The drive along Rue de Vieux Orléans never ceased to create a sense of elation for Léon, especially when his eyes wandered up to the window on the 3rd floor. Every once in a while, she'd phone him and invite him over if it was one of her off days. Though she hadn't done that in quite some time. Usually, when he'd get there, she'd be standing at the 3rd story window of her living room with an infant on her hip, waving at him. But today, his eyes were peering up at vacancy.

"Is this it?" Joliet asked, sounding unimpressed.

"Yeah." he responded, stepping out of the driver's side and closing the door.

He started up the steps and located 3F on the door buzzer panel with his finger. Standing there with his hands on his hips, his eyes wandered up to the brick above the front door and sighed. Half-expectedly, he thought Joliet would've at least gotten out of the car and waited at his side, but as he turned his head back across the street where he parked, he shot her a you've gotta be kidding me look at her.

"What're you doing?"

"You're supposed to open the door for me!"

What the fuck! "Just open the damn thing and get up here!"

A lilty voice came over the intercom, pulling his attention back to the panel. Kzzztttkkktt "Who is iiiiit?"

Léon pressed the button, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he spoke into the intercom in a feigned impression of Death. "I've come to collect your soul." he growled demonically.

"Oh, god," she panicked, "ummm… ummm…!"

Léon snickered. "Roxy, relax. It's me."

"JC! Hiiii! You scared me half to death! I thought you were one of those Hell Patrol weirdos."

He laughed. "No, it's just me. I've got a visitor with me, too. Is that okay, or…?"

Kzzzkktt "Oh, sure! It's fine." The sound of a toddler wailing in the background came over the intercom before the connection cut off.

Must be Eponine's nap time, he presumed.

Of course, Joliet was still seated in the passenger's seat with her arms crossed, like a child refusing to do as they're told. Her fingers tapped along the lines of her forearm impatiently as Léon's eyes rolled to the sky and he let out a heavy sigh. Feeling that arguing with her further would prove to be more pointless, he stormed over and opened the car door for her. This was bullshit. What was he, her butler or something?

Joliet stepped out of the vehicle haughtily and swished her hair back over her shoulder as she walked by. " Merci beaucoup. "

In an act of servitude, he smiled; but behind her back, that smile transformed into a hateful scowl. He raised the middle finger indignantly before closing the car door, and made his way through the entrance of the shabby apartment.

The main lobby had cheap, beige tiles for flooring, cracked windows, and wall paneling missing along the base where it met the floor. Some of the tiles would slide out as Léon walked over them, making it apparent that the landlord never bothered to have them glued back in place for whatever reason.

The railing of the staircase wobbled slightly as Joliet grabbed it and made her ascent. To make matters worse, one of the stairs had a ruptured hole where the wood had begun deteriorating due to water leakage.

"Ugh. Someone should fix this."

"No shit…" Léon snidely remarked.

He had mentioned it several times to the owner of the building in the past, each encounter a little more demanding than the last. That lazy ass with his lame excuses… it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt. Climbing the stairs to the third floor, Léon led Joliet down the hall, passing by doors labeled 3C, 3D, and 3E. Joliet cringed, drawing her hands up to her chest as she shied away from 3D upon harkening to the sound of two people shouting and throwing things.

Léon stopped in front of 3F. With the back of his hand facing it, he lightly knocked on the door and waited for a response. Chains rattled against the wood, a mechanism slid, and a woman enthusiastically opened the door, smiling at him.

"JC~!"

Joliet raised a brow as Roxette leapt into Léon's loving embrace. The sheer impact of her hopping up, and wrapping her legs around him, caused him to stumble back. Thankfully, she wasn't all too heavy to him.

Roxette kissed his forehead. "Wow! I wasn't expecting you to come. You could've called me, y'know."

Léon chuckled softly. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, mission accomplished, Neuromancer. Just don't fry my brain." she teased.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Loud squalling came from the living room, where Léon discerned an infant sitting on the floor, surrounded by baby toys. A rattle clattered to the ground as the baby cried and rubbed their eyes.

"Awww, she's tired." Roxette said, climbing down from Léon's arms. "Poor thing's been up since 5 this morning."

