Before being sent to the train, all tributes had the right to say their final goodbyes to family and friends. The line inside Town Hall to see both Cosette and Alphonse was so large that it had to be sorted out: only close family members (this was an important one, because the Williams family tree stretched almost across to almost all of 8), close coworkers and friends, and Max. He had been released with a warning. Peacekeepers were usually permissive with hysterical loved ones in the reaping context. She was sitting in the corner of a heavily decorated room. Tons of deep purple and gold were predominant, especially in the lining of the chairs and fully sofas. Instead, she sat next to the window, staring at the foggy silhouette of the rising moon. A hand touched her shoulder and she turned back to see Brigitte, her older sister, knelling next to her with red eyes.
-Listen, I know there is no way I can ask you this, but I have to ask you this - she started, only to be cut off by Cosette -You don t have to she tried to smile I ll do it.
-You realize what that means, right?
-I must die to send Alphonse home. She got up pulling Bridgette to her embrace. And she hugged her back, tightly. Bridge, you were more than a mother to me: my best friend, my confident, my ground. That s it. You were the ground, the earth that allowed me to grow. There is nothing in this world I wouldn t do for you. And for Al. I adore him with every beat of my heart.
-I love you so much dear sister, more than you will ever know. And so does he she looked in her face and a tear fell to her long blond curls I could never, in a thousand years, thank you enough.
-Again, you don t have to.
Their mother was never the nurturing type. And so wasn t their father. In that sense, they were perfect for each other. Miran and Dortmund Williams would never be crowned parents of the year. Their seven children could not be used as an excuse not to be more present. Both of them quit their jobs as soon as the income of children as enough to sustain the house and their habits. Drinking habits, per say. They could spend a whole week without showing up at home, especially after pay day. All work fell in to Brigitte s shoulders, which singlehandedly raised 6 brothers until the day she herself got married. And even then, she could not find the courage to leave them behind. Specially Cosette. She was just 5 at the time, and completely helpless. That was the Cosette she remembered as she stared at her. Her face lighten by the moonlight. Then, the rest of the family stormed through the room, and her mother dramatically shoved Bridgette away, grabbing Cosette and saying between heavy alcohol scented kisses:
-Oh, my baby! My sweet little baby! I can t believe you are going to die!
Well, tanks a lot mom! Nice way to sugar coat it!, she thought, releasing herself from her grasp. Around her stood her other brothers, trying to conceal their sadness with a soft smile. Her second oldest sister, a short chubby, and very blond young woman called Rosette, grabbed a red ribbon from her apron pocket. She no longer lived at the family s house, instead she got married at 17 and left to the outskirts of the town. She ran away, as far as possible, from her parents. Sometimes, she secretly visited her siblings, always at the work place. She tied the ribbon on Cosette s high pony tail.
-Mechanics are allowed to use red. It looks great on you.
She tried to answer with a smile, when her two twin brothers held her at the same time, almost cutting off her air. They were not identical, since Deimos had gotten much bulkier than Phobos. Long hours working at the quarry can do that to a person. Besides that, they were almost identical: very tall and dark haired, like their sister, but with blue eyes, like the rest of the family. -Damn Cosette, we told you not to sign so many times to tesarae! You never listen mumbled Phobos, between sobs -You have 400 entries yourself -But I m stronger than you! -Thanks a lot bro! She replied with angst. It was very unpleasant to be underestimated, but, at the same time she could you that as an advantage.
-Sorry Cossie. I love - staring at his twin we love you very much!
Then came running Micca, that hugged tried helplessly to hug the three of them, until he was given the space for a moment with his sister. He was the only blond boy in the family, with such pale complexion that made him look like a doll. His curly hair reminded Cosette of the angels that the ancestors worshiped. A long time ago, in the time of abundance and irresponsibility, people believed that there was something other than this life. -Stay in school, yes? she asked him, kissing his cheek I know you can do it! Can you promise me that you will, at least try?
-Yes Micca wasn t holding his tears don t die. I miss you already!
