling Cathy onto the bed with him. 

He couldn’t remember a time when his curiosity had been so heightened. He softly caressed Cathy’s body, making sure to explore every curve with his hands as they travelled from her shoulders down to her ankles. He moved atop her and kissed her, deeply, firmly, passionately and with more confidence and contentment than he had ever been able to imagine feeling in such a situation with a woman. Moving from her mouth to her neck he kissed, licked and nibbled his way around her voluptuous body, raising his eyes only to glance at her lovely, face which shone with contentment and like porcelain in the dim lamplight. From her neck to her shoulder, down to he breasts, her nipples down her waist, her hips to the outside of her left thigh and across to outside of her right thigh, then to the inside of her right thigh and across to her left thigh, working his way up and she moaned with pleasure and writhed with the ever increasing arousal. He put his hand between her legs and with one finger he gently and eagerly massaged her most private and intimate area, causing her to become moist, he then slipped his finger inside of her entrance, exploring, investigating the inner sanctum, he moaned louder and writhed more vigorously, he fingered her a little long, slipping another finger inside of her as she raised her legs and rested them on his shoulders. He licked the outer nipple between her legs and then removing his fingers from inside her he slipped his tongue in, swirling it around and savouring the taste of her. 

Cathy was breathing heavily now and faster, she couldn’t control herself or the sounds that were escaping from her mouth. She whispered:

“Please, I want you inside me.”

He kissed and licked his way back up her naked body again then he lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips, with one thrust his generously sized, hard cock was inside of her and she clutched at his shoulders, digging her fingernails into his skin leaving light scratches, she raised and lowered her pelvis to join with him each time her thrust. It was intense and wonderful and she hadn’t felt like this before nor had she felt so utterly wanted by anyone. Javert rolled over pulling Cathy on top of him and she rose up and down on his throbbing, hard cock. He held her hips trying to control her movements as she had almost completely lost control of herself and her actions. Javert sat up and thrust as deep into her as he could get, he was completely enveloped by them warm, wet hole by which he had been enveloped. They climbed the mountain together and fell from the summit together, sweating, moaning, panting as Cathy collapsed on top of him and pressed her forehead into his shoulder. He held her for what seemed like a long time but was only a few mere minutes. She rolled off him and turned onto her side to face him, stroking his face she pressed her lips agains his and kissed him and they snuggled up together and fell asleep.

Javert could still scarcely believe that it had happened, and on the first night they had met, no dinner date, no lunch in a cafe, just a woman at work and him a customer, a man, who had never believed he was worthy of any such attention and, not even looking for such an encounter. Though he had seen her a couple of time since then, both times he had been working and unable to spend time with her. This night he had paid little Gavroche Thenardier a little bit of money to find out whether or not Cathy was working at the Tavern. If she was not there he would go to her home and hope to be able to see her there. He met up with Gravroche who told him that Cathy was working in the tavern that night. So off he trudged to Le Chien Noir. 

The tavern was busy again and he wasn’t comfortable in such crowded places. He looked through the window and spotted Cathy putting on her coat and saying goodbye to the other staff. He waited in the alley beside the tavern and as she left he stepped out in front of her almost scaring her into an early grave. 

“Jesus Christ Javert! Why are you lurking around in the shadows like an old phantom?" 

 "I apologise Madame, I did not mean to frighten you, my intention was to surprise you though.” He responded.

“Surpise me eh?.” she said shaking her head. “That you most certainly did.”

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“Yes, I’m alright, just give me a moment while my heart works it’s way back into my chest. Have you come to walk me home again?" 

"Yes. I’ve also brought some supper and wine if you’d like toshare it with me.”

“I’d love to.” She smiled and nodded. 

Cathy took Javert’s arm and they set off walking back to her house. 

“I also had an overwhelming desire to see you again, and spend more time with you. I like to get to know you better.” Javert said a little embarassed at how open he’d been in the moment but he felt so comfortable with her, he just couldn’t help blurting it out.

“I’d like to get to know you too Javert. Will you be spening the night with me again?" 

"Would you like to me to?” He asked.

“Yes I would.”

“Then I shall stay with you again.” He replied with a knowing smile.

She smiled back at him, linked her arm through his and for a moment or two, leaned her head against his arm. she didn’t understand why the locals feared him. in many ways no different to any other man despite having chosen to live his life in mostly solitude with only his work to keep things interesting. But little did she know how complicated, interesting and multilayered he could be. They had discussed little of his past, his childhood or his life before he became a police officer. While to him it was very simple because that’s they way he had constructed his life to be. He had built it around a very basic, but flawed view of the world and humanity and also that he was not accustomed to letting people into his very private little world, or displaying his emotions and thoughts. But she would find out soon enough. The streets in Cathy’s neighbourhood were quiet as they reached her modest yet cosy home. Eponine had fallen asleep on the chair again. Unable to wake her, Cathy left her their as she and Javert went into the kitchen to partake of their supper and wine. They chatted quietly for an hour or so before discreetly making their way upstairs, leaving the ground floor rooms of the house in darkness. While Eponine and Chloe slept peacefully throughout the night, Javert and Cathy intensified their relationship even further. 

