In El semen de los ahorcados, there are numerous gags based upon Enjolras' unfamiliarity with Muggle pop culture, like these:
Courfeyrac (of Lesgles): Scary, black, bald... Looks somewhat like Sam L. Jackson.
Enjolras: Who's that?
Courfeyrac: Ever seen a Star Wars prequel?
Enjolras: No siree.
Courfeyrac: Or Pulp Fiction?
Enjolras: Neither have I.
Courfeyrac: Snakes on a Plane?
Enjolras: (Shakes his head) Wait a little... Are all those Muggle "flims?"
,........
Courfeyrac: KNOCK KNOCK
Enjolras: Who's there?
Courfeyrac: The
Enjolras: The Who? (looks puzzled)
Courfeyrac: KNOCK KNOCK
Enjolras: Who's there?
Courfeyrac: Doctor
Enjolras: Doctor Who? (Even more puzzled, tilts his head)
Courfeyrac: KNOCK KNOCK
Enjolras: Who's there?
Courfeyrac: Horton Hears a
Enjolras (screaming): Horton Hears a Who??? Is this another of your references to Muggle pop culture?
Courfeyrac: It's a storybook and an animated film. Or "flim." The Who are a rock band, and Doctor Who is a series about time travel.
Enjolras: Has he got a Time Turner?
..........
Lesgles (at the Masked Ball, as Mace Windu): What do you think, friends? Did I make the right choice in not cosplaying as Nick Fury?
Courfeyrac (as Puss in Boots): Completely. You are the most badass Jedi this side of the galaxy! Though you would have rocked that eyepatch...
Lesgles: Let's not forget either that Nick Fury was originally white. They changed that when they cast Sam Jackson... And anyway both Star Wars and Marvel are now owned by Disney!
Enjolras (as Apollo): That Sam Jackson chap once more... But what on Earth is Marvel?
Les Misérables, the BBC's song-less adaptation of Victor Hugo's epic 1862 novel, is stacked with stars – including the likes of Olivia Colman, Lily Collins and David Oyelowo.
Though fans of the long-running musical will be wary about the decision to ditch the singing, rest assured we're in good hands: the six-part series has been penned by Andrew Davies, the man behind top notch adaptations including Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, and War & Peace.
Enjolras: Thisbarricade is made of more than cobblestones and bedsteads: it is made of hopes, ideals, of love for our fellow men. We fight for the wretched of the earth, and if we die, we go to our deaths with joy! Long live the Republic! Through a melee of agony, smoke, and fire, the insurgents are killed. Gavroche is shot down as he picks bullets off corpses, and Enjolras and his drunken friend Grantaire bravely face a firing squad as comrades and brothers.
PS. In this film Enj looks like Freddie Mercury and R like Lefou - but I am not responsible for these casting decisions.
The revolutionary young men: Enjolras (Joseph Quinn), Courfeyrac (Archie Madekwe), Grantaire (Turlough Convery)
Enjolras played by Joseph Quinn
Who is Enjolras? A student and revolutionary who leads the Friends of the ABC, and encourages Marius to join their fight against the establishment.
Where have I seen Joseph Quinn before? Quinn recently played the central role of Leonard Bast in the BBC adaptation of Howard's End, and has also appeared in Game of Thrones (as Koner), Dickensian and Timewasters.
Who is Grantaire? One of Marius' drinking pals and a student revolutionary. He doesn't take things quite so seriously as Enjolras or Courfeyrac, but despite his drunkenness he is committed to the cause – and to his friends.
Where have I seen Turlough Convery before? You may recognise him as Tom Harry from Poldark. He has also played Liam in My Mad Fat Diary, Stingray in the Black Mirror episode White Christmas, McNeish in Lovesick, and Declan in Doing Money.
Two Four Six Oh Fun-Les Mis the Musical vs. Les Mis the Book
It’s no secret that I am a huge Les Mis fan, or “Mizzie”. I have every single official English language recording of the show (Original London, Original Broadway, Complete Symphonic, Tenth Anniversary, Twenty First Anniversary, Twenty-fifth Anniversary, and Movie Deluxe Soundtrack) and I have official recordings in seven other languages as well. (French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Polish, Israeli, and Swedish). I dramaturged my production of it because of my extensive Les Mis knowledge, and memorized it to the point that during rehearsal I filled in for missing cast members without skipping a beat. (Not to mention entertaining/annoying my cast members with a series of two four six oh puns. I kept it up for the entire two four six oh run. I think towards the end there I started to get two four six oh shunned-but that wouldn’t stop my two four six oh fun).
(My Production. Photo credit to Andrew Richmond).
However, my love for Les Mis doesn’t end there. I’ve made it a life goal to immerse myself in every rendition of this story available. So far I’ve been fairly successful, I have six movie adaptations under my belt, seven if you count the 2012 movie-musical version, and I’ve watched all the episodes of the Les Mis anime Shoujo Cosette. (Japanese for A Girl Named Cosette). Back in secondary school, I even took it upon myself to read the original novel by Victor Hugo. (Two four six oh-UN-abridged). The book, or the brick, as so many people refer to it since the book is about the same size and shape of a brick, is the novel that started it all, and the original source material for every adaptation, and is one of my personal favorite book of all time.
