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[thechief]

That didn't end as well as it ought to have. In the chaos of the rally, we've managed to get the actually wounded to fall back towards the cafe. Madame has claimed she doesn't mind, so long as we keep the treatments to the table we already ruined once and don't scare away the rest of the customers. And I think we may need to order the lobster thermidor for the ten of us a time or two to make up for it, but for now, there are more important things at hand. Whatever happened with the gunshots...and no that was NOT the police, has to be investigated just as soon as possibly. And, for all the fact he has a close friend who was hurt by it, that does mean Grantaire, doesn't it?

Not the person I would hope to see in the face of abject failure to control things, but that will have to do.

Comments

[thechief]

"Grantaire?" Enjolras makes his way into the cafe, approaching Grantaire and James, while being careful to keep his voice down. "When you've a moment we must speak." He tries to keep things sounding civil and like he has more control than he did out there. It's hard for his voice not to shake a little, considering what he suspects has happened. "Will you be able to provide some help determining a few things about that gunshot?"

"Are you so blinded by your light, my fair ange," R quips, raising a hand and placing it against his forehead as if he's blocking out light, "...so blinded that you cannot see what lies straight in front of you at all? Surprising, and a little sad, but perhaps the shadows were not meant as your domain and you should leave them for those of us accustomed to places between the lines. Surely, you know you've chosen life away from them."

"I want to know which of your brothers did this." Enjolras snaps back, still trying to keep from yelling and waking James. "I'm not so stupid as to not know what you're doing. None of us are. Really. It's important."

[jamesmcginty]

James moved up to the table and ended up with a good amount of R's robe over him. He looks - a bit pale and his right hand still has blood under the fingernails. He's got a slight crease between his eyebrows, but that may be from the injury.

Tom stayed around a while and tried being charming at the Madame and ordered food. He's right now reading the paper with coffee and casually talking to Ferre about infection concerns.

James honestly isn't entirely asleep. His side is twinging, and mostly he's been just listening to R's heartbeat and trying to not concentrate on the pain. The conversation though hasn't sounded bad enough to merit moving. Or trying to concentrate on it.

[grand_error]

"If you intend to have your wicked way with me, you're going to need to do it here." R indicates James, then GRINS, infuriatingly at Enjolras. "And I don't know what it is you're talking about, Apollo. How is it that you don't know it's not one of your own framing the police to incite a...witchhunt and riot of some kind and see you all killed. I could see them doing it. Even more than my brothers."

"Because you and your brothers stand against what matters most in our small corner of the world, Grantaire." Enjolras is tired, he's exhausted, and he doesn't want to do this. "Because you don't much care about any of this yourself and find it a joke. We all know how far you're capable of going if you're let to."

Combeferre, meanwhile, is chattering to Tom. "And you'll want to look for signs of infection, of course. Changing the bandages out often will help where you can..."

[avian_cat]

"All right. Pretty sure I can do that. Or ask his cousin to. They're basically family to each other." Tom smiles at Combeferre. "I'm just - you know - nosy ex-roommate who's in town sometimes. Good thing I ran into him. I mean, your guy in green helped out too."

He looks back toward the path to the basement. "I heard about him. James met him in some painting class. Well, he's from Port Martin originally. Didn't know a soul here when he got here."

[etre_libre]

"You're the nosy ex roommate who helped when he was hurt," Combeferre points out, with an eyebrow raise. "I should think that counted for, well, something, certainly. It IS a very good thing that you did though, yes. I don't want to imagine what might have happened had you and Grantaire not been there. I think it could have ended very badly." And there's a grateful smile all the same. "Grantaire did well. I was shocked to find...well for all that he spends time amongst us, we don't know him so well as that. But a better guide to Paris you could never have."

[jamesmcginty]

"I didn't meet him either, while I was in college, but I think James said something about him getting a new job." Tom shrugs a little. "Shall I order you something?"

James finally blurrily stirs a bit. "R?" He squints and then winces as he tries to sit up when he realizes they have company. "I -"

[thechief]

"I'd actually love black coffee." Combeferre smiles at that as he's getting his hands cleaned for the moment, so he can go on to take a look at a few people who've had some minor things happen in the rush to get away. A few sprained ankles and the like, nothing strenuous but still things that should probably get attention and wrapped. "Thanks." he adds,meaning that.

"How far we're going to..." Grantaire's starring at Enjolras. "What about you and your...I've seen some of Kenway's thoughts. I have a feeling I know what your people would do with peace. It's funny you talk of revolution when what you really mean..."

"When what I really mean is that the people are the ones who determine their fate? Instead of wandering around like sheep, we actively step up from our ignorance and...almost all of us, I'm sorry you'll be left behind..." Enjolras starts, then stops as James starts to stir there.

