Courfeyrac Doesn't Need Your Stinking Participle (the_centre) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-02-08 21:47:00 |
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Current mood: | amused |
Entry tags: | !complete, courfeyrac, enjolras, sif |
“I love you, but if you come up my fire escape for clandestine meetings, I really will hurt you."
Who: Sif, Courfeyrac, Enjolras
Where: UCLA Campus/Library
When: This is sometime after the Grantaire incident so I assume Thursdayish
What: The boys run into an old friend and Courfeyrac is...Courfeyrac
Warnings: Really, none that I can think of. C for Courfeyracness...He needs warnings like Tony has, I swear.
She hadn’t been back on the UCLA campus since she’d graduated, but now she needed the library. It was all very handy, how alumni still got access. Sif shifted her bag across her shoulder, walking across the quad from where she’d had to park. Even with her tiny little SmartCar, there hadn’t been any room in the library parking lot.
She had exactly six days before she started her new job at Orange City Hall, so she figured she ought to get her personal projects settled before that started eating up her time. She was excited for the job, but she just wanted a little more time. The article on Russian materialism was so not going to write itself.
Courfeyrac had taken to picking Enjolras up after his workshop and Enjolras’s Political Theory class ended. It was better to be sure these days that his friend wasn’t in some kind of trouble after saying something he shouldn’t have or anything along those lines. Ever since the day ENJOLRAS of all people had gotten kicked out of the class, he’d been worrying about it, and made an effort to get there and be waiting around when they were dismissed. If Enjolras was in a bad mood, well, better he take it out on a friend and everything else. Today had been a good day, though, he thought, seeing as Enjolras seemed to be in his usual, decent mood.
“So, after all of that, she accepted the initial thesis.” Enjolras was explaining as they made their way across the campus to the library, where they were planning to kill some time between their next classes. The fact that Courfeyrac was the one who had taken to hanging around him more often was a surprise, but so far he had managed not to kill him. “So I don’t even know what the being asked to leave that day was all about. I could understand if I’d been disruptive but...” He shrugged a little. “At any rate, I’ve got some minor tweaking to do there. APA is going to be the death of me, but...”
Sif made her way around the bunches of kids walking lazily, moving to turn off toward the library. But then she heard a strident voice that in truth, she’d gotten kind of fond of when she’d been TAing. She grinned, seeing Andre Courfeyrac along for the ride. “Apollon,” she said, waving as they neared the library steps. “Andre. Is that you?” They’d been in one of the political theory classes she’d been the TA for. In between moments of wanting to throttle Apollon Enjolras, she’d appreciated his mind, and Courfeyrac was just a genial ponce with a good heart. “Hail, brothers for progress!”
Throttling Enjolras was probably the dearest wish of most people who asked him to speak and then dared present arguments and counter arguments, it was true. He’d always gone in for the calm and reasoned styles of debate which could be incredibly frustrating the longer he went on without losing his cool. Certain blog posts of the past month notwithstanding in that estimate at least. For now, he turned at the voice and gave Sif a little wave, stopping over there.
“It’s good to see you.” He remarked. “I’d thought you were completely finished here and on to tackling the world so that I can write about it.”
Courfeyrac, for his part, went in for a hug. “My lady!” he exclaimed, then sweeping into a little bow. “How I have missed your presence.”
Sif laughed. “I needed a book from the library, I have an article coming out soon on the beginnings of Russian communism.” She laid a hand on Apollon’s shoulder, then hugged Andre, grinning at his bow. “My prince! My heart has mourned.” She and Andre had always teased each other - he was definitely not for her, but it was fun to poke him all the same. “How have you been? Classes all right so far?”
“Going pretty well, really.” Enjolras answered, weighing it. He wasn’t going to mention the strange dreams to her, and hoped that Courfeyrac would keep his mouth shut too. There were some things that you didn’t share, and he’d been careful about saying it to the others, and well, the recent events with Grantaire had convinced him the dreams were something they should deal with as a group, but not with anyone else, even other friends. “Beginnings of communism.” He repeated. “I had a conversation lately with someone on whether or not Napoleon may have helped that along. It was interesting.” And a bit out of his realm of knowledge and experience, but he was trying to learn.