Photo courtesy of Barnes and Noble
So, I’m pretty versed in both the original story and various adaptations of it as well. During my time doing the show, I had several conversations with people about the differences in various adaptations. Over a year after the show closed *sobs* this continued with my fellow theatre people. It was during Mary Poppins, talking to a couple of cast mates on closing day about the book, that it occurred to me “this would be a good topic for my theatre blog!”
Since this is a theatre blog, I will mainly be writing about the differences and similarities between the musical and the book, but I will also be touching on other versions as well. So before we start, here are the versions besides the original book and/or musical that I personally am familiar with and a brief description.
2012 film
Courtesy of IMDB
This is arguably the most well-known version, and certainly the most recent film version (at least that I know of!). It is the only one based on the musical rather than the book. (Yes, I’m aware there are the concert versions of the show you can buy on DVD, but those are filmed stage productions rather than motion pictures). What I love about this version is that includes a lot of things that were in the book, but not in the musical. (Eponine dying to save Marius, the chase scene with Javert, Valjean and little Cosette, etc.)
Shoujo Cosette
The Les Mis anime. Pretty darn close to the original novel. Major differences are that it puts Cosette as the main character rather than Valjean, and it’s aimed at a younger audience so a few of the darker elements are removed. (For more on Shoujo Cosette, check out this video done by the brilliant Jess Daniels. Also worth checking out is a series of Shoujo Cosette videos paired to music from the musical.)
Les Miserables manga
Courtesy of readerswonderland.com
Just like it sounds, a manga adaptation of the novel. Of every adaptation, I would say this one is the most faithful because it unapologetically came from Hugo’s text. Obviously it’s condensed, but the overall story and characterization is extremely faithful. My only real complaint is that you don’t see much of Gavroche.
Clear as mud? Okay, let’s dive in! I’ve divided the major differences into sections. Some of them overlap, so I jump around a bit, but I did my best to make it all make sense. If anything is unclear, feel free to drop a comment and I will answer to the best of my ability.
Courtesy of theguardian.com
The Revolution/The Barricade Boys
Okay, for starters, the revolution that takes place in Les Mis is the June Rebellion, not The First French Revolution. (Seriously!)
The June Rebellion took place after the First French Revolution, and after Napoleon for that matter too. (In fact, several characters, including Sgt. Thénardier and Marius’s father fought under Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo-more about that later). This portion of the book was inspired by Victor Hugo’s experience with the real June Rebellion that took place between June fifth and sixth in 1832. Hugo was actually there for that, so some of the stuff he writes about the barricade boys is based on truth. We’ll never know for sure what parts are real and what’s fiction, which is both mesmerizing and frustrating as heck.
In the book, Victor Hugo takes an extensively long time giving the reader a history lesson of all the French history along with some social commentary. I’ll give you the brief version. French Revolution tried to abolish the monarchy. After Napoleon is defeated, the monarchy makes a return and brings social collapse with it, leaving the majority of the population….well, miserable. So the barricade boys decide to protest the monarchy, ergo the barricade. In real life, as in the book, as in the musical, they decide to take action at the funeral of General Lamarque. (Yes, he’s real!) Lamarque was loved by everyone, and the only true person in power who was an ally to the poor, so the barricade boys attack at his funeral, and then make a barricade outside the Café Musain, their meeting place. That would have been pretty hard to stage so Lamarque’s funeral isn’t in the musical, but it does make it to most film versions. Obviously this isn’t as clear in the show since people over and over try to say that it happened during the French Revolution. (But then again, the musical is already three hours long, so I guess Schönberg didn’t want to take the time to explain everything as the book did).
Also in the book, the barricade boys are much more developed and well written, with page long descriptions accompanying each one. As a group, they are referred to as a whole as either the Les Amis, ABC (pronounced abaissé) Society, or the barricade boys by the fandom. They meet in the Café Musain with the purpose of raising up the underdogs, specifically the poor and underrepresented in society. Hugo talks about them being a group “which barely missed becoming historic”, and I couldn’t agree more. Much like in the musical, they are led by Enjolras (It’s no secret that he’s my favorite)…
…who is described as “a charming young man who was capable of being a terror”. (Here is a video of the marvelous Aaron Tveit, who played Enjolras in the 2012 film explaining how to say his name).
). From there we have Combeferre (Cowm-fair) who assists Enjolras as the logic of the group, and Courfeyrac (Coo-Feh-Rawk) as the emotional core of the group. Together, they are the triumvirate of the leader, spiritual guide, and emotional centre. This is hinted at in the show, but not taken into fruition. The rest of the group consists of Jean Prouvaire (Jawn Proe-vair) the romantic, often just known as Prouvaire, Feuilly (Few-ee) the fan maker, and the only one in the group not a student, Bahorel (Bah-ore-elle) the go-between for the ABC to other groups, Lesgle (Lay-glay) the bald one who can’t catch a break (also referred to as Bossuet, (Baw-soo-eh)), Joly (Joe-lee), the medical student and hypochondriac (and he happens to be my favorite beside Enjolras), and finally Grantaire (Grawn-tear), the drunken cynic. Notice that I don’t include Marius…..here’s why.
