Les Amis at the Sochi Paralympics
"So here we are boys and girls at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games" Éponine said as she stood with Combeferre's arm around her shoulders, she still held her digital camera in her right hand that she had been using during the Ceremony to take pictures; as all 13 of them stood by the Paralympic torch that was lit and burning brightly in the middle of Olympic Park, it was 10:42pm and the Opening Ceremony had only been finished for 30 minutes.
Fisht Olympic Stadium was still slowly emptying out of the audience, the workers and volunteers, the delegates, the athletes and the like, some still taking pictures of the amazing stadium and some talking and not noticing as time flew by.
Things seemed magical and people wanted to drink everything in.
The Opening Ceremony had started at 20:14 (8:14pm) and when Courfeyrac noticed the time this morning during breakfast he had laughed for a good 5 minutes before Feuilly threw a spoon at his head to shut him up.
The group of 13 had been here just a few weeks before when 9 of them tried their luck competing and trying to podium for their chance to win Gold, Silver or Bronze; now it was Feuilly, Cosette, Musichetta and Grantaire's turn to try and win a medal.
Éponine knew pictures and video had been taken of the Ceremony tonight, hell the world was watching Sochi once again, so there were going to be a lot of pictures and videos to look through later on the internet if she wanted to.
She knew some of the athletes had their own video having taken it on their cell phones as they walked out during the athletes' parade; she was one of many who had her phone out taking video when she took that walk.
She can still hear the cheers and feel it in her bones from when she was one of 116 to make that special walk around the stage to the seats put aside for France beside Finland.
There is something about the athletes' parade that she can't really explain; it's a feeling you get as you walk out with your country wearing your team outfit into the stadium amid cheers, waving flags and television cameras and the eyes of the world.
Tonight the crowds, which there are more of than the Olympic Opening Ceremony had in the stadium because she knows that volunteers had to quickly fill up the empty seats, as the athletes' parade got under way was loud and almost deafening as each country walked out from under the stage; under all the lights that were made to change to show each country's flag things seemed to get even louder.
France had come walking, or in some cases wheeling out behind Finland with their flag bearer waving Le Drapeau Tricolore (France's Tricolore, her national Flag) proudly as the rest of the Para-Team followed behind.
Feuilly who was wheeling out and grinning like crazy with his scarf around his neck, she was sure his white teeth were causing a lens flare on some of the cameras like some type of JJ Abrams Star Trek type shit.
Cosette walked into the stadium smiling proudly and waving a flag with one hand and holding her phone up taking video of everything with her other, Éponine knew Cosette and the others had Selfies on her phone because Éponine sure as hell did on her phone of other athletes, herself and all their friends.
Smiling and waving France's flag gripped in her left hand was Musichetta who was lightly gripping the left arm of Soléne her sighted guide while cheering out loud; both women were excited, happy and proud to be here.
Beside them Grantaire, who was gripping the left arm of Vincent his sighted guide, was doing the same as his sister; smiling, cheering and waving a flag and they could all see he was beaming as they followed the rest of the Para-Team along the stadium route to their seats.
The whole thing was just under 2 hours; but it was a loud and amazing experience, something that would stay in everyone's minds for years to come for sure.
"It's only 10:45 what are we going to do?" Éponine asked the group as she looked around at them all, Grantaire standing in front of Enjolras and talking quietly to him and she could see worry and love etched on his face but it was slowly melting away the more Enjolras spoke to him; he had told Vincent to go spend the rest of the night with Soléne, while Musichetta and he were safe with everyone here, their friends and lovers.
Musichetta was squished between Bossuet and Joly and she was holding both of their hands laughing as they talked, Marius had his arms around Cosette's waist and his chin on her shoulder as they looked at the flame talking softly.
Feuilly and Bahorel were making faces while taking selfies on each other's phones, Jehan was showing Courfeyrac something in the Official Spectator Paralympic Guide book he had bought as he smiled; and she could feel Combeferre's breath at her ear as he whispered to her to take the pictures of them all while they were just being.
He moved his arm from around her shoulders and put it around her waist to pull her closer to him and he knew she was smiling as she nodded and started snapping photographs of their friends in the moment while none of them noticed, to busy doing what they were doing to notice.
