London Theatre!
Disclaimer: yes, again I still do not own Moulin Rouge, except on VHS and I hope to get the DVD soon though so I can watch it on my laptop.
Pre-A/N: Well, I find that Tork is actually "The Doctor." Well, I will continue calling him Tork as a name, and we'll call the Unconscious Argentinean Narky (short for Narcoleptic Argentinean lol.)
A/N: Words in italics with no quote marks ("" or '') around them are the thoughts of Satine.
Words in bold italics with single quote marks ('') around them are the thoughts of Christian.
Words in italics with single quote marks ('') around them are the thoughts of Harold Zidler.
Words in italics with double quote marks ("") around them are past quotes from the last chapter(s) or from the movie.
~~Begin Chapter~~
"I hate it!" Old Champlain yelled. "Bohemian shit doesn't deserve to be promoted!!"
"Why?!" Sadie asked.
"Bohemian ideals, it's shit! If it's promoted I'm going to fucking kill myself!" Old Champlain yelled. "I hate al Bohemians, as did my brother! I don't care about their ridiculous dogma!!"
"But sir, it would go off the charts no doubt!" Sadie said. "It'd make Champlain Publishers popular beyond belief!!"
"But, sir!" Sadie said. Old Champlain punched the table.
"I don't want to hear it! We're not going to promote this book if it was the last book to be published on this Earth!" Old Champlain yelled. Spit was spraying out of his mouth as he yelled at her. He seemed very much like The Duke in that aspect. "It was Bohemians that were the cause of my brother's death! I will NOT help in the promoting this book!!"
Old Champlain slammed the door shut to his office in Sadie's face and that was that. Sadie sighed heavily and turned around with a look that could kill on her face. She lit a cigarette and took a long, long drag on it and let it out. She walked away in a huff, murmuring, "Men, those stupid conceited bastards think they know everything! The only decent man in this world is Christian Adams…"
She walked down the hall to the stairs and out to the lobby.
~~In Christian's flat~~
Now Christian couldn't write, he had no inspiration to write. He needed something to write about. He couldn't think of anything to write about though, one story of love, his own, and he couldn't make up a story.
Christian hadn't had night last night with Sadie. He had gone to dinner with her, and ate. That was it, beside the occasional cup of Absinthe. He could tell that Sadie was trying to hit on him, but he wouldn't indulge in her. His heart only belonged to Satine, dead or alive. He ended getting up and leaving her with the tab and walking back to Montmarte, drunk like an ass.
He didn't really care if Sadie hated his guts now; he just wanted to be secluded, by himself. He didn't want to talk to anyone, he just wanted to be by himself, and think of Satine.
~~Where Sadie is at~~
Sadie sat in her bedroom, at her desk, thinking of ways to promote Christian's book. If not in Paris, then somewhere else, even it isn't in France. She thought long and hard about it, but her mind went back to last night.
Christian had left her at the restaurant, but he was drunk, and she could tell, it was a grief drunken state. She felt a swell of pity for him, and attractiveness to him. She wanted to be his, and she didn't care if he was as drunk as a drunken ass last night.
Finally, an idea came to her! Of course, if not Paris, THEN LONDON! Yes, she would have Christian make scripts of the play, then she would make more copies, and they could use a London Theatre to promote it!
She laughed and smiled in utter delight as she lit a victory cigarette and said, "I'm such a genius I scare myself! God, I'm so blessed to have beauty and brains!"
She got her purse and some Francs and headed out the door to hail a cab and take her to Montmarte.
~~In London~~
Jude and Satine were walking in the park, having a conversation about new books that had come out the last two weeks.
"What kinds of books do you like, Sara?" Jude asked. Satine, or "Sara", thought about this question a little and shrugged.
"Well, what every woman likes to read, a light humorous romantic novel, or a dramatic love novel," she said. "Practically anything about truth, beauty, freedom, and above all things, love. What about you, Jude, what do you like in a book?"
"I like the action type of books, like almost any typical man, but I also like to read about truth, beauty, freedom and love, of course," Jude said as they walked near a pond. "Oh look, a frog!"
