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smythesm · 3 years

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Mini Para: My Train Could Take You Home

Rating: PG.

Pairing: Seblaine.

Blaine: @andersoncharm

Sebastian: @smythesm

When: (Three month time skip.) Friday, August 13, 2021

Location: Marblehead, Massachusetts- Blaine’s gifted magical beach cottage.

Notes: Sebastian talks with Blaine about their future.

Warnings: None for this particular Para. However, this RP in general includes; Mentions of death. Parental Death (Blaine’s Mom), Mentions of toxic past relationships. Mentions of brief past Klaine. Depression. Anxiety.

Extra Warnings: (This RP is not Kurt Hummel friendly. You’ve all been warned.)

Para Title Taken From: Willow by Taylor Swift

Extra Information: We will be doing a series of little mini’s to progress over the next few years of this RP. Things might get a little confusing but we promise to date them accordingly.

Under Cut to keep it uniform. Work is mostly unedited as usual.

Sebastian’s POV:

Salt air ghosted across Sebastian’s skin in the small cottage bedroom. Blaine was asleep on his chest still and he could see the moon perched perfectly above the dark ocean through the window they always left open. He wasn’t sure what had woken him up, he just sort of gently fell out of a dream and was looking out at the sea as he listened to the other man breathe. He noticed a large dark figure poke its head up and dive back into the water-it was Flotsam. The past few months had been a whirlwind of hopping back and forth between the apartment and the cottage, an ever-growing sea monster and work for the both of them. Sometimes it was long hours at the office for Sebastian, other times Blaine would spend hours making draughts and tea blends for Hunter and Tony or leaving before the sun rose to start baking at the Snowed In.

Seb’s mind was wandering in the fuzzy way they often did when you were in between dreams and being fully awake. He would still be able to fall asleep if he just rolled over and let his eyes flutter closed. Instead, he was thinking about time and how much had passed which turned into him thinking about how long he and Blaine had been together which snowballed into the fact that they had spent all this time in an apartment that only one of them had picked out. Seb wondered how Blaine would feel about maybe, possibly moving. They could afford it and more space might be nice.

Sebastian felt Blaine stir against his chest, “Hey, B? Are you up?” He twirled his fingers playfully in his boyfriend’s messy bed head of curls. He waited until the other man groggily muttered. “I was wondering….how would you feel about moving? The two of us, I mean.” The words were out before he could stop himself, it was probably the anxiety and excitement of the thought. “You know what? This can wait until morning.”

Blaine’s POV:

The night had been an ordinary yet perfect night, filled with things they did weekly- Seb working through cases on the sofa, books spread across the table, the little line of concentration that lived between his eyes in place while Blaine made a fresh batch of energy and sleep draughts for his friends in the open kitchen. He wasn’t supposed to make them, they had other Witches that were assigned to that, but he’d always help them- The elders could exile him from his world, but it would always be a part of him and he always did what he could. Plus, it helped ground him and connect him to his magic more. Ras and Freya were somewhere out in the sand taunting Flotsam to the shore. The night ended in a tangle of limbs and lips and yet another whisper of let’s just sleep here tonight. The waxing moon sat low and lazy in her sky palace over the quiet sea. Her bright, thin crescent was the last image Blaine had before he’d slipped off into a satisfied and peaceful sleep, his cheek resting against Sebastian’s chest, his boyfriend's sure and steady heartbeat, and the gentle ripple of waves shushing him to dreams better than any lullaby.

Blaine had never been happier.

He sensed Sebastian awake more than heard him, his connection to the other man prickling in the back of his skull and tingling his skin like an electric charge. He could tell nothing was wrong, but at the same time, something was different in the air around them. He lifted his head and pressed it back into Seb’s hand, enjoying the feeling of his fingers in his hair- his eyes meeting the green-blue of Seb’s as he listened to his boyfriend talk. It took a moment for the words to catch up to his brain. Seb wanted to move?

“Hey, now, no waiting, I’m awake. Talk to me, baby. What’s all this?” He propped himself up on the bed, his face still hovering over Seb’s chest, his thumb slowly stroking over his skin soothingly. “I mean it’s technically morning now anyway. ” He paused and kept his tone light, his curiosity and even excitement creeping upon him. They had so many memories in that apartment, what could make Seb want to up and leave it?

Their three year anniversary was coming up, not to mention Sebastian’s twenty-seventh birthday and Blaine had spent weeks bothering his boyfriend about what they’d do for each thing, and what he might want. But the bothering always turned into teasing about how Seb had everything he needed and the teasing turned into forgetting that Blaine had even asked at all, but it didn’t matter anyway, they’d be together for whatever they picked, Blaine was sure he’d make it perfect for his guy.

He had never been more sure and more confident about the direction his life was going than he was right now. Sure, he still had days where he ached for his old world and his mom and now his dad who was just out of reach, and he wasn’t chasing his musical therapy dream, the one he was free to pursue now- he’d wanted it so long even though he’d known he’d be stuck being Headmaster of LeFay, but now it seemed wrong for him. And working at the Snowed In was the most therapeutic thing in the world to him. He got to bake and be around people and he got to lead them and it made him stupidly happy. He was even managing to do freelance tutoring on the side, teaching people to play whatever instrument they wanted to. He was in such a good place right now. They both were. Could a move possibly make that better? Gods, they could build a home together… Blaine had inherited a great deal of money that he had no clue what to do with. He was from a world where he could make anything he wanted. He bit his lip and went on.

“What brought thought on? You’re excited by the thought, aren’t you? I can sense it. Have you been thinking about it a lot and it’s serious or are these the thoughts of a content, sleepy man? I’m not saying no, I mean, I’d go anywhere with you. But, what’s this about?”

Sebastian’s POV:

Sebastian could feel Blaine lean into his touch, he was looking up at him with sleepy but present eyes. He wasn’t surprised that Blaine wanted to talk now, he knew that the other man could sense emotions as he primarily worked with those.

“I just think it might be time, you know? I picked that apartment out intending to only be there during school and I never really pictured making it into a home. I just never imagined that for myself. It’s the only thing I see now. We should find a place together that we...could see ourselves staying in for a while.”

He bit his bottom lip, sort of embarrassed at how cheesy his words felt. But, all of it was true. Seb wanted a home with the other man, wanted a yard for Enjolras, windows for Freya to perch on.

“I know that your stuff is there and I know you have this cottage but, I think starting together from scratch and having our stuff just sort of naturally blend together would be nice. I know that this is a pretty big step but, I don’t know, I’m ready to start taking...big….steps. “

Sebastian wanted to crawl into himself. Being open and honest was so scary and still felt fresh and the burn of blush on his cheeks always tore his icy façade down, which was hard for him. He had no protection when he was vulnerable but, if he wanted to keep moving forward, it was what needed to be done.

“What do you think?”

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine let his fingers trace lightly over Seb’s chest and then over to his arms and slowly back again, able to tell that the things his beautiful boyfriend was saying were incredibly difficult for him to articulate. I love you had once been hard for Seb, and now it was as easy as breathing for them to say, but this was different. Sebastian had always struggled with saying a lot, he showed how he felt every day, of course, but for him to be this open with Blaine, to put into this many words what he wanted showed Blaine that Sebastian was serious. He could feel Seb’s embarrassment and he wanted to soothe it away, but his own emotions were too busy wiggling with excitement.

Sebastian wanted to buy a house, no- a home, with Blaine. Wanted to live there for a long time, maybe forever… Blaine couldn’t stop the smile that attacked his face. This shouldn’t be a shock, they loved each other, they were soulmates, they were meant to be and both had suffered losses for it. But, it mattered to him that Seb had voiced the want out loud in such a sweet way. Blaine let out a breathy little laugh and gave his boyfriend's arm a squeeze to show him he agreed. Seb’s lingering words about big steps echoed in his ears and his heart thudded and flipped and the butterflies that had lived in his belly since the day he’d met this man flittered to life. What did that mean? Would they get to travel the world one day? Maybe adopt another pet and grow old holding hands on a porch swing with no worries in the world like some perfect book ending… Did that mean that maybe Sebastian would want to marry him even though doing that came with more secrets and baggage? His heart pounded harder.

Blaine knew Seb was his, knew that he had him and they'd always be together. He’d thought about marriage to Seb, of course, and he'd thought of children with him, which was a loss he had to carry and yes, it was a heavy loss and sometimes it got to him. But he'd known they’d be together no matter what and assumed they’d stay just like this because it was safe. They’d live in that apartment and magic travel to the beach cottage to get away from reminders of the trial and other bad memories. He never thought he’d get anything more. He didn’t need anything more, he was happy and content and still so in love… And yet here he was being offered a new home, a home that he got to build with his person and a promise of something more.

“I w-,” he tried to speak, his voice again too breathy and small to take up much space in the room. “I want that, too.” He laughed again, a strange elation falling over his whole being and suddenly he couldn’t stop talking.

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes I think we should do it. As I said, I’d go anywhere with you or to be with you.” He pulled himself up, forgetting how naked he still was, and pressed his smiling lips to his boyfriend’s and giggled again. He wondered if decorating this place had led him to think about this or if it had always been there in his mind, either way, he was happy for it.

“We could get all new stuff, pick everything out together and build a home. Of course we’d keep some older stuff and memories too. And I could have a little space for magic in the new house, and you could have an office and oh, yes we’d keep the beach cottage- we still have to have a getaway. But, yes, we could have a home together. Would we stay in the state- oh! We could buy a house with a huge kitchen, I could cook so much better for you-” He was talking fast, hardly breathing as he spoke. He paused and shook his head, his smile a little bashful.

“Gods, I’m sorry, I’m just so happy right now. I never thought… I-I’m just happy, Seb. You have no idea.” He leaned down and kissed Seb once more. “It makes me want to get online and look at the market right now.” His cheeks flared in a blush and he had to hide his face in Seb’s neck to hide it.

Sebastian’s POV:

Sebastian loved the look of elation that fell over Blaine’s features. He could practically feel his happiness thrum against him under the covers. Seb kissed his boyfriend despite the smile on his face and wished they could go buy a house right then and there.

“I’d love all of that and don’t be sorry, I’m happy that you’re into this.”

He rubbed circles over Blaine’s strong shoulders, “We can start looking whenever you want but, maybe we should sleep a little bit more and then eat breakfast first?” Sebastian’s face slowly spread into a sly grin. He knew that B would have his laptop out and logged onto Zillow as soon as they stepped back into the apartment.

“I’m happy, too. This will be good for us.” Seb cuddled in closer to his boyfriend. “You’ll get to pick out paint swatches and furniture to match.” He knew that Blaine’s stomach would flip at the idea.

Sebastian wanted to spend his whole life making Blaine smile that infectious smile.

Blaine’s POV:

“I’m just happy.” He said the words with a grin and nuzzled his nose into Seb’s neck again after accepting his kiss. He traced over his mother’s protective crystal that still lived over Sebastian’s heart before leaning down and pressing a kiss to Seb’s chest. He could feel the rhythm of his boyfriend’s heart and it told Blaine that Seb was just as happy as he was. This was one of those moments where he wanted to take the memory and scoop it up into a snow globe so he could take it down and rewatch it again later. The scars around his wrists and the ones on his mind seemed all the more worth it in moments like this.

“I suppose you’re right, we can wait until we’re rested.” Blaine could have easily gotten up and given them both an energy potion so they could work through it all right now. Blaine could have them moved in a week if he used magic, he could speed up the process. But, one look at Seb’s hopeful face basked in the soft glow of the magical candles that permanently lit the whole beach cottage told him that he needed to do this all naturally. They needed to do it the hard way to get the full experience of building it together. Blaine could share some of his magic with Seb, but for the most part, it was his. This needed to be theirs.

“Don’t you dare tease me with that right now, I’ll never sleep.” He openly laughed, his voice causing Ras and Freya both to come shambling into the bedroom. Freya gave him a look and Blaine knew she approved without her having to tell him. Enjolras hopped up onto the bed and promptly snuggled at the foot of their bed, exhausted from playing one the shore with Freya and Flotsam. Freya got herself comfortable by snuggling into Ras and before long the two of them were asleep. Blaine loved that they were all together.

