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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 9, 2010 20:57:16 GMT -5
I Got Money Now A Jerome Squalor short by Tiago Squalor - inspired by the P!nk song, 'I Got Money Now'This fic is dedicated to Emma Squalor as a birthday present.xxXxx Jerome Squalor suddenly awoke at night. It was really late, and he was alone in bed, sweaty. His heart was pounding. Jerome had a nightmare in which his wife, Esmé, was kidnapped by an evil villain of a man. Jerome knew it was only a nightmare. Esmé did not get kidnapped by that evil man who claimed to be Gunther, an in auctioneer. Esmé had in fact, eloped with that man. Jerome stood up, the in dark silk sheets falling from his body onto the floor. A window was open, and the moonlight poured through. Jerome was cold. The 667 Dark Avenue penthouse was a really tall building. Temperatures were lower up there, and it was a tad too drafty inside the room. Jerome looked at the moon. 'You must know what it's like.' said Jerome, to the moon. 'All alone up there, with no one next to you.' Jerome forced himself not to cry. Esmé had chosen to leave, and he wouldn't argue with her. From a young age, his father,Maxwell Squalor, taught Jerome to avoid confrontation. As a result he became too dependent on his parents and his current status as an unemployed heir to the Squalor fortune. Jerome was used to using his money to avoid all confrontation. He was used to having things dealt through the front door. That is why he so quickly married that woman, Esmé Squalor. Jerome felt cold, as he closed the windows of his current room at the penthouse apartment. The cold he felt however, was inside him. Jerome was tired of being alone, until one day, as he had breakfast at his favorite restaurant, Esmé appeared out of nowhere. After that, they had drinks and came over to the penthouse, and spent the night together in one of the many richly decorated rooms. Esmé was warm, he remembered. Like a warm autumn afternoon, just after summer ends. It's getting colder with time, but the heat is still there, somewhere. That's what he felt when laying next to her. And that made it worth putting up with her obsession with fashion and trends. Jerome was naked, and he decided to put on his in dark silk robes, the ones Esmé had ordered at the House of In boutique, custom-made, just for him. He decided to walk around until he found a kitchen to have some tea. The halls of 667 Dark Avenue's penthouse were all dark. Jerome wandered in the darkness, with a candlestick in hand. Jerome felt even lonelier when his thoughts went onto the Baudelaire children, the children that he wanted to keep. 'If only they would come live with me...I could make them be in safety.' he thought. Jerome loved the Baudelaires, and the image of them running after Esmé and that evil man at Veblen Hall was a constant burder in his memory. Jerome found a kitchen, and went on to prepare his tea. His hazel eyes observed the tall clock across the room. 'How unnusual to have a clock like that in the kitchen. I guess Esmé thought it was in'. he thought. Jerome suddenly felt a tear drop from his left cheek. But it was ok. He would be fine. Jerome was rich, and he did not need to work. He thought that idea should be comforting, but somehow it wasn't. Not needing to work, what would he do? Jerome's fortune had attracted many, but they only cared for the money. After getting their share, the friends always disappeared. Didn't answer the calls, or letters. They avoided him. Jerome was isolated by his own wealth. Most of his relatives did not spoke to him after he single-handedly inherited the Squalor Fortune. An 'unfair, hateful will' was how they called the will of his father, the eldest of the Squalor brothers, who had made fortune in the city. Only two relatives still remained, but their activities in some sort of organization they wouldn't disclose kept them from visiting him. His only other friend, a man named Jacques Snicket, had apparently lost contact with him, not having sent letters in quite a while. When Jerome asked the doorman about letters from Jacques, the man simply laughed, as if mocking Jerome's loneliness. Jerome looked at the clock; it was almost midnight. The full moon also poured it's light through the venetian blinds on the windows. The moonlight reflected on the dark floor, spreading an eerie glow on Jerome's pale skin. He pensively looked out the window, the other buildings of Dark Avenue in sight. So many neighbours, and he did not have a single friend. Jerome felt horrible. He was lonely, and now without the Baudelaires, there was no one else in the immense penthouse there with him. He could not bear it anymore. Jerome had to find something to focus on, something to dedicate himself to. He was tired of not working. Jerome decided to write a book. It suddenly came to him. A book on the odious lusting after fortunes that leads people to commit crimes and lure other people's family away in one way or another. That would keep him going...for now. xxXxx
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 9, 2010 21:46:55 GMT -5
