Eponine is very happy to be walking with the Inspector. She's never been to a play with a real man before, because Montparnasse just doesn't count. And now he's dead. Isn't that convenient?
Javert tries for making conversation. "A play about vampires, you said?"
Eponine shakes her head. "No. It's a play with vampires."
Javert says, "With vampires?" He eyes her questioningly.
Eponine nods. "They have vampires up on the stage acting like they're vampires."
Javert considers this. "Well. That certainly wouldn't take much acting, then, I suppose." he speaks completely seriously, so that anyone else might not be able to tell if he's serious or joking, but Eponine probably could.
Eponine thinks about it. "No, they're acting like people acting like vampires. That's not quite the same thing. They have to think about it more."
Javert nods, "I see..." and continues walking at a steady even pace.
The theatre is dark and scary and lots of happy stupid people are milling about. The 'actors' are nowhere to be seen. Eponine gives the doorman a pair of cards.
Javert pulls his hat a little further over his head, the crowd annoying his senses a little as he wades through it with Eponine.
Eponine takes hold of one of Javert's hands so they won't be separated. And that's the only reason. Really.
Eponine guides Javert to the seats reserved for them.
Javert nods to her and removes his hat, though he waits for her to sit down first, always a gentleman.
Eponine sits and looks, rapt, at the stage. "It's starting. Sit down, shh, look."
Javert sits down, settles his hat on his lap, and turns to watch. As the cutain opens, he analyzes the scenery, and wishes he had had time to look at the program first.
The scenery is shortly overshadowed by the first actor. He is wearing pale makeup, and everything about him screams 'Vampire' if one knows the signs. He begins reciting some doggerel about death and dismemberment.
Javert raises an eyebrow at the content, but, what else would a show about vampires be about, he supposes. He stays silent, watching intently.
Eponine pays attention.
More actors come out, and act out the scenes the first one describes. They pantomime terrible deaths.
Javert blinks briefly, as he could have sworn one of the actors had looked... straight... at them. He turns a little to look toward Eponine, to see if she had noted anything.
The first actor looks into the audience again. "One of you will die tonight."
In the balcony near Eponine and Javert, a man stands and calls out, "I am ready."
Javert eyes the actor at these new words, then turns, in surprise, wondering if they planted someone in the audience for this part of it.
The man next to him stands up, too, and shushes him, dragging him back to the seat. The actors have already seen their victim, though. The first man pulls away from his companion and runs down the steps to the Stalls, trying to get closer to the stage. His friend pursues him.
Javert watches them oddly, they definately seem human...
Eponine says, mostly to herself, "But they'll both die. Don't they know that?"
Javert can't imagine they would actually kill someone, in front of all these people. He replies, also rather to himself, "It must be a trick... an act..."
Eponine points out, "They can do anything. It just has to look like a play."
Javert finds himself nervous, and putting a hand on Eponine's with the same nervousness, as he sits back to see what will happen.
The men climb onto the stage, one after the other. The first one approaches the lead actor. The man's red vest and bright blond hair show up like a spot of life against the black background of the stage and the actors' costumes.
The second man is dressed more drably than his friend, and he is much more fearful. "We have to go," he says nervously. Even though he speaks quietly, it carries in the silent theater.
"Silence, winecask," the first man replies. He doesn't turn around, just looks at the lead actor. "You will kill me, then?"
Javert lets a frown set over his face as his hand clenches almost instinctively around Eponine's. (He's not carrying his nightstick.)
Eponine looks worriedly at Javert. "They're going to die."
The actor nods and smiles terribly at the man in the red vest. "Yes. I will kill you." The other man tries to escape the stage, but the rest of the actors hem him in. "And your friend will not survive."
Javert tries convincing himself, "They're not going to die. It's just an act." quietly, of course.
The man in the red vest steps toward the first actor, and the actor embraces him like a long lost son, though they seem to be the same age. Auburn hair flows over the red vest, and the man cries out.
Javert takes in a deep breath at the cry.
Eponine squeezes Javert's hand.
The second man cries out, too. "Let him go!" he says to the first actor, but then the others are upon him.
Javert squeezes Eponine's back tensely. He's not sure whether to be more afraid of the fact that there's a man being killed onstage, or that the sight of the killing makes his mouth water slightly.
The first actor looks up at the audience. He holds the inert body of the man in the red vest in arms that should be too fragile for such strength. "This is the kiss of death." The man accosted by the Greek chorus screams.
Javert sighs sadly, "They killed him." he whispers.
Eponine nods. "Yes."
The curtain closes.
Eponine stands, distraught. She cries out, "But what about them? Let them go!"
Javert stands up, after her, the rest of the audience taking this as a cue for a standing ovation. In words drowned in applause, "Let them go?" the words echo inside of Eponine's head, in case she can't hear over the din.
Eponine begins to cry, quietly at first.
Javert looks toward her, spotting the red dampness on her face, then looking up to the stage with a frown, then looking back towards her, finding himself trying to comfort her as best he can, lifting a gloved finger to wipe the blood from her cheek.
Eponine looks at Javert and stops crying. "Let's get out of here."
The audience begins to leave in a huge surge of humanity that carries Eponine and Javert out the door with it.
Javert gently guides Eponine through the crowd.
Eponine almost cries again at the kindness Javert is showing her, but holds herself back so as not to scare the mortals.
A pale hand grabs the back of Javert's collar and holds firmly.
Javert turns around in surprise, "Excuse me--" he begins angrily, though he trails off...
The 'actor' who lead the entire scene and was last seen with a red-vested man in his arms beckons Javert and Eponine. "Come with me, children."
Javert would normally become defensive about being called a child. However, since this whole thing started, he's seeming to put up with a lot he never would have before. He looks at Eponine.
Eponine follows the strange man. She's not sure she has a choice; she can see other 'actors' in the crowd, now.
Javert follows tehm both, also spotting the other actors, and falling into line with them in a position rather defensive of the girl.
The actor leads Javert and Eponine into the cellar of the theatre.
Eponine asks, "Who are you, Monsieur?"
The actor turns and looks at the two of them angrily. "I'm someone who knows more than you ever will. Who made you?"
Eponine looks at Javert nervously. "He did."
The actor frowns. "That explains much. And you, monsieur?"
Javert eyes the surroundings briefly, mostly keeping his eyes on the actor, however. "And someone, I don't know who, whom I believed, at the time, to be quite out of his mind." he adds, not having a convienient person to point out.
Eponine backs up toward Javert for comfort. "Eponine."
Javert puts a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "Inspector Javert."
The actor raises an eyebrow. "Inspector? Right. You may call me Armand. Did you want jobs here, or shall I kill you?"
Eponine makes herself as small as possible and doesn't answer.
Javert blinks at the odd statement, "Excuse me?" he asks, however, very politely and calmly.
Armand frowns slightly. "It's really quite straightforward. I can't have things like you wandering the streets. You'll mess up our perfect lives. You must either join us or die."
Javert thinks at Eponine, >>> Bat. Now. <<<
Eponine flips into bat form and makes for ground level.
Javert bats after he sees Eponine safely batted, and goes after her.
Armand roars in anger. "Catch those bats!"
Various 'actors' try to catch the bats as they make their escape. None succeed.
Javert thinks at Eponine >>> Where are we headed? Are you hungry? <<< once they get out to the open night air.
Eponine thinks at Javert >>> They're dead. They really died. How could I be hungry? <<<
Javert thinks back, >>> I just thought I'd ask. I'm not, either... do you want to go home, then? <<< Home, for now, being the dark attic room in the police station.
Eponine considers. >>> Yes. <<<
Javert directs his course homeward, then, without further discussion.