Bald Javert Truth

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Let's start with the guy who started it all, and my blog icon: Todd Alan Johnson. There will be several musical Javerts listed here, but nobody was doing it like TAJavert. I blame him in part for getting me into Les Mis, as I had been a fan of TAJ for a while, when I stumbled across him in 2021 in Little Shop of Horrors as Orin Scrivello (my favourite character - can you tell I like villains). After being introduced to Les Mis through the work experience I was doing in Feb 2024, i revisited TAJ, finding out he had in fact played Javert - first in the third national US tour, and a few other times in smaller productions.

Thats when I found the pictures from Surflight's 2013 production.

And thus Chauvert was cemented in the brain. simply couldnt have it any other way. he just HAD to be bald. Because of this, and at the time I began designing him I didn't know anybody else who played Javert (this would later be changed when I saw stewart clarke live, but nothing really changed after that except for the javert bug eye truth to be solidified)

I really wish there was more footage of this production past these photos, because I NEED more of his bald head as Javert. And look at those sideburns! They're all-natural! Plus, i thought his face was a good fit in general for Javert. It's less obvious with his sideburns, but he's got that big jaw, talks with his bottom teeth showing, intense eyebrows, big buggy eyes when he wants them to be.

Pic from him as Sweeney Todd. My Javert's face is just a heavily cariacaturised version of his.

Additionally, I'm sure you're all familiar with jadenvargen/melancholyarchivist's art. I was a fan before, so finding out there was les mis art too was huge. My Javert was always a bit on the larger side, but that one drawing with Javert and Valjean labelled something like "tremendously large man" and "bigger even huger man" or whatever, cant find the piece right now. anyway that definitely confirmed for me that they were BOTH gonna be built and fat, rather than the lanky javert that I see most people draw.

So, that was the foundation.

From here I'm not really sure in what order inspirations came, but next was probably Anthony Perkins in LM1978, because you just dont get more diva that that. We all know how much of a drama queen Javert is, and in fact Perkins was so good at this that the first thing I did after watching this film was go downstairs and ask my mother if Perkins was gay (to which she replied "Oh, absolutely flaming")

My inspiration for Javert usually comes from small, inconsequential little actions or demeanour that catch my eye... Perkins had plenty, as well as a ring on his finger, which I always forget to draw, but my Javert is supposed to have.

Here's a select few bits I like of his, that have directly influenced my Javert. There's probably more, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

1) the walk. 2) the way he hold's the cane??

3) this whole scene, but specifically the there is no monsieur in this room! there is only a scoundrel! line. 4) the way he reacts to finding out valjean is still alive. VERY similar to how it goes down in my canon, just in a different setting/scenario.

outside of 1978, there havent really been any non-musical adaptation Javerts that have particularly stood out to me. I havent watched 1998 but he doesnt look like he'd be like my Javert, and 1982 despite being my favourite adaptation ... did not have the most memorable Javert.

Even in the radio dramas, which i love to death, don't really have much influence over my Javert, since I already have a very clear idea in my head of his speech, and most inspiration comes from visuals. the CBS radio drama probably comes the closest to the way he speaks, though. (his voiceclaims are either roger allam, todd alan johnson, or some random french guy with a really deep voice who came up on my instagram feed once. yes, I'm serious, my javert sounds like that.)

My javert is not exactly expressive, or outwardly "sassy", per se? I think he's more subtly camp, perhaps with the way he stands sometimes. Don't worry, he's still the absolute drama queen he is in the brick, with "would you like my hat?" and all, but he delivers it in a much more flat way. that's why I don't exactly look at the way perkins delivers "monsieur, monsieur le inspector now!" for my javert. yes, he'd say that, but with a little less visible sass, if that makes sense.

Pre-seine, he's expressive in his own way. whenever he loses control a little he's prone to getting visibly angry; distressed (see: losing valjean when chasing him through paris); when you can see him setting his jaw with a visible vein in his head, short-tempered and curt; or that sort of sinister glee with his "bark" of a laugh or patronising sneer. But other than that... you've gotta hear it in his voice. Sorry to all the cuntvert fans out there, my Javert tries to keep it professional when he can, but he's still trying to out-diva everyone at any given opportunity!

So we return to musical Javerts, then.

I've seen a few, so it's hard to gauge who's had an actual effect and who hasn't. There are a few I do know for a fact I have taken little bits from:

Terrence Mann is familiar to everyone I'm sure. sass-central, which contradicts the above paragraph, but he does it in a wonderfully weird and kind of menacing way which i LOVE. My javert leans more into that menacing side of things. He's always JUST in the shadows, just so that you might not notice him, but if you were wary of authority, you'd see him lurking. his stature, you might think would make him a bit lumbering, but he's shockingly agile and snakelike. Think of a tiger. (oh yeah, shere khan from the jungle book is another inspiration i guess, but I won't include him here - we know.) Terrence Mann is delightfully snide and insane and I love it.

Gifs of small bits of his performance I like.

And his soliloquy? oof.. believably absolutely losing his mind.

The Javert who has probably influenced mine the most is Hartwig Rudolz, from the german Duisburg production in the 90s. He's commanding, he's dignified and haughty, he's even got the sinister chipperness about him from time to time (he's chummy with Madeleine in the cart scene, even laughing and smiling with him. While not really my Javert, it's worth a mention. Also does a condescending chuckle when Thenardier asks to be let go before Stars.)

