Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunchback of Notre Dame or anything to do with it. I hope Disney doesn't sue. I do own Persephone Martian and her family and William Par. I also own the members of Clopin's family. The title comes from the deleted song from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
NOTE: This chapter takes place before, during and after the Feast of Fools.
The lead characters of this story are Clopin Trouillefou and Persephone Martin. I have seen quite a few Clopin fan fictions, but none of them ever seem to get finished. This one will.
This is a story based on the Disney version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, not Victor Hugo's novel. It also may have some items or phrases that are not from the time period. After all, it's based on Disney!
I know not much is said during the song, but I think if you saw the movie you should know what is going on. A lot of things go on.
Reviews: I would just like to take a minute to thank the forty-six people who read the story! Thanks for reading! I'd also like to send out a huge thank you to the two that reviewed.
Elijah: Thank you! I really hope you like Persephone. She can be a little hard to take sometimes. I'm glad you think the story is all of that! I do try.
Noir the Cat: Clopin should be everyone's favourite character! He's so great! Frollo did die in the movie, but this story takes place before the movie started, through the movie and then beyond.
"Come one, come all. Hurry, hurry here's your chance," Clopin recited under his breath as he walked between playing children and panicking adults. "See the mystery and romance."
Clopin had reached the purple covered wagon and opened the door. "Persephone?" He walked into the dark room to find the brunette sleeping. He closed the door softly and walked closer to her.
Persephone was sleeping curled up on her side, one arm tucked behind her head and the other stretched out in front of her. The dark purple comforter was placed under her bare arm. Her soft breathing was the only sound as Clopin tried to be as silent as possible.
Clopin reached his arm down and he shook her shoulder lightly. "Persephone," he said softly as he watched the young woman stir and blink open her eyes.
Persephone rubbed her eyes as they cracked open. "Clopin?" She asked sleepily before jumping back, clutching the comforter to her chest. "What are you doing here?" She asked him frantically as she wrapped it around herself.
Clopin straightened and walked to the other side of the small wagon. "I came to wake you up." He told her as he grabbed her abandoned green dress. "Are you fully naked under there?" He asked her with a smirk.
"No!" She exclaimed as she reached over and grabbed her dress from him. She looked at it and then looked back at him. "I have knickers on and don't look so disappointed! Turn around." She demanded with narrowed eyes.
Clopin gave an overstated sigh and turned to face the wall. Persephone attempted to change while showing as little skin as she possibly could. It was times like this she wished she were a man. To only have a shirt and pants to change into!
"You can turn around now," she told him as she reached around to do up the buttons. She walked over to stand in front of him; he gave her an overly large smile, showing his exaggerated canine teeth, and opened the door.
Once the got outside she turned back to face him. "Hey, where's your mask?" She asked him as she took in his appearance. His clothes weren't nearly as vibrant as they were the day before. They were now a dark blue colour with scattered splashes of purple. The only thing that remained from his previous outfit was the hat with a yellow feather, although the yellow did not seem as vibrant.
"Those were my performing clothes." Clopin said with a shrug as a man rushed past the two with a trumpet. "Calm down, Pierre!" He called after the man. "You're creating smoke."
"Calm down? Calm down, he says." Pierre muttered as he stalked off, no longer running. "It's the Feast and he says calm down."
Persephone looked back at Clopin. "What is the Feast?" She asked him with a tilt of her head.
"It's the Feast of Fools." Clopin said. "Topsy Turvy Day."
"Oh!" Persephone said loudly causing several to look in her direction. "I remember my father told me about that. It's how he convinced William to take me to Paris. William was just going on business." Persephone paused for a moment and straightened her posture. "I wish to go to the festival." She said domineeringly.
"Not a chance," Clopin responded as he began walking away.
"Excuse me?" She asked him incredulously as she rushed to catch up to him. "Who in the hell do you think you are?"
"I thought we already went over introductions, chérie." He responded without missing a beat.
"You can't tell me what to do, Mister Trouillefou. I am a grown woman and you are not my father!" She exclaimed as she stopped in front of him.
Clopin stopped suddenly to prevent from crashing into the girl. "Thank God I'm not your father, because I don't think I could raise a spoiled brat such as yourself!" He informed her before letting his eyes trail down her. "And I can see very clearly that you are a grown woman." He leered.
"Why you-!" She exclaimed as she raised a hand to strike him.
Clopin caught her hand with ease and pulled her a step closer to him. He grabbed her other hand and examined it. "Do you not think that your fiancée would be looking for you at the Festival?" He questioned her as he looked at the large, sparkling diamond on her left ring finger. "It would be unwise to go if you wish to keep from getting caught."