Joliet watched as he entered the apartment and knelt to one knee, holding his arms out to the baby. "Heyyyy, there's my favorite girl in the whole world! What's the matter?" Gently picking her up off the floor, and standing up from kneeling, the baby looked at him, the crying only subsiding somewhat. "Heh. Looks like we're both sleepy."

Roxette and Joliet entered the apartment, closing the door behind them.

"Wow! He's really good with children, isn't he?"

Acknowledging the thoughts Joliet said aloud to herself, Roxette turned to look at her. "Hehe, yeah. JC loves kids." Smiling, she extended her hand forward with enthusiasm, making Joliet eye her up and down. "Name's Roxette Capulet! Pleased to meet you, um…?"

Joliet's vision trailed back to her hand as if she found the gesture alien. Instead of returning the handshake, she curtsied, and superciliously replied, "I am Joliet Jousset, the Emperor's daughter."

An awkward laugh escaped Roxette's lips. "Oh! A roleplayer! That's so cool!" She took Joliet off-guard, grabbing her by the hand and shaking it vigorously. "It's nice to meetcha, Joliet. Are you one of JC's new friends?"

Joliet yanked her hand free, shooting her a disdainful look. "As a matter of fact, we are most certainly not friends."

Roxette cocked her head. "Oh? Then are you two… erm, y'know…" She pressed her fingertips together, worrying what the answer might be before blurting it out loud. "...dating?"

Joliet's face contorted with outrage. Léon snapped his head in their direction with a disbelieving palor coloring his face. In unison, both she and Léon piped up in exasperation. "What?!"

With him rushing over with the baby in his arms, and Joliet not withholding her self-defense, both unleashed a mess of explanations, the mixture of their loud, frantic voices making them all the more incoherent. Roxette darted her head between the two as they not only did their best to explain, but argued.

"Okay, look I don't know this girl…"

"...and like an idiot, I took the wrong train…"

"...I don't even like bots! That's like dating an escalator!"

"...a landfill of all places! A landfill! …"

"...or a refrigerator…"

"...I would never date a loser like him!"

"...she's a classist cow…"

"... And his face is all over the —"

Léon threw his hand over her mouth, causing her to let out a muffled squeal. "Shut the fuck up!" he hissed.

Joliet pulled his hand away and growled in annoyance. "Keep your filthy hands off me, or I'll cut them off!"

"Oh-hoooo!" Léon daringly held his hands up with his palms facing him. "Well, come on, we're waiting for the gory bits, you dumb robot. Let's go! Whack 'em off!"

The bickering between them grew more and more unbearable until, finally, Roxette intervened. "Okay, okay!" Both of their sentences were cut short, and the two looked at her. "I guess that answers my question. Anyways, it's very nice to meet you, Joliet."

Léon scoffed.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance as well."

Eponine's cries of distress grew louder, prompting Léon to hold her close to him while he patted her back and slipped into parentese. "Awww, did the mean bot scare you? Sh-sh-sh-sh, it's okay."

Joliet stomped her foot and grit her teeth. "Grrr…!"

Roxette rummaged through her refrigerator and pulled out a carton of eggs. "You guys hungry? I can make omelets."

"I don't eat." Joliet said, waving her hand matter-of-factly. "I'm an android."

"Really?! Ooooh, fancy! You're so life-like I didn't even notice. How about you, JC?"

Léon was too preoccupied with blowing raspberries on Eponine's stomach that he didn't hear the question. Baby laughter filled the living room, as well as exaggerating baby talk. "Uncle JC's gonna eat you for breakfast. Better watch out, AaaaTHBBBBPPPPTT!" Another raspberry sent Eponine into a fit of laughter, bringing a smile to Joliet's face.


"Ahhh, I think he's a little busy right now."

"Oh." Roxette looked down at the eggs, then beamed with smiling eyes. "No big deal! I can always make some later." Sticking the carton back in the refrigerator, she sighed and spun around to speak to Joliet. "Soooo, what brings you two to the neighborhood?"

Joliet flung her hair back over her shoulder. "Ah. Well, since you asked," she stood straight and placed both hands over the island, "these past few days have been the worst . To make a long story short, let's just say I took the wrong train from the capital and ended up here. That's when I was viciously attacked by a group of criminals."