More gifs of bits I like!

Bonus gif, cus that wig is loooong!

Three more would be Nic Greenshields, Jordan Simon Pollard and Michael Ball. They are all great Javerts (which might be a hot take, I'm not sure if ballvert is popular but I've been a fan of his for 5 years so maybe i'm biased.) I can't say TOO much on Nic and Michael acting-wise, because Michael Ball has only been in the arena tours, and the footage ive seen of Nic Greenshields is not the GREATEST quality - but they all have an air of haughty dignity about them, which obviously i try to give my Javert.

Jordan I've had the pleasure of seeing in person, twice, as well as meeting the guy. He's been the understudy for a while. He takes quite an expressive approach to Javert, using mainly his eyebrows, which i definitely think makes up most of my Javert's expressiveness. He really knows how to use his face to act - seriously, I can barely believe it's the same guy ! He usually has quite a furrowed brow, with his chin jutting out a little, standing with his chest puffed out. He's 6'3, and quite broad-chested (seeing as he works out) so you can imagine what kind of a presence that creates.

Both Nic and Jordan, being in the same production (Jordan was Nic's u/s in the UK tour, is now Stewart Clarke's on the West End) had this moment, but after Thenardier asks to be let go, on "it was me what told you so!", they turn and step forward so that Javert is basically chest-to-face with Thenardier (and the guy playing him at the time was like, a foot shorter than the both of them). I liked that a lot. Absolutely something my Javert is doing. He's got the height and the tits for it, there's no way he isn't, cmon

Also, both Nic and Michael also have the benefit of being broader than most Javerts, Nic especially, as he stands at a whopping 6'6, so he's a SERIOUS presence onstage. My javert is around that margin at 6'6-6'7, so that checks.

I know a lot of people say Ballvert is "too cute" or whatever, and i'd totally agree as a michael ball fan, but if you ignore the fact it's Michael Ball, i think he seems a bit more "unsuspectingly cruel" than outwardly intimidating. While this doesn't exactly reflect my Javert, he DOES have some good bits. From my notes when I saw him in the arena tour:

the wway he takes off his gloves in the confrontation was not only kinda sexy (sorry) but a bit foreboding. he has a nice amount of sass, which of course is always appreciated. his general attitude in Stars, too, like he's truly earnest, and someone mentioned how he sings it like a love song - yuuup. His soliloquy is also amazing, the way he portrays Javert as being just so scared of what's happening, but lapsing into anger... ouuh.

I have not fully planned out my Javert's suicide (attempt) yet, how he would be responding, but I've been leaning into the more fearful approach. I mean, his entire worldview has been shattered like that, the entire structure of which he built his life on has just crumbled in front of him, i'd be frightened too.

Anyway, random detail - if you were interested in the origin of Javert's scar, like, from a meta perspective:

Adam Robert Lewis, of course, with his cool nose scar.

My javert had a scar anyway, just a small cut on the lip, probably from a nasty hit to the face which never quite healed right and scarred, but something about ARL's scar really worked... so the scar extended a few inches up the face. It's changed places since then, originally going from the lip to the nose, then from the lip to below the eye, but now it's branched off to both. I still don't have a specific origin for the scar in canon, so you can make one up yourself.

Linking to that scar, and also linking back to Michael Ball - i mistook a shadow on his eye for a burst blood vessel, and thought it would be an interesting look for my Javert. I'm a sucker for temporary details (Javert's moustache post-msurm, for one), so I've given him a bad eye for early M-sur-M. Very recent development.

HONORABLE JAVERT MENTIONS, THAT INSPIRED ME SLIGHTLY OR CEMENTED A SPECIFIC IDEA:

Stewart Clarke. He was the first I physically SAW, and also the one I've seen the most, since he's the current West End Javert. Very good javert, unsettling with those eyeballs, very spitty, which I totally forgot to mention is also an integral part to my Javert. So, thanks Stew! His soliloquy is also just out-of-this-world, seriously. Seek out a recent audio of his if you haven't heard him. He's nuts.

Jeremy Secomb. Sir Eyeballs Supreme. If you want a Javert with an unsettling stare, he's your guy. And he's currently the Bishop in the arena tour! What a way to convince Valjean to be a good guy, just staring him down with your evil fucking peepers. When partnered with Peter Lockyer, they form THE valvert duo, they kissed on video in costume, so many cute photos of them together, and they LOOK the parts. Jeremy looking like those toys you sqeeze and their eyes pop out vs Peter's soft face and kind smile like a golden retriever or something. Seriously perfect.

Nick Rehberger. Current US Javert. Great at really minor acting choices, sassy man apocalypse. Very dignified. VERY handsome. Bit gay. Amazing voice. What more could you want?

Roger Allam. Now, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. I've already mentioned he's one of the 3 people I cycle through for my Javert's voiceclaim, and there's like NO (publically available) footage of him. I am planning on viewing the footage they do have, but that's some time in the future. The OLCR is my personal listening choice when I'm listening to the musical soundtrack, so Allam is kind of burned into my brain. I know it probably sounds crazy but the way his voice sounds really influenced the way I have Javert physically speak, with his heavy jaw. Anything about his specific physicality is completely imagined - but hopefully not for long.