Persephone pushed him away from her. "I thought about that." She told him as she looked down her nose at him. He found it surprising someone as short as she was could make such a look work. "I can wear a disguise."
"A disguise?" Clopin said with a hint of doubt. "What would you dress up as?" He asked her.
Persephone glanced around the cavern. There was nothing she could really dress up as. These people didn't have much fashion sense. She wouldn't be caught dead in-
"A gypsy!" She exclaimed suddenly, causing Clopin to jump back. "No one would ever, ever expect me to dress up like you!" She smiled at him and nodded. "It's brilliant!"
Clopin inspected her. "I don't know how I should take that." He said as he crossed his arms.
"Take me to your wife!" She ordered him as she mirrored his stance.
"I'm not married, Persephone." Clopin informed her.
"Girlfriend then," she said carelessly, with a wave of her hand. "I need to borrow some clothes."
"I haven't a girlfriend either, but I think I may know someone who can lend you clothes." He told her as he pulled on her arm and steered them through rushing people. They came to a stop outside of a nearby wagon. It was a nice shade of aqua green with light blue as and accent colour. Clopin knocked loudly on the door. "Esme!" He called.
A beautiful woman with shockingly large amount of dark hair stuck her head out the door. "Good morning, Clopin!" She said merrily as she opened her door wider. "And is this our new guest, I suppose?" She continued as her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Esme, this is Persephone Martin." He turned back to Persephone. "This is Esmeralda. I've known her for a very long time." He informed her as he pulled her forward. "Persephone is in need of clothes." He explained to Esmeralda.
Esmeralda hesitated for a moment before motioning them to come in. Her wagon was coloured in aqua blues and light reds. "Why do you need to borrow clothes?" She asked Persephone as she sat on her bed.
"I need a disguise to go out in," Persephone said off-handedly. She looked at the woman who was perched on the edge of the bed. She was taller than her by a few inches, but they appeared to have similar body types. The clothes might be a little on the large side, for she was not as voluptuous as Esmeralda, but it was nothing a belt couldn't fix. Persephone gazed at the gypsy girl and felt a little plain in her presence.
Esmeralda had exquisite dark skin where Persephone's skin was extraordinarily pale and Esmeralda's nose was smaller than Persephone's, which was more average. Her eyes were a bright and vibrant green, making it a little unnerving to be under her glare.
Esmeralda looked expectantly at Clopin. "You have to leave." Esmeralda told him as she stood up and threw open her closet doors.
Clopin sighed dramatically and left the wagon, closing the door behind him. He stood for a moment, awkwardly rocking on his heels. He hoped the two women would get along.
In the back of his mind he knew it was doubtful they would ever become fast friends. The two had nothing in common. Esmeralda spent her life working for food and shelter whereas Persephone had everything handed to her on a silver patter.
"Clopin!" Clopin spun around to see an older woman walking towards him. She was tall and regal looking with gray streaked black hair. "Are the rumors true?"
"That the only reason I have yet to be arrested is that I'm Frollo's dirty little boy toy?" Clopin asked with as innocent a look as he could muster.
"Clopin Trouillefou!" The woman exclaimed as she smacked the side of his head. "You speak in front of your own mother with such a vulgar suggestion? Where is your respect, boy? Did I raise you to speak like this?"
"Sorry, Mama." Clopin murmured, suddenly feeling like an eight-year-old boy. "But yes, Persephone is staying with us for the time being."
"Persephone?"
"Pretentious parents," Clopin said as he took a step closer to his mother. "Listen, Mama, I need you and Rosa to watch over Persephone at the Festival today. She doesn't know Paris very well." He informed his mother.
"Of course, mon petit roi." She said with a smile as she reached up and pinched his cheek.
"Aww," a voice came from behind him. "That's so sweet."
Clopin turned on his heel and looked at Persephone. She was now wearing a blue dip-dyed skirt that was a dark, midnight blue colour around her hips and gradually became a light, sky blue at the bottom. The skirt was a bit too long for her, but she had rolled it up a few times and wore heels that made it a bit less obvious. Her top was a flimsy white blouse that she tightened at the waist with a light purple silk scarf. The outfit was very flattering on her; at least more so than her old green dress. She wore several small gold bangles on one wrist and a larger one on the opposite wrist. A pair of silver rimmed glasses were clutched lightly in one hand and her other arm was draped around her waist. Her long mousy brown hair was tied up slightly more to one side with a slim blue ribbon.