By For The Love of Javert

Tomorrow I get drawing again and see what I can come up with.

The Qustvert pics are to mark the beginning and end of the chapter. Hopefully soon I'll have a thinner page divider to separate the chapters or possibly an illustration of my own.

Good night I'll check in tomorrow to see what the commentary is like. I'm dreading it btw. Especially as I stayed up until 5.15am to get it finished.

[secretmellowblog]

I love how the parallel between Valjean’s crisis after the Bishop and Javert’s crisis after the barricades is so strong that their thought processes are often described with nearly the exact same metaphors.

The musical conveying this by having them sing the same melody is such a perfect translation of the way their dialogue/descriptions echo each other in the novel...Like:

Valjean: 

“Is it true that I am to be released?” he said, in an almost inarticulate voice, and as though he were talking in his sleep.

Vs Javert: 

As though in a dream, (Javert) murmured rather than uttered this question: “What are you doing here?”

—

Valjean:

Like an owl, who should suddenly see the sun rise, the convict had been dazzled and blinded, as it were, by virtue.

Vs Javert: 

He perceived amid the shadows the terrible rising of an unknown moral sun; it horrified and dazzled him. An owl forced to the gaze of an eagle.

—

Valjean:

He no longer knew where he really was. 

Vs Javert:

Where did he stand? He sought to comprehend his position, and could no longer find his bearings.(…) He no longer understood himself. 

Valjean: 

At times he would have actually preferred to be in prison with the gendarmes, and that things should not have happened in this way; it would have agitated him less.

Vs Javert:

But then, why had he permitted that man to leave him alive? He had the right to be killed in that barricade. He should have asserted that right. It would have been better to summon the other insurgents to his succor against Jean Valjean, to get himself shot by force.

—

Valjean:

He actually saw that Jean Valjean, that sinister face, before him. He had almost reached the point of asking himself who that man was, and he was horrified by him. 

Vs Javert:

He conceived a horror of himself. 

—

Valjean:

He could not yield to the evidence of what was going on within him. He hardened himself against the angelic action and the gentle words of the old man.

Vs Javert:

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. 

Valjean:

 By one of those singular effects, which are peculiar to this sort of ecstasies, in proportion as his reverie continued, as the Bishop grew great and resplendent in his eyes, so did Jean Valjean grow less and vanish. After a certain time he was no longer anything more than a shade. All at once he disappeared. The Bishop alone remained; he filled the whole soul of this wretched man with a magnificent radiance.

Vs Javert:

Then his reflections reverted to himself and beside Jean Valjean glorified he beheld himself, Javert, degraded. (…)

Javert, the spy of order, incorruptibility in the service of the police, the bull-dog providence of society, vanquished and hurled to earth; and, erect, at the summit of all that ruin, a man with a green cap on his head and a halo round his brow; this was the astounding confusion to which he had come; this was the fearful vision which he bore within his soul.

—

Valjean:

That which was certain, that which he did not doubt, was that he was no longer the same man, that everything about him was changed, that it was no longer in his power to make it as though the Bishop had not spoken to him and had not touched him.

Vs Javert:

All that he had believed in melted away. Truths which he did not wish to recognize were besieging him, inexorably. Henceforth, he must be a different man.

Valjean:

He examined his life, and it seemed horrible to him; his soul, and it seemed frightful to him.

Vs Javert: 

He felt himself emptied, useless, put out of joint with his past life, turned out, dissolved. Authority was dead within him. He had no longer any reason for existing.

Valjean:

Did he have a distinct perception of what might result to him from his adventure at Digne? Did he understand all those mysterious murmurs which warn or importune the spirit at certain moments of life? Did a voice whisper in his ear that he had just passed the solemn hour of his destiny; that there no longer remained a middle course for him; that if he were not henceforth the best of men, he would be the worst; that it behooved him now, so to speak, to mount higher than the Bishop, or fall lower than the convict; that if he wished to become good he must become an angel; that if he wished to remain evil, he must become a monster? (….) did he catch some shadow of all this in his thought, in a confused way?

Misfortune certainly, as we have said, does form the education of the intelligence; nevertheless, it is doubtful whether Jean Valjean was in a condition to disentangle all that we have here indicated. If these ideas occurred to him, he but caught glimpses of, rather than saw them, and they only succeeded in throwing him into an unutterable and almost painful state of emotion.

Vs Javert:

God, always within man, and refractory, He, the true conscience, to the false; a prohibition to the spark to die out; an order to the ray to remember the sun; an injunction to the soul to recognize the veritable absolute when confronted with the fictitious absolute, humanity which cannot be lost; the human heart indestructible; that splendid phenomenon, the finest, perhaps, of all our interior marvels, did Javert understand this? Did Javert penetrate it? Did Javert account for it to himself? Evidently he did not. But beneath the pressure of that incontestable incomprehensibility he felt his brain bursting.

