The performers behind stage rushed around, tying their corsets and shoes.
Satine subconsciously watched them, her eyes staring sadly at a corner of
the mirror. She barely felt Marie's fingers touch her face, applying makeup
to her face as a dark-haired woman curled her hair. She barely heard their
conversations of "oh, how well you will do tonight!"
Instead, Satine felt Jerome's green eyes stare and he whispered to her, "I think I'm very much falling in love," while he held his blond haired wife and matching children in his arms.
Her hand on the counter gripped the cold diamond sent from him. Zidler danced in with it, beaming brightly, so proud his star had sold herself for such a good profit. Along with it was the note: 'how I can't wait to see you again'. All Satine wanted to do with it was to crash it into the mirror.
She saw Nini smirking from the doorway and quickly put on a distressed face. "Marie, Georgette, please help! A few of the girls went out for a smoke and it started to rain and their makeup and their hair is all over! Please, the stage manager is going frantic - we're going to start soon!"
"What?!" Marie's assistant cried, Georgette, cried.
"Please, I'll finish getting Satine ready. . . please go help them!"
Georgette quickly ran in the direction Nini pointed, while Marie, her eyes flashing, slowly followed.
Nini's frightful face faded away to that of smugness as she shut the door. Satine glared at her through the mirror.
Being true to her word, Nini started to curl Satine's hair.
"It's not raining," Satine said, "is it?"
Nini shrugged. "It could be."
"What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing. Nothing. I don't want our little star not to be perfect tonight, that's all. Oh, and I just heard the strangest news. Supposedly, you lost something last night to a Lord for QUITE a lot of money. How much was it, exactly?"
Satine inhaled a deep breath as she raised her eyes, willing herself not to cry.
"Oh, don't be like that. We've all slept with Jerome at least once. . . hell, I've done it so many times I can't remember."
Satine stared at her a moment, then whispered, "What?"
"Don't think you're the only one. He must really like you, though. Sending flowers, diamonds. . . you're one of his favorites now I'm guessing."
"Stop it," she whispered, barely audible.
"The best things in life are free," Nini whispered in her ear. "But you can keep them for the birds and bees. Give me money."
"Get out."
"Isn't that what you want, though? He listened to your every word and gave you what you wanted. Because. . ." she winked at her and did one of the dance moves from Satine's number. "What's love got to do with it?" she sang.
"Get out of here!" Satine yelled now.
Nini cleared her throat and began practicing her song, slowly leaving. "Lovely lady! What yer waiting for? Doesn't take a lot of savvy just to be a whore! Come on, laddie, what's a lady for?"
When she had left, Satine's breathing came out in ragged breaths and tears bordered her eyes.
She hadn't been the only one? How many others had he sent flowers to with notes of 'I think I'm very much falling in love'? How many others had he kissed in the garden? How many other had he gone to bed with?
She clutched her hand to her chest as a deep, burning pain slashed through her heart, and she felt a cough creaping through her body, shaking her bones. Hastily she pressed a handkerchief to her lips as her body began to sink toward the floor.
When the coughing had subsided, she felt her throat raw and dry, and her lips wet. She wiped it away with the hankie and when she pulled it away, it was stained with blood. Her eyes widened as she stared at it. Gripping onto the counter, she rose to her feet and glanced into the mirror.
Across her lip and over her cheek was smeared in blood, and the glisten of a tear in her eyes grew and fell down her cheek, mixing with the blood and making it run down her face.
"There's nothing to worry about," she whispered to herself, touching with her fingers where the blood and tears met. "It's natural. . ."
As she scrubbed her face harshly with a rough towel, she thought 'and so is death. . .'
~~~~~~~~~~~
Satine stood behind the curtain, staring at the ground. She felt the tears sting and all the energy zapped from her body. To go out on that stage was too much, to sing of love in exchange for money was impossible.
