Notes

[street_sparrow]

Sometime after his conversation with Grantaire, Gavroche drops off a note at the bar. It's short and simple, just:

Enjolras,

I need to talk to you. I'll wait in the main room until I see you.

Gavroche

After some thought, something he was told coming back to him that he'd forgotten in all the recent commotion, he adds another for security:

I have some information about an incident with Eric Northman and Dr Lecter - and Eric was the victim. I'll be in the main bar for a while, some of you know me by sight.

Gavroche Riddle

Comments

[the_gene_genie]

Gene can't remember if he knows someone called Gavroche, so he just looks around when he sees the note. When no faces ring a bell, he simply raises his voice and yells,

'Gavroche Riddle!? Where are ya!?'

He pronounces it wrong. Which he doesn't think he can be blamed for, as it's a weird name.

[street_sparrow]

That's all right, a lot of people pronounce it wrong and he's heard just about every possible option. He looks up and makes his way over.

"Here. You're on security?"

[the_gene_genie]

'Yeah. Gene Hunt.'

He gives him a quick look of appraisal, then shakes the note.

'What's this about, then?'

[street_sparrow]

"Eric told me Dr Lecter threw a silver spoon at him and pretended it was an accident. Eric's a vampire, silver burns him, and it hit him in the face."

[the_gene_genie]

Gene looks at him.

After a moment's thought - in which he resists the temptation to go and grab the bastard immediately - he says,

'How's he know it was on purpose if he made it look like an accident?'

[street_sparrow]

"He said he'd heard Dr Lecter'd been talking to somebody about whether silver would do anything to him, before he went and did it. So he thinks he was testing it out."

[the_gene_genie]

Gene bites his bottom lip, and looks away, thinking.

It's not clean-cut,...but it's bloody good enough for him.

'And who was he talking to about it?'

He'll probably have to talk to them about it - but there's nothing to say he can't bang Lecter up first.

[street_sparrow]

He hesitates, then says, "Sunshine. Rae Seddon. And there's something else he said... you should ask to see the picture Lecter drew for her. I haven't seen it, but Eric said it was of her beheading him."

[the_gene_genie]

'...he drew a picture of beheading Sunshine.'

Well, sod that.

'I'm gonna rip off that bastard's nuts, and shove 'em down his smarmy throat. Wanker.'

A deep breath, before he adds,

'What's the vampire look like?'

[street_sparrow]

"No, no, of Sunshine beheading Eric", Gavroche clarifies. "But if he's trying to get in close to her - tall, fair hair", and he continues with a description of onceaviking.

[the_gene_genie]

He nods when he's done, and looks around in case the bloke's close by. NO such luck.

'Alright. I'll keep a look out for him. He say anythin' else?'

[street_sparrow]

"Not about that, really. He hinted Lecter might have tried to play both sides - not against each other, really, but he must know Sunshine and Eric don't like each other, and I get the feeling he was out to build that up."

[the_gene_genie]

'Aye. He seems to like playing with people's heads. Smug twat.'

He jams a cigarette between his teeth, and lights it aggressively.

'Mind you stay away from him if you can, lad. He's a bad 'un. Worse than throwing spoons at vampires.'

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche nods. "After all this, I'll be sure to. You're investigating him for other things?"

[the_gene_genie]

Gene eyes him.

'Yeah.'



'Are you French?'

[street_sparrow]

He laughs a little. "Born just outside Paris. And yes, I know Javert."

[the_gene_genie]

'I don't. Never met him. Heard plenty though.'

He ashes his fag, and nods at him again. He had been going to say that Lecter might have assaulted the bloke, but then, maybe that's more information than he should really give out.

He would also add that he doesn't like French people, but he doesn't want to stop the kid giving him any more information about this.

'If you hear anythin' else, let me know, OK? It's important. Lecter's dangerous.'

[street_sparrow]

"'Course I will. I'll listen out, too, without talking to him."

[the_gene_genie]

'Nice one, mate.'

He holds the note up.

'An' thanks for this. You've probably just given me what I need to bang him up for a bit.'

His fag gets stubbed out, and he looks around again.

'Right, I've got some people to find. I'll see ya.'

[street_sparrow]

"See you later. If I hear anything, you'll get a note."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

It's some time before Enjolras comes downstairs. But certainly the same day; if nothing else, the main room is the only place to get food, and Enjolras does remember meals more often than not.

He requests dinner, and receives water and vegetables and a hot sandwich that he's a few decades too early to call a croque monsieur. Along with them, the note. He reads it, pockets it, and turns to make his way to Gavroche's table. (With the food, though his attention has shifted from it now.)

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

[OOC: At work, so I'll be fairly slow, but I wanted to tag in since I'll be busy this evening. :)]

[street_sparrow]

[ooc: slow is all good!]

[street_sparrow]

"Not too long", he says easily, with a pointed look at the food by way of reminder. "I talked to Grantaire earlier."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

He's not ignoring it, just prioritizing talking for the moment. The sandwich might get a little cold, but it'll get eaten.

He takes a seat at the table, and a bite of vegetables. His eyebrows ask the question that doesn't need to be asked in words: and?

