Disclaimer – I don't own Moulin Rouge, any plots, settings, characters,
events from it.
Christian sat in his room for days, unable to think of anything but Satine. He sat on his balcony, staring at the unmoving windmill. Toulouse came again and asked about the interview. Toulouse clapped when Christian told him the offer.
"Wonderful! Take the job, Christian. Even Satine would want you to. None of us want you to spend your life wishing about what was. Live what could be!" Toulouse urged, letting himself out again. Christian continued to stare at the windmill. He remember how after Satine's death, Nini had come. He remembered her very clearly from the first time he saw her, in her bright yellow dress. When he opened the door, she had come in, wearing a dark yellow dress, which Christian assumed was supposed to show she was in mourning. Her eye makeup was running, and she was swinging a bottle of alcohol. She hurried in past him, swaying.
"Hey, Shakespeare." She greeted him with a slur. Christian nodded, leaning against the wall defensively.
"What do you want?" He asked. Nini sat down the bottle with a sharp ringing sound.
"I just came to say...I'm sorry. Couldn't help but think maybe, it I hadn't turned you two in to the Duke, it'd be different. It was...just a bit of fun. Jealous, I guess." Nini said with a laugh, staring off into space. Christian regarded her with a cool eye.
"It wouldn't be different. She was dying since before I met her. It was always too late for us." Christian said fiercely.
"Yeah. Yeah. Maybe it was." Nini said in a low voice, musing under her breath. She let herself out just as suddenly as she came in.
Christian took a deep breath and headed inside, rubbing his head with one hand. Did he even remember the song? He closed his eyes. Yes. He remembered. The song came back. Christian looked around at the messy room. Did he want to get out of here? Very possibly, yes. It was amazingly cluttered. Papers and bottles and just rubbish in general. His days would be free, he could just walk back to the Moulin Rouge. Besides, there was a way to get out of this year-long job, death. Christian sat down lazily in his chair, with the air of someone giving in. He was now employed.
Christian looked around his new, clean room.
"It's very, nice, thank you." Christian said slowly to Aileen. She smiled.
"I'm glad. If you need anything, one of the maids or butlers can fetch it for you." She told him, walking away again. Christian spent awhile wandering around the house. It was huge and impressive and elegant, the king Christian would've liked to build for Satine. He walked into one room that was very open. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, it was nearly all white. There were a few trees in the corners. To his amazement, birds flew everywhere. White doves, red cardinals, blue birds, sparrows, chickadees, flew over his head. A voice from behind him startled him.
"So you've found the menagerie of birds, Monsieur?" A girl asked. Christian turned to see a young woman wearing humble, plain clothes. Christian smiled shyly.
"Yes. I did. It's amazing." He told her truthfully. The girl came closer, smiling.
"Madame Aileen loves animals. Birds mainly. But she has a pond in her room, full of fish. She even has a few cats and dogs."
"That's kind of her." The servant smiled.
"It is. A very nice woman, she is. Oh, you must be the singer!" The girl exclaimed, extending her hand.
"Yes. I am. Christian." He said in greeting. The girl grinned again.
"Oh I know. Madame Aileen talks about you all the time. I'm Adele." She told him. "So can I hear you sing sometime?" Christian looked down, flustered.
"It would bore you."
"No it wouldn't. And I'd love to hear about Satine sometime!" Adele pressed. "Madame was always talking about her as well."
"Well, why don't you just read the book?" Christian stammered, not wanting to explain everything. Adele scowled slightly and walked over to a cage, letting a gentle dove climb onto her hand.
"I can't read, Monsieur Christian." She told him, still slightly angry.
"Oh. Well, I wouldn't mind telling you. But it's a long story." Adele smiled.
"I like stories." They sat down amid the birds, and Christian told her the entire story.
"What are you going to sing for Madame?" Adele asked when he finished. Christian shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Whatever I remember first. Can you sing?" He asked, stroking the dove that Adele held. Adele laughed.
"Me? Not really. The only song I really know that well is a song I learned in Austria."
"You've been to Austria?" He asked, surprised.
"Only for awhile. It was called Edelweiss." She told him.
"I'd like to hear it, if you don't mind." Adele looked down at him, considering. Then she smiled.
"All right. That's fair. You shared with me, I'll share with you Christian." She told him gamely. He wondered when they reached a first name basis, but shrugged it out of his mind.
"Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me! Soft and bright, clean and white, you look happy to see me! Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever. Edelweiss, Edelweiss, bless my homeland forever." Adele blushed.
"I'm pretty sure that's it. I might have heard a shortened version." Christian smiled.
"It was great." He assured her. She smiled, then looked at the sun.
"Oh! I've got to go help with dinner. Good luck with your song!" She called, getting to her feet so quickly the dove got startled and flew up into the tree.