In the musical, it portrays Marius as buddies with Enjolras and very much a member of the group. That’s not how it goes down in the book. In the brick, Marius is actually much closer to Courfeyrac, who he meets after he cuts himself off from his grandfather and is living on his own for a while. Courf lets Marius stay with him for a time, and when learning about Marius’s dissatisfaction with the bourgeoisie system, decides to bring him to a meeting of the ABC society. Marius comes back a few times with Courfeyrac, but is never really accepted as a member of the pack. In fact, Enjolras and Marius get into several arguments, mostly about Napoleon. (Enjolras hates him, Marius loves him. There’s a lot more there concerning Marius, so he gets his own section later on). Despite this, almost every version portrays Marius as a central member of the group, and the nineties version even has him as the leader instead of Enjolras. This version, as well as several others, are also very guilty of glossing over the revolution and not really explaining it. (More to come on Marius’s involvement with the ABC society and the barricade).
Gavroche isn’t as much a part of the ABC Society in the book as in the musical. He shows up at the barricade, and the whole time he’s there, Enjolras is trying to get him to leave. Marius does this as well, getting Gavroche to leave by delivering his letter to Cosette as pictured in the 2012 movie.
In every version, everybody dies except for Marius who is taken away by Valjean. However in the musical, they all die on the barricade, with Enjolras doing that famous fall backwards. In the book, they try to retreat into the Café Musain, only to be followed by the soldiers. The last one standing is Enjolras, until Grantaire, who is awaken from a drunken stupor, awakes and joins Enjolras, and the two die together. The 2012 film did a beautiful job of combining both versions of the demise of Enjolras and the gang. (And ripping my heart out in the process.)
Marius
In the musical, we meet Marius with Enjolras as a fellow revolutionary. In the book, he is first interested a rich boy living with his aristocratic maternal family. He has cut off ties with his leftist colonel father, but hears news that is father is dying, so Marius returns to him once more. Unfortunately, he doesn’t make it to see him before his father passes away. Slowly, Marius starts learning why he never had much contact with his dad growing up. Marius’s maternal grandfather was a supporter of the royal family and aristocratic way of life, and so was his maiden aunt; while his father was a young man who fought for Napoleon as mentioned earlier. Marius’s grandfather therefore disowns his son-in-law, but agrees to take little Marius in and give him a good life and good education. All of this comes as a shock to poor Marius, who then decides to cut off ties with his rich grandfather and maiden aunt, and make it on his own.
So he gets the tiny room next to the Thénardier family, and gets by as lawyer and translator. His grandfather tries several times to offer him money and get him to come back, but he refuses each time. (We get tastes of this in the 2012 film).
He starts taking walks in the Luxembourg gardens, where he first sees Cosette (in the company of an older gentleman - her guardian of course). They eye each other, but never have an actual conversation there. At one point Valjean leaves his handkerchief with his fake initials on it, U.F. (Ultime Fauchlevant) and thinks it belongs to Cosette. Marius, being Marius, jumps to conclusions and reasons that she has “U” name so he starts referring to her as Ursule. Eventually Valjean stops taking Cosette to the gardens because he’s suspicious of Marius and his borderline stalking. At the end, he finds “Ursule” and her foster father again, and has Éponine tell him where they live.
Marius leaves Cosette a love letter, and she knows it’s from “Him”. The next day he comes again and officially has his first conversation with Cosette….and he learns her actual name. They meet every night in the garden of Cosette’s home for a couple of weeks until Cosette tells him that they are leaving for London, England. She begs Marius to come with her, but Marius has no money for a passport or for travel. So she agrees to leave him a way to reach her, which she does, except Éponine steals it. But he gets it anyway, they reunite, and they marry and all that jazz. However, they don’t get married for a few months. (February to be precise). Marius’s grandfather takes him back in, and blesses the marriage (Which he previously hadn’t before Marius went to the barricade). Marius finds out about Valjean’s past, which at first makes him distrustful of Valjean until he gets the truth from Thénardiers (before the latter move across the pond to start their new lives as southern cotton barons).
As I said earlier, Marius really isn’t a huge part of the ABC Society. As I said, he isn’t there for the formation of the barricade, and doesn’t even know about it until Éponine disguised as a boy tells him. By then he thinks Cosette has left him for London without any notification, so he goes, deciding to give up his life since he can’t be with Cosette.
I have yet to see a version that doesn’t include Marius-and rightly so. He’s the tie between the story of Valjean and the story of the June Rebellion. He’s always there as the handsome love interest that Valjean rescues, but rarely does his backstory with his grandfather (and even more rarely maiden aunt) make it in, which I suppose makes sense, cause in the grand scheme of the story, it’s not the most important part.
Cosette
So first off, Cosette isn’t her real name. Her real name is Anne-Euphrasia, Cosette is a childhood nickname given to her by Fantine that kind of sticks.