..And these are only the lines I've caught tonight. I don't know, as much as Les Mis adaptations love to focus on Valjean and Javert (often without understanding them cough bbc les mis cough) I feel like there are very few that Get how much both of them were broken by the same prison system, and how the trauma of that makes them view themselves and their own feelings through similar lenses.

[lostsunlight]

CHAPTER 7 - DAYBREAK

childe x reader, wc: 4.2k, masterlist, Ao3

cw: nsfw, violence, murder

Childe left the apartment as soon as he left your room. He had a whole barrage of things to complete now that he had finally arrived in Liyue. Signoria had told him two things in exchange for helping her track down Barbatos. One. To seek a man who went by ‘Zhongli’. The second was that a Sigil of Permission was being held by Yangshang Teahouse. Despite Childe’s overall intolerance for La Signoria’s entire being, she was useful when she needed to be, but only when there was something in it for her. 

He had to check in at Northland bank first but it seemed that the owners of Yangshang were yet to pay their debt to the Fatui, a perfect opportunity to take the Sigil and begin replicating it in order to summon Osial and force Rex Lapis’s hand.

He had organised to meet the consultant tomorrow at Liuli Pavilion for lunch. But now it was time to make people pay their debts, the sooner he can get the Sigil the sooner he can prove himself. He makes his way up the winding balcony and red-lacquered stairs of Liyue Harbour to Northland Bank. 

As he approached the guard, if he recalled correctly her name was Nadya, she had been under his division for a while now. She stood to attention and saluted.

“Welcome Lord Tartaglia, Nothing to report'' she said sharply in Snezhnayan, Childe had to admit hearing and speaking in his mother tongue was a small comfort one he missed. 

“Thank you Nadya” He responded in Snezhnayan

He brushes past her and strides into the bank. The bank teller looks up sharpy, clearly not expecting anyone past the bank closing. Much like Nadya she immediately stands to attention, despite the standard grey Fatui mask covering her eyes she was quite clearly shocked. 

“Lord Harbinger, Please forgive me I was not expecting your arrival. I am Ekaterina, the receptionist at Northland Bank. Please allow me to show me to your office” She said softly, hand on her chest, not a strand of hair out of place.

“No need to worry Ekaterina. Please” Ekaterina stands and heads up the staircase concealed by the desks at the front and leads him to the second level. She stops at a door above the entrance to the bank, giving him a full view of the interior. 

“Your office Lord Harbinger” 

“Thank you, dismissed” Without another word Ekaterina dismisses herself and leaves Childe to work. Childe was impressed that he couldn't hear her footsteps as she left, she would be useful later.

Childe walks into the office, it looked like his apartment, decorated in the standard Liyuan style. He beelines towards the desk, already covered in stacks of paperwork to look for what he needed. After a few minutes he finds the file on Yangshang Teahouse and their debts to Northland as well as their assets, just as Signoria told him the Sigil was in their possession, as for how they got it in the first place was anyone's guess. 

Immediately making his way back downstairs he tracked down the Pyro Agent responsible for debt collections that night. 

“You, Javert is it?” he signalled to the Agent “Come with me, were headed to Yangshang Teahouse for a debt collection”

The agent appeared hesitant “Sir, need you see to such a routine matter?” His voice was augmented by the mask he wore, a handy invention of Capitano. 

“Relax, I have… other matters to attend to” 

“If you command Lord Harbinger” He gave a short bow and waited for his next order 

Without another word the two made their way to the infamous teahouse. Sneaking in the backdoor Childe heard the tail end of a conversation between the owner and a woman 

“…We can make it far away with this” The owner said, pushing up his glasses and crossing his arms, he seemed too sure of himself for Childes liking, it would be satisfying taking him down a peg. He seated himself down in a chair in the shadows, agent standing behind him.

“But Master” the woman hesitated, the jewels of her expensive-looking hairpin swung with the movement of her head, her voice lowered to a whisper “What about the debt?”

Childe decided it was his time to interject he tapped a finger against his knee “Oh yes, I’ll be here to collect that” he said, his voice having a hint of amusement weaved in with the sinister tone

“What? Who's there!” the owner yelled, looking around furiously before spotting him sitting in the shadows.

The woman broke out into a panic “Guards! Protect the Master!” She ran behind a table, hands white-knuckling the edge. Two burly guards closed in behind the so-called master, wielding nothing but wooden bats. At first sight Childe could see that he would beat them with no effort, they were slow and uncoordinated. For a place so elusive they couldn’t even hire competent guards

“No matter what you owe, you cannot run from your debt. Is that not the Law of the God of Contracts in Liyue?” Childe rested a hand on his head and finally made eye contact with the owner. An indigent expression was painted across his face. He raised a shaking finger accusingly at Childe.

“F-Fatui! How dare you barge into a private residence!” He whipped his head “Guards! Show them how we treat unwanted guests at Yangshang Teahouse!”

Childe stood instinctively drawing his hydro blades holding them back handed. 

“Hah, not much for adversaries” he said, his cool demeanour contrasting the heated situation. Childe instantly jumped in.