She leaned against the wall, completely drained, listening to 'The Diamond Dog's' number, their words stabbing at her with a sharp knife. The pain in her chest was slowly coming back as she listened to them.
"Old men, young men, take 'em as they come. Harbor rats and alley cats and every type of scum. Poor men, rich men, leaders of the land. See them with their trousers off they're never quite as grand. All it takes is money in your hand!"
The band began to slow down as the performers shrank to the corners and the lights began to dim. The audience began to go crazy - whooping, hollering, screaming - knowing what was coming next. "Lovely ladies, going for a song," they drawled. "Got a lot of callers but they never stay. . . for. . . long. . ."
The entire ballroom was completely dark. This was her cue to slip past the curtain, but her body didn't move. Behind her, Satine heard hisses of "You're on!" "Get out there!" and was pushed out onto the hardwood polished floor.
A spotlight cracked on and she blinked away from it, more tears forming in her eyes. She looked form left to right, scanning the audience with a somber expression. Everything suddenly got quiet and she breathed deeply.
From behind the wing, Zidler made a hissing noise and made a few gestures. There was a red color in his face, becoming brighter and brighter with each second.
Satine looked back toward the audience. How many Jerome's were there out there, she wondered, married and with children, just waiting to bed her - or anyone for that matter. Jerome. . .
She sharply inhaled a deep breath and crumpled to the floor, her top hat falling from her head. Red curls cascaded over her shoulders and hid the tears streaking down her face.
Looking down at the stage she heard them murmured and whispered to each other. She picked up one: "Is this a new act?"
She started to lift her head, but then thought better of it. No, why should she let them see her cry? Why should she let them see that one of them had won over her?
She closed her eyes and whispered to herself the words Harold had told her the day he told her she'd be a star. "There's no people like show people, they smile when they are low. Angels come from everywhere with lots of jack, and when you lose it, there's no attack. Where could you get money that you don't give back? Let's go on with the show!"
She took a deep breath and brushed the tears away. She wasn't a silly girl. . . no, she was an actress. . . no, not an actress. . . she was a star. THE star of the Moulin Rouge.
She stretched her neck and looked out at the audience, sitting on her knees, and flashed them a huge smile.
"Life down here's been hard for you," she spoke to them. "But life has made you strong. Let me lift the mood with my attitude."
She stood slowly and stretched her arms out to them. She painted the fake smile on her ruby lips even more when she felt the glisten of tears on her cheek. "Hey fellas, the time is right. Get ready 'cause tonight's. . ." she winked on eye, "the. . ." she winked the other eye "night!" She blew them all a kiss.
"Boys," she purred, "what you're hopin' for will come true." She went on her knees and beckoned to them, crooking her finger. "Let me be good to you, you tough guys. You're feelin' all alone, you rough guys. The best o' you sailors and bums, all of my chums. So dream on and drink your beer. Get cosy, your baby's here." She slapped a hand on her thigh and felt inside her spirit fall further and further into the depths of the darkness encircling the bright spotlight.
The audience started up their cheers again as she traveled around them. "You won't be misunderstood, let me be good to you." She smoothed back the hair of a young rake. "Hey fella, I'll take off all my. . ." she laughed as she danced away from him and yelled out, "blues! Hey fellas, there's nothin' I won't do just for you. So dream on and drink your beer. Get cosy," She sat across from a man with a frosted mug in his hand and rested her chin on her hands, winking at him, "your baby's here."
She pushed the chair away. "Hey boys, I'm talkin' to you!" She climbed onto her swing in the corner. Stage hands from behind pulled her up and she hovered over them. She looked down at them for a while, not saying a word, just watching their gaping faces.
She crossed her legs, showing them some skin from the large slit by her thigh. "Your baby'y gonna come through," she whispered, and then her voice rose as the lights began to dim. "Let me be good to you!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Satine forced a smile at her mirror that night, wiping away her lipstick. "They loved you out there tonight," she whispered to herself. "The audience loves you. . . you're a star."