“We can sleep, I can wait.” He snuggled down into the covers, his arms pulling Sebastian close to him, whispers of I love you were exchanged and his boyfriend was fast asleep in minutes. Blaine held him close, relishing in the feeling of sleepy, hopefully, contentedness. He felt safe, not just because an actual magical sea creature was watching over them, but because they were all together. He finally let himself relax and drifted off to sleep with an itch in his fingertips- not for magic this time, but with the urge to pick up his phone and begin the search for their perfect home. Luckily Seb’s gentle breathing in his ear and Ras’ soft snores guided him away and into a deep slumber.

/fin.

#para #seblaine #smythesm #andersoncharm #My Train Could Take You Home #seblaine witch rp

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your-angle-of-music · 3 years

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Anyone want my playlist for my dream cast version of Les Miserables?

Here it is!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyXOfYb8cpflTuoC6FuFMwyCuD60-V0J4

It’s as close to the full show as I can get. Let me know if I miscredited anyone, am missing any major songs, or have anything listed out of order. I’m happy to be convinced that a different version of a song should reign supreme as well, so hit me up!

Song/actors list and explanations under the cut.

1. Overture/Work Song - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann as Javert (Original Broadway)

It’s a big, bombastic, awesome beginning. I definitely vibe with the especially over-the-top synth and these particular convicts’ generally growly, desperate tone. Wilkinson’s Valjean, eternally my favorite, doesn’t seem feral like some versions I’ve seen, but rather like he’s trying so hard to just be good and get through this and keep it together, until he snaps a bit at “My name is Jean Valjean” and the way he acts that gives me chills. Mann’s Javert seems more cold than over-the-top aggressive, which I always like, although he doesn’t stick out thaaat much to me.

2. On Parole/The Bishop - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Paul Monaghan as Bishop Myriel (10th Anniversary)

I love everything about Wilkinson’s Valjean’s “freedom is mine” bit. His unique diction and his perfect tenor-ness and the hope in his voice...yeah. The way he hits and holds that “fliiiiiiiight” note is also pretty perfect. It sounds like the scream he was holding in the whole time he was in prison. I also appreciate Monaghan’s Bishop’s sudden earnestness at the “But remember this, my brother” part and the way he holds that last low “I have bought your soul for God.”

3. Prologue/What Have I Done? - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (Original London)

Wilkinson’s Valjean seems to make the beginning part properly fast and frantic, then switches to a gentle, heartwrenchingly vulnerable tone, then his absolutely anguished “this is all I have known.” As always, he excels at those high notes and long notes.

4. At the End of the Day - Lea Salonga as Fantine, Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Jeff Nicholson as the Factory Foreman (25th Anniversary)

All the women here sound so angry, at everyone and everything, and it’s pretty great. Honestly, it was Nicholson’s factory foreman here that really caught my ear, with his nasty “oi!” after the “and in a bed” line and his frankly terrifying “on your way!”. I like Salonga’s Fantine’s note of desperation, although she honestly could sound a little angrier. This track includes a tiny bit of the beginning of “I Dreamed a Dream” and then cuts off — sorry about that.

5. I Dreamed a Dream - Maureen Moore as Fantine (1988)

Something about this recording makes it sound like it’s much older than it is, and that slightly echoey sound makes it sound all the more haunting. A lot of Fantines sound enraged here, and I like that too, but something about Moore’s just utter sadness and vulnerability just sells it for me like no one else can. She sounds so young, because Fantine is. And then the way she belts “shame” is perfection. The way she goes from quiet and gentle at the beginning to desperate belting at the end and then the soft last lines murders my soul every time.

6. Lovely Ladies - Randy Graff as Fantine (Original Broadway)

Honestly...I haven’t found a version of this song that I love yet. There’s still this air of humor to it that feels incongruous at best and mean-spirited at worst. But I really like the worn-out, older sounding voices of a lot of the women singing to Fantine, and Graff’s Fantine’s anguish and slightly breaking voice is definitely good, as is her “don’t they know they’re making love to one already dead?”

7. Fantine’s Arrest - Caissie Levy as Fantine, Nathaniel Hackmann as Jean Valjean, Earl Carpenter as Javert (2014)

I love Levy’s Fantine here, with her fear and her fierceness. The way she spits out that “even a whore who’s gone to the bad won’t be had by a rat” is perfect in every way, as is her pleading after. Carpenter’s Javert has a lovely bass and is also cold and punchable, as all Javerts should be. This is one of the only songs on this playlist I have a video for, and I appreciate the blocking; the women crowding around Fantine and then fleeing, and the way Hackmann’s Valjean keeps his distance from Fantine and generally radiates respect and tenderness.

8. The Runaway Cart - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann as Javert (Original Broadway)

Thank you @lesbianrung for this recommendation! The ensemble sounds frantic and scared here, sometimes screaming more than singing, but for a chaotic scene like this, it works. Mann’s Javert is more reserved here than some I’ve seen, a bit more like the authority-fearing, self-loathing Brick Javert. Wilkinson’s Valjean sounds like a wreck when he’s begging someone to help him lift the cart, does a great little nervous laugh on “say what you must, don’t leave it there,” and belts his “how can you be sure that I am not your man” to excellent effect.

9. Who Am I? - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (Original Broadway)

Hey quick question did I mention that I love Colm Wilkinson? God that tormented shiver in Valjean’s voice...the softness of that last “I am damned”..his buildup up to “I’m Jean Valjean”...the way he hits that last “two-four-six-oh-oneeeeeeee”...yeah no there is one (1) Jean Valjean and that is Colm Wilkinson.

10. Come to Me/Fantine’s Death - Ruthie Henshall as Fantine, Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (10th Anniversary)

Henshall’s Fantine sounds so gentle yet so powerful here. The way she sings “I will sing you lullabies and wake you in the morning” absolutely shatters me and always will.Her belting sounds beautiful and clear and perfect, vulnerable yet strong. The way she fades out on her last word, “wake,” is utterly haunting. Wilkinson’s Jean Valjean sounds soft and caring, and the way he half-breathes a lot of the words is. Oh.

11. The Confrontation - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Philip Quast as Javert (10th Anniversary)

Quast’s Javert has a true bass quality that really, really works, like in the way he says “you’ll wear a different chain.” In general, the way he seems to bite off his words and the steely determination of his voice is perfect. He balances really well with Wilkinson’s Valjean who, for the first time, sounds scary, but can switch to softness for the dead Fantine. The last “I will be there” is excellent all-around.

12. Castle on a Cloud - Zoë Hart as Little Cosette (Original London)

Hart’s Little Cosette is insanely good! She really does sound like a little kid and still has awesome acting and she’s in tune! Her “there is a lady all in white, holds me and sings me a lullaby” bit is heartbreaking.

13. Master of the House - Barry James as M. Thenardier, Gay Soper as Mme. Thenardier (International Symphonic)

James and Soper are my favorite Thenardiers of all time, by far. I like this longer version that mentions M. Thenardier’s Waterloo shenanigans. James’ Thenardier sounds gleefully evil, and I like his whispery, growly tone or rowdy almost-shouting. You can absolutely hear his nasty grin. His affected r-rolling also reminds me a lot of the Brick characterization. Soper’s Mme. Thenardier has a weasely quality to her voice that seems appropriate, but she does not shy away from the ruder lines (”lifelong shit,” “not much there,” “up the master’s ass,” etc.) and she, like her husband, seems to be having a lot of fun and lapping up the attention. I adore how she delivers her “bastard in the house” line.

14. The Bargain/Waltz of Treachery - Barry James as M. Thenardier, Gay Soper as Mme. Thenardier, Gary Morris as Jean Valjean, Marissa Dunlop as Little Cosette (International Symphonic)

Morris’ Valjean and Dunlop’s Little Cosette’s “la la la la la la la la” harmony is amazing and tender and adorable and may or may not make me cry which is not supposed to happen before Act II. Morris’ delivery of his “now her mother is with God” and “I stand here in her place” lines is powerful, too. The Thenardiers sound delightfully sleazy and dramatic, too. I like that Morris’ Valjean sounds actually angry at them, unlike many others I’ve seen. I almost have to admit though, I miss the movie version of the final lines, where they had “Will you be like a papa to me?”/”Yes Cosette, yes it’s true, I’ll be father and mother to you,” while here, like in other stage shows, they have “Will there be castles and children to see?”/”Yes Cosette, yes it’s true, there’s a castle just waiting for you” because 1) I like Valjean’s father and mother role that Hugo kept talking about in the Brick, and 2) in the musical, it seemed pretty clear that there weren’t actually any other children around Cosette until Marius showed up!

15. Suddenly - Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean (2012 movie)

Yes, I’m including this song from the movie. Honestly, I don’t like the song itself that much, and I don’t think Jackman’s Valjean has the strongest voice, although his acting is extremely sweet, and when he almost whispers “full of light” and “like the sun” I definitely almost lose it. But I’m mainly including this song because the musical really did need a song that fills this role. The stage musical devotes a weirdly small amount of time to Cosette and Valjean’s relationship, considering that it drives Valjean’s actions for the rest of the story and it is central to the Brick (and one of my favorite parts of it, too). This is the first time that Valjean has ever felt truly loved in his life! Something suddenly HAS begun!

16. Look Down - Ross McCall as Gavroche, Anthony Warlow as Enjolras (International Symphonic)

I fell in love with this version because of the ensemble, honestly. It started out loud and powerful and strong, even more so than the Overture/Work Song bit. McCall’s Gavroche is beyond perfect, though. He is strong and sassy, and angry too, more than most Gavroches in the beginning, but he also sounds so young! Warlow’s Enjolras has an incredibly powerful voice as well, and makes a pretty awesome first impression.

17. The Robbery - Carrie Hope Fletcher as Eponine Thenardier, Rob Houchen as Marius Pontmercy, Cameron Blakely as M. Thenardier, James Gant as Javert (2013)

This is another song I’ve got the blocking for. It’s pretty standard, although I always like when a Marius, like Houchen’s, gets involved in the Fray to defend Cosette. I love the dynamic between Fletcher’s Eponine and Houchen’s Marius, with affection and teasing and care, and their little smiles and head shakes, but also with a bit of discomfort on Marius’ end — he seems a little awkward about trying to get his books back with minimal contact, and he seems to be deflecting the “I like the way you grow your hair” thing as nicely as he can, but definitely deflecting. Blakely doesn’t make much of an impression as Thenardier (although his “told you so” is really funny), and Gant is not my favorite Javert, but Fletcher’s “It’s Javert” is ridiculously awesome.

18. Stars - Philip Quast as Javert (10th Anniversary)

Quast’s Javert is...yeah, what else is there to say?

19. Eponine’s Errand - Kaho Shimada as Eponine Thenardier, Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy (International Symphonic)

I wish this recording weren’t missing Gavroche’s little part beforehand, but I think Shimada’s Eponine and Ball’s Marius are worth the trade-off. Shimada sounds a little softer and sadder here, not angry like in some versions, which I don’t mind. But when she sees Marius, she switches to determinedly playful which is all the more heartwrenching. And her “I don’t want your money, sir” hurts. Ball’s Marius’ voice is nice and lovestruck and also not softening his single-minded obliviousness. I like his gentle desperation at his “Eponine, do this for me.” I also like that the lyric here is “don’t let her father know” instead of “don’t let your father know.”

20. Red and Black - Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, George Bladgen as Grantaire (2012 movie)

Embarrassing as it is to admit, Eddie Redmayne is my favorite Marius. He’s emotional and, well, a noodle, but also very sweet and sings well and has a higher, lighter voice than most Marii I’ve seen. He’s young! They’re all so young! And I like that Tveit’s Enjolras feels a lot less shouty here ; it's more accurate to Brick descriptions of his interactions with his friends, and reflects his kind of angelic vibe. And I definitely appreciate that Bladgen’s Grantaire’s mocking is a little softer here — he knows a thing or two about impossible love. I do love his little laugh when he says “it is better than an opera.” And that last “they will come when we call” makes me feel things.