Chris Murray. Another german Javert I really like, from a 2007 nonrep production. If you like unhinged Javerts with eyeballs for days, he's your man. He's also just greatly unsettling. He almost made the cut with gifs, but unfortunately Terrence Mann won out. He was just a little TOO chipper about things. But i do love how his amiability is very obviously a ruse, with the way he holds a stiff smile in The Robbery on "But where's the gentleman gone / And why on Earth did he run?" (or, the German lyrics, whatever. It's that part of the song.)

Preston Truman Boyd. One part only. He's the reason I gave Javert a moustache and weird little chin beard thing post-msurm. I just thought that was important enough to get a mention, other than that I haven't really seen much of him enough to say.

ANYWAY, that's about it !!

There's probably more i've missed, but it's 5.30am right now, and I'm flagging. Plus, the post is long enough as is.

If you've read this far, I gotta know - who's your favourite Javert, or at least top 5? Have they influenced the way you view Javert in any way?

If you're like me and like taking tidbits from different sources, what are yours? Im curious to know !!! PLEASE tell me!!!!!!

1) Family Histories

Uhh.. hopefully this is what you were asking for? follow-up questions always welcome lmaooo

Gérard - i... dont have much on him at all. The VAGUE idea i had in my head is that his home life was not the greatest . I'm pulling from meta jokes ive made about all of Jordan Simon Pollard's ensemble characters, basically. Anyway, he's probably from the more rural & farm-heavy area in the North around Paris? It was probably... strained. I wouldn't say TERRIBLE, but I think his father was a bit of an overbearing patriarch. His mother was caring, but stern. So while it could've been worse, he wasn't having the BEST time. His older brother (who has been dubbed Guillaume Ambroise, but he will always be Willy Wonka in our hearts) probably got more freedom than he did, because he was the older son and probably was nearing adulthood when Gérard was still around preteens, for which he probably got quite salty about. With them both being queer, too.. ouch. No wonder Gérard repressed HARD. His brother did not so much, but he ended up travelling, so who cares. Probably let down his father by leaving and not taking over the business. Oops!

Additionally he was probably like, upper working-lower middle class? So not TOO comfortable, his dad was probably a labourer? But they're fine. They have food. If his dad got out of work they'd start to panic. So i get the feeling there was just an overall tense feeling overarching Gérard's life growing up, which led to his older brother basically scarpering and becoming the absolute free spirit/travelling perfume merchant or whatever the hell that he became, and Gérard the radical student. He probably made it a bit better in Paris, but not much. His apartment is probably fine.

Albéric - Probably the most fortunate of the group. Born and raised mostly in Bergerac, in the south of France. Albéric's father (named Albéric Joseph-Renault Lafitte) moved up to Paris for work when he was just entering college age and they've basically lived there ever since, but they own a family holiday estate somewhere along the Dordogne river. His mother was probably also from a rich family, hence the marriage. I do think however that they did hold affection for each other, so it wasn't unpleasant by any means. Albéric's father is, however, quite firm & strict and became a little more eccentric as he got older. They're new money, so not aristo by any means and didn't have their family guillotined in the Revolution.

So his life was .. kind of boring? Like his father as mentioned moved to Paris for work, but he was a prosecutor, so its not really that exciting (putting aside the fact that he was a very good prosecutor and known by Javert), and he's been setting Albéric up to follow suit. Albéric does have a younger brother (not by much) who joined the National Guard, and an older sister who moved away to live with her husband, so it's basically just him around the house. Law has basically been all he's expecting. In a previous post I made where I shared some writing I had done with them, it mentions the fact that he made friends with Marius and co. because they seemed fun (and he was right!).

Also, he does indeed have a Bergeracois accent. This sets him apart a little from the Parisien bourgeoisie that he's used to hanging out with when his dad (who was a bit better at adopting the Parisien accent) has guests over, but it obviously doesnt matter when it comes to Marius & Co. because they have other problems and are probably too busy making fun of Gérard to care.

François - I also don't have too much on him. His parents hail from the Philippines, where they wanted to give their son a better life, but didn't want to go to Spain, so went to... France. Great. Named their child François-Michel to fit in, but he retains the Spanish surname Dolosa from the colonial rule. (Fun fact, was originally going to be Dosier before i changed it.) Double colonialism! As a result I think he grew up in the poorer areas of Paris. Not totally scuffed, but he's still not that well off.

His father was probably a labourer but moved up into some more cushty job in Paris like a clerk or something. Mother working on a loom in a factory maybe? Nice honest people.....

Anyway, growing up he was probably loved. I think his grandmother also lived with them, in some dingy rooms they managed to get. Not exactly coddled? but his family were supportive of his endeavours.. family all have jobs but him cause he was #struggling cause he only ever wanted to look at birds, wanted to do something fun so family funded his trip to law school (WHICH by the way he did NOT complete after being talked out of by his friends, but continued frequenting the library anyway cause DUH). He's living in a similar situation to pre-barricade Marius, in some fuckass apartment with holes in the walls and he has maybe 3 outfits and that's only because he owns 3 different waistcoats. Spent his money on bird merch. seriously just blinged out in bird merchandise.