In the other side of the room, standing in the shadows against the wall, Dortmund was smoking a cigarette. The faint yellow light shimmered until he finally threw it to the ground, walking towards her. She tried really hard to recollect some kind of happy memory of him. Something comforting, to give her strength. But the only slightly decent thing she reminded him doing was fathering Alphonse, after the precocious death of his father, even before he was born. No father, no last name that s the law in 8. -Anette couldn t make it. She had to be sedated he stated with a blank expression -Please, give her my good clothes when she wakes up. I m sure she will appreciate them.
-I know.
-Not the green and red ones, she can t wear those colors -I know.
There was an awkward silence until he finally leaned on her shoulder and whispered in to her ear: You were never my favorite one. Too nice and moralist for my taste, honestly. But I never wished you any harm, and now I wish you the best of luck to do whatever you are planning to do. That remark almost broke Cosette s spirit, making her want to shout the worst profanities at his face. But he continued. And, I love you, ok? , ok she whispered back.
Time was running short, and Maxwell peaked at the door. That was the cue for all of them to leave. Between hugs and kisses, they finally left the young couple alone, standing in front of each other, paralyzed. There was a whole long room keeping them apart, at least until Max drew a faint smile across his face, which made Cosette jump to his arms. With her legs tightly wrapped around his waist, she grabbed his face, and looked directly in to his eyes. For a couple of seconds she tried to reach his soul, the very core of his being, to convey feelings that she could not express verbally. There was something about him, his touch, his smell, his embrace that made her feel safe. Not the type of motherly safety she got from Bridgette, but something much stronger, that made her believe that she could take the world by storm. Being with him made her think of the future, of babies, a home, growing old, and all types of nonsense that make normal people happy. So she kissed him, with passion, eagerly soaking every second of it. At the back of her mind she could almost see the moment they met. The main ceiling fan at the peacemaker uniform factory had broken. Factories are by norm hot noisy and smelly, but without some sort of cooling system, they became a nightmarish torture device. Therefore she was called to repair said thing. Little did the factory s owners know that that was one of her first solo repairs. It takes at least 7 years of apprenticeship to actually become a fully certified mechanic. She was just in her third, highly dependant of her master s guidance, whom unfortunally was too ill to join her that day. Holding her very heavy tool case, she climbed up the metal beams of the factory, until she finally reached a place to wobble and jump to the fan. It was a risky move, but certainly not as risky as using the almost rotten wooden staircase the factory offered her. After getting to the main system of the fan, she tried to pull its motor out, in order to clean it from dust particles, which seemed to be the problem. But, instead of carefully removing it, she pulled it in such a way that a heavy screw got loose, bounced of the fan and hit her right on the forehead. With the impact, she momentarily lost her senses, as well as the grip on the fan and fell off. That would have been a very serious, if not life threatening injury, if the fall hadn t been cushioned by Max s body, that naively tried to catch her. At the speed she felt, it was obviously too much weight for him to handle, so they both hit the ground. They were both ok, but he took most of the impact, and still was able to shake Cosette back to her senses.
-Hi there. she said grabbing her forehead in pain. did i fell?
He shook his head, affirmatively. -Well, it s nice to meet you! More than nice actually, it s wonderful. Thanks for catching me and all she giggled I m pretty sure you are my new hero! I m Cosette Williams, and I work as a mechanic at the fine cloths factory. This right here she pointed at the fan was a favor. My master owes the factory owner something bites me, I don t know what! she expected him to introduce himself, but he kept silent uh if you ever need something from me, not hesitate to ask she paused again, waiting for a proper introduction, that didn t happen; this both confused and annoyed her Really? What? Have we met before? Have I been rude to you? Come on dude!
And then, a weaver shouted at her: He is a mute, Williams! which made her blush to her bones.
-Erm I m sorry! She looked at him, in shame, and all he did was scribble on note book he kept on his pocket. The note said You talk too much. I m Max, nice to meet you Then they realized that they were still sitting in the dirty ground, wasting time while they should be working. None of their bosses would appreciate that. Both got up and shook hands, and their eyes crossed. Just for a split second and it was enough. Max ran to his old clunky motorcycle; he was already running late for a cloth delivery. Trains do not wait for tardy couriers. The next week he staked her, watching her leave the factory every single day. And in the following week he waited for her with a bouquet of stolen flowers. They were inseparable ever since.