He slid behind the guards and hit one on the back of the neck, the sickening crunch of bone rang through the room. The guard fell to the floor with a loud thump, with his body unable to move his eyes darted to Childe. He moved onto the next, the guard swung his bat and Childe ducked under the blow. He aimed his blade so it laid flat and stabbed it into the man's rib cage directly into his beating heart. Childe lodged his other blade in the first guard's back, he took in one last shaking breath as the light in his eyes died. 

Childe stalked up to the owner, new dual blades forming to replace the old ones. 

“Now, time to pay your debts comrade” 

“I-I have no money as of now but give me a few more weeks the debt and interest will be paid in full! Please!”

“It's been months of us knocking at your door, you say the same thing every time don't you?” He drew closer to the owner, blade pressed against his throat “Begging is rather unbecoming for a man of your status isn’t it?”

“If you don’t have the mora then give us material goods and then your debt would be considered cleared”

“I would rather die than give up my life's work to the likes of the Fatui!” he shouted, back pressed against the wall. Even with his life under threat he still believed himself to be invincible.

“Very well” without a second thought he banged the man's head forcefully against the wall knocking him unconscious. The woman still behind the table screamed. The Pyro Agent who had been standing in the corner moved to quickly cover her mouth. Childe turned towards her.

“I’m feeling merciful today, I’ll let you go. Tell a soul about what happened here and you’ll meet the same fate as your owner” He decided to not tell her that he didn't actually kill him yet. The woman nodded vigorously and Childe nodded to the agent. He unhanded her and stood back against the wall. The woman collapsed to the floor panting, clutching her chest. 

“Now, tell me where your goods are and we’ll leave you be” The woman pointed to a painting that hung on the wall. 

“B-Behind there, the key is on the owners neck” Childe crouched down and found a worn piece of string tied around his neck, a key tied to the end of it. With a harsh tug it snapped off. He carefully took the painting off the wall and opened the hidden compartment. Even his security wasn’t well thought out. He mused to himself. 

Taking stock of what was in there he grabbed an ornate box and flicked it open. Inside was exactly what he was looking for. The golden sigil floated upright in his palm. The Pyro Agent stepped forward a little.

“I never would have thought that an ordinary person had a Sigil of Permission in their possession. Its been years since anyone has seen one of these” he said in awe

“Your job is debt collection, and yet you failed to check what treasures he might possess that you might collect?” Childe snarked back

“Apologies, a dereliction of my duties”

“Enough, lets go”

“Yes sir”

Childe and the agent stopped out the same way they came in. On the way back to the bank he gave one final order to the agent .

“Javert” The agent stood to attention “Return to the bank with another agent, clean up the mess there and possess any treasures you find, ensure that the woman doesn't say a word. I’ll handle the owner” With a way of his hand he dismissed him.

He immediately made his way back to Northland bank. On the way back he overheard two people talking, a snippet of their conversation caught his attention. 

“...strange blond traveller, couldn't be older than seventeen and a small fairy. Apparently he’s causing quite the stir in Mondstadt. Something about single handedly fending off the city from a dragon”

"I heard he doesn't even have a Vison but he was still able to harness Anemo"

Childe decided to put a pin that for later, he had only just left Mondstadt. For someone to obtain such notoriety in a short amount of time, and for it to reach Liyue so quickly. It would be useful to know more. 

Opening the heavy doors he saw Ekaterina still sitting at the desk he was surprised to see her hanging back so late. 

“Ekaterina, what are you still doing here?” he asked jovially

“I had a feeling you would need me to be around Lord Harbinger”

“Rather insightful aren't you comrade? As a matter of fact I do have something I need you to do. Come with me to my office”

Childe and Ekaterina quickly go up the stairs and enter his office, after rifling through a few papers he finds the ones he's looking for. The ones detailing the fraud of Yangshang Teahouse’s owner. Pulling out another copy of the paper he hands them to Ekaterina.

“Give one to the printing press, ensure they have it printed by morning. Give the other one to the Millelith. It's vital that nobody knows it was the Fatui who leaked this information so please be discrete” 

“Yes Sir”

“Perfect, Dismissed” 

Without another word Ekaterina left the office. Childe pulled out the Sigil of Permission, the golden talisman emitting a soft golden glow. Now that he had finally gotten his hands on a real one the Fatui research division under him should make exponentially more progress. Enough to hopefully summon Osial before the Rite, his mission had a time limit after all.  

Placing it back in its box went to find an underling to transport it safely to the facility, it would be far too suspicious for him to leave the city, as the old saying goes In Liyue even the walls have ears. After a few minutes of looking he found an inconspicuous ground soldier to get the package to the factory as fast as possible. 

With his work done for the night he walked the short distance across the raised walkways to his apartment. He opened the door and walked inside, instinctively checking to see if anyone was there. He caught sight of a figure curled up on the couch, book open. Within an instant he drew the dagger that lay strapped to his thigh. He stalked further into the apartment.