She laughed at her pathetic attempt to raise her spirits. No matter how great the stage was, it couldn't swallow up her misery.
"You told me you loved me. . . you told me you cared." It was all lies, all meaningless. What was love anyway? Just a swirl of confusing, mixed up emotions. Yes, that was all. It WAS all meaningless. Love never lasts forever.
She fingered the diamond necklace around her throat and glanced at it in the mirror. How many meals would this necklace alone give her? How many nights would she get shelter for this? Diamonds. . . yes, those were forever. Those were companions to everyone.
"Don't you know, diamonds are a girls' best friend. When you go, they stay with me until the end," she sang, louder this time. "Don't you know, diamonds are a girls' best friend. When you go, they stay with me until the end."
She started to wheeze as a cough crept up her throat. She clutched the necklace. The cold stones gave her a sense of freedom, a boundless adventure and she smiled through her pain. "Diamonds. . ." she laughed hauntingly.
"My dear, what was that tonight?" Zidler burst through the door. "First you were crying, then you were on the ground. . . and then that song! What was that song?"
"Just. . . something I made up on the spot."
"Well, the men loved it."
"I'm glad they did."
"Did Jerome tell you the next time he was coming to Paris, duckling?" he asked, beaming.
Satine looked at him in the mirror with downcast eyes. "I refuse to see Jerome again," she whispered.
"Now, listen to me." Zidler's face hardened as he grabbed the arms of her chair and looked at her square in her eyes. "You signed my contract, so you listen to me. I tell what to where, what to do, and who to do as well. You hear me."
"I refuse to see Jerome again," she said again, gritting her teeth.
"Because he's married, is that it?!" he demanded. "You found out his dirty little secret and don't like it, is that it?!" She tried to look away but he held her chin roughly. "He has money. . . and that's what makes the world go round. You WILL see him again."
Satine stared into his eyes for a long time, the icy silence creeping over the room like a winter storm. She shivered in her robe as she took a deep breath. "I'll see anyone you want. Any time of day, rain or shine, Harold."
He smiled brightly and patted her cheek. "There's my girl."
"-as long as it's not Jerome. That's my deal."
Harold thought for a moment with a thoughtful hand on the side of his face. "Anyone I decide? No matter. . . what?"
"Yes."
"Will you promise, upon your life, in turn to never fall in love."
She cocked a smile and sang, "What's love got to do with it? All I want is money, remember?"
He smiled. "There's my little chickpea." He patted the top of her head. "Lord Jerome will be notified he can't come here anymore. Would that make my little star happy?"
She didn't say a word, but turned back to the mirror to admire the diamonds across her neck.
"We need a new name for you. We can't simply call you 'Satine'. We need something new. . . something fresh. Something that screams 'star'!" He hummed to himself as he paced the room, thinking.
She ran her fingers over each and every crystal on her necklace. "How about. . . the Sparkling Diamond."
He snapped his fingers. "Excellent! Wonderful! Stupendous! Now we need a new song. . . something new. . . something fresh. . ."
"Diamonds. . . are a girl's best friend," she whispered.
"Excellent! Wonderful! I'll get someone to write it up right away!"
He smiled at her in the mirror. "Now, goodnight my Sparkling Diamond. . . have a good sleep."
She sighed as he left. What was love anyway? Never again would she feel so foolish and vulnerable. Never would love enter her life. Never.
-----------------------------------------
Disclaimer: All characters belong to me and my good friend Baz. Kinda got the original idea of an angel(mermaid) becoming human from The Little Mermaid.
A/N: SOOO sorry for such the long wait! I had most of this done but it too so long to find a song for her to sing on the stage. And then I went on vacation (to Florida and I met the Little Mermaid!!!!) and you know how it is. Um, for some reason I can't make spaces in the text, so I have ~~~ up. I hope this turned out well!
