Chapter Text
New Lumiere was smaller and damaged, but otherwise alright, most of the buildings were still standing strong and only required a little work to be done to them. What needed fixing the most was the general mood of the city and its survivors. Everyone dragged their feet, aimlessly doing their tasks as if still dazed and regretful of their own survival.
Search and rescue was leaving the next day and Julie was anxious. She paced around the communal showers -since water had yet to be distributed everywhere in the city- in her towel, water dripping from her still wet arms and hair.
"Juju would you stop that? I hear the clapping of your feet. Get dressed and go!" Louise called from her shower, the sound of shampoo being scrubbed into hair standing as a sign of her presence.
Julie rolled her eyes and turned to the mirror, I don't want to yet.""she replied, inspecting her long hair with a small pout as Louise turned the water on once more.
"Well well well, Ladies!" Simon called as he stepped in the room with the rest of the squad, Claude and Dion close behind. "Apologies for disturbing you but the party is starting and we need to clean up, commander's order." He announced with a sly smile, before going into one of the shower cabin, Dion doing the same as Claude set out to stand in front of the mirror to shave his beard.
Julie, her peace now disrupted by the sound of three showers and Claude's humming, got dressed and went outside.
The walk was supposed to be short, but Julie was still unwilling to go join the crowd at the harbor and made a small detour to the emptied gardens atop the roofs of Lumière. The vegetation there was in a poor state, even weeds seemed cautious of growing and invading the soil. The only plants who seemed resilient were the wisteria and vines, their roots strong and old enough to resist the shock of the fracture.
Stopping along the walkway, she sat down, slipping her legs between the bars, looking down at the emptied streets, the sound of the party echoing close by.
"What are you doing here?" Verso asked as he approached, coming from the balcony overlooking the harbor.
"Mentally preparing myself." She half joked as he sat beside her.
He laid the side of his face against the railing, his white hair shining hues of molten gold beneath the setting sunlight. "For the party or tomorrow's departure?"
"Tomorrow." She answered amidst a huff. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be down there already."
"I'm looking for Alicia. She sneaked off when the crowd arrived." Verso said, shifting his focus to the streets below. "You'd think a white haired girl would be easy to spot. She's not." He added with a joking tone, his lips shaped in a small pout, his brows knit together.
"Do you need help?" Julie asked softly, almost in a whisper, laying her forehead against the railing, glancing his way.
He turned to her, "Yeah." he breathed out looking touched by her initiative.
And so they did, jumping to their feet, they both walked the accessible streets and rooftops of Lumière in search of Alicia. Which proved to be a hard task, not that she was actively eluding them, rather that she did not think anyone would be looking for her.
"D'you hear that?" Julie asked as they neared the bakery.
The sound of a lonely violin flew in the air of the small courtyard with the tree. The duo approached silently, Verso leading his footsteps eager. Alicia, quickly came into view, playing her instrument in the shade of the big tree. She moved in sharp yet fluid motions, the notes enchanting Julie's ears as she watched in awe the silent young girl allow herself a moment full of sound.
They let her finish her piece, Verso clapping immediately once the last note played out, making the violinist jump, Julie following suit as the frightened Alicia went to put her mask on before turning their way.
"That was beautiful!" Verso gushed as Alicia joined them, her mask covering the lower half of her face as well as the left side of it, leaving only her right eye to look at.
"It really was! You're very talented!" Julie added with a pleased smile.
Alicia frowned, seemingly displeased by the praise. "Why would you spy on me?" She signed, her face pinched together beneath her mask.
Verso let out an incredulous laugh, "We were looking for you actually. Papa wanted you to be there for the party."
Letting out a sigh as she slumped over dramatically, Alicia replied. "I made my stance clear."
"Oh, please Alicia, come with us. We'll have fun." Julie promised, banding slightly to Alicia's level. "You don't need to mingle, just enjoy the food and the drinks."
"Woaw now," Verso stepped in. "You're not making my baby sister drink." He assured, half joking.
Julie looked to Alicia with a complicit glint in her eyes. "She's grown enough. I know you drank at her age." She teased with a smirk, turning to Alicia. "You should've seen him and Simon ju-" Unfortunately, Julie was unable to finish her sentence.
The reason, Verso put his hand over her mouth, his face and ears reddened, making his white head of hair look even more pristine in contrast. "Shut up, my god." He mumbled his embarrassment earning a throaty laugh from Alicia.
"Okay let's go." She signed, a smile in her eye.
And so they went, Alicia and her violin, Verso and Julie, all on their way to the harbor where the party had truly started by then. People were laughing and eating and drinking, singing and dancing near musicians.
The survivors of Lumière, not surviving in this instant, simply and rightfully enjoying it.
The second the rest of their squad spotted them, they came running, flower garlands in hand, Verso and Julie both got white flowered crowns whilst Alicia got a red one. "We kept this one special for you." Simon said, squeezing her shoulder softly for but a second.
