WORDS

Chapter 8

"Oh! I've got another one," Violet started before she took another large lick of her ice cream cone, "have you read 'The World As I Found It' by Bruce Duffy?"

"I'm telling you Mademoiselle Berry, I have read practically every book in any given bookstore." Christian smiled. He hated to admit it, but he had come to enjoy walking along the streets of Montmartre with his clumsy companion.

"I am going to win one day." She bit into the waffle cone, not noticing the little dollop of melted cream that had fallen onto her rather plain flowery dress.

"And what is it exactly you are winning?" He stopped at a small shop and looked into the window. Violet did the same, her attention focused more on the end of her summer's treat more than the display of different typewriters.

Christian rarely made note of women's clothing. Not because he didn't want to, he had just lost interest in the whole subject all together. However, on this particular day, Violet happened to be wearing something that peeked said dormant interest: a simple flowery dress and a matching bonnet. This outfit, when she had usually worn grand skirts with corsets and hats the size of a tire, seemed...wrong. Perhaps it was the fact that he knew her true name now, or maybe it was the fact that she had a certain royal like feeling all around her, but "normal" was not in fact normal for the woman walking next to him.

"I am going to find a book one day that I have read and you monsieur, have not." She looked down and noticed the now melted stain. "Isn't it just my luck? A new dress and I go off and ruin it." She licked her finger and tried to removed the melted substance without success.

"The dress didn't suit you anyway." Christian's eyes were still looking at the machines making it hard for Violet to understand if he had meant it or it just slipped out; which still meant he meant it, but it would be less hurtful if he had kept it to himself.

Christian had in fact not realized the words that had passed through his mouth. Over the past few weeks, he had been building up a, well, some would call it "friendship" with the secret Benoit. Whenever he was not with the young woman he was working tirelessly on rewriting his book.

Tragically, early that morning, his typewriter had died.

"Fitting," He had told himself as he looked over the remains of his friend. "although I would have waited until after my job was done." He picked up the hunk of metal and shoved it under his bed.

The loss of his inanimate friend and the search for a new one has now placed him a rather bizarre position.

"I'm sorry?" Violet's eyes were wide as she froze. No one had ever said anything against what she wore. Everyone had looked to her for style advice. "Where should I get my hats?" "What style of skirt would be better for my figure?"

"What do you mean 'didn't suit you?'"

Christian was still facing the window, not entirely looking at the new make and models but rather, hiding from her intense hazel glare. "I didn't say that." 'Simple. Clean.' He thought. 'Can follow it up with anything.'

"Didn't say it? Then who did? That man over there?" Violet pointed across the street to a homeless man who was fast asleep on what appeared to be a pile of old newspapers.

"I just meant," He turned, partly to look at where she was pointing, but mainly to see how she looked angry. He had seen her happy, sad and even drunk, but never angry. He was curious."That you are not a flower-" It was then that Christian did a double take to the sleeping man. "My book!" He shouted as he ran across the street.

Jasper Depaul paced back in fourth in the nearly finished office of the Moulin Rouge. In the passage of six weeks the whole of the Moulin Rouge was almost completely restored. 'That's what money will get you.' He had thought. The office was filled with the light and warmth of several candles, all of which had just about lived their life.

A knock.

Jasper twirled around to face the door, fixing his hair ever so slightly. "Come in." He said, his voice had a twinge of excitement. This feeling was killed by the reappearance of Harold Zidler.

"Jasper," He began.

"It's Monsieur DePaul, if you don't mind." He was irritated. More than irritated. Enraged. Tonight was the night he had been waiting for to tell Violet that he knew how her family would except her back. He had discussed it with them.

Tonight was the night, Jasper was going to propose.

Jasper was a wealthy man, known throughout all of society and his popularity, even now, had been rising. Not to mention the fact that they had known each other for what seemed like a life time. The Benoit family would get their daughter back to a reputable station and he would get their fortune.

Knowing that Violet never missed a day in her precious the Moulin Rouge, he set up a lavish display in her office. Dozens and dozens of roses lined the walls, petals filled the floor to where it seemed plush. The same fire light emitting from the candles bounced off the roses to give the room a red hue. The setting gave a new meaning to the word "romatic".

"Monsieur DePaul, she isn't coming. It's past working hours...we must lock up now." Zidler seemed reserved. He had seen this happen before, a man, waiting. He didn't like it.

Jasper turned to the window and behind the roses saw the sun setting, burning the evening sky. He grabbed one of the vases and lifted it up to throw it to the ground, but stopped. With a deep sigh and a fake smile, he placed it back down.

"Tomorrow." He said. "Tomorrow."

I know...hate me...short and it's been forever since I updated.
My excuse? I have been painstakingly writing a script for a webseires hittin' the net in October called "Reaching Fangasm"
Fangasm being a convention. The characters fly all through these different fandoms all to pick a costume for the convention and-
Its great! Just you wait!

ANYWAY! Since I am on my apologies, I hope this chapter was ok. More of a fluffy than anything. NONE THE LESS! I updated *dances*

OH! And sorry for misspellings/grammar errors...I do this for fun, not for a living. :P

Pelahnar: It seems he did, thank you for commenting! :D

QuitMessingAround: Awe! Your comment made ME smile! You are awesome and thank you for reading/commenting!

The MagiciansGrace: I am so happy you like it and I know how you feel about the OC thing (I've had my ups and downs with reading them). I also really appreciate you giving it a chance. Thank you so much! (Might I add, YAY EWAN!)

For more information on "Reaching Fangasm" or even if you just want to know what other crazy stuff I like, you can find my tumblr on my profile!