21. Do You Hear the People Sing? - Michael Maguire as Enjolras (Original Broadway)

Sometimes you need an angelic Aaron Tveit, and sometimes you need a powerhouse Michael Maguire. Damn.

22. In My Life - Judy Kuhn as Cosette, David Bryant as Marius Pontmercy, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (Original Broadway)

Kuhn’s Cosette has such a sweet voice, and you can hear her quiet fierce excitement in the beginning. She manages to sing Cosette’s high notes with softness and gentleness really well for the most part, although I’m not that fond of the sound on her “does he know I’m alive? do I know if he’s real?” high notes. Wilkinson’s Valjean seems gentler than some of the others I’ve seen, even on the “no more words” bit, and a lot of his negative emotion seems to be directed inward. Bryant’s Marius is in love, and sounds perhaps a bit too confident and a bit too old for my taste. No, what really stands out here is Frances Ruffelle’s Eponine. God, I love Frances Ruffelle’s Eponine. Starting off strong with that agonized “every word that he says is a dagger in me,” she sounds so young, with an almost-whiny, heartwrenching edge that reminds me the most of her Brick characterization, but she gets so gentle on her last “waiting here.”

23. A Heart Full of Love - Katie Hall as Cosette, Gareth Gates as Marius Pontmercy, Rosalind James as Eponine Thenardier (2010)

This recording picks up with James’ Eponine’s “waiting here,” definitely an interesting comparison. She sounds awesome throughout this piece, with a lovely warm alto voice. And I love love LOVE Katie Hall’s Cosette, with all her strength and sweetness. God, you can hear her smiling. She shines the most when she sings her softest lines, like “no fear, no regret,” “I'm awake,” and the last “after all.” Gates’ Marius is incredibly charming, but still absolutely an awkward mess, and you can hear him dying inside when he says “oh God, for shame, I do not even know your name.” The balance between all three of their voices is perfect.

24. Plumet Attack - Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Bernard Leo Burmester as M. Thenardier (Original Broadway)

Burmester’s Thenardier is properly scary here. Once again Ruffelle’s Eponine steals the show, belting all of her lines perfectly. Her “told you I’d do it” is haunting and perfect and brave in that oh-so-Eponine way, with a hint of petulance.

25. One Day More - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann as Javert, Judy Kuhn as Cosette, Davis Bryant as Marius Pontmercy, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Bernard Leo Burmester as M. Thenardier, Jennifer Butt as Mme. Thenardier (Original Broadway)

Everyone starts out so soft, and they make this song build so perfectly and balance each other out impeccably. Ruffelle’s Eponine’s “one more day all on my own” bit rises above it all, and her voice sounds so clear and powerful and good. Also did you hear that loud and long “one day more!” out of Wilkinson’s Valjean? And Les Amis’ triumphant swelling chorus? Everyone here is superhuman, I swear.

26. Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones) - Michael Ball as Marius, Kaho Shimada as Eponine Thenardier, Anthony Warlow as Enjolras, Philip Quast as Javert (International Symphonic)

It’s mistitled as “At the Barricade” but I pinky promise it’s not. Ball’s Marius sounds genuinely concerned and touchingly pissed. Shimada’s Eponine is sweet and playful, and her “little you know, little you care” has very little bite, which I’m not sure I like. What I absolutely adore, though, is the bit where she delivers Marius’ letter to Morris’ Valjean. Shimada sounds suddenly shy, and Morris seems in full adopting mode. Something about this exchange just feels incredibly sweet to me. And then when Morris reads Marius’ letter, and his little pause in the “you love me as well” part is perfection.

27. On My Own - Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier (Original Broadway)

What can I say? Ruffelle’s Eponine absolutely kills it. She has a lovely husky voice that sounds sweet and sad and angry and powerful and broken all at once. I love the way she sings “in the rain, the pavement shines like silver” and “and I know it’s only in my mind, that I’m talking to myself and not to him” and “all my life I’ve only been pretending” and of course that “a world that’s full of happiness that I have never known.” The way she builds up from sweet fantasizing to absolute anguish...and then she breathes out those last “I love him”s and she sounds like the teenager Eponine is. God. I need a moment. Or several.

28. Javert at the Barricade - Terrence Mann as Javert, I can’t find the Gavroche which enrages me to no end (Original Broadway)

Mann’s Javert isn’t as dramatic as I’d like, but I’m here for Gavroche. I do miss the Les Amis dialogue that happens in newer versions of this song, but the older version of this song, which includes a lot more of “Little People” is better in my opinion because it makes Gavroche’s death scene all the sadder. I adore this particular Gavroche’s sassiness and spunk and his powerful voice.

29. A Little Fall of Rain - Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy (Original London)

Ruffelle’s Eponine sounds so utterly vulnerable here, but with a hint of strange almost-happiness that reminds me of the Brick’s version of her death scene. Her voice feels lighter and sweeter here than anything else, and Ruffelle’s Eponine always has a different way of singing when Marius can hear her from how she sings when he can’t, and here we feel them merging together, especially at her “hold me now and let it be, shelter me, comfort me.” And I adore Ball’s Marius softness here, especially during the duet part. His “hush-a-bye, dear Eponine” is angelic. The whole song feels so intimate with them. This is always the point where I start crying.

30. Night of Anguish - Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy, Anthony Warlow as Enjolras, Gary Morris as Jean Valjean (International Symphonic)

Somber all-around, and everyone’s voice is good. No performer sticks out that much, to be honest. I do get chills whenever the “Drink with Me” theme comes on in the background. And when Jean Valjean comes in, the rising terror of Les Amis becomes apparent, and all their voices are strong.

31. The Attack - David Burt as Enjolras (Original London)

Again, a plot song in between the big ones, so not too much to say here, but everyone sings well.

32. Drink With Me - Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, George Bladgen as Grantaire, Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy, Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche Thenardier (2012 movie)

Just to warn you, the sound doesn’t kick in until a few seconds in. I absolutely love this version (once the generous poster re-added Grantaire’s solo, of course). I love Tveit’s Enjolras’ weariness and gentleness at the beginning, reminiscent of Brick Enjolras who loves his friends in his fierce and quiet way. You can hear the heartbreak in his “Marius, rest.” I love how Huttlestone’s Gavroche echoes Les Amis’ lines throughout the chorus — I’ve never seen that in any of the stage productions. And God, Bladgen’s Grantaire. He is so much more earnest here than others I’ve seen, and I appreciate that he gets quiet on “can it be, you fear to die?” as if he’s past defiant anger and is already grieving. He just has a clear, lovely voice. And although it sucks that the movie cut his solo out and it had to be edited in this way, I almost like how faraway it makes this part sound, as if Grantaire is still holed up in the Corinthe with his wine, looking down at his friends, half-awake and helpless. I appreciate that Redmayne’s Marius’ lyric was changed from “Would you weep, Cosette, should Marius fall?” to “Would you weep, Cosette, if I were to fall?” because it sounds a lot more like something someone would actually say. Also, this is another clip with video, and I’m really happy with how it looks, especially the way both Enjolras and Valjean are off to the distance and the way it pans to Valjean when Marius is singing about Cosette.

33. Bring Him Home - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (10th Anniversary)

Wilkinson’s Valjean starts out so quiet, with the perfect sweet spot of vibrato. Literally all of his high notes sound perfect and still expressive! I almost don’t know what to highlight, but just listen to how he decrescendos on that “I am old, and will be gone” and the power in that “if I die, let me die” and that absolutely ethereal last “bring him home” which he holds for so so long for a note that high for a tenor. This man has the range, darlings.

34. Dawn of Anguish - Anthony Warlow as Enjolras (International Symphonic)

Warlow’s Enjolras absolute grief and tenderness is absolutely heartwrenching. The way he delivers the line “we will not abandon those who cannot hear.” And that little “Drink with Me” reprise feels like getting stabbed. Whenever they end it with “if I die, I die with you” I stop breathing for too many seconds.

35. The Second Attack/Death of Gavroche - Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche Thenardier, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, Hadley Fraser as the Army Officer (2012 movie)

Huttlestone’s Gavroche is amazing. You can hear that he’s in pain but not even scared as he sings in a clear, powerful voice. Fraser also killed his “you have no chance, no chance at all” and I’m honestly surprised he didn’t get cast as one of Les Amis. And, of course, Tveit’s Enjolras’ “until the Earth is free!” could have singlehandedly killed King Louis-Philippe.

36. Dog Eats Dog - Bernard Leo Burmester as M. Thenardier (Original Broadway)

Barry James’ Thenardier might be the funniest, but Burmester’s will always be the scariest. His growly tones and big dynamic changes and dramatic enunciation really make this. The breathy way he says “when the gutters run with blood” and his powerful final “the harvest moon shines down” is beyond chilling.

37. Javert’s Suicide - Philip Quast as Javert, Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (10th Anniversary)

Wilkinson’s Valjean here is the angriest I’ve ever seen his portrayal of the character. There is so much pent-up bitterness in his “I knew you wouldn’t wait too long.” Quast’s Javert is wonderful, as always. In his duet part with Wilkinson, with his half-feral “I will be waiting, two-four-six-oh-one,” both of them shine. And then during his main soliloquy, when he goes from snarling, “it is either Valjean or Javert!” to sounding so soft and lost as he begins the “how can I now allow this man to hold dominion over me?” bit. And at his “by granting me my life today, this man has killed me even so,” you can hear him making his choice to jump, and it’s awful, and it’s perfect.

38. Turning - Original Broadway Cast

Oh, this song is so underrated, and these people do a particularly amazing job with it. Their voices sound so tired and worn, sometimes old and rough, sometimes young and light, and all of them heartbroken. Their “where’s that new world now the fighting’s done” and the way they sing the round section is haunting and beautiful.

39. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy (2012 movie)

I have to say, no one does this one like Eddie Redmayne. His Marius’ grief is absolutely crushing. I like how this arrangement goes super light with the instrumentals at first, and how Redmayne’s Marius starts off very soft. His “at the table in the corner” section gives me goosebumps every time, and he nails every single high note. And by the time we reach “phantom faces at the window,” he seems to be letting it out, and his “oh my friends, my friends, don’t ask me what your sacrifice was for” has me sobbing.

40. Every Day/A Heart Full of Love Reprise - Katie Hall as Cosette, Gareth Gates as Marius Pontmercy, John Owen Jones as Jean Valjean (2010)

Ah, Les Mis, killing me with the parallels once again. This version seems to go by awfully fast, but Hall’s Cosette and Gates’ Marius are properly sweet, and JOJ’s Valjean is gentle and sad and heartbreaking. All of their voices balance each other well.

41. Valjean’s Confession - Gary Morris as Jean Valjean, Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy (International Symphonic)

I really don’t like versions that shorten this; I feel like Jean Valjean needs to be wordy here. In the Brick, he’s almost hysterical. Morris’ Valjean is so gentle, and you can hear the pleading and pain in his voice, on phrases like “she’s had enough of tears” and “to save his sister’s son” and then his voice is so powerful and despairing on “who am I?” and then when it gets soft..yeah I’m not okay. Ball’s Marius’ “it must be so” is pretty, but he doesn’t stick out that much compared to Morris’ powerhouse performance. Also, God the score playing “who am I?” in the background was just cruel. I love it.

42. The Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast - Barry James as M. Thenardier, Gay Soper as Mme. Thenardier, Michael Ball as Mariius Pontmercy (International Symphonic)

James and Soper are just the right Thenardiers for the job. They are clearly having an extremely good time, and I love their sniveling and their scheming and their flamboyance. Ball’s Marius acts very well here too. I love his scoff at “do you think I don’t know who you are?” and his anger on Eponine’s behalf.

43. Finale - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Randy Graff as Fantine, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine, David Bryant as Marius Pontmercy, Judy Kuhn as Cosette (Original Broadway)

I have no words.