“I thought we agreed not to kill me?” The voice rang out, you snapped your book shut and gave him a lazy smirk.

“Can’t be too cautious” he retorted, re-sheathing his dagger. “I thought you would be asleep by now”

You sighed and rested a hand on your chin “I couldn’t sleep, I don't know where you went off to and considering your supposed track record I couldn’t risk it” Childe sits down next to you, long legs perching on the table in front of the couch.

“Aw, so you care about me? It’s not like anyone I killed tonight had a chance against me anyways” He said nonchalantly. He didn't miss your eyebrows furrow for a second.

“Just doing my job Harbinger” you tucked a strand of hair behind you ear “You still haven’t told me where you went”

“Just some debt collection, nothing for you to worry about” He leaned back against the couch, and you leaned in over him a little, placing a hand on the couch behind him to support yourself. You looked suspiciously at him.

“I thought you said that was just a cover for what you were actually doing”

He titled his head up to meet your gaze “Ask the staff at Northland if you wish, If I was scheming I would be out far later wouldn’t I?”

“You’re a terrible liar you know that” you flicked his earring, he recoiled at that and gave you a sharp glare.

“People would say otherwise Y/N, but maybe my мама might be able to still tell ” He laughed, recalling his mothers smile, how her hugs seemed to fix everything. 

“Мама?” You question, accent slightly butchering the foreign word.

“ Мама” he annunciates it better this time “ Mutter, Mother” he repeated in Mondstadtan and Common Tongue. 

He sees something flicker in your eyes, what looks like sadness. It was gone when you looked at him again. 

“You’re not going to tell me what you were actually doing were you?” You huff. Childe picks up a strand of your hair and plays with it, twisting it between his fingers admiring the way the yellow lamplight glows off of it. 

“Like I said debt collection, they had something I needed”

“The Sigil of Permission?” you breathe

“Perhaps” he smirks, dropping the strand of hair “You would make a good spy you know”

“And I already told you I’m not. Maybe in another life, If I was born a man and given to The Knights, or maybe if I was born in Snezhnaya and been conscripted to the Fatui”

“You would be a useful tool to the Tsaritsa”

“What makes you think I would serve her?” 

“Because you have ambition Y/N, don't let them rot at your feet”

“I think I just proved that I’m more than willing to do whatever I can to reach my goal Tartaglia” You draw closer to him, almost nose to nose. Your breath ghosted his face

“You said it yourself, you have further to go” his hand grasped your waist, the silk fabric of your nightdress bunching.

“I also recall saying I wanted my freedom, I don't want to serve any god, no matter how glorious you say they might be” 

Childe had to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying what he truly wanted to say. That he would bring the heavens down for the Tsaritsa. That her plan was to let man rule over Teyvat for themselves.

He leans into whisper in your ear “Don’t let another Fatuus hear you say that, you might get yourself killed” A hand moves up your thigh to skim the rapidly healing wound

“And I thought you agreed to protect me, don't want to break a contract under Morax’s watchful eye do you?” your voice was barely above a whisper, hand grasping onto his shoulder.  He draws a gloved finger across your jawline.

“Goodnight Y/N”

With that he stands and heads to his room without a second thought, leaving you to fall back onto the couch. 

✧

Liyue was much harder to navigate than Mondstadt, you thought to yourself as you strolled across the intersecting walkways flanked by well kept ponds. Green lily pads floated upon the clear water’s surface, so clear you could easily see the koi slowly swimming below. 

Looking up the honestly ridiculous amount of stairs to see Bubu Pharmacy at the top. You began your ascent. The cold morning air got worse as you got higher. Finally cresting the top you made your way to the counter at the front of the pharmacy. You took a moment to take in the sheer luxury of the place, endless draws edged with gold and heavy green curtains pulled back. The strong smell of incense permeated the place.

Looking around for someone you wondered if the pharmacy was closed. That was when you heard a quiet monotone voice from behind the counter.

“How can I help you today” You whipped around and peered over the counter. There stood a small girl barely peeking over the edge. A large talisman was attached to the hat perched atop of her lilac hair. She looked up at you, there was no emotion in those large magenta eyes. 

“I’m here about the apprenticeship to study under Dr. Baizhu”

“…One moment please. Qiqi will get Dr. Baizhu” The girl ambled off into one of the back rooms of the pharmacy. A moment later she returned with a tall man, a white snake wrapped around his neck.

“Thank you Qiqi” He said to the girl, she merely nodded and returned to the counter and pulled out a battered notebook. Baizhu turns to you, you could have sworn you saw the snake giving you a once-over. 

“And you would be here for the apprenticeship?” He questioned, long green hair swaying with the moment of his head.

“Yes, I’m Y/N of Mondstadt, I was trained as a healer using my Hydro Vision. I’m very well versed in anything in the realm of physical trauma” 

“Interesting” You started a bit as a feminine voice came from the snake. “What? Are you truly surprised I can talk? Teyvat has stranger things wandering around”

“M-my apologies, I was not expecting it” You let out a small laugh trying to ease the nervousness. 

