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Post by cosette on Sept 4, 2008 20:23:09 GMT -5
Whoops. Cosette was a bit too late to meet and greet potential friends and coworkers... Truth be told, it was near midnight. Every time she seemed close to the destination, Cosette was distracted by little things. It was only right since she had that 'explorer' demeanor. That, and... well, it had been a while since she had a good swim in a lake.
A lithe, though taller than the average woman, figure wiggled through an open window of the Opera. However she did not get far with her silence, as soon after she bumped heads with a young lady carrying a little lantern. Cosette had to hold back a drawn out, 'Awww!' at how young the girl was. Animal-like blue eyes stared down at the child.
"Hello little girl," she greeted with a thick accent, for once noticing how she was shaking. "Are you right, young one? Need place to stay?" Although it was ironic, since the older woman had no place to stay either. So it wasn't correct that she would be offering...
Yet that didn't matter, as the child rushed past in quite a hurry. It left the ghostly-looking Cosette quite flustered and also confused in the dark. She didn't quite get how pale and frightening she would have looked in candlelight, nor how strange her question was. But once she did, Cosette shouted obscenities before tripping on the first steps of stairs.
Landing roughly on her buttocks, it didn't take much for her to realize everyone probably went home by now - and she wouldn't be able to get out unless she had night vision. However the loving figures known as Cosette's parents lived quite far away, and she hadn't thought of a second place to stay. She chuckled, the steps would do fine.
Moving so she sat in a masculine, yet strangely comfortable position on the stairs Cosette concluded she had no other place to go. The light of the moon filtered in from the windows, but it didn't give the familiar warmth a candle did. Yet the fancily decorated golden windows in the moonlight looked like a song in the making.
"Light now and forever, little flame, Hidden love shelters within thee, Secret pathes to freedom are made known, Should the gods and angels leave me, Under white moons, beneath cruel silver light, We shall both leave thee, To make dark escape through the night, Our lavender night..."
It sounded like a foreign music box was slowly turning its tune just behind the entrance doors. Sadly, it was more of a depressing lullaby than an aria fitting for the Opera Populaire. Cosette sighed and shook her head. Perhaps if she changed how the tune went, things would be different... this would be a long night.
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Post by Jacob Leroux on Sept 6, 2008 21:55:24 GMT -5
Since when did it take so much time to run an Opera House? Sure he knew it would different from running a normal business but working until midnight? And he wasn’t even doing all the work! Half of it his half-brother was doing! What was he thinking when he signed onto this? That thought ran through Jacob’s mind nearly every day. Sometimes he would come close to just leaving, but that wouldn’t sit well with Celestine and he wasn’t going to give Andrew the satisfaction of his failure to cope. So he continued to trudge on…quite literally sometimes.
Running his fingers through his already disarrayed hair he filed things away and locked up the office. The one good thing about working this late though was the fact that every one was either at home or away from the eerily dark entrance. He had come this way so many times during the day and at night that he didn’t need any lantern to help him get down the stairs and out the door safely.
But of coarse this whole building was against him, for tonight there was an obstruction on the last stairs that her very nearly tripped over. Instead he clumsily jumped over the last few steps including the obstruction and landed awkwardly on his right ankle making a sharp pain shoot through his entire leg. “Damnit!” Jacob hissed out with a grimace. His head wiped to the woman on the stairs with a very anger glare. What was someone doing on the stairs at this hour? And just sitting! Did this woman have no logical train of thinking?
Standing up straight with his weight favoring the left side he turned to near ghostly looking woman. “What in the world are you doing on the stairs in the dark at this hour! I could have broken something tripping over you!” That was the pain talking, otherwise he would have just sneered and walked off. But the quiet anti-social man roared it out with no regarded to if he knew her or not, not that he would care anyways.