#les mis #les miserables #jean valjean #javert #thenardier #madame thenardier #cosette #cosette fauchelevent #marius pontmercy #eponine #Eponine thenardier #gavroche thenardier #enjolras #grantaire #fantine #les amis #long post if you want it to be #angle o speak

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lesmiserablol · 4 years

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Autistic enj: Part of the reason red is his favorite color is bc of the red instead thing and his burning hatred for autism speaks. Has trouble with tone of voice and facial expression so he always looks kinda angry. It took him a long time to figure out why people said he was scary and when he did he started to try and do better but promptly gave up because it's not a big deal and he doesn't want to be neurotypical passing cause why on earth would you want to be? 1/?

Has hyperempathy and sometimes caring SO MUCH about everyone and everything starts to weigh on him to the point he'll have a meltdown/shutdown and he and courf will watch some shitty movies till enj feels better. (Courf is a great friend and very good about this stuff) He thought he hated crowds as a child but it turned out the problem was his parents being extremely controlling the second they were around other people and making him feel like he wasn't his own person. (Shhh let me project) 2/?

He has a stuffed dog named Voltaire which is his security item. (This is actually just me but it's very Enjolras-y) while he does not agree with Voltaire's views on monarchy he does enjoy his criticism of the church. hyperfixated on Adventure Time when he was younger and used BMO to help him come out bc BMO is fucking amazing. He was Finn for Halloween three years in a row and cried during the final episode 3/3

#there is nothing i could add to make these better so im gonna leave this art in its pure form #andre u r a genius and i owe u my life #u understand enjolras more than us mere mortals can comprehend #i adore it #enjolras #capitalism is a disease #ask me stuff #capitalism-is-a-disease

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eienloveslesmis · 4 years

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A few Enjolras headcanons because I can’t stop thinking about him today or ever.

His eyelashes are so long. Musichetta has asked him about thirty times if she can put mascara on them but he won’t let her.

He lets her braid his hair sometimes though.

He’s actually very messy. His apartment is covered in loose papers and old coffee mugs, and he never cleans up. He’s just got more important things to do. It stresses Jehan out so much that he doesn’t come over anymore.

It really annoys him when people talk about his appearance. Everybody comments about how handsome he is but he can’t for the life of him comprehend why that should matter.

He has nightmares, like every night. They’re really weird, too. If he told anyone, they’d think that it was an average nonsensical dream that wasn’t at all scary, which is honestly true, but while he’s experiencing them, they’re terrifying.

He hates guns. They make him nervous. Combeferre spent weeks trying to get him to even pick one up, it didn’t matter if it was loaded or if the safety was on.

He cares more about Gavroche than he can express (not that he really tries to).

He likes his and Grantaire’s debates. It’s good for him to think about alternative ideas and opinions, and he really does think about the things Grantaire says, even though he would never let him know that.

#enjolras

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hms-chill · 5 years

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(Not a) Hugger

Summary: It's been a few years since Grantaire was hugged. Or cuddled. Or touched for any length of time.Which is fine. Really.

Except that it isn't fine, and he would very much like to be hugged, but the only thing worse than being touch-starved would be seeming needy.

OR: Grantaire communicate with your friends god damn it

Trigger warning for the mention of an eating disorder. Grantaire's mostly better, but it's mentioned a few times, as is past abuse.

Grantaire can't remember the last time he was hugged. It was probably in high school, as part of one of the big group hugs that always followed successful soccer games the one year he played, so it's been about seven or eight years. Which is fine; he just doesn't think about it. He doesn't think about it when Cosette comes into the Musain for a meeting and hugs everyone, even Enjolras, who gives in and hugs her back, and they both look more relaxed when they separate. He doesn't think about it when she gives anyone going up for a speech a hug, and they relax enough to stay put together. When he gives a speech at a rally, just to get one of those hugs and gets instead a squeeze on the arm, he doesn't think about the fact that it's been years since anyone hugged him.

When he's at a movie night with Joly, Bossuet, and Munchetta, he doesn't think about how much he wants a hug. They'll pile onto each other, cuddling close, but that's fine. Grantaire gets the popcorn to himself, and he doesn't feel left out. He most certainly doesn't think about how much he'd like a hug when Combeferre mentions the effects of touch starvation in a meeting about prison injustice. He talks about it as a cruel and unusual effect of isolation, and Grantaire tries his hardest not to think about how his irritability and insomnia sound a lot like the evils Combeferre is upset about. He knows how it feels to be isolated, and he recognizes the feeling of being alone in a room full of people who claim to love him (and likely do, despite his infinite failures). But that's fine. He can live with all that. He just doesn't think about it.

Except that he does think about it, almost every day. He thinks about it a lot on bad days, when the eating disorder he thought he kicked out a few years ago rears its ugly head to remind him that no one would ever want to touch his body. On even worse days, he thinks about it when he hears his father's voice telling him that no one would ever touch him unless they wanted to hurt him. On the worst days, he wraps himself tightly in a blanket and pretends that's the same thing as a hug, or at least a good enough replacement. It never is, but he can pretend.

In his better moments, his rational brain reminds him that he could ask someone for a hug, but he can never bring himself to do it. If Cosette hugs everyone but him, there must be a reason, and it has to be that there is something wrong with him (the voice of the eating disorder points to the spare tire around his middle that's developed since it ruined his metabolism). If Joly cuddles with Bossuet and Munchetta all the time, it's because they're dating, and Grantaire can't disrupt their relationship any more than he already does. If Courfeyrac hugs everyone else, it's clearly only because he and Grantaire have the world's best secret handshake, and it would be a pity to miss even a single opportunity to use it. Besides, he can't impose on any of his friends. Asking them to hug him would make them uncomfortable, so he doesn't say anything, and if things get worse, he pretends not to notice.

The worst part is that he's not sure why. If he knew why his friends don't hug him, despite the fact that they all hug each other, it might be easier. 'You smell', 'I don't want to', or even just 'bad vibes' would be easier to deal with than the options his shit brain gives him. But he doesn't know, and if he asks anyone, they'll know he's upset by it and everything will be ruined. They'll either hug him out of necessity or continue to ignore him, and he's not sure which would be worse.

It all boils over after a movie night turned sleepover at Combeferre's. Grantaire wakes up before his friends to see nearly all of them cuddling someone. Feuilly's head is on Bahorel's chest, and Jehan is held under his arm. Joly is sandwiched between his partners. Enjolras is holding Combeferre's arm while Courfeyrac hugs his boyfriend from behind. Even Marius, who never wants a partner and is usually not a cuddler, is snuggled up with them, his back pressed against Courfeyrac's. Eponine and Cosette are cuddled close, Gavroche clinging to Eponine's back like a spider monkey. But Grantaire, despite being very available for cuddles, is left out of every single pile. He puts on his shoes and slips out the door. He can't do this. He can't watch from the outside as all his friends love each other; it might destroy him.

Joly finds him later, in his own apartment, sitting on the couch with his knees pulled up to his chest, staring at a dark TV screen. His hair is still damp and sweaty from the hardest run of his life, his breakfast sits untouched on the coffee table, and he's not sure if the salt on his face is from sweat or dried tears. He'd like to blame the tears on the wind, but it's a still day.

Joly sits beside him on the couch, then reaches over to squeeze his hand. That tiny touch is nearly enough for Grantaire to break down again.

"We missed you when we woke up this morning. Bossuet thought maybe you'd come back for your bag, but he had to work, so I brought it over. Do you want to talk?"

Grantaire shakes his head. It would be so easy to lean over and flop into Joly's lap. Just a simple fall, and he'd be touching his friend, and things would be, if not okay, so much better than the pressing loneliness he's used to. But he can't. Joly doesn't hug him, and there must be a reason, and he can't make his friend uncomfortable.

"Alright, well, I just wanted to let you know that we missed you. We love you, R. Do... do you mind if I stay for a bit? It looks like it's going to rain, and that means the bus will be crowded, and we both know people don't respect the handicapped seats nearly enough for me to want to deal with them right now."

"Please do. You can turn something on if you want. Sorry I smell." I'm sorry you're trapped with someone like me. I'm sorry for being a disgrace of a person. I'm sorry you worried. I'm sorry you have to know me. I'm sorry.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. How do you feel about Bake off?"

"It's not a great food day. Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for; I'm glad you told me. I'm proud of you. How about Too Cute instead?"

"That sounds good."

"Perfect."

Joly loads an episode called "Super Pups: Pint Sized", his hand never leaving Grantaire's. They watch quietly, the sounds of rain starting to fall outside complementing the show's bouncy soundtrack. But "Super Pups" autoplays into a kitten episode, and when it opens on a shot of the kittens piled up together, Grantaire feels the icy grip around his insides tighten. He swallows hard, then takes a deep breath and tells Joly he's going to the bathroom. He finds a discarded flannel there to muffle the tears he's been trying his best to ignore.

A few minutes later, there's a soft knock on the door.

"R? Can I help, Love?"

"I'm fine." His voice doesn't sound like his. He's made Joly get up and come find him, and he's made Joly worry again, and he's done everything wrong. This is why his friends don't like him enough to touch him.

"I... I want to help you, R, I do. Please know that. I'm sorry for holding your hand; I know you don't like to be touched. That was--"

Grantaire cuts him off by throwing the door open. Joly stumbles back in surprise, catching himself on the wall of the hallway.

"You... you think I don't like to be touched?"

"I know you don't. I'm sorry."

"Don't... no, don't be sorry. I loved that. It... it's not you holding my hand that made me cry, I promise."

"But you hate being touched. Bossuet tried to hug you once and you flinched so hard you tripped over a couch."

The memory floods in: Grantaire, freshly at college on an art scholarship and still trying to believe that no one here wanted to hurt him, clinging to his one shot at a life away from his father. Bossuet, who'd taken two gap years and was bigger than Grantaire by a sizeable amount, coming toward him after a game night in the lounge with an arm raised in a position that Grantaire only knew as one of anger. Grantaire stumbling back, cowering, falling onto one of the lounge couches, and excusing himself to go hide under a blanket in the room he shared with Joly.

"That's... that's not... I thought he was going to hit me. I... He was so big, and so much stronger than I was, and I was just starting therapy and still trying to make myself eat a full meal sometimes instead of just going hungry, and if he'd wanted to hurt me I couldn't have stopped him. You remember how tiny I was; he could have snapped me in half, and after my dad, I wasn't at a point where I trusted him not to want to. I thought everyone hated me, and that they'd all want to hurt me, and that's what was scary. It wasn't about the hug. It was never about the hug."

"So you don't hate hugs?"

"You... you don't hug me because you thought I didn't like them?"

"We told the others, too. When we first dragged you to a meeting, Chetta told the group chat you didn't like hugs so that no one would scare you off. But you don't mind?"

"Not... ot at all. I mean, it's been... it's been a long time, but I don't think I mind hugs at all."

Joly comes back across the hallway slowly, like he's approaching a wild animal, and he wraps his arms around Grantaire and squeezes. Grantaire lets out a sob as his own arms come up to hold Joly close.

"I love you. I've got you. I'm sorry," Joly says softly, letting them sink to the floor together. "I love you, and I'll give you as many hugs as you want from now until forever."

Grantaire's not sure how long they stay there, in a pile outside his bathroom while he cries and Joly promises not to let go. It's at least until the sobs stop, but that's really no measure of time at all. When he's pulled himself together a bit, Joly pulls back just a touch and reaches up to cup his face, but Grantaire pulls back on instinct. Someone's hand near his face has never been a good thing. Joly pulls his hand away and squeezes Grantaire's arm instead.

"So your face isn't a place you're comfortable with me touching. I'm sorry. I should have asked. But I... R, I'm sorry about this, but my leg doesn't like being on the floor very much. Is it okay if we move this hug to the couch?"

