A/N- I have such random ideas... don't be surprised by any OOC-ness that you shall find.
Ahem. An interesting thing happened once upon a time. Shall I tell you the story? Yes? Okay, here goes.
Once upon a time...
All is not well in Paris. There is a sad young lady called Eponine, to begin with, who only wants to help her family of thieves pull a job. Her wicked biological mother and sister do not trust her, and her father couldn't care less. So that's her.
Then we have a young fellow called Enjolras, who dreams of a better life for all. He lives in some random place with his beloved red vest named Bloody-Red. He has a little group of followers, too, among which is his friend Combeferre. But more on that later.
The last people I must now introduce may be unfamiliar to you. We have a baker I shall call Jacques, for lack of a better name, and his wife Claire. Jacques and Claire just want a child, but they can't have one, for reasons you will soon learn.
Enjolras sits at a table in the café Musain, smoothing his vest. Combeferre enters.
"Hello, Combeferre," Enjolras says absently. He is inspecting a wrinkle on Bloody-Red.
"Enjolras!" Combeferre sighs. "You look a mess!"
Enjolras glances up at him. "But doesn't Bloody-Red look good?"
"Yes, it's splendid. Tell me, when was the last time you ate?"
"Er... dunno. Mum and Dad aren't very happy with me, so they've sent no money. It's been a while," responds Enjolras.
"You really must eat," Combeferre insists. "You have no money?" Enjolras shakes his head no. "Then you must get some."
"How?"
Combeferre glances from Enjolras to the vest. "Sell that thing."
"Bloody-Red?" Enjolras cries. "Never!"
"I'm not joking with you, Enjolras. Go sell that vest! Your vanity will be your downfall if you don't."
Meanwhile, at the bakery, Jacques and Claire are baking bread, surprisingly. A gamin enters, followed by two younger boys. We shall call the gamin Gavroche.
Gavroche lays his money on the table and asks for a loaf of bread. Jacques pulls out his black bread, but Gavroche smirks at it and asks for white. Jacques obliges.
"Where are you boys going?" asks Claire.
Gavroche points at the boys. "To find these brats' mother. Can I have a basket for that?"
Claire nods and puts the bread in a basket for the boys. "You're certain of your way?"
"I have no fear," Gavroche says, "nor no one should." And he leaves with his boys.
They go into the streets.
Eponine is sitting in the room's only armchair when the door flies open and her family enters. "Guess what, Ponine?" her wicked biological sister, Azelma, sneers. "Papa has an offer to pull a job with the Patron-Minette!" Eponine leaps to her feet, excited.
Her evil biological mother frowns. "You don't want to come, do you?"
"Of course I do!"
"But look at you!" she cries. "You've got no shoes. You can't come on a job with no shoes!"
And her family leaves, Azelma slamming the door behind them.
They go into the streets.
There is another knock on Jacques's door.
"Who could that be?" says Jacques.
Claire glances out the window. "It's the old man from next door!"
The old man enters their room. He has come to tell them of a spell laid on their family.
"What spell?" Jacques demands.
"In the past," begins the old man, "when your mother was without money, she took up a dubious job. She lived in my town, see, where I was mayor, and the crazed devil-worshipping gypsy policeman arrested her. I came and insisted she go free, and the policeman was so angry that he cast of spell on her, and on all your family! Of course, I did ask for one thing in exchange for freeing your mother..."
"What thing?" Claire asks nervously.
"That I might be allowed to take her child as my own."
Jacques blinks. "I had a brother?"
"No!" the old man snaps. "But... you had a sister."
"Really?"
Ignoring him, the old man continues. "I thought I had been more than reasonable. Well, your mother died and I took the girl with me, and I hid her away from the world where she'll never be reached!"
Claire frowns at the old man. "Why are you telling us all of this now?"
"Because I know how to lift the spell!"
"Hooray!" shout Jacques and Claire.
"Yes hooray. But I need you to go into the streets and bring me back... one, the brat without a home... two, the vest as red as blood... three, the hair of blond or brown... four, the boot that's full of holes! Bring me these before the stroke of midnight in three days' time, and you shall have a child as perfect as child can be... Go to the streets!"
Eponine frowns at her bare feet. If only she had boots...
Jacques sighs as he jams on a hat. "I'm going to get those things for the crazy old man."
"I'm coming with you," Claire says, reaching for a bonnet.
"No! The spell is on my house! Only I can break the spell!"
"No, no, the spell is on our house! We must lift the spell!"
"You are not to come and that is final!" Jacques insists. "Now... what was I to return with?"
"You don't remember?" his wife says irritably. "The brat without a home, the cape as red as blood, the hair of blond or brown, the boot that's full of holes..."
Jacques leaves, repeating these to himself.
He goes into the streets.
"Enjolras," Combeferre says, "make sure you sell it for no less than five francs. And don't look at me that way!"
The young man shoots his companion one last mournful glance before being shoved out of the door, Bloody-Red over his arm.
He goes into the streets.
With nothing else to do, Eponine begins straightening the room. As she is pushing a pile of dust under a mattress, however, she notices a strange lump under the blankets. Pulling back the covers, she finds an old pair of boots.
"They were holding out on me!" she curses. Putting on the boots, Eponine decides to go find her family.
She goes into the streets.
And so I conclude this first chapter with nearly every character going out Into the Streets...