#I love Cosette so much though

[dolphin1812]

Cosette!

There's a strong implication that the Rue Plumet house is an opportunity for romance, both through earlier descriptions of the garden (the emphasis on youth, weddings, love, etc) and lines like this:

"The convent is a compression which must last the whole life, if it is to triumph over the human heart. On leaving the convent, Cosette could not have found anything sweeter or more dangerous than the house in the Rue Plumet. It was the commencement of solitude with the commencement of liberty, a closed garden, but a sharp, kind, rich, voluptuous, and odorous nature; there were the same dreams as in the convent, but glimpses could be caught of young men,—it was a grating, but it looked on the street."

Most obviously, the passage mentions that Cosette could see young men through the grating, but the language used to describe the garden ("voluptuous") feels quite sensual. Romance would also be the specific subject Jean Valjean and the nuns couldn't/wouldn't prepare her for; if the nuns ever had experience with that, they swore it off when they became nuns, and Jean Valjean has never experienced romance ("Jean Valjean had never loved anything [. . . . ] [He] had never been father, lover, husband, or friend" - LM 2.4.3). I think Hugo centers romance and relationships for young women in a way that's uncomfortable (even if it's unfortunately realistic in some ways, given that they were financially very important [the struggle of having enough money if unmarried as a woman] and risky because of social pressures [like Fantine being ostracized because she had a child without being married]). Part of the discomfort is also from the way these societal expectations of gender blend with Hugo's ideas, like his notion that Cosette is especially lost because she doesn't have a mother to guide her with the combined experience of being a "virgin" and a "wife." Still, it's true that romance would be difficult for Cosette because she doesn't have someone to easily communicate with on the subject. Jean Valjean is the only person she has right now, and it's not a topic he's very aware of. Rather than the framing here, then, it's a bit more sympathetic if we take it as another instance of the importance of a broad network of social support. Romance would not be as dangerous to Cosette if she had a variety of people to learn from, just as it would have been safer for Fantine if she had had people to fall back on after being abandoned or if people had advised her more directly in the first place about what to expect from a student-grisette romance.

The house is also mixed for Cosette in that it contains remnants of a cage. The convent is the true "compression," so she's free now that she's no longer there. Still, the psychological cage might remain; we don't know if she'll break free of it. The grating is part-cage as well, giving her more freedom than the convent but still constraining her. She can see the world now, but she's not fully in it, either.

Most importantly, Cosette is still a child! Hugo's speculating on her future here, but Cosette just wants to find interesting insects! Her love of searching for creatures feels like a return to the gamins, who do the same when playing; it's a shared trait that defines them as children, regardless of their different backgrounds. They're all still young, so they play.

Her love for her father is so sweet. I adore that she tries to fight against Jean Valjean's total lack of self-esteem by demanding that he treat himself better, or else she'll treat herself the same way:

""Father, I feel very cold in your room; why don't you have a carpet and a stove?"

"My dear child, there are so many persons more deserving than myself who have not even a roof to cover them."

"Then, why is there fire in my room and everything that I want?"

"Because you are a woman and a child."

"Nonsense! then men must be cold and hungry?""

Cosette knows that Valjean would never make her suffer, so if she makes herself live like him, she won't actually live badly. He'll just raise his own standard of living to make sure she's comfortable. Valjean's love for Cosette is one of his main defining traits, but she really loves him, too, and it's great to see that expressed!

I also love that their bond transcends societal expectations and is unique to them. In the passage above, for instance, Cosette questions gendered expectations over what men, women, and children should respectively tolerate, rejecting the idea that women and children should be prioritized over men. Part of it is certainly that she knows her father could be living more comfortably, but it's also because she loves him and doesn't want him to suffer needlessly based on any justification, whether it be others' poverty or gender. She sees Jean Valjean as both her father and mother as well, calling him "father" and imagining him like this:

"When she thought at night before she fell asleep, as she had no very clear idea of being Jean Valjean's daughter, she imagined that her mother's soul had passed into this good man, and had come to dwell near her. When he was sitting down she rested her cheek on his white hair, and silently dropped a tear, while saying to herself, "Perhaps this man is my mother!""

It's especially moving because Valjean sees himself in a similar way, feeling that he is her father because she needed one just as he needed a child, but also "[feeling] pangs like a mother" upon adopting her (LM 2.4.3). Fantine is ever-present in their relationship (and Cosette's dream was both beautiful and sad), but not entirely in an upsetting way. Valjean's feelings are unclear, and Cosette loves her mother, but in a vague way, since she doesn't remember her. But in a spiritual/religious way, Valjean and her mother's spirits have merged to her, preserving what she's heard about her mother's love and combining it with her lived experience of love. It's very sweet, and it makes sense that she would imagine her mother this way after such a religious upbringing.

Unfortunately, the metaphorical prison of the convent and the cage of the grating aren't the only dark shadow in this chapter. The last line is a bit ominous. For context, here it is in English and in French:

"The poor wretch, inundated with an angelic joy, trembled; he assured himself with transport that this would last his whole life; he said to himself that he had not really suffered enough to deserve such radiant happiness, and he thanked God in the depths of his soul for having allowed him—the wretched—to be thus loved by this innocent being."

"Le pauvre homme tressaillait inondé d'une joie angélique; il s'affirmait avec transport que cela durerait toute la vie; il se disait qu'il n'avait vraiment pas assez souffert pour mériter un si radieux bonheur, et il remerciait Dieu, dans les profondeurs de son âme, d'avoir permis qu'il fût ainsi aimé, lui misérable, par cet être innocent."

Jean Valjean is still a "misérable," and he defines his worth through suffering. He's happy with Cosette, which is wonderful! But he also thinks he doesn't deserve her, even if she clearly thinks otherwise. His joy, then, is in constant tension with his status as a misérable, and while Cosette tries to help - she's making him live decently! - she also doesn't know why he has this mindset. Jean Valjean has love, but he still carries the logic of the prison system with him, and by that logic, he will never "deserve" happiness.

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

A thousand times yes! This gave me so much to think about. Specifically, your point about how his name represents his old self/identity is very interesting to me, given what we see from him with Cosette towards the end of the novel.

I find it striking that Valjean tells Cosette to refer to him as "Monsieur Jean," out of all things. It makes sense that, because of his conversation with Marius and their belief that he must be cut out of Cosette's life, he wouldn't allow her to call him "Father." And, even though he literally has a full, sobbing breakdown in front of Marius when it seems like Cosette will find out about his past (the only time we see him cry in front of someone else, I'm pretty sure?), he doesn't go by Fauchelevent to her. Cosette likely would've found that less unusual, since we see her refer to him as "my father Fauchelevent" quite naturally, and it would make sense that Valjean would want to minimize her suspicions. But his great denied desire, as he expresses to Marius, is to be a part of a family; that's exactly what he felt he couldn't do as Fauchelevent. Keeping that name would mean he would always be worried that "the mask would suddenly be torn away," and he would be driven out as a monster. He wants to be accepted and loved for who he truly is, and while this isn't by any means complete honesty, in confessing to Marius and dropping the alias with Cosette, maybe he feels a little closer to what he's longed for.

There's also the social and metatextual significance of having Cosette call him "Monsieur Jean." First, in dropping his alias (which supplied Cosette's maiden name), he further severs any perceptible social tie between the two of them. "Jean," as you mentioned above, is a homonym of gens, which is fitting, since JVJ views himself as having become "just another person" to Cosette. And yet, calling him by his first name indicates some level of familiarity; social norms at the time meant that formal address used the last name. "Monsieur Jean" is oddly straddling the line between distant and personal (as Valjean himself is attempting to do).

Maybe most interesting of all is that, as many have noticed, Hugo almost exclusively refers to JVJ by his full name, Jean Valjean. This is one of the only instances in which the last name is dropped, which is part of why it stood out so much on my readthrough. It feels noticably more intimate, but also incomplete. And I think it ties into what (as you mentioned above) his last name means: "voilà Jean/gens": "behold the man." He's not ready for Cosette to know the full truth about who he is, so narratively, it's fitting that the withheld last name (which would allow her to learn about his past) is one which itself references a full and raw perception. It was first used of the suffering Christ, naked and humiliated and condemned and innocent; Valjean, in his fear and self-loathing, does not allow that revelation of himself.

Les Mis Hidden Name Meanings: Jean Valjean

Every Les Mis character’s name is either a pun or has some deep symbolic meaning– or both at once! Jean Valjean’s name has a ton of layers so let’s dive in.

When we’re first introduced to him, Hugo tells us that his name is quote “a contraction of voilà Jean, or “here is Jean.”” We’re told that he was named after his father, and that his family name probably began as a nickname.

The word “Jean” in french sounds like the word “gens,” which means “people.” So his last name is a pun meant to make you think “viola les gens”/ “here are people.”

The most obvious layer to his name is that Jean Valjean is basically John Doe. He is the anonymous Everyman. His sister’s name is Jeanne, so she’s basically Jane Doe. They aren’t special or exceptional or unusual; they’re just behold! The regular people.

In fact his name is so common-sounding that it's a plot point. Champmathieu, the man who is mistaken for Jean Valjean, has a name that the police connect with his. Javert theorizes that "Champ" is a version of "Jean" in a specific accent, while Mathieu was actually Jean Valjean's sister's maiden name. ("Champ" is also the French word for "field.") The fact that Jean Valjean is a peasant everyman makes it easy for others in his position to be conflated with him.

But the other layer is that this is all an elaborate pun biblical reference!