René - Not too into the details. Similar to françois in some respect. His mother and aunt, along with their parents (René's grandparents) are from a fairly aristo family from what is modern day Somalia... you might remember Rehana - he and Rehana were both born in Somalia, around the same time (she is a few months older) but moved to Paris at around age 7. They live in a modest house for their wealth. When René starts to gain independence in the world and make his own way, he decides to change his name (initially Rohaan Mohamed Said) to René Gignac, as his arabic name was unfortunately getting him flack whenever he was applying for jobs or whatever, so thought a french name would do him better. Around this time, René's mother remarries another rich man, and the family becomes a bit more stable financially, as before they were relying mostly on whatever René's grandfather had going on but as he was getting older yadda yadda you get it. They're fine now.

Because of the wealth, they were a fairly lax family. Not totally blind to societal issues (yknow, since they're African in 1800s France) but they haven't been scraping the barrel like, say, François and Marius were. This leads to René's more hedonistic outlook to life, but still enters law school for.... something to do. Its a respectable position, and he's going to meet a lot of other rich men (who he might also hope to get with, you never know). Obviously his studies are funded by his family. He and Rehana move out of the family home to live in their own, slightly less modest houses.

Additionally they were also a Muslim family, but René is nonpracticing, and Rehana is a bit more lax on it. Religion isn't something i've been focusing on right now though with my les mis canon so I'll probably return to this later ...

Thats about it, though. He's stupid rich.

2) Rehana & Hélène

Thanks again to @vexonlegs for the help with these two .

They met through René, actually! The ever-dramatic, he knew Rehana had been a little lonely lately, and got talking to a woman he met in the library. Hélène studies law herself, for fun...? (professionally, she is an actress who also dabbles in some writing & directing.) This obviously intrigued monsieur René "Nosy Parker" Gignac greatly so he was asking all about her, got MAJOR lesbian vibes all round. Hey, Rehana likes theatre! Rehana does a bit of writing! And introduced them. They got on swimmingly. Moved in together and everything (this was very easy to do without much suspicion back in the day).

They're very nice, to René's disappointment, as he loves some gossip . as mentioned, hélène is an actress, so rehana will attend her performances. She will give her a hand in writing, should she need any consulting. They both quite enjoy watercolour.

Hélène also has a tendency to get quite exasperated with people, at which she will need to storm out of a room and probably collapse onto Rehana's lap to make herself feel better.

And of course they frequent underground lesbian parties of any sort, usually in drag. Forgot to mention they'll usually wear suits around the house, with their hair (which they have cut short for the time period) styled up. All-round swagging it up, they're having a GREAT time.

Not sure if I ever mentioned that they are friends of Cosette's? Since Marius got his own friend group, I thought it was only fair Cosette had one too. We discussed that it was probably an embroidery group of some sort. Just an extra hobby for Rehana & Hélène, since they've got plenty of time on their hands at this point, and plus, it's nice to mingle with people who arent...... actors.

3) Javert's Scar

I don't think i ever actually have said where it's from?

Admittedly, I've been drawing him with it for a while now, but I haven't decided on a story behind it LMFAO. If you look at some older art it was just a tiny cut across his lip, probably from some scrape he had with a prisoner at Toulon, but then I draw Adam Robert Lewis' Javert ONCE and suddenly something clicks and now Javert's scar has grown several inches.

I think the story is still probably the same, though. When Valjean knew him in Toulon, he did not have the scar. In Montreuil-Sur-Mer, he has the scar. I think in my head somewhere the scar and Javert's leaving Toulon had some connection, but I couldn't decide on what worked best, whether he became police of his own volition or being recommended for his safety after being attacked? I don't know. I think that's just for you to decide.

And, in case you were curious - he does actually have more than one scar! I just only ever draw him visibly with the one on his face. He has one on his head, from being struck in MsurM. Luckily this was more superficial and scratched up the skin rather than doing any damage (the bald head is an easy target). He has scars over his body from other various police work, and very old scars, mainly on his back, from being raised in prison.

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René had on his nightshirt, his warm stockings and his robe - it was a cold and windy evening, and he was settling down to retire for the night. Before he went to bed, however, he followed his daily routine of lounging in the salon with the fire, warming himself as he read a book. It was as he was about to put out the fire when the doorbell rang.

By some inconvenience, it happened to be his maid’s day off, so he grumbled and made his way to the front door, pulling his robe around him tighter as the draught from outside grew colder. The doorbell rang twice more as he made his way down the hall.

“I’m coming!” he yelled, both times.

When he finally reached and opened the door, there stood Gérard, who was perhaps the last person he would ever expect to turn up at his house. Perhaps he had something from the others to deliver, or perhaps he had thought of a better, particularly cutting remark from their heated argument earlier that day. What a thrill that had been. He almost looked forward to continuing it, before he realised he had been getting ahead of himself.

He looked at Gérard in shock. He was dressed in the clothes he had worn that day, but they were noticeably creased and careless, as if they had been taken off and thrown back on. His cravat was barely tied and not tucked into his waistcoat, which had only three buttons done. Thankfully, he had thought to do the fly of his trousers.

“Monsieur Ambroise,” René said. He was not sure whether or not it was the time to make fun of the man. The slightly satirical acknowledgement, however, did not seem to phase him.