Their lips finally separated and he carried her to a golden chair next to the painting of a beautiful landscape that clearly wasn t located on district 8. Then he pulls of a cylindrical metal device, similar to a very thick round bracelet, and inserted her wrist in it. Cosette s face lit up. That was the most wonderful gesture a man could ever do to a woman. A tear ran across her face, but she could not help but giggle and give a wide smile. The kind of smile she thought would never happen again.
-Are you sure about this? You will be a widow very soon she asked, and his eyes said yes. He also looked emotional, but kept it together, trying to make the little machine work.
That was a wedding bracelet. In 8 when couples decide to get married, they may or may not decide to celebrate it, but it is mandatory to go to Town Hall and use said device. It was basically a special tattoo machine. Tattoos are literally used as a method to brand people. Workers bear the specific code of their factory on the shoulder, criminals have specific marks, according to the degree of their misconduct, tattooed on the hands, and finally, married couples get swirly designs on the right wrist. They were permanent and a good way to see whose people had more than one official partner.
-Where did you get these? It usually takes months to rent them Max answered her question with a playful smirk, and then she was positively sure that he had stolen it. Being mute made him extra sensitive of sounds around him, and that was a great advantage when someone wants to be silent and live under the radar. I love you, you know? You are the only man I have ever loved or had any interest for that matter in my life, and I just want you to know how much you mean to me; before it s too late.
It was not the first time she confessed her love. Cosette was not shy about her feelings and opinions. And he loved it about her; she spoke for both of them. But, due to the circumstances, that felt more like a goodbye than anything else, so, to stop her from talking he kissed her, deeply. The bracelet was then put in Maxwell s arm and he got the exact same tattoo as his wife. It was just their own design, unique for them alone. They both new this state of bliss wouldn t last for much longer. Soon, a peacemaker would storm in the room and reality slowly started to sink in again. The tension could be cut with a knife, when Max showed Cosette a note saying If the kid dies for some reason, promise me you won t kill yourself. She clenched at the idea. The thought of coming back to 8 without Al was almost too much to handle. But, in second thought, he had a point. It was not going to happen. She would never let that happen, but, if by chance she were to outlive her nephew, she promised to do her best effort to come back to him. And what an effort it would be! But a very worthy one.
-Listen, I know there is no way I can ask you this, but I have to ask you this - she started, only to be cut off by Cosette -You don t have to she tried to smile I ll do it.
-You realize what that means, right?
-I must die to send Alphonse home. She got up pulling Bridgette to her embrace. And she hugged her back, tightly. Bridge, you were more than a mother to me: my best friend, my confident, my ground. That s it. You were the ground, the earth that allowed me to grow. There is nothing in this world I wouldn t do for you. And for Al. I adore him with every beat of my heart.
-I love you so much dear sister, more than you will ever know. And so does he she looked in her face and a tear fell to her long blond curls I could never, in a thousand years, thank you enough.
-Again, you don t have to.
Their mother was never the nurturing type. And so wasn t their father. In that sense, they were perfect for each other. Miran and Dortmund Williams would never be crowned parents of the year. Their seven children could not be used as an excuse not to be more present. Both of them quit their jobs as soon as the income of children as enough to sustain the house and their habits. Drinking habits, per say. They could spend a whole week without showing up at home, especially after pay day. All work fell in to Brigitte s shoulders, which singlehandedly raised 6 brothers until the day she herself got married. And even then, she could not find the courage to leave them behind. Specially Cosette. She was just 5 at the time, and completely helpless. That was the Cosette she remembered as she stared at her. Her face lighten by the moonlight. Then, the rest of the family stormed through the room, and her mother dramatically shoved Bridgette away, grabbing Cosette and saying between heavy alcohol scented kisses:
-Oh, my baby! My sweet little baby! I can t believe you are going to die!