“Now, Changsheng” Baizhu scolded her in a light tone. “I’m interested to hear why you would be applying for this apprenticeship in Liyue”

“I believe I have a lot to learn from Liyuean healing techniques, especially herbalism and spiritualism. Monstadt focuses more on the physical aspects of the patient and tends to disregard the spiritual and emotional aspects of healing” 

“How long have you been a healer?” Changsheng hisses

“Five years, I started my training when I was fourteen”

“And you were trained by The Church?”

“Not quite, I was born in Springvale, a small village in the woods. I was trained by some of The Sisters but I was never formally a part of The Church” You hoped they wouldn’t question the lie, wouldn’t press further into your past.

“A healer with a Hydro Vision could be very advantageous for us, they can heal physical wounds a lot faster than our current treatments” Changsheng said to Baizhu, cocking her head. 

“A good point Changsheng” He looks to you “Come, show me your skills and then I’ll decide on this apprenticeship” 

He leads you up the set of stairs around the back to a cosy infirmary, sunlight pouring in through the open windows, vases full of various plants were spotted around the room. 

“First, how would you heal a cut?”

“I would first ask if the patient needed any milk of the poppy. I would clean the wound with water and then fire water. Appy my Hydro Vision to partially heal the wound by easing the inflammation and speeding up the process a bit. I would apply an appropriate herbal salve and then wrap the wound” You said, listing off the steps on your fingers.

He gives you a short nod and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Very well”

He walks up to a woman lying in bed. Instantly you notice a few small cuts on her arm, as if she had been caught in a particularly nasty thorn bush. Medical supplies already laid out on a small cart next to the bed. 

“Miss Su Lin” Baizhu approached the patient, an elderly woman with grey hair, a few black strands remaining. 

“I have a Healer from Mondstadt here, would you be alright if she attended to the cut on your arm”

Su Lin, looked at you standing a little behind Baizhu. You give her a smile. “Alright, so long as you stay with her” 

You sat on the small stool next to her bed.

“Miss Su Lin, would it be alright if I looked at the cuts on your arm?” Su Lin raised her arm and placed it in your grasp, you gave them a look. You fell easily into the routine.

“How did you these may I ask?” 

“Tried to feed the stray cat outside my house. She laughed, didn't appreciate me petting it.” You laughed a little at that

“Not at all by the looks of it, would you like any pain relief?” you ask

“I’ll be alright” she replied

With that you get to work cleaning the wound, satisfied you removed your gloves and dipped your hands in the steaming bowl of water and herbs on the cart to clean your hands. 

“I don’t have enough power or skill to fully heal the wound using my Vision alone, but I can partially heal it” You explain to her. She gives you a nod, the go ahead.

You pressed your fingers on Su Lin’s skin and drew power from your vision. A faint glow comes from your hands, you see the redness going down and the wound gets smaller before your eyes. You removed your hands the moment you felt dizzy and took a deep breath in. Taking a second you don your leather gloves again and finish taking care of the wound. 

Su Lin gives Baizhu a look and thanks you. You stand and clasp your hands in front of you.

“Please give us a moment” Baizhu guestres towards the door, you politely step out and close the door behind you. Muffled voices came from behind the dark wood. You pressed your ear to the door

“She has potential, but she needs more training with tapping into her elemental mastery” a voice that sounded like Changsheng said 

“I concur, out of everyone that has trialed here she had done the best '' Su Lin said, you frowned. Was Su Lin a test patient? How did she get the cuts on her arms then?

“Although it seems she's not very well versed on Liyean customs and manners, perhaps it would benefit to teach her those” Su Lin continued

There was silence for a moment 

“I believe the Mondstadt training was a good foundation but she really could learn from Liyuean technique” another pause “And it saves me from having to teach the basics” Baizhu hummed 

“Then it's agreed” Changsheng hissed

“Very well” 

You stood back from the door the moment you heard him approach. 

“Y/N, I would be delighted to take you on as my apprentice here at Bubu Pharmacy” 

You stepped back a little in shock, you hadn’t expected to actually get the apprenticeship. You bought a hand to your chest “T-Thank you Dr. Baizhu” you breathed out

“Return here tomorrow morning, we will discuss your contract and pay then. Until then have a lovely day” 

“You too Dr. Baizhu” you look at the snake draped around his neck, tongue flicking out “And you Changsheng” You give her a nod. With that you leave Bubu Pharmacy and make your way down the stairs. There were significantly more people gathered around the store compared to when you got there, this time Qiqi was standing on a small step ladder so she was able to see over the counter. 

You felt elated, luck was in your favour it seemed, now you just had to work with the Harbinger until he finished his mission. On your way down the stairs you heard people muttering about something called ‘The Rite of Descension’ wondering what predictions Rex Lapis would bring this year. You made a mental note to question Childe about that later. You had a lot to learn about Liyue it seemed. 

The copy of ‘Teyvat Travel Guide II’ laid abandoned on the bookshelf after your conversation with Childe last night. You still couldn’t grasp how he joked about murdering a man so easily. Being around him was certainly interesting to say the least. The way he so casually touched you, the way he let you tease him. You didn’t know what you felt about him.