“Can I come in? I know it’s late, and you’re... a-” he snarled, biting back whatever he was going to say. “It’s cold. I need some help. If you would be so kind,” he spat.

Unbeknownst to Gérard, René did, in fact, hold some degree of pity for him. So, René pulled his robe further around his waist and stood aside to let in Gérard without a word. The other man looked at him in something like surprise, as if he had been expecting to have the door shut on his nose, but stepped in anyway. He followed René’s lead down the hall.

René took a churchwarden pipe from the pocket of his velvet robe. “You don’t mind if I smoke? It’s just, I usually do on cold nights like this, on my way to bed. Warms the soul. Ah, that reminds me, I’ll feed the fire.”

They reached the salon, where the fire was near embers, and René gestured for Gérard to sit while he took a few logs from the basket next to the mantelpiece and tossed them onto the coals. Then he lit a match while the embers were still tame and lit his pipe.

When he turned back to Gérard, who had for some reason seated himself on a footstool, he looked like a frightened little animal, pulling his clothes about him and trembling with moussed hair. René got the urge to pat him on the head and say, There, there!, but he did not. Instead, he sensibly took his place on his favourite chaise-lounge, pipe in mouth, getting a good smoke going.

It was strange, seeing the man who stood taller than the rest of the group, looking so small. Something must have really been the matter. 

He was yet to say anything since he had entered the house, so René decided to lead.

“So, dear, what is it you need so urgently that you pull yourself together and drag yourself to my home, of all places?”

At first, Gérard seemed preoccupied in his own thoughts, before the sound of René’s voice broke the barrier and he turned with a jolt to look at him. As the fire was beginning to breathe again, the room warmed up, and he hugged himself less tightly.

He stammered. “I- I don’t know.”

René sighed. “Well, there must be something, darling. We all know I’m the last person you’d come to for any sort of issue.”

Another pause as Gérard fell into his thoughts. This did, in fact, worry René - normally Gérard was so present, with something to say, and when he had nothing left, he would mouth wordlessly until someone interrupted and he could breathe. Then, he’d start again. But now, his mind seemed distant.

Eventually, he spoke. “With exception for this sort of issue. It’s a little, er- taboo, so to speak. And I figured you were the only person who might be able to help me.”

René sat up in intrigue. “Me? Why? Dear Albéric probably has far more experience than I do with most things, he’s frightfully well learned. If it’s a problem with pests, François can probably recommend some bird to lure into your house. As for Marius- um. Well, he’s definitely got some expertise. Perhaps his wife-”

“Only you,” said Gérard firmly. “Well, I’d...” he cleared his throat. “Assumed.”

“Assumed what?”

Gérard, now warm enough to put his hands in his lap, looked at René briefly before returning his gaze to the floor. He took a shaky breath.

“Well, as you say, Marius has his wife, Albéric has barely left his bourgeois circle, and François - God knows, bless him - probably doesn’t see many people, excluding us. And you... have a way with people.” He glanced back at René. “With men.”

Now René understood. Or at least, he hoped he did. He took another drag of his pipe, chewing on the end thoughtfully. 

“Ah,” he said, and dropped the hand which held his pipe to his lap. “What seems to be, er, troubling you about people?- About men?”

There was yet another pause as Gérard fell into thought. The longer he thought, the more he seemed to become almost volatile, chewing on his knuckles, frustration rising as he could not find the words to say.

In Gérard’s mind was a storm. It was typical for someone in distress to bear a storm in their mind. He knew not how to navigate it. He had known others who might have, who might have even navigated the same storm, but they were now gone. It was true that René was not, ideally, the person to consult on this matter, especially seeing as he had some direct part in it - but Gérard was desperate. Eventually he gave up on subtlety and spoke his mind the best he could.

“I feel... things, sometimes. I’ve read in poetry or heard people talk about feelings like this - in fact, Marius doesn’t seem to shut up about it - but this... this feels different.” Gérard buried his long fingers in his hair and removed his glasses in frustration. “It’s- you! It’s always you!, when you... do things,” he spat. Clearly he had lost the gift of eloquence, and decided his dignity had left him the minute he decided to drag himself here in the first place.

René’s brow furrowed and he pouted in thought. “Like what, darling?”

Eyes wide, Gérard sat up straight suddenly. “Like that! When you call me names!”

“I call everyone darling, darling.”

“No, you don’t. You don’t call Marius darling.”

“Naturally! He’s married!”

“Then what about Albéric!”

René paused, smirking. He raised the long pipe to his lips. “Not while you’re around, I wouldn’t want you to be jealous.”

In Gérard’s chest, he felt the pot of fury threaten to boil over and he contemplated taking the pipe from René and snapping it in two. Instead, he took his hands to his hair once more and tugged in irritation. René looked at him and his smug face shifted, concerned. 

“It was a joke, love.”

With a deep sigh that came from every muscle in his body, Gérard slumped forward, elbows on his knees, defeated. He did not look back at René as he put his glasses back on his nose.

Gérard continued in a small voice. “There is some truth to it - I think I might be jealous. I know the affection you hold for Albéric. He is a handsome man. I am no competition. Is that jealousy?”

There was no sound from René for a few moments, but it felt like hours, and Gérard suddenly felt sick. He did not dare look back up, as he would have expected to see René stifling laughter behind his hand. It was embarrassing and unfamiliar to be vulnerable like this, and in fact he wished René would take that slender wooden pipe, as long as a large dagger, and drive it between the ribs of his back until it splintered.

