Oh man. I really should be in bed, seeing as I'm sick. But...I must keep this story going! I must!

A Tale of Devoted Vigilance
Second

Clopin looked down at Paris from the highest point of Notre Dame. He was crouched on a gargoyle, frowning, not completely there. He was concentrating on three things: the wind, not falling off, and the sunset. The wind wasn't too bad—just a mild breeze—but it still pushed him a little, considering how still he was being and how high up he was.

He narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin. "Mm," he muttered to himself. The sun was already covering up its last rays. For some odd reason, he couldn't quite get little Semmary off his mind. He had noticed a light bruise on her right arm but hadn't said anything. He didn't want to pry, nor did he want to scare her.

Clopin removed his mask and sighed. He already had two kids to look after…he hardly needed to play guardian to anyone else. But he found himself worrying about Semmary.

Sitting down and letting his legs swing idly off the sides of the gargoyle, Clopin rested his chin in one hand and raised an eyebrow at the gathering fog in Paris. "Esmeralda isn't really a kid anymore," Clopin muttered into his hand. "Quasi's only ten…"

The wind picked up, much to the young Gypsy King's dismay. He lost his balance and soon found himself hanging upside-down on the gargoyle, much like a sloth on a tree branch.

"Yes," Clopin hissed excitedly as he let his hands go and hung by his knees. "You know I love a challenge!" he said to the cathedral as his hat fell off his head and down to Paris. "Let's play 'Try to Retrieve Clopin's Hat'."

Looking up—down—he scrutinized the side of the building for other gargoyles. He saw one, but it was too far down.

Clopin grinned. "This is going to be too easy."

oOooOo

Semmary walked quickly towards the back entrance of Notre Dame, wanting to get as far away from her caravan as possible. The things she heard her parents scream to each other were starting to get unbearable.

Her parents had been at each other's throats for as long as she could remember. For all she knew, she wasn't even planned….

She trudged out the front door of the cathedral and was startled when she felt something fairly light hit her head. She took it off her head and found it was a tattered blue hat with a royal violet feather attached. She looked up…and saw something—someone—falling to the ground. She was about to call for help but was stopped short when she witnessed something incredible.

The person grabbed a rope hanging from the bell towers and quickly pushed his feet off the stone wall, causing him to swing outwards and towards the left bell tower. He let go of the rope and landed neatly on the bridge connecting the towers, then he did a cartwheel, two forward hand springs, and dove towards a gargoyle jutting from the left side of Notre Dame. He pivoted across the gargoyles, falling and swinging with a jesting sort of grace, until he got close enough to the ground to let himself fall.

Semmary stared with wide eyes as Clopin landed skillfully in front of her, standing up and taking his hat back. He put it on, tilted it over his right eye, grinned, and winked at Semmary before heading away.

"Wait," Semmary said impulsively.

Clopin turned on his heel and placed a hand on his hip. "Yes?"

"That was amazing…."

"Thank you," Clopin said, slowly turning back around. He took a step.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

Time stopped.

Clopin turned his head ever-so-slightly. "Pardonnez-moi," he laughed after an uncomfortable silence. "It sounded like you asked to stay with me tonight."

Semmary nodded. "I did."

When the King of the Gypsies turned around once again, he seemed as if he wanted to make a point completely clear. "Do you always greet people like this?"

"Only when I don't have anywhere to go," the girl said quietly, wrapping her wool shawl around her shoulders tighter. "My…parents are having a row over nothing. Again." She bit her lip. "Please? I promise I won't be too much of a bother."

Clopin raised a sly eyebrow and stroked his chin thoughtfully, weighing the options. Have her go home to misery and possible self-destruction, or have her go with him and be at peace for one night?

"Alright," he concluded. "But if I don't like you, I'm kicking you out, agreed?"

Semmary nodded silently.