A lot of people in the fandom don’t like Cosette. I don’t hate Cosette: but I do hate the way she is portrayed in almost every version. But I love book Cosette. Most of the time she’s portrayed as just this sweet little ingénue with no real depth. Uh-uh, I ain’t about that. In the brick, Cosette actually has some substance to her. She is genuinely a kind-hearted person who was thoroughly traumatized by her time with the Thénardiers and growing up without the presence of real parents. (There’s actually a fantastic scene in the book where she runs into her biological dad, Felix Tholomeyes, but had no idea who he is and thinks he’s just terrible. That part always makes me chuckle.)
She’s the symbol of goodness and light in the book, and we get to see a lot more of her in the book that we did in the musical. After Valjean takes Cosette away from the Thénardiers, they live together for a time, in Paris, until they run into Javert and have to run. It’s there that they run into Fauchlevant-the fellow Valjean rescued from under the cart while he was the mayor of Montreuil. After ruining his leg he can no longer do his job, so Fauchlevant relocated to Paris to become a gardener for the convent. He insists on repaying his debt to Valjean, and does so, but letting Valjean and Cosette pretend to be related to him. Valjean works with Fauchlevant as a gardener, and Cosette attends the convent’s school. Years pass, Cosette grows into a young, beautiful woman, and Fauchlevant dies. After he dies, Valjean, under the name Ultime Fauchlevant, leaves with Cosette and they start a new life in Paris. Valjean buys three different places for them to live, and they move between this there places with their maid, Toussaint, so that Javert will have a harder time tracking him down. Which works…for a while……
Other than that (and other details I’ve mentioned) Cosette in the musical is very much the same-although somewhat underdeveloped. Furthermore, since the musical portrays her falling in love with Marius within a day instead of him looking for her and then them meeting at night, their love usually feels forced to me, which is why I think so many people (including me before I read the book) are so anti-Cosette and pro-Éponine. (Yes, I love 'ponine too, but to be fair she does try to get Marius killed in a lapse of judgement.)
All rights reserved to Victor Hugo for the charas, JK Rowling for the setting, and Vanessa Richardson for the myth retelling on parcast that I listened to today, and that, being personal catnip in this fragment, inspired this show.
Also, this is my first Enjornasse story, not only the first one I filked from parcast and the first Enj-drunk one. That's a lot of firsts!
After that, he was offered the prefecture of Slytherin.
Initially, Enjolras was an outstanding ruler, an outstanding leader. Unlike more warlike and supremacist Prefects who had preceded him, he promoted culture and universal well-being, advised by friends of all bloodlines he had in all three other houses, which he considered Slytherin's equals. Defense and conquest of privileges were less important during this period than development and stability. But, as the Prefect led his thriving dominion, trouble brewed in the common room of Slytherin itself. Everyone's good fortune was about to change...
Montparnasse considered himself another Loki or Tezcatlipoca, as Lord of Change through Conflict. He'd been watching Enjolras develop these reformations, and he hated what he saw.
"There he sits! Pathetic little mortal! Puffing himself up with Hufflepuffs?! Consorting with the enemy?! How dare he call himself a ruler, or a leader? If either of us deserves that prefecture, it is I!"
Season after season, everyone carried on, blissfully unaware of the passed-over Slytherin's growing rage. Meanwhile, the aforementioned simmered over his fair-haired roommate's success, until he could stand it no longer.
What Enjolras didn't realise was that even his refusals were part of his roommate's devious plan.
Prosperity returned to Slytherin House: the Quidditch Cup was won by team Seeker Montparnasse having caught all three Snitches and, as a result, many people in green and silver turned away from Enjolras, and treated the victorious Seeker as their leader instead. For the first time, Montparnasse experienced what it was like to be popular, and almost to be Prefect. And he loved every minute of it. However, the Seeker still had a problem; a certain blond stripling continued wearing that badge on his chest. And, as long as Enjolras remained a Prefect, some people would persist in following him. With that annoying thought in mind, Montparnasse began devising a scheme to take over Slytherin for good.
Meanwhile, Enjolras spent his days in passionate concentration. He was so devastated by the pressure that came with his position that he barely ate or slept. By purging himself, he hoped to find a way to save them. Then one day, after many months of pressure, Enjolras heard someone approaching. He looked over his shoulder and saw an otaku-like young man in a hooded anorak and thick-rimmed glasses, carrying a mirror.
"What can I do for you, if there is anything...?"
"I have something to show you; a picture... of yourself."
At the otaku's urging, Enjolras looked into the mirror. And, to his shock, he didn't see his own image. Instead, he saw the place where he was in the common room empty of reflection where it should have been.
"Oh... ah... Can this be true?"
"The mirror shows what it sees, Sir. But... There are many different truths... If you come with me, I can show you how to shape your own!"
Enjolras was shocked by the image in the mirror, and he was was eager to erase it from his memory. So he got up and followed the nerdy young man. He had no idea that the stranger was actually his roommate and fiercest rival... or that the otaku was luring him into a trap. Coming up: a drunken mistake forces the houses of Hogwarts into open war.
Then one day, his roommate appeared as an otaku, and told the prefect to follow him.
Montparnasse took his rival to the signalman's cabin of Hogsmeade Station, where an attendant was waiting. Strangely enough, that person half-framed in the evening light wore the uniform of the railway staff but with a Slytherin scarf on top. The attendant painted Enjolras' face like an eighteenth-century noble's, and wove a beautiful ribbon into his hair, to tie it back. He dressed him in a kimono-like crimson robe of rich fabric, embroidered with gold thread and leaf motifs. When this was done, Montparnasse showed Enjolras his reflection once again.