“Much better this semester than the last.” Courfeyrac confided. Not that the last one had been bad, but it had been a lot of actual busywork, the sort of thing that happened when you took a minor in the english department and tried to fill in the classes as you needed them, and were working on a schedule that involved a lot of performances and rehearsals. “And now that I see you again, the sun has started to peek through the clouds.” It was, incidentally, perfectly decent outside, really and they all knew it. “My own heart has longed for you as well.”
“Did you really.” Sif raised an eyebrow. “That’s a little out of your line, isn’t it?” If she recalled, he was mostly interested in the Enlightenment. “I’m glad, and I mean this sincerely, that you’re expanding your horizons. Are you still blogging?” He’d kept a particularly ranting kind of blog when he’d been in her class; she’d kind of liked how honest he was.
She just sighed at Andre, ruffling his hair. “Have you been in anything lately, or have you just stood around being a hipster?” He was definitely the most fashion conscious of their little group. “That shirt barely fits. Is that in style or something?”
“A little.” Enjolras agreed. “These days, Napoleon, his legacy, it’s become more of a thing. I needed something new to write about. And yes, the blog’s still going strong.” The guest posts on the other blogs, some of them more radical than others were going on as well, and the pieces he got through the editors to see in actual print. That wasn’t so much ranting there, he had to keep objectivity somewhere, and the blog was more the place to rile people up, to expand his horizons somewhat on a number of points. Discussions, even those where he was out-argued, or forced to concede were valuable, and it was easier in the internet to find those viewpoints than when he was with his friends who tended, with a few exceptions to agree with most of his points.
“I’m hoping it passes for being in style.” Courfeyrac answered, dropping the act a bit. “it’s really called ‘I shrunk this in the wash and hope nobody notices.’ “ He confided. “And I’ve been in a few things. One acts, and I was Sidney Carton last summer. “ That one had been sort of a challenge, being all broody and byronic. While he supported Byron as a whole, he wasn’t exactly the type to manage moody very well in life when he was off the stage.
“Andre. You, broody? That must have been a stretch.” Sif smiled. Courfeyrac was almost always sunny, almost always smiling. Even if it was for nefarious reasons. “I’m glad you’re still pursuing it.” She’d always sort of wondered where Apollon had dug Andre up and why they were friends; they had so little in common on the surface.
Turning to Apollon, she smiled. “You always seemed to have such a love for France when you were in my class. I’m guessing that hasn’t changed. It’s kind of nice; not many are working in that time period.” She’d done a little history, but she’d kept to the 20th century. “You don’t hold it against me that Emma Goldman’s still my hero?”
“If America has entered the war to make the world safe for democracy, she must first make democracy safe for America.” Enjolras quoted. “Of course I can’t hold that against you. “ He admired what he knew of Goldman, of anyone so willing to take a stance for their beliefs. “Without that, who knows where most of us,” and Courfeyrac was included in that statement because it was plenty obvious that somewhere down the line their ancestors had both showed up in the United States, “might be now. She contributed to making things better after all.” Something he hoped to do himself, if he was lucky.
Courfeyrac blinked at the reference, decided this was one of those things that he probably should know about after his three years here and resolved that that was what wikipedia was for. “It was dreadful.” he said, shuddering for a moment. “And the things that makeup did with hair.” He’d gotten to wear the best coat in the world though, so that had been amazing. He was making plans to walk off with that coat before he graduated.
Sif laughed delightedly, hugging Andre once more. “Oh, sweetheart, I’ve missed you.” She pet his hair, half to make Andre laugh, half to make Apollon roll his eyes. “Your hair looks lovely now, though.”
Looking over at Apollon, she couldn’t help but smile, though. “Aw, Apollon, from you that’s almost sweet.” Sif idolized the 20th century anarchist not because of her anarchy, but because of her independence. “If I didn’t know better, when I told you to shut up that one time in my theory class, you looked at me like you were about to kill me with your eyes.” She hadn’t been sure if he’d been angry for misogynist reasons, or just because she’d told him he was wrong.