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Post by cosette on Sept 7, 2008 16:13:17 GMT -5
Nope, that wouldn't do at all. Cosette had spent a while tuning and twisting the lyrics around but they didn't sound right either way. It annoyed her severely to not be able to complete something, as air-headed as she was. Yet ever-too-quickly, her thoughtlessness was made obvious when she felt someone try to awkwardly avoid stepping on her. The crack she heard afterward concerned her.
Then he started yelling. It couldn't even be called yelling - he was trying to call Satan so he could drag Cosette down to hell. He sounded that angry. She could tell it was a 'he' by how masculine the tone was. But he was still roaring, looking quite similar to a lion. She scooted down the stairs as he spoke, eventually stopping just so they could stare eye to eye. An animistic, yet motherly notion.
She pondered whether he would stop talking if she pinched him. The dark-haired man looked positively furious, his cheeks dark crimson. As soon as the angry man calmed down and went to take a breath, it would be her turn to speak as he seemed quite determined to yell until his voice gave out. Finally, whenever he did calm down, it was Cosette's turn to speak.
"Hello. I am sorry, sir. I not see," she said softly, her thick accent laced with worry and guilt. Cosette got up and brushed her turquoise dress off, swiftly moving down the stairs to meet the other. Examining the man in a full circle she finally stopped in front of him. "I am new employee. Nice to meet you. Cosette. I am Cosette."
After that very peculiar greeting, the woman leaned down...
"Please excuse I. Does this hurt?"
...and against her conscious, gave the angry man's right ankle a firm jab.
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Post by Jacob Leroux on Sept 7, 2008 19:36:14 GMT -5
And if he could have we would have summoned Satan to drag her down, even though that was an entirely extreme thing to think since it was partially his fault for not coming down with a candle, and deciding to jump. But that was entirely beside the matter to him. He didn’t even care if he might have accidentally hit her shoulder or something and bruised it, or that he might have hurt her feelings with his harsh words. If he had the girl didn’t seem to give much care to it. She just looked at him with an almost indifferent or curious expression and scooted down to be eye level with him in a childish way that reminded him of something Maggie might have done.
What reminded him of his cousin though didn’t last long when she when spoke in some strange accent with concern. How dare she look like she was pondering him then act like she cared that he might have broken his ankle from trying not ram his knee into her head when coming down the stairs! And to introduce herself so plainly and circling him like a vulture as if he wasn’t standing there in pain! Having always been a contained person he never twisted or broken a bone in his life so he never gone through such an excruciating feeling and he was focusing all of it in his anger and at her.
And now he had a valid reason to be. What person jabs a possible sour spot on a person to see if it hurts! Jacob let out a sharp yelp and instantly dropped down to cover his swollen ankle from her offending fingers. He looked straight into her eyes with a sinister glare. “What’s in your mind woman!” He scowled out through teeth, “Of coarse it hurts! Why else would I be so put off!” Jacob took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down. With the help of his good foot and hands he dragged himself up onto the first step. All the way keeping his eye on the unusual girl.
The adrenaline from the anger and the vexatious throb in his ankle was slowing down from his previous exhaustion. He could feel a bit of rawness in the back of his throat from yelling and he could feel he was perpetrating some. Now with merely an annoyed look he cocked an eyebrow at the woman that introduced herself as…what was it…Cosette? Her accent had been so heavy that he wasn’t sure if he had heard right. “A new employee? I don’t remember hiring you…must have been Andrew.” he mostly was saying it to himself rather than to her.
Letting out a ragged sigh when a random sharp pain shot through he clutched tightly the edge of the steps and hung his head. “What were you doing out here anyways? Don’t you know where the dorms are?” Jacob asked in an equally ragged voice. How was he going to get home on this foot, much less out to the stable! Maybe Celestine was still here…with his luck probably not.
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Post by cosette on Sept 8, 2008 5:23:39 GMT -5
It didn't hurt. Really, it didn't. Well, that would be an over-exaggeration. She felt absolutely terrible. But any sort of negative emotion, Cosette had a difficult time expressing. Besides, there was no one to cry with. That didn't really matter anyway, since the man seemed bent on expressing his absolute fury.