Instead, René spoke again, gently. “You said you feel... ‘things’, as you put it, when I call you like I would a wife?”

“Yes,” Gérard snapped. He was not in the mood to repeat himself.

René made a noise of acknowledgement. “And what about,” he continued, “when you saw me answer the door in this robe? In such a state of undress? Did you feel ‘things’ then?”

Gérard froze. His hands went cold, and he felt the urge to shove them down the collar of his shirt, to cool down his neck which had suddenly become very hot. This was the sort of thing he had tried to describe. He felt it when René challenged him on his politics, making stupid remarks typical of the bourgeoisie. But he did not suppose that this was anger, or irritation, or frustration. There was nothing to be angry, or irate, or frustrated about. 

He found he could only turn to look back at René, who was leaning against the head of his chaise, staring back patiently with his pipe in his mouth, waiting for an answer. Gérard cursed himself for not allowing enough time to mould his face into something that was not so... scared.

For a moment he did not answer, could not answer. In his mind he ran various scenarios, pulling for something to respond with. What was the right thing to say?, he asked himself. When he could not find the right answer, it troubled him, so he answered the closest he could; truthfully.-

“Yes.”

With a soft smile, he leaned forward to meet Gérard’s level on the footstool. He raised his hand and rested it on the other man’s back. It slithered to the shoulder nearest René as he spoke.

“If I touch you affectionately?”

It felt like fire. Gérard wanted more.

“Yes.”

René raised his pipe again. “Does it happen with any man?”

For this, Gérard had to think. He supposed, maybe, when a particularly handsome man brushed his shoulder, he might turn his head. There was one man he often thought of, an older man on the barricade. He had been kind to Gérard, shared wine with him, passed his wishes of good fortune and luck shortly before the final attack on the barricade, before Gérard had fled. When the man had put a hand on his shoulder before he had disappeared, Gérard might have felt similarly then. He could not remember.

He could remember, however, that it was nothing like the burning he felt now. With some difficulty, he met René’s dark eyes.

“No. Not like this.”

Seemingly satisfied with his answers, René took a drag from his pipe. He did not move, nor break eye contact. Normally, Gérard would have found something else to look at by now, but found he could not, or perhaps he did not want to. He did not have time to think about which it was before René parted his lips and exhaled the smoke gently into his face, stinging his eyes and causing him to blink.

“So, I’m exclusive.”

They were awfully close by now. René seemed to have been leaning towards Gérard, as he held his elbow on his knee, bent sideways so that their faces were closer. Their voices had been barely above a whisper.

The fire crackled indifferently as Gérard let his gaze leave René’s eyes, and explore the rest of his face. He found a faint freckle, and got the absurd idea to brush it with his lips. Like a marionette, as if strings controlled his body, he moved to do so, but it was too late when he realised the freckle had in fact been on René’s bottom lip. Gérard jumped back in shock with a gasp, causing René to stumble forward as if to follow the kiss.

“I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean-” Gérard tugged at his hair again as René pulled himself back straight, eyes wide and blinking. Did he mean to? “Well, I, um... it was, er...”

He grappled desperately for words. Something inside him willed him to run, to leave and pray René would understand and let it lie, never to mention it or bring it up with the rest of their friends. But another part of him missed the jolt of energy that had sparked through him. The contact of lips on lips, from his heart to his brain - to his gut. It made him feel nauseous. He wanted to chase it. Instead, he spat out whatever random string of words he could until he felt a dainty hand on his collar, a thin finger working its way behind the messy, half-finished knot of his cravat. His attention turned back to René, silenced.

“You talk an awful lot,” René purred. The sound sent a shiver up the other man’s spine. The kiss, as brief as it was, was like the striking blow to an axe on firewood. Something in Gérard had splintered. He could not ignore the want he felt, that he had never felt before. Gérard hated it. He hated that he could feel something like this, for René Gignac, of all people - but he did. His chest heaved.

René spoke again. “I can take you home, if you want. But it’s awfully dark, and you seem unwell. Perhaps you should stay the night.”

His hand had withdrawn from Gérard’s collar as he spoke. There were no words in Gérard’s head that he thought he could say, so instead he stared stupidly, letting his glasses slip down his nose, slick with sweat. The strings of the marionette took over once more, and Gérard covered René’s hand with his own.

“I think I’d rather stay.” 

René hummed, with a coy edge as he nodded his head slightly. “You would?”

“I would. The, uh,” Gérard felt René’s elegant hand snake its way up his side until it splayed out across his chest; “The streets are quite dangerous at this time of night.”

“Oh, yes,” René murmured, “absolutely crawling with filthy beggars who’ll want your valuables.”

The face Gérard had pulled in response to this made René grin broadly. He seemed to cycle through several different reactions, each bringing a deeper shade of red to his face, and each bringing René closer and closer. His hand had reached Gérard’s cravat once more, and he tugged on it as Gérard opened his mouth to speak. He did not kiss him, instead breathing teasingly across his lips.

“Never-! The-!”

“You’re right, best to stay here -” he removed Gérard’s glasses, as they were threatening to fall to the floor and shatter, “- or the commoners might pick you to bits like dogs.”

