The Other Girl (Cosette)

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

It was strange to be out in the open again, strange to think that for some people life just went on. Of course, the tension was nothing if not palpable, visible even in the groups of people standing around the market, talking in low voices and sticking their heads together to discuss the newest outcomes and rumours. General Lamarque’s death had left the city in a dull shock state, even if only the fewest had known the man personally. More than an actual man, he had been a symbol, an epitome of the ‘old school’, those who still had witnessed parts of the French Revolution, Napoleon’s rise to power and the aftermath. General Lamarque had served his time, then when the old Emperor was defeated he dropped out of service but returned as a different man. A politician, a man who lent those a voice who would otherwise not dare to be heard. ‘The People’s Man’, they called him. And now ‘the people’ mourned for him, mourned for what he might have been able to achieve had he lived longer. Tomorrow would be his funeral day, and the whole of Paris, it seemed, would want to pay their respect to the corpse that would be prostrated through the city. It was a risky move… especially so shortly after what had happened at the peacefully intended May Parade.

As Mylène was walking, she heard whispered comments more than once that people were debating whether or not they could dare to show up at the funeral procession, for fear of another riot breaking out. Would it be safe on the street? She could not blame them, after she had been in the midst of the May Parade Frenzy herself, barely escaping halfway unscathed. And she knew or at least guessed at what most of them did not: There might well be a commotion again, there might well be a spark ignited that could blow up the powderkeg Paris had become. Because the lads would be there, more ready than ever to show the world what they thought of the current state of this land. And the National Guard would be on their toes anyway. One chanted ‘Vive La France’ could be enough to make one of them pull the trigger, and then – no one knew what the consequences would be.

They would be meeting again tonight, to discuss and prepare what could be done tomorrow. And they would not be the only ones. Tonight was the night when Ponine and her would stage their coup, they would give the lads the powder and bullets they needed if push came to shove, or get arrested/killed trying. She would have rather liked to spend the day with the last preparations, but the Madame had sent her out to buy some vegetables. It was a completely normal thing to do, and yet she had seen the wariness in her eyes as well. Everyone in Paris basically waited for something to happen with bated breath, even though only few could grasp the full amount of what COULD happen.
Passing by a few stands, Mylène’s eyes suddenly fell on a familiar figure, and she furrowed her brows, her pace faltering. Wasn’t that this girl, … Marius’ gonzesse? Mylène hadn’t exactly had much time to watch, but she HAD seen those two staring at each other like a calf would gaze at the moon… with Ponine in the background!

There was no question where Mylène saw herself standing in this complicated ménage-à-trois (which had become a ménage-à-quatre ever since she had learned what Combeferre thought of Ponine), but she also wasn’t the type to be rude. So she gave the girl a polite, if a little challenging nod, wondering if she even would be recognized.

[followedmyheart]