Jude went after it trying to catch it. Satine laughed lightly, remembering when she, Christian and the Duke went out for a picnic, and the Duke went after a frog and tried to squash. In a way he seemed a little cute like that, but more idiotic.
"Don't kill it!" Satine said laughing lightly. Jude looked at her with mock shock.
"Me? Kill a frog? Of course I wouldn't do such a thing!" Jude said making like he was trying to look like he wasn't trying to kill the frog. "I just want to study it…the insides anyway!"
Satine laughed, "Study its skin, not its gut!"
Jude put on a mock pout, and said in a boyish way, "Oh fine…"
"Well, in replace for the frog, I give you this!" Satine gave him a brown package. Jude looked at it with curiosity like a kid looks at the presents under the tree right before Christmas.
"Oh, a present for me, thank you!!!" Jude took the package and tore off the brown paper to reveal a book called The Four Feathers. "Oh yes! The new book by A. E. W. Mason! Wow, how'd you get it?? This is widely expected book!!"
"I stood in line at night, for four hours to be one of the first to get it. You've been such a great friend to me, Jude for the past year and a half, like a brother, and your generosity, this is less than the least I could do for you," Satine said. Jude pulled Satine in a big hug.
"Thank you, Sara! It's great!" Jude said happily. "Gee, I have to get you a book too! I'll find something!"
"No, Jude, it's alright, you don't have to. You've already been overly generous to me," Satine said. Jude kissed her cheek.
"And in return for all I've done, you've been the best friend I've ever had!" Jude said. Satine smiled a little as the walked on and continued talking.
~~In Montmarte~~
Sadie walked up to Christian's flat door. She knocked on it a few times,
"What do you want?" came Christian's irritated reply.
"I want to tell you, I have an idea on how to promote your book!" Sadie called. She heard a bottle crash against something.
"I don't care if it's promoted or not!" Christian said.
"We can turn it into a play! And play it in London!" Sadie called.
"Fine, do what you want!" Christian yelled.
"I want you to make the script though!" Sadie called.
"Fine, I will!" Christian said. It'd at least give him something to fill up time with. He heard Sadie jump up and down in joy.
"Great," Sadie yelled. "Great, I'll go and uh, just wait!"
"Sure, whatever," Christian said as he started typing.
"Oh, when do you expect to be done?" Sadie asked.
"Three days, and you'll have it on your desk," Christian said. He had already started to type away, and again it all came back to him like a water fall.
~~Three days later~~
Christian ran into Sadie's office around noon and slammed a pile of papers on Sadie's desk. He looked at her, bags under his eyes, and said, "There you go, Sadie; the script, two fucking copies of it in three days, ON YOUR DESK!"
"Yes! Great, thank you, Christian!" Sadie said. "I'll take this into printing, and you can keep that copy for yourself when you help direct this!" Sadie said.
"What? You just wanted me to write the bloody script, and I have! Now you want me to go back to London and direct the play?!" Christian yelled in frustration. Sadie just gave him a look.
"Toughen up, crying boy, and just do this. It'll be better for publicity!" Sadie said taking a drag of her cigarette.
"Do you ever stop smoking?" Christian asked getting annoyed by the smoke.
"Yes, at night I don't smoke!" Sadie said. "But it isn't your concern! I'm taking this down to print now. You can either leave back to your place or just wait around here for a few hours until the first print comes out."
Sadie took up a print of the script and left down the stairs. Christian thought a bit of how bitchy Sadie seemed to be, but then remembered it was his fault and followed Sadie.
"Sadie! Sadie, wait! I have to say something!" Christian said running up to Sadie.
"What?" She asked.
"I have to apologize for the way I acted last night," Christian said. "I was just overly drunk. I was acting like an ass, and I'm sorry."
"You're forgiven," Sadie said and walked on. Christian didn't believe her.
"Hey, hey! That didn't sound like you meant it," Christian said. Sadie laughed.
"Maybe I didn't mean it," Sadie said. Christian looked a little confused.
"Well, then why wouldn't you mean it?" Christian asked. Then he thought a moment and said, "Wait nevermind I understand. I don't think I'd mean 'You're forgiven' if I were you and I had done to me what I had done to you."