"You, um…" Clopin trailed off not knowing quite what to say. "Um, you'll be spending the day with my mother." He informed her as he waved a hand to him mother.
"Oh!" Persephone exclaimed as she stuffed the glasses in a pocket and rushed over. She held a hand out to the other woman and smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Trouillefou. Your son is quite… hospitable."
"Please call me Chantal, dear." The woman said as she placed a hand on Clopin's shoulder. "And I am certainly glad my son had the sense to help you." She smirked at her son before lowering her hand. "You will be able to find me by Rosa's wagon before we leave." Chantal said, walking back in the direction that she had come from.
Esmeralda walked out of the wagon and gave Clopin a sly smirk. "Doesn't Persephone look… excellent, Clopin?" She said in an almost evil way. How that girl loved to put him in awkward situations.
Persephone rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She raised an expectant eyebrow at Clopin.
"She looks very lovely," Clopin said in a charming tone before inclining his head towards Esmeralda. "Thank you very much Esme." He said to her before dragging Persephone away.
--
Persephone walked awkwardly along side Chantal and Clopin's sister-in-law, Rosa. There were many people littered through the small square. Persephone always kept one eye open, just in case William showed up.
Please don't let him come, she thought to herself before Rosa grabbed her arm and pushed her forward. Rosa herself was not born a gypsy, but rather married one of Clopin's luckier brothers. From what she told Persephone, she was twenty-five and from a small town in Spain. She and Clopin's brother had one child together, who was currently being held by Chantal.
"You're going to love the Feast of Fools!" Rosa promised as she let go of Persephone's arm. "Clopin loves it, anyway," Rosa informed her with a knowing look.
"Clopin loves anything that he's the centre of attention for," Chantal countered. "It's been that way since he was a small child. Always doing flips and singing songs."
Come one, come allPersephone's head shot up as the joyful sounding music drifted through the square.
Leave your looms and milking stools,
coop the hens and pen the mules
Come one, come all
People were walking into a circle created in the square. They were dressed in dull cloaks and were carrying plain sticks. This is what the people of Paris waited for every year?
Close the churches and the schools
it's the day for breaking rules
Come and join the Feast of... Fools!
Persephone jumped back as Clopin began to laugh. Gone were the dull robes, which were ripped off to show colourful outfits and flags dropped from the sticks.
Once a year we throw a party, here in town
Once a year we turn all Paris upside down
"Oncle Clopin!" The small child perched on Chantal's hip exclaimed, and he clapped happily as his uncle jumped into a puddle.
Every man's a king and every king's a clown
once again it's Topsy Turvy Day
"Isn't this great?" Rosa shouted over the noise of the crowd and Clopin's singing.
It's the day the devil in us gets released
It's the day we mock the pig and shock the priest
Everything is topsy turvy at the Feast of Fools
Persephone smiled at the older woman. "It certainly is different!" She said as she watched Clopin trail someone in a cape.
Topsy Turvy
Everything is upsy-daisy
"But in a good way!" She assured Rosa as she looked above the heads of people taller than her.
Topsy Turvy
Everyone is acting crazy
Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet
that's the way on Topsy Turvy Day
Topsy Turvy
Beat the drums and blow the trumpets
The whole thing was rather chaotic. The festivities were jumping from one place to another and the only person who seemed to be everywhere at the same time was Clopin.
Topsy Turvy
Join the bums and thieves and strumpets
streaming in from Chartres to Calais
Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy
on the 6th of January
all because it's Topsy Turvy Day
Come one, come all
Hurry, hurry here's your chance,
see the mystery and romance
Come one, come all
Clopin jumped over some person onto the stage set up at the front of the square.
See the finest girl in France
make an entrance to entrance
Dance la Esmeralda...
Dance!
With a cloud of pink smoke Clopin suddenly became Esmeralda. Persephone glanced around her to see if anyone else was as shocked as she was. People were spellbound by Esmeralda's dancing it seemed. Well, just the men, anyway. The wives seemed a little put out.
After Esmeralda spun around on a stolen pole, Clopin jumped back on stage and continued his song.
Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for
Here it is, you know exactly what's in store
Persephone looked at the people giving each other knowing smirks and rubbing their hands in anticipation.
Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore
Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!
"You all remember last years king?" Clopin asked the audience as a drunken man was carried into the crowd.
So make a face that's horrible and frightening
make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing
"What's the King of Fools?" Persephone asked Chantal.