"Yes, yes. I am sorry. I take full responsibility. You are mad," she explained with a gentle smile. Cosette would gladly be held responsible for provoking the poor man and his injury, even though she could barely afford her next lunch. At the mention of dorms she shrugged, causing some of her hair to fly off her shoulders. "Don't know what that means. I come to meet boss."
"You need to go home now, yes? I will help," she volenteered. It still didn't dawn on her completely that he probably wanted nothing to do with her. Although it would be near impossible for Cosette to carry him, let alone call for someone late at night. She vaguely recalled there being a stable nearby the opera where they kept horses...
"Stable is around here. I go to get horse," Cosette explained with a smile while standing up. Nevermind the fact she didn't know which direction the stables were located, nor that she didn't know how to ride a horse. She just assumed as soon as she found the stables she could just teach herself as she went along. No big deal, hopefully. Besides, how else would that strange man get home?
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Post by Jacob Leroux on Sept 9, 2008 20:37:48 GMT -5
Hard to believe that she was actually was sorry when whenever she apologized, but it sounded sincere enough and he gathered that it wasn’t mocking but just how she was so he wasn’t going to get onto her about it…tonight. If it got on his nerves he’d less then politely ask about it. Jacob hadn’t the energy to dwell on it. Instead he wondered at how foreign Mademoiselle Cosette really was. Her French was basic and nearly butchered by that odd accent, and what did she not understand? This would be a trail!
Jacob was about to answer that he was the manager, or the boss when she offered to help him get home. Jacob brought his head up and lifted an eyebrow, for some reason he thought it wasn’t a good plan. He sighed wondering if this girl was really as clueless as he was thinking.
When Cosette stood up he held out a hand as a gesture for her to stop.’Stable is around here. I go to get horse.’ This wasn’t going to do. “Mademoiselle…Cosette,”, he wasn’t good with being familiar enough with someone to call them their first name, but she hadn’t given him her last, “Do you know where the stables are? And how precisely are you supposed to get me to the horse because you are certainly not bringing it in here.”
Jacob started to slide himself over to the stair railing so he’d have something to help him up. Pushing and pulling himself up he leaned against the banister for extra support. “If you think you can find the stable tell one of the men, if any of them are awake, that they need to call a carriage for Jacob Leroux. That or you can help me up the stairs and to my office.” If need be he could just spend the night on the sofa in his office. It would be highly uncomfortable but he wasn’t about to spend the night in one of the dorms. Pride wouldn’t let him.
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Post by cosette on Sept 10, 2008 18:37:21 GMT -5
"Yes sir," Cosette asked, automatically responding to her name. The smile on her face was a little less air-headed, and showed a bit more kindness. It was practice for when she met her real boss... or when she actually realized she was talking to one of them. At the question of stables and horses dirtying the opera, the blond smiled blankly. "No."
After listening to the options, the woman suddenly started pumping her arms rapidly and doing stretches. Although the dark man didn't look extremely heavy, he didn't look completely light either. Either way she figured it would be easier to break her back than break his as she attempted to help him onto a horse... if she got to the stables in the first place. So in comparison, this would be easier.
But there were several ways to lift a person, she could name three right off the bat. Cosette scratched her head with some confusion. "How would you like me to lift? Piggyback? Bridal? Upside-down? Or should you sleep with me on stairs? I was going to sleep here anyway."
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Post by Jacob Leroux on Sept 20, 2008 21:00:12 GMT -5
This woman was actually planning on picking him up! That was absurd! Though Jacob was gangly and probably didn’t weigh much past the average weight of a woman he doubted that Mademoiselle Cosette could lift just his feet off the ground. Jacob quickly glanced over her than decided with how her structure looked she just might be able to. But still! He certainly wasn’t going to be carried like a child, a woman, over the shoulder; as he assumed that was what upside-down was, or much less at all by a strange air-headed woman.