When Pontius Pilate presents a bound Jesus Christ to the crowd before his crucifixion, he says the words “ecce homo” or “Here is the man!”/”behold the man!”

“Voila Jean” or “here is Jean!”/”behold Jean!” is meant to be a reference to that.

During his death scene Jean Voila-Jean even references the “Ecce homo” line explicitly, gesturing at a crucifix and saying:

“Voilà le grand martyr.”

Which Isabel Hapgood translates as “behold the great martyr.”

At another point in the same scene Marius says to Cosette:

“He has sacrificed himself. Viola l’Homme. Behold the man.”

But more references to that biblical moment appear throughout the novel; Jean Valjean is associated with it constantly, all the time. It’s one of his defining biblical allusions. He’ll be trying to live anonymously, or under an alias– and then suddenly his true name and criminal past will be revealed, he’ll be revealed to be ‘the man,’ and some great horrible act of martyrdom will follow.

Sometimes Jean Valjean is the one revealing his own identity, but sometimes Inspector Javert is put into the role of Pontius Pilate. Javert himself explicitly makes that comparison– Jean Valjean as Jesus, Javert as Pontius Pilate– when he’s contemplating suicide.

And this ties into one of the largest differences between the book and the stage musical.

In the musical, “prisoner 24601” is the name that represents Jean Valjean’s dehumanization–while “Jean Valjean” is the name he uses while standing up for his own humanity. He will be called 24601, and proudly declare that “my name is Jean Valjean” to assert he’s still a person.

And while this is a great storytelling choice, it’s almost the opposite of how the name “Jean Valjean” is handled in the book.

Because in the book…. Jean Valjean IS the name that dehumanizes him. Jean Valjean is the name that he’s running from. The name that Javert uses when he’s insulting him, the name that bigots use when they’re threatening him, the name that ignorant people use when they’re mocking him – it’s not 24601, it’s Jean Valjean.

And there’s a special kind of agony to that.

The name that is being used to torture, humiliate, and dehumanize him isn’t 24601– it’s his name.

He thinks of it as a “fatal name,” as a punishment. Living under that name is living in hell. When Jean Valjean is living under one of his aliases, concealing his identity, he thinks:

That which he had always feared most of all in his hours of self-communion, during his sleepless nights, was to ever hear that name {jean Valjean] pronounced; he had said to himself, that that would be the end of all things for him; that on the day when that name made its reappearance it would cause his new life to vanish from about him, and—who knows?—perhaps even his new soul from within him.

It’s no wonder that he ends up internalizing the way society views him, and developing so much fear and hatred of himself. He’s grown to see his name as just….well, ecce homo, behold the man. His name is just the two words people say before they violently punish him.

Names and namelessness are a major theme in Les Mis, and he’s the character who has the most complex relationship with his own names. He has a legal name, but it’s used to torture him, and he has a series of false names he uses to escape torture.

If I were to describe Jean Valjean– one of the most complex characters in all of literature, in one word, that word would be “grief.”

The criminal justice system takes everything from him, including things he wasn’t aware he was able to lose. His name, the last connection he had to his family and his old identity, gets warped into this thing needs to view with fear and horror. The thing society despises isn’t 24601, isn’t a number they’ve placed on him – the thing they despise is Jean Valjean, some intrinsic inherent part of himself. He isn’t hated for what he did, he’s hated for what he is, and that is something he can never escape.

{But speaking of complexity we’ve actually barely scratched the surface of how Jean Valjean reacts to names, because he spends most of the novel living under a series of nicknames aliases. And guess what! Each of these names also has some elaborate symbolic meaning! If you’re interested in more posts covering his different aliases, feel free to leave a comment in the replies!}

[thanks for reading! For more in-depth analysis, check out the @lesmisletters readalong or join our discord server!]

[theseinfernalangels]

Rumors - Garrick Tavis

Synopsis: After your cruel half-brother decides to start rumors about you that end in unsavory behavior, Garrick decides to take matters into his own hands.

A/N: Another Garrick and Cosette fic! Love my sillies.

Includes: mentions of harassment, slut-shaming, brief allusions to assault, and otherwise implications. Angst, Protective Garrick. Takes place before Fourth Wing.

“Look at that, boys. Is that who I think it is?”

“Who? Oh. You mean the pretty little bastard from the Third?”

“Yeah, her. Camden. Can’t believe no one’s tried to get a piece of that yet. How do you think she likes it, huh?”

“Probably the same way she’ll get through the ranks: Under a Wingleader.”

You shudder, gripping your arms in a bruising hold as you shift deeper into the chair closest to the windows in the commons. It was futile, really, but if the velvety fabric brushing forcefully against your skin could replace the whispers of unfamiliar skin, you’d take it. You’d take anything, really, to get away from the negative attention.

It just had to be you, didn’t it? You’d done such a good job at keeping yourself inconspicuous and hidden in plain sight, and then your stupid half-brother —the very one that had never liked you, never even claimed you as his sister, never even acknowledged you outside his cruelty — had to open his big, spoiled, hate-filled mouth and ruin everything you had going for you. Alic hadn’t even revealed much yet; as far as you could tell, he’d just spilled the fact that you were an illegitimate child, and not the fact that you were related.

That was the thing, though. In doing so, Alic had intentionally revealed that he knew things about you — because there was no way he didn’t know the implications of his actions. He wasn’t an idiot; your brother, as cold as he was, knew exactly what he’d signed you up for as soon as he opened his mouth. That leaves you to pick up the pieces in all the worst ways, if the forceful breaths leaving your lungs didn’t say anything.

You hadn’t felt like this since…You can’t even remember. Your nails dig into your skin as you force air into your system, trying to focus on anything but the sinking feeling in your stomach. You shouldn’t let those guys affect you like this, you know you shouldn’t; after all, if they attack you, you have the full right to hurt them as much as needed to get them away. It’s not like you can help the icky feeling that’s been sticking to you like a burr recently — especially not when everyone knows about a part of you that, while you weren’t ashamed of it, revealed more about you than you were willing to risk.

A little scream is choked out of you when you feel an actual, tangible hand ghost along your shoulder, and you lash out almost immediately, sliding out of the chair and throwing your elbow at an angle that you know will catch someone in the throat if they don’t expect it. Gentle hands clamp down on your wrists, and you’re just about to throw your head back in a headbutt when a familiar voice sounds from behind you.

“Woah there, princess. Easy, easy, easy. It’s just me.”

You still and then let out what feels like the world’s most exasperated exhale. Wrenching yourself out of the offending grip, you brush your hands over your arms as if wiping the touch off of you.

“That was entirely uncalled for, Tavis. Why the fuck would you do that?”

Garrick stares at you for a moment as if to study you. Sure, you had great reflexes, but you’d never reacted so…strongly like that. Your eyes had gone wide with fright in a way he’d never seen out of you once this year, even with the dragons on Conscription Day.

“I do that all the time,” he says, raising an eyebrow before putting a few inches of space between the two of you. He looks you up and down again, hazel eyes flickering with…something, before he crouches down a little so you can look him in the eye easier.

“You want me to give you some space, Camden?” He asks in a quiet voice — one that holds none of the usual teasing he keeps for you. Your head shakes vehemently, a little too quickly for his own comfort. You look down, suddenly a bit self-conscious for your sudden vulnerability, but your voice betrays you when you speak.

“Please don’t. The last thing I need from you is space.”

You groan a little, scrubbing a hand over your face while you drop back into your chair. Garrick, eyeing you concernedly, settles into the seat next to yours — not quite far from you, but far enough that you don’t feel trapped in any way. His fingers drum along the arm of the chair absentmindedly.

“I heard something earlier.”

Well, shit. He already knows, and he’s probably figured your whole life story out. Great.

“A group of guys…talking.”

Your response feels automated as you speak. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “I didn’t quite like what they had to say. Something about—“

“A pretty little bastard from the Third Wing who looks like she’d fuck her way to the general’s position, right? Use her ass to her advantage because that’s all a woman can do here?” You finish his sentence for him, half-expecting him to add on with his own personal addendum.

You don’t face him in the following silence, but you don’t let your gaze fall. It’s all you can do to keep your dignity intact, to take control of a narrative being painted for you in front of your very eyes.

You expect a laugh, maybe even  a sneer. What you don’t expect is Garrick’s voice to be quiet and tight.

“I…What?” He sputters in disbelief. Your eyes meet his, and you’re taken aback by the rage simmering in his gorgeous eyes; it’s not something you’ve ever seen — not directed towards you, anyway. “Who the fuck said that?”

You blink once, twice, three times before you catch on that what you said was not what he was going to say. Great. He didn’t have to hear about it at all, but you told him yourself.

“Oh,” is all you can manage. “Damn. Guess gossip runs differently in different Wings, huh?”

He leans a little closer, his dark curls falling closer to his eyelids as he murmurs, “Camden. Who the fuck said that to you?”

Camden. Not “princess,” not “beautiful.” Camden. That’s how you know he’s serious. You realize that you prefer either of the annoying nicknames to his newfound seriousness.

You hold each other’s eyes for a moment, yours considering and his searching. You beat him to speaking first. “What were you going to say?”

Garrick blinks and then swallows, like he’s about to argue with you before considering a better alternative. 

“I…” He stops. “I heard…someone say that another first-year had slept with a few commanding third-years—“

“And you thought of me?” You flinch back incredulously.

“No!” Garrick yelps, waving a hand. “No. And then I caught the words blonde and pretty and Third, and you were the first person I thought of.” He winces. “Unfortunately.”

