Fire the Canons for Fantine!

pilferingapples:

THE BEST AND BRAVEST OF CHARACTERS

Headcanon: the people she worked for at the farm were actually really friendly and treated her well and helped her learn a lot of useful skills; I want this to be true and also it’s the only  way I can practically see her learning a lot of the complicated skills she’s obviously acquired by the time she reaches Paris

(who the heck would have taught a street kid the complicated variations of sewing that a seamstress needs to know? when else did she have any access to someone else’s help and materials to practice? to say nothing of the social presentation skills that Fantine is obviously not a natural with)

so I actually believe it  

Heartcanon: when she was a gamine herself she made friends with all the little birds she could win over by sharing crumbs off whatever she found; more than a few birds recognized her and would actually follow her around sometimes. She charmed all the chickens and ducks when she was working at the farm too; she’s just got a knack with birds. 

Gutcanon: definitely a war orphan. Almost certainly her dad was one of Napoleon’s men. Probably rising up the ranks through Martial Valor before getting cut down in one of the more dramatic battles, possibly even before she was born, and then it was just a matter of her mother being one of the many who got an unlucky roll of the dice in the game of 19C Health Issues. 

Spleencanon: ACTUALLY SHE RECOVERED AND MET UP WITH VALJEAN AND COSETTE IN PARIS 
we just don’t see it because she stopped along the way to kick Thenardier’s ass with her post-recovery super powers, which she has now 

While Cosette goes to school at the convent Fantine is out keeping the streets of Paris safe from people like Tholomyes but she sees her daughter every night for dinner and stories and hugs THAT’S ALL