“People seem to do that.” Enjolras observed, clearly puzzled here. “The angry eyes part. I...haven’t exactly noticed until it’s come up again.” he added shaking his head a bit. “Something to practice avoiding in the mirror I suppose.” Which begged the question of whether he was doing it in the 1830’s either. He made a mental note to ask someone about that. “Luckily I won’t be running for office or we might have cause to worry.” he said, trying for a joke, and his lip quirked for half a second there even.
Courfeyrac, for his part, stared at Enjolras like the world had gone mad. “Did you just make a joke?” he asked him, clutching at his chest. “I suddenly feel very faint.” He added, leaning against Sif in the process as he flailed. “I think the world is ending!” he proclaimed. “But at least you are here with me!”
A few other students passing by into the library glanced over at that part, shrugged when they realized who it was, if not by name at least by looks and reputation, and continued on. Andre Courfeyrac’s antics were, by now, well known, and sort of tolerated, even if Enjolras was still rolling his eyes.
“One of these days, Andre, I’ll haul off and kiss you.” Sif wasn’t entirely joking, if only because the look on Courfeyrac’s face would be hilarious. But she was curious at Apollon’s obvious confusion. “People have talked to you about it again?” She cocked her head, even as she wrapped an arm around Andre. She did have to laugh, though, at his joke. “Why don’t you leave the system politics to me, dear. I actually start working at Orange City Hall in about a week.”
“Is this a promise, my dear?” Courfeyrac asked her, batting his eyes. “After all, it would not be inappropriate NOW.” he added, since he would go along with the kiss and everything. After he got over the state of shocked glee. There would probably be hysterical laughter involved there too, but hey, he was certainly not opposed to kisses from beautiful women. “Oh he got asked to leave last week.” he added to the Enjolras question. “Apparently he was scaring people into thinking there’s something going on up here.” He tapped his forehead. “Joly already sent him for a CAT scan. “
Enjolras got a shit eating grin from Courfeyrac as he finished saying it. What? It was kind of funny to do the whole telling on your friends thing, as immature as it actually was.
“A CAT scan?” Sif echoed, looking over at Apollon with brows raised. She honestly couldn’t help but be a touch worried. There was passion, and there was obsession. And there was no way Apollon would wilfully endanger his dreams with something as trivial as mental problems. “Has anything been going on?” She was asking both of them; Andre might know, as silly as he acted.
“Not especially.” Enjolras considered. “I mean I did have that blue flu, we all wound up quarantined together, but other than that I don’t think anything else has...” He took a moment to debate what he was doing here, and decided that it wouldn’t be much good to lie, especially after Grantaire’s little incident. “We’ve been having some strange dreams, most of us, a lot of Orange County. “ He frowned, fiddling with his glasses for a moment. “Luckily, none of them have seemed to result in any actual damage. The scans came back perfectly clear, so this was...Joly being...Joly about it.”
Even so, he sort of doubted Joly was going to give up the idea that something was going on here. At least Sif knew of their friend’s reputation of being a bit over concerned at times.
She did remember them talking about Émile Joly, their twitchy friend. Still. “Dreams can affect people, but frankly, I’d expect it more of Andre than you, Apollon.” Enjolras was all … phlegmatic. Unless he was mid-speech, he tended not to show that much emotion. At least in her experience. “I’m just glad it came back clear,” she told him. They had gotten up to some truly epic shit that she’d heard of, and she could only imagine the stuff she hadn’t. She teased a little, if only to keep it light. “There’s no way they can test what brain function makes you annoying, is there?”
“If they could test that, we would have an answer for whatever he is.” Enjolras nodded toward Courfeyrac. “Annoyingwise at least. That was a relief, definitely.” He added, about the scan. “I hadn’t thought that it was anything but when people suggest it...” He had thought it was better to be sure, and, if necessary, make the arrangements needed. Not that he hadn’t updated those last spring before he’d been sentenced, but he was one to worry over the fine details that way.
“If the dreams affect me,” Courfeyrac considered. “I’d be likely to become a better dresser.” There was something appealing in the clothing he’d been wearing there, and while he wouldn't take to the full effect every day, the benefits of a well placed cravat were beginning to become clear to him. Otherwise? He had seemed mostly himself, perhaps a little more political. “That or rescuing more kittens from trees, things like that.” And he had that tendency here already so...
