closed: 'you don't believe in anything.' 'i believe in you.'

[untamedantinous]

The past few days have been less than pleasant. Firstly, it seemed that winter had decided to take an extended stay here at the mansion: yes, he knew this place had odd seasons, but winter has never been one of his favorites, even at home. Enjolras has been uneasy, lately, spending most of his evenings holed up with Laertes and Sagramore in an effort to avoid nightmares.

Today, he is hoping that spending time with the one other person from Paris will do him good: and besides that, it has been some time since he has properly seen Grantaire. It would do to check in on him, he thinks. And so, he has gathered up books and his nearly ever-present notebook, intent on doing some writing as well. --As an afterthought, he grabs the unopened bottle of wine that Dionysus had given him, and proceeds to Grantaire's rooms, where he knocks at the door.

"Grantaire?"

Comments

[futaille]

"Of course not. If I were obliged, I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much and would in fact go out of my way to avoid it at every opportunity. And that would be awful."

[untamedantinous]

“It would.” There’s a slight pause. “You know, I don’t know what I would do here without you.”

[futaille]

Grantaire's train of thought goes careening off the tracks at that statement and it's all he can do not to splutter. As it is he manages to just blink a couple of times before managing a little laugh. "I think you'd manage."

[untamedantinous]

“Mm.” He settles back in his chair. “Not well. It is good to have someone from home here. Something familiar.”

[futaille]

He shrugs, and if his smile shades slightly sheepish, at least it's not in public. "I guess we finally discovered what it took for me to be helpful."

[untamedantinous]

He shrugs back, leaving ‘what, me losing my purpose?’ unsaid. “Yes, being transported to an entirely new world.”

[futaille]

Grantaire as well has a whole host of things unsaid, 'being the only one now who can be useful in that way' among them. He just grins, instead. "Indeed. Apparently bringing someone difficult and absurd to a place that's difficult and absurd somehow helps."

[untamedantinous]

“It certainly is that; but we will make do.” He pauses for a moment, before continuing. “We are both difficult, I think, but in different ways.”

[futaille]

"That may be so," he says after a moment of consideration. "But I think everyone is probably difficult for someone, so that puts us in good company." A brief pause. "Well, and bad company as well, because that would also fall under the banner of 'everyone'."

[untamedantinous]

“Yes,” he sounds amused. “But right now I prefer to consider it good company. I am sorry I’ve interrupted your work, though; if you’d like to get back to it I shall be quiet.”

[futaille]

"Don't apologize for that, really. It's just a bit of silliness, and I'm capable of painting and talking all at once." He picks up his palette. "I'm also capable of demonstrating."

[untamedantinous]

“Ah. A man of many talents.” Enjolras is quite capable of doing two things at once as well; and opens up his notebook to settle into writing. “I will get to work too, then.”

[futaille]

"Relatively few talents, really, but I do relish the ones I have." He continues painting. "Would you like me to be quiet? If you have work to do as well, I mean."

[untamedantinous]

“No, it’s alright. It’s only something for me, anyhow.” It’s sort of a memoir of his friends and time spent in Paris; but he prefers to keep it mostly quiet.

[futaille]

"All right." Grantaire would be glad on Enjolras's behalf if he knew he'd actually started writing it, at least. "How fared your Rousseau abridgement, by the way?"

[untamedantinous]

"Oh, it went well enough. M. Aziraphale offered to edit it for me; I'm not really certain what I shall do with it now. It was mostly a thought exercise."

[futaille]

"Good to exercise one's thoughts, to keep them from atrophy¹. I commend you for the effort in keeping yourself from mindless insensibility."

¹Legitimate medical advice from Dr. Grantaire.

[untamedantinous]

“Mm. Thank you very much,” he says drily.

[futaille]

"Oh, of course. I can applaud if you'd like."

[untamedantinous]

"That seems unnecessary. Shall I applaud you for being able to find mindless insensibility? --Though I suppose you may not have done that often, here. At least not that I've noticed."

[futaille]

He pauses in his painting. "Huh. You're right. Not as often. How strange."

[untamedantinous]

“Perhaps it’s the company?”

[futaille]

"Perhaps, although it's hardly as if I had been previously lacking for company. It therefore must be the pinball."

[untamedantinous]

“….Pinball?” He clearly has made no attempt at the game room.

[futaille]

"Oh, it's in the game room. It's from somewhat after our time. Very exciting game. Almost as noisy as I am."