#or even enemies to odd couple sitcom friends
Okay, so I knew that Marius had walked past Jean Valjean and Cosette for months before ever actually registering Cosette as pretty, but Oh My G-d,
1) Marius did notice them, found JVJ to be “very much to his liking” and Cosette to be “rather depressing”??? I live.
2) Courfeyrac was one of the five or six students who were intrigued by the pair, and he very carefully avoided them after “finding [Cosette] homely”; my guy said “nah she ugly” and beat it.
I’ve always wondered: if Marius had plucked up the courage to go and talk to that nice old possibly ex-soldier man and befriended* (whispering please please be my new father figure) Valjean would his relationship with Cosette rapidly devolve into that of sitcom arch-nemesis. I can’t imagine Cosette taking Marius’ policy of pretending girls and women are air well at all. I think Marius might be too awkward even realise that Cosette is out for his blood but the idea of him squaring off against a not yet fashion conscious slightly feral 14/15 year old Cosette makes my day.
*Valjean is too secretive to want to make friends but too polite to just tell Marius to go away
