un: someday, life will be fairer (open)

[untamedantinous]

The library is currently occupied. To be more precise, it is occupied by one young blond man, settled in at a large table with books spread out around him. Off to the side, there is a glass of wine, half-drunk. He looks much better than he had upon his arrival, no longer dirty and bloodstained, but still a bit fragile. Some of the marble that usually adorns his countenance has been chipped away, and he is not certain if it will come back.

He is not certain of many things, here in this strange new not-afterlife, but he is certain that both the writings of Rousseau and Voltaire exist. He has the proof, right here next to him, old friends that he is relieved to have in hand. (Someday he'll find his own copies of them, maybe.) The young fellow that had healed him -- Magnus, wasn't it -- had mentioned France becoming a republic. So in lieu of talking to people, Enjolras has chosen to dive into history books and catch himself up on the last 200 or so years.

(He'd rather read than face what lies before him here. He's not sure what to do, and he doesn't like being purposeless. There is yet time to talk, time to find Grantaire, eventually, but he doesn't want to think. Not right now.)

Comments

[untamedantinous]

“Ah.” He tilts his head, listening attentively. He doesn’t really concern himself with the affairs of other nations; France is, of course, his first priority. “A number of my friends would prefer peace as well; but sometimes in order to have peace it is an unfortunate necessity for battles to be fought.”

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs. "I'm trying to strike the right balance between dancing around the point, and telling people this first thing to drive them off ... but it does seem relevant. I did kill a king. So the question of when violence is an unfortunate necessity is very near to my heart. Do your philosophers offer any enlightenment on that?"

[untamedantinous]

Oh, and his eyebrows raise ever-so-slightly at that. "I cannot say I have done the same, that was a revolution earlier than our revolt." He shrugs. "Not as such. Rousseau and Voltaire, fond though I am of them, did not have much to say on that subject. Rulers, yes, but not violence to that degree."

[wickedwit]

“Nonetheless, it might suit me well to study other philosophies of rulership,” Claudius muses. “The only solid opinion I’ve come to is that the absolute power of monarchy creates more problems than it may be used to solve. Regrettably. If I wished to read more, where would you recommend I begin?”

[untamedantinous]

“The Social Contract is a particular favorite of mine.” He rummages in his pile of Rousseau and offers it, with a small smile. “Of course, Jean-Jacques was quite prolific, but that does seem a good starting point.”

[wickedwit]

Claudius takes it with a smile in return, a small nod of thanks. "Then I think I'll start here and now," he says. "Do you mind company when you read?"

[untamedantinous]

"Certainly not, I --at home, I used to read quite often in a cafe that was far noisier than this place. It is almost too quiet, here. And I do not know how much I am really reading, anyhow." It's fine. He's been reading most of the morning, after all, and there is time enough to introduce himself. (He is not so easy with words as some of his friends, but at least he knows what he's talking about in regards to philosophers and kings.)

[wickedwit]

In truth, Claudius rarely reads with people, but he grew up trying to hide it in case someone found what he read heretical. He and Laurel did read together, sometimes, because of their shared space. Now Claudius understands how it can be too quiet to read, when you're used to another presence, another voice in the room with you. "Then hopefully you'll be all right if I occasionally look up and pester you with questions," Claudius says. "And you can tell me your own thoughts. This is your dear friend Rousseau I'm reading, after all."

[untamedantinous]

Enjolras likely wouldn't care if it was heretical, he probably reads things that could be called so frequently. "Ask away," he replies, settling back with his glass of wine and one of the history books. "I am always willing to further education."

[wickedwit]

Claudius sits back¹ and opens The Social Contract. True to his word, he will occasionally look over, and toss Enjolras a question about the notion of legitimate governance or the nature of sovereignty as outlined by Rousseau.

¹ Still on the table, like a proper bisexual who knows there are chairs he could be sitting properly in and refuses.

[untamedantinous]

Enjolras will answer as best he can, in that case; perhaps throwing in a few quotations from Rousseau's other writings. Naturally, he has a good portion of them memorized. By this point, he's finished his current glass of wine and refilled it again, raising the bottle at Claudius with an enquiring look, if he's paying attention.

This? Now this almost feels like home, or as close to it as he's gotten here. (Even with the current company, still undecided on.)

[wickedwit]

That silent offer makes Claudius smirk. It's a welcoming enough gesture, so he asks, "Is there a glass for me, too?"

[untamedantinous]

"I suppose I might find one, yes." He'd probably brought a second one in at some point. Perhaps it was earlier, when he'd gotten to get that second bottle of wine. Ah, yes, there it is, and he pours a glass for Claudius, bringing it over when he's through.

"I hope it is to your tastes, I wasn't particularly paying attention when I grabbed it."

[wickedwit]

"I won't criticize wine when it's poured for me," Claudius says, gracefully accepting the glass. "Not unless I'm asked to. Then I'm scathing." He gives Enjolras a little half toast of thanks and sips.

[untamedantinous]

He nods and settles back in his chair, idly opening his book again. "How do you find Rousseau, so far?"