Well, tanks a lot mom! Nice way to sugar coat it!, she thought, releasing herself from her grasp. Around her stood her other brothers, trying to conceal their sadness with a soft smile. Her second oldest sister, a short chubby, and very blond young woman called Rosette, grabbed a red ribbon from her apron pocket. She no longer lived at the family s house, instead she got married at 17 and left to the outskirts of the town. She ran away, as far as possible, from her parents. Sometimes, she secretly visited her siblings, always at the work place. She tied the ribbon on Cosette s high pony tail.
-Mechanics are allowed to use red. It looks great on you.
She tried to answer with a smile, when her two twin brothers held her at the same time, almost cutting off her air. They were not identical, since Deimos had gotten much bulkier than Phobos. Long hours working at the quarry can do that to a person. Besides that, they were almost identical: very tall and dark haired, like their sister, but with blue eyes, like the rest of the family. -Damn Cosette, we told you not to sign so many times to tesarae! You never listen mumbled Phobos, between sobs -You have 400 entries yourself -But I m stronger than you! -Thanks a lot bro! She replied with angst. It was very unpleasant to be underestimated, but, at the same time she could you that as an advantage.
-Sorry Cossie. I love - staring at his twin we love you very much!
Then came running Micca, that hugged tried helplessly to hug the three of them, until he was given the space for a moment with his sister. He was the only blond boy in the family, with such pale complexion that made him look like a doll. His curly hair reminded Cosette of the angels that the ancestors worshiped. A long time ago, in the time of abundance and irresponsibility, people believed that there was something other than this life. -Stay in school, yes? she asked him, kissing his cheek I know you can do it! Can you promise me that you will, at least try?
-Yes Micca wasn t holding his tears don t die. I miss you already!
In the other side of the room, standing in the shadows against the wall, Dortmund was smoking a cigarette. The faint yellow light shimmered until he finally threw it to the ground, walking towards her. She tried really hard to recollect some kind of happy memory of him. Something comforting, to give her strength. But the only slightly decent thing she reminded him doing was fathering Alphonse, after the precocious death of his father, even before he was born. No father, no last name that s the law in 8. -Anette couldn t make it. She had to be sedated he stated with a blank expression -Please, give her my good clothes when she wakes up. I m sure she will appreciate them.
-I know.
-Not the green and red ones, she can t wear those colors -I know.
There was an awkward silence until he finally leaned on her shoulder and whispered in to her ear: You were never my favorite one. Too nice and moralist for my taste, honestly. But I never wished you any harm, and now I wish you the best of luck to do whatever you are planning to do. That remark almost broke Cosette s spirit, making her want to shout the worst profanities at his face. But he continued. And, I love you, ok? , ok she whispered back.
Time was running short, and Maxwell peaked at the door. That was the cue for all of them to leave. Between hugs and kisses, they finally left the young couple alone, standing in front of each other, paralyzed. There was a whole long room keeping them apart, at least until Max drew a faint smile across his face, which made Cosette jump to his arms. With her legs tightly wrapped around his waist, she grabbed his face, and looked directly in to his eyes. For a couple of seconds she tried to reach his soul, the very core of his being, to convey feelings that she could not express verbally. There was something about him, his touch, his smell, his embrace that made her feel safe. Not the type of motherly safety she got from Bridgette, but something much stronger, that made her believe that she could take the world by storm. Being with him made her think of the future, of babies, a home, growing old, and all types of nonsense that make normal people happy. So she kissed him, with passion, eagerly soaking every second of it. At the back of her mind she could almost see the moment they met. The main ceiling fan at the peacemaker uniform factory had broken. Factories are by norm hot noisy and smelly, but without some sort of cooling system, they became a nightmarish torture device. Therefore she was called to repair said thing. Little did the factory s owners know that that was one of her first solo repairs. It takes at least 7 years of apprenticeship to actually become a fully certified mechanic. She was just in her third, highly dependant of her master s guidance, whom unfortunally was too ill to join her that day. Holding her very heavy tool case, she climbed up the metal beams of the factory, until she finally reached a place to wobble and jump to the fan. It was a risky move, but certainly not as risky as using the almost rotten wooden staircase the factory offered her. After getting to the main system of the fan, she tried to pull its motor out, in order to clean it from dust particles, which seemed to be the problem. But, instead of carefully removing it, she pulled it in such a way that a heavy screw got loose, bounced of the fan and hit her right on the forehead. With the impact, she momentarily lost her senses, as well as the grip on the fan and fell off. That would have been a very serious, if not life threatening injury, if the fall hadn t been cushioned by Max s body, that naively tried to catch her. At the speed she felt, it was obviously too much weight for him to handle, so they both hit the ground. They were both ok, but he took most of the impact, and still was able to shake Cosette back to her senses.