Some of them couldn't really let it be known they were with their lover[s] since they were in Russia, so no PDA in public but at least Grantaire could get away with saying Enjolras was his sighted guide while in public some of the time when he wasn't actually with Vincent.
"We could just be a bit of a tourist a bit longer I guess before we have to get one of the trains back up to the Mountain Cluster" Cosette said as she let her head fall back to Marius's shoulder only for a second before she snapped it back up, she was buzzing with energy and excitement but ready to drop at the same time.
"Let's go and see the sculpture and get some cool pictures and check out the boardwalk" she said laughing as she pulled her eyes away from the torch that was swaying a bit in the light wind as it burned, everyone agreed to do just that for a bit.
Everyone had a few dozen memory cards for all the pictures and video they wanted to take on their cameras; they were prepared for this just like a few weeks back when they did it the first time filling up numerous memory cards over the days.
They all headed away from Fisht Stadium through the crowds and started to make their way towards the sculpture of the official symbol of the 11th Paralympic Games, the Red, Blue and Green agitos where just a few weeks ago the 5 interlocking Olympics rings stood as a sculpture in the same spot.
They all had pictures in front, on top or sitting in the rings; almost everybody who visited Sochi for the games had a picture like that; from the athletes to the spectators and everyone in between.
"For there not being much wind the flame is swaying a lot" Marius said as they passed a group of Canadian's talking loudly about their high hopes for one of their athletes and their hopes for the Curling and Hockey.
"Oh that's right, question is the flame red, blue and green or were the Fin's just telling us that? I mean I know that fire is orange but can be made into colours. I forgot to ask Soléne before she left, but I know I heard the Swedes and Americans wondering the same thing as we were seated after walking in but I never heard if any of them got the answer" Musichetta asked as Grantaire nodded, he too wanted the correct answer and he knew they'd get it right now as they walked in the cool night air.
While they had been waiting in the halls getting ready to go into the tunnel to start to come out in to the stadium, one of the athletes from Finland as he was passing all of the blind and visual impaired athletes from all the countries who were grouped together to be given instruction from the Opening Ceremony workers; had told them that when the flame was lit it was going to be Red, Blue and Green in colour.
Some of the visually impaired athletes from Finland after that started telling everyone all these stories that they had been told about the old Paralympic symbols as well; some stood quietly listening like everyone else.
"No it's not it's just orange and normal. Those Finnish athletes were just pulling your leg or telling you what they thought it would be; I'm surprised the leader didn't dispel that rumor as soon as you were told" Jehan said as the siblings nodded and both whispered fucking Fin's, everything they said was probably fake under their breath.
"Hey don't knock 'em, not all of them are like that. They were just having some fun, they were nervous too" Bossuet said laughing as he broke out in a slew of Finnish.
Musichetta growled and pulled herself from under his arm he had slung over her shoulders as they walked and took hold of Joly's arm with her hand wrapping it around his bicep.
Bossuet was still walking on her other side laughing and she could hear Joly laughing as well making her growl again and she hit Joly in the chest with her other hand.
"Did you just say the Finnish are sexual and storytelling Gods?" Enjolras asked as he burst out laughing as Bossuet nodded with a grin "yep…and when did you learn Finnish oh mighty leader?" he asks as Enjolras smiles.
"I had a lot of time to read and study I mean when I always had detention or was suspended for a length of time and Combeferre and Courfeyrac had school, what else was I to do? All my studies were caught up and I was bored lying around the house so I hung out with Mr. LeBlanc the old man that lived in the building across the way; you guys remember him he's the one that had the orange tabby that hated tuna."
"Anyway he taught me Finnish in exchange for bringing him groceries and just having someone to talk to, his wife had died 2 years prior. It was a good trade I say, he died my last year of high school and by then I was an expert if I do say so myself."
Everyone laughs as Combeferre and Courfeyrac nod as they remember the man; he had become a friend of theirs as well before he died.
"Talk Finnish to me again and it'll be the last thing you say, jerk" Musichetta said to Bossuet as Bahorel and Feuilly laughed.
"You're just mad you don't understand when he talks like that but you secretly find it hot" Bahorel said waving his hand towards Bossuet who was still laughing and nodded in agreement as he moved closer to her.
"It's true you love me and yes I am hot thank you very much" Bossuet said kissing her cheek as he stayed in step with both Joly and Musichetta; Bossuet could see she tried to put on a mad face but smiled instead.