Though he disliked the idea of sleeping in a dorm he refused to sleep on the stairs! That was positively urchin thing to do. For a few seconds he merely stared at the perplexing; that’s putting is lightly, Cosette. Exactly was she hired for? Hopefully she auditioned or was interviewed for skills in whatever it was. Hopefully his brothers judgment wasn’t as questionable as it seemed to be. “And what sort of help will you be to the Opera House by having aches in the morning from sleeping on the stairs. The risk of you not waking up early enough so the patrons don’t see you there sleeping won’t be taken either.”
Jacob couldn’t believe he was going to do this but he waved Cosette over to him. He was Actually going to tell someone to help and have to touch him and use them for support. “Me using you as a crutch would be much more effective.” Though to most people it wouldn’t be anything to them, however Jacob wasn’t like most people, he was an anti-social. And the thought of having to put his arm around some ones shoulder for help made him annoyed and anxious. But as much as he wanted to avoid it he couldn’t get to his office alone without probably injuring himself more.
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Post by cosette on Sept 22, 2008 21:02:27 GMT -5
He was disgusted by the idea, so completely disgusted she could almost see his right eye twitching. That wasn't her aim, since she didn't want a random guy to be chalked up on the 'hates me' board. And she actually would have picked him up, had he allowed it. But it had always been difficult for her to express herself to others without being really... well, weird.
"It is okay if me have aches. I write songs, it is my profession," she explained with a smile. Yet Cosette did see the problem Jacob brought up. In fact, now that she noticed it, he was smart. Or he had more common sense than she did, both were pretty much the same. Her lips pursed tightly. She needed a place to sleep as much as Jacob did (perhaps less since he looked so stressed already), and if worse came to worse sleeping outside would suffice.
Noticing the sudden wave, the blond moved closer with a deer-like stare until he explained. She scratched the top of her head with the distinctive awkward feeling. If Jacob didn't want to be picked up and carried, even Cosette could figure out this solution wouldn't do much for him either. Maybe he was allergic to people, or just didn't like other people touching him. His twitchy eye told her so. She was the exact opposite, but could understand enough.
"Okay. We do by your means. Stop if you feel bad," Cosette explained, her smile subtly showing worry. It was her fault, anyway. Although it would cause more pain for him, she knew he would probably feel better if she could just be considered an object and not a person he was leaning on. "Would you like me to help you start?"
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Post by Jacob Leroux on Oct 4, 2008 23:00:15 GMT -5
Jacob wasn’t sure if it was a bit settling that the girl worked behind the stage or not. Coarse the demeanor of her did fit to the daydreaming a writer might have. He’d just have to trust the choral teacher to make sure that the songs are adequate. He didn’t hire her so if she didn’t work out then the blame can be put on his brother. Yes he was petty like that and he could care less if that’s what others thought of him. Why people thought he should care he had no idea. Having to be false for the sake of others was trying and well…not honest.
It seemed that Cosette thought the same why if she relieved it or not. So maybe that was one quality that Jacob found he liked about the girl. That she wasn’t trying to be prim and proper when she was a bit of an airhead in his opinion. That’s what he had to keep thinking when putting his arm around Cosette’s shoulder. A shutter threatened to shake his entry body, he absolutely hated touching people. It wasn’t like something happened in his childhood to make him distaste the populous, he just did.
“Please.” he simply said anticipating the fumbles and stumbles to come up the stairs and to the office. This was going to be a long night. He was hoping that someone would realize that he hadn’t made it home yet. But usually Jacob was the first to leave and last to get home so he doubted it. Ever since he and his brother had bought the Opera House nothing but bad things happened. This could be put on the list.
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Post by cosette on Oct 5, 2008 11:52:32 GMT -5
Quite honestly, Cosette didn't like how... negative Jacob was. Maybe something bad happened to him, or some people just didn't like close contact. Cosette wasn't spoiled in her childhood either, she was just happy most of the time anyway. Yet it just so happened he was the first she had met to be so troubled by others. If she peered close enough, which she did unconsciously, she could see a storm cloud forming above his head.