There are so many implications to draw out of his words that you almost find it a little impressive. You choose the easiest one first.

“There are a lot of girls like that in my Wing,” you mutter. “Why’d you think of me first, Tavis?”

He scowls a little. “Because you’re on my mind half the time anyway,” he retorts, folding his arms. “Blonde and pretty and Third told me everything.”

You don’t even have the energy to think about that in full. “And do you think any of that is true?”

Garrick immediately shakes his head firmly. “No,” he replies. “I’d never think that of you. You’re beautiful, yeah, but you’re too dignified to do anything like that.”

Well, at least you have that going for you. It doesn’t put you at ease, but it does make your foot stop tapping nervously.

The two of you are both silent for a minute before you speak again, a little more nervous.

“You’re not going to ask…?”

You don’t even need to say it. You’ve heard it whispered behind your back so many times that it’s almost become your inner monologue.

Bastard. Bastard. Bastard.

Garrick doesn’t miss a beat. “Do you want me to ask?”

Relief fills you like a damned flood, settling your nerves. “No.”

“Then I won’t,” he promises. “It’s not like I have anything better being said about me.”

Straight to the truth, never missing a step or a beat or anything. That’s Garrick Tavis for you. Thank gods. He says your name quietly, delicately, and your head tilts to meet his gaze again. His eyes are no longer filled with anger, but pure concern.

“Can I touch you?” He asks gently, as if speaking to a scared child. At a glance, you guess, you probably look like that, anyway — curled in on yourself, hugging your arms to your chest like you were trying to lull your heart to sleep. 

You look down, running your tongue along your teeth. “I’m surprised you asked.”

Garrick’s jaw works a little. “I’ve never—“

He pauses and then scowls. “Who.”

“No one.” You wave him off with one hand. “Not yet, anyway. I just…I’m being paranoid now, is all.”

He nods and mulls it over. He doesn’t touch you, but he scoots a little bit closer and asks again. “You never answered me before. Who said that shit to you?”

You shrug. “No one said it to me. My ears work perfectly fine. I can hear people whispering when they think I’m not listening. I knew someone might start a rumor about me out of spite, but I never thought it would be…that.”

“But who would do that to you?” He demands. “You barely talk to anyone outside your squad as is.”

The answer is obvious to you. Alic. Alic. It’s all Alic, but Garrick can’t know that without every other little secret unraveling itself from the outside in. So you settle for a shrug. “Not sure. Maybe someone got a little bitter over a lost challenge, or something like that.”

“…Something like that,” Garrick echoes. You can practically see the gears turning in his mind, trying to discern which cadet among hundreds could possibly hate you so much that they could pull a stunt like this. It’s an impossible task for someone who doesn’t know you — or, in this case, the actual you that’s not inhibited by lies.

“Garrick?” You prod him with your index finger.

He meets your eyes, clearly still wracking his brain trying to think.

“Don’t try to get to the bottom of it by yourself. That’s not your responsibility.”

He sighs, clearly frustrated. “I know it’s not,” he mutters. “But I want to help you. This isn’t fair to you. You haven’t done anything substantial to harm anyone, and this is what you get in return? That’s fucking bullshit.”

The mere idea that he would want to help you warms your heart a little — but the feeling quickly dies when you realize that he probably wouldn’t do the same if he knew what you were hiding.

“It’s okay, really,” you insist. “It’s just a bunch of rumors with no substance. Give it a week or two, and I’m sure they’ll die on their own.”

“And if they don’t?” Garrick challenges. “And if they don’t stop, and there are still echoes in the halls wherever you go, and — gods forbid it — someone tries something? What’ll you do then, princess? You like to break the rules, but could you really stomach killing someone for double-crossing you?”

The thought makes you freeze up. You like to talk big game sometimes, but could you actually kill someone and be able to function normally afterwards?

Your silence is all the answer Garrick needs. “I don’t like to call your bluff,” he amends gently, reaching to ghost a hesitant finger on your wrist. “You’re one of the most capable women I’ve ever met, Camden. But I don’t want to risk something happening like that to you. I can stomach killing, but never that.”

Your eyes dip down for a moment as you consider his words.

“Why do you care so much?” You ask softly, tracing the fabric of your chair with a singular nail. “We’re not even in the same Wing, Tavis. I should be the least of your concerns.”

He fixes a firm stare on you. “So what?” He dares. “Am I not allowed to care about someone outside of my circle? Believe it or not, Camden, I actually like being around you, and I’m not okay with ignoring a clear problem just because you hope it will go away.”

His eyes gleam with something a little softer. “Please,” he pleads. “Let me do something. You don’t want me to go to leadership? Fine. But let me watch your back for you, or walk you to your classes, or anything to make sure that you’re okay. I can’t promise that nothing else will happen, but it’ll lessen the risk. Please? I’m not above getting on my knees for you.”

In any other situation, you would have been blushing yourself silly. Honestly, Garrick’s protectiveness does send a little rush to your head — probably because this is he’s of the only people in your life, sans Cam and the Queen, who’s ever given you any indication that they want to protect you. You don’t want to let yourself get used to the feeling, but damn it — it feels good.

“…Fine,” you finally concede with a sigh. “I don’t quite understand you, Tavis, but if it’ll get you to stop begging me here, then fine. I just don’t want thing to circle back to you, you know? You already have your fair share of issues with people, and I really don’t want them to get worse.”

He scoffs. “People have issues with me,” he corrects. A wicked little smirk tugs at his pretty lips, the scar on his cheek moving with it. “Don’t worry about me. I think people fear what I’ll do more than spread gossip about it.”

You feel his index finger hook under your chin, pulling you to face him fully. He grins down at you. “And this? You’ve never even seen me beg before, princess. That is, unless you reallywant me to.”

Your eyes widen a little, and you flick his hand away without moving.

“Don’t even joke about that,” you warn. “You’ll get my hopes up, Tavis.”

The look he gives you is mischievous, but underlain with something else. Something softer, maybe a bit more than fond.

“I’d never keep you waiting, princess. That, I can promise you.”

[prouvairesverse]

my les mis fan fic recommendations :3

these are all my fav les mis fics that i wanna share!! most of it is between enjoltaire or jehanparnasse (though there is other ships too), definitely make sure to check out any warnings but i would recommend all of these!! i love them a lot <3

if any authors want to be untagged lmk!

It’s Not The Same Anymore - Enjolras/Grantaire | 173k words | my all time favourite fic out of any fandom i’ve read, it’s so so sweet <3 i reread it this a lot and recommend it everywhere LOL. i love everything about this fic!!!! | author -> @shamedumpster

Of Growth And Decay - Montparnasse/Jehan | 27k words | hades x persephone au | absolutely adore this fic i think about it so much <33 i reread this so often as well!! jehanparnasse being compared to hades/persephone is my favourite thing ever | author -> @just-french-me-up

Le Conte de Café - Montparnasse/Jehan | 45k words | faerie jehan owns a lil cafe <3 soso sweet i love it !! | author -> @mysunfreckle

Liberté, Egalité, Demi-plié - Enjolras/Grantaire | 71k words | ballet au!!! i love the concept of this fic a lot it was so interesting!! ballet au’s have my heart | author -> @darrenjolras

The Bug Collector - Combeferre/Enjolras | 812 words | can i just talk about how much i love everything stevie writes? perfect every time. ly @thatisntverycombefair

[series] At The Shrine Of Friendship Never Say Die - collection of sick!one shots surrounding the triumvirate

Even If There Are Monsters - Cosette/Marius | Enjolras/Grantaire | 38k words | DRACULA AU. i’m so obsessed with this. 2 of my biggest interests mixed i love it <333 | author -> @syrupsyche

Geraniums - Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre | 3k words | lil flower shop au <3 | author -> @putoriius

I’ve Seen Sinking Ships Go Down With More Grace Than You - Combeferre/Courfeyrac | 25k words | courfeyrac gets temporary amnesia. chaos ensues! i love this fic a lot

Beyond Time And Possibility - Enjolras/Grantaire | 16k words | when i say this fic lingers in the back of my mind constantly I MEAN IT. enjoltaire sort of time travel au with canon era enjolras x modern grantaire. the ending ruined me. | author -> @bittersweet-skylines

Beautiful & Good - Enjolras/Grantaire | 200k words | this was the first les mis fic i ever read!!!! i love it so so so much. i love the writing of this so much & the ending <333 so so good. | author -> @riotstarruika

Oillet Rouge - Montparnasse/Jehan | 4k words | canon era unrequited jehanparnasse . this made me cry and i haven’t stopped thinking about it since i read it </3

The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine - Montparnasse/Jehan | 5k words | one of the first fics i read of these two and it’s stuck with me i love it so much <33 | author -> @television-bodies

Oh It’s What You Do To Me - Enjolras/Grantaire | 7k words | long distance exr <3

16 Lies And Counting - Montparnasse/Jehan | 85k words | UGHHHHHH i love this fic so much. another one by sunfreckle and let me say, all of their fics are honestly so so good. i had to really hold back from not putting more

Everything Changes - Cosette/Marius | 1.1k words | cute lil marisette story <3

Magical Museums - 648 words | short natm au where feuilly works at a museum!!! i love it. i am obsessed with this concept as well

Something Telling (Between Then And Now) - Enjolras/Grantaire | 99k words | time travel au! canon era enjolras is transported to the future with modern era grantaire!! love this one. | author -> @dannypuro

Demiromantic - Montparnasse/Jehan | 1.7k words | i project heavily onto jehan & believe he’s demi so seeing this made me sob. i love it so much <3 it’s so cute

[cliozaur]

Many people have already written about Les Misérables at Théâtre du Châtelet, so I’ll just add a few points of my own.