"Oh, god!" Roxette's face expressed genuine concern. "Are you okay?!"

"I certainly hope so. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm exactly the way I was when I arrived, because some guy pulled me out of a landfill. And I have a sneaky suspicion he could have installed some third party hardware in my system."

Roxette's inner brows turned upward. "That's awful…"

Joliet sighed. "Anyway, as I'm sure you've noticed, all I have to wear is this curtain. Which I find to be highly unfashionable to say the least. Léon brought me here because he said you could help in that regard…?"

"Ohhh! Well, you've come to the right place! I think I may have some outfits that'll fit you." She delightfully took Joliet by the hand and led her down the narrow hallway. "Come on, let's go to my room."

At the end of the tiny hall was a pastel mint green door with some of the paint peeled in several spots. As Roxette pushed it open, Joliet looked aghast at all the posters decorating her bedroom wall. From dark wave musicians to torn out magazine clippings, Roxette had it plastered over the place.

There were a few shelves with small novelties such as angels and butterflies ornamenting them. There was something else Joliet's eyes picked up on. A picture of a vibrant blue swallowtail butterfly pasted above her bed. Among the many butterfly pictures were a variety of birds that looked like they'd been printed off of a website, cut out, and glued over a scrapbook page.

Roxette skipped over to her closet and hummed to herself as the sound of hangers sliding across a metal rail made Joliet feel relieved. Finally. She was going to be rid of that ugly curtain for good. As she swiped lint off of Roxette's azure comforter, she plopped down onto her bed sitting elegantly with one leg crossed over the other.

"Oooh, how about this one?" Roxette brought out a red bustier with black rhinestones dangling along the trim. With it, she held up a matching pair of hotpants that, to Joliet, was a bit too sassy for her tastes.

She scoffed, bewildered she would offer up something so… slutty. "Erm, perhaps not." she made sure to say politely.

"Really? You don't like it?"

Wasn't that implication made rather clear the first time? Jolied eyed it distastefully. "I prefer to dress more appropriately, if you don't mind."

"Oh. Welllll, how about this?" Roxette pulled out a showy halter top that was just butterfly wings colored in a gradient of blue and green with the border being solid black. Thin, ebony strings dangled from it, giving Joliet the notion they were supposed to fit over the shoulders as well as lace up in the back with as many as she saw.

Joliet chuffed softly. "What are you, some kind of stripper?"

Roxette poised herself pridefully with a big grin on her face. "Used to be! Then I got pregnant with Eponine."

Her show of being unabashedly happy about it caught her off guard. To think she was finally relieved to be dressing tastefully only to be slammed with scandalous options like these. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd sooner keep wearing the makeshift dress she already had on. Rather than be rude, and continue to voice her opinions harshly, Joliet internally reminded herself that she is a princess. It would be unbecoming of the only heir to France to treat someone extending a helping hand in such a manner.

Composing herself, and shoving her superficial thoughts aside, she simply said, "Oh."

Roxette sung the lyrics to Forever Young under her breath while she skimmed her closet for the perfect outfit. "Hmmm. I don't want to get rid of this one, though."

The inner mechanisms of Joliet's ears picked up what she'd said, and she looked over. Roxette was holding up a lime green top similar to the butterfly wings, only this was two halves of a broken heart laced with metallic colored thread.

Quirking her brow at it, Joliet surmised that even with it fastened properly it showed off practically everything on a woman's body. Below it was a black, pleated miniskirt that hardly covered Roxette's thighs. At first, Joliet could only think of how off-putting her wardrobe was, but then she noticed that Roxette's demeanor had changed from happy-go-lucky to a look of yearning for the past.

Letting out a sigh, the hanger in her hands sank limply at her side as she leaned her back against the edge of her closet. "Do you ever just look at something and get hit with fond memories?" she asked.

"Sometimes. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. It's just… the first time JC ever kissed me, I was wearing this." Her lips curved into a soft smile.

Wait, kissed her?! Joliet turned whilst sitting, feeling the itch to satisfy her curiosity. "Hold on. You mean to tell me that he's courting you? Or am I mistaken?"

"Huh? What, you mean like… dating?"

Joliet nodded. "Mhm."

