You know, my first thought was that they'd be utterly neutral with each other, even if they had some kind of longer interaction. They're just both very locked in on their respective journeys of redemption/ revenge, Dantes doesn't seem to need Valjean's help, and Valjean has done nothing to antagonize or endear himself to Dantes , so they wouldn't see each other as someone who they need to interact with more.
...And then I got to thinking about their mutual Moral Journey language (throwing money at people they think deserve it) .
So , consider: Dantes sees Valjean, who famously dresses as a pauper when he's giving money, being a swell guy and raising his daughter alone in that isolated house on the Rue Plumet. He goes into his Justice: Reward mode and starts trying to give Valjean money.
Valjean, of course, does not need or want more surprise money, he's still in moral debt from the first windfall. The more he humbly refuses, the more determined Dantes becomes to make him a Very Rich Man (not knowing he is already Pretty Dang Rich) . At last, all his other schemes being thwarted , Dantes breaks into Valjean's house to leave money.
Valjean catches Dantes mid-break-in and assumes he's come to rob the place. This unleashes Valjean's unskippable trauma cutscene and he lectures Dantes on the dangers and horrors of prison before giving him a big chunk of money and warning him to choose a better life.
Dantes realizes Valjean is also a former convict-- and yet still such a kind man! Now Valjean has fallen afoul of his obsession with Correcting the Scales of Justice by giving good things to good people! He can't just give this guy some money, he's got to hook him up with a better life! a business! public office! social acclaim!
...Which Valjean is desperate to avoid.
Hijinks Ensue with Dantes trying to reward Valjean, Valjean trying to avoid being Rewarded AND trying to convince Dantes to reform , both mens' efforts escalating to truly absurd levels.
Meanwhile, Haydee and Cosette meet and bond over having the weirdest dang guardians.
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