-1The Bells of Notre Dame
Author's Note: Thank you to all the marvellous reviewers! All 12 of you! I have tried to reply to everyone who was signed in. If you leave an anonymous review, and you want me to answer a question, please make sure you leave your email address in a format that won't block out. And Kudatsuo-chan, sorry. I worship your amber eyes, I wish I had them.
After Christmas I will be re-writing this, entitled "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" but following the Book's plot, rather than the Disney movie.
Cast:
Quasimodo: Tsuzuki Asato
Judge Claude Frollo: Muraki Kazutaka
Clopin: Watari Yukata
Esmeralda: Kurosaki Hisoka
Archdeacon: Kanoe-kachou
Captain of the Guard: Tatsumi Seichiirou
The Gargoyles (Hugo, Victor and Laverne): Minase Hijiri, Saya, Yuma
Gypsies: Wakaba, Oriya, Tsubaki-hime, Touji Hisae
Guard: Terazuma Hajime
xXx
Chapter Two: Out There
Frollo:
The world is cruel
The world is wicked
It's I alone that you can trust most in this whole city
I am your only friend
Frollo:
I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you
I who look upon you without fear
How can I protect you boy
Unless you always stay in here
Away in here.
Frollo: (Speech)
Remember what I taught you Quasimodo.
Frollo: (Brackets are Quasimodo)
You are deformed
(I am deformed)
And you are ugly
(And I am ugly)
And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity
You do not comprehend
(You are my one defender)
Frollo: (Brackets are Quasimodo)
Out there they'll revile you as a monster
(I am a monster)
Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer
(Only a monster)
Why invite their calumny and consternation
Stay in here.
Be faithful to me
(I'm faithful)
Be grateful to me
(I'm grateful)
Do as I say, obey
And stay in here
(I'll stay in here)
(Frollo leaves)
Quasimodo:
Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone
Gazing at the people down below me
All my life I've watched them as I hide up here alone
Hungry for the histories they show me
Quasimodo:
All my life I've memorised their faces
Knowing them as they will never know me
All my life I've wondered how it feels to pass a day
Not above them...
But part of them...
Quasimodo:
And out there
Living in the sun
Give me one day
Out there
All I ask is one
To hold forever
Out there
Where they all live unaware
What I'd give
What I'd dare
Just to live one day out there...
Quasimodo:
Out there among the weavers and the millers and their wives
Through the roofs and gables I can see them
Every day they shout and scold and go about their lives
Heedless of the gift it is to be them
Quasimodo:
If I was in their skin
I'd treasure every instant!
Quasimodo:
Out there
Strolling by the Seine
Taste the morning
Out there
Like ordinary men
Who freely walk
About there
Just one day
And then I swear
I'll be content
With my share
Quasimodo:
Won't resent
Won't despair
Old and bent
I won't care
I'll have spent one day out there.
X
Tsuzuki looked out onto the beautiful city of Paris. The way the sun shone on the wings of the pigeons, the way the people's clothes stood out so brightly against the mud and stone of the roads, the interesting thatch work of the roofs and, just there, sparkling in the distance, the Seine.
"The Feast of Fools…" Tsuzuki sighed dreamily, running his hands through his hair. It had always been a dream of his to go down there, to smile and sing amongst the crowds…
He heard the sound of stone grinding against stone and turned, smiling as he saw his friends sidling into view. They were three gargoyles who, for some reason unknown to him, had come to life. They were the only humanoid gargoyles on Notre Dame and, to be honest, they were all quite disturbingly life like.
"We've got the best seats this year… We've got the best seats every year!" Saya said, her twin sister, Yuma, clinging to her as they shuffled forward on the stone paving of the balcony. Tsuzuki smiled and gestured to the last figure, the slightly more reserved Hijiri. He shuffled forward, giving Tsuzuki a small smile before turning to regard the crowd.
"Quite a show this year," He said, conversationally. It was amazing how expressive those stone eyes could be and Tsuzuki definitely picked up on the worry in those granite orbs.
"Yeah… I wish I could be down there, you know… Just this once…" Tsuzuki said, idly watching the people walk to and fro. His eyes briefly lingered on a gypsy with a tambourine and a goat, dancing in the street for spare change, before turning to another sight, the main stage.
"Well, you know what you have to do, don't you?" Yuma said, her eyes bright. Tsuzuki turned to them, violet eyes bright in excitement.
"What, what?" He asked impatiently. The two smiled sweetly.