Songs used: 'Let Me be Good to You' from the Great Mouse Detective (Wow, I never knew Disney movies to be so dirty. . .), 'Diamonds' by Janet Jackson
Instead, Satine felt Jerome's green eyes stare and he whispered to her, "I think I'm very much falling in love," while he held his blond haired wife and matching children in his arms.
Her hand on the counter gripped the cold diamond sent from him. Zidler danced in with it, beaming brightly, so proud his star had sold herself for such a good profit. Along with it was the note: 'how I can't wait to see you again'. All Satine wanted to do with it was to crash it into the mirror.
She saw Nini smirking from the doorway and quickly put on a distressed face. "Marie, Georgette, please help! A few of the girls went out for a smoke and it started to rain and their makeup and their hair is all over! Please, the stage manager is going frantic - we're going to start soon!"
"What?!" Marie's assistant cried, Georgette, cried.
"Please, I'll finish getting Satine ready. . . please go help them!"
Georgette quickly ran in the direction Nini pointed, while Marie, her eyes flashing, slowly followed.
Nini's frightful face faded away to that of smugness as she shut the door. Satine glared at her through the mirror.
Being true to her word, Nini started to curl Satine's hair.
"It's not raining," Satine said, "is it?"
Nini shrugged. "It could be."
"What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing. Nothing. I don't want our little star not to be perfect tonight, that's all. Oh, and I just heard the strangest news. Supposedly, you lost something last night to a Lord for QUITE a lot of money. How much was it, exactly?"
Satine inhaled a deep breath as she raised her eyes, willing herself not to cry.
"Oh, don't be like that. We've all slept with Jerome at least once. . . hell, I've done it so many times I can't remember."
Satine stared at her a moment, then whispered, "What?"
"Don't think you're the only one. He must really like you, though. Sending flowers, diamonds. . . you're one of his favorites now I'm guessing."
"Stop it," she whispered, barely audible.
"The best things in life are free," Nini whispered in her ear. "But you can keep them for the birds and bees. Give me money."
"Get out."
"Isn't that what you want, though? He listened to your every word and gave you what you wanted. Because. . ." she winked at her and did one of the dance moves from Satine's number. "What's love got to do with it?" she sang.
"Get out of here!" Satine yelled now.
Nini cleared her throat and began practicing her song, slowly leaving. "Lovely lady! What yer waiting for? Doesn't take a lot of savvy just to be a whore! Come on, laddie, what's a lady for?"
When she had left, Satine's breathing came out in ragged breaths and tears bordered her eyes.
She hadn't been the only one? How many others had he sent flowers to with notes of 'I think I'm very much falling in love'? How many others had he kissed in the garden? How many other had he gone to bed with?
She clutched her hand to her chest as a deep, burning pain slashed through her heart, and she felt a cough creaping through her body, shaking her bones. Hastily she pressed a handkerchief to her lips as her body began to sink toward the floor.
When the coughing had subsided, she felt her throat raw and dry, and her lips wet. She wiped it away with the hankie and when she pulled it away, it was stained with blood. Her eyes widened as she stared at it. Gripping onto the counter, she rose to her feet and glanced into the mirror.
Across her lip and over her cheek was smeared in blood, and the glisten of a tear in her eyes grew and fell down her cheek, mixing with the blood and making it run down her face.
"There's nothing to worry about," she whispered to herself, touching with her fingers where the blood and tears met. "It's natural. . ."
As she scrubbed her face harshly with a rough towel, she thought 'and so is death. . .'
~~~~~~~~~~~
Satine stood behind the curtain, staring at the ground. She felt the tears sting and all the energy zapped from her body. To go out on that stage was too much, to sing of love in exchange for money was impossible.
She leaned against the wall, completely drained, listening to 'The Diamond Dog's' number, their words stabbing at her with a sharp knife. The pain in her chest was slowly coming back as she listened to them.