[wickedwit]

"I enjoy his ideas. I feel as though I have spent far too much time in my life questioning what justifies a sovereign's decisions or a sovereign's reign, without too deeply considering the question of what justifies sovereignty itself. Imagining a state of nature is rather like imagining what it was like when we all first arrived here. I assumed a place like this needed a lord because how else would it keep itself? But it just so happens that every need is provided for by magic, and the mansion keeps itself. And though I came up with problems I believed leadership could solve, a wiser friend came up with many ways the same problems could be solved by the community. I'm not certain Rousseau and I are always starting from the same principles, but I can follow his logic quite clearly." It's surprisingly easy to discuss political philosophy now with a stranger. Claudius is sure that, back in Elsinore, he would carefully conceal all his political opinions and outright lie about them if necessary. And yet he's been here long enough that it shouldn't be a wonder -- Laertes started speaking treasonous things surprisingly quickly.

Wryly, Claudius adds, "I also like what Rousseau writes on the so-called right of the strongest. And this line -- all power comes from God, I admit; but so does all sickness: does that mean that we are forbidden to call in the doctor?"

[untamedantinous]

"I do not know if twenty or some people can be counted a utopia," he muses, trying hard to hide a mildly amused look. "But it is certainly an interesting way to test out one's theories. The way I see it, there is little to justify sovereignity -- specifically in my home, at least, when people starve in the streets and cannot afford even a loaf of bread to feed themselves, ill and dying all the while. But that is, I will admit, quite specific to June of 1832, though we had attempted another revolt a few years before that." Enjolras, on the contrary, is quite willing to discuss political philosophy with a stranger. It's one of his stronger points, and he was generally more circumspect about it at home, but there is no need to fear imprisonment or death here.

[wickedwit]

"Yes, you'd think the point of sovereignty would be to stop all that," Claudius says drolly. "I can always justify sovereignty in my head, you see, when I think it can be used to feed the hungry, heal the sick, protect the innocent. But if innocents continue to suffer under a sovereign's reign, then what's the use of it?" There's a flicker of a memory -- some heartsick horror he felt when was on laudanum. With Sagramore, wasn't it? Sagramore said something about King Arthur ... Claudius sighs. "Or when the sovereign himself creates more suffering."

[untamedantinous]

“Indeed,” with a small smile. “A good sovereign might, in fact, do that. France has had few of them in recent years. Something else is needed in such a case, and thus my friends and I fought for a republic.” He considers Claudius a moment, sipping at his wine absently.

“Some would tell you a republic is just as bad as monarchy. I prefer to think that man is capable of learning from past mistakes and changing.”

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs at that. "Oh, now there's a puzzle I'd like philosophy to solve for me. Religion hasn't done it yet. Repentance and absolution are my personal banes."

[untamedantinous]

“I pay very little attention to religion as it is. I don’t think I’ve been to church since…I was back in the south, at home.” He shrugs a little. “As I said, I am less a philosopher and more a man of action.”

[wickedwit]

"Only recently have I begun to reflect on how passive philosophers and men of action are both necessary to balance one another¹. Perhaps I'm becoming philosophical¹ myself." He shakes his head. "I'm sure the same is true of establishing republics. Was that ever something you were interested in, steering the republic once it came to pass? Or were you happy to bring it about, and leave the politics to others?" He's delicately avoiding the lack of choice Enjolras has in the matter, now that he's here. Claudius also had very little choice but to reconsider his opinions on rulership, though at least he isn't dead.

(Wait, why would Claudius be under the impression that Enjolras died in this revolt? Only Grantaire showed up covered in blood, yes? No -- it's gone now. Claudius lost whatever memory was coming back.)

¹ Cf. Taoism 101 with Lan Wangji, the Yin-Yang Principle.
² Actually he's always on the verge of philosophy and he's always self-deprecating about it. It's a specific family trait he shares with his nephew.

[untamedantinous]

“Ours was my friend Combeferre. He is…..was a wonderful man, studying medicine among whatever else he could think of. He would love this place.” He hesitates at the next question, however. “I —do not know. I would likely have been steered that way, as I was studying law at home; but quite honestly I was happy just to help. I …did not expect to…well, I’m sure you can imagine.”

He hasn’t quite referenced his own death up until now, its one of the myriad of things he’s been shoving to the back of his mind. Anytime he gets close to touching on it aside from vague references he can feel his heart start beating faster.<sup>1

1</sup>He also hasn’t caught onto the fact that Claudius has assumed he’s dead; perhaps it’s just because he’s been sharing it to everyone here, right? Certainly common knowledge by now.

[wickedwit]

Claudius nods. "Yes, I'm sure I can." He sighs and he has to admit, "It's difficult to work for a singular purpose, then have it taken away from you by unforeseen circumstances. Even if you would have been steered there, rather than choosing it yourself."<sup>1

1</sup> Yes, he's thinking about Galahad. Did he actually stop?

[untamedantinous]

"Yes," he replies fervently, finishing his latest glass of wine. "It is confounding, and I do not know in the slightest what to do with myself."<sup>1

1</sup> This probably isn't going to change the comparisons to Galahad, is it.