Cosette wanted life to go on normally. She was jittery, upon learning of Lamarque's death from Marius and the mood that France was in as a result. Would a fight break out as she walked down the cobblestone street? A revolution? She watched the young students around her, looking for signs. Since she knew none of what those signs were supposed to be however, she saw none of them.
Cosette had called upon the Lamarque's home early like many others, offering flowers and a quick prayer for the family. Her pretty face and silk gown had gained her access to the parlor and she had held the hand of a little girl somehow related to Lamarque. All dressed in black, the small child had been crying silently. Cosette sang her lullabies and smoothed her hair until she felt it was her time to go.
For the child's sake, she felt she should attend the funeral parade. For France's sake she felt she should attend the funeral parade! Marius had been quick to advise against it however, it seemed the something was brewing beneath the surface. Courfeyrac had also disclosed in a letter that it would be a less than friendly place to be.
Cosette chewed her lip as she ambled through the streets. A light drizzle was falling, dampening her hats and misting amongst her blonde curls. Why was it that her amis and Marius refused to give her all the details? They wanted to keep her safe, but instead left her confused and irritated. It was a familiar sensation, one she was none too familiar with her Papa. To keep her safe she was kept at a distance and thus kept lonely.
Cosette came to wander the Marketplace, looking for something to distract her worrying mind. Papa's fever had left him malnourished and he could do with some fruits and vegetables, something more than the bread and broth he had been keeping down the last few days. She selected a quart of strawberries and was carefully placing the paid for fruit in her basket when she caught the eyes of someone gazing at her.
The young woman was a stunningly pretty girl, with the slender features that would attract painters and suitors alike. She had brown eyes and a heart shaped face; full, coral colored lips and bright, alert eyes. She reminded Cosette of one of the illustrations in her fairy-tale books from younger years, the kind of face one might see on a fairy or fair maiden. The girl seemed oddly familiar, the way that Eponine had when Cosette had bumped into her at the May Pole dance.
It was the thought of Eponine that enlightened her and her mouth opened in a little 'o' of surprise. Why this was Eponine's friend! Of coarse, she had sometimes seen her childhood sister of sorts disappear into the shadows with this other gamin when Marius visited her.
Cosette wished to ask her about the boys, what they were planning. She didn't want to randomly walk up to her without knowing her name however, seeing as the girl had nodded at her out of recognition. Courf spoke of her as well, oh what was her name?! Cosette closed her eyes, recalling the letters they had exchanged. Finally, it came to her: Mylene.
The young blonde ambled through the crowd, stopping when she reached Mylene. She gave a small curtsy out of respect. "Mylene, my condolences on Monsieur Lemarque," she said quietly, "he was an inspiration."
A small glance around her told her that whispers between street vendors and peasants alike were brewing about the death and what it meant. She decided to go with what was an unassuming question, but it held a more serious inquiry. "How fairs Marius?"
How were all the boys? Were the planning something? Would Mylene be there? Would Eponine? Should Cosette? Her blonde eyebrows pulled together in worry, hoping no one would be hurt.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

Mylène saw first a vague confusion, then slow recognition sparking up in the girl’s eyes, and she wondered if she should stay around for a little idle chitchat. Chitchat was not exactly Mylène’s kind of thing, since she never had had the leisure for it like the likes of Darling Cosette. However, as much as she looked down on the happy high society girls with their lacy dresses, bonnets and gloves, she guessed it was just the way of the world that students would fall for such girls rather than the likes of Ponine. It was not fair, yes, but life never had been fair to the poor for as long as Mylène could remember. Essentially, this was not her problem, even though what she DID dislike was the effect itself Cosette had on Marius. Even when he was physically present in the meetings, his mind seemed completely elsewhere, and Courf had dropped a few hints that it only had gotten worse over the last few days. And that now, when they all needed their wits about them! It was good that Courfeyrac was not the type to be like that, he had warned her about his dedication for the cause, and she even would be angry with him if he ever let things slide. Not that he would, of course, he had no reason to. There was nothing… like THAT about them, she shouldn’t start to compare things just because she was facing Cosette now. There was really nothing they had in common, right?!

Cosette was suddenly starting to walk towards Mylène and that set the decision for her. Turning away now would be rude, and she had no desire to be rude today. Let her come, let her talk, it certainly would be an interesting study if nothing else. The young woman liked to have her own opinion of things and not just repeat what others said, and since she had only ever seen this girl from afar and had had to listen to Marius’ dronings about ‘his angel’, she’d like to get her own image of this girl that had so completely captured the heart of a man who had never looked twice at a girl before without blushing bright crimson. Maybe it was that though… as lunatic as it was, this love also seemed completely innocent, infatuation instead of passion, childlike yearning instead of sexual tension. Ethearal almost, not from the world Mylène came from, and therefore interesting, yet hard to grasp, and a little silly in her eyes.

Her brows rose in surprise as Cosette condoled her on Lamarque’s death. It was not like she had been related to him in any way, but the thought was still a nice one. He had been the People’s man, and as one of the People… she might as well have lost a relative. Inclining her head in return to the curtsy, she replied: “That he was. The whole of France has suffered a great loss. He was one of the few who dared to put the finger on a sore spot, while others just overlooked them.” It was dangerous talk to do out in the open, but for the moment Mylène didn’t care. Everyone was discussing this now!
She should have guessed Cosette’s next words though, roi d’enfer, this girl was predictable. Was the whole world solely revolving around her precious Marius?! Didn’t she see him often enough? And why would she think Mylène of all people would know something about him? A few quite sassy remarks tumbled around in her mouth, begging to be let out, but she bit them back, knowing that Cosette didn’t know her. Someone who knew Mylène’s stinging wit could take a great deal more without being offended than this beautiful little gonzesse here.

