"sing sing sing sing"
"G-good morning, Master Jax," Sirius replied, suddenly meek.
"My dear boy, whom ever were you talking to?" Jax said while passing by the three still gargoyles.
"My friends, the gargoyles," the younger male responded.
"Is that so?" he knocked on the top of Alan's head. "And what are your friends made of, Sirius?"
"Stone," the silver eyed man said while looking away.
Jax lifted Sirius' chin to look down at him, "And can stone talk?"
"No, Master."
"Correct, you are a smart lad." He took a seat at an empty table, "Now it's lunch time. Fetch us some glasses, a cloth, and a few plates."
"Yes, Master," Sirius said, already making his way to the built in cabinets. He grabbed the necessary items and placed them clumsily on the table.
"Would you like to review your alphabet today?"
"Yes, Master, I would like that very much."
"Alright then, A?"
"Abomination."
"B?"
"Blasphemy."
"C," Jax asked.
"Con-contrition."
"D?"
"Damnation."
"E?"
That one always tripped Sirius up, he always thought it was Eliphelet or evil.
"Eternal damnation!" he said rather proud of himself.
"Excellent, F?" Jax started to drink some morning wine.
"Festivals," Sirius answered absent mindedly.
Red liquid spewed from the Judge's mouth upon hearing the bellringer's answer.
"Beg your pardon?"
"F-forgiveness!" Sirius cried, realizing his mistake.
"You said festivals."
"No, I-I didn't mean to!"
"You are thinking of attending the festival."
"Master, it's just that every year you go-"
"I'm a public official, I must go. But I do not enjoy one second of it."
"And it's not just that, today is my birthday. I'm twenty one today."
"Ah, yes, today is the sixth, isn't it," Jax mused while picking up his bible and walking down the stairs. "It doesn't matter, I do not wish for you to be around the thieves and promiscuous street rats who will claw at you like hungry kittens. The worst of the worst all in one concentrated area, oh, it's such a dreadful time of the year to be roaming the streets of this beautiful city.. Fools piled together in a drunken stupor... Just thinking about me going makes my blood boil."
"I didn't mean to upset you, Master," Sirius apologized.
"Sirius, can you not understand what I try to teach you? When your heartless mother abandoned you as a child, anyone else would have killed you before you turned one. And this is the thanks you are giving me? Wanting to be among crooks and whores alike who will want to turn you against me and into one of them? I took you in and raised you as my son."
The black haired man dropped to his knees and lowered his head, "I'm sorry, sir."
"Oh, my dear, Sirius. You don't have a clue what it is like down there, but I do. I walk amongst them everyday... I treasure visiting you more than going to Sunday mass."
Sirius looked up at his father figure, had he just praised him indirectly?
"The world is cruel
The world is wicked," Jax sang.
The older man grabbed Sirius' shoulders and made him stand up and meet his gaze.
"It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city
I am your only friend,"
He threaded his wrinkly hand through Sirius' ebony curls, amazed at the surprisingly soft texture of the ringlets.
"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,"
Jax led the younger male back into the cathedral's bell tower. Sirius' eyes were back to being dark and depressed.
"Remember what I have told you."
"Yes, Master," Sirius replied.
"You are a freak," Jax sang.
"I am a freak," the latter agreed.
"And you are ugly."
"And I am ugly," Sirius sang while touching his high cheekbones and running his other hand through his messy hair.
"And these are crimes
For which the world
Shows little pity
You do not comprehend," the judge sneered.
"You are my one defender..."
"Out there they'll revile you
As a monster."
"I am a monster," the twenty one year old sang while picking up his very own wooden figurine of himself.
"Out there they will hate
And scorn and jeer," Jax sang.
"Only a monster," Sirius commented.
"Why invite their calumny
And consternation?
Stay in here
Be faithful to me."
The older male knocked over the figurines to place a woven basket onto the table.
"I'm faithful..."
"Grateful to me."
"I'm grateful..."
"Do as I say
Obey
And stay
In here," Jax plucked the mini Sirius from the younger man's fingers and placed him inside of the wooden Notre Dame.
"You are too kind, Master. I'm sorry that I tried to ask for anything more than what you already give me.."
"You are forgiven, boy," the man replied while walking towards the stairs. He turned around to look at Sirius, "And remember, Sirius, this is your sanctuary." With a smirk, he started to leave.
"My.. sanctuary?" he sighed before climbing up the wall until he reached one of the windows.
"Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone
Gazing at the people down below me
All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone."
Sirius hopped down only to land gracefully near his workshop table. He gingerly picked up a blonde figurine that Jax had pushed off the table.
"Hungry for the histories they show me."
The bellringer stood up and grabbed a nameless figurine and brought both wooden objects together.
"All my life I memorize their faces
Knowing them as they will never know me," he sang.
He transferred mini Sirius from his wooden sanctuary to stand among the other citizens of Paris.
"All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day
Not above them
But part of them."
The silver eyed male ran outside and jumped down to grip one of the long columns and slid down to meet up with his three favorite gargoyles.
"And out there
Living in the sun
Give me one day out there
All I ask is one
To hold forever."
He released the pillar to hug Brian and Heather who smiled with glee at the attention.
"Out there
Where they all live unaware
What I'd give
What I'd dare
Just to live one day out there."
Going over to the balcony, Sirius enjoyed the view of the famous city below him. All the familiar sights in range, the bakery, the book shop, two markets, the black haired male knew the layout of Paris like the back of his hand.
"Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives
Through the roofs and gables I can see them
Ev'ry day they shout and scold and go about their lives
Heedless of the gift it is to be them
If I was in their skin
I'd treasure ev'ry instant."
He ran to one of the gargoyles that served as a gutter to keep water from collecting on the beautiful architectural masterpiece. When he reached the head, he crouched down to cup the crystal clear liquid in his hands to splash it on his face. The cool water made his skin tingle and the grin on his face grow even more.
"Out there
Strolling by the Seine
Taste a morning out there
Like ordinary men."
Sirius jumped up to climb on the tower behind him all the way to the top where he held onto the iron cross that stood proudly for all Catholics to gaze at.
"Who freely walk about there
Just one day and then
I swear I'll be content
With my share
Won't resent
Won't despair
Old and bent
I won't care
I'll have spent
One day
Out there!"
A brown haired man walked alongside his horse on the streets of Paris in search of the Palace of Justice. He turned his slightly torn map upside down several times in an attempt to read it. With a grunt, he balled up the yellowed paper and tossed it. He turned to his horse, Apollo.
"You leave for a few years and they change everything."
The man, Christian, noticed soldiers dressed in lower status guard uniform. Smiling, he raised a gloved finger and pointed at them.
"Hey, could you tell me where the Palace of Just-grmfrm. Guess not."
He gestured to Apollo to follow him. Together, they walked into a slightly busy part of the city. Christian could strongly hear music coming from a dead end where two gypsies were performing... And a goat. As he got closer, the soldier noticed a little girl attempting to put a piece of silver into hat until her mother yanked her away.
"Don't get too close, those are gypsies. They'll rob us blind!"
The two gypsies scowled slightly, but continued to work anyway. Christian looked at the female dancing and playing the tambourine. She had bright red hair, peaches and creme complexion, freckles dotting her face, and-
"One green eye and one brown..?"
Still gawking at the girl, he pulled out two gold coins from his pocket and happily tossed it into the hat. The girl, Sookie, a sixteen year old gypsy, turned to look at Christian and gave him an award winning smile. On top of the wall was a dark skinned gypsy boy, a lookout. He whistled at his friends on the ground as a warning to leave. Sookie let out a gasp and hurriedly shooed away her companion while running away. Her goat, Zero, grabbed the rim of the hat between his teeth and rushed after his master. Unfortunately, the gold coins they had received fell out of the hat in his haste, causing Sookie to run back and put them back into the hat. Christian saw the same guards who had ignored him stand above her like they were Gods compared to her, a street dancer.
"Okay, Missy, where'd you get the money?" one with dirty blonde hair asked while trying to pry Sookie's grip off the hat.
"For your information, I earned it," she sneered while pulling it closer to her lithe body.
"Gypsies don't earn money," he retorted.
"They just take it!" the other guard said, while grabbing her arms.
"Well I'm sure you guys know a lot about stealing things that don't belong to you," Sookie hissed.
"Little troublemaker," the man with the moustache said.
Christian moved closer with Apollo by his side just in time to see Sookie kick the first man in the face and wiggle her way out of the man's hands.
"Maybe a day in the dungeons, away from the Sun, will cool you down!"