The best part was that this production was different from the West End version: the costumes, sets, and acting choices felt very refreshing.

The actors’ voices were fantastic. Some leaned a bit too operatic, but it worked well in the context. And finally! Finally, I’ve heard a good Cosette! Maybe I’ve just been unlucky in the past, but every Cosette I’d heard before was just squeaking. Here, Julitte Artigala’s singing was genuinely enjoyable. Claire Perot’s Fantine was good and extremely expressive – looking at her gestures I had a picture of Edith Piaf in my head.

The Thénardiers were surprisingly charismatic. Madame Thénardier came across as almost a tragic figure—her frustration with and anger at her husband were much more palpable than in the English version. I could truly feel her pain. Kids in the theatre (there were so many of them, despite some new quite explicit scenes) were laughing at most of Mme Thenardier’s jokes. Meanwhile, Monsieur Thénardier reminded me of an eccentric Jack Sparrow. It was also clever how they acknowledged having a female conductor: during the wedding feast, when Thénardier called for the “maestro,” she corrected him with “maestra.” Then the orchestra was revealed behind the main stage—it was a very cool moment.

At the factory, they did not show the working process; instead, the conflict took place during a lunch break, with everyone eating or resting—an interesting production choice.

Valjean was not dying alone—even before Cosette and Marius arrived—he was at the convent, being cared for by nuns. It’s much better and less heartbreaking than dying of grief and starvation in an empty dwelling. (I think I read a fanfiction based on this twist.)

There were also some nice touches in the French lyrics. For example, Cosette mentioned the doll from the shop window (Catherina) she dreamed about. Actually, “Castle on a Cloud” is called “La poupée dans la vitrine” (“The doll in the shop window”). For Fantine, it was wolves that came at night instead of tigers (we know that both animals are associated with Javert). Speaking of Javert, in his soliloquy, he mentioned regretting not dying like a soldier, which I found to be a nice touch.

My love goes to the ensemble, as always! You could feel how much they enjoyed performing.

There were so many small gestures—touches, hugs, and all kinds of body contact—that are usually absent from the West End production. People have already pointed out that Javert appears in the “Heaven” finale, shaking Valjean’s hand. It’s a lovely touch, though completely illogical. And during the final bow, Javert kissed Cosette’s hand.

However, there were a few elements that felt dangerous. They used a lot of open fire, and not always for justified reasons. Recently, I’ve heard Ian McKellen talking about how nineteenth century theatres often burned down, and this abundance of fire made me nervous. Another concern was Javert being perched on an extremely high platform during his soliloquy. I hope there was some kind of safety line in place.

What irritated me: Javert carrying a rifle during “The Confrontation”(and he never had a cudgel). Why give him a rifle if he doesn’t use it? (Insert a joke here about Les Misérables being much shorter if Javert had just used the rifle in the hospital scene.) And then… the bicycle. It wasn’t funny, and it wasn’t even historically accurate to the time period in that form!

The audience was incredibly enthusiastic, cheering so much that the cast came back for four curtain calls! And they seemed happy to oblige.

[a-fatal-word]

I saw the Theatre Du Châtelet production of Les Miserables, and here's a rundown wyth my thoughts:

In the Prologue, the first set of prisoners are on a boat, then a second group is brought in to help move it. I loved this direction, as we see the physical feats they are forced to do. Valjean is brought on separately to these groups. Guards also beat the men, conveying the aggression of this environment which impacts Valjean’s character.

Part of the set is a ramp up stage left, which gets used a lot. During the Runaway Cart scene, we actually see the cart go down the hill and fall on Fauchelevent and the actor really milks it, it's brilliant. The set has these two huge curved pieces, which are used to create multiple settings, plus box sets which helps separate different locations.

Claire Perot is a perfect Fantine, we understand her immediately. She is watched by all the men in the factory, which she's aware of but hasn't grown hardened as a protection. She's so vulnerable and clearly uncomfortable with the attention. I really enjoyed the 'J'avais Reve' ('I Dreamed a Dream') lyrics, and Perot's delivery of the line about Cosette being close to dying was PERFECTLY delivered. She stopped to take the moment, and it was the best I've ever seen it done. My favourite Fantine, maybe even including the film adaptations I've seen.

The pimp comes on with Bamatabois and has the lines with the sex worker that in the English version says 'only joking, deary knows her place'. When Javert arrests Fantine, the other sex workers start towards her but stop, clearly on her side but unable to stand up to Javert. This asserts the dynamic between these men, who always have more power in the situation, and the powerless women.

Champmathieu and two guards walk in from of Valjean during 'Le Proces' ('Who Am I'), so he sees whose life his decision will impact. It's a shame the actors look nothing alike, I feel like they could've given the actor portraying Champmathieu a beard 😂

I preferred the 'Une Poupee Dans la Vitrine' lyrics to 'Castle on a Cloud' lyrics, they're so much more specific to her experience as she dreams of playing with the doll Catherine. love that she sings about Catherine. I wish that the Catherine that Valjean gives her was bigger, though, it more resembles the size of a doll you would buy today instead of the large doll of the novel. Her broom is literally twice her size though, it's a perfect staying to reflect the famous artwork of Cosette sweeping.

The Sergeant of Waterloo Inn is a box set which covers half the width of the stage so you can see the snow outside behind this set piece, which really makes it seem that the inn is bursting with people. This really highlights how far the Thenardiers fall. We see Cosette and Valjean meet in the space away from the set, which is cold and isolated.

These Thenardiers feel genuinely dangerous; they're funny but there's less playing up to the audience. They dress similarly to the rest of the cast, but there's always something out of place. For example, in Maitre Thenardier (Master of the House), Thenardier's outfit is identical to an ensemble member's, but then his hair is unusually styled compared to the rest of the casts'. During the wedding, everyone wears black and white (white dresses and black suits), whilst the Thenardiers arrive in black and white striped outfits. It's like they try to fit in, but they're always off. I also enjoyed that the Patron Minette are in Maitre Thenardier, backing up Thenardier as he over charges someone (his wife has a go at him in a nice touch of ensemble work). It's like they're mates who then went into crime together. The 'Colette' line also remains.

During the confrontation, which happens whilst the nuns are present, Javert whacks out a giant gun which he points at the nuns, after that the nuns throw a bucket at him. When I say I DIED.

This Grantaire isn't the Grantaire we know, he's way too optimistic and put together. When he first started singing, I thought he might be Prouvaire or Courfeyrac and they'd given one of those characters those lines! It made me think that having Courfeyrac make fun of Marius would be so much fun, they'd get to have a bit more of a relationship there, and Courfeyrac could keep his snarkiness from the novel. But I still enjoyed his performance. This Grantaire still makes fun of Marius in jest, but he is as passionate as Enjolras and can easily jump into action mode. Their dynamic slightly resembles Achilles and Patroclus' in Madeline Miller's novel, in that Enjolras and Achilles are focused and charismatic, whereas this Grantaire, like Patroclus, jumps in to help the wounded. His protection of Gavroche is there, and Gavroche sings his final lines to Grantaire, before falling into his arms dead (Gavroche throws the bag of ammunition over before stumbling back to their side of the barricade with his hand clutching his stomach, resembling Eponine's demise).

The costumes for everyone are stunning. Fantine's deshevelled look is gorgeous and Javert has an incredible black leather coat. Enjolras wears a gorgeous slightly orange toned red coat, then a red striped waistcoat at the barricade, whilst Grantaire is in a green suit, with a top hat in the early Musain scenes.

In 'Bonjour Paris' ('Look Down - Paris') we see a group of middle class men walking to the front of the stage, surrounded by the poor they appear disgusted by, whom we are encouraged to judge.

Minor characters portrayed by the ensemble are given chances to shine, and this production really feels like it is presenting a society, as the novel does. A father and daughter appear in Paris, and this father then joins the revolution. He kisses his wife goodbye as she leaves the barricade, and it's heartbreaking when we see his corpse when they are defeated. We also see a member of the ensemble listen in to Javert's confession to Valjean when he has suspicions that he's an ex-convict. This moment especially evokes the small town attitude of Montreuil-sur-Mer in the novel.

Stanley Kassa's Enjolras is one of the best I've ever seen. He's commanding, serious, and clearly empathetic; having told Courfeyrac to keep watch whilst Valjean sings 'Comme un Homme' ('Bring Him Home'), he also keeps watch, and a couple of times looks back to watch over his sleeping comrades. You can really see that he has a lot going on internally, and is reflecting on the previous day and what is to come. Before sending the fathers and women home, he does this sigh to himself, and lets us in on the inner torment and regret that the people didn't join them. Kassa also dies leaning back off the barricade with his arms out, and he keeps them there until the barricade is removed, which is impressive given the time he has to keep this position for.

In 'Dans ma Vie' ('In my Life'), there are bars to the garden stage left, then bars projected on a screen in front of the set, so Cosette actually feels boxed in and isolated from the outside world in her garden.

Cosette telling Valjean about the 'four men scheming' (replacing 'three men I saw beyond the wall' makes more sense. She and Marius actually see the end of the Eponine, Thenardier and Patron Minette scene, so she tells Valjean as she has reason to worry.