"Thank these attendants! I look like a leader again!"
Enjolras was so pleased by his appearance that he called for a celebration. The usual restraints of self-control had slipped from his grasp. A group of attendants, equally attired, joined him and the alleged otaku in the signalman's cabin. They brought a sweet nectar, which they encouraged the leader to drink.
"Thank you, my friends, but I cannot accept. I'm a Prefect, and a disciplined one. I'm not used to... indulgences of the flesh. Even a sip of wine or butterbeer could make me weak."
"Don't worry, Sir. It is not wine or beer they offer you, but medicine. It will help you reclaim your power!"
Enjolras still didn't realise that the otaku with the mirror was his scheming roommate. So at his urging, he took a drink of the nectar. Then, he took one more, and another. And a fourth. This so-called "medicine" was in fact an alcoholic spirit made from the alihotsy plant.
After a number of libations, the Prefect got extremely drunk! He began calling for his friends and other members of his Hogwarts house to join him.
"The-e-ere you a-a-are, 'Parnasssse... mmmm, so beautiful... Come, 'ave a drink with me!"
"Don't be afraid, my beautiful..."
Enjolras was so overcome by the power of this liquor that he forgot himself and his vow of chastity. Overcome with desire, he stole a kiss from the so-called otaku, then slapped him in the face, then fell unconscious.
The next morning, Enjolras and the Imperiused "railway staff" awoke. They were all horrified by what had happened. The news of what the Prefect had done was already spreading through everywhere. Montparnasse watched in triumph as his rival's followers within Slytherin rose up in anger against him.
They demanded that Enjolras leave the prefecture, and asked Montparnasse to rule them instead. Just as the Seeker had always wanted.
With a heavy heart, Enjolras gathered his last followers (Combeferre and Joly, Ravenclaw; Courfeyrac and Prouvaire, Hufflepuff; Marius and Lesgle and Grantaire, Gryffindor) and abandoned the prefecture. He was convinced, as he tore out the badge and placed it in the left palm of his rival, that the Slytherins were headed for disaster, but he did not know how to save them.
The people had not risen, which was a fact that Courfeyrac and Enjolras were struggling to accept.
Notes:
This fanfiction is loosely based around how Courfeyrac died in the Les Mis BBC series (I still haven't emotionally recovered from that haha!).
The people had not risen. This was a fact which filled Enjolras with dread, and yet finally it was undeniably true. “We’re the only ones left.” He calls, barely disguised fear causing his voice to shake. “Let all the women and fathers of children go from here.”
Courfeyrac looked up from where he was lowering his head. He knew Enjolras more than anyone. He recognised that fear in his voice that no one else seemed to notice.
He stood up and walked over to his lover, placing a gentle hand on his back “Its okay...” he whispers to him. Enjolras turns to him with frantic eyes, “I have led you all astray, we shall die here.”
He shook his head “We choose to do this, mon cher... you did nothing to force us. It was our own choices” he reassured him and presses a gentle kiss against his forehead.
Crystal blue eyes met astonishing chocolate ones, the blue full of agonizing despair. “YOU shall die here.” The hand that was on Enjolras back moves onto his arm “There is no greater honour than to die with you” Courfeyrac whispers before taking his hands into his own.
Enjolras tips his forehead down to meet Courfeyrac’s and sighs heavily. “I want you to leave this place. Please, you should have a bright future. The future our martyrdom will bring about. Leave, I beseech you.”
“Don’t be so foolish” Courfeyrac almost snapped at his lover “how could you suggest such a thing? After everything we’ve fought for. You expect me to just walk away? To leave my lover to die on his own?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What happened to the Enjolras who was preaching about being proud to die for the cause?
The leader’s countenance was earnest now, begging. He cups Courfeyrac’s face with both hands and eagerly leans forward. “Please, I want so much more for you. I was never going to make it out of here, we both know this to be true. But I want you to live for the both of us.”
Tears began to roll down the centre’s face “I cannot. I’m sorry but I cannot leave you. Please don’t ask for such things... I cannot... please don’t give me such commands” he whimpers. The image of sorrow was mirrored on Enjolras’ own. A single tear drips down his marble cheek as he whispers his darkest fear coming to reality. “Then I have killed you.”
Courfeyrac shook his head and kisses his forehead repeatedly “I’ve done this to myself. It was my own decision. Please grant my wish to die alongside you... my lover...” he begged.
Enjolras inhales shakily, nodding and grabbing Courfeyrac’s hand, gripping onto it for dear life as he turns to the rest of the barricade. The warm palm resting in his own is like a life line, he needs to be grounded. Pulled out of the clouds where his head was.
Enjolras turns back to everyone else. “Again, I must insist you all leave. I cannot ask any of you to lose your lives senselessly. Think of your wives, your husbands, your children. A heroic death will do nothing for them. If you die, they will starve. There is no shame in living to fight another day”
A few more people left their post to leave and go home but Courfeyrac remained strong beside his lover, holding his hand tightly. “I love you...” he whispers.