"Wear a disguise!" Saya said. Tsuzuki cocked his head to one side. It would work he supposed. If he had something to hide his face…
"We can get you a costume!" The girl's chorused. Tsuzuki immediately put his hands up in what seemed like a move of surrender but it was more like an effort to push them away. Hijiri smiled.
"Tsuzuki, you'll get into far too much trouble if you disobey Muraki. We're all fine just watching this. Trust me, it's not so great down there," Hijiri then paused, turning slightly.
"He's coming," He said softly, before moving rapidly down the balcony and swinging around to his proper place in the alcoves. The twins looked at each other and flung themselves over the balcony.
Tsuzuki dashed forward, brushing away the curtain that separated the outside world from his bedchamber and coming face to face with his adopted father, Muraki. He looked as calm as ever, his shining silver hair combed back in that impeccable way under a hat of black and red. His robes matched it perfectly, with hints of royal purple in the lining.
"M-master!" He squeaked. Muraki placed a basket down on the table. Tsuzuki glanced at it. Muraki had, as usual, placed it directly on one of his miniature figurines, effectively crushing it underneath the weight of the basket filled with food.
His own miniature Paris, complete with Notre Dame and every figure he could possibly think of…
"Are you going to serve the food, Tsuzuki?" Muraki asked. Tsuzuki immediately jumped up to do it. He grabbed the basket, pulling out the grapes and placing them on a plate, removing the cheese and bread and placing them on a larger plate with a knife. He returned them quickly to the table before turning to get two goblets to pour the wine into.
"What is the square root of 25?" Muraki asked. Tsuzuki paused in his pouring of the wine.
"5," He replied. Muraki nodded, smiling.
"If I were to want a glass of wine and some cheese in Rome, what would I ask?" Muraki asked. Tsuzuki helped himself to some cheese and bread before answering his master's question.
"Posso avere un vetro di vino e di un certo formaggio prego?" Tsuzuki replied. Muraki nodded, leaning over and pressing a lazy kiss to his adopted son's lips. The violet eyed man squirmed a little. Sometimes his master… expected things of him… Was today one of those days?
"Você é meu a fazer com como mim por favor. Você é um monster, Tsuzuki. Você compreende?" Muraki asked. Tsuzuki winced and nodded, trying his best not to look scared. His master was so kind to him.
"M-master?" Tsuzuki turned his large innocent eyes up to Muraki and the man smiled at him.
"M-may I g-go to the Feast of Fools?" And like that, the smile disappeared and a demon's rage appeared in it's wake.
X
"Well, Paris hasn't changed that much," Tatsumi mused to his horse, Achilles. The beautiful stallion snorted and nuzzled him. He gathered his cloak around his arm, trying to stop it from dragging in the muddy puddles.
The sound of pipes and a tambourine drifted to his ears. He looked to his right to see some street entertainers. One was a beautiful bearer, he was dancing, tapping the tambourine lightly against his thigh in time with the beat. He was dressed as modestly as was possible, a white blouse that was unlaced at the neck, slipping off one of his shoulders. He then wore a green girdle, wrapped tightly around his waist, with yellow ribbing. It highlighted both his femininity and his masculinity, a contradiction in terms.
A deep purple sash around his waist was decorated with gold sovereigns. It was tied in a secure double knot, the coins tinkling together as the boy danced, his body flowing and loose. He wore a lighter purple pair of strange long breeches that gathered at his ankles. He was bare-foot, a golden bracelet around his ankle. Other golden ornaments adorned his wrists, as well as the headscarf wrapped around his beautiful wheat hair.
Tatsumi smiled, dropping a few coins into the hat. The boy paused in his dancing, smiling at little and lowering his eyelids. Tatsumi blinked and allowed a small smile. The boy began to dance again, at his feet a little goat bleated up at him, before returning to his master's feet to prance and totter around.
Tatsumi turned to leave when he saw two guards making a beeline for the dancer and his piper. The dancer stopped and bent down, grabbing his hat filled with small pieces of bronze now, and trying to run. The guards stopped him, wrenching his hard-earned money from his grasp.
"Give that back!" He yelled, but his arms were being restrained by one of the guards. The other was leering at him in a way that was not at all appropriate.
"How did you come by that?" The leering guard asked. The boy growled, trying desperately to get away. His sleeves were pulled up as the guard restraining him attempted to get a better grip on his arms, revealing the bearer markings up his forearms.