"What?" Sadie laughed.
"Uh, sorry, tongue tied a little," Christian said. "I mean, I can understand why you wouldn't mean that."
"Well, now I mean it," Sadie said. "Christian Adams, author of A Love Which Will Last Forever, I forgive you!"
"Now it sounds like you meant it!" Christian said. There was an awkward silence. "I'm gonna go now."
"Right…" Sadie said, "I have to go too."
They both their separate way that day, Christian to his flat, and Sadie to the print house.
~~Three weeks later~~
"Well, Christian, my friend, it is done!" Sadie said as she took a seat on Christian's bed. Christian was on the sill and he looked at her.
"It is printed?" he asked. Sadie nodded.
"Yes, and it's ready to be taken to London, I even managed to get West End Theatre to do the play! They even asked for you to go and direct!" Sadie said. Christian had a mirage of a grin on his face that vanished quickly.
"Well, I'd like my own people to help in the production," Christian said. "I want Toulouse to handle costume design. I want Tork to be taking care of special effects, the Argentinean to handle with the acting of his own part; and Satie to do the music, since we already have the music for some of it."
"I can arrange it to be that way," Sadie said. "Well, tell them to get ready, we're heading out in a week!"
"I will," Christian said. "You want to have dinner?"
"Yes, I'd like that," Sadie said smiling.
"Good, let's go to the Moulin Rouge, we can tell them over dinner!"
Christian got up and grabbed his coat. Sadie seemed a little crestfallen but put on a good face and walked out before Christian. Christian closed and locked the door and walked with Sadie across the street to the Moulin Rouge.
When Christian told Toulouse, Satie, Tork and Narky the plan, and they were all more than eager to join. That night was like a party, to celebrate the future success they hoped for Christian to have.
~~One week later~~
Christian stepped of the plank onto the docks of London; he was back to his old home. His friends and Sadie followed him off the docks to collect their things.
As they approached the crates with their stuff in it Toulouse said, "Oh Christian, I think we'll need more than just one cab!"
"I think you're right," Christian said.
"I'll hail a cab!" Narky said. Christian pulled him back, not wanting the Londoners to see a Spanish Fiesta dressed Argentinean from France yelling for a taxi.
He smiled a little nervously and told Narky, "No, you just help get everything together!"
"Yes, of course, you weak saps will need the help of a Narcolept-hic," Narky's eyes went cross and he fell down, unconscious.
"By jove, is he alright?" A cabby said.
"Yes, he's just a Narcoleptic," Christian explained, "He passes out unexpectedly whenever."
"Oh, well, do you need help in loading your things?" The cabby asked.
"Yes, we need four cabs!" Toulouse said.
"Are you French?" The cabby asked.
"No, he isn't! He just has a severe lisp when he talks," Christian said. "So uh, could you get us three more cabs?"
"Yes, sir, I'll be right back," The cabby said trotting off to get more cabbies. Christian turned to all of them.
"Do not talk, let me do the talking!" Christian said. "Very few English are keen on the French!"
"Well, that's rude," Tork said.
"Just do as I say!" Christian hissed. They nodded.
The cabby returned with three more of his friends and he jumped down from his perch on the driver's seat, "Here you go sir! Now, allow us to help you load up!"
"Thank you," Christian said. "Well put this crate on that cart there. We'll put these two lockers on this cart."
"Well, what do you have in these? They are rather heavy! Where should I put this one?" One of the cabbies asked. Tork ran over and helped him.
"Be careful!" He wheezed. "In this cart are modern sciences of effects for the stage! If you drop it, something may spark, or fume and BOOM, the docks fifteen feet around will be flattened!"
That really didn't help the young cabby in his confidence; he shook a little more as Tork helped him carry the crate to a cart. It took them around a half of an hour to load all the crates onto the four cab carts.
"Where to, sir?" The original cabby they met asked.
"To the West End Theatre," Christian said, "and quickly please."
"You hear him, boys?" The cabby yelled to the others. "To
the West End Theatre!"
