Hello! Welcome to my story! This fanfic is going to start out focusing only on Quasimodo and the mysterious girl he meets one night, but later on, it will involve Esmeralda, Phoebus, and of course, Djali, too. Originally, I was going to exclude them, but this way, it gives me more action with standing up to Frollo. Thank you for reading!
Change
He had never really experienced it, having lived in the bell tower his entire life. He told himself that he didn't believe it would ever come to him. He knew that change couldn't help the way he was born. Still...he hoped for it. Even if he denied it, he still hoped. He wished he weren't so ugly. He wished he weren't so hideous. He even wished that the world change enough that the people inside of it wouldn't even care if he was deformed. He always dreamed of taking the initiative to make change happen...but he had never once thought that change would come to him. And yet, there it was, sleeping in front of him.
Quasimodo cautiously approached the place where he usually slept, a small candle occupying his left hand. He held it up in front of him, casting a dim glow around the wooden floor and the stone walls. Surprise, curiosity, and anxiety mingled comically on his grotesque face as he peered at the person sleeping in his bed. He did not know her name. He did not know who she was. He had never seen her before. So why is she in the bell tower?
He set the candle down on the floor and sat awkwardly beside her. He watched her sleep curiously, both wanting and fearing that she would wake up and see him there. Never before had a human being besides Frollo been up in his room while he was living there.
In fact, he had just been with Frollo a few moments before, helping him with a few tasks he needed done. Indeed, the relationship between Frollo and Quasimodo was more that of a taskmaster and a servant than father and son. Unfortunately, never having seen what it was really like to have a family, Quasimodo didn't realize this, and continued to submit to Frollo's cruel and oftentimes degrading commands and criticisms.
When he had returned to his room only a few moments before, Quasimodo had, of course, discovered the girl sleeping there. Now, as he sat there, peering at her shyly, he wasn't entirely sure what he should do. He didn't even know why she was there. Should I run and get Frollo? Should I just let her sleep?...Should I wake her up?
Quasimodo rejected this last idea almost immediately. It seemed like a shame to wake her up. She looked very peaceful lying there. Also, he worried about how she would react if she woke up to a face like his. Surely that wouldn't be a pleasant experience for either of them. She's quite beautiful. This thought reverberated in his head as if it were condemning any thoughts of speaking with her. It was just another reason why she wouldn't accept him.
Her short, coppery hair lay fanned out behind her on his pillow. It was slightly wavy, but that could have just been because it was wet. It had been raining outside all day. A few freckles dusted her face, though they were barely noticeable in the soft glow of the single candle on the floor next to her. She was slightly pale and her skin contrasted sharply against the dark wood of the floor boards. Her lips were rounded and a soft shade of pink. They weren't exactly frowning, but Quasimodo noted that they weren't exactly smiling either. Though she was laying under his dark blue covers, he could see that she was wearing a light, pale green dress. It looked lovely with her brown hair. He noted that she was quite small and slender, and he caught himself wondering what age she was. He thought she looked as if she were young still.
"Hey, Quasi, whatcha looking at?"
Quasimodo jumped, losing his train of thought abruptly. He had been so wrapped up in his mind that he hadn't noticed the short, goat-like gargoyle that had popped up beside him. Before Quasimodo could respond--or come up with a reasonable answer, for that matter--the gargoyle noticed the girl sleeping beside him.
"A girl!"he exclaimed, flapping his wings so excitedly that he rose into the air,"Why haven't I seen her before? What's her name? Huh, Quasi? Huh?"
"Hugo,"he began calmly and softly, pulling the squat gargoyle back to the ground with a soft thunk,"Quiet. You'll wake her up."
Unfortunately, the other two gargoyles heard the commotion and had already made their way over to them.
"Can't you be quiet for ten seconds, Hugo?"the female gargoyle demanded in a slightly annoyed and aged voice,"Some of us are trying to sleep."
"What's going on over here, Quasimodo?"the tall, male one asked,"Is something wrong?"
Quasimodo stood up quickly and put his hands up in front of him, trying to stay them in their tracks. He was feeling a little embarassed.
"It's nothing, Victor. Really. I was just--"
"Quasi's got a friend with him!" Hugo cried enthusiastically. Quasimodo, momentarily caught off guard, forgot to shush the energetic little gargoyle for making so much noise.
"Friend?" he repeated, looking startled,"I...but I don't--"
Unfortunately, he was cut off when Victor and Laverne, the female gargoyle, raced over to see the mysterious, sleeping girl. All three sculptures crowded around her, eager to get a glance.