Awww!!! It was such a wonderful surprise to come on here and find this waiting for me! I absolutely loved it. The symbolism in Jerome's brief conversation with the moon was very inventive in a really heartbreaking way, but beautiful. Maxwell Squalor. I love that you mentioned him, and it's interesting the way your version of him differs so dramatically from mine, what with yours encouraging his son not to argue. It's easy to imagine people only being friendly with Jerome because of his wealth. He certainly seemed to be the loner type in the canon, didn't he, considering the only friends he's ever mentioned having are Jacques and Beatrice. Ooohhh...I know who they are. The way you ended it was a great way to introduce the slightly more assertive version of Jerome we meet in TPP. I also like to imagine this was the event that first opened up the doors for his decision to become an author. Thank you so much for the amazing fic, Tiago. I'm definitely going to save it in the folder of fics that my friends have written for me.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 9, 2010 21:59:45 GMT -5
I'm glad you liked it, Emmz. This sorta came out of nowhere, when I listened to Pink's 'I Got Money Now', and my thoughts went straight to Jerome and Esmé, so I decided I had gotten enough inspiration to write it, and I'm really happy that you enjoyed it.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 10, 2010 7:41:04 GMT -5
You're very welcome, Tiago, and I really, really did. I know that whole "came-out-of-nowhere" inspiration you're referring to (that's how I got the idea for the story I'm planning to write for you). *laughs* It looks like I'm going to have to download "I Need Money Now". I don't think I've heard it before, but I'm sure it's the perfect Esme and Jerome song. ;D
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Post by Invisible on May 10, 2010 9:47:14 GMT -5
Very beautifully written! I loved it! It's so nice that you'd written it for Emma
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Post by Hermes on May 10, 2010 12:12:57 GMT -5
That's beautiful, Tiago!
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 10, 2010 21:00:06 GMT -5
You're very welcome, Tiago, and I really, really did. I know that whole "came-out-of-nowhere" inspiration you're referring to (that's how I got the idea for the story I'm planning to write for you). *laughs* It looks like I'm going to have to download "I Need Money Now". I don't think I've heard it before, but I'm sure it's the perfect Esme and Jerome song. ;D The song is actually 'I Got Money Now', Emmz. XD I'm glad both our gifts came from the same place, because it's often from that place, the blue, that the best stuff comes out of so I'm really glad you enjoyed this story which I wrote for you. Thank you, LSWannaBe! ^^ I'm really flattered that think so. Thank you Hermes, for being so kind! ^^ I'm flattered!
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Post by heartshapedballoon on May 10, 2010 22:41:42 GMT -5
This was super good. I really enjoyed it. Will you continue? I'd like to see Jerome write his book and maybe meet a new love! <3
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 11, 2010 10:24:10 GMT -5
The song is actually 'I Got Money Now', Emmz. XD Haha, that's right! I don't know how I could have overlooked it when I'd only just read it. XD Oh, absolutely! The idea for your story just came to me as I was walking home one day. Other times I've just to get an opening sentence or a few lines of dialogue in my head, and I can just write from there.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 12, 2010 18:28:33 GMT -5
This was super good. I really enjoyed it. Will you continue? I'd like to see Jerome write his book and maybe meet a new love! <3 There just might be a second installment to 'I Got Money Now', yes. I'll see what I can whip up after writing the following few chapters to my main fanfic series' second book, The Mysterious Manor.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 12, 2010 21:37:36 GMT -5
I, too, would like very much to read a sequel to this. It'll be interesting to see what sort of preparations Jerome makes to write his book.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 12, 2010 22:58:19 GMT -5
I Got Money Now - Second installment Another Jerome Squalor short by Tiago Squalor xxXxx Jerome had been working for several weeks. He talked to many key eye witnesses who were there at the In Auction, in Veblen Hall. He would have talked to himself, but since he was there at the time, and since he knew what happened, it would seem redunctant. Jerome interviewed several people who were there at that day when Esmé left him, running, with that man who wasn't Gunther. Jerome had been reading disturbing news on the Baudelaire case in The Daily Punctilio. First the Baudelaires had apparently been sent to a distant village of some sorts due to an orphan adoption program based on the apphorism 'It takes a village to raise a child'. Jerome thoroughly disagreed. It only would take him to raise them. If he could only find them. After hiring private eyes to investigate around Jerome came to meet a judge who was also investigating the Baudelaire case. Justice Strauss was her name. Justice, of course, was her title, not her name. Her name was Abigail. She didn't like her first name much, so she had people call her Justice Strauss all the time. She agreed to meet him on a cold afternoon at 141 Dark Avenue. Jerome had contacted her at the City High Court. He sat at his customary, V.I.P. table, in the V.I.P. section of the restaurant, when she saw her come in. She must have looked really different with the Judge garb and wig on, Jerome thought. Her hair was black, tied at the back of her haid with big, dark curls falling all around. Justice Strauss was showing signs of great distress, but she looked tidy nevertheless. She was a mature woman, Jerome noticed. She had tiny wrinkles on her pale skin, contrasting with vivid blue eyes. She also had dark circles around her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping very well. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Squalor.' said Justice Strauss, when she approached him. He stood up to face her, which was kind of awkward since he was that much taller. 'I've been worried sick with the Baudelaires since I let them escape from me.' And then she started crying. 'I didn't act when I was supposed to. I could have, but I didn't. Now, they're God knows where, suffering all kinds of miseries...' 'Please, Justice, sit. I'll order you some tea. It will relax you' said Jerome, gently pulling a chair for Justice Strauss. She sat, removing her gloves and putting her purse on the table. Her hands were delicate, with french manicure done. 'Did you find your wife?' she asked. Jerome's face suddenly froze, the mention of Esmé being almost too much to bear. Esmé had not long ago sat at that very table with him, when they first met. Jerome sat on his chair, his thoughts going back and forth the whole time he had her as his wife. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Squalor. It's too soon for me to ask.' said Justice Strauss. 'I have been reading the Punctilio, things are looking worse with time. They are framing them, blaming them with horrible things, Mr. Squalor! Those poor three children! Alone in the world, and with the world in their pursuit!' said Justice Strauss before she started to cry, drawing a tissue from her purse to not get her make-up running. The tissue got caught in the lock of the purse and it got stuck. Jerome quickly pulled his own, and offered it to her. 'I'm so sorry, Mr. Squalor. Crying in front of you like this, when we are supposed to join forces to find the Baudelaires and rescue them...' she said, carefully wiping her tears. Jerome smiled, gently but sadly. That idea had tortured him before. Finding the Baudelaires...He knew where they were! 'I say we must go to the Village of Fowl Devotees, Justice. I have gathered many important pieces of evidence on that man who pretended to be Gunther, the most in auctionner in the city, that man named Olaf...' 'Olaf! That dreadful man! Had I known what he was up to when he asked me to play a part in that dismal play of his...' More tears started pouring out of Justice's Strauss' eyes, and Jerome decided that just a tissue wouldn't be enough this time. 'We'll go, Abigail. We'll go and we'll gather the proofs of the injustice that has taken place in this world. I'll finish my book and together, we'll find the Baudelaires and bring justice to Olaf and...' Jerome hesitated. He was about to say her name. 'Esmé...' said Justice Strauss. Jerome looked at her, suprised. 'Yes, I know. I read it in the Punctilio. I have heard many things about the sixth-most important financial advisor in the city in the City High Court.' Justice Strauss now spoke vehemently, nothing like the fragile woman who was there not one minute ago. 'Mr. Squalor, I know you probably care for her, as she is your wife. But she ran away. You can file for divorce. I'll take care of the process myself if you want.' 'Abigail, please, call me Jerome.' Said Jerome, gently placing his hand on hers. Justice Strauss blushed. She had never married, and Jerome was a handsome younger man. 'I have two relatives who work in some sort of organization that I think involves investigation. I'll have to ask them for help. Then we can head for the village of V.F.D. together and see if we can find the Baudelaires.' he said. Justice Strauss nodded, and then said 'I've been dreaming of somehow getting atonement for what I did Jerome. And you're helping me achieve it. Thank you.' The two hugged, and after they ate, Jerome took Justice Strauss to 667 Dark Avenue. After a while, it was good to have company again. xxXxx
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 13, 2010 8:37:52 GMT -5
That was such a sweet story, and a very good interpretation of what occurred when the two first met. Jerome and Justice Strauss getting together is the best thing since Jerome and Esme getting together!
I love how Justice Strauss doesn't like her birthname, and yet she didn't object when Jerome referred to her as 'Abigail', and even insisted that he refer to her as such.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 15, 2010 20:47:19 GMT -5
Thank you Emmz! ^^ I'm glad you liked the second part of this.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 16, 2010 21:50:07 GMT -5
You're very welcome, Tiago! By any chance, will you be doing any more follow-ups to this? I'd love to read more about Jerome and Abigail's relationship.
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