They make the decision to have the barricade rise outside the Musain rather than the Corinthe, probably to simplify things. This also creates an emotional link, as they dream of creating a new world and it's next to that space that they try to achieve that new world.

This production's Prouvaire has a beautiful openness as a performer, he carries a little book on the barricade which feels very apt.

After the defeat, two national guardsmen, plus Javert, survey the barricade, which is covered in the dead, making them face up to what they have done. We also have the national guard giving the orders at the back of stage, visible through the barricade.

'Le Suicide de Javert' ('Javert's Suicide') is heart stopping; he is on top of one of the large set pieces and towards of the song is raised higher. His death is achieved by falling back 90 degrees and the screen in front shows a projection of him falling in slow motion into the Seine. This production takes place 5 minutes from the Seine, which really hits you in this moment.

'Seul Devant ces Tables Vides' ('Empty Chairs at Empty Tables') is done with projections of shadows on the Musain set, which is a wooden piece stage right. Of course we see Grantaire drinking, recognisable as the shadow with the top hat.

'Tourne Tourne' ('Turning') is performed as the moment the families have to identify the dead, such a unique staging choice.

When things get awkward at the wedding, the master of ceremonies asks the 'Maestra' to play a specific song. When things get awkward again when the Thenardiers are eating all the food, Thenardier tries the same thing and asks the 'Maestro' for a song (there was a joke were he said something that wasn't a song, but I can't remember what). The Musical Director is then revealed upstage when she corrects him that's she's a 'Maestra', which got a big clap.

Eponine doesn't duet with Fantine in the Finale until later than usual, so we get a beautiful scene between Fantine and Valjean where she puts his hand on the book before he gives it to Cosette.

Once Valjean dies, he gets to greet everyone in death, included Myriel, who he hugs, and Javert, who he shakes hands with. And Enjolras, who feels very central to this production. He's used a lot in the trailer and Stanley Kassa has the most amazing charisma, you really root for him.

Overall, I loved this production. A lot of the lyrics are tell the novel's story more explicitly and are still poetic at times. I especially loved Fantine's lyrics, and it's so refreshing to see a different take on the material visually. I really hope this production gets a longer life, and I'm so glad we have an album with this cast. They all have golden voices, especially Oceane Demontis as Eponine. I also have to shout out Juliette Artigala for her portrayal of Cosette, I thought she was so endearing.

[hadleysmis]

Which of these semi-obscure Asian adaptations is your favourite?

I don't think I've ever held a poll like this before! Choose your favourite, and I would very much like it if you tell me your reason why. It's always so fun and interesting to hear other people's love of art.

Based on the posts people react with the most on my blog! <3

I usually try to advertise adaptations on my own, but I'll rely on others here! <33

Any caught your eye for the first time? Go to my pinned intro post to scroll through the adaptations and search the one you have in mind on my blog!

In general though, thank you so so so so so much for anyone and everyone who have interracted with my posts and have shown interest. A year ago I never would've guessed that there would be passionate people about this topic.

My prediction: Arai Takahiro's manga will take the glorifying win!

No surprise there: it's super accurate to the book, explores the themes and characters deeply and accurately, and it's very wonderfully dramatic retelling of the original book.

Though it's so accurate to the book that it feels more like a telling of the original book rather than a re-telling. It feels like sitting around a camp fire, listening to someone tell you the dramatic tale with the book in their hand.

Hadley's favourite: Kundan, of course. But Minamoto Tarou's manga or Su Manshu's translation has to be up there for me because I love a good laugh. I love comedy so much that I fear I will laugh at the face of death.

[pruneunfair]

Ranking OI maids.

23: Dobiella (The villainess maker)

The 20 people in the villainess maker fanbase have already agreed this girl is literally just Dobby as a anime girl from the way she speaks to the fact that their names sound similar. Most maids in OI tend to follow 2 personality traits: either they devoted to the point of nearly being husks or they are mean bullies who pick on their boss. Dobiella though... she takes that to a whole new level, girly isn't even a person she literally needs a purpose to live, even Ayla is creeper out by it, That hairstyle she has is wack too.

22: Lina (the tyrants perfumer)

Similar to Dobiella except it's not to such a concerning degree. She's a decent character but the bar is already quite low given how the characters are simple in TTOP.

21: Ellie (50 tea recipes of the Duchess)

Her design is cute I won't lie, braids and glasses are a classic ill always be a sucker for. But again, she's really not much other than a shy follower to Chloe ready to defend her. Won't change the fact she's still my favorite character in 50 tea recipes of the Duchess.

20: Ruby's maid (how to get my husband on my side)

I honestly cannot remember her name 😞 I can't remember which chapter she debuts in so I kinda just gave up on looking. anyway when it comes to personality she's still a tad dull but she's still got more than the last 3. The design is pretty meh but I can't fault her too much, she was pretty nice for all the times I remember her on screen.

19: Emily (actually I was the real one)

on one she really annoys me for some reason, probably cause she comes across as a real suck up but on the other hand, I can understand her desires for fancy clothes and materials.

18: Mina (Actually I was the real one)

Cosettes maid she had for like.. 5 chapters. I know a lot of people hate her for talking smack about Keira and not being grateful enough but the girl was also a homeless woman with her little brother. Cosette used Mina as a tool for her goals and let her get deported when everything went wrong during the rite arc. Remember the main reason Mina did what she did was because Cosette was using her brother's comfort and safety as leverage.

17: Annie (The villainess turns the hourglass)

Again, can't blame a maid for wanting a little more in life, with that being said it feels a tad weird whenever she acts like a pet whenever Aria offers her gold. Don't really like the fact that she also covered up Annie's freckles, let the Freckles be seen! 😤

16: Urania (From maid to queen)

Her rank might go up or down in the future since I've just started reading maid to queen but I liked the idea of a protagonist who could actually be selfish instead of perfectly kind or badass. Urania gets way too much hate so far in my opinion because she's actually more realistic and the only thing I'm concerned about is that she might become too stupid in her goal to return as a concubine since it's how she died in the first timeline.

15: Rose (Actually I was the real one)

The most iconic it Keiras maids. I preferred her first appearances more but for a maid with another personality dedicated to Keira but she's not as annoying as Emily and shows up more often than Mina. I do like her but there are better ones.

14: Emma (the villainess turns the hourglass)

out of all the evil maids Emma was one of the first who at least did it in a way that wasn't just tampering with food. She was a noble who lost her wealth and suffered a miscarriage so it did explain why a maid would be classist and raise Mielle with a superiority complex. Not bad for a side villain.

13: Anna (Not your typical reincarnation story)

I didn't really care about out her at first, she had a lot of Kuu dere traits and for a while she felt like a robot, thankfully she develops little by little as time went on and I love her for it.

12: Jessie (the villainess turns the hourglass)

Homegirl was just trying to do her job and I love her for it. After what Aria put her through in the first timeline she deserves that extra compensation.

11: The head maid (How to get my husband on my side)

Does this woman even have a name? 💀 I may have said braids+glasses were one of my favorite designs for maids but it's only 2nd to the experienced and almost muscular like designs. Beyond that her personality legit makes sense. She is universally hated for not accepting Ruby and while i do think attacking her for no reason is stupid it makes sense that's she not gonna immediately trust a stranger when she has people like Ellen to take care of. Speaking of that the relationship Ellen had with the head maid for as little of it that is seen is still very wholesome. We love our older ladies.

10: Emily..again (Death is the only ending for the villainess)

Probably the most iconic of OI maids and of course I like Emily but I do wish she had a little more to do with the plot, not bad but there are better ones.

9: Granna (Handmade tales of the handmaid)

Another maid protagonist but her concept is actually unique, a old woman who passed away of natural causes unexpectedly transmigrated as a 15 year old maid and with her experience cleans the mansion she works for with ease. The story is so far amazing and Granna mentally being an old woman instead of a ordinary office worker gets her extra points.

8: Lilian (who made me a princess)

Give this woman a raise Claude! That woman did so much for Athy I still consider her the one true parent to the kid.

7: Delice (Remarried empress)

Delice may only be remembered for being mutilated by Rashta but she still holds a special place in my heart. I felt so bad for her when her brother just told her nothing was wrong when Rashta was growing unstable and next thing you know during her next shift she gets framed and tortured 😢. Rashta I love you but not cool girl! In another universe Delice got to be spared and run away to start a little flower garden or a toy store with her dream husband.

6: Sancha (Sister I will be the queen in this life)

This little cutie deserves more than what she got. Don't get me wrong the story treats her pretty well when it comes to her new life and Ariande as a friend but at the same time.. I kinda think she exists to be the token homeless girl for Ariande to bring in to look better, she doesn't do much outside of cheer her lady on and I don't really care for her love interest that much. However I have noticed that Sancha is usually at her best when she's away from Ariande meaning she does more then be a cheerleader. Her moments of refusing to forgive Malleta were her best moments for her character. Speaking of which..

5: Malleta (Sister I will be the queen in this life)

one of my most favorite problematic queens though that's not saying much considering most of my favorite characters are toxic women. First of all: the character design, Sancha looks cute and all but she has the same super cute petite and youthful look most OI maids have. I know it's just because SITQITL puts non conventionally attractive characters as villains with exception of Ceasre and Isabella but I still love that Malleta stands out with a plus sized body, freckles, and narrow eyes instead of doe eyes. Her personality while admittedly trashy is still so entertaining given how delulu she can be. Personally I wish there were scenes where she and Isabella would just be gossip girls and talk shit about all Isabellas enemies. God why did she have to die so soon 😔

4: Chuchu (isn't being a maid better than being a princess?)