"West End Theatre!" was passed to all the cabby drivers. Toulouse, with Narky, rode in the cart that had the costumes. Satie rode in the cart with the trunks of paper and music. Tork rode in the cart that had all the special effects materials in it. Sadie rode with Christian in the cart that held the crate with all the scripts in it.
~~With Satine~~
Satine walked to the new theatre she was going to try out at. She wore a long red dress, with no corset; those corsets were practically the death of her. She could breath, a lot of times she coughed for air, but ever since she had stopped wearing corsets, she had stopped all the hard coughing. She breathed much better.
She stood in front of the new theatre she was trying out at. It wasn't fancy, but it was well enough, she walked through the front door into the lobby. A woman approached her, coughing a little.
"Hello, may I help you?" the woman asked.
"Yes, I'm here to try out for the lead in the new play," Satine said. The woman nodded.
"Ah yes, of course, follow me. I'm going to have to ask you a few questions first. Can you sing well?"
"I don't make the judgments on myself; I let other people decide that."
"Well then, can you act?"
"Yes, or I wouldn't be here."
"Don't get smart with me," the woman snapped. She led her up to a tall lean man that wore a black tailored suit. "Director Cephus, this is the woman trying out for the lead of the play."
The man turned around, he had a nice face, but Jude's was better, Christian's was better too. He looked her over, "Do you have acting experience?"
"Yes," Satine said.
"Can you sing well?"
"You judge," Satine said. She started to sing, "My gift is my song, and this one's for you. It may be quite simple, but, now that it's done; I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words, how wonderful life is, now you're in the world! Sat on the roo-"
"You are great!" Cephus said. "I don't need to hear a romance song though. Sing me a different song, one not for much of romance."
Satine nodded, "A kiss on the hand maybe quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best friend! A kiss on the hand maybe grand, but diamonds are a girl's best friend!!"
Satine continued to sing that song she once sung at the Moulin Rouge. When she finished Cephus applauded.
"Great! Brilliant!" he applauded. "Now, take this, and perform this scene."
Cephus pointed the scene out to her. Satine thought it very strange that the scene was eerily similar to when she was meeting Christian and he sang "Your Song."
"Is there anyone to play off of?" Satine asked. Cephus looked around and back and saw Jude walking in.
"You!" Cephus yelled pointing to him. Jude stopped dead and pointed to himself mouthing the words "Me?" Cephus nodded, "Yes you come here!"
Jude walked down the aisle keeping his gaze on Satine then he looked at Cephus, "Yes?"
"Take this," Cephus stuck a script at Jude's chest, "and read these lines, and do it well so she can have someone to act off of."
"All right," Jude didn't like acting, he didn't think he was good, but he would for his good friend Satine.
"What are you doing here?" Satine whispered to him as they walked up to the stage.
"I just came to see you try out, I didn't want to get caught and made to try out!" Jude said. Satine laughed lightly. "What?! I can't act!"
"Everyone can act, just a matter if you can in front of an audience," Satine said. "Now you know where we're starting from?"
"The top?" Jude asked.
"Yes, of what page?"
"Nine," Jude said.
"Good, acting lesson one; always know where you're staring from!" Satine said.
"Alright, people, let's start, and action!" Cephus said.
"This is a perfect place for a poetry reading, don't you think?" Satine said in a sexy voice. "Poetic enough for you?"
"Y-yes," Jude said his line with the right amount of nervousness.
"How about some dinner, maybe some Champaign?" Satine made it look like she was ready to pour some Champaign.
"I'd rather get it all over and done with."
Satine made it look like she set the bottle down none too lightly and said, "Oh." She turned. "Very well, why don't you come down here, and let's get it all over and done with."
"I'd prefer to do it standing," Jude said.
"Oh."
"You don't have to stand I mean, it's just, that sometimes, uh it's quite long and I'd like you to be comfortable," Jude said. Director Cephus noted all of Satine's facial expressions. "It's quite modern what I do, and it may feel a little strange at first, but I think if you're open then you might enjoy!"
"I'm sure I will!" Satine said putting on her shocked face. Cephus clapped heartily.
"Great! Bravo! Brilliant, and uh, what's your name?" Cephus asked.
"Sat-Sara Christian," Satine said, she almost said her real name.