"Stop speaking Finnish. I'm mad at Finland and you're not making it easy to stay mad" she said as she stepped up onto the curb after Joly warned her, she knew Feuilly was 'popping a wheelie' to get himself up the small curb beside her.
"So a few pictures walk around a bit then we'll head back to the mountain?" Enjolras asked as all 13 of them moved to stand in front of the sculpture as Courfeyrac got a passing couple to stop and take their picture for them, they took a few quick ones before getting the camera back saying thank you as the couple walked off smiling.
"Here Feuilly, Cosette, Grantaire and Musichetta stay there" Jehan said waving to the others as he stepped away for the others to do the same leaving just the 4 of them and used his own camera that he had pulled from his backpack to start taking pictures.
Jehan was having a great time telling everyone to do this, go stand there, jump I want a jumping shot, he had pictures of just Grantaire and Musichetta, pictures of just Cosette and Feuilly, just the 3 girls then Éponine took one of all the guys, there were dozens of pictures taken.
They all had fun and Musichetta made sure she got a picture as she put Joly and Bossuet in headlocks as she grinned wildly; she tightened her grip around Joly's neck laughing when he squeezed her ass.
After they walked along the boardwalk for a while, just talking and enjoying the night, the site, sounds and the feeling of where they were, they all started to head back to catch the train in Olympic Park that would take them to Krasnaya Polyana where they would have to switch from the train to a bus to take them the rest of the way to Rosa Khutor.
It would take them about 45 minutes sometimes just under an hour and sometimes just 30 minutes, depending on the time of day and the traffic of people to get from Olympic Park to Rosa Khutor where their hotels were, and it was just a cable car ride away from Rosa Khutor to the Alpine Center where they'd ski there events.
"I don't think my roommate will be back yet so I've got time to chill; he told me he was going to stay in Olympic Park until they kicked him out or his coach found him and dragged him back to the room" Feuilly said laughing as they got on the bus, it was going on 1am but the transports were open 24/7 so people could get back and forth.
"My roommate is back, she isn't feeling well so she should be sleeping or trying to the poor thing has a migraine" Cosette said as she took a seat before the bus started to move, everyone was already seated as well.
"As far as I know Soléne is still out with Vincent, she said they were going to be back around 3 after a get together with a few of their friends that they know from their time skiing and events from when they weren't guides; I heard her say Vincent was going to show off his medal from the Olympics in 2002" Grantaire nodded with a grin from where he sat beside Enjolras, Musichetta was across from them sandwiched between Joly and Bossuet still.
"Yea I think he's trying to show off, hope they have fun and if he's drunk I am so hoping he has a hangover because I will be a pain in the ass tomorrow" Grantaire said as he pushed the button on his watch to get the time, a voice floated through the bus saying '1:05am'.
"You are already a pain in the ass" Enjolras said laughing as Grantaire punched his shoulder "don't piss him off to much or he'll let you hit the fence" Cosette said laughing as she yawned.
"Nah he needs me if he wants another medal" Grantaire said laughing as the bus stopped and Enjolras squeezed his arm "got to go now" he said as everyone got up from their seats to get off as this was their stop; Grantaire, Feuilly, Musichetta and Cosette had a few more minutes before it was theirs.
"See you tomorrow, breakfast at the dining hall?" Grantaire asked as Courfeyrac let out a laugh "of course that place is great" Feuilly snorted as he waved as he watched them all get off the bus and it pulled away.
There hadn't been many people on this bus so the 4 of them were left alone to make the journey a few more kilometers up the road to the hotel that was the base for France House on the Mountain Cluster, it was a 6 floor hotel and it was covered in everything from France's Tricolore, posters saying Vive la France! Which were plastered all over the building and they had French music playing lowly over the speaker system in the lobby and the big conference rooms were set up as clinics and lounges for the athletes to just hang out and relax.
They had a lot to do in their hotel alone and then there were other areas outside just a small walk (or bus ride) away like shops, cafés and restaurants and everything to keep them busy and entertained when they had down time; there was tons to do and even if they wanted to just hang out and relax they could do that too; athletes and spectators alike could mingle outside and have fun; no spectators or press were allowed in the National Houses.