In a moment they crashed together again, lips parted and breath heavy. Gérard exerted the angry, passionate storm inside him as René clung to his cravat, the other hand tossing the glasses safely onto the rug, and swung round to find a hold on Gérard’s shoulder as he was nearly bowled over when the other man surged forward.

René tumbled to the chaise on his back, Gérard following, on his hands and knees above René, who pulled him down with a hand on the small of his back until he was laid flush on top of him. He even dared to trap Gérard with a stockinged leg, and moaned when their hips pressed together.

Truthfully, Gérard did not know how to kiss someone. His life had revolved so strongly around politics and fighting for the rights of the people that he had assumed he would never, ever, pursue romance. It would have distracted him from the cause. He had read about it in books, of course, but thought it frivolous. Other men he had fought alongside he observed fraternising with girls, but that too he had shaken his head at.

He did not think about this in the moment, however. All he could do was follow René’s lead, and any remaining thoughts were practically purged from his mind when René rolled his hips at the same time he opened their mouths and deepened the kiss. Gérard had let out a slightly embarrassing noise of surprise, but it was quickly swallowed as René explored Gérard further. He pulled back for breath when he felt another leg swing itself around his waist. René leaned to follow the kiss, letting his head fall back down when he could not catch Gérard’s lips again in time. They were both panting.

Gérard swallowed. “I don’t-”

“-Know what you’re doing? I know,” René huffed, and reached up to lick, bite and kiss at the other man’s jaw. The fire burned stronger. There was nothing else in the world that Gérard could think about other than chasing the heat, and it was leading him to René. He was below him, clinging to Gérard with arms and legs, with their hips pressed together. Gérard had never seen him anything but pristine, and seeing his hair crumpled and misshapen drove him even wilder.

René pulled him into another kiss, quick and deep, before breaking them apart again. His face was flushed and sultry.

“Since you’re staying the night-” he brushed their lips once more, “- I’ll show you to the bedroom.”

FROM THE META ANGLE:

For those who are not part of the like, 5 people worldwide who are In The Know (or maybe there are actually people who pay attention to my deranged rants on my main blog, i dunno), Gérard is, technically, an actual character in Les Mis. Officially he is an unnamed student, and has some iconic lines such as Our world! and Marius, sit down!. You may also spot him at the start of the ABC café scene seemingly arguing with enjolras centre stage.

The character who runs that track is not called gérard of course, though i call every actor who covers or plays the role in previous productions "Fake Gérard"s. Gérard is ONLY Gérard when played by Jordan Simon Pollard, on the West End. He's even in the programme, twice!

Here's some more pictures, with his iconic glasses. (Didn't have em in the programme for some reason.)

The surname Ambroise is completely invented by me. The name Gérard however, the man himself told me, for which I am eternally grateful Thanku hero

And thats basically all there is to know about the "canon" character, other than funny little details i spot. Keep an eye out for him. His track runs usually further offstage so you might miss some of the drama (or him completely if you're watching a bootleg) but if you're like me you probably prefer to watch whatever the fuck the ensemble are doing instead of the leads (sorry, enjolras).

SO IT'S PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO MENTION that the Gérard in the show and the Gérard in my head are two different guys. The interpretation I have of his character comes from my insane mind flanderising little interactions into oblivion until he became this man with a personality like sandpaper. The interpretation that Jordan Simon Pollard himself has on the character is most definitely entirely different. If he somehow sees this, sorry promise i'm normal.

That brings us to...

THE BYRONVERSE ANGLE:

In the brick, i think its mentioned that 5 students escaped, disguised as national guardsmen? well... regardless...... somehow Gérard survived, a slightly meta inside joke about the fact that the first time i was actually paying attention to him in a show, i lost track of where he was on the barricade and he seemingly just vanished and therefore theoretically could have survived the barricade. However the last time i saw him he did indeed take a bullet to the face (while screaming insults, might i add). My canon doesn't follow brick canon word for word anyway, as i like some details of other adaptations better and they work better with my characterisation - whatever. not important right now ,, kinda ,,,

anyway, gérard was one of les amis d'ABC, obviously. A law student, like marius, but cared more about activism, politics and debate than he did his degree, hence joining the revolution. he locked horns with enjolras a fair bit, but was not all that outspoken or loud, usually preferring to keep his head down and judge the rowdy students from afar, shaking his head in silent disapproval.

During the rebellion, suddenly he was faced with the reality that he may very well die, but was still determined for the cause and fought hard, gaining himself a nasty scar to the jaw and a few injuries here and there , yknow, the normal stuff. (another slightly meta note here, in the show, i dont know whether it's jordan not being able to act firing a musket or what, but i first interpreted his shooting during the Attacks to be him looking away from where he was shooting before he fired. this was probably me misinterpreting a very quick glimpse i saw, but whatever, #adoptingintomybeliefsystem.

He got out alive, laid low for a bit, continued his habit of wall-hugging everywhere he went, returned to his studies as a student. His injuries were not so grave like marius' that he took significant time in bed, plus he's a stubborn bastard so would've been up and about anyway if he didn't have anyone to play dramatics around for sympathy.