So, instead she cocked her head and commented: “With all due respect, mademoiselle, but should it not rather be me asking you this very same question? I daresay you see more of him these days than do his friends. He hasn’t been at the café for a while, and if he was, there need only be a glance on his face to know that he was not truly with us.”

[followedmyheart]

Cosette's cheeks colored a startling red against her pale skin at Mylene's response. Since she only ever saw Marius at night, she was assuming that he spent most of his days with his ABC comrades; that they had been matched equally. From this young lady's answer however, it was not so and it seemed that she was the one to blame.
Cosette looked down at her basket, allowing her corn silk hair to hide her face some in embarrassment. Why should she feel this shame? For being loved? Besides, it was Marius' life to with what he pleased. While she may have sway, he ultimately followed his own mind. Cosette did not like the thought of a whole group - let alone Marius' friends - so jadedly against her. She lifted her face; she was not to be made a scapegoat!
"He is..." Cosette started to explain why Marius might be so distracted at meetings, but love cannot be explained in mere words. She faltered, "I am sorry if he is distracted. I have no power over what the heart tells the mind to think of, not in my own body and certainly not in his. If I did, I would have him focus on his studies and his friends rather than me."
She wanted so much for the world to understand what it was like for herself and Marius. But rather than the world, Cosette settled on Mylene instead. "Would you ask me to take my love away from him? As Enjolras insists?"
It was no secret that the revolution's young and handsome leader considered Cosette to be a distraction and nothing more; a child's toy that could easily be set down and forgotten.
"I cannot. That would be dividing with half of myself. If I know anything of Marius' love for me, he would surely be the same: incomplete. Would you rather have a man in love? Or a man broken beyond repair?"
Cosette did not consider herself particularly vain. She was not speaking of Marius' devotion to her lightly, as though she were a golden goddess that deserved his attention. His love was a blessing; a reflection of her own. It was a simple fact that should they be torn apart, Marius and Cosette would cease to exist. This was what she wished to impress upon Mylene. Cosette Fauchelevant was not a whim to be wished away. She was force to be reckoned with.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

At first Cosette seemed embarrassed for being told that Marius was dedicating all his time and mind to her, and for a moment Mylène wondered whether she had been approached about that before, maybe by a man with even less patience and tact, which could only be Enjolras. He had been livid at Marius before and it had been evident he could not understand his friend one bit. Well, Mylène couldn’t understand it either to be honest, but she had seen so much in her lifetime that she knew it was most likely a façade of the world in its own right, just nothing she herself had or would ever experience. Cosette was saying she had no power over this? That was easily said, in Mylène’s eyes!
“Isn’t it rather easy te blame forces beyond our command instead o’ makin’ ourselves responsible for what we do and what we choose not te do?” she asked, her eyebrows raised both in scepticism and challenge. “I for meself have me doubts that… a feeling could be so strong as that, if one doesn’t allow it te be.” But then, a girl like Cosette and a boy like Marius probably never had had to learn such self-restraint. Why even?

Mylène gave a slight eyeroll as Cosette spoke about these things, take one’s love and life away, dividing oneself in half, be broken beyond compare et cetera. “A touch dramatic don’t you think?” she commented drily. “The bottom line when you cut away all the cheese is that you two like each other, and nobody begrudges you that. Just… Marius and his friends are onto something grand here, I’ve seen it, and because they’re so few they need every hand and every mind on their task, or they’ll die. Now I ask ye, Cosette!” Mylène took a step closer and lowered her voice to get her point across. “Do ye rather want a man that neglects ye now bu no doubt will return to ye once his task is done, or a dead man tha’ might have loved ye once? One does not die by temporal separation, as much as it might feel tha’ way.”