"Eh, no need to frown," she chirped, holding back the urge to pinch his cheeks again. Cosette was even happier when other people were pleased, so she wouldn't give up on the depressed man just yet. "Think of me as talking moving music box who is not person! 'Cause my friend tao-ught me fun song to help during problem like dis!" It could have been noted that the more excited she was, the worse her accent got.
Not listening to any protest the man could have even tried to make, the little woman started to sing as she carefully took his larger arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. It was just a little too bad she didn't know the true meaning of the song nor some words, and that it had more odds of making Jacob worse than better.
"Some things in life are bad- they can really make you mad, Other things just make you swear 'n curse, When yer chewing on life's bristle, Don't grumble, give a whistle, And dis will help things turn out for the best, ey..."
Cosette took a deep breath to sing the next few lines, slowly starting to move with slow and smooth strides. It wasn't easy singing and helping a person in need, but she was always one for a challenge. Especially if it had any relation to bringing a smile on Jacob's face.
"Always look on the bright side of life, Always look on the light side of life, If life seems jolly rotten- there's something you've forgotten, And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing, When you're feeling in the dumps, don't be silly chumps, Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing!"
Cosette stopped moving and waited a moment with a cheerful, almost annoying grin. She wanted to hear his approval before continuing. And if he didn't like it... well, she would probably continue anyway.
(© Monty Python/Life of Brian)
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Post by Jacob Leroux on Oct 16, 2008 22:40:05 GMT -5
Dear God she wasn’t going to sing was she? The girl’s thick accented voice filled the dark foyer and was amplified from her echoes. Had the entrance ever heard a louder night? With their collision, his yelling, and her chirping voice and singing probably not. Jacob gave a heavy sigh paying only half of his attention to the words of the song since it was hard to understand her anyways. Where in the world did she come from? It didn’t sound like something he had heard before.
When he was trying to pick up on her accent however, and not put much pressure on his foot or her shoulder, he realized that he knew the tune of the song. He had heard his brother singing it after he’d been at a bar. A very small nearly impossible to see smirk formed on his lips. This song was actually quite amusing to him. It was positively ironic in it’s meaning. When Cosette stopped he glanced at her and her large grin. Jacob’s smirk grew to something that might be considered as a smile, because of her ignorance of the song.
For life is quite absurd And death's the final word. You must always face the curtain with a bow. Forget about your sin. Give the audience a grin. Enjoy it. It's your last chance, anyhow. So,...
Always look on the bright side of death, Just before you draw your terminal breath.
Life's a piece of shit, When you look at it. Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true. You'll see it's all a show. Keep 'em laughing as you go. Just remember that the last laugh is on you…
If anyone that knew him had heard him willing sing they’d probably say that heel froze over. But he did to trump the girl at having picked the wrong song to cheer someone up. Least he thought he’d gotten her since he was completely oblivious to the fact that it had worked.
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Post by cosette on Oct 17, 2008 14:39:09 GMT -5
At first, he looked pretty annoyed. When the sudden thought came to Cosette's mind that he could have been tuning her out, she sang a little louder. But when she stopped to look for his approval... she could see it. Terribly slim, but she could just make out a small smirk which got her thinking. Why was Jacob smirking anyway? It was a silly song, true, but it wasn't anything bad...
Yet the smirk grew, which was exactly what she had wanted. And in her eyes it looked like a smile. He must've just had a hard time expressing his enjoyment, the young woman assumed. But even more surprising, he knew the song's lyrics! Cosette pursed her lips until she reached a completely inaccurate (and childish) solution. He was the all-knowing god-like manager after all! He probably knew everything!
After watching him sing a few of the words, her voice happily joined his as she continued to sing the rest of the chorus until she ran out of breath. Making eye contact with Jacob again, Cosette smiled. So maybe she didn't know most of the words, who cares? The man was smiling anyway, so it probably didn't matter much. Little did she know that would be chalked up as another of several misunderstandings Cosette had with others.