Grantaire nods, trying his best not to be embarrassed of his flinch. Or his tears. Or the fact that he'd just broken down completely at a simple hug from a friend. There are a lot of things for him to be embarrassed of from the last hour, ever since Joly found him staring at a blank TV.

"Is it okay if I take your hand?" Joly asks, and Grantaire nods, so Joly holds his hand and leads the way to the couch. Too Cute is paused on the image of a kitten wobbling across a blanket.

"I'm going to go make some popcorn, and then I'm going to come back and cuddle the hell out of you while you eat it for breakfast," Joly says. "If you want to, when I get back, we... we could do something called green-yellow-red that Cosette taught me. It'll help us make sure we're both comfortable while we're cuddling, so for example, today, I'm... my chest and arms are green, and so's my back and shoulders, really anything from the waist up. So go for it with hugs there. My face I'm going to say yellow, and same with my hips and my good leg, so just ask and I'll let you know in the moment. My bad leg's red, so I'd rather you didn't touch it. Oh, and the top of my head is green. Does that make sense?"

Grantaire nods, doing his best to remember. He can't mess this up. If he ruins cuddling with Joly now, he might never get a second chance.

"And it's alright if you make a mistake; I can let you know if I'm ever uncomfortable. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me on purpose; you'd never hurt anyone. Is it alright if I kiss the top of your head?"

"It's... it's nasty. I haven't been great at showering recently, and I went for a run."

"I don't mind, but do you?"

Grantaire thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. A few weeks ago, Cosette had taught everyone a game she used in consent workshops where they practiced saying yes or no, and she'd pushed them to make the choice in that moment however they felt. Grantaire is trying his hardest to make her proud.

Joly brings over a blanket and presses a kiss to the top of Grantaire's greasy, sweaty head before disappearing into the kitchen. As he hears popcorn start to pop, Grantaire takes stock of his body, trying to decide if it would help or hurt to have Joly cuddle the parts of it he (especially) hates. He's got some semblance of an answer by the time the popcorn's done, and he gives Joly an assessment that includes a green 'spare tire' (a phrase that makes Joly frown) and a red face. Joly repeats Grantaire's requests, asking about parts he forgot and referring to the spare tire as a stomach, which is probably the kindest thing anyone's called it since it developed. Then he hands Grantaire the popcorn and cuddles up next to him, stealing pieces from the bowl and always keeping at least one arm firmly around Grantaire.

When Bossuet gets off work, he joins them with pizza, and they play green-yellow-red again before Bossuet joins their pile. If Grantaire has the best nap he's had in years with Joly's arms around his waist and Bossuet's chin on his head, well, he tries not to envy Munchetta when he wakes up.

The next time he sees Cosette, she asks if she can hug him, beaming. He agrees, and she holds him so close and so tightly that he forgets to see his body as a disgusting mass of fat and acne for the rest of the day. She tells him he gives wonderful hugs, and he tells her that that quote will be his next tattoo. It makes her laugh, and he can't help but grin back. He and Courfeyrac add a hug to the end of their elaborate handshake, one that involves Grantaire supporting most of Courf's weight and not caring at all. His body may not be as thin as it once was, but now it can lift his friends in the air, which is clearly a good trade. At the next rally, when Joly's leg gets sore and Bossuet has already slipped twice, Grantaire pulls his friend onto his back. Joly's arms wrap around Grantaire's neck, and Grantaire becomes the hottest mobility aide at the protest.

In short, the floodgates are open. Once it's established that Grantaire enjoys hugs, he starts getting them regularly, and he eventually starts giving them, too. He starts spending evenings squished into a chair with Joly, often with the other man in his lap and occasionally with Jehan, Chetta, Bossuet, or a combination of the three leaning against him. He carries Joly when his leg gets bad or Gavroche when he's too short to see or exhausted but too proud to admit it. He hugs Eponine, something he hasn't done since puberty, and she nearly cries telling him how proud of him she is. He does cry, and that sets her off, and Gavroche finds them crying and brings them a carton of ice cream and two spoons and leaves them be.

He hugs Enjolras last. Enjolras isn't a hugger. Even after spending most of his life with Courfeyrac, he'll lean into hugs good-naturedly, but he won't initiate. Between that lack of initiation and Grantaire's overwhelming self-doubt, it's really a miracle that they hug at all. It finally happens at Courfeyrac's birthday party, and he maintains that it is the best gift he could ever get. Enjolras has just gotten into his top choice for law school, and he doesn't want to upstage Courf, but he's so excited he has to tell someone, and Grantaire is nearby. And Grantaire is thrilled, and he's so excited that hugging Enjolras feels like the most natural thing in the world. That, of course, tips their friends off to something major, which ends up stealing the moment for a bit as Grantaire and Enjolras find themselves in the middle of a giant group hug. But when Grantaire looks up to see Enjolras's grin, everything feels just right.

On AO3

Notes:

You know when you're just minding your own business, then suddenly your brain goes "hey, when was Grantaire hugged last?" and you have a mild crisis about your beautiful touch-starved son? Yeah. - To make things worse, I like to think of physical touch as one of Grantaire's main love languages, so he's just been casually not believing his friends love him for like seven years. - The consent games mentioned are ones we've done for the play I'm working on! Green-Yellow-Red is pretty explained, but for the other (yes/no), you all stand in a circle. You say someone else's name, and they say either 'yes' or 'no'. If they say 'yes', you walk to stand by them and it's their turn. If they say 'no', you ask someone else. It's super simple but I love it and think it's super important.

#cuddling #grantaire #i love my son #hugging #grantaire deserves a hug #Les Miserables #les mis fic #les mis #joly #my other son #they're all my sons/daughters/nb children #consentual cuddling

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lenezdansleruisseau · 5 years

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So so so, like last time I watched the episode later and I saw a lot of people talking about what I thought watching it and in better ways than I could so I’ll just limit mysefl to some reflections and then just reblog the others’s post because they are all great.

Let’s start: Javert and his very believable conspiracy theory

I finally understood this Javert’s charectarization, it took me a while but now I get it, he’s the comic relief. I have to say, now that I know this I’m a lot less confused.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a funny Javert. He KNOWS Valjean is behind every single crime in Paris, no, in France, and he has to STOP HIM before it’s too late. And it’s even more funny because his subordinates seem to just humor him like “yeah inspector, of course, he seems a very dangerous criminal, so dangerous. He defs exist by the way. No one here thinks you’re just obsessed with a dead guy from 20 years ago.”

They must really care for their inspector.

Anyway, I stopped being bitter about this and I decided to embrace it. It’s funny and it’s the only light and amusing moments we have in this series so I’m goign to appreciate it.

Going on: #notmyValjean

I know it has already been said countless times before, but I really need to repeat it: I don’t know who this character is supposed to be, but it’s not Valjean. Especially in the way he acts towards Cosette. It’s terrible and worring and I totally agreed with Cosette when she shouted that she hates him. Me too, Cosette, me too.

And it’s so confusing because, I mean, Valjean is your main character, he is a symbol of redemption and sacrifice and kindness and it’s all pretty obvious, it’s not as if Hugo is very subtle about his simbolism.

This Valjean though, he is not searching for redemption, he doesn’t sacrifice anything (not for Cosette and not for anyone else) and he is not kind! He isn’t kind with Eponine when she went to warn him about the attack, he isn’t kind with Gavroche (an actual child!) when he went to give him Marius’ letter and he isn’t kind with Cosette, not at all! That scene when she tried to escape was creepy and scary and I hated it so much and the thing that troubles me the most is that I don’t understan why, why have they decided for this characterization?

Why going out of your way to add scenes where Valjean is mean adn violent towards Cosette? I have a couple of answeres but I hope they are the wrong ones.

Last but not least: Enjolras, stop trying to make revolution happen, it’s not going to happen

I ranted about this last week, so forgive me if I’m going to rent about this again. I’m going for a plot twist though and say that I didn’t hate Les Amis in this episode, they are not the worst adaptation I saw and the changes Davies had made for them make sense at least.

Take Grantaire for example, he is clearly not the symbol of Paris rising at the right moment (I mean, this Enjolras is not the symbol of Revolution so it makes sense) so they’re giving him other motivations both to join the fight and to hate it at the same time: he is there for his friends, but he doesn0t believe in the cause enough to actually kill anyone and he’s also starting to realize what may happen to him and his friends (which is very canon after all so this is nice). They also seem to give us some E/R dynamics which I don’t hate, I don’t know if someone not familiar with the story could be able to notice them and I also doubt they’d made a lot of sense with these changes they’re making, but I’ll give them the chance to convince me they know what they’re doing with that.

Enjolras also is growing on me, mostly because, I don’t care who and how is playing Enjolras, I’ll always have a soft spot for him, and also because I’m starting to feel his passion for Justice and a Better Future. At the same time though, he is not quite there yet and also sometime they make him say some very weird and exaggerated stuff which sounds out of place.

Said this, I can’t shake away the feeling that this Les Amis are just three dudes who have nothing better to do that march with a bunch of people and start a Revolution that doesn’t seem to interest them all that much. The only one who actually says something vaguely political is Enjolras, Courf and R spend their time drinking and laughing in a Vague Cafè and they all seem very disconnected from the actual social atmosphere and political enviroment of Paris (especially because Feuilly is not there, he has been replace with some randome worker who has not connection with them whatsoever adn seems to have met Enjolras by chance). Btw, all the rebellion seems to have been organized in a couple of weeks. I mean, thye could have saved us one sexualized scene and spent some more time on Les Amis characterization, that would have helped this situation a lot.

This is all I wanted to say, I’m not saying much about Eponine and Gavroche’s lost parts and characterization, the fact that Mabeuf was almost useless (almost not completly because I still love him too much) or that Marius and Cosette romance felt very rushed, I noticed all of this but I already reblogged a lot of stuff of people talking about it very well and I felt satisfied by their words.

So, this is all. Now we just have to wait until the next episode.

#les miserables #bbc les mis #bbc les mis spoiler

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bcatboy · 6 years

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im a Big Fan of enjoltaire with history?

where maybe they tried it back in the day and it didn’t work out, where they argued too much and talked too little, where Enjolras didn’t know how to be emotionally available and Grantaire didn’t know what to do with this statue, where grantaire’s alcoholism gets out of control and Enjolras didn’t know how to fix it so he gets mad instead and they fight so much that the good times hardly seem worth it and it falls apart

and they have that awkward we’re-exes-but-all-our-friends-are-friends-so-we-still-see-each-other-on-the-regular

and eventually they get to a point where its not weird anymore? it doesn’t hurt to be around each other and, while they still argue about politics, they know what they are to each other and it’s simple. they get over each other, in their own way, and move on. they grow up. mature. become better people. learn how to handle fighting in relationships responsibly. Enjolras learns that being vulnerable is scary, so scary, but so so worth it. Grantaire learns that treating a person like a god only hurts both of you. Enjolras learns that sometimes people have to fix themselves and you can only support them; grantaire learns how to cope and he gets sober, with the support of les amis. they learn so much and they grow so much, all in the peripheral of each other.

and then they come back together. stronger this time, because they aren’t starting out on unequal footing. Grantaire starts to see Enjolras for the human he is, is able to see this because Enjolras lets himself be seen. grantaire tells enjolras how to help him when he’s weak and grantaire is better at helping himself. they’re honest with each other when they mess up and while they still fight and fight and fight, they never go to bed angry. they figure out where their lines are and then never ever cross them. they remember what it’s like to lose this and neither of them want to do it again.

just. enjoltaire that doesn’t get it right the first time.