Great… now she was giving that girl love advice?! Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut, why did Mylène always have to get involved? That girl was maybe using too much of a romantic language, but she could detect an iron will inside her eyes, something that almost commanded respect from the former gamine. It reminded her a bit of Eponine even, and wasn’t Eponine pulling the same stunt on Marius? Goodness, what was it about this boy? That was the least thing Mylène could understand. Courfeyrac was the one you couldn’t take your eyes off and always had to counter with his strong charm, but… Marius?!

[followedmyheart]

Forces beyond her control...it really did feel that way! This sudden love, in a single glance, how could anyone tell Marius and Cosette that they had chose this life? One of only nighttime meetings with Marius and secrets from her father. As if she would have selected this!
Marius and Cosette could not choose to love each other, they could only choose on how they acted upon that love. Marius still attended his meetings did he not? Cosette stayed with her father out of love and respect instead of eloping. Everyone was so quick to point out all the things they weren't doing, instead of recognizing what they were doing. The things that they sacrificed for not only each other, but the lives they were a part of before they had set eyes on the other.
Cosette ground her teeth together, an unladylike habit that she did when she was cross. Her Papa always said that was how he could tell that she angry, because her jaw set and she wouldn't look at him. She didn't avoid Mylene's eyes however, she stared back at them. Fire could only be matched by fire.
"When you find a love that you will die for," she said quietly, "maybe you'll understand."
Dropping her shoulders slightly, Cosette finally tore her gaze away. Her jaw slackened as she gripped and un-gripped the handle of her basket. "What do you wish of me Mylene? Tell him I do not love him? That I never have? That is the only way he will leave me. When I told him we were departing for England in two days time he proposed."
Cosette hadn't told a soul of her engagement to Marius. Not even her father. She looked back up at Mylene, hoping for some sort of an answer, for she had none of her own. How could she and Marius be together, without tearing other bonds? It all seemed so hopeless.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

That girl had spunk, she had to give her that. You really didn’t see it at first glance, where she came across as a complacent angel, but there was a spark in her eyes that indicated fierceness. She had something now, something she wanted, and she would not let go of it without a fight, however sugar-coated her motives were by what she called love. This made Mylène wonder, since she knew this kind of attitude all too well. Could it be that Cosette’s life hadn’t been all rosy coloured once? Of course, it could be selfishness alone to cling to a man like that, but it smacked of something Mylène had experienced herself: Someone who had once not been allowed by fate or by whatever circumstances to keep what she wanted, would want to keep something for ONCE in life, and she would fight for it tooth and nails. To be able to call something her own, without fate interfering and taking it away again.

As such, for the fraction of a moment, Mylène understood Cosette and could not blame her for her attitude, but then things sadly weren’t that easy. “I am not the kind to find love to die for, Cosette”, she denied and shook her head firmly. “Such things only come to those who have the luxury to afford it. Us who know how life works have to sacrifice our own wishes for that which is greater. Our little lives don’t count when so much else is at stake. The fate of a nation, the fate of a thousand and more souls living right amongst us. How could I be so selfish as to demand petty happiness for myself and draw away a man from a cause he has devoted his heart to?” Mylène stopped, fearing she might have said too much, revealed too much. This did not belong here, this was solely about Cosette.

Again, for her taste Cosette was being overdramatic again when she asked if she should push Marius away. “Girl, would ye stop bein’ se polemic, will ye? Can’t ye an’ Marius jus’ grow up? If ye tell him tha’ ye do love him bu’ tha’ ye think tha’ his cause here is more important than yer personal happiness fer now, he will listen. He adores the ground on which ye go, he’s hangin’ on yer lips as it is, so whatever ye say te him will be like the holy scripture!”
She rolled her eyes and gave a sigh as she learned about the proposal. Great… jus don’t let Courf hear that… or Enjolras that is. They would be livid.
“Yer goin’ te England?! If this is really as serious as ye two make it te be, this bond will of course survive even tha’ seperation. Do ye have so little faith in yer feelings after all? Once the wors’ is over, he’ll come te fetch ye, I’m sure. He’ll walk o’er the channel, the man seems crazy enough fer it!”