Pay no attention to the fact that she shares a name with a LOZ monster. Like I said my favorite kinds of maids are the muscular types who could carry a an entire table which is why Chuchu is one the greats. She's a total gentle giant and I'm so glad the series didn't kick her out completely when the FL moved on.

3: Helena (kill the villainess)

Im gonna throw hands with Helena haters cause what did she even do!? She made mistakes and was willing to apologize and make up for them and that still wasn't enough. Istg internalized misogyny did her dirty I tell you. As the 2nd FL I'm glad the author treated her with respect and actually brought up that Helena has feelings too just like Eris. What I loved the most about her was how she realistically handled the usual evil maid when some random maid put sand in Eris's dessert. When Eris slapped her Helena stood up for what was right and told Eris there was no reason to abuse someone else when they could easily just be fired. 👏 thank you Helena, thank you for finally doing what was sensible by firing the maid instead.

2nd: Sienna (isn't being a maid better than being a princess)

It was really hard to decide between Helena and Sienna so even though Sienna is up higher they are actually tied. Just gonna say it, out of all the FL's she beats all of them in terms of character design because that braid combined with green is perfect. The manhwa she's from is pretty short but it's still really wholesome albeit with a few cliches and random sad flashbacks.

1st: Bridgette. (This isekai maid is forming a union)

Reddit can complain about isekai maid villainizing nobles too much but I won't care because Bridgette, like Helena, IS a maid and naturally would be against workplace abuse. It's funny how quick they'll be about complaining that the nobles are one note because they don't have justifiable reasons to slap a maid while they don't bat an eye at the numerous counts of villainized maids in OI beforehand. Back to the point though Bridgette is one of the most complex protagonists I've ever seen. She can be mean, she can be kind, she can rash and she can still be resilient. That's what makes her so relatable she's not a single personality teathered to a ball and chain. Not only that but it's her and the entire story that made me feel comforted knowing I wasn't the only one turned off by the iffy tropes in OI being supported.

These tropes are all shown through flashbacks of Bridgettes past lives and I have to point out how much they still feel so unique even if they are the same soul, each of them making me cry one way or another. (Fawn and Muriel, my babies! 😭)

[mycurrentobsessionis]

I think "On My Own," which is admittedly very sad on its own, is so much more tragic when you realize that the "him" she's singing about isn't really Marius. Instead, Eponine has built up this savior in her head that's going to come save her from her awful life and projected that role onto the first man to show her kindness. Which is even sadder still when you consider what kindness Marius does show her is impersonal and based on the debt he believes he owes her father.

In a way, it feels less like a song about unrequited love and more like a child grieving the loss of her last shred of innocence -- the hope that she would be rescued like in a fairytale. And why shouldn't she maintain this fantasy? After all, she must remember the Christmas eve long ago when Valjean arrived at her family's inn and bought Cosette an expensive doll (one which she and her sister had also longed for), left coins in her shoe (Cosette had held out hope that she too would get a coin, though the Thenardiers never planned to give her one), and spirited her away. Why shouldn't that happen for her too?

[whorejolras]

as promised: jess' les amis fanfic rec list ✨

this is mainly e/r, a little bit of e/r/c and a few courferre

This is just the stuff that was in my bookmarks on ao3 when I started writing this post (months ago lol sorry it took so long). Going through I was shocked to see so many of my faves weren't actually bookmarked so I will for sure do a part two when I find them again, and have also added heaps of new fics to my bookmarks since then, but for now 25 fics is enough 😂

many of these will be rated E and will have sexual content, some are straight up pwp ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ok first is my ultimate fave that isn't even on ao3 anymore, but thankfully is on the authors tumblr, and that's:

Gnomon by luchia

50-80k words (?) (bc it's not on ao3 i'm estimating)

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

terrorist/assassin Enjolras my beloved ever. My fave are the "charming young man capable of being terrible" fics obviously. This one is my #1 e/r like in my head this is it's own canon. & this series has my fave e/r smut scenes ever. I still daydream about a Gnomon tv show...

- trigger warnings bc it's not on ao3 so doesn't have tags: murder, gun and knife violence, bombs, conversations about the deaths of children. this is not healthy relationship fluff but it makes for a 🥵 dynamic that's for damn sure.

also linking the rest of the series which is up on ao3 still, even though it is officially abandoned and unfinished - i am going to break my ultimate rule right off the bat and link an unfinished series bc I like it so much.

stupid terrorist boys by luchia

series, 5 works

200k words

rating: M and E

here we have gnomon's prequels, two sequels, and some one shots in between 🫶🏻

if you're here for kinky pwp Senselessly Happy and Unsuspecting could be good stand-alone (but it's better when reading in order). I would say read Gnomon first on tumblr then read the rest in order on ao3.

Silence Is the Speech of Love by lady_ragnell

50k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire, background Courfeyrac/Marius/Cosette

Enjolras is cursed for speaking out against the gods, Grantaire is there for him.

will I ever shut up about this fic? Never. fave fave fave. the world building, the mythological/religious system, the writing, the "I love you" "I don't think you do, actually" scene URGH!!!! I think of this fic every time i hear chopsticks. Everything happening with courf/marius/cosette, and the genius inclusion of social worker Fantine my beloved. This is one of those "could be it's own novel" fics.

and the sequel from Enjolras' pov 😭 - Left Unsaid

World Ain't Ready by idiopathicsmile

185k words

rating: T

Enjolras/Grantaire

yes it's the top fic yes everyone probably knows it but it's good for a reason. THE fake dating high school au fic that I broke all my rules for back in 2015. I refused to read unfinished fics, let alone T rated high school fics, yet I remember waiting for the updates for this one as it came out, messaging mutuals on the day the last chapter was released. and every time I reread I remember why. Brilliantly written, the pining, the angst, the miscommunications. All the Joly and Bossuet scenes.

honourable mention to the scene where Joly is so excited for the battle of the bands, then next scene starts with "I think it's more of a sitting night today" the realest simple yet most gut punching illustration of chronic pain that gets my ass every time.

Lovesickness by idiopathicsmile

11k words

rating: T

Enjolras/Grantaire, Joly/Bossuet/Musichetta

(we're gonna see a fair bit of idiopathicsmile on here)

this is one of my absolute favourites. not only bc I quote "hit by a truck full of shirts" all the time. a Joly pov fic!!!!!! my beloved!!!!! I'm a BIG JBM fan (they are essential to me when I'm writing grantaire) and love fics that stay true to his friendship with Joly and Bossuet. also I love when Enjolras is a giant dumbass who thinks his feelings for Grantaire is a mystery illness 😂

Still the Same by The Librarina (tears_of_nienna)

74k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

ok ok ok. listen. Yes. in this fic, Enjolras IS an fbi agent... and u know i'm the first and last to scream acab always...

that being said this is fully still one of my fave e/r/c fics. Enjolras and Combeferre are married & Enjolras needs to work with art thief Grantaire (fave) on a case. also that one bit at the end when Grantaire *redacted* 👀🫣

cupbearer by illuminate*

*this one is locked, you need an account to view

series, 4 works

124k words total

ratings: T, M & E

Enjolras/Grantaire

this series!!!!!! VAMPIRE ENJOLRAS!!!! thrall Grantaire!!!! canon era AND modern au! REINCARNATION!!!! i'm eeeeaaaaattiiiing 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

More Than Just a Game by ecaitlin

36k words

rating: E

Courfeyrac/Combeferre

Fake dating courferre 😭 this one is so good for the desert scene alone 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 one of my fave courferre fics

Good Intentions by ecaitlin

95k words

rating: E

Courfeyrac/Combeferre, background Marius/Cosette, Joly/Bossuet, Bahorel/Feuilly, and Enjolras/Grantaire ofc

THE les amis hogwarts au. 95k of Courfeyrac pov is always a treat for the system. in their last year at hogwarts, Courfeyrac decides to play matchmaker for all his friends. shenanigans!!!! fuck jkr, but whenever I wanna reread harry potter again I read this fic 🫶🏻 fave courferre ever, and also fave background e/r

if you remembered me by nightswatch*

*this one is locked, you need an account to view

40k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire

one thing about me is I love an amnesia fic! Enjolras loses his memory and Grantaire helps him recover 👀 this one's for the hurt/comfort and miscommunication/not being upfront about shit fans. also there's some past Grantaire/Combeferre and i'm always a fan

Beautiful Music Together by lady_ragnell

31k words

rating: E

Courfeyrac/Marius/Cosette

a rare Courf/Marius/Cosette fic for your palette. established Marius/Cosette need a little help from their good friend Courf with their sex life 👀 while the three of them also work on a musical assignment together 😭 prequel to You Dance Dreams kinda 👀

You Dance Dreams by lady_ragnell

61k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

(you can tell when i've found a writer who has a fair few fics and just gone nuts lol, lots of lady_ragnell too)

BALLET AU I LOVE YOU!!!!!! so set in the same universe as Beautiful Music Together, Combeferre ropes everyone into working on his opera, a Midsummer Night's Dream sequel. Grantaire dances as Puck alongside Enjolras singing as Oberon 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

In Defiance of all Geometry by idopathicsmile

51k words

rating: T

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

this is a top fave E/R/C fic and a top fave les amis fic of all time! Them living in a co-op and all the little details of how they make it work is sooooo real and anyone who wants to see accurately written community organising in les amis fic it's here! now for the ✨romance✨ - Grantaire moves in to the amis co-op and starts crushing on both Enjolras and Combeferre, who have both been pining for each other for years.