#les mis #enjoltaire #enjolras #grantaire #my writing #i read a fic where they were exes and i just Really Really Like that dynamic for them #kind of?#and then this turned into a Thing which i was not expecting rip #more writing than i've ever posted before #i also like the ones where grantiare USED to have a giant crush on enjolras but then got over it bc it never went anywhere #and then after its been ages since that when they get together its #less of an uneven power imbalance #anyways i lvoe them a lot thanks for listening #i really should like. edit this . before posting it. huh #nah its fine

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bsdthoughts · 6 years

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Sometimes I fantasize about buying cheap Aldi Vodka. But then I think about how I only love to be drunk in the presence of my friends, because that’s when the funny stuff happens. I need more funny stuff in my life. I haven’t max’d it out yet. The stories I can tell are too limited. I mean I can still shock people (especially my mom lol), because I have such a nice and goody-two-shoes outward appearance (especially when meeting parents), but I have this desire to run wild. Not even in the “Oh, let’s spontaneously catch this flight to Brazil” sense, but... I’m not ready for responsibility, taxes, that whole shit. I just feel like starting a cult in the forest or something. I wish it were an acceptable occupation to just be that guy/gal that stands in one’s office corner and looks pretty badass in armor. Is it too much to ask for? Too much to dream for?

Another funny point is...I ain’t a team person. Like... I just can’t get behind most team activities like joining a sports club or religion or some shit like that. I’m always that awkward person in the background (or silently watching in the shadows, taking notes. Pick whatever sounds more adequate or pompous). But some part of me desparately wishes to commit to something, be a part of something. But nothing fits me, or I don’t have the motivation or capacity to actually make that commitment. I want to be that person few are close to, but is looked up to in reverence. Noone knows what her actual job is, but everyone looks to her for guidance (mostly she just listens or asks questions, letting the person seeking advise come to their own conclusion, but when necessary actually give advise lol). But I don’t wanna be a guru type. I’m no leader. I’m a second in command type. I’m a fricking dog person. According to some I have a dog personality. Which is probably true (Thanks Leica). I’m just this quiet person that likes to look a tiny bit scary, but actually hides a lot behind her facade. Anybody have a job for me? Without any real qualifications except a pretty good Abitur? I can do a lot for people. Just not for myself. I kinda would like to draw up my own responsibilities, but I’d still need people to check if I actually do that. Drag me out of my room to get me to the gym, I’d approve. Have communal meals, so I have the possibility to eat without only being responsible for myself (given that I’d help in the kitchen from time to time). I’m not one to shy away from simple dirty work if my help is needed either. I just need to be told what to do and I need a higher cause. I’m a useless revolutionary bastard basically. A bit like that dude from Les Miserables who’s into Enjolras, but with less drinking, and more functionality. That’s a weird comparison.

Lol. I’m whiny. I need to get a grip on reality. Stop living in dream worlds.

Job recommendations for jobs including:

armor + nicely coloured coat of arms (gotta be fashionable)

great boots. Good looking and practical boots are my sexuality

great group spirit

kind colleagues...like the kind you are just short of falling for

being a bit embarassing is okay

living together is a possibility

place of work could be a cool complex in the woods or a castle ideally or just some place with lots of history

They don’t need me to do a lot of public speaking

making plans

I’m a bit in charge

We take turns cooking, cleaning and that stuff

I want the possibility to ride a horse sometimes and look fly as fuck

Sometimes we go on camping trips. But in uniform. To impress people.

Outsiders need to think “ WTF...but it kinda is an aesthetic”

aiming for epicness. like you need to recreate the ride of the Rohirrim. We’re your guys. But we just do this shit as our regular dayjob. You got this roaming hoard of fully armored and armed people riding around in the landscape to look pretty.

I can exhaust myself during the day physically, and can do interesting debates or research afterwards.

Stunning woman in charge

sci-fi technology

there needs to be at least one office dog

three day weekend

I get to hang out with the nerds of the already nerd-organisation

Hoodies with our coat of arms

are appreciated though.

How did I end up here? But it was actually kinda nice to get these thoughts out. It’s kinda hard to explain the sentence “plate armor is my aesthetic” to your therapist. And embarassing.

#Leica was the dog my parents had when I was born #I called her my sister #But there were/are other dogs too ofc #Right his name is Grantaire I forgot #but I think this is best explained with this dichotomy #I'm an atheist yet religious imagery is still pleasing in an aesthetic way #don't get me wrong I hate religions with a burning passionn #Do I need to join a knight order?#Anybody know one who does it just for the shits and giggles?#Enough fuckery for tonight #go the fuck to sleep #Oh I remember a time when Babylon 5's Rangers were my thing #Good times #SLEEP JULIA SLEEP #Amazons?#Fuck when will I be a responsible adult #I love my definition of pretty lol

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textsfromumbridge · 7 years

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sweet dreams are made of this (who am I to disagree)

Belated bday fic for the amazing @hihiyas, who asked for sharing a bed and mutual pining, and since I sometimes live in a bed-sharing fic myself, I had to do this.

Hon, I know it’s a week late, and maybe it’s a little all over the place, but I love you and you deserve all the fics because you’re an awesome friend and I’m lucky to have you. *HUGGLES*

ZERO

When she met Gabriel Enjolras for the first time, she never expected him to eventually become her friend, let alone the person she would secretly refer to as her best friend.

Neither of them made a great first impression when Marius introduced them. He was distant - not good with new people - which made her think of him as an elitist prick. It took them a good long while to get over those first impressions.

It didn’t help that they were both stubborn as fuck - neither was willing to make the first move towards reconciliation.

Marius once claimed they’d make him prematurely gray. As if, the dork would be a ginger forever, probably.

So, yeah, the so-called Enjonine friendship (thanks for that Courfeyrac) took a while to reach peak potential. They spent a few months hating each other’s guts - and then they all went to see a Thor movie and Eponine spent the next week talking about Lady Sif and Darcy Lewis. For some reason that made Enjolras realize she wasn’t all bad - well, she was kind of glad that her appreciation for seriously awesome female characters got through to him.

One group movie hang-out turned into weekly movie nights with just Enjolras on his couch, watching everything from PBS documentaries to cliched rom-coms. He always had something to say about everything, whether it was the underlying themes of LGBT+ rights in the X-men movies or an in depth discussion of the politics of girl world after watching Mean Girls (he had no idea how much realism was in that movie).

A few months went by just like that, and she started becoming comfortable with calling him her friend, instead of just referring to him as a friend of a friend. Azelma joked about being proud her big sister actually made a friend for once, and Eponine flipped her off.

That was real sisterly love, honestly.

She showed her appreciation for Enjolras’ friendship much the same way: by making fun of him all the damn time. Of his need to use punctuation and spelling properly in every damn text - honestly, abbreviations were just so much easier (and so much faster!). She teased him about his overly formal clothing - trying to goad him into wearing jeans and a t-shirt at least once.

Well, that one definitely came back to bite her in the (amazing, thanks so much) ass.

He showed up on her birthday in tight jeans and a fucking Hamilton t-shirt that appeared to be slightly too small on him.

She had her first naughty dream about him that very night. She tried to tell her lady bits about friendship without benefits, but they definitely weren’t having that.

And so the terrible, awful years of pining began.

ONE

The first time they sleep in the same bed it is purely convenience and about 99% awkwardness. Maybe even the full 100%.

A storm is hitting the city, and she is still over at his place at 11 PM. Public transport has given up on navigating through the pouring rain and hail and strong gusts of wind. She needs to get home, but there is absolutely no way that her dork friend is going to let her leave his apartment.

Yeah, the great Enjolras is also a grade A dork - she wants to tell all her friends.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a guest room,” he actually apologizes. “I really don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so I’ll sleep on the floor, or the couch.”

Oh yes, surely the tiny couch will be comfortable for this six feet tall specimen. He is going to fuck up his back so bad - she doesn’t want that on her conscience. And really, she’d sleep in the same bed as Cosette, so why would it be that much weirder if it’s Enjolras?

“Don’t be an idiot,” she tells him for the umpteenth time.

He waits patiently to hear what he’s being moronic about this time - she’s taught him well over the past few years. It’s weird, but here’s this guy who actually listens to everything that she has to say - even when she’s teasing him, but especially when she is completely serious about something.

She calls the shots most of the time - and he doesn’t get offended, and he even changes his behavior when she thinks he’s genuinely being an asshole.

“You’re not sleeping on that chair you call a couch,” she finally continues, rolling her eyes at him. “You will fall off in the middle of the night and hurt yourself. Just get in bed with me. It’s only weird if we make it weird.”

It’s so mature of her, honestly people might be surprised.

Enjolras however, is not surprised at all - well, he might be surprised they will be sharing a bed, but he’s never surprised at her level-headedness.

Oh, this crush is definitely getting way out of hand.

Minutes later, they lie awake together, side by side. She’s almost afraid to breathe too loudly, not wanting to bother him more than she already is - he’s probably half asleep already and she does not want to wake him.

So she stays completely still, muscles tensed, listening to the rain hit the bedroom window with an alarming volume.

“This is ridiculous,” Enjolras mutters in the dark of his bedroom. “Why is this so awkward?”

Eponine breathes out a little huff of a laugh. Thank God he feels it too.

TWO

The first time was weird and terrifying, he has to admit that much. Suddenly there was this person all up in his personal space. He woke up a few times that night because there was someone breathing next to him, and that one time she accidentally touched him he almost couldn’t go back to sleep.

It was just her leg bumping his, but it has been so long since there was someone close enough to touch. Has he ever really shared a bed like this, just sleeping?

And of course it’s Eponine. She’s started to mean way too much to him in a matter of months - and now it’s been years. If he were to talk about his feelings towards her with people, they might even call it pining. He hates that word, but he knows it’s accurate.

She’s funny, and empathetic, and so much smarter than anyone knows. And sometimes he just gets distracted thinking about what it would be like if he just leaned in and kissed her - she would probably hit him.

But still she lets him sleep in her bed.

This time the reason is less clear than the previous time - there is no storm, and it’s not even all that late. This time, he is just hanging out with her on a Friday night, and since they have standing plans for Saturdays, Eponine decides that he might as well sleep over instead of going all the way to his just to sleep.

He could never say no to that.

“At least we’ve figured out you don’t snore,” she tells him.

She’s changing into her pajamas in the bathroom, and he’s already in her bed, dressed in just his boxers - he’ll need his gym clothes tomorrow for the dance class they’re taking. He mentions one time how he likes to dance and she just runs with it.

“You get cuddly,” he blurts out.

Last time, he woke up with her arm wrapped around him - they have both been pretending that it never happened, but that can’t last forever. Especially not because he likes it a little too much.

“At least you won’t get cold,” Eponine steps out of the bathroom.

She seems to favor sleep shorts and a tanktop, and it is wreaking havoc on his nerves. Her long, bare legs possibly tangling with his under her soft sheets… And he’s only wearing boxers - he made sure to wear a shirt last time, even though he hates wearing clothes to bed. This is his normal sleepwear, and it’s scary.

“Won’t you get cold?” he makes it a point not to look at her too much.

“Says the guy wearing just boxers,” she responds quickly.

He runs hot, he knows that much, but any comment on it might take this night to a whole new level of awkwardness. So he just murmurs agreeably and pointedly does not watch her climb into bed next to him.

“Good night,” he whispers.

He knows he’s blushing in the darkness of her room.

“Good night,” she returns.

She sounds like she’s smiling.

THREE

It’s making them closer outside of the bedroom too.

He seems much more casual about his personal space, comfortable with her leaning into him a bit on his tiny sofa. She can poke him teasingly and he doesn’t even flinch away from her touch.

They have never been the touchy-feely kind of friends before, and people are noticing. Both Cosette and Chetta have asked her if she’s fucking him yet - she never even told them about the stupid crush and how hot he looks in just boxers.

She gets to see him in most states of dress and undress - he doesn’t bother changing in a separate room when she’s already seen him in his underwear. Maybe soon she’ll follow that lead, when she isn’t dreaming about how he’ll react when he sees her in her best underwear - she’ll be prepared next time so she’s actually wearing her best underwear.

Because once again she is not prepared to stay at his. Sure, she has a pair of emergency panties in her bag, but those are not made for him to see.

Once again she ends up wearing one of his gym shirts and no pants - the shirt is big enough and she likes the feeling of her mostly bare legs tangling with his in their sleep.