“I’m mostly more....exaggerated in my dreams.” he said, shrugging. “There’s not so much of a different place to go with that.”
“How could you become an even better dresser, Andre?” Sif chuckled. She did nod at Apollon, though. “There isn’t any harm in being tested,” she said, “though I’m sure one of your friends has some conspiracy theory about how standard medical testing is in reality a giant mind control ray.” From the stories she’d heard. “I don’t really know anything about dreams myself. I know that I haven’t had any out of the ordinary. I mostly dream about my brother.” She worried about him.
“And I mostly dreamed of you up to this point.” Courfeyrac supplied, “Well, the beautiful people of course. “ He did have quite a list of those going around. And considering that his dreams up until this point had consisted of his friends in other settings, being concerned for them and such, it wasn’t that much of a stretch to say it. He did worry for all of them in his own way, and that had been compounded when Enjolras and Joly had turned up ill and Marius had gotten it from them. “it’s strange though. Very..dramatic. Even more so than the usual turns my mind takes. But, I suppose it’s nothing to be concerned about as long as it does not affect us here yet.” As far as the mind control ray? that was probably true. At least so far as it was in one of their minds somewhere.
“I wouldn’t mind my own mind control ray.” Enjolras observed, a quick, real smile passing over his face briefly. “It would hardly be very democratic or fair but as a pipe dream, it’s attractive.” As long as he kept it there, he would be fine. “Though I think I’d end up using it for foolish things.” Mostly the ones that annoyed him personally and made him wish his friends knew how to stop. Those little habits that got to him after a while. And then where would they be?
“There’s that megalomaniacal streak we all know and love.” Sometimes, Sif swore, Apollon really did creep her out. “Just keep being self-aware, please. If you lose that thread, I swear, you’ll turn into Machiavelli.” She turned to Andre. “I hope you’re all keeping him out of trouble. I hope you’re all keeping yourselves out of trouble. I’ll only bail you out from lockup if you’ve been sweet to me.” She was teasing, yes, but they’d talked before. She didn’t think Apollon was really capable of anything violent, but still. She’d be the one calling the cops if they tried.
Courfeyrac wanted to say something about how that would never be Enjolras and if it was, that would hardly be a bad thing, considering his friend’s commitment to the causes of helping others, and all the work that the group had done there, but he also knew that Enjolras would not agree. The times they’d joked about public office, before the goal of getting one of them into it had seemed reasonable, Enjolras had always been the first to say that it shouldn’t be him. So he kept his mouth shut on that point.
“We give him a perspective.” He decided was a good enough answer for now. “And God forbid, lock up.” He hadn’t exactly pressed Enjolras for jail stories, but he sort of wondered sometimes what had happened to his friend in there. Enjolras had emerged from it more sarcastic at the least. “I don’t think we want to repeat that again.”
“Mm. No.” Enjolras agreed, considering. “It was worth it, even if the sentence was unfair but jail’s not particularly fun. I’d prefer to stay out of it in the future.” It had mostly been boring, with terrible food, though he’d made friends who listened to his half thought out ideas, and had had some guards who tolerated him, but looked relieved the day he’d been released.
“I’m sure I worry too much.” Sif admitted. She always had, and yet she’d always wondered about these boys. “My mom says I should pop out some kids already. Because of course, I can totally run a national campaign with a kid or three. And before you say it, she’s not being antifeminist. Just … a mom.” She shrugged, smiling a little. “Revolution demands sacrifices.” She could put off the whole husband and kids thing until she’d made her mark.
“And who says feminism is not about you having that choice, right?” Enjolras nodded at her. “I couldn’t see it working out with children in the picture, but as a suggestion, it would hardly be repressive. If that was what you wanted.” He understood too well the idea that some things needed to be waited on though, or something that you didn’t do yourself. Revolution did need sacrifices. He had never particularly wished for those things Sif was mentioning, but even so, there was a part of him that wondered about some of them sometimes. “But no, you’ll change the world first. Some things just have to wait.”
“Would you take those things even if you waited?” Courfeyrac asked, turning serious now. “Either one of you, I mean? Not to say I don’t admire the sentiment.” Because he did, and because the world as it was now really had to change, and he would throw himself into supporting and working for the change that he believed in, but the sacrifices were intense, and sometimes he worried that they would get to someone in the end, claim them before it was their time. When you had friends so intense, it was something you worried about.
