des super-pouvoirs

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras knocks on Prouvaire and Bahorel's door out of long habit. Their old knock, still; it matters far less now, but there's no reason to actually break that habit. But, because it's Prouvaire and Bahorel's door, and Bahorel treats it as nearly an insult of honor for a friend to actually use manners instead of barging in, he also opens the door shortly afterward.

(There is a brief pause, though, just in case a response was going to come. There are things Enjolras has no interest in walking in on, even if the room's occupants -- well, mostly Bahorel -- wouldn't care.)

Comments

[vive_lavenir]

"And also an illustration of society's strengths, perhaps--by envisioning how it might fare in the absence of those strengths." Jehan smiles. "Strengths and fears are bound up together, after all--in societies as well as individuals. Combeferre's particular brilliance is tied to his abhorrence of ignorance."

Marguerite, bored of Jehan's chest, jumps off to go stand before Enjolras and mew loudly.

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras blinks at her.

...Yeah, in spite of all Prouvaire's insistence upon her gifts and intellect and so forth, all he's hearing is a cat mewing. Without any Milliways translation going on.

He casts a glance at Prouvaire: your animal is making noise at me, Prouvaire. Is he expected to do something in response to this? (If not, he'll respond to what his friend just said, which he finds infinitely more interesting than pets, sorry.)

[vive_lavenir]

Jehan smiles. "She's saying hello."

Also saying Jehan is right, and get into the spirit of things, Enjolras, but he won't translate that part just yet.

[pro_patria_mortuus]

"...Hello," says Enjolras back, with the fastidious enunciation of someone who's not working very hard to conceal his dubiousness.

(He is, sadly, not very gifted at getting into the spirit of things. Except for the few things he is into the spirit of all the time 100%, like revolution and justice.)

Okay anyway. "I agree with you, in part. But fear can also lead to grave error. In a society, more than the individual -- though perhaps it's only writ larger. But how many oppressions and tragedies have been born from fears exploited? So many of our friends are to be admired for looking at their fears, their horrors, and turning from them to strength and compassion instead. It's a great gift of humanity to do so."

[vive_lavenir]

"Oh, yes," Jehan says, his amusement at Enjolras's reaction to Marguerite subsumed by his earnest consideration of the topic. "And they do it in ways so particular to them--Combeferre countering ignorance with philosophy. Joly looking at the pain and waste of medicine in our time, and turning to any experiment he could for an alternative. Feuilly deciding that no one should ever be abandoned by or severed from their nation. Bossuet taking bad luck and making it an opportunity to forge friendships."

A dreamy look comes over his face. "It's almost magic."

[pro_patria_mortuus]

Enjolras's face lights in response, with the earnest fervor that talking about how miraculous and amazing his friends are always inspires. "They do."

So does Prouvaire, of course. Prouvaire, you're great!

"They're inspirations, always -- all our friends. They face the great griefs and horrors of the world, and transmute them into light for a world shadowed by ignorance."

[vive_lavenir]

"Yes," Jehan murmurs, thoughtfully, "mortal Apollos all, in their way." He smiles. "Well, Combeferre is more of a Minerva, and Bossuet a Dionysus, perhaps."

[ooc: hi, I'm back, sorry for the delinquency and let me know if you'd rather just let this fade]