Her previously secret cuddling tendencies have become obvious to him, and while she is super subtle about untangling herself from him a few times each night, she’s sure he’s woken up with her wrapped around him at least once or twice. Still, he hasn’t said anything about that specifically - just like she has never said a word about those times when she was totally pressed up against his boner.

Friends keep awkward secrets from each other, right?

No one knows about their sleeping together, and normally she would be able to talk to her best friend about anything (even this weird relationship stuff), but now everything she wants to talk about involves him.

She knows what he looks like in the morning, the gravelly sound of his voice when he’s just woken up, and how he’s barely functional until he’s had a big cup of coffee. The usually so eloquent dork can barely form a full sentence for at least five minutes, and the full sleepiness only fades after a lot of coffee from his favorite mug (the one she gave him for his birthday two years ago).

It is getting so damn difficult to contain this stupid crush. She doesn’t want to fuck up her relationship with the best friend she’s ever had, but these feeling won’t go away.

The smart thing to do would probably be to keep her distance for a while, but nobody ever said she was smart.

Except for Enjolras.

Damn it, not helping.

FOUR

It’s gotten to the point where he sleeps better when she’s next to him, on her side of the bed, breathing softly and occasionally reaching out for him.

He used to sleep like a starfish in the middle of his bed, but now he sleeps on his side of the bed even when he’s alone, reaching for someone who isn’t there. When he’s alone, he fills her side with blankets and pillows so there’s something there at least.

Yes, he is fully aware of how pathetic he is.

It’s not just the loneliness - it’s her. It’s Eponine.

“It’s nice to have someone there,” he tells her one night when they hang out on his couch together. “It’s nice to have you here.”

Oh, any second now she is going to punch him in the face and walk out - he is getting way too close to revealing his stupid feelings for her anytime she’s around. This is not something that is usually said with completely platonic intentions.

His intentions are platonic, they really are. His dreams, the ones that will never ever come true, are the things that are far away from platonic. Sometimes he wakes up blushing, with her right there only miles away from where he wants her to be. She can keep cuddling him whenever she wants.

“I know what you mean,” is all that Eponine says.

And now his heart is about to pound right out of his chest, because she understands. But does she really? Or is she just scratching the surface?

But then she leans into him, curling up against him on his tiny little couch, and he no longer cares how much she understands. He just wants her to stay just like this.

He slips an arm around her shoulders and she slings her legs over into his lap, her head almost leaning on his shoulder. They are almost entirely wrapped around each other now, and while his body is screaming out at him to just make a move already, his heart is perfectly content for once.

Later that night, when they go to bed early even though neither of them appears even the slightest bit tired, she resumes her cuddling right away. Her bare legs tangle with his, and her arm is slung casually over his bare chest. She can probably feel his heart pounding underneath her fingertips.

“We always end up like this,” she whispers in the darkness. “We might as well own up to it and start out like it.”

He murmurs in agreement, too afraid that words will ruin this perfect bubble of happiness.

FIVE

It’s been a month of cuddling almost every night. Either he is already at hers, or she lets herself end up at his at the end of the night - sleeping alone has never looked worse when she has the option of sleeping in his arms.

People are starting to notice - Chetta showed up to her apartment a few times, and she either found no one there or both Eponine and Enjolras. And in those cases they’d barely managed to untangle themselves before Chetta barged in - if they made it in time at all, so Chetta had some things to say to Eponine.

Things that do not bear repeating - because obviously Chetta picked up on her stupid crush right away.

She still wants so badly, wants even more than she’s been lucky enough to get from him. Really, she should have learned by now never to ask for more, never to need more than she’s getting. She is Eponine Thenardier - she doesn’t deserve any of this. She doesn’t deserve a best friend who cares for her this much, who holds her through the worst parts and doesn’t mind her being all over him all the damn time even when the paint on her skin has barely dried.

Sure, she understands why that stuff makes Chetta think that the stupid feelings are mutual, but Eponine knows better than that. They’re just really close best friends - platonic soulmates or something. They are not a couple, no matter how often she dreams about that at night. Dreaming about something does not make it so - she has to remember that.

It’s just really hard to remember when they’re wrapped around each other and his hand has once again made its way under her top - he’s halfway to second base with her and he’s still sleeping! She only wishes he’d make a move like this when they are both wide awake.

The fact that he never will is what is keeping her up at night - the clock on the bedside table reads 2:43 AM. She is perfectly comfortable with his hands where they are, but her mind will not stop racing and making her read into this.

She has a momentary lapse of judgment, a moment of weakness that makes her shift in his grip so that his hand slips even higher up her shirt. One more shift, and…

Wait!

The tension in his body increases suddenly, and she knows she managed to screw everything up. He’s awake and he is just about to take his hands off her and never touch her again.

“I’m so sorry,” they both start at the same time.

Then, silence. He’s sorry? She should be sorry, trying to make him grope her in his sleep just so she can believe the fantasy for a little while longer.

He pulls his hand away slowly, so slowly that it’s almost a caress. She just can’t seem to stop the wishful thinking - she wants him not to be sorry for touching her, she just wants him to want her a fraction of how much she wants him.

“I know I crossed so many lines just now,” Enjolras is brave enough to continue.

Not nearly enough, actually.

“Not really,” she shrugs, trying to keep casual.

“You didn’t,” he stammers. “I mean. Did I - did you?”

She could step in, she should step in. But watching him squirm like this in the dimly lit bedroom has a whole different kind of appeal. Because it’s starting to seem like he is just as scared as she is, for all the same reasons.

“Did you want me to move?” he asks then, bold again.

“Not in the direction you just did,” she admits.

His eyes will be wide, probably, but she cannot tell. All she can do is wait for him to respond, to push them both over the edge they’ve been dangling on for what seems like centuries.

Slowly, his hand moves back underneath her shirt, as if waiting for her to protest. He is inches away from his goal when he stops.

“Just kiss me already,” she can’t wait a second longer.

He listens to her, as he always does.

#enjonine #enjolras x eponine #you are my revolution #hihiyas #my stories #only slightly based on real events okay

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theblazeofmemory · 7 years

Note

hi do you have a minute to like Tell me everything about merperson!jehan and pirate captain!montparnasse bc I would LOVE to know more

Okay, so, this is gonna take WAAAY more than a minute, aaah ;; Elise and I have been talking about this AU for… more than two months now. There’s a LOT, and half of it is hers, okay, here you go.

Montparnasse is a captain with a ship and a fortune and everything, he’s amazing. He kept his crew on the small side, only people he really trusts, his ship is actually pretty nondescript on purpose, and has managed to keep the authorities from knowing what he looks like by offing anybody who happens to see him. His name strikes fear into the hearts of sailors everywhere. He loves his reputation.

Claquesous is his first mate, Gueulemer and Brujon run most of the rigging, Babet plays medic to make sure they don’t all die and cooks with Eponine. Thenardier is there, as much as no one wants him to be, mostly as a favor for Eponine in the first place, and now he won’t leave. There’s a few more men, associates or temporary hires for when they need them. Life if pretty good.

He also has an island.

Well, it’s not that he legally “owns” an island, more like he found one no one lives on and decided it’s his. He keeps most of his treasures in a cavern, and the citrus trees that grow there have been beneficial for supplies. It makes a nice little hideout if they need it.

The nearby reef has always been full of life. The fishing is good. But they don’t spend a whole lot of time there, so no one ever noticed that there are merfolk living in the waters. Merfolk are flighty anyway, they stay away from ships.

Jehan has lived in the reef their entire life, but humans fascinate them. They have a habit of following ships to see if they drop anything and have a little underwater cave where they hide everything. It’s mostly silverware and broken bits of things that drop off the sides, but their favorites are the pieces of money and jewels that sometimes escape when that one ship offloads in the shallows.

They have a soft spot for humans, and that worries their friends (Enjolras is quick to remind them that humans are the reason Joly can’t swim well, even though Joly himself always waves Enj off and tells him not to fret so much) though they still have the skittishness of their race. They watch from a distance whenever the ship comes back and float near the surface at night to listen to the humans talk and laugh and sing.

They don’t really sound too bad, honestly. Not from a distance anyway. Humans and merfolk have a lot in common and would probably get along well if they weren’t so afraid of each other. Maybe if they could meet a human, they could be friends. Maybe. Especially that captain with the silk-and-honey voice.

They likely never would have never met if Thenardier could have resisted his backstabbing urges for a little while longer. It was late at night after a fun evening on board- at least, Jehan assumed it was fun, what with all the things they dropped and noise they made- when something much larger than a little knife or an empty bottle hit the water. By the time they got to him, Montparnasse was half drowned and sinking, and they couldn’t just leave him. That was the captain, the pretty one. And he’s not conscious enough to swim on his own.

They would take him back to the surface, but they’re not sure he’ll make it that far either. The only thing they can think of is to kiss him. Merfolk magic works in odd ways, and it feels like what they should do, so they try it. It makes their lips tingle, and he starts to sputter, but at least he’s breathing somehow. And blinking. And he probably saw them.

Now they can’t take him back to the surface, even if it was safe. He’s seen them, he knows merfolk are here, he’s a danger. But. They have to do something with him, and they can’t just let him drown after they saved his life like that.

They take him to their cave- there’s a bit of air and a shore ledge inside he can stay on until they find something to do with him. And they really, really want to get to know a human, see if the horrible things they’ve heard in stories really are true.

They bring him fruit the turns up at the water’s edge, bits of driftwood, anything that might be useful, and do their best to not get caught by leaving things while he’s sleeping until he tricks them into showing themself. After a lot of convincing he won’t hurt them and a long conversation that wound up making it clear that he’ll run out of air if he stays here much longer. He needs to get out.

“Alright, but I’m going to have to take you.”

“I can swim just fine.”

“Of course you can.”

He does really need help to get out, which comes in the form of another kiss (that’s really surprising to Parnasse, he almost chokes), and he finds out his ship is long gone. Stolen right out from under him. Thenardier threw him overboard and took his ship, his gold, his crew, everything. Well, almost everything. He didn’t clear out the cavern, so he’ll probably be back for that soon. It takes a little over a month to reach the closest major port and come back, which means he’ll be stranded for at least that long.

Jehan is still very interested in humans, and this human in particular, and they’re kind of glad he can’t leave right away. Even though they know pirates are violent, but this one doesn’t seem scary. He’s very pretty and speaks smoothly, and he kissed them back once they got the the shore. It’s exciting and frightening and they absolutely cannot tell their friends until they know he won’t do anything to hurt them because Enjolras will throw a fit.

A month is a long time. It’s long enough to really get to know someone. Plot revenge. Accidentally fall in love with a merperson. Turn an island into a home. A lot of things.

#aaaaahhh thank you for asking! <3 #jehanparnasse #les miserables #pirate/merperson au #it fills me with smiles #as for where they are now: jehan got legs and basically married montparnasse and now they're in a human city #and kinda scared that someone will find out parnasse is a pirate and have him arrested and executed #they need kisses and love and help but they're all okay and happy except for this worry part #long post #writings and musings

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sadrien · 7 years

Text

wanna chat? pt.19

on ao3 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19

so this is like...twice as long as a normal chapter. anyway i was in les mis the other week and i sent something and someone thought it was a les mis chapter of wanna chat. and @reyxa encouraged it so Here We Are

this chapter continues right off of the last one because i found a note with sick quotes on it. i kept the les mis as light and understandable as possible but just like..let me know if it makes 0 sense. i had to get this out of my system because ive been in a writing funk

(mari = cough cough, nino = space bro, alya = alys, adrien = glen coco)

enjoy?