"Brilliant performance, Sara!" Cephus said. He turned to Jude, "And what is your name, sir?"
"Jude Latter," Jude responded.
"You did very well, Jude Latter! Have you an interest in acting in this play?" Cephus asked. Jude shook his head.
"No, I was just here to see my friend, Sara, try out," Jude said.
"Yes, her singing was practically all she needed to get in. She certainly is a talented actress; she could be the next Sara Barnhart!" Cephus said. "Why don't you try out as well? I've already saw your good acting talents! Sing this song!"
Cephus gave him the lyrics of "Your Song." Jude took them hesitantly.
"I'm afraid don't know much of singing," Jude said.
"Don't worry!" Cephus said. "Just sing!"
"All right," Jude said. He took several breaths then sang. His voice was positively beautiful; he sang every note right on tune and tone. They were dumbfounded.
"You have the part!" Cephus exclaimed. "Keep the lyrics! You'll have to practice in memorizing them!" He turned to Satine. "I don't believe it is possible to find anyone in the whole of London that's better than you! You have the part as Satine the Sparkling Diamond!"
"What?!" Satine said in disbelief. Not disbelief in the fact she got the part, but the fact she got the part of herself! "What is this script about?"
"It's about love!" voice called from the doorway. Satine looked down the hall and saw…she couldn't believe it…she felt all of a sudden faint, and lightheaded…blackness came over her.
Jude gasped, "Sara!! Sara, are you alright?"
"She must have just fainted from shock of getting the lead," Cephus said. "Well, that's all for today, thanks for coming. First rehearsal is on Friday. Come by around two o'clock P.M. it lasts until around seven thirty."
"Alright," Jude said taking two scripts and lyrics from Cephus. He carried Satine out of the theatre, her hair covering her face. He walked by a tall, pale man with silver-blue eyes and dark black hair. He nodded in acknowledgement of him and walked on.
Christian took a look at the woman the man was carrying and thought of stopping him to see who it was, but didn't his mind to blame, 'Satine is dead, and she wouldn't be here if she were alive! She'd be in your arms!'
Christian walked on down the aisle, Sadie by his side. He shook hands with Cephus, "Hello, I'm Christian Adams, the writer of A Love Which Will Last Forever."
"Hello, I'm Cephus Johnson, the director!" Cephus said merrily.
"I thought I was directing it, Sadie," Christian said looking at Sadie. She just shrugged.
"Oh, last minute changes," Cephus said. "We're both going to direct the play. Have you all the scripts and lyrics now?"
"I have the rest of the lyrics," Christian said. "And more scripts. Who were the two that left?"
"They're the leads in the play!" Cephus said. Christian sighed heavily.
"If we're going to be directing this together, I'd at least have some say in who is going to play the lead!" Christian said. He felt offended that Cephus might have chosen who would play his beloved Satine.
"Well we can contact them! In fact I have their addresses, we can take a stop by their house, and you can see for yourself how great they are! They definitely will fit your standards," Cephus said showing Satine's application.
"What about the man?" Christian asked taking Satine's (though he didn't know it was Satine's) application in hand.
"Well, they're friends, so no doubt, that she will have his address as well!" Cephus said. "Why don't we stop by her house tomorrow? We need to start setting up for props and lighting etc, today."
"Alright," Christian said handing back Satine's application. Then they started to set up for rehearsals in three days.
~~End Chapter~~
**Gasps. ** They had a near encounter! And they didn't even see it! She faints; he doesn't see who she is! Will they ever find out of each other's existence? …Maybe…
Anyway, is it just me, or does Sadie seem to stay by Christian's side a lot? Well, you people who hate it when Christian goes with another woman may have to keep your breath held for a little longer!
Some of you think you saw Down with Love rip offs, and I say to you this, "Hell yeah! I loved that movie! Of course there was a rip off of Down with Love! I read the book twice and am working on three! I love it! Ewan and Renee, good chemistry! Hell yeah!"
Director Cephus is based on my brother, only Director Cephus is nicer. Lol. I dedicate that character to him for serving in the war. My brother is a veteran now lol.
Jester
