Love, Beauty and Freedom
A Moulin Rouge Sequel by talking2myself
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone from Moulin Rouge or the songs I use.
Chapter. 2 Auditions
"Philippe!" Olivier chased after a young man with dark wavy hair and a frustratingly handsome smile," What are you doing?"
Philippe looked over his shoulder and grinned roguishly at his friend," I'm going to Moulin Rouge."
"That's what I thought!" Olivier snapped," You're going to get us in trouble!"
Philippe groaned," It's the hottest place in town! I'm not gonna miss out on it just because my uncle tells me not to."
"He'll wring both our necks!" Olivier cries," If we go back now we can sneak back to the tower before he notices we're gone and... Philippe!" But it was too late Philippe had vanished into the crowd.
"May I ask what you four are doing here?" Harold Zidler asked. He sat in the third row of the theatre. The motley bunch of Bohemians were sitting a row behind him trying to be invisible. "I don't recall inviting you to the auditions for the new diamond."
"Well, no you didn't," Toulouse said," We er.. um... we're scouting! Yeah, that's it! We're looking for the best girl to star in a show. Christian sent us!"
"Does that mean that he has a new play in the works?" Zidler asked.
"Maybe," Toulouse answered diplomatically.
"He'd better," Zidler snapped," Otherwise you know what will happen..."
"Only to well, sir," Toulouse said fidgeting anxiously with his collar.
"Very well then," Zidler said," If there's no other interruptions. Nini who's the first girl?"
Nini looked down at a list," The first one is called Leather."
A woman came out in a leather corset and carrying a whip. She started to sing in a breathy voice," Give me time. To realize my crime. Let me love and steal. I have danced inside your eyes. How can I be real?" She strutted forwards," Do you really want to hurt me? She cracked her whip across her legs," Do you really want to make me cry?"
"NEXT!" Zidler cried. Leather pouted, but walked offstage.
"Oh thank heavens!" The Doctor cried.
"Next, is a girl named Body," Nini said. A girl walked out with huge cleavage wearing a tiny one piece number.
"Oh good lord!" Toulouse groaned.
"Whenever, you're ready," Zidler said.
"Okay!" She smiled. Suddenly, she started shaking and swinging her hips," Doncha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don't you wish your girlfriend was fun like me... doncha?"
"NEXT!" Toulouse screamed. Zidler turned around to glare at him, but Body left the stage.
"Next is Wilting Flower," Nini said.
Wilting Flower walked out. She had a goth look jet black hair and way too much eyeliner. She opened her mouth to sing..."
"NEXT!" Both Toulouse and Zidler screamed.
"This is ridiculous!" Zidler cried," No one will pay to see this!"
"Christian, won't like any of these girls either," Satie said sadly.
Suddenly, the lights went out. A lone spotlight centered on a figure seated backwards on a chair a short distance away. "Who is this?!" Zidler demanded.
Nini quickly ran through her notes," She says her name is Seduce."
Seduce was wearing a suit and a fedora covered her face and most of her hair aside from a few dark strands. A low bass started playing in the background and she got up and sang in a low sensual voice. "Never know how much I love you. Never know how much I care. When you put your arms around me I get a fever that's so hard to bear. You give me fever." She threw off her fedora let her long dark curls fall down her back. "When you kiss me. Fever when you hold me tight. Fever. In the morning. Fever all through the night." She opened the jacket and revealed a tight corset and garters in sequined red. Zidler's mouth hung open. "Sun lights up the daytime. Moon lights up the night. I light up when you call my name and you know I'm gonna treat you right. You give me fever when you kiss me. Fever when you hold me tight. Fever in the morning. Fever all through the night." Seduce stretched her long legs forwards as she walked towards the audience. "Everybody's got the fever. That is something you should know. Fever isn't such a new thing. Fever started long ago." Seduce walked back to her chair and sat down on it slowly arching her back like a cat. "Romeo loved Juliet. Juliet she felt the same. When he put his arms around her he said Julie baby you're my flame. Now give me fever. Fever with that flame in you. Fever. I'm a fire. Fever, yeah I burn for you." She sat up raising her leg high in the air. She jumped to her feet suddenly and walked down into the audience sitting on Zidler's lap. "Now you listened to my story here's the point that I have made. Chicks were born to give you fever whether fahrenheit or centigrade." She stroked Zidlers beard before jumping off him and walking back on stage," They give you fever. Fever if you live and learn. Fever. Till you sizzle what a lovely way to burn. What a lovely way to burn." She cocked her fedora back onto her head," What a lovely way to burn." The lights went black again.
BRAVO!" Zidler cried jumping to his feet and applauding,"Magnificent." Seduce gave him a cocky smile before walking back down to them.
"No!" Toulouse cried. Satie swatted both the Argentinian and The Doctor so they would stop staring at Seduce. "This isn't what Christian needs. This is lust not love!"