You tilted your face up to the sun, feeling its warmth in the height of summer. You decided to enjoy the rest of your day and deal with Childe and his scheming later. For now you had a new city to learn.

You wandered around the streets, enjoying the pure liveliness of the atmosphere. Even with the Milleleth stationed around you felt at ease, your every move wasn't being watched. A sense of paranoia still clung to you, every few minutes you would instinctively look around as subtly as you could. 

Out of the corner of your eye you could have sworn you saw a flash of silver, you turned towards the alleyway and saw nothing. You dismissed it as nothing and continued on your way, content to blend in with the crowd of Liyue Harbour.

[neverregretthyfall]

AcTUM's Les Misérables

A few days I made a post about our local university adapting Les Mis for stage. Yesterday I went to watch the premiere and I really enjoyed it! It was super good and very engaging, the actors were fantastic and you could feel that they definitely read the brick as well. Unfortunately the pacing moved very fast and I think those not familiar with Les Mis might have gotten a little bit lost on occasion. All in all, I can definitely recommend going to the other two performances (June 17th and 18th) if you want to experience it for yourself.

Check out their website or their Instagram for more information (all in German).

Below you will find extensive notes on the stage play, keep reading if you’re curious ….

Technicalities: Modern AU, unspecified locations (just capitol city, smalltown, etc.), duration 2.5h (incl. intermission). The main message of the play was acceptance, tolerance and to show kindness to others.

(I will not rehash every plot-related detail that remains unchanged from the book, because otherwise this would get thrice as long)

‘Montreuil-sur-Mer’ (the smalltown) arc

We opened on JVJ being the mayor. He is the boss of a soup kitchen and to ease us into the story he talks to a new worker about his past. Unfortunately I cannot remember now if he really opened up about his own experiences or if he claims this happened to ‘a friend’.

Fantine is a recovering drug and alcohol addict and now works at JVJ’s soup kitchen. Due to her addiction she was forced by the court to give up Cosette into foster care (to the Thénardiers).

A letter sent to her by the court reveals her past to the colleagues and forewoman and Fantine is subsequently fired.

As she is now out of a job she turns to do illegal sex-work; they used some real cool shadow-play to show that, really enjoyed that part!

During this time she gets sick and is then caught by Javert, who wants to send her to jail for illegal prostitution. Fantine really panics then because she fears with a prison-sentence the court will never allow her to see Cosette ever again (!!)

The Arras plot is condensed to JVJ monologuing at the hospital with Javert overhearing him. While trying to arrest him, Fantine grabs a vase and knocks Javert unconscious (heck yeah, go Fantine!!). She then passes away from a combination of exhaustion and illness (one of the occasions that probably left non-fans super confused lol)

JVJ takes Fantine’s scarf as a memento and disappears …

Transition of dead Fantine rising and singing a song (aria) to Cosette (it was beautiful and very touching, I was super close to crying)

After getting Cosette from the Thénardiers, JVJ gives her Fantine’s scarf <3

‘Paris’ (the capitol city) arc

In true Marie (aka our Marius) and Cosette fashion they just stared at each other in the park, to shy to talk but really wanting to. Cosette then got called away by JVJ and accidentally left the scarf on the bench. Marie took it and vowed to find her again.

Marie studies law (as expected) and is an orphan (which she revealed super late).

Éponine is crushing hard on Marie, even reading a law book to impress her <3

Gavroche was super cool, he sang, made jokes, got the best one-liners and dabbed lol.

They included all of Thénardier’s aliases and he discovered the advantages of doing the ‘grandparent scam’ lmao.

Amis are introduced by running through the auditorium protesting, whistling, etc.

They are primarily fighting for queer rights (!!!)

Amis Count: 6/9

Named: Enjolras, Grantaire, Courfeyrac, Joly

Unnamed: one of the actresses said something very Combeferre-vibe-y, so I just decided that’s her then, lol; the other one I have absolutely no clue, Marie said to her at the barricade that she still owed her some money, which would make me think it’s Courfeyrac but he was played by somebody else, so alas, it shall remain a mystery ….

We got the ‘You don’t believe in anything / I believe in you exchange’.

Grantaire’s red waist coat was replaced by a huge-ass Enjolras-inspired tattoo on his chest, which was absolutely fantastic.

Making Marisette queer really improved the story, and especially Marie’s arc. Now Marie had a concrete reason for joining the Amis at the barricade (fighting for her rights).

We got super close to Cosette actually joining the fight, but in the end she didn’t unfortunately …

Lamarque’s funeral got replaced by a demonstration for queer rights, as expected the demo turns violent due to police brutality.

The Amis sang both a protest song and later – during the barricade fight – a drinking song (very DYHTPS and Drink with Me vibes)

Joly got very bad stomach ache when the fighting started but obviously he would never abandon his friends :')

When Javert got revealed as a spy, Enjolras threatened to shoot him and you could see how badly her hands shook (possibly an easter egg to ‘He could be your brother / He is’ ?)