“As I love you.” Enjolras confirms, still holding tightly to his hand. He doesn’t think he can let go, everything went wrong so quickly. The people didn’t rise. No one else was coming. They were to die, and it was all his fault. Feuilly, Jehan, Bossuet, Bahorel, Joly, Grantaire, Marius, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac. Beloved Courfeyrac. He couldn’t handle the thought that he was the cause of his life’s death.
They heard the soldiers coming. Courfeyrac knew he had to let go soon to be able to fire his weapon but he could bear to let go of his hand. He swallows thickly as he prepares himself. Enjolras takes several calming breaths focusing on absorbing the affection and strength of the man whose hand he was clasping. He readied himself for their separation, praying to every god in the sky that this would not be their last moment together.
When the moment came for Courfeyrac to let go of his hand. He brings it up to his mouth and places a tender kiss there “I love you” he whispers before letting go and holding his weapon properly, readying himself.
The leader steeled himself, stepping forward and calling declaratively out to the national guard. “We will not back down! The citizens of Paris will start a new uprising from the very spot where our blood will be spilt. We will be martyrs for our cause, and you can do nothing to prevent this from happening. The people will rise, your tyranny cannot prevail forever.” With a malicious grin he raises his right fist into the air and shouts. “VIVE LA FRANCE. VIVE LA RÉPUBLIQUE!” Courfeyrac looks up at his lover and admired what he saw. He was a very brave man and that he was very proud of. Before he could think anything else, he hears a loud ‘FIRE’ coming from the other side of the barricade and then shots began to fire at them. Enjolras lifts his chin with pride and with blazing eyes ran headfirst into the fight, away from his love.
The soldiers began to climb over the barricades and Courfeyrac grabs his gun and began to fight. Enjolras utilized death, though he hated it. Fighting tooth and nail for the cause he believes in, trying desperately to protect his friends. Combeferre shields him from a bayonet and he gratefully smiles before turning and shooting a man targeting Joly. The young doctor drags Bossuet away from the danger, he already injured himself.
Courfeyrac was busy fighting a soldier off of Feuilly who was grateful. He feared death. It had always been one of his greatest fears but it comforted him knowing that he would be dying fighting alongside his best friends... his lover. Fighting for a new world that the people of France deserved, a new world that they would never see. Courfeyrac turned and was met by a soldier who pierced him with his bayonet and he let out a loud cry.
The hairs on the back on Enjolras’ neck stood up even before the injury occurred. His sixth sense for his lover going haywire, when he heard Courfeyrac cry out he screamed out, hysterical. “NO!” He would have died if not for Bahorel tipping back the gun pointed at him. Enjolras runs to his love and attempts to scoop him up, but his arms are too weak. He half carries, half drags him away from the stench of death and defeat into the Musain, muttering frantic reassurances. “You’re okay, you’re okay, oh my god you’re going to be okay Sunshine. Why didn’t you leave?” Tears caused him to squint, he couldn’t see through the liquid clouding his vision. “Why did you stay, I have killed you I’ve killed you oh my god you’re going to be okay you have to be okay” his voice broke.
A pained whimper left Courfeyrac’s mouth and he weakly pushes Enjolras away from him despite that he wanted Enjolras to hold him. “Save yourself… you need to defend the barricade… for the people Enj” he squeezes his eyes shut at the pain and then reopened them. Enjolras was covered with blood. He didn’t know if it was his own blood or someone else’s but it was all the same now. “Please do not be ashamed in me… I was supposed to fight until the end. You need to leave me… the soldiers are going to break through the doors any moment” he says, becoming breathless.
Enjolras refused to be pushed away and brought himself closer, tipping their foreheads against each other. He holds Courfeyrac’s head tenderly and speaks soft reassurances, heart clenching painfully in his chest. Courfeyrac had to be okay, he had to. “Of course I’m not ashamed of you, you’re so brave. So so brave Sunshine.” A sob creeps it’s way up his throat. “I’m not leaving you. Ever. It’s you and me until the end.” The iron scent of his lover’s blood stained his hands and was encrusted beneath his fingernails. When he pushed back Courfeyrac’s hair, the blood smeared across his forehead and Enjolras releases another strangled sob. The soldiers are trying to break down the door of the Musain which was barricaded shut. It was only a matter of moments when they finally break through the door.
Courfeyrac leans forward and kisses him “you could live... there’s so shame in living... there’s no shame living to fight for another day. Please...” he pauses “for me...” tears were falling down quickly. He was so scared but this was the end of the line for him. Enjolras can keep on fighting.
Enjolras kisses back hard, desperately. One hand remains in Courfeyrac’s hair and the other on his face holding him there as if it will make a difference. As if he holds tight enough he might not slip away and might be able to protect him from death. It isn’t so. “Not without you. France needs its martyrs in order for the people to rise. I am happy to oblige for the cause. But more importantly I refuse to live in a world without you. We die together now, assuring a new world. A better and brighter tomorrow for all citizens. Join me love, I am proud to die beside you.”