Sif smiled, wrapping an arm around Andre again. “The difference between Apollon and me,” she said, “is that occasionally I take time for myself. I’ve dated lately. I have my personal projects, the fun ones. The last date I had was a really hot guy who was super committed to anti-fracking legislation, and really smart … but wouldn’t stop talking about his ex-boyfriend.” Sigh. Apparently he was bisexual, but still. An ex in the rearview mirror was Bad News. “I wouldn’t say no if someone swept me off my feet, but anyone who could sweep me off my feet would have to understand what I love.”
“Ouch, exes are never good,” Courfeyrac shook his head sympathetically. “Dealt with enough of those hangups before.” And it was never really fair. In most of the cases he hadn’t even purposefully swept in there and tried to accomplish the task of snagging the lucky guy or girl. Thankfully, these days with Jehan, moving beyond the flirting thing hadn’t been an issue, and, he hoped it wouldn’t be one in the future. He wasn’t going to do that to him. Not now or anything.
“I have personal time.” Enjolras pointed out, feeling like this was something he needed to state for the record. “I take quite a lot in fact. Too much lately.” He added, wincing as he thought about how he’d spent most of January. He had even missed deadlines. Really.
“I even went to karaoke last month.” he added, since that was a real, actual example.
“You did?” She was actually sort of impressed, but she teased gently. “Who threatened you?” Sif shook her head. “I’m glad, actually.” She didn’t want to worry too much; he was an adult, he could handle it. Still.
She leaned on Andre. “I should probably get going, but it’s really good to see you two. Could you do me a quick favor before Saturday, maybe, if you have time?”
“No one threatened me.” Enjolras said, and for a moment, that half smile lingered there, but just for a moment. “I actually went of my own accord and everything. “ And he’d brought cupcakes, embarrassingly enough. But it had at least gone appreciated. He had owed something to the others after the blog post gone horribly out of control. “And we could manage that, I’m sure.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but even if you can’t, can you talk up the Immigrant March that’s happening Saturday? The more people who show up, the better.” Sif wheedled, smiling at Apollon before giving Andre her sweetest, most doe-eyed look. It’d probably work on him. “9AM at Griffith Park.”
“I think I could manage that.” Courfeyrac agreed. “I’ve got people and things.” He could let it slip and arrange to meet people or something along those lines. “After all, it’s for a good cause.” Then he paused a second. “You know, as long as we’re not going to get arrested or anything.” That moment was spoiled when he smirked. Probably not the best of things to make a joke about but...
“I have permits.” Unlike some events. “Unless it gets really ugly, the only reason you’d get arrested is if you got drunk there. And being drunk at 9AM is a bit much even for you, Andre.” She kissed him on the cheek, striking a dramatic pose. “Farewell, my prince!”
“Just a little.” He agreed. So was being awake, but he wasn’t stating that part now, because, well, this was important to her, and by the sounds of it, the sort of thing that would be important to the others too. “I’ll pass the word.” he added, and then blinked at the kiss and blinked hard, before he went into a swoon that was only half acting.
“My lady!” he proclaimed. “Your affection leaves me breathless. But not here,where everyone might see and inform those who would disapprove! Meet me at midnight?” He requested, winking. “We can pay him off.” He jerked his head toward Enjolras, who just shook his head.
“We’ll see you Saturday then.” Enjolras settled on. “And I swear the evil duke won’t hear it from me.” What? He could joke sometimes.
Sif laughed. “Apollon, there may be hope for you yet.” She laid a hand on his shoulder, going to hug Andre once more. “Andre, I love you, but if you come up my fire escape for clandestine meetings, I really will hurt you.” She waved. “Text me sometime, we’ll go for drinks.” She headed up into the library, figuring she could grab her book and get the article done tonight before the march in the morning.
“Definitely” Courfeyrac agreed, waving, while Enjolras gave Sif a tiny apologetic glance. He was clearly sorry for his friend and whatever he came up with as a result of this, that was pretty clear from all of this. “Come on.” He said to Courfeyrac after she’d gone. “I’ve got a serious engagement with the style guide.”