"I don't care what it is!" Harold cried," Just watching that! I need a cold shower!"
"I need a stiff drink!" Toulouse cried.
"Your vote doesn't even count Toulouse!" Harold snapped," Seduce it is!"
"NO!" Toulouse groaned.
"Olivier?" Philippe said with a dashing smile as he sat in his uncle's private box," You decided to join me."
Olivier shrugged. He looked like a condemned prisoner," If your uncle's going to kill me I might as well enjoy myself before he does."
"Have a seat, Ollie," Philippe said with a smile," So far the girls have been a little scary, but the auditions might be over with that last one. She was incredible."
"Excuse me?!" a small voice cried from backstage," Can I come on stage now?"
"What?!" Zidler cried," Who's that?!"
Nini scanned down her notes. She gave a quizzical look," Elise? What sort of stage name is Elise?"
"It's not a stage name," the girl said," It's my real name. My name is Elise." The girl stepped out on stage. She had long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Her smile could light up a room, but she wasn't the sensual wonder that Seduce was.
"Girl, you do know what we're hiring for right?" Nini asked rudely.
"It said actress on the sheet," Elise said.
"It said actress slash courtesan," Nini said pointedly.
"Oh," Elise said," I'm afraid I don't know what that means."
Nini rolled her eyes and stomped upstage. She whispered something in Elise's ear. Elise brushed bright pink," Oh! Well, I'm all for love you know, just not that type."
"If you're not a courtesan then what are you doing here?" Nini asked.
"Well, you see," Elise said," I saved up my wages for a year and I managed to come see Spectacular Spectacular! It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! Everything was perfect! Love, freedom and beauty!" she let out a wistful sigh," It was wonderful!"
"She's perfect!" Toulouse cried jumping up in his seat. The Doctor and Satie yanked him back down. Zidler spun around and scowled at the bunch.
"All right," he said," If she's so perfect let's hear her sing."
"Thank you sir!" Elise cried. She turned around and started snapping her fingers in time. "I needed the shelter of someone's arms. There you were. I needed someone who could understand my ups and downs and there you were."
"She can actually sing!" Toulouse whispered excited.
"With sweet love and devotion," Elise sang," Touching my emotion. I wanna stop and thank you baby. I just wanna STOP." She froze dramatically," And thank you baby, yes I do. How sweet it is to be loved by you. Oh I feel so fine! How sweet it is to be loved by you."
"Well, she's no Seduce that's for sure," Olivier said as he lounged in the box with Philippe.
"No," Philippe said distractedly he watched Elise intently," But she is very pretty. And she has a very good voice."
"I close my eyes at night," Elise sang," Wondering where would I be without you in my life. Everything I did was such a bore. Everywhere I went it seemed I'd been there before. But you brighten up for me all of my days! With a love so sweet in so many ways. I wanna stop and thank you baby." She had leapt up onto Seduce's chair at this point. "I just wanna stop!" She lunged forwards on the chair with wonderful grace," And thank you baby oh yes I do! How sweet it is to be loved by you. It's just like sugar sometimes! How sweet it is to be loved by you!"
"Do you suppose anyone can see us up here?" Philippe asked suddenly though his eyes never left the girl.
"Can't imagine how," Olivier shrugged," Why?"
"No reason," Philippe said quickly. But he couldn't help thinking then why does it feel like she's only singing to me?
"You were better to me than I was to myself," Elise sang out," For me there's you and there ain't nobody else." She spread her arms out towards Zidler since he was the one she needed to impress, but Philippe imagined it was him she was motioning to. "How sweet it is! To be loved by you! How sweet it is..." She jumped back up onto the chair and stood there with a smile filled with sheer joy across her face," To be loved by you..."
The Bohemians bounded to their feet. Yelling cheers and encores happily. Zidler looked over at them. "Hmm," Zidler said," NEXT!"
"What?!" the four of them cried.
"What?!" A voice from up in the balcony cried out. Philippe.
"What?" Olivier cried aghast looking at his friend.
"What?" asked another confused voice. Christian's. He had just walked in carrying a pile of papers.
"WHAT?!" they all screamed at once.
"I choose Seduce," Zidler said," She's just what the Moulin Rouge needs. Granted Elise has quite a lovely voice. She doesn't have quite the other... skills necessary to perform here. So if you don't mind..."
At that moment, the doors flung open. It felt as though a dark cloud had spread over the Moulin Rouge. The Bohemians anxiously backed away from the door. Zidler started sweating profusely on the spot. Christian felt an old rage burn up in his heart again. Standing there was one man. The known enemy of Moulin Rouge. He had a name, but everyone in Moulin Rouge knew him as the Duke. He stomped down the aisles and bellowed at the top of his lungs," All right! Where is my nephew?!"
The songs mentioned are: Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? by Culture Club
Doncha by The Pussycat Dolls
Fever by Peggy Lee
How Sweet It Is by James Taylor