"You'll see," Chantal said with a smile and a pat on the girl's shoulder.
For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools
Why?
Topsy Turvy
Ugly folk, forget your shyness
Clopin and Esmeralda helped pull people on stage and lined them up.
Topsy Turvy
You could soon be called "Your Highness"
Put the foulest features on display
Be the king of Topsy Turvy Day
The crowd cheered and booed as people's masks were torn off their heads. There was nothing overly impressive in terms of scary faces. Although, to be fair, Persephone had seen her mother first thing in the morning.
Now there was something scary.
The crowd gasped as the final head was pulled off, or rather as Esmeralda tried to pull the mask off. Persephone's eyes widened as she looked at the… thing on stage. His eyes were different sizes and his nose was squished against his face. His spine was curved into a hump and his head appeared to be stuck on his chest. People around her, seeing his hideousness, began to talk amongst themselves, disturbed by him Persephone looked over at Clopin who had leaped in front of the man.
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic!" He said as he waved his hands in front of him. "We asked for the ugliest face in all of Paris, and here he is! Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame!"
The crowd stopped panicking and began cheerfully to rush the stage.
Everybody!
Clopin leaped over the crowd of people and swiped a stilt out from under a man, who promptly fell over.
Once a year we throw a party, here in town
Hail to the king
Clopin began marching as the people cleared a pathway towards a different stage.
Once a year we turn all Paris upside down
Oh, what a king
Once a year the ugliest will wear a crown
Girls, give a kiss
Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day
We've never had a king like this
And its the day we do the things that we deplore
on the other three hundred and sixty-four
Once a year we love to drop in, where the beer is neverstoppin'
For the chance to pop some popinjay
And pick a king who'll put the top in Topsy Turvy Day
Topsy Turvy
Mad and crazy, upsy-daisy, Topsy Turvy Day!
The song ended with a flourish and Clopin's eyes scanned the audience. He jumped off the stage and weaved through the people until he came to a stop in front of Persephone.
"Oncle Clopin!" The young boy cried as he reached his small arms out towards his uncle. Clopin took the boy from Rosa and rested him on his hip.
"Lucas!" Clopin exclaimed, equally as excited to see his nephew. He turned back to Persephone. "So, are you having a good time?" He asked her.
Persephone smiled at him. "There's nothing like this in Portsmouth!" She informed him. Persephone looked back up towards the stage that the King of Fools was standing on as people chanted his name.
Clopin looked in the direction that she was when all of a sudden a tomato hit Quasimodo in the face. Clopin's eyes widened in shock as people began to throw various vegetables at Quasimodo. He turned around and handed Lucas to his sister-in-law.
Persephone jumped in front of him once she realized what was going on. "You can't go up there!" She exclaimed as she held her hands in front of him.
"Excusez-moi? Look at him up there!" He exclaimed as he turned her around.
Persephone attempted to bar her eyes from the poor boy that was now tied to the stage and was being spun around, constantly bombarded with the vegetables. "Just- you can't go up there!" She told him as she turned back around as the noise calmed down.
Esmeralda slowly walked onto the stage. Clopin started forward again, only to be pulled back by his mother who was not taking her eyes off of the two people on the stage.
A man dressed in a black and red robe up and pointed at Esmeralda. "You, gypsy girl, get down at once." He demanded. He was an odd looking man. He had a large hooked nose and unkind dark eyes. He held himself in a way that made him seem as if he cared too much about his status.
"Yes, your honour, just as soon as I free this poor creature!" Esmeralda said as she stood up.
"I forbid it!" Esmeralda narrowed her eyes as she pulled up the hem of her skirt. She grabbed a knife off of her calf and cut the ropes that bound Quasimodo to the stage. "How dare you defy me!" The man said with hatred.
"You mistreat this poor boy just the same way you mistreat my people. You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help!" Esmeralda said passionately.
"Silence!" The man commanded.
"Justice!" Esmeralda exclaimed as she punched a first in the air.
Persephone looked up at Clopin who had a mixture of pride and fear on his face. His arms were crossed and he was looking around.
"Arrest her!" The man yelled as ten guards circled Esmeralda.
"Stay here!" Clopin demanded Persephone as he pushed her back beside his mother before he ran through the people. Persephone watched as Esmeralda outsmarted the guards. She ran around and used slight of hand to bedazzle her audience before she disappeared. Literally.
Clopin jumped in front of the three women again and turned to his mother. "Esme got away," he told her, obviously relieved. "Can you take Persephone back to The Court of Miracles?"