Christian sat in his room for days, unable to think of anything but Satine. He sat on his balcony, staring at the unmoving windmill. Toulouse came again and asked about the interview. Toulouse clapped when Christian told him the offer.
"Wonderful! Take the job, Christian. Even Satine would want you to. None of us want you to spend your life wishing about what was. Live what could be!" Toulouse urged, letting himself out again. Christian continued to stare at the windmill. He remember how after Satine's death, Nini had come. He remembered her very clearly from the first time he saw her, in her bright yellow dress. When he opened the door, she had come in, wearing a dark yellow dress, which Christian assumed was supposed to show she was in mourning. Her eye makeup was running, and she was swinging a bottle of alcohol. She hurried in past him, swaying.
"Hey, Shakespeare." She greeted him with a slur. Christian nodded, leaning against the wall defensively.
"What do you want?" He asked. Nini sat down the bottle with a sharp ringing sound.
"I just came to say...I'm sorry. Couldn't help but think maybe, it I hadn't turned you two in to the Duke, it'd be different. It was...just a bit of fun. Jealous, I guess." Nini said with a laugh, staring off into space. Christian regarded her with a cool eye.
"It wouldn't be different. She was dying since before I met her. It was always too late for us." Christian said fiercely.
"Yeah. Yeah. Maybe it was." Nini said in a low voice, musing under her breath. She let herself out just as suddenly as she came in.
Christian took a deep breath and headed inside, rubbing his head with one hand. Did he even remember the song? He closed his eyes. Yes. He remembered. The song came back. Christian looked around at the messy room. Did he want to get out of here? Very possibly, yes. It was amazingly cluttered. Papers and bottles and just rubbish in general. His days would be free, he could just walk back to the Moulin Rouge. Besides, there was a way to get out of this year-long job, death. Christian sat down lazily in his chair, with the air of someone giving in. He was now employed.
Christian looked around his new, clean room.
"It's very, nice, thank you." Christian said slowly to Aileen. She smiled.
"I'm glad. If you need anything, one of the maids or butlers can fetch it for you." She told him, walking away again. Christian spent awhile wandering around the house. It was huge and impressive and elegant, the king Christian would've liked to build for Satine. He walked into one room that was very open. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, it was nearly all white. There were a few trees in the corners. To his amazement, birds flew everywhere. White doves, red cardinals, blue birds, sparrows, chickadees, flew over his head. A voice from behind him startled him.
"So you've found the menagerie of birds, Monsieur?" A girl asked. Christian turned to see a young woman wearing humble, plain clothes. Christian smiled shyly.
"Yes. I did. It's amazing." He told her truthfully. The girl came closer, smiling.
"Madame Aileen loves animals. Birds mainly. But she has a pond in her room, full of fish. She even has a few cats and dogs."
"That's kind of her." The servant smiled.
"It is. A very nice woman, she is. Oh, you must be the singer!" The girl exclaimed, extending her hand.
"Yes. I am. Christian." He said in greeting. The girl grinned again.
"Oh I know. Madame Aileen talks about you all the time. I'm Adele." She told him. "So can I hear you sing sometime?" Christian looked down, flustered.
"It would bore you."
"No it wouldn't. And I'd love to hear about Satine sometime!" Adele pressed. "Madame was always talking about her as well."
"Well, why don't you just read the book?" Christian stammered, not wanting to explain everything. Adele scowled slightly and walked over to a cage, letting a gentle dove climb onto her hand.
"I can't read, Monsieur Christian." She told him, still slightly angry.
"Oh. Well, I wouldn't mind telling you. But it's a long story." Adele smiled.
"I like stories." They sat down amid the birds, and Christian told her the entire story.
"What are you going to sing for Madame?" Adele asked when he finished. Christian shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Whatever I remember first. Can you sing?" He asked, stroking the dove that Adele held. Adele laughed.
"Me? Not really. The only song I really know that well is a song I learned in Austria."
"You've been to Austria?" He asked, surprised.
"Only for awhile. It was called Edelweiss." She told him.
"I'd like to hear it, if you don't mind." Adele looked down at him, considering. Then she smiled.
"All right. That's fair. You shared with me, I'll share with you Christian." She told him gamely. He wondered when they reached a first name basis, but shrugged it out of his mind.
"Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me! Soft and bright, clean and white, you look happy to see me! Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever. Edelweiss, Edelweiss, bless my homeland forever." Adele blushed.
"I'm pretty sure that's it. I might have heard a shortened version." Christian smiled.
"It was great." He assured her. She smiled, then looked at the sun.
"Oh! I've got to go help with dinner. Good luck with your song!" She called, getting to her feet so quickly the dove got startled and flew up into the tree.