Roxette giggled as a surge of red flooded her cheeks. Her eyes trailed off, finding the bedroom window and she began gazing longingly through it. "I want to," she admitted, "but things are complicated for us. You see, I'm not al —" she stopped herself and there was a long pause.

"You're not what?"

"I mean… my mom, she… umm…" Joliet noted a hint of fear in her eyes as she stumbled over her words. "...i-i-it's just complicated, that's all. No big deal."

She returned the sentimental outfit back on the rail and resumed browsing her selection. "Besides, I'm sure he'll find someone that makes him happy someday." Roxette frowned, her fingers stopping on one of the hangers. "It's fine, though. Of course thinking about it makes me sad, but… all I could ever want is for him to be happy. Even if his future doesn't have me in it." Her smile was forced.

With the way Roxette was acting, and the words coming out of her mouth, Joliet couldn't help but feel like this wasn't anything like being afraid to confess her feelings at all, but something much darker. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She wanted to inquire more, but felt that it was a little rude in spite of Roxette willingly speaking about it. Changing the subject, Roxette's tone returned to the same cheeriness as before.

"A-anyways, you can try this one on if you want. It's way too small for me, 'cause, uh… you know… big bazookas and all that, hehe."

Seeing the third option on display in Roxette's hands, Joliet merely assumed it was yet another showy outfit. However, this one was different. While the top concealed a good bit of the upper body, the miniskirt with a slit on each side made her want to reconsider. But something in her circuitry told her that it's possible she wasn't going to get any better choices than this, so she stood up from the bed and procured it from Roxette.

With her help, she was finally able to get it on. She sauntered over to the mirror on the dresser and studied her reflection. "Wow!" Roxette exclaimed. "It fits you perfectly! You can keep it if you want. Consider it a gift, okay?"

Joliet had to admit: she quite liked the lilac on white motif; it suited her. The flower ornaments that lined her chest to her neck were a nice touch, as were the white thigh-high boots. Which she was very skeptical about wearing at first glance. Roxette had even given her a pair of moonflower earrings, and muted purple bangles to match. She felt it wasn't necessary, but Joliet appreciated the kind gesture all the same. The more she stared at herself in the mirror, she could feel a sense of empowerment in her new getup.

Actually… this look compliments me. Huh. I like it!

Turning around to look at Roxette, she smiled. " Merci beaucoup. "

Roxette giggled. " De rien! Don't worry about it. I was happy to help."

"I'm sorry if I seemed rude earlier." Or rather, sorry for misjudging you. she internally added.

"Oh, no, you weren't rude at all! Hey, if you ever need anything else, just let me know. Or if you need more clothes, you can have JC drive you here and —"

Joliet waved her hands in front of her. "Nononono that's okay! Haha. I'm fairly certain I have everything I need. Thank you, though." She was then taken by surprise when Roxette held her hands and squealed in a sudden burst of excitement.

"Why don't we go show JC your new look?! I bet he'll like it!"

Joliet cringed. "Err, what for?"

"I don't know. Just because…?"

I suppose he's going to see me anyway," she reasoned, "ugh, I wish he wasn't. He's the last person I want gawking at me. She begrudgingly agreed, and they left the room. Each step pronounced the sinking lead in her stomach.

Oh, she could just hear him now: Hehehh. It's an improvement, but only just a little bit.

To that thought, she pursed her lips and picked up the pace. She was just daring him to open his big mouth. It was when she stepped foot into the living room that the anticipation of his rude remarks crumbled. For, what she was looking at was a man asleep in a sitting position, snoring with a sleeping baby lying on his chest.

Okay, she had to admit it — they did look cute. "Should we wake him up?" she asked.

Roxette took in the sight of Eponine and her father sleeping, bringing a warm smile to her face. "Nahhh, let them sleep. In the meantime, why don't we go for a walk?"


Just before they had left, Roxette asked Joliet to wait for her by the door while she combed through a jewelry box and took out two large feather earrings. The balls that hooked to her earlobes were black, as black tufts below it mixed with sky blue. Beneath that, the feathers were green with blue at their tips.

Roxette clipped them to her ears and stared woefully at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She recalled how painful the path to get them was, though the true underlying reason she obtained them was still mystifying.