Years Since It's Been Clear by lady_ragnell

10k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

Enjolras offers his spare room to grantaire - or the one where enjolras chases the sun across the living room floor like a cat. That image has lived rent free in my head for and I am not exaggerating here, 10 years.

Gonna need (a spark to ignite) by FinditAgain*

*this one is locked, you need an account to view

47k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

soulmate au! soulmate au with E/R/C!!!!!!! enjolras and combeferre are soulmates who lost their bond as children. when combeferre and enjolras find each other as adults, enjolras is already in an established relationship with grantaire 👀👀👀

secret agent man by goshemily

30k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

yes another cop one haha 😭 bc if ur not able to contradict urself with the media u like are u even a person? but also I wouldn't recommend if it wasn't a good read for the stairs scene alone 😅 Enjolras and Grantaire need to go undercover as a married couple in a small town.

Leaves in the Void by myrmidryad

16k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire

this is one i've found since rejoining tumblr late last year that 😭 fully broke my heart bro 😭 space au, enjolras writes letters to everyone when he's accidentally isolated on a ship for what to him was eight and half months but was two hours for everyone else.

Blame Delicate Artemis by hyenateeth

22k words

rating: E

femslash Enjolras/Grantaire

posting omegaverse on main? more likely than you think!

this is porn with a tiny bit of plot, but also one of my fave for femslash e/r and also..... girl dick. that's all.

omega enjolras alpha grantaire canon era lesbians.

that's enough description to find its right audience I feel

Eyes to Serve, Hands to Learn by myrmidryad

94k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

Grantaire runs into Enjolras at a kink club. enter 94,000 words of bdsm porn and pining. mostly dom Enjolras and submissive Grantaire, mostly.

Never Be Satisfied by torakowalski

15k words

rating: E

femslash Enjolras/Grantaire

dental dam mention! win!

Grantaire gives Enjolras some advice, lends some toys, and then offers some hands on help when she learns Enjolras has never come before 😏

potentially lovely, perpetually human by myrmidryad

20k words

not rated, does contain smut

Enjolras/Grantaire

lots of myrmidryad here too lol

two of my favourite tropes here. 1: supernatural Enjolras who's in control of his abilities except when it comes to Grantaire (see cupbearer series) and 2: nonbinary Grantaire my beloved!!! Enjolras has psychic empathy triggered by physical touch, so he refuses to touch anyone: until his touch starved ass accidentally touches Grantaire and feels what they're feeling 🥹

Witchboy by tothewillofthepeople

series, 8 works

84k words

rating: T, M

Enjolras/Grantaire

this one is a more recent recommendation that I loved, the world building and magic is so good, there's some great background eposette and patron minette which I'm always a fan of.

i'm not the moon (i'm not even a star) by serinesaccade

40k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire

amnesia fic and fake dating 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 this time we've got Grantaire losing his memories and waking up in a world where he has a really hot boyfriend, but apparently his 1.5 year relationship with Enjolras isn't what it seems 👀

and let's round this out with a classic

Thirty-Two Times by Ark

7k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

the bottom R canon era bible 🙏🏻

i'm sorry i feel like my emoji use is very millennial. jsyk 👌🏻 is me clicking with my nails ok bye 😘

if you want more i'm whorejolras on ao3 go nuts 🙌🏻

[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.

[tjjamess]

Im watching a different Les Mis YouTube bootleg every day for a week (because I’m actually insane) so here is a little dump of my thoughts and little details I liked about each one.

Day 1

12/05/2007 Broadway Production

Https://youtu.be/oLOGOiK3zCM?si=_U2Ry5HBa84OfKxY

This is the one that started this whole things cause I heard that Grantaire played the guitar

One song in an Javert and Valjean Are far closer than they need to be

Like was it really necessary to get that close (not that I’m complaining obviously)

Also this Javert kinda… *gets sprizted with water*

omg Fantine’s actress was so good I can’t even comprehend

Like look at that ^

magnificent!

The Thenardiers lean very far into the comedy relief characters

Gary Beach as M. Thenardier!!!

Gavroche was such an icon this performance

favourite character fr fr

and he had a little red bandanna in his costume and I just love that so much

Grantaire carrys him on his shoulders in one day more and he stands with Enjolras in do you hear the people sing

Speaking of one day more this performance was really good

but back to Gavroche…

im gonna pull a Javert cause when Gavroche goes to collect the bullets it’s NOT HIS LITTLE PEOPLE SONG AND IS INSTEAD A MUCH SADDER VERSION

im just gonna attach the video cause omg I can’t

Gavroche’s actor was so good man

he sounded so fucking scared I’m crying

On a lighter note I loved cosette so much her actress was actually so gorgeous and so good

A heart full of love was actually hilarious though

cosette kept turning the other direction every time Marius looked at her to the point she would run after him then turn on her heels in like two seconds flat

AND there was a moment when Marius introduces Eponine and Cosette and they just stare at each other for a long moment I can’t even

Eponines actress was very very good

she sounded a little like she was trying to sing like Frances Ruffelle but she was good so I’m not complaining

A little fall of rain was so sad in this one man

she tried to give him one last kiss before she died but she DIDNT GET TO AAAA

Enjolras hugs Marius and Grantaire shares his drink with him after a little fall of rain!!

then of course guitar Grantaire and accordion Jehan are a highlight

The sillies

Javert soliloquy was a masterpiece but to be fair I say that about every version of Javert’s soliloquy

but you see what I mean when I say Javert kinda…. No! No! Not the spray bottle again!!

I suspend my hate on Marius for this actor cause he was really good I really like his voice and he was a silly little guy

Empty chairs at empty tables hurt my soul

the wedding was absolutely gorgeous the lighting was so good I can’t

Like look how pretty that is ^^^^

i cried like 3 times with was a very good cast very nice very nice

the camera quality wasn’t too bad (other than the few times the camera would get hidden but eh what can you do)

very good I would probably rewatch this bootleg again

[cometomecosette]

I just love reading posts from @professorspork and @theseerasures about the changing characterization trends and acting choices in Wicked over the years. Glindas becoming weirder yet more sympathetic from the start, Elphaba/Glinda pairings becoming gayer, Nessaroses becoming nicer, Dr. Dillamonds touching their students less... There have been so many interesting patterns! I'd like to learn more and hopefully I will!

As I've been exploring Les Mis recordings from the '80s (audio and video, studio and bootleg), I've been trying my best to do the same and notice trends that are different from the more recent performances I've seen. I've already noticed a few.

For example:

*Less shouting and running around in general, from all the characters.

*Valjean less aggressive in the Prologue – truer to his novel characterization and more polite until the theft of the silver.

*Deeper, richer alto voices for Fantine, in contrast to the more girlish voices of Éponine and Cosette.

*More rugged, emotional, Edith Piaf-type voices for Éponine (whether higher like Frances Ruffelle's or lower like Shlomit Aharon's), rather than clear Broadway-style voices.

*More delicate, classically trained sopranos for Cosette.

*Physically leaner and meaner Mme. Thénardiers, who don't play their lines as much for laughs.

*More robust, manlier voices for Marius, Enjolras, and the students in general – less light and boyish.

*Enjolras usually dark-haired (although the 1987 Hungarian production and the 1988 Vienna production had blonds in the role) and, surprisingly, often a short man. Now, this wasn't universal; Michael Maguire and Anthony Warlow were both tall. But it still seems to have been oddly common for shorter actors to play the role. Were they aiming for a Napoleon vibe?

*Bamatabois less violent with Fantine, not touching her again after she scratches his face.

*Cosette screams when Thénardier shouts her name in "The Robbery."

*More calmness and dignity on the barricade – the students portrayed as stalwart young soldiers, not hotblooded schoolboys who burst into shouts every time something tense happens. Enjolras is sometimes the exception to this rule, though (e.g. David Burt).

*The students laugh and/or cheer after Éponine climbs over the barricade before "A Little Fall of Rain," thinking she made it safely.

*Little to no Enjolras/Grantaire interaction, let alone homoeroticism.

*Enjolras doesn't run to Marius's side when he's shot, but just briefly looks back at him, then gets back to the fight.

*Valjean doesn't physically "die" in the Epilogue – he just shares a last long hug with Cosette as Fantine sings "Come with me..." then stands up from his chair.

As I move into recordings from the '90s, I'll see how long it took for these trends to change, and keep a lookout for other trends too!

[fateandloveentwined]

the musical and the brick: congruence

You know how I always said bring him home should not be in les mis, and it is not canon? I mean, it just occurred to me that even though Valjean didn’t save Marius at that time, he did eventually, and he even blessed Cosette and Marius’ marriage despite his unwillingness to do so, going so far as to proclaim his life’s work ended. And he saved Javert at that time, a far greater fear of his own (or was it that his love for Cosette surpassed that fear for his own imprisonment), showing how he has always been about love and redemption. It made me think, and I realise the tone of bring him home has never been wrong. You change some things and shift some timeframes in adaptations, and who am I to complain about one of the best numbers of this masterpiece?

(I didn’t get bring him home that much at the start. But someone close passed away, I looped it, and yeah, at times like those you suddenly see what the song is really about, and it’s beautiful.)

And when JVJ really sings it at the ending, it is so true to the story.