"No way!" Persephone exclaimed as she crossed her arms. "I want to know what's going on!"
Clopin sighed and turned around to face Persephone. "Chéri, I don't really think-"
"I want to go to the pub," she demanded with her nose in the air. "I think such an occasion calls for a drink." She informed him as she lowered her arms.
Chantal smirked at Clopin. "It would appear that you have lost, Clopin." His mother said before planting a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later, then, Persephone!" She said before giving the younger girl a hug.
"Of course, Chantal. I look forward to the stories you promised!" Persephone said with a smile before she planted a kiss on Lucas's head and hugged Rosa.
Clopin looked at the two women and groaned. He knew his mother very well, and he knew she loved to tell only two types of stories: ones about her adventures with her late husband and ones about her children.
Persephone turned back to Clopin and flashed him a smirk before grabbing his hand and beginning to weave through the herds of people.
As soon as they reached an empty street, Persephone dropped his hand and they began to walk slowly side by side. "So, why do you get to sing the big song?" She asked him after a moment. "Draw your name out of that huge hat of yours?"
"This old thing?" He said bashfully. "But no, the hat has no part in it," he said as he shook his head. "I'm the king."
Persephone stopped walking and gaped at him. "You're the what?"
"The king," Clopin said as he scratched the back of his neck in an embarrassed way. "Really, it's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal? You're the monarch! The emperor of the Gypsies." She paused for dramatic effect and peered at him. "That is what you're the king of, correct?"
"Well, I wouldn't say it in so many words." Clopin shrugged and began to drag her to The Sneaky Nickel. "It's really not that big of a deal. It's not like I'm the king of France."
Persephone ducked her head. "I know, but I was taught how to act around a monarch. I wasn't treating you in the way that I was taught." She reasoned.
Clopin sighed as they came to a stop outside of The Sneaky Nickel. "Don't treat me any differently, Persephone. I am merely a… a sort of figure head."
"Figure head," she repeated as Clopin opened the door for her to walk through. She walked the length of the room and sat at an empty table. "You know, if I may say, you seem more like a court jester than a king." She remarked as she placed her napkin on her lap.
"You don't even know me," Clopin argued as he pushed her chair in.
"You talk to a puppet," Persephone retorted as she looked up at him.
Clopin relented and sat across from her and looked down at the table. He felt horrible about what had happened. The Feast of Fools wasn't supposed to happen like that and it most definitely was not supposed to get Esmeralda in trouble.
Persephone shifted awkwardly in her seat. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say in such a situation. She never really had very many friends and the one's she did (mainly drinking friends) hid their emotions. The only person who ever really showed her their emotions was her younger sister and that was only anger.
"So what are you going to have?" Persephone asked Clopin as she picked the menu up off of the table. She squinted at the blurry words before sighing. She reached into the pocket of the skirt and pulled out her silver rimmed glasses.
Clopin looked up at her and cracked a smile. "You wear glasses?" He asked her.
"Only for reading!" she insisted as she ducked her head and looked down at the menu. "Besides, you wear tights." She paused for a moment before adding, "Not many people have seen me with my glasses on."
"I'm honored you chose to show me," Clopin said with amusement.
"Well, I have to read the menu, do I not?" She asked him as she looked away from the menu. "I will have a whisky, no ice and pie." She told him as she folded her menu.
"Pie for dinner?" Clopin questioned. "Who has pie for dinner?"
Persephone smiled at him. "Whenever my mother and father would go out for dinner, which they often did, my nanny would let us eat whatever we wanted. Only as long as we behaved during the day, however."
Clopin let out a soft laugh. "I'm glad it all worked out for you," Clopin said before glancing across the bar. He beckoned someone to come over to the table.
A short (shorter than Persephone!) woman walked over to the table. She wasn't horribly unattractive but she wasn't horribly pretty however. She was very petite and had her long, frizzy blonde hair and slightly small green eyes. An off-white apron covered her tattered dress. Doesn't anyone have fashion sense in this city? Persephone thought.
Clopin hopped up and hugged the small woman. "Angelique!" He exclaimed. "How are you?" He asked, holding her at arms length.
"I am fine, Clopin!" She replied as she looked down at Persephone. "Hello," she said pleasantly. "I'm Angelique Blaise."
"Persephone Martin," Persephone said with a slight nod of her head and a flip of her hair.
Clopin sat back down on his chair and smiled up at Angelique. "We will have two whiskeys, no ice, and two slices of pie." Clopin ordered pleasantly.