Hearing the threat towards his master, Zero charged at the butch soldier, knocking him onto his derriere. Next was the taller one, who he headbutted in the groin. While they were distracted, Sookie held onto the hat full of money and ran off with Zero. Christian watched the young girl leave the same time the soldiers got back onto their feet and started to chase after her. Before they could even get a quarter closer to her, Christian pulled on the reigns of Apollo, so the horse got in their way, making both of them fall down. Unfortunately, the taller one by the name of Conner fell into a puddle behind Apollo.
"Apollo, sit," Christian ordered.
Obediently, the horse did as he was told and sat down on Conner.
"WHOA!" he screamed in surprise and pain.
Laughter erupted from the crowd that had formed after noticing the French men's failed pursuit of the gypsy girl.
"Oh, oh gracious! Oh me, oh my! Apollo, you naughty horse, naughty!" he playfully scolded with a smirk. "Absolutely impossible, honestly, I can't take him out in public, he's always embarrassing me."
Hidden behind a short stone wall, the redheaded gypsy girl giggled at the display. She had not expected for the golden clad man to be on her side. Not wanting to take her chances with the man actually toying with her, Sookie led Zero away from the scene.
"Get this thing off of me," Conner pleaded.
"I'll teach you a lesson on messing with my comrades, peasant!" the stout male, Matt said while unsheathing his small sword.
Pulling his blue cape back and grabbing his impressive, military, captain issued sword and pointed it at Matt's face. All the bystanders gasped.
"You were saying, Lieutenant?" Christian asked with a smug look on his face.
"Crap, C-c-captain!" Matt saluted to the higher ranking officer. "At your service, sir!"
Without even looking down, the Captain stabbed the cobblestone road with his sword underneath Conner's moustache, chopping half of it off.
"My 'stache!"
"Listen, fellas, I know you guys must be embarrassed that you were just outsmarted by a street performer, but could you direct me to the Palace of Justice?"
One their way to the Palace of Justice, Christian's guides pushed several peasants out of the way. Feeling the ground change underneath his feet, he bent down to pick up a few gold coins. Matt and Conner were already walking ahead past a hunched over and cloaked form smoking a pipe with a familiar hat. Feeling sympathetic for the person, while he walked by, he dropped the coins into the hat. Unbeknowst of him that the hooded figure was Zero on top of Sookie's head smoking a pipe. Both watched the Captain walk away with Apollo.
"Palace of Justice...?" she muttered underneath her breath.
Christian pushed open the door to the dungeons of the Palace of Justice. A few yards away was an elderly looking man and a shorter one holding a whip.
"Guard, ease up. Wait between the give lashes, or else the stinging pain before the new one will dull."
"Yes sir," with a smile, the man walked back into a chamber and returned to flogging whatever poor soul was on the receiving end.
The brunette loudly cleared his throat to get Jax's attention, which only took a second.
"Ah, the wonderful Captain Christian, back from the war~!"
"Reporting for duty, Judge Hudson," the younger replied in a confident tone.
"Your service record is remarkable, top notch in my book. Although, no one seems to compare to your flawless battling. Nevertheless, I expect nothing but the best of your abilities to be shown while under my command."
"No problem there, sir, guranteed."
"Very good, you know my last Captain of the Guards was quite the disappointment to my standards."
At that moment, the loudest CRACK ripped through the air and ringed through both men's ears. The pain filled cry that followed suit brought a grin to Jax's face, but reminded Christian too much of the war.. bad memories that he did not feel like remembering.
"Well whatever, I'm more than sure you will whip my men into shape." Jax grin grew as he walked down the hall.
"Right, right, it's a tremendous honor to be praised so well by you," the latter followed after the judge.
Side by side they walked up a flight of stone stairs into the actual Palace of Justice, a much more pleasant sight. Walking on the balcony eased the soldier's mind.
"I'm sorry to inform you that you have returned to Paris in it's darkest hour. It will take a firm hand to make sure that the weak minded citizens are not mislead," the grey haired man explained.
"Mislead, sir?" Christian questioned, confused.
"Look Captain," Jax pointed down at the ground where the same redhaired girl was dancing. "Gyspies, the gypsies are vial people and must be stopped before they corrupt the innocent."
Okay, there is WAAAAAAAYY too much architecture involving Notre Dame. Like seriously, I don't mean to sound like an artistic dunce, but I hardly know anything about architecture besides what I hear on How I Met Your Mother and from my Introduction to Arts class I had Freshmen year of high school.
Sorry it took so long, been busy and I'm not in the best of moods right now. D: I have cramps and I'm sick. So it's best not to criticize me or else I'll get really upset and probably threaten to kill you or harm you in detailed ways.