The brunette lets out a pained sob and pushes him away “The people need you... our friends” he whispered, curling in on himself slightly. Before he could open his mouth, the soldiers burst in, breaking down the barricaded door, ready to kill whoever was in their path. Enjolras immediately stepped in front of his lover, attempting to shield him from view. Chin lifted in defiance he speaks, eyes blazing with ire. “Long live the republic!” He declares, slipping one hand behind him to squeeze Courfeyrac’s. This was his last moment, and he was proud of it. “Long live the revolution!” It takes everything in Courfeyrac for him to get up from where he was sat. He gripped his gun tightly and shoved Enjolras aside. Foolish boy. He rose up his gun and began to shoot at the soldiers who began to slaughter their friends before their very eyes before he looked over at his lover to make sure he was okay.
The blonde fell to the ground when Courfeyrac shoved him and was momentarily disoriented, but rose once more and looked behind him frantically searching for his lover. “Courfeyrac, look out!” He screeched, voice thick with panic.
Before Courfeyrac could even register what Enjolras was warning him about, he feels a bullet piece his chest. He gasps loudly, taking all the breath out of him. He gripped his chest and fell to his knees in agony. Before the soldier could shoot at Enjolras, Combeferre comes up behind and stabs him with his bayonet.
Enjolras’ vision went red, he screams so forcefully he’s certain his voice is going to give out. Immediately he runs forward catching Courfeyrac as he crumples to his knees with a broken expression. “No!” He screamed. “Sunshine you cannot do this to me. We were supposed to go together, what are you thinking leaving me here? You’re going to be okay you HAVE to be okay.”
The brunet curls in on Enjolras and smiled up at him weakly. “I have saved you... that’s all I’ve ever wanted... to keep you safe” he breathes out. He looks up at Enjolras in a dazed state “I’m looking up at a god... my own god” he takes his hand that was pressed against his wound and places it on his cheek gently. “My beautiful... brave man. I’m so proud of you”
The leader can’t stop shaking, his sobs are ripping him apart from the inside out. He doesn’t think anything could hurt more than having your lover die in your arms. If there is a god, he prays, we will die together. I cannot live without him. I don’t WANT to. Tears cascade down his face and he sweeps a thumb across Courf’s cheek. “I don’t want to be safe without you, I don’t want to do this without you. What’s the point of a new world without you in it?”
Courfeyrac opens his mouth to say something but they were suddenly surrounded by the soldiers. “He’s the leader...” one of them says “All of your friends are dead. This is over for you now” he says, staring Enjolras down.
“Any last words? If not... shoot him where he is” he says.
Courfeyrac reaches up and slips his hand into Enjolras’ hand, squeezing reassuringly, letting his lover know that he is here. “My brave man...” he whispers. Enjolras holds his hand in return, tightly and flashes a blinding grin at his enemies. May his radiance be burnt into their wretched memories forever. The gods must not be fair after all if they survived while he and his lover do not. He raised a fist in the air, other hand clutching his Sunshine’s beloved palm. “We die as one.” His smile did not fade as the bullet ripped through his body and Courfeyrac’s heart shattered at the sound of the shots, knowing full well that they have shot his lover.
The brave leader fell to the ground next to Courfeyrac, head cracking on the pavement with a sickening thud. However, he remained alive for a few moments more. He whimpers, reaching for the hand of his love which he dropped when he fell. Courfeyrac turned to face him and clutches his hand weakly “I love you... more than anything in the world... thank you for being the light in my day... thank you... the love of my life... it’s been an honour to fight beside you, my love” he was looking into Enjolras’ eyes. He wanted Enjolras to be the last thing he saw before his eyes closed. “I’ll see you on the other side... I love you...” he whispers in his final breath. He was gone.
Enjolras wheezed a sob the minute his lover passed on, screaming in agony not from the bullet wound but the pain in his heart. He crawled forward smearing blood across the hardwood and broken glass, cradling Courfeyrac’s body on top of his own. Rocking him side to side he shakily hissed out agonizing breaths, smoothing back Courf’s hair whilst muttering to himself. “It’s okay, it’s okay Sunshine.” He kisses the cold forehead. “I’m joining you soon, I love you so much just hold on baby. I’m coming home.” He looked up at the sky with angry tears in his eyes. “We could have been great.” Then the leader in red was no more.
Why Oh Why Did Enjolras Cut His Hair and Grow A Goddawful Moustache?
AberrantAngel
Summary:
Why Enjolras has a moustache, and his friends' reactions.
Notes:
I needed answers!