"Old men, young men, take 'em as they come. Harbor rats and alley cats and every type of scum. Poor men, rich men, leaders of the land. See them with their trousers off they're never quite as grand. All it takes is money in your hand!"
The band began to slow down as the performers shrank to the corners and the lights began to dim. The audience began to go crazy - whooping, hollering, screaming - knowing what was coming next. "Lovely ladies, going for a song," they drawled. "Got a lot of callers but they never stay. . . for. . . long. . ."
The entire ballroom was completely dark. This was her cue to slip past the curtain, but her body didn't move. Behind her, Satine heard hisses of "You're on!" "Get out there!" and was pushed out onto the hardwood polished floor.
A spotlight cracked on and she blinked away from it, more tears forming in her eyes. She looked form left to right, scanning the audience with a somber expression. Everything suddenly got quiet and she breathed deeply.
From behind the wing, Zidler made a hissing noise and made a few gestures. There was a red color in his face, becoming brighter and brighter with each second.
Satine looked back toward the audience. How many Jerome's were there out there, she wondered, married and with children, just waiting to bed her - or anyone for that matter. Jerome. . .
She sharply inhaled a deep breath and crumpled to the floor, her top hat falling from her head. Red curls cascaded over her shoulders and hid the tears streaking down her face.
Looking down at the stage she heard them murmured and whispered to each other. She picked up one: "Is this a new act?"
She started to lift her head, but then thought better of it. No, why should she let them see her cry? Why should she let them see that one of them had won over her?
She closed her eyes and whispered to herself the words Harold had told her the day he told her she'd be a star. "There's no people like show people, they smile when they are low. Angels come from everywhere with lots of jack, and when you lose it, there's no attack. Where could you get money that you don't give back? Let's go on with the show!"
She took a deep breath and brushed the tears away. She wasn't a silly girl. . . no, she was an actress. . . no, not an actress. . . she was a star. THE star of the Moulin Rouge.
She stretched her neck and looked out at the audience, sitting on her knees, and flashed them a huge smile.
"Life down here's been hard for you," she spoke to them. "But life has made you strong. Let me lift the mood with my attitude."
She stood slowly and stretched her arms out to them. She painted the fake smile on her ruby lips even more when she felt the glisten of tears on her cheek. "Hey fellas, the time is right. Get ready 'cause tonight's. . ." she winked on eye, "the. . ." she winked the other eye "night!" She blew them all a kiss.
"Boys," she purred, "what you're hopin' for will come true." She went on her knees and beckoned to them, crooking her finger. "Let me be good to you, you tough guys. You're feelin' all alone, you rough guys. The best o' you sailors and bums, all of my chums. So dream on and drink your beer. Get cosy, your baby's here." She slapped a hand on her thigh and felt inside her spirit fall further and further into the depths of the darkness encircling the bright spotlight.
The audience started up their cheers again as she traveled around them. "You won't be misunderstood, let me be good to you." She smoothed back the hair of a young rake. "Hey fella, I'll take off all my. . ." she laughed as she danced away from him and yelled out, "blues! Hey fellas, there's nothin' I won't do just for you. So dream on and drink your beer. Get cosy," She sat across from a man with a frosted mug in his hand and rested her chin on her hands, winking at him, "your baby's here."
She pushed the chair away. "Hey boys, I'm talkin' to you!" She climbed onto her swing in the corner. Stage hands from behind pulled her up and she hovered over them. She looked down at them for a while, not saying a word, just watching their gaping faces.
She crossed her legs, showing them some skin from the large slit by her thigh. "Your baby'y gonna come through," she whispered, and then her voice rose as the lights began to dim. "Let me be good to you!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Satine forced a smile at her mirror that night, wiping away her lipstick. "They loved you out there tonight," she whispered to herself. "The audience loves you. . . you're a star."
She laughed at her pathetic attempt to raise her spirits. No matter how great the stage was, it couldn't swallow up her misery.