Tatsumi looked down at his own hands, clean of any markings. At the age of thirteen all boys were taken to special physicians who would tell the parents whether or not their child would be a bearer or just a normal male. Bearers were thought of being just like girls. It was often discouraging for a family who had raised a boy up until the age of fourteen to be presented with the fact that their son had a fair bit of female anatomy deep inside him. They were said to have the hearts of women, although Tatsumi had yet to meet a Bearer who didn't completely resent that comment.
"I earned it!" The boy hissed, his teeth bared.
"Gypsies don't earn! They steal!" A guard retorted. The boy lost his temper then, using the other guard's restraints he kicked upwards, catching the leering guard under the chin. The man fell to the ground with a startled cry, and the guard restraining the bearer accidentally let go of him. There was a poof of red smoke, a loud bleat and the guard scrambled backwards, falling over his fallen comrade. Tatsumi didn't waste any time, he brought his horse forward, blocking the guard's view of the street, hoping the bearer would escape.
"Move you imbecile!" One of the guards yelled. Tatsumi just smiled and turned to his horse.
"Hear that Achilles. You're in the way of the poor gentleman," Tatsumi said, backing the horse into them, making it look like an accident. They tried to scramble out of the way, but just ended up falling into a muddy puddle.
"Why you…!" One of them yelled, but Tatsumi silenced them by drawing his sword.
"I'm Captain Seichiirou Tatsumi. I believe you two have just volunteered to take me to the Palace of Justice," The man smiled as the two guards stood up and started to apologise profusely, beginning to pompously clear the way for their Captain.
At the side of the street, a beggar was sat, wrapped in a purple shawl. Tatsumi dropped a few coins in his hat before moving on. A few moments later, a pair of surprised emerald eyes peered from under the hood, a bewildered goat sharing the look of complete shock.
X
"Tsuzuki, I am calm now," Muraki said. He was stood on the walkway between the two towers, staring out at the rich sunset. Tsuzuki shivered, it looked like the buildings were on fire. He limped to where Muraki stood. He had received such a beating, his back and legs had great welts across them from where Muraki had grabbed one of his woodworking tools and began to brutally attack him with it.
"M-master. I'm so sorry. I will never speak of it again!" Tsuzuki promised, tears in his eyes. Muraki gently put his hands on Tsuzuki's face, stroking away those tears in such a tender gesture that Tsuzuki wondered if it was really the same man who was responsible for his injuries.
"I am only thinking of you, my dear child. The people down there are not as forgiving as I am about your deformity, your demon's eyes. They will not understand. You are ugly, Tsuzuki, and they will not see the beauty that lies within you. You see, my boy, I'm just trying to protect you," Muraki said, gently kissing Tsuzuki's forehead. Tears fell from those cursed amethysts, as he wept for the life he had never known.
"I have kept you for all this time, I only ask for one small thing in return. That you stay in here. It is only a small thing to ask in repayment, is it not?" Muraki asked. Tsuzuki shook his head. He gripped at Muraki's robes, burying his face in them.
"Thank you Master! Thank you for protecting me!" He whispered. Muraki smirked down at him and then turned with a flapping of robes.
"One day you will thank me, Tsuzuki," He said, as he walked down the stairs. Tsuzuki waited until he was certain that the man had gone before climbing up onto the roof of the cathedral, sitting on the gothic masonry with ease and grace.
"I just want to be free…" He whispered. A bird flew by in the distance, shedding a feather that fluttered down into the crowd below. Tsuzuki watched as it landed on the face of a young boy, who picked it up with two fingers and twirled it slowly before offering it to a small pet at his feet. Tsuzuki laughed as the goat ate it.
"I need that life. Just a day… A day can't hurt… can it?" He whispered. The sun set on Notre Dame, and Tsuzuki made plans.
End Notes:
I'm looking for a beta reader. Please please please volunteer someone. I need someone to be critical of grammar, spelling, characterisation and sentencing and also, I need someone to kick me up the butt when the plot is going badly. There are plus sides to the job, you get to read advance copies of my chapters. And that's about it. The bad sides are my grammar and the complete crap that is the raw chapter before it gets beta'd. Also, the workload. I plan to write another 34 chapters by Christmas. I'll virtually need everything by the next day.
Please… someone?
To see any drabbles/one-shots or ideas that don't get put on please go to my live journal. I accept anonymous comments. Go ahread and spam. The link is on my Profile page.