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]

"I am, yes, but I am willing to engage in debate upon the subject if you like." There's a teasing sort of smile, though he is quite serious. He will absolutely debate her if she asks. (This is a sure sign of Enjolras friendship.) "It is only that France, you see, has no need of a king that continually fails us, when his people starve, and his councilors spend too freely to line their own pockets -- why should we, when we might rule ourselves? We have done it before, to some degree, and it could use improvement, but I do believe that a man should be allowed to have a choice in his government instead of being told to obey like a child."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina reflects his smile instinctively - but as he speaks, her expression grows more solemn and she bites her lip. King Alexander III continually failed Ravka; he was corrupt, a rapist, and formed an alliance with Fjerda of all countries. And yet... The Darkling thought the same way as Enjolras is speaking right now. The Grisha were repressed. What if they could overthrow the evil King and rule Ravka themselves?

"As much as I don't like to obey orders," she begins carefully, because that is a fact, "doesn't the government bring some semblance of a framework to the country? You can't gut it entirely, so suddenly, but what you can do is make sure that the correct man - or woman - is at the helm with the correct advisors."

[untamedantinous]

"I did not say there would not be a government, there would certainly be a republic. That is what my friends and I fought for, after all. Instead of being --appointed, so to speak, he or she might be elected by those who are of an age to make such decisions, as they do in America."

[ravkanwitch]

"Hmm. Perhaps this would work for France and I obviously can't speak to that... But sometimes the monarchy is... it's like religion. I'm not personally religious, but if you were to suddenly take religion away from Ravka, everything would crumble and fall before we could set up a new foundation. Our enemies would swoop in."

[untamedantinous]

"I also did not say it was an immediate process. I cannot speak for the first republic, I was not alive then; but I have read many of their writings and letters that remain; and so I can imagine that it was not at all easy to set up a new foundation. France had many enemies then, and has many now. Some of them may play at being liberators in another land, and then come home and do the exact opposite in Paris." He sounds mild enough, but it's clear these are old hurts, though he is but 22. He remembers the July revolution of two years ago, for him, and he cannot forgive.

"It is difficult to explain, when we are from two very different places entirely, I suppose."

[ravkanwitch]

“Everything is easier in concept,” she says gently, but she’ll change the subject a little bit. “I met your friend Grantaire, by the way.”

[untamedantinous]

He stills at that, quite an abrupt change from the fire and intensity of earlier, takes a quick swallow of wine. “Did you. How did you find him?”

He’s still not certain of the label ‘friend’ in Grantaire’s case. They have rarely been friends, often at cross-purposes; but even so. Certainly his actions at the barricades have earned him that title? If all men are brothers, surely Grantaire is that to him. The rest is something he doesn’t have the words to think about, just yet.

[ravkanwitch]

"Very self-deprecating," Nina says, a little bluntly. "Nice, though. He told me what Paris was like."

[untamedantinous]

“He is certainly nice enough, yes.” He has no arguments with that, Grantaire has always been one of the more amiable of his amis. “What did he say of Paris? It is quite different from here.”

[ravkanwitch]

"He said it was a beautiful city, full of lights, people, cafes, and delicious desserts," Nina says, brightening a little. "It sounds like my kind of city."

[untamedantinous]

"It is, yes, but like many places, it is not all beautiful." He still sounds mild enough, though. There's a reason he called Paris home for six years, after all. "I did not know he was so fond of delicious desserts, however. The cafes we went to at home were not exactly known for their food."

[ravkanwitch]

“I asked him about the desserts, of course,” Nina says, “and… that’s tragic. It’s very possible to have a nice meal and also start a revolution at the same time.”

[untamedantinous]

"Well, I suppose so, but those sorts of cafes tend to be --very visible. Getting arrested was not our aim, after all." He can have fun! Sometimes. He justs doesn't see the point of eating very fancy food, when bread and cheese and a few oranges will do.

[ravkanwitch]

“You can also get arrested and eat well at the same time,” Nina says very primly, “…if you know who to bribe.” Her expression isn’t clear if this is a joke or not.

[untamedantinous]

That startles a laugh out of him. “Oh, I suppose that’s true. I can’t say I’ve had the dubious pleasure, though.” He’s come closer than he would have liked, a few times, but never actually arrested.

“Do you speak from experience, then?” It’s an honest question, but he also might be teasing. Just a little.

[ravkanwitch]

“Perhaps,” Nina says a little slyly, pretending to examine her nails. “I may have had an absolutely decadent dessert before getting myself blindfolded with a hood and arrested in a maximum security prison… on purpose.”

[untamedantinous]

"And why were you in a maximum security prison, pray?" He doesn't mean to imply that 'that's exactly where a lady shouldn't be', but he kind of is, unintentionally. Mostly, though, he is honestly interested in her story.

[ravkanwitch]

"To break someone out from the inside, of course," Nina says with a little smile.

[untamedantinous]

"My, you have done some interesting things." It has never been an easy thing for him to make friends, he is certainly not at his best when talking to ladies; but treating them just the same as he treats any of his friends is seeming to work in his favor here. "You must tell me more of them, if you wish, some time."

[ravkanwitch]

“Absolutely,” she says with a smile. “I think we have many stories to exchange.”