Alicia smiled under her mask, she missed the red of her hair. This crown, even if short lived, brought a warm feeling to her face, if only it could stain her hair back to its original color.
"Are you going to play?" Louise asked, pointing to the violin case in her hands.
Alicia answered by shaking her head vigorously, she loved playing for small gatherings of only the people she trusted most, meaning Verso and their father mostly. Having many eyes on her, her current state, made her nervous and self conscious. Even there with only familiar faces around she started to feel nervous.
"I might play." Verso claimed out loud, whisking the attention away from his thankful sister.
Simon watched him with a knowing smile. "In front of everyone?" He asked, evidently teasing.
"Nooon...In like..a while just for you guys." He deflected, laughing.
Louise threw herself by his side. "Oh now's not the time to be shy Verso!" She teased as well, smiling a teethy smile. "We want to hear you play before passing out."
"I'd prefer if you could all refrain from ending up in an alcohol induced coma." Renoir bluntly stated from behind the group, a glass of wine in his hand and a flower crown on his head like all expeditioners.
His serious demeanor in contrast with his disheveled looks and colorful crown made him look positively comical.
Louise, embarrassed, became redder than the flowers in her crown and smiled awkwardly. "Just joking sir." She replied, shying away behind an amused Verso.
"We'll all be in top shape for tomorrow." Julie added with confidence, Claude nodding beside her.
"Right..." Renoir said dismissively, turning to Alicia. "Red suits you, ma puce." He told her, affectionately putting a strand of white hair away from her masked face. Alicia let out a huff, between dismissive and pleased before walking away towards the docks.
Renoir obviously confused looked to the group. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked, his eyes widening.
"Not at all." Julie answered. The rest nodding along.
"I think she just got embarrassed by the compliment." His son rationalized.
Looking confused Renoir nodded and walked away.
Hours passed slowly as bottles were emptied and the older participants left, Alicia among them. The younger ones passing out on chairs, slumped over the tables. Amongst them, Louise, Claude and Dion. The three challenged Simon to various drinking games, he won most of them. The ground and tables were covered in forgotten flower crowns, red and white covering the floors, like drops of blood on snow.
Julie sat by the docks, immerging her legs in the cold waters. She too had too much to drink but refused to sleep just yet. Enjoying the stillness and calm from the end of the festivities.
"You want me to walk you home?" Verso asked, sitting down by her side.
She slowly shook her head, grimacing from the movement, feeling slightly dizzy. "Not yet." She breathed. "It's not my home anyway." She added after a moment of silence, her words accompanied by a dry laugh.
"I know." Verso answered, moving to take off his shoes and rolling up his pants, putting his legs in the water with her. "Fuck, it's cold!" He exclaimed dramatically.
"Do you think we'll find survivors?" Julie asked, looking to her moving legs in the water.
Verso's air of silliness seemed to vaporize at her question. "I'm sure. There has to be people out there."
"But maybe not the ones we're looking for." She admitted, looking to the horizon with a frown. "I sound like a monster but-"
"I get it." He cut her off. "I'm doing the same thing. We have to believe they're alright. those we find in the meantime, it's just...good news for someone else."
"I need a good news too." She argued, pouting, turning to the sky. "It's crazy, barely two months ago we were making plans for the summer and now..." She left her words hanging, unable to formulate a sentence that could capsulate her train of thoughts.
Verso nodded beside her, looking at their legs in the water. "I don't have good news, we just... need to move forward." He eventually said. "That's maybe not the best thing to say right now, I'm sorry."
"It's okay. You're right anyway." Julie said, kicking water in the air.
"Hey guys." Simon called from behind them, "How about we go? Enjoy our beds while we still can."
Julie turned to him with a small smile and a hushed tone. "Yeaah! I'll take Louise with me." She got up, gathering her socks and shoes, Verso doing the same.
"We'll walk you home, Dion and Claude also deserve a good night of sleep." Simon said as they walked to their passed out friends.
Verso carried Claude, Simon carried Dion and Julie carried Louise, swaying every few steps from Louise moving in her sleep.
"You need some help here?" Simon laughed, watching her struggle.
"I feel like- like I'm carrying a toddler." She halted, panting but laughing nonetheless, the boys doing so with her.
Struggling up the tight stairs of their appartement building next to the bakery, Julie went to set Louise in her bed, tucking her in, glad to no longer have her on her back. She then helped Simon set Claude in his own appartement as Verso went to do the same with Dion who was far easier to handle.
They met up again in the hallway, saying goodnight to each other as Verso went to leave the building, Simon and Julie going into their respective appartements.
Verso, crossed the street and went home, into the appartement above the bakery, making sure not to make too much noise to not wake his family. In a few hours they would have to wake up and board a ship, to whatever was left of and on the continent.