"Come on this is us, end of the line" Feuilly said pulling one of the earphones from his ear while dancing to a song he had playing on his iPod while unhooking the locks on his chair and setting about wheeling out of the bus down it's ramp onto the sidewalk, Cosette had Musichetta hanging onto her right arm and Grantaire hanging onto her left arm as she guided them from the bus.
"So were you both not thinking about what would happen after we had left them all?" Cosette asked as she laughed, both siblings made the same I'm confused but go on noise making both her and Feuilly laugh harder as the bus pulled away leaving them on the sidewalk.
"You both didn't bring your cane, hence my arms being heated up by you both" she said as they started to trudge through the dusting of snow on the sidewalk on the way to their hotel.
"Oh yeah. I guess I forgot when I told Vincent to go hang out with Soléne that I didn't have my cane and that after we had left Enjolras and everyone it would just be us and how useful it would have been to bring my cane" Grantaire said as Musichetta said in a whisper oh yea, both siblings dropped their shoulders as they realized that they hadn't thought that far ahead.
Feuilly who was wheeling beside them shared a look with Cosette, her eyes wide as she mouthed I didn't mean to make them upset he nodded back to her, he understood and he knew they knew it too, it wasn't like they had to walk on egg shells around them but everyone knew how tired everyone was and sometimes when they were tired things got to them easier or they forgot a lot more.
"Well I know for a fact you two weren't the only ones to forget in the excitement to bring it with you, I saw a bunch of Russian's, Canadian's, German's and other French athletes hanging off other sighted teammates, I even saw a few Fin's hanging off their teammates, to get back to the hotel because they hadn't brought their canes" Feuilly said quickly as he sped up the wheelchair ramp and started to spin on the spot as he waited for them to follow him to the front door of the hotel.
"I won't forget again" Musichetta said smiling as Grantaire nodded as Cosette led them up the ramp; she was tired and didn't feel like taking the few steps she just wanted to take her leg off, have a hot shower and crawl into her warm bed.
"I'll drop you off at your rooms too" Cosette laughed as she followed Feuilly who had pushed the button to open the hotel door and felt a blast of warm air hit her as they walked in, their boots leaving snow in their wake as they trekked across the lobby.
There were people all around sitting while they talked on phones or to their fellow teammates or coaches or even hotel staff, they were all hanging out on the many couches and chairs scattered all about the beautiful lobby.
"Our chariot" Feuilly says as the elevator opens, three people get out before they get on and Feuilly pushes the buttons for his floor, the 1st floor and then for the 3rd floor for Cosette to drop Musichetta off before she would get back on the elevator to go to the 5th floor to drop Grantaire off at his room; Cosette's room was on the 2nd floor.
"Night Feuilly see you in the morning" they all wave at him as he rolls out waving back to them saying bye before taking off down the hall to the room he currently shared.
"Alright you first then you Grantaire" Cosette said yawning again and sighed as she rolled her head from shoulder to shoulder her neck cracking with her movements.
"I really am sorry about this I know how tired you are, I can't believe how stupid I was not to bring it" Grantaire said his voice echoing in the elevator before a computerized voice all of a sudden announced '3-й этаж…3E étage…3rd floor' in Russian, French and English letting them know what floor they were stopped at.
"Nah I get it, nerves, excitement and all that but Feuilly said you guys weren't the only ones, but don't worry I've have made sure you both got to where you were going alright even if you guys had your canes, we can't have you both wandering in the hotel, what would that make France look in the media."
"Just think of the headlines 'two blind athletes lost in hotel trying to find their rooms'; it'd be funny as hell but I don't think President Hollande would think very much about it…BUT I'd like a good laugh go on get lost please" she said as she tried to take their minds off how they forgot their canes and she smiled as they both laughed as she led them off and turned left to find Musichetta's room.
After finding the room which wasn't very far from the elevator she heard Musichetta in her pocket before she pulled out her hotel room key card "got it, hope the door doesn't stick like it did yesterday" she said as she found the slot where it was supposed to go to unlock the door and put it in.
She smiled "yes got it, hope all the people who follow Sochi Problems on twitter enjoy reading about stuff like this because it is actually really annoying" she said as the others nodded as she turned the door knob and opened the door.
Sticking her foot in it to keep it open as she turned to Cosette who could see into the dark room "you might want to turn the light on for Soléne she might be drunk and walk into a wall" she said reminding Musichetta like it was an afterthought so she didn't embarrass her about having to be reminded like she knew she did earlier when she brought up both of them not bringing their canes.