3:12 in boo you whore

cough cough: gmoring i cant brethe out of mynose rn Im not goin g ot be in school today :( Bu ti cant sleep anymore because I cnat breath e iim gonna go watch youtube videos

6:37

space bro: my dude i hope youre feeling better when you wake up

6:43

glen coco: If you’re not turn on the shower really hot and sit in the bathroom with the steam

alys: or drown urself in cold medicine

glen coco: Don’t do that

space bro: never listen to alya

alys: dont listen to these traitors

PM between glen coco and cough cough

glen coco: I bet the akuma attack last night really didn’t help Don’t worry about anything today I can handle it unless it’s another akuma Just get some rest <3

10:03 in boo you whore

cough cough: Self care is chugging five cups of tea and astral projecting behind a mcdonalds to punch hawkmoth in the face

11:46

glen coco: Mari no

alys: mari yes

space bro: mari wtf

cough cough: Im dyin g

alys: tag urself im punching hm in the face

space bro: im astral projection

glen coco: Five c ups of tea

cough cough: Does that make me the mcdonalds

space bro: congrats mari

glen coco: I can’t believe Mari is the golden arches

alys has changed their name to punching hawkmoth in the face

punching hawkmoth in the face: im finally my True Self gang follwo suit

cough cough: Why shoul d I LISten to you

punching hawkmoth in the face: bc u love me and want me 2 b happy and also bc i still have ur jacket in my bedroom

cough cough: Fuck

cough cough has changed their name to mcdonalds

space bros: al youre ridic

punching hawkmoth in the face: just do it babe

space bros has changed their name to astral projection

astral projection: there ya go

glen coco: Rip Glen Coco

punching hawkmoth in the face: truly a her o of his generation :’(

mcdonalds: RIp

glen coco has changed their name to five cups of tea

five cups of tea: Rebirth

mcdonalds: I hate you all img oing ot bed

punching hawkmoth in the face: goodnight my darlign <3

astral projection: nap well bro hopefully you feel better when you wake up

15:37

punching hawkmoth in the face: remind me to throw my bag in the seine i dont wanna do hw :(

astral projection: i feel you

punching hawkmoth in the face: wanna get togheter and do hw

astral projection: do homework or “do homework”

punching hawkmoth in the face: have u ever met me “””””””do homework”””””””

astral projection: i need to figure out physics my dude

punching hawkmoth in the face: D’:

five cups of tea: I can help you when I get home tonight

punching hawkmoth in the face: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

astral projection: the real mvp i love you

five cups of tea: I love you too Have fun Use protection

astral projection: alya please kick him out of the chat

punching hawkmoth in the face: no i like him

astral projection: fuck

18:57 mcdonalds: Screens hurt my head irhgt now Im gonna watch reruns and keep sleepng

punching hawkmoth in the face: feel better babe <3

22:15

five cups of tea: Ok so the other day instead of doing homework I started reading les mis ANd now instead of doing homework I’m reading les mis again I can’t believe this is how I’m procrastinating

astral projection: what

punching hawkmoth in the face: the musical????

five cups of tea: No the book Which the musical is based off of

astral projection: what a nerd

punching hawkmoth in the face: lmao how is it

five cups of tea: Old Long

punching hawkmoth in the face: how long?

five cups of tea: Uhhh 655,000 words

mcdonalds: jesus

astral projection: what the actual fuck

punching hawkmoth in the face: holllllly fuck

astral projection: you my dude are unreal

punching hawkmoth in the face: for fun???? r u sure this is for fun???????

five cups of tea: I think so? It’s kind of boring sometimes and hard to get through but other parts are really good Also if I’m reading I don’t have to practice chinese

punching hawkmoth in the face: touche

astral projection: have fun reading bro you are unbelievable

PM between five cups of tea and mcdonalds

five cups of tea: Hey why are you up? I thought you were heading off to bed a while ago?

mcdonalds: I didnt take nyquil tonight because I felt a little better and didnt want to pass the fuck out again but now Im awake and cant sleep because my head feels like its gonna explode And I regret So much

five cups of tea: Aw no poor bug

mcdonalds: Ugh

five cups of tea: Do you want anything?

mcdonalds: You dont have to

five cups of tea: Do you want anything? If you want soup I can get you some

mcdonalds: Its like???? Really late?????

five cups of tea: Mar its only 20:30

mcdonalds: Oh It feels like 1 But its still late

five cups of tea: Ok well Late night food is not a new thing Trust me

mcdonalds: … If you brought me soup Id love you forever

five cups of tea: I thought you already did

mcdonalds: Id love you even more

five cups of tea: I’ll be on my way soon

mcdonalds: I love you so much <3

23:35 in boo you whore

punching hawkmoth in the face: what if you took tea in shots like shot glasses

five cups of tea: Like with hot tea?

astral projection: i feel like thats a good way to burn your entire mouth

five cups of tea: *entire life

astral projection: ^^^

punching hawkmoth in the face: hmmm

five cups of tea: Alya no

astral projection: yeah bad idea

punching hawkmoth in the face: f i n e

1:02

mcdonalds: sos Im dying I constantly feel like Im about to sneeze If I dont feel that way its cause Im sneezing

astral projection: rip my dude guessing you cnat sleep while sneezing

mcdonalds: Nope :’( End my suffering please

astral projection: no can do i can offer virtual hugs

mcdonalds: I guess thatll work for now

astral projection: <3

2:03

PM between five cups of tea and mcdonalds

five cups of tea: Hey Hey Marinette Hey I have something to show you

mcdonalds: Adrien its 2 in the morning

five cups of tea: So? You’re up too

mcdonalds: I slept all day

mcdonalds: Yeah but you’re awake right now

mcdonalds: … Fine Hit me

five cups of tea: “When they had finished, when they had told each other everything, she laid her head on his shoulder and asked him: ‘What is your name?’” Us

mcdonalds: Oh my go d This is les mis right??? What youw ere talking about before??

five cups of tea: Yup

mcdonalds: Omg Why are you like this

five cups of tea: Ok but am I wrong????

mcdonalds: I cant say you are tbh

five cups of tea: Man I feel like Marius am I like Marius??

mcdonalds: Whats he like?

five cups of tea: Kind of oblivious, pretty romantic but sort of in a weird way, awkward, usually confused but can be scary if he needs to, handsome as hell and love of my life that I would honestly leave all three of you for

mcdonalds: Wow Are you sure you havent already

five cups of tea: :P Actually….

mcdonalds: Are you suddenly realizing youve left us for a fictional character

five cups of tea: No I was oging to say I might be more like Bossuet

mcdonalds: Youre just saying words I dont know who that is

five cups of tea: He always has bad luck Like always Ummmm hold on

mcdonalds: K Who would I be???

five cups of tea: “He was the constant victim of mischance, hence his merriment. He said, ‘I spend my life walking under ladders.’”

mcdonalds: Ok you mgiht be this Bossuet you bad luck magnet

five cups of tea: For you Hmmmm Enjolras?

mcdonalds: Not cosette?? Shes the love interest right

five cups of tea: As much as I love you Enjolras is the leader in red And I just can’t help myself

mcdonalds: Nerd Are you goind to do alya and nino too?

five cups of tea: D u h

2:34

mcdonalds: Adrien?? You ok? Youve been quiet for a while Or did you fall asleep on your computer again

five cups of tea: No I’m here I’m just Stuck This is haarrrrrdddddddddd Alya and Nino are just so deep and complex and awesome and I dont’ know how to place them???

mcdonalds: True But wow Slightly offended

five cups of tea: Hey yours is based on a pun I can pun easy

mcdonalds: G o to sleep kitten You can sort them in the mornign Later this morning

five cups of tea: Fine I hope you’re feeling better

mcdonalds: A little bit!! The soup definitely helped Night <3

five cups of tea: Night <3

10:25 in boo you whore

astral projection: saturdays are chill but my mom wants us to clean the entire apartment today and im not about that life

12:12

mcdonalds has changed their name to enjolras

enjolras: I have no idea who thi s is but I hope it makes Adrien happy

punching hawkmoth in the face: ???? wahts ahppenign

enjolras: Adrien said I was this charactera t like 2

astral projection: why the fuck do none of you people value sleep

punching hawkmoth in the face: how theh ell did that even come up in conversation

enjolras: He was saying he thinks hes like Marius

astral projection: huh

five cups of tea: I’m not sure yet

astral projection: bro!!!

five cups of tea: I'm thinking either Marius or bossuet for myself

punching hawkmoth in the face: r we supposed 2 know the second one

enjolras: Hes got bad luck Thats what I got from our convo when no one else was awake

punching hawkmoth in the face: change ur name i want u2b the hopeless romantic

astral projection: isnt he already??

punching hawkmoth in the face: lmao

five cups of tea has changed their name to marius

punching hawkmoth in the face: awesome were u gonna do nino and i??

marius: Yeah I’m just having some trouble

astral projection: yeah were just too unique to be put into little boxes

marius: Exactly

astral projection: that was sarcasm but i love you so much

marius: <3

punching hawkmoth in the face: hey question not that im doubting maris badassary but why enjolras

marius: Enjolras is incredibly passionate and would do anything for his friends and the people of Paris Reminds me of how Marinette is as class president

PM between marius and enjolras

enjolras: Nice save

marius: Thanks

in boo you whore

astral projection: I see it

marius: Alya could be eponine?

punching hawkmoth in the face: shes the one who cries about marius right

marius: Well I was actually thinking her cause Ponine she knows her way around And all that stuff But yes she cries about Marius she does have a song about that

PM between punching hawkmoth in the face and astral projection

punching hawkmoth in the face: lmao did he just give me the character hopelessly in love with marius

astral projection: rip

punching hawkmoth in the face: end my life

in boo you whore

punching hawkmoth in the face: i cna work with that

punching hawkmoth in the face has changed their nickname to eponine

astral projection: and then tehre was one

marius: I’m struggling

enjolras: Arent we all

eponine: Id help but I know literally nothing other than some of the lyrics RED THE BLOOD OF BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD

astral projection: theres no way that isnt right im 100% sure those are the actual words

eponine: BLACK THE BLOOD OF BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD

enjolras: Period mood

eponine: general mood

enjolras: Ok same

eponine: mood: red and black but the only words are blood

enjolras renamed this conversation to “red the blood of blood blood blood”

eponine: yes exactly

astral projection: sometimes i wonder why im friends with you

eponine: because u love us and would be sad without us

astral projection: ok yes but also why

marius: I mean maybe Grantaire? He’s a jack of all trades? Nino you are…really hard to place But R might be the best bet

enjolras: Wait a minute R?

marius: Yes

enjolras: Get out of this chat

marius: </3

astral projection: that is amazing

astral projection has changed their nickname to grantaire

grantaire: in it for the puns

marius: So is Hugo

enjolras: Who

marius: The writer of les mis

eponine: tag yourself im les miserables all of them

grantaire: you cant be all the miserables

eponine: watch me try

marius: Sorry you must have no idea what’s going on

grantaire: not really we have nothing to contribute but keep going dude!!! i love to hear you ramble

eponine: oh oh i have something to contribute

enjolras: You do?

eponine: 24601? more like 246 so done with your shit

enjolras: Im leaving the country

grantaire: whos shit?

eponine: uh oh fuck whos the antagonist again

marius: Society

grantaire: deep

enjolras: Stop being fake deep

eponine: feep anyway no u butt the police dude

marius: The only evil in les mis IS society And the Thenardiers OH JAVERT

eponine: YES THANK YOU

marius: Javert: do not forget my name Alya: forgets his name

eponine: fuck you also 246 so done with your shit javert

grantaire: thank you for clarifying

eponine: no prob

enjolras: Ok so Im googling stuff to try and figure out whats happening And wow This is depressing ¾ of us die

marius has changed their nickname to bossuet

bossuet: Now all of us die

eponine: nope change back 2 lover boy ur not dying too

grantaire: um no one is dying my dudes

bossuet: We’re always dying But fine

bossuet has changed their nickname to marius

enjolras: Im pretty sure Im dying righ tnow I almost coughed up a lung

eponine: GO TAKE MEDICIN E

enjolras: You arent my mom!!!!!!!!!

eponine: THAT DOESNT MEAN I DONT CCARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR HEALTH!!!!!!!!!

enjolras: AHHHHH

eponine: AHHHHHH

grantaire: Ahhhhh?

marius: Ahhhhh

#wanna chat #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #nino lahiffe #alya cesaire #my fics #hi this is awful

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