(He's got an idea of what they probably discussed, but there are a lot of potential details within that. And Gavroche's note said he needed to talk to Enjolras specifically.)

[street_sparrow]

"He wanted me to know what you're planning to do. Which... I thought you would be. It's what I'd do."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

"What are your thoughts?"

In general, he means. In specific detail -- well, he'll gladly hear those too, but maybe not in the middle of the crowded barroom. You never know. (Enjolras doesn't actually know that Javert's left the bar, but either way the principle of discretion remains.)

Gavroche has a right to his input, whatever it might be. That's the foundation of republican ideals: everyone's voice heard, the general will ruling all because it consists of all. Gavroche's expertise in revolutionary tactics may be somewhat less than Enjolras's, but his voice is just as vital.

[street_sparrow]

"I think there's a hope of it working. With a lot of hard work, for such a great change, but you'll know that. I saved my sister, and if that can be rewritten... and I want you to know it's all right. If it... if it works, and if it affects us here in the bubble of Milliways... it's all right."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras's fingers shift slightly, waving away the comment about hard work: of course, it doesn't bear mentioning, he's prepared for that. Otherwise, he listens, and his eyes blaze.

"Your sister. Did you? I remember her death -- she dressed as a workman, she was in the little alley with Marius."

Whom she wanted to love her, apparently, but that's never been a concern of Enjolras's. He's just as happy to ignore everyone's romantic entanglements until they're sorted out or forgotten, or at least until nobody bothers trying to get him to pay attention to them.

He hears the rest of Gavroche's comment, and he understands. He'll return to it in a moment. But first, information.

[street_sparrow]

"Yes", he says with a nod. "She took the bullet for him - and she did it again, we couldn't let him die, but in the shoulder instead of the chest, and then she found her way here."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

He didn't know her in life, not really, but he remembers her dead body. Unambiguous.

"That's very good. Well. So there's a precedent."

Each life that's saved matters, of course. He'll never say otherwise. But it's not his deepest concern, and she wasn't a close friend of his; he'll leave the personal joy to Gavroche, and to his sister herself. What he sees most is the possibility for others.

"Has it changed anything for you? And she's well, just as if it had always happened so? I noticed no change to my memory or my state -- I remember it as it happened before, so far as I can tell."

[street_sparrow]

"I remember seeing her die", he says more quietly. "But she seems as well as you'd expect, she doesn't have memories of things that didn't happen or anything."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras reaches out to press a hand to Gavroche's shoulder, if their seats are close enough, or to cover his hand with his own if not, in a moment's touch of silent support.

All he says aloud, though, is "That's very good to know."

His thoughts hadn't skipped so far down the path of catastrophe as Grantaire's immediately did, but of course he'd had questions. If Bossuet's arrival was possible, it must be possible to act upon that, but there are many unknowns. Logic is not always reliable here: its principles may remain, but the starting premises are often turned topsy-turvy.

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche nods and touches Enjolras' hand in a gesture of appreciation, before the older man pulls it back.

"I think there's at least a good chance that something about Milliways protects us from feeling the changes, or else it splits into two timelines. In this case, hers and mine."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

"So one likely possibility is that we would do nothing for our own past, but create another version of France where events were happier." Strange thought, these worlds and versions, but one Milliways has accustomed him to somewhat.

If so: it's enough.

[street_sparrow]

"Yes", he confirms with a nod. "Because our own past has happened, it might be fixed, but for Bossuet it hasn't. So we could make things go differently in his future."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras nods; intent, abstracted, thoughtful.

His gaze fixes again on Gavroche's face. "And if it does change matters for us here?"

Gavroche already said, really. But it's worth making certain of his thoughts -- the commitment, and any doubt, both. Enjolras's course is set, but all voices should be heard.

[street_sparrow]

"If it does." He meets Enjolras' eyes. "I'd still say you should do it."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras says nothing aloud. But he presses Gavroche's hand once more in a silent clasp of fraternity.

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche presses back, understanding.

"It... it's not a choice I could make the other way. Not for this."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

"I know."

(He doesn't, really, the narration will point out on his behalf. Enjolras hasn't lived here for years and found a new life and family. Enjolras, besides, has no comprehension of what it might be like to live towards any goal but a driving, singleminded purpose, for which he would sacrifice all he has and is, nor any comprehension of having that purpose be other than comrades and country, unless perhaps for the wider fraternity of all humanity.)

He will release Gavroche's hand after a moment, unless it seems Gavroche would prefer the comfort of holding on.

"You'll tell me, or Bossuet, if there's anything else you learn that might be relevant?"

It's a request, but it's one he knows the answer to.

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche, on the other hand, would give his life ten times over for his friends. This is just doing it in a slightly different way. He nods.

"Of course."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras nods. Of course.

He has another bite of his dinner. In a minute (or three) he'll probably remember how to downshift into small talk -- or at least into an opening for a friend to talk of lighter things if they wish -- but not just yet.

[street_sparrow]

"You've remembered to eat today", Gavroche says, teasing.

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras glances at him -- and breathes out in amusement, acknowledging the tease.

"I do, on occasion."

[street_sparrow]

Exaggeratedly solemn, "Glad to hear it. Especially now you've got a project."