"Right follow the routine, shoes off, coat on the hanger and turn lights on" she said to herself, Cosette could hear Grantaire whispering it to himself as well; she knew both of them had routines they used to help them remember things they did in everyday life, like turning on the lights for the benefit of their guides, family and friends and remembering to bring their canes when they went out to remembering where they put their shoes and everything in between.
They both had problems with remembering and learning and she knew they used a lot of repetition to help them even today and that they always would, but they were totally functional adults even with their lack of sight; who cared if they needed to be reminded some times to bring their cane or where they left their shoes or if they had to repeat the course they were about to ski verbally a few dozen times before they skied it.
Their coaches and guides would go over and over the layout of the course with them and they would repeat it back over and over, they knew it was helping them and that everyone was doing the best they could; and during the race the commands they were given helped them just like they helped all the other visual impaired skiers, they had no advantage or disadvantage over their fellow skiers.
"Tonight was great" she said hugging Cosette, Grantaire smiled as he let go of her arm so she could hug the girl back "tomorrow is full of training and getting to know our course, I hope I'm not nervous and that I don't mess up" she said as she pulled away from Cosette.
Grantaire smiled and check the time on his watch '1:21am' and laughed when he felt Musichetta ruffling his hair "stop doing that" he muttered pushing her hand out of his hair as she laughed.
"Alright good night guys go get some sleep, make sure you turn your phone back on or unmute it Grantaire" Musichetta said as Grantaire saluted her "what are you my mother? Why should I listen to you and for your information I already did" he asked raising his brow, Cosette smiled and laughed as she listened to the two of them.
"No you'll listen because I'm your older sister" she said as he snorted "by 2 minutes, that doesn't make you older it means you were the one bitching the most so they pulled you out first" Grantaire said; their mother had had an emergency C-section because she went into early labor at 24 weeks and the doctors couldn't stop it so the safest thing for the mother and the babies was to have the C-section.
Both of them at the time they were born were not developed fully, their eyes hadn't fully developed and their brains hadn't finished completely, which led to their memory problems and slight learning disability when it came to their school work; they had completed their schooling but never went to University; but they were completely normal in every other way.
Their parents might have coddled them when they were very young but once they hit 5 they were taught how to get things done and those lessons never stopped, like how to be independent and doing normal everyday things and they weren't babied but instead taught the way that things needed to be shown to them; the lessons stuck making them who they were today.
"It still means I'm older thank you very much, now get out of here and go to bed. Night all" she said as they bid each other good night before she walked in into the room and unlaced her wet boots leaving them on the plastic mat that was beside the door and then took off her coat and hung it up after stuffing her gloves and her hat into the left sleeve before she flipped on the light switch.
"Home James err Jessica" Grantaire said laughing as he held his arm out in front of him to point the way as he took Cosette's arm again "aye aye captain" Cosette said laughing as she led them both back down the hall to the elevator to go up to the floor Grantaire was staying on.
He reached for the elevators wall once they got in and found the button panel, running his index and middle fingers along till he found what he was looking for in Braille under the buttons; she knew the number 5 was what he had read before pushing the button.
"So I know it sucks not being able to actually share a room while here but Marius probably makes it up to you" he said laughing as she reached over her chest and hit his arm "mm sometimes I wonder how misses sharing a bed more, me or him" she said laughing.
"The games are only on until the 17th and we all fly home on the 18th so there is only 10 more days" she said as Grantaire pulled his hotel room key card from his pocket, the elevator stopped and its doors opened to let them out.
"It's on the right" Grantaire said as they headed down the hall and stopped when they came to his room, number 7; he unlocked the door and after they both bid each other good night she headed back down the hall to take the elevator one last time that night to get to her own room.
"Alright Cosette shower time" she said to herself as she watched the time on the digital clock the elevator had built into the wall, it clicked over to 1:28am as she was stepping off to make her way to her own room.
Being as quiet as she could she opened the door, unlacing her boots and kicking them to the wall she took her coat off and slung it over the chair that was by her bed before grabbing her night clothes, a clean towel and the crutches she sometimes used to help her when she took her leg off; she needed it more when she was tired, before heading into the bathroom for her long awaited shower.