On the eve of her mother's god-awful visit, the day she'd announced to her she was a grandmother no less, the events that transpired had left Roxette with a pain she couldn't describe in words if she'd tried. All she could think about was how shitty she felt for lying to Léon, and the fear her mother instilled within her.

The fear of telling the truth, the fear that something horrible would happen to Léon if she dared go against her wishes. With Siouxsie proving time and time again to be unpredictable, and knowing she had connections with the Parisian underworld, she worried that making choices — in this case, the right one — would lead her down a road of never ending suffering.

In her immense sorrow, while she lay on the couch sobbing with her face buried in a throw pillow, all she could think about was telling Léon the truth, telling him about her mother and how cruel she was. Telling him about Eponine and how she was his all along. She imagined the warmth of his loving arms around her, comforting her.

Why can't I just be with you whenever I want? It's not fair! I just want to be with you, and only you!

BADUMP

You were always there for me, even when we drifted apart. Somehow… my walk through life always led back to you…

BADUMP

The last thing I ever wanted was to lie to you. Especially about Eponine. She's yours, JC. Ours… I have to tell you… I have to tell you the truth!

BADUMP

All of the memories of their time together passed through her mind's eye, each leaping from one to the next. Memories so near and dear to her heart of the things he said, and the tender moments they shared.

I gave you half of my heart last time, and now, I'm giving you the other half. Now you have my whole heart. And as long as you have that, you'll never be weak, because I'll be with you. When you need to cry, and I'm not there, just hold on to that and think of me, okay? Think of me as… ummmm…

What, as a… as a girlfriend?!

Whaaat?! No way! I mean as a… a butterfly!

Huh? A butterfly?

What?! JC, it's only ten-thirty! You'd really wait that many hours?!

For you, I'd wait an eternity.

Pleeeeeease? Just this one time?

Roxy, there's no way I can perform a powerslide, I'm not a pro at this stuff.

For me?

Tell you what: one day I promise that I'll try my best to do a powerslide for you. Good enough?

I'm in love with you.

I don't hate you! I could never hate you!

But… don't you think I sound pathetic? Calling you crying and telling you all of this?

No, of course not. Because a little girl once told me it's okay to cry. You're only human, right? Besides… I couldn't think less of you even if I wanted to.

Whether she was hallucinating or dreaming, she didn't know, but his presence was there. Perceived in a blinding light in front of her was his silhouette.

With his back turned to her, his voice resonated, I'm not going anywhere. Whatever time it is, day or night, I'm here when you need me.

JC… I need you.

An intense energy overwhelmed her senses, and after that, the feeling that her entire body was encased in a block of ice. The world began to fade into black with blurry images of her living room swimming in her vision. Roxette staggered from her couch to the kitchen sink, shakily grabbing what she thought was a cup, but in actuality was the flower pot perched on her window sill. "I can't see…" she rasped.

Her throat and mouth were dry. She had to have water now. Lightheadedness tingled in her head, and weakened her body. A sharp, deafening tinnitus ring pierced her ears. The next thing Roxette remembered, she awoke the next day on the kitchen floor with a massive headache. Fragments of her flower pot lay scattered across the tile. And much to her bewilderment, she was wearing a pair of earrings she'd never owned before.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Those words jolted Roxette out of her self-reflection, bringing her back to the present. Joliet stood in the bathroom entrance with her hands on her hips.

"You were taking a long time, so I thought I'd come and check on you."

Roxette smiled. "I'm okay. Thanks for asking. Are you ready for our walk?"

"Ready when you are."


The city was roaring with life. Land vehicles passed by as Roxette and Joliet ambled side-by-side, using their down time to get better acquainted. Screens on the buildings advertised skincare products, gaming consoles, and — wouldn't you know it — an ad campaign for the French Imperial Legion.

When crisis comes knocking… the Legion will be there to answer. A montage of men and borgs are displayed in what is supposed to be an evocative show of getting stronger, heading into battle, and serving the people of France. So when the Legion knocks on your door… will you heed the call? Visit your local enlistment centers now, or sign up on Legionnaire dot gov.

God, I wish they were here, Joliet thought, come to think of it, I could just borrow a phone from Roxette and call the Imperial Edifice myself. While she mused internally about her situation, another thought sprang to mind. Hmmm. That reminds me! Father had that spy cam installed in my brain. He should be seeing all of this and dispatching soldiers to Skid Row right now, if he hasn't already.