"A girl!"Laverne marvelled, examining her closely,"What's her name?"
"Why, where did she come from, Quasimodo?" Victor inquired, scratching his chin in a contemplative manner.
"The girls are chasing you already, huh, Quasi?"
"Why is she here, Quasi?"
"My, but she does look rather small!"
"Pretty cute, too, eh, Quasi?" Hugo asked, raising his eyebrows at the flustered hunchback.
"Shut up, Hugo!" Laverne snapped, whacking him upside the head with the satisfying smack that comes from dropping stone on stone.
The gargoyles continued to bicker around the girl, squabbling and making comments on this and that. Quasimodo looked on nervously, trying to answer all of their questions while also making sure they didn't wake her up.
"Guys, keep it down,"he whispered urgently,"You're going to wake her up."
Though they didn't purposely ignore Quasimodo, the gargoyles didn't pay much attention to him. They were much to wrapped up with the promising specimen lying in front of them. However, they were all hushed when the girl began to stir. Hurriedly, the gargoyles rushed off, hiding themselves behind a wooden beam. Quasimodo panicked slightly, quickly retreating behind one of the beams as well. All four of them peered at the girl cautiously.
The girl's breathing broke off suddenly, making the four spectators hold their breath expectantly. Quasimodo thought for sure that she was going to wake up. The girl shifted slightly, turning her face in a different direction. Then, she settled back down and returned to her slumber. The poor hunchback breathed a sigh of relief and carefully came out of his hiding place. The gargoyles followed, settling down quite a bit after all of the excitement.
"So, who is she, Quasimodo?" Victor asked quietly, taking care not to make any noise that might be loud enough to wake the girl again.
Quasimodo looked back at the girl for a moment, asking himself the exact same question. Who is she?
"I don't know,"he said at last, carefully picking up the candle he had left on the floor,"She was here when I came in." Gently, he set the candle on the table, occupying himself so he wouldn't have to address the situation at hand. He didn't know how to interact with people.
"Maybe she got lost,"Laverne offered, racking her brains for a possible explanation.
"Maybe she was simply wandering around and happened to drift off here?"Victor wondered aloud, looking at the girl as if the answer were written on her forehead. Quasimodo found himself wishing that it was. He quietly went about his business, trying not to get himself involved in the conversation. He listened attentively, though.
Suddenly, Hugo gasped as if he had just come up with a brilliant idea. He flew into the air, his finger pointed at the ceiling.
"I know! I know!"he shouted, making Quasimodo glance nervously in the girl's direction,"Maybe...She's on the run from the law!"
Quasimodo and Victor stared at him for awhile before Laverne flew up and brought her fist down on top of his head.
"Hugo, stop being an idiot!"
"Owww...Hey! It's a possibility!"
"Maybe she's a runaway?" Victor offered carefully, hoping to break up the fight.
"Maybe she's homeless,"Laverne murmured thoughtfully.
"Or maybe she's the long lost daughter of a rich king in a faraway land who doesn't want to claim her throne so she--OW!"
That time, both Laverne and Victor bonked him on top of the head.
"Be quiet, Hugo!" they chorused simultaneously. They began to squabble amongst themselves. A small smile crossed Quasimodo's face before he stood up, heading towards the door. All three gargoyles ceased their fighting and glanced up.
"Hey! Where are you going, Quasi?"Hugo asked from where Laverne had him held in a headlock.
"I'm going to get some more blankets. I'll just sleep somewhere else." The hunchback stopped in the doorway and looked back at the girl one last time.
"Try not to wake her up,"he said quietly. Then, he left the room to the sleeping girl, the three gargoyles, and the bells, but even as he left, he could feel the strange feeling that hung in the air around that girl...
Change.
Disclaimer and Note!
Hugo: Okay, okay, okay! I admit it...that girl does not own us.
Laverne: Not in any way whatsoever.
Hugo: And yet...she can bend our free will and make us do what she wants. Maybe she'll make Laverne get carried off by birds.
Laverne: You're a doofus, Hugo!
Hugo: Hey, hey, hey! Hold up, now. Which gargoyle was the first to see the anonymous girl? Me! You're just jealous because I got the cool lines. Quasi! Quasi! There's a girl in the castle!
Laverne:...Wrong movie, moron.
Victor: Anyways, FredGeorgeWazlib would just like to say thank you for reading. Bye!