"You told me you loved me. . . you told me you cared." It was all lies, all meaningless. What was love anyway? Just a swirl of confusing, mixed up emotions. Yes, that was all. It WAS all meaningless. Love never lasts forever.
She fingered the diamond necklace around her throat and glanced at it in the mirror. How many meals would this necklace alone give her? How many nights would she get shelter for this? Diamonds. . . yes, those were forever. Those were companions to everyone.
"Don't you know, diamonds are a girls' best friend. When you go, they stay with me until the end," she sang, louder this time. "Don't you know, diamonds are a girls' best friend. When you go, they stay with me until the end."
She started to wheeze as a cough crept up her throat. She clutched the necklace. The cold stones gave her a sense of freedom, a boundless adventure and she smiled through her pain. "Diamonds. . ." she laughed hauntingly.
"My dear, what was that tonight?" Zidler burst through the door. "First you were crying, then you were on the ground. . . and then that song! What was that song?"
"Just. . . something I made up on the spot."
"Well, the men loved it."
"I'm glad they did."
"Did Jerome tell you the next time he was coming to Paris, duckling?" he asked, beaming.
Satine looked at him in the mirror with downcast eyes. "I refuse to see Jerome again," she whispered.
"Now, listen to me." Zidler's face hardened as he grabbed the arms of her chair and looked at her square in her eyes. "You signed my contract, so you listen to me. I tell what to where, what to do, and who to do as well. You hear me."
"I refuse to see Jerome again," she said again, gritting her teeth.
"Because he's married, is that it?!" he demanded. "You found out his dirty little secret and don't like it, is that it?!" She tried to look away but he held her chin roughly. "He has money. . . and that's what makes the world go round. You WILL see him again."
Satine stared into his eyes for a long time, the icy silence creeping over the room like a winter storm. She shivered in her robe as she took a deep breath. "I'll see anyone you want. Any time of day, rain or shine, Harold."
He smiled brightly and patted her cheek. "There's my girl."
"-as long as it's not Jerome. That's my deal."
Harold thought for a moment with a thoughtful hand on the side of his face. "Anyone I decide? No matter. . . what?"
"Yes."
"Will you promise, upon your life, in turn to never fall in love."
She cocked a smile and sang, "What's love got to do with it? All I want is money, remember?"
He smiled. "There's my little chickpea." He patted the top of her head. "Lord Jerome will be notified he can't come here anymore. Would that make my little star happy?"
She didn't say a word, but turned back to the mirror to admire the diamonds across her neck.
"We need a new name for you. We can't simply call you 'Satine'. We need something new. . . something fresh. Something that screams 'star'!" He hummed to himself as he paced the room, thinking.
She ran her fingers over each and every crystal on her necklace. "How about. . . the Sparkling Diamond."
He snapped his fingers. "Excellent! Wonderful! Stupendous! Now we need a new song. . . something new. . . something fresh. . ."
"Diamonds. . . are a girl's best friend," she whispered.
"Excellent! Wonderful! I'll get someone to write it up right away!"
He smiled at her in the mirror. "Now, goodnight my Sparkling Diamond. . . have a good sleep."
She sighed as he left. What was love anyway? Never again would she feel so foolish and vulnerable. Never would love enter her life. Never.
-----------------------------------------
Disclaimer: All characters belong to me and my good friend Baz. Kinda got the original idea of an angel(mermaid) becoming human from The Little Mermaid.
A/N: SOOO sorry for such the long wait! I had most of this done but it too so long to find a song for her to sing on the stage. And then I went on vacation (to Florida and I met the Little Mermaid!!!!) and you know how it is. Um, for some reason I can't make spaces in the text, so I have ~~~ up. I hope this turned out well!
Songs used: 'Let Me be Good to You' from the Great Mouse Detective (Wow, I never knew Disney movies to be so dirty. . .), 'Diamonds' by Janet Jackson