And same goes for the do you hear the people sing reprise at the finale. Because Victor Hugo wanted to write about fading into nihility. He wanted to write about death, about how lives don’t matter a hundred years down the road. Revolutions fade, compassion and genuine love and forgiveness reigns. But he wrote this in the 1850s, in the wake of France's 1848 revolution mess and he himself in self-imposed exile, the glaring failure of the second republic and the irony of napoleon III’s ascension shoved in his face. So he’s disillusioned with uprisings. He wants peace. But above all he still longs for liberty and egalite—at that point in the course of history we don’t even know if he still believes in the possibility of such a future. So instead Hugo writes about the fading of things, he writes about religion and he writes about love and compassion, he chooses to end the story with the fading life of Jean Valjean rather than the conviction of liberty of the ABC’s.

Despite all this, for just a little or a lot, in the heaven faraway and some time in their near future, for at least a brief respite of time, the chorus rings of a la volonte du peuple, and I suppose it will be what he wished for.

The musical is pretty congruent, all things considered.

(recommendation of the day: I was listening to Chris Jacobsen's BHH which made me write all this. So blame him.)

[🕯️les mis index]

[eleancrvances]

more les mis arena tour notes because yes, i went again. and i was close enough to notice an annoying amount of details, ignore me

killian sounded much healthier this time around and i loove him

also, this theater had a portion extending across the pit and into the audience which they used some times. killian sang the entirety of bring him home from there, just a few meters from me

because of this, bradley was also able to come forward and kneel at the end of stars

AND at the end of the suicide. i'm glad i got to see him so closely at that moment, he was really broken down, tears on his face and all

AND james went up there to die at the end of the final battle :))))))))))

when madeleine asked if javert is sure he's not vaijean, bradley looked so offended it made me chuckle. "how dare you imply i wouldn't know jean valjean anywhere." and then he didn't

i really love how gavin doesn't sing "i'm a con, just like you" but instead says it very matter-of-factly. an underrated line imo. of course thenardier and valjean are nothing alike, but in the eyes of the law they're exactly the same, and that's the whole problem isn't it

channah sounded much more tired than last week, understandably so since she truly gave her all every time i saw her, but she was still Acting

i noticed she looked genuinely hopeful when javert entered during fantine's arrest, as if she believed he really would listen and help her. her face dropped when he called bamatabois a "good man"

towards the end of lovely ladies she stared ahead for most of the time, so when she finally turned around and realized the man holding his hand out to her was the foreman she gasped, and it hurt

when valjean asked to kill javert, bradley didn't look surprised in the least, he simply looked down and smiled

this time, at the end of we meet again, bradley didn't lunge at valjean but simply slowly walked towards him until killian put the hand holding the knife on his chest and quietly told him "hey. go"

...which tied in nicely with how he entered during the sewers, he usually runs in and looks shocked to recognize valjean, but this time he walked in with his eyes already on him and killian had to lift his hands to halt him when he saw him

enjolras fixed gavroche's little hat during one day more :')

i still don't much like beatrice's cosette tbh, but she does have a very sweet voice, and unfortunately this staging doesn't leave her much room to grow the character

jac was on this time and i'm glad i saw him, his marius is quite sassy, but loving, towards cosette obv but he also looked so genuinely fond of eponine. my boy was properly sobbing during a little fall of rain

after the scream in rue plumet, when everybody was running away, nathania bit montparnasse. and even though he threatened her, thenardier jumped and ran away the moment she stepped towards him. she's scary and i love her

adam robert lewis was having the time of his life doing the background choreography of beggars at the feast, bless him

also, not show related but when i left the theater i walked next the window of a restaurant and saw raymond walsh and jeremy secomb grabbing dinner. i didn't want to disturb them so i quickly waved and mouthed a thank you through the glass, and they did a little bow :)

also a cute thing i want to remember: there was a little girl (about 6 years old) sitting in front of me, who enjoyed the show and sobbed when the students died. while leaving her mom called her and i realised she has my same name :)

[wilwywaylan]

Happy Barricade Day where our lovely characters have fun in the park and go to a protest that goes perfectly well before going to the park and laying in the grass and everything is perfect and...

I had that idea floating around since Feuilly's week last year, and this is as good a Barricade Day drawing as any :D I call it the "Because" drawing because of the pose they used during the song "Because" in the movie "Across The Universe".

That one took "only" 19 days to do, and I'm very, very proud of it !!!

Bahorel's awesome shirt comes from @crow-songs-at-dawn.

Happy Pride, everyone !

That one also has a text by @crow-songs-at-dawn that goes with it !

--

Nothing or no-one could resist Prouvaire's puppy eyes. This was a well-known fact among the Amis : when their resident dreamer wanted something really, really badly, he'd use his ultimate weapon. Even R knew to stop ranting about the bleakness of life and the futility of the cosmos when those heterochromatic eyes turned to him. So when Montparnasse felt the puppy eyes turn on him, he crossed his arms and shook his head.

No. It's not happening.

Please?

A picnic in a park with all your friends sounds like a special kind of hell. Will I have to sign a petition?

Three, at least.

Oh joy.

Must you be so dramatic? It's just for an afternoon, it'll change from your usual nightly hobbies, I know. Montparnasse rolled his eyes and :

I'm not sure I'd enjoy spending all that time having Enjolras look at me like a disapproving parent, or lecturing me about something or other that really doesn't need to be his problem.

I know he can be intense.

He likes the sound of his own voice. A bit like - whatshisname - Alphabet Boy. Prouvaire cocked his head and tried to hide a smile.

You're just being difficult on purpose. You like R and don't even try to deny it.

Not enough to share a martini with.

You don't share martinis with me, either.

You don't like martinis.

I like you when you've had a few, though…

Flirting won't get me to say yes to -

But Prouvaire didn't let Montparnasse say another word before pushing him down on the bed and kissing him. They were still undressed and it was a sunny summer morning, and kissing Montparnasse was always one of Prouvaire's favourite things to do. Usually because it got his grumpy night-owl boyfriend to mellow out and smile. Ah, there was the smile he was looking for, along with a crinkle in those dark eyes.

Me trash-talking your friends turns you on a little, does it?

Only because I know you're not really serious.

Is that a challenge? Alright then. Someone really should tell Pontmercy that the entire "starving student with a heart of gold" aesthetic wasn't cool even when it was.

No-one says "cool" anymore, 'Parnasse.

Of course they do. What they don't say anymore is anything on the lines of "fantastic" or "amazing", or whatever else Mothman seems to have read in Pride and Prejudice. Or those wierd interjections Joly seems to emit like some sort of human shaped infrawave.

Prouvaire couldn't help but smile and placed a kiss on Montparnasse's collarbone.

You're horrible.

Promise, I won't tell them you find me hilarious.

I'm dating a criminal, I like to live dangerously.

I applaud your bravery. But I'm still not spending the afternoon with them. Seeing so much sweetness makes my teeth ache.

Cosette and Marius are adorable, I know.

Still amazes me she'd choose him, she seemed to be the only sensible one of your group. I suppose appearences are decieveing, she chose Eponine as well, after all.

So did you at some point, if rumours are true. Did Montparnasse feel the tell-tale signs of a blush creeping up his neck? If he did, he ignored them and countered with a cocky grin.

The same rumours like those who say you and Muscle Man had a burning romance before he turned his sights to the resident squirrel?

Well, you've seen the muscles Bahorel has, you can understand the attraction.

Hmmm… I've seen more attractive since.

Now who's attempting flattery?

Prouvaire managed to slip out of bed and out of Montparnasse's arms. It was soon going to be time to leave if they were going to be on time for the picnic. Everyone would be bringing a dish and he'd spent a good chunk of the previous evening making rice salad and some special brownies. Enjolras would frown at the extra ingredient but even he would eat some because he was nowhere near as tight-laced as Montparnasse tended to think. Rummaging through his drawers while getting dressed he found something he'd forgotten he ever had and threw it towards the bed, smiling as the other young man caught the object. And then turned those pretty brown eyes towards him.

How are heart-shaped sunglasses supposed to make me change my mind?

They're not, I just think you'd look really really good in them. You'll be turning heads.

I do that already.

Sue me for wanting to show you off. There came an almost amused laugh. This was a very good sign - he could read Montparnasse like an open poetry book and they'd be on their way to Montsouris Park together. He just needed a little more time.

Come on, get up.

Jehan. I'm not coming.

Please? Don't you want to see how verbose R can get after a couple of space brownies?

Does the man ever shut up is the thing I'm more interested in.

Bossuet and him have been known to talk an entire night, I've been witness to a few of those conversations, and Musichetta has said so herself.

Why are all the women in this friend goup attracted to wierdos?

Says the one who dated Eponine.

Better dating 'Ponine than, I don't know, Pontmercy. I'd have died of boredom.

Oh, you'd have found a thousand ways to spice things up. So, will you be wearing black, or black to our little picnic?

I hate you so much.

Montparnasse finally relented and got out of the messy bed and started to dig through his clothes. Those damn puppy eyes had won again.

I swear if Gavroche says one single thing about these sunglasses, I'm gone.

You get riled up so easy by a ten year-old.

He's extremely annoying. Perhaps Feuilly can take him on his next boring museum trip and lose him there. Prouvaire came closer and grinned, playing with the heart-shaped sunglasses on Montparnasse's nose.

You're finding less and less reasons to rag on my friends, it's funny.

Some are less annoying than others.

You didn't find anything to say about Courfeyrac, I noticed.

He wears a bowtie.

The audacity~

----

Happy Barricade Day, everyone :D