Emotional scarring however WAS there, of course, and caused him to become a lot more withdrawn and bitter. He became highly defensive and generally abrasive. If he was not a people person before, he certainly was not now. I suppose that's his way of trying to keep his identity low to avoid, yknow.. getting arrested for being an insurgent. just glower at everybody so they leave you alone.

He met marius completely by coincidence - if you read my last post, and as you'll find out if you read the fic when it releases, he was drawn in kind of against his will by Marius' friend René (another law student who dngaf about the law, just wanted to meet people and get the gossip) who saw his Mysterious Aura and got chatting. Gérard noticed something familiar about Marius and vice versa, and found them strangely drawn to each other.

They find each other utterly annoying. They cannot be left in the same room or marius will feel so awkward he will literally fold up and gérard will burst a blood vessel. Gérard will not shut up about politics, which reminds Marius of Enjolras, which brings back memories, which- its just a whole mess. but they have a warriors bond nobody else understands.

and thats the gist, i guess?

so its time for my favourite part ...

INCONSEQUENTIAL CHARACTER DETAILS THAT I THINK ARE FUNNY

He's an absolute train wreck of a guy, as i'm sure you've already gathered. he's rude, unpleasant, a repressed homosexual and an outspoken radical.

Another little meta joke - there's another ensemble character Jordan Simon Pollard plays in les mis. another unnamed character, but he in fact gets TWO lines, in the intro to Master of the House - "Landlord, over here!" and "God, this place has gone to hell!". He told me this character is called Willy Wonka, so we'll call him wonka for now, because previously i was calling him Tall Jean or Jean 3, and willy wonka i fear is more insane and also the OFFICIAL name from the guy himself so who's to argue.

anyway my point - Gérard has a brother. i'm sure you guessed it's wonka. we did indeed canonise that connection, for a laugh .

Yes the only official photo of him has luke's arm in the way. Oh well! You know it's wonka because of the red coat and brown hat. yknow... like willy wonka...

Anyway. his deal. sometimes in the show he will pull out some perfume and spray himself, so let's assume he's a) gay b) into perfume. He seems to be a much more amiable guy than his brother, chatting with other patrons at thenardier's inn (and even sometimes flirting with other men. saw him sit on a dude's lap once. most recently a guy came up to him while he was stood in the doorway gayly and the guy dragged a finger down wonka's stomach seductively. sometimes he dances with the ladies too, so he's either a gay for the girlies or bisexual, you choose) and even dancing around and joining the festivities, overall having a GREAT time , GOD he is SO fun to watch onstage i can HIGHLY recommend. he's tall, dressed in red, camp, and always smiling, he's hard not to miss.

Him and gérard don't really talk. He won't come up much in future, but he's here and he's queer!

(there has been some discussion of other JSP ensemble characters being relatives of Gérard, such as the wedding guest in Beggars at the Feast - who thenardier flirted with and nearly kissed last time i saw the show - but none of it has been wholly funny enough to be canonised at all. From a byronverse standpoint, Marius did not know Gérard at the time of his wedding, PROBABLY? timeline is still, uh, nonexistent?)

(the timeline issue also struggles with wonka's age in relation to Gérard's, becuase obviously Master of the House is 15ish years before the ABC café, so should wonka be significantly older than his brother....? yes. probably. but i don't think about it too hard. he's just......... older than gérard by a nondescript amount of time.. it's not really important and i can tweak stuff to make it work, WHATEVERR)

AND LASTLY, the funniest shit ever, the Gérard Ambroise situationships.

When jordan was on with milan valjean, they'd talk and interact during drink with me off to the side. I'll let you make your own assumptions there.

As mentioned, he's a repressed homosexual. he is in close quarterd with the aforementioned (some time ago) René Gignac, who is VERY camp, very effeminate, participates in the homosexual underground of Paris, the WORKS. Gérard has very conflicting feelings about this man, because on one hand René just LOVES to rile him up by saying purposefully stupid things whenever Gérard makes a political comment. and he can't just back down.

he assumes the hotness he feels in his body is to do with the anger, surely nothing more.

Anyway they at some point get together, its weird, its uncomfortable and awkward, they break up. and get together. and break up. and get together. and this repeats, like, a thousand times throughout the time they know each other. literally the WORST couple ever, to the point where everyone kind of loses track of whether they're together or not, because it's really hard to discern when they are, becuase Gérard is a bit ashamed and René is purposefully trying to piss him off.

René this whole time also has a crush on one of the other members of the friend group, Albéric, but this is mostly superficial and he just thinks he's hot . Albéric is not interested and René knows and respects this, however this does not stop him from pretending Gérard is Albéric whenever they kiss.

There's not much to it. it's textbook toxic yaoi .

it does get funnier however when René does, one day, meet Gérard's brother WHO you will remember is also effeminate and likes perfume - just like René. Needless to say they get on SWIMMINGLY, wonka probably sells rené a perfume or two, and ultimately get together. René does not tell Gérard this. he does however find out because René is wearing Gérard's older brother's perfumes, and Gérard is furious . you can imagine the kind of argument that'd follow.

Whether rené and wonka end up happy i DON'T know. havent thought that far but it was the funniest outcome to me after the disaster that was rené and gérard's "relationship".

ANYWAY! thats all i have to say on this freak. hope this was at all comprehensible. here's an audio clip of one of his wonderful lines in Red & Black.