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
"What is that thing on your face!" Courfeyrac gasped as soon as Enjolras walked into the Musain. Everyone in the café turned to face him not even able to recognize him as the annoying one always shouting in the corner. "Let us speak of more important issues," Enjolras evaded the subject, "Combeferre is there any news from other groups?" Combeferre turned towards Enjolras, seeing his new look for the first time. He was trying ever so hard to be polite, but he couldn't keep his mouth from twitching into a smile. "Yes," He stifled a laugh behind a fake cough, "I spoke to students I found in the Luxembourg Gardens... I am sorry, my friend, I simply cannot..." And he burst into laughter along with Courfeyrac. Enjolras bristled and directed his attention to Feuilly who was chatting with Bahorel in the corner. As soon as they saw his face they simply could not stand it. "Is anyone going to take me seriously!" Enjolras shouted and everyone's eyes were on him again. It seemed that people were starting to realize it was him since he had screamed so loud. "Enjolras," Jehan smiled, "It has been a month since we have seen you and you return like this!" "I had no idea you would go to such lengths to disguise yourself from the police," Bossuet commented, "When you said you would have to conceal your identity we all just thought you meant wear a hat or something of the sort!" "After escaping arrest I could not take any chances. There is a very excessive officer in Paris that I must not run into again. I would greatly appreciate it if we could focus on the meeting and not on my face." Enjolras had not expected such a strong reaction from his friends. Many men had moustaches. What was so strange about him having one? To be fair it was quite scratchy and simply annoying to manage. Marius came sprinting into the Musain with Gavroche behind him, “I am so sorry I am late! I thought I saw Cosette on the way here, but it was not her.” He glanced at Enjolras, “Oh, do we have a new member?” This set off a whole chain of laughter that did not cease for at least five minutes. Enjolras scowled the entire time and Marius looked confused. “My dear Marius, I love you so! That man is our chief, Enjolras!” Courfeyrac was doubled over in his chair wheezing. Marius’s confusion turned into utter horror. “Enjolras! I offer my sincerest apologies!” He said then fled to sit next to his roommate. “Hey, I have never seen such a creature as what resides on your face!” Gavroche laughed with the group, “Oh! I must go fetch Grantaire from the Corinthe!” Then he took off out the door. The last person on the entire planet he wanted to see in that moment was Grantaire. If Combeferre could not even glance at him without poking fun, what would the ridiculous cynic have to say? He knew that the teasing would have to fade out eventually, this was how he would have to live from now on. But maybe Bossuet’s idea of a hat was worth the lack in concealment for the lessening in laughter. He took a deep breath, turned to his friends, and glared until none of them made a sound. “Good, now let us continue the meeting. I want to discuss what I have been doing while in hiding and I need to catch up on what I missed,” Enjolras took his place at the front of the table. “Joly, do you have any information about getting resources to treat injuries once our barricades are ready.” Joly was putting every ounce of his willpower into answering kindly, but he was too weak. A trickle of a laugh slipped through his mouth. “I mean no disrespect to you! But you see it twitches strangely when you speak. I cannot help but find it funny!” There was a chorus of agreement throughout the group. Enjolras sat and rested his hand on his hands. It was going to be a lifetime before he lived this down. While he sat, regretting the moustache, Grantaire arrived. Enjolras’s face was shielded behind his hands. “Oh, Great Apollo! Your hair has gone short! What master from the heavens has descended to command such awful testaments!” Grantaire chuckled, but not so much as the others. He didn’t know yet. He had not suffered the same view as the others just yet. Grantaire sensed that Enjolras was upset, and assumed it was because of him, “Enjolras, I do not jest to hurt you. I am sure your marble façade will not be tarnished without the sun rays it once had.” And Enjolras looked up. “By the grace of the LORD and the torment of each circle of hell!” Grantaire threw back his head and convulsed with laughter. “My Apollo has grown a caterpillar above his rosy lips! Whatever witch had kissed them to curse them so must look out for I will avenge you!” “I have not kissed any witches.” Enjolras said indignantly. “And we’re in the middle of the meeting, please keep control of yourself, Grantaire.” “As you wish,” Grantaire said, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a few last chuckles. He sat with Joly and Bossuet at the farthest end of the table. Enjolras was no longer paying attention as he finally was able to begin the meeting, so he did not hear the whispers between the three in the corner. “What a man he is to be brave enough to come out in public like that,” Grantaire said to his friends. “Who are you kidding? We know your dark secrets, R. You love his new look, do you not?” Bossuet teased. “Aw, look your cheeks have gone rosy!” Joly smiled and then looked surprised. “Oh my! You actually do like the moustache!” “I will neither confirm nor deny that statement.”
Notes:
Thanks for reading and comment your reaction! :)
PS. In the BBC adaptation Enj is channelling Freddie Mercury (and at once I was kind of shocked by not seeing the blond in red we all know and luv <3 but still, always having luved Queen, this was a plus):
Nothing really matters... anyone can see...
So of course Queen bunnies would come by the dozen ('Ferre as May, Courf' as Taylor, and Marius as Deacon hehe)... just like they did for the Marauders.
Even though Courf in the 2018 BBC series is a darker shade (and Taylor is blond)
And R was kinda channelling Lefou with all that extra weight (does this look like a savateur or joueur de paume to you?) -- so in the Queen AU he would be like a groupie with the hots for Freddie/Enj...
PS. More Les Mis charas from the BBC version (I'll add Combeferre and some others when I get the pics):
Adult Cosette
Toddler/Tween Cosette
Adult Marius
Toddler/Tween Marius (you can tell the shift in guardianship by the change of attire)
Adult Éponine
Toddler Éponine (at the mothers' first meeting -- also with li'l sis Azelma, Mme. Thénardier, Fantine, and a sleepy Cosette)
Gavroche (as u can see the Thénardier siblings here are mixed-race; their dad is Saharan in this adaptation --feel free to comment on the colonial implications thereof ;) --)