"Ah, sorry. Your friend..."

[jamesmcginty]

Tom pats nearish his shoulder. "You could probably show me how to do that wrapping thing, but I'm pretty awkward without someone watching me. Let me see about a coffee."

James fumbles a few times to snag his glasses and tries to tug his waistcoat to look semi-decent. It's - an attempt. "Sorry. I don't think we got properly introduced." He's definitely got a faint accent to his French, but it's more Quebecois compared to Tom's very British accent. He offers his right hand. "James McGinty. I'm sorry for getting shot." Since that seems like a good thing to do when you wake up to a guy saying R would get left behind.

[thechief]

"Enjolras." Enjolras answers, reaching out a hand to clasp James's there. "I've heard, well, not actually much of anything about you." he confesses, sheepishly smiling a little. "And you have no reason to be sorry. You didn't choose to be shot, after all. It's good Grantaire was watching that." he adds, meaning it. "And I'm glad you're all right. Neither side wants to claim what happened." he adds, sighing deeply. "Are you all right now?"

[jamesmcginty]

James gingerly prods his side. "I think so? I believe Tom was picking your doctor's brain about things to keep an eye out for. I think it mostly hit - uh - flesh? Muscle?" He looks over at R. What's the right term?

"Glancing blow, at the least. Uh - I should be okay." James flashes a smile over at him. "I think it was someone up on a balcony. Probably didn't realize that shooting in the air would eventually lead to the bullet coming back down." But the bullet angle was all wrong for that.

[thechief]

"I'm glad." Enjolras smiles. "Combeferre is probably our best. He was set to be a surgeon, before he got stuck with the epidemics that are sweeping around here. Between us, and those...it IS a lot of practice."he adds, nodding. "He should have you suited soon enough. And flesh wounds...painful but not the worst outcome."

"Only a flesh wound." R mutters. "He's invincible." He's not surprised when Enjolras doesn't seem to get the quote, somehow.

"Ouch. Enjolras frowns at the news. "I'm glad you're all right, considering."

[jamesmcginty]

"I think I actually met him before. Maybe. I think the name on his bag was Combeferre, at least, and he had glasses." James waves his hand vaguely. "That was when I was sick in the painting class, R."

Wasn't R barely there at the time? He remembers the guy got some notes for assignments and some guy broke the world's most ugliest vase? "That was when the acanthus monstrosity vase got broken, I think, when you had someone take stuff down for me."

He tries a smile at Enjolras. He must be pretty boring, talking about some art class, right? "Do I need to get going? I was just planning on buying some bread or some flour for tonight, and then I could get home - I won't be alone? I could call R, or there's my cousin. He's in town. And Tom, if he's staying a while."

[thechief]

"Ah that." R makes a little face, remembering the moment. "That was...not the best day was it? Cold for one thing and I was...also not at my best." He was hungover. "The vase though. That deserved it. It was visually a lot more interesting on the floor in pieces." he adds, thoughtfully. "The little bits that made it up. Poetic, even."

"Don't they have a word for that in...Japanese?" Enjolras asks, blinking at a Grantaire who sounds focused on something for once. That's a shock to his system if there ever was. He's really only seen the man drunk and not caring one way or the other, or drunk and angry, or hungover and angry, or asleep or angry about other issues if he's not drunk. "The bit where they re-fuse broken pottery with gold and it's stronger and more beautiful for the breaks?" His mind turns toward Lorena with that one and all the recent news therein.

"We have nothing important happening just now. Mostly licking our wounds after the disaster. Of course you can stay. I...don't normally see Grantaire like this." He adds, more serious about that now. "it's an interesting look on him. Although your cousin...I wouldn't mind talking to him actually. He helped get someone out of Lorena who I've lately come to know, for one thing."

[jamesmcginty]

"Kin something or another?" James can't quite remember. His cousin dealt with some fake ceramics once, but all he remembers is long talks about making teapots look older with shoe polish which sounds horrifying and like it'd ruin the tea. "Out of Lorena? I know he flew his ship out, and he was helping guide some of the cargo ships out. He's here right now, probably down at the docks."

James hesitates. "He's a bit worried that there may be - there's talks that the Cards and the people who took the cargo ships might be pursued legally. Since some of them were in holding facilities in Lorena? Like the prison got broken into or something like that. Mervin hasn't told me a lot about it. He may talk to you guys."

[avian_cat]

"Ah - you're awake, James," Tom offers brightly. "I brought you coffee. Well, I'm on my third, so you can have this one." Which doesn't explain why he just handed a mug to R as well, but James isn't asking.

"So this someone - would he be a Lorena citizen?" Tom asks lightly. "I might know about him. Or them. I'm a friend of Yvette Moore."