Amis fought back bravely against heavy armoured police but alas, they did not make it this time either, rip …

permets-tu was fully included, long live the republic and handholding inclusive (!!)

Javert died via gun to the head.

The ending was super hopeful, during the four months Marie recovered in the hospital, queer rights improved and the biggest surprise of it all: JVJ survived!!

End Quote (paraphrased because I cannot remember the exact wording and I also have to translate it to English): “Freedom is a right but it's also a privilege that was bought with the courage of others!”

Various notes on appearances:

Thénardier looked straight outta the 70s (sans hair), fantastic outfit, 10/10

Enjolras wore a lime-green pantsuit and she looked absolutely excellent

The Amis had different coloured fabrics across their wrists, which I am pretty sure combined to the rainbow flag

Joly wore make-up and nail polish

unknown person at the demo: incredible hippie-look, also 10/10

Éponine had her hair up in some super cute buns decorated with violet ribbons <3

Gavroche gave hipster child vibes

Marie wore chic pants and top (she looked both elegant and laissez-faire)

Cosette wore a black pencil skirt, combined with a violet top and the pink scarf

Javert wore a very nice long black coat and a fedora

JVJ blending in with the rest and wearing a simple sweater/shirt combination

Courfeyrac wore simple slacks and a patterend shirt-top

Grantaire had a very revealing thin shirt/blouse thing going on combined with an orange/red scarf

Well, that's it! Thank you for reading up until this point. If you get the chance, please go watch this stageplay or check out their other works <3

[songandflame]

💌   to   write   my   muse   a   love   letter. (From Javert, who says it's just for her to practice reading but also he spent an hour and several drafts composing it)

Love Day Prompts || @reverdies (thank you!)

It made her stomach turn when she saw an envelope addressed to her propped against the vase atop the kitchen table. She may not be able to read as efficiently as the other occupants of this house, but she knew how to spell her name and how to read it.

Similar instances of the past had done nothing but ruin her. The recognition of Javert's writing, only familiar through their sessions together, did not help ease her anxiety.

She knew how this ended.

With an uneven exhale, Fantine grasped the rectangular paper with equally shaky hands. It was a miracle she managed to open the the envelope without ripping its contents.

She unfolded the letter, her illiteracy made worse by the trembling of the page. Eventually she pulled out a chair so she could sit; she hoped it would ground her. With elbows finally propped against the top of the table, her hands steadied and her name once again came into focus.

She braced herself, half reading through lashes as she struggled through each word, always expecting to read his rejection.

As she continued through, her lips mouthing the words do beautifully written in his script, her shoulders slowly dropped too. He did not outwardly state love, but Fantine (admittedly with difficulty at times), understood the purpose of this letter.

He mentioned how much he loved seeing cheeks flush red, her laughter embracing them— how the light caught her hair and how he had not noticed it before. How bright eyes captured the small joys of life and how it made him appreciate such things, too.

It hitched the breath in her throat. A love note? A love note?

In similar fashion to the other letters written to her, tears made blotches on parchment. In amongst them came bursts of laughter, mostly in disbelief, but also from euphoric joy.

The letter was displaced momentarily so not to ruin it with her tears. Only when she had tamed salty trails did she manage to reach his name at the bottom.

She would have to write one back; perhaps she could simultaneously impress him by demonstrating the skills he had taught her. Perhaps, in his habitual observation he had witnessed this all unfold from the shadows of a doorway, swiftly disappearing so not to get caught.

Another uneven exhale, one accompanied by the back of her hand wiping away semi-dried tears. And more laughter— pockets of joy she could not prevent escaping.

She hoped he had witnessed the happiness he bestowed upon her. But more than anything, she hoped she made him feel even a sliver of how loved he had made her feel now. He deserved more than what she could give him, but she would give everything in trying to be enough.

He deserved that much and more.

[psalm22-6]

The temptation of the novelist is to make capital out of death, and to decorate death-bed scenes with all the expensive funereal trappings beloved of undertakers. [. . .] Victor Hugo, in the last volume of "Les Miserables," gives us the death of Police Inspector Javert in the waters of the Seine with a brevity even more admirable [than Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”]. (But, then, the working of Javert's mind before the decision that suicide is the only course open to him is shown at considerable length.) Javert is on the quay, gazing into the darkness of the river. "Suddenly he took off his hat and placed it on the edge of the quay. A moment after a tall, black figure, which any belated passerby might have taken at a distance for a ghost, appeared standing on the parapet, leaned toward the Seine, then drew itself up and fell straight into the darkness, there was a dull splash and the shadow alone was in the secret of the convulsions of that obscure form which had disappeared beneath the waters." After this it is hard to listen patiently to the death bed oration of Jean Valjean, and the tears that choked Cosette and Marius, as they fell overcome on their knees, clasping the “noble hands” of their dying benefactor, come not to the reader’s eyes. 

Source: the Washington DC Evening Star, 25 November 1913