"You okay, Joliet? You've been kinda quiet the past few minutes."

"Oh." she chuckled nervously, "Everything is fine. I was just thinking."

Roxette gave her a knowing look. "Missing home?"

Joliet looked at her, surprised at the spot-on guess. "Um, a little."

A sinking feeling in the core of her chest told her otherwise, and that began a conflicting feeling she wasn't expecting. She knew what life was awaiting her back at home. Uneventful, no friends, an ominous father figure looming over her every move… and then she wondered… if things really were as bad as she knew them to be, then why was she so adamant on returning so quickly?

The feeling of a consoling hand gracing her back, and rubbing circles in it, genuinely felt… soothing. Since her horrific arrival, and the time she'd spent in Skid Row, it was the first comforting gesture a person had given her.

"It's okay," Roxette assured, "everything will work out. You'll see."

"May I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

"Are you… happy living here?"

Roxette smiled, removing her hand from Joliet's back. "Uh-huh! The happiest."

She seemed so confident in her answer. Joliet questioned how anyone could be happy living in a dumpy city like this with the crime rate skyrocketing with each passing year, and the catastrophes broadcasted on the news daily.

Living that sort of life made her assume anyone would be miserable, as it wasn't exactly a life any ordinary person would dream of. Of what she knew of Skid Row, it was hell on earth incarnate. And yet, here walking beside her, was a person she'd just met telling her how happy living there made her feel.

"Forgive me if this comes across as prying, but… what about it makes you happy exactly?"

Roxette hummed. "Well, I guess if I had to answer that honestly, I'd say the main reason is because I have very fond memories of growing up with my dad. He was very protective of me, but at least he was reasonable most of the time. While Skid Row isn't the best place to grow up, I've made a lot of good friends here; some great memories, too. Once a year, I had to take trips to the capital with my mom, which… uh, anyway, I… didn't like it there very much."

"How come?"

They stopped on the street corner, waiting for the pedestrian crossing signal. In that moment, Joliet could tell something was bothering Roxette with the way she was wringing her finger, and staring at her feet. "Do you promise to keep what I'm about to say between us?"

Joliet nodded.

"Okay." She took a deep breath in, then exhaled. "When I visited my mom, it was like everybody had high expectations of me. I couldn't choose who to go out with, I had to sit like a lady all the time; there weren't a whole lot of people I could relate to and build friendships with. When I would let loose and be myself, people looked down on me, especially my mom. I don't want to go too deep into this, but all I will say is that when I was around her, I constantly felt like all the choices I made were the wrong ones. Like she was policing every little thing I did or said. It just felt terrible, always thinking that all I'll ever be is a mistake in her eyes."

The signal flashed, and the two girls started across the street. "Being with her is like… having all of my freedom ripped away from me. It's kind of like being a bird in a cage, y'know? Like being myself is a crime. But yeah. Living in the capital made me feel alienated from everybody else. And that's not the life I want to live. You know what's funny, though?"

"What?"

Roxette laughed softly to herself, her gaze wandering to the sidewalk in front of her. "In Skid Row, nobody makes me feel that way at all. Although, the fear I'll keep disappointing people still haunts me; but y'know, as long as JC and I have been friends, he's never gotten angry at me for making mistakes or bad choices."

Oh, no. Not her bringing him up again. Joliet raised a brow, trying not to sneer at the mention of his name. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I always wonder if I even deserve a friend as great as him."

Oh, yes. He's soooo great… Joliet rolled her eyes. … woohoo… we should all befriend an insufferable jerk with frankenstein complex.

It was a few seconds before she realized the sound of two pairs of shoes walking over the pavement were now only her own. She looked back, tilting her head at a lovestruck Roxette.

Leaning against the wall of the convenient store, she sighed, gazing with a forlorn expression into traffic. Joliet thought to ask her what was wrong, but the tear streaming from her eye and down her cheek said what words didn't have to. Empathy for her welled in Joliet's chest cavity.

"He's one of the bestest friends I've ever had." she choked up. "And now look what I've done to him… all of this is my fault!" She buried her face in her hands and heaved up quiet sobs.