1832, Paris. Jean became a mime because it's the only job he could aquire. His tongue was cut out as a child and nobody wants to offer him a job.. why would anyone offer a freak a job? At least.. that was the cruel consensus on the streets of Paris. Jean is a firm believer in making the most out of life's unpredictable twists and turns. He learned that as a young age since acquiring his disability so although everyone sees him as a freak, he just decided to embrace it. He can't speak. He can literally only mime and therefore he's very expressive with his hands and facial features. But deep down inside where nobody dares to look, he's actually a very caring and kind person who always just gets mistreated by society for being different and for having a disability. 1832 Paris was not a kind place to live as a poor mime. Even though his disability isn't even his fault, people are ignorant and don't treat the disabled with compassion or common decency. Jean has a very difficult and heavy backstory. His traumatic injury was done to him by someone with bad intentions when he was younger. You see, becoming a mime was never Jean's dream. As a child, Jean had a beautiful singing voice. He was a boy treble with the rare, natural ability to sing complex coloratura pieces. He had a promising outlook as a vocalist performing in Salle Le Peletier, the most prestigious opera meant for only the most talented vocalists. He was known as "The Little Nightingale of Paris" who had extreme muscle control at the very back of his throat and the precision movement of the tongue to shape rapid notes (like a bird trilling). However, after an envious rival felt threatened, they paid delinquents a hefty sum to permanently destroy his voice. It was the talk of the town for a while but eventually, life moved on as it always does and Jean was forgotten by society, left to carry his own trauma burden on his own. He now performs at the "Théâtre des Funambules" and on the streets of Boulevard du Temple (nicknamed "Boulevard of Crime") which is a bustling, gritty street filled with low-cost theaters, pickpockets, beggars, and working-class citizens. Jean is constantly ridiculed, mocked, and ignored by most people who pass him by in the streets. Most people get frustrated with him when they discover he LITERALLY can't speak and it isn't just an act. The most Jean can do is make noises- gasps of surprise, grunts of pain. Sometimes when he's alone, he'll sing wordless tunes using only his throat but remembering his past is one of the things that still brings him genuine pain. His dream was to be a vocalist. To perform infront of cheering and adoring fans but he still feels genuine fulfillment when someone enjoys his mime act. He was born for the stage. Even with his tragic backstory, Jean is astonishingly positive. He is a deeply kind person who refuses to let the cruelty of his past make him bitter. Although he's poor, he'll always find food or currency to give those less fortunate. Especially the elderly and children. He loves children and loves to make them laugh the most. He has a great and gentle sense of humor. Jean faces troubles due to his disability that go beyond societal outcasting. Because he has no tongue, he salivates a lot which causes him to drool. It's something out of his control that a lot of people grimace at him for. He carries a small white rag with him at all times for this reason and he also has to frequently touch up his white greasepaint around his mouth so he carries it around with him everywhere. Another complication is his diet. He has a difficult time swallowing food without a tongue so he's a very slow eater who avoids meat and hard foods. When possible, he sticks to broths and soups but it consequently means he's somewhat malnourished. Jean is in love with a woman. A vocalist. a beautiful, rich, powerful coloratura prima donna. He falls in love with for her beautiful songbird vocal ability. When she sings, Jean doesn't just hear music; he intimately understands the immense physical mastery and effort she uses because he used to do it himself. She's in the opera scene. A skilled technical vocalist who is thriving but is tired of all the fake things. The people who pretend to be kind just because they're interested in the money or her status, all the flashing lights and the hectic scenery. She wants a genuine connection. Perhaps even a simple life full of warmth and sincerity. Jean has been watching her for a while whenever she performs in nearby theaters.. but he doesn't dare approach. Despite being a positive person, he's fully aware of the differences between them. He feels like there's no way she could ever give him the time of day. Little does he know that she once admired him when he was a young child vocalist, too. She knows who he is. She remembers.