In 1906, Felix Tholomyes built a house at the crest of Madison Avenue on the hill overlooking New Rochelle.
This was prime real estate, and it had cost a small fortune just to get the land (never mind the building materials), but this was no hardship. Tholomyes was a wealthy man– a very wealthy man. His considerable fortune had been amassed through the manufacture and sale of fireworks, and bunting, and other accoutrements of patriotism. Through hard work, insight, and a healthy dose of exploitation, he had built up enough wealth to keep his family in comfort for generations to come. If he sometimes came off as a bit abrasive, well, that really wasn't his fault, was it? After all, the rich could afford to be eccentric.
Tholomyes had more than money and a beautiful home. He also had a family. A failed union several years prior had left him with a young daughter, and no mother to see to her upbringing, which was far too complicated for his liking. And being single had its social disadvantages, so he had found a beautiful young heiress at least 30 years his junior, bought off her family with a lavish dowry (and the promise of letting her impossible old grandfather come live with them), and married her.
Her family had been more than happy to get her off their hands, and at first he had no idea why, because she was easily the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen, and was charming and intelligent besides, but he soon realized the reason. Angelica, or Enjolras, as she preferred to be called, was completely impossible. This sweet, lovely angel was capable of being terrible, and what's more, she made it known at the first opportunity that she was really a man. Tholomyes didn't like this at all, but Enjolras was rich and beautiful and well-connected, and he wasn't likely to find anyone more capable of keeping him in the good graces of his peers, so he contented himself with taking advantage of his beauty, and (in equal part) taking out all his anger and aggression on him behind closed doors.
Marius was Enjolras's younger brother. Although he was only a year younger, he lacked so much maturity that most people assumed the gap to be much bigger.
He was an awkward young man who spent all his time in the library or at Vaudeville shows, trying to get the popular showgirl Cosette to notice him. Of course, Cosette had no idea who he was, which only served to add to Marius's discontent with life. He was always in search of something to believe in, and Enjolras, who offered him countless choices only to be rebuffed again and again, wondered when exactly he would find it.
Down the street in Harlem, people danced and sang to the music of Combeferre, a talented young pianist who charmed everyone he met with his silver tongue and gift of music. He was a star in every way possible- including in love.
One young man thought Combeferre played just for him. His name was Feuilly.
Feuilly was a poor working man, but he never let that stop him from following his dream with single-minded focus. This dream was simple: he wanted to deliver the world. It was a lofty goal, but Feuilly was dauntless; he studied everything he could get his hands on, knowing that knowledge was the only way to reach out. Everything he had learned, he had learned by himself. He had no one to help him except Combeferre, who also loved to study and read, and the two of them would often sit up late at night and page through the second-hand books they'd been able to find.
His life was more than just books and working, though. Feuilly had a secret. Long ago, in another life, he had been known as Fleur, and everyone around him had called him a woman. Fortunately, he had been able to leave that behind and present himself as he truly was, and now no one knew of his special circumstances but Combeferre. However, Combeferre knew quite well. He had to. After all, he and Feuilly were expecting a child.
In Latvia, Eponine and Grantaire dreamed of a better life for them and their child. Living day-to-day was hard, and there wasn't much to support them besides hope– and neither of them had much of that.
Eponine had been a singer in another life, but hard times and sickness had forced her to leave that behind and work two factory jobs in order to support herself and her family. Each day of drudgery drove her deeper into misery, and she could see no real way out, despite what Gavroche would say.
Grantaire was Gavroche's father and Eponine's best friend. His wife had died several years ago, leaving him destitute and alone, with no future and no hope.
He worked in the factory with Eponine, and for convenience, since neither of them had much interest in meeting anyone new, the two of them had decided to pose as a married couple in order to consolidate finances and make life a little easier. They had no romantic feelings towards each other, which made everything simple, and they were happy to be able to rely on each other as a port in the storm.
Still, there was only so much they could take, even as the small, makeshift family they'd become. It was true they had each other, and they did love each other deeply, but there was no one else in their lives, either because of an uncaring world, or outright dislike on the part of those around them. Life was cold and dark and lonely, and though they were unafraid, they were miserable, and they dreamed of finding a better life where they could all be happy, comfortable, and loved.