-Hi there. she said grabbing her forehead in pain. did i fell?
He shook his head, affirmatively. -Well, it s nice to meet you! More than nice actually, it s wonderful. Thanks for catching me and all she giggled I m pretty sure you are my new hero! I m Cosette Williams, and I work as a mechanic at the fine cloths factory. This right here she pointed at the fan was a favor. My master owes the factory owner something bites me, I don t know what! she expected him to introduce himself, but he kept silent uh if you ever need something from me, not hesitate to ask she paused again, waiting for a proper introduction, that didn t happen; this both confused and annoyed her Really? What? Have we met before? Have I been rude to you? Come on dude!
And then, a weaver shouted at her: He is a mute, Williams! which made her blush to her bones.
-Erm I m sorry! She looked at him, in shame, and all he did was scribble on note book he kept on his pocket. The note said You talk too much. I m Max, nice to meet you Then they realized that they were still sitting in the dirty ground, wasting time while they should be working. None of their bosses would appreciate that. Both got up and shook hands, and their eyes crossed. Just for a split second and it was enough. Max ran to his old clunky motorcycle; he was already running late for a cloth delivery. Trains do not wait for tardy couriers. The next week he staked her, watching her leave the factory every single day. And in the following week he waited for her with a bouquet of stolen flowers. They were inseparable ever since.
Their lips finally separated and he carried her to a golden chair next to the painting of a beautiful landscape that clearly wasn t located on district 8. Then he pulls of a cylindrical metal device, similar to a very thick round bracelet, and inserted her wrist in it. Cosette s face lit up. That was the most wonderful gesture a man could ever do to a woman. A tear ran across her face, but she could not help but giggle and give a wide smile. The kind of smile she thought would never happen again.
-Are you sure about this? You will be a widow very soon she asked, and his eyes said yes. He also looked emotional, but kept it together, trying to make the little machine work.
That was a wedding bracelet. In 8 when couples decide to get married, they may or may not decide to celebrate it, but it is mandatory to go to Town Hall and use said device. It was basically a special tattoo machine. Tattoos are literally used as a method to brand people. Workers bear the specific code of their factory on the shoulder, criminals have specific marks, according to the degree of their misconduct, tattooed on the hands, and finally, married couples get swirly designs on the right wrist. They were permanent and a good way to see whose people had more than one official partner.
-Where did you get these? It usually takes months to rent them Max answered her question with a playful smirk, and then she was positively sure that he had stolen it. Being mute made him extra sensitive of sounds around him, and that was a great advantage when someone wants to be silent and live under the radar. I love you, you know? You are the only man I have ever loved or had any interest for that matter in my life, and I just want you to know how much you mean to me; before it s too late.
It was not the first time she confessed her love. Cosette was not shy about her feelings and opinions. And he loved it about her; she spoke for both of them. But, due to the circumstances, that felt more like a goodbye than anything else, so, to stop her from talking he kissed her, deeply. The bracelet was then put in Maxwell s arm and he got the exact same tattoo as his wife. It was just their own design, unique for them alone. They both new this state of bliss wouldn t last for much longer. Soon, a peacemaker would storm in the room and reality slowly started to sink in again. The tension could be cut with a knife, when Max showed Cosette a note saying If the kid dies for some reason, promise me you won t kill yourself. She clenched at the idea. The thought of coming back to 8 without Al was almost too much to handle. But, in second thought, he had a point. It was not going to happen. She would never let that happen, but, if by chance she were to outlive her nephew, she promised to do her best effort to come back to him. And what an effort it would be! But a very worthy one.