"Pie for dinner, Clopin?" Angelique asked as she looked questionably at Persephone.
"Mother and Father are out for dinner tonight, and we've done our hardest to be good for nanny." Clopin said as he smirked at Persephone, who gave him a sarcastic look. Angelique raised an eyebrow before walking back towards the kitchen
Persephone paused for a minute as she inspected Clopin. "I have a question." She started slowly, as if testing the waters. "Why do you crown the ugly people?"
Clopin was silent for a moment as he considered the question. He barely looked up when his pumpkin pie and glass of whisky were placed in front of him. "I guess it's because of tradition." Clopin said with a shrug as he took a sip of whiskey. "It's sort of a self-esteem thing." He added.
"Self-esteem for them or rather self-esteem for the rest of Paris? Did you know that that boy was who he was?" She asked him.
Clopin looked at her across the table as she took a bite of pie. "I didn't know for sure, but I had an idea." Clopin admitted softly. "I thought it would help him."
"Calling him the ugliest man in Paris was suppose to help? That is some twisted logic, Clopin." Persephone said with a shake of her head.
"I thought it could have eased Quasimodo into society." Clopin reasoned.
"You thought of this for the whole minute he was on stage? I think you need to stop this whole psychoanalysis stuff you're trying and stick to performing. Something your good at." Persephone said as she took a bite of her pie and chased it down with a sip of her whisky.
"Maybe you should take your own advice and stop trying to tell me how to run something that I have done for the past eleven years!" Clopin frowned at her. This girl was obviously not afraid to say what she thought. It was a little offensive, even though he had been calling her a brat since they met.
The silence stretched until his pie was half gone and he had drained his whiskey. "Why did you stop me from helping Quasimodo if you care so much?" He asked her, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
"You would have gotten yourself arrested." Persephone said with a shrug as she looked warily at him. "Don't think so much of it."
Clopin stared at her for a moment. "You… why do you care?" He asked her as he put his fork down.
"I owed you one," she said as she leaned back in her chair. "You were very kind to me and I didn't want you to get hauled off. Your mother and Rosa would have been most upset, not to mention Lucas, who idolizes you by the way. Besides, Clopin, if you looked around you would see that the people who were throwing things at… Quasimodo were soldiers."
Clopin examined her for a moment before giving her a light hearted half smile. "Well, then I believe you can ask me a question, as per our agreement." She looked at him questionably. "That you could ask me a question when you helped me." He explained.
Persephone's eyes lit up and she rested her head on her hand. There was a lengthy pause as Persephone considered her options. "Are you in love with Esmeralda?" She asked him as she tilted her head to one side.
Clopin laughed loudly for a few minutes. "Do I love her? Yes, I do and have for a very long time but am I in love with her? No. She is like a little sister to me. I could never think of her in such a way."
Persephone nodded. It was logical, she supposed, not that she ever had a friend she loved enough to consider to be sibling material. And she could barely stand her own siblings most of the time.
"What about Angelique?"
"She's the sister of the man who allows my people to come and go as they please." Clopin paused for a moment. "She's a nice person and everything, don't get me wrong, but she's a little too… pleasant."
"And men don't like pleasant women?" Persephone wondered aloud.
"Well, some do but I like women with a bit of moxy and spunk." Clopin told her with a smile.
Persephone smiled back at him. "You're nothing like what my mother told me gentlemen are like, then. Congratulations for proving her wrong."
"Thank you," Clopin said with a bashful expression. "I thought I told you that I was single?" He asked her.
"Oh, you did but you can still love someone and not be with them. Unrequited and all of that." Persephone informed him and they lapsed into a comfortable silence while they ate their pie.
Persephone watched as Clopin pushed the pie around with his fork. She knew perfectly well what was wrong with him, but she was never really good with emotions or helping people. There was always room for firsts, though. With a sigh she reached across the table. "She's going to be fine you know, Esmeralda." She comforted him as she grasped the hand that did not hold the fork.
Clopin looked up at her and managed a weak smile. "I know," he said as he turned his hand around and squeezed her hand. "But that doesn't mean I can't worry about her." The two looked at each other for a minute. "Thank you."
Persephone felt uncomfortable and she peeled her hand out of Clopin's. "Well, I couldn't let you waste perfectly good pie." She said, and Clopin laughed.
Noir The Cat: This actually takes place during the movie. Chapter one is the day before the movie starts and chapter two is obviously the feast of fools. Thanks for reviewing!
ElijahisMINE: Thank you! I hope you do like Persephone! She's quite the interesting person.