"You are happy now? That song have theme! Be happy, be happy!" She explained, using her heels to bounce up and down slowly. At least, that was what she thought the theme of the song was. If she knew what it was really about, she would probably be in tears. It was only then Cosette realized while they had been singing, they had actually reached the bottom of the stairs. The hard part would begin since she knew the chances of him feeling pain would double.
"We go upstairs now," she proclaimed, one hand pointing upward. "Ready, new friend?"
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Post by Jacob Leroux on Nov 16, 2008 0:08:23 GMT -5
It was obvious she was trying to cheer him up, which was obscured and yet charming at the same time, and she seemed to be happy with his response. Hopefully that will appease her for a little bit. He wouldn't have been able to stand pep talk, or singing, for long. And for some odd reason he had a feeling that if he hadn't chimed in she might be pinching his cheeks right now to get him to smile. How completely irregular yet very possible with this girl. The thought of it made the muscles in his hands twitch to rub the side of his face. He couldn't figure out if this girl was childish or if she had bats in the belfry.
Whatever she was he could only give a coy smirk and answer "Sure." Whether it meant 'sure' he was happy, or 'sure' thats what the song meant; she could decided. Jacob was merely playing along. Glancing up from her shining blue eyes Jacob saw that they had finally made it to the first. Thinking that was an accomplishment meant that attempting the next feat would not bode well. His right ankle throbbed at the mere thought of trying to make it up the stairs with Cosetta. Even with he knowledge he had of her now, sending her to find someone seemed a better idea. In fact if it was for his pride he would rather crawl up then the possibility of further injury because of the obvious size disadvantage with the chipper Cosetta.
Jacob was about to voice that they should probably come up with a plan before they headed up when Cosetta called him something few people if any do. Friend? His mouth remained slightly slack jawed letting the word wrap around his brain. However he quickly snapped back and gave a laugh. It sounded hearty at first but ended disappointed and depressed. "You call a person whose done nothing but curse you a friend?'" Certainly she was just saying that to be kind in her childish way. No one called him a friend. No one even tried now to be considered his friend. He was to cold, mocking, harsh, distant, and rude they said to befriend. "You must be joking." it was snub and a statement he very much believed.
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Post by cosette on Nov 16, 2008 1:34:31 GMT -5
The nervous smirk Jacob gave her was just enough to please Cosette. In her twisted little world, she thought they were best friends. She hardly had any friends, and was known to follow the first person in her sight. It was chance for her that she even met Jacob, though only more misfortune for him. Although it seemed the dark-haired male had spotted the same problem she did. Big, scary stairs that didn't like pep talks or songs.
"It okay, we do it," she cheered, trying to gather her strength. They could do it because they were friends, and friends could get through anything together. And after they got past the stairs and his leg got all better, Jacob could open up to her even more. At least, that was what she had been thinking before spotting his jaw remain slightly open in shock. Then he laughed. It sounded happy at first, which pleased Cosette, until the tone changed to melancholy. "What wrong?"
Then she listened for a change, as the blond didn't really listen to people that often unless they were yelling at her. The charming, playful smile that lit up the darkened room faded as Cosette stared at him. Looking positively empty without a smile, she recalled her parents warning her a while ago: some would find her innocence refreshing, and others would curse her because different people had different opinions. But cursing was bad. If a person cursed you, they didn't like you. They didn't want you to live. They hated you. She looked sincerely hurt. "You... hate me?"
Firmly brushing off all negative feelings, a nervous smile came back to her face. Although Cosette couldn't bear the thought of anyone disliking, let alone hating her, she decided to play the 'ignorance is bliss' card (although she usually did that without thinking). She couldn't afford to be sad for a minute. Faintly recognizing the sadness in his laughter, they had to be kindred, she decided. Both didn't have many friends, although for the opposite reasons.
"...Yes. Mon ami", Cosette stressed, poking his cheek. "So what we do now? Piggyback time?"
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