#enjolras doesn't need to be fixed

[cloudysonder]

BirdRick: Trust, Home, and Return

Rick C137 meets BP at a rough point in his life--his wife is dead across the multiverse, and he's decided to dedicate his entire life to finding and killing the man who did it.

He's tired, he's grieving, he's numbing himself with drugs and alcohol and hedonistic, short-term relationships that he can quickly leave behind for the next universe. And at first, it seems like his meeting with BP is gonna end up the same--they start a band on a whim while high off their ass, and they have a wacky, contained adventure--

But after...

Rick stays.

Rick stays with that version of BP in that universe. (we see that version of BP's memories in Rickternal Friendshine, we see him with our Rick, we know they share those memories because of how they travel through his mind) He stays even when things start getting uncool, stays when even when things start becoming "work." He stayed with BP from start to finish fighting a revolution he didn't care about!

He gets that impulse again--that need to get out of this universe and travel to another that's slightly different, that's more fun--Rick is an adventure-junkie before all else, and he needs his fix.

But now it's not so easy to leave.

Now, he has someone by his side who he can leave his back to in a war, who makes the time between adventures less unbearable, who's honest and sincere and believes in the value of life and freedom and is willing to die for it. Rick knows for a fact that nothing matters, that the revolution fails before it begins in infinite universes, that in some universes, the oppressed are the oppressors, that infinity dies and is recreated every millisecond across universes--but he... he likes that BP believes. (He makes Rick feel like life isn't meaningless.)

So...

Come with me. Anywhere. Everywhere.

(Notice how Rick's eye bags have gotten better since meeting BP, notice the soft look in his eyes, the way he moves closer instead of moving away)

BP's the first person he's wanted to stay with since Diane. He tells him everything--the portal travel, the multiverse, the fact that infinite universes exist so none matter--nothing matters! Nothing matters, but you matter... to me.

It's Crowley telling Aziraphale they can go off together, it's Grantaire believing in nothing but Enjolras who believes in everything, it's someone in pain who hates everything but loves one person so, so dearly that they grab their hand and tell them to run away with them--

And BP says no.

The very reason why Rick wants BP to come with him is the reason he can't. Rick, against all odds, likes BP's sincerity, his belief that life matters. And BP, with that sincerity and belief, tells Rick that he cannot follow him, because his universe matters to him.

And Rick leaves, hurt. He shoots a portal, walks through, and it's over.

He can find another BP easily. One that wouldn't say no to him, one that would travel the multiverse with him, that sounds like him, moves like him, acts like him.

But he doesn't.

BP tells him to use the beacon if he needs him. We never see Rick use it. Not because Rick doesn't need him,

but because Rick keeps coming back.

We see a picture of Rick holding a baby Morty in BP's house, even though our Morty has only known Rick for 2 years. Even while traveling the multiverse, exchanging Beths and Mortys and Jerrys, Rick keeps coming to see that Birdperson, in that universe.

There's not much that Rick comes back to. Being able to travel anywhere all the time means that he doesn't really have a home.

His original universe is soaked in grief and self-loathing. Diane's voice blares from his garage speakers and blames him for her death. Everything in that garage is dedicated to finding her killer. Rick only wakes up there sometimes in a miserable haze, torturing himself with photos of her.

But sometimes. Rick finds something wonderful in a different universe. A nice leaf. A pretty seed. A new drug that makes you feel absolutely fantastic.

A grandson.

(Framed photo in BP's house)

And who else would he want to show it to, but BP?

Rick does not have many places to return to. His original family is dead. "Home" is just another word for a base of operations to locate Rick Prime. Staying with Our Morty is just another scheme to get closer to Rick Prime. Rick does not have a home. Rick does not need a home.

Rick Sanchez is a hypocrite.

If he truly didn't care about anything but adventure, there are infinite BPs that would be infinitely more convenient to stay with, to go find and visit, who would say the right things, who would come visit him instead of always making Rick come to him, but, to his great chagrin,

"That's not how any of this works."

Rick Sanchez, the smartest man in the universe, cannot choose who he loves.

He keeps coming back through decades, sharing drinks, stories, his very best discoveries--a moment of peace and companionship between his adventures.

What is that, if not a home?

@birdperselias pls see this

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 3, Match 10: Jean Valjean vs. The Fix

Submitted kids:

Jean Valjean: Cosette; Marius; Enjolras; Gavroche

The Fix: Conrad Schintz, and then he adopted like, an whole orphanage, named Madam Loathings home for wayward interests

Propaganda under the cut! (Spoilers ahead!)

Jean Valjean:

“Cosette is a given, but let’s be real, as Valjean became wrapped up with the revolutionaries, he became all of their dad”

The Fix:

“Ok ok so. Spoilers for mentopolis: First some context that mentopolis is a show that takes place inside one guys brain, all the characters represent something in the brain, and the guy whos brain they are in, named Elias Hodge, is so so very sad.

Ok so, The Fix, the personification of hyper fixation, is like is someone who has spent most of his life working for people, where his job was to 'eliminate distractions' (He kills people, basically). Then one day he is told to eliminate a child. His name is Conrad Schintz (Or the Conscience, due to an accident that happened to the guys who's brain they are in when he was a child- Conrad stopped thing he was useful, aka Elias stopped using his conscience, so his conscience has not grown since the incident, leaving him a small child)

The Fix has never had to hurt a kid before, and he doesn't want to do that, so he instead goes into protecting Conrad. Conrad kind of hates himself though and also kind of thinks he deserves to die so that's not good.

The Fix gave this like, beautiful speech to Conrad once about how hes important, I wont give the whole thing but something along the lines of "There is a butterfly who has a tail that is there for if a bird was to grab on to the tail, it would break off and the butterfly would escape. I don't think you are the tail of the butterfly, I think you are the butterfly." (its better in the actual show). I cry. There is another speech about eagles he gives Conrad when Conrad offers himself, to basically die, but i don't remember it that well.

Other then Conrad though! So There is this orphanage, called Madama Loathings home for wayward interests. Basically its a bunch of kids that represent past interests of Elias. Its run by this women called Madam Loathing (represents Elias' self Loathing)(she is very mean to the kids). The Fix donates a lot of money to this place, and visits a lot, the kids there love him and think he is so so cool. There is this one kid named Ronnie Reptile. He loves reptiles, and The fix gives him reptile facts, its cute. In the first episode, The Fix tells Madam Loathing how any of those kids/interests could be rediscovered by Elias at any time, and madam loathing sort of taunts The Fix, sort of saying how ""Oh I'm sure I can tell the kids they will call be adopted by The Fix soon, but that would be kind of cruel, wouldn't it?"" Implying that that won't happen. (cause, The Fix is hyper fixation, and hyper fixation adopting an interest would be good, you know.).

Note that Conrad used to live at madam loathing's, because he was mis identified as just a simple interest and not Elias' whole sense of conscience, but Corad ran away with his best friend, a dog named Justin. He lived on the streets after that.*

So a bit later on in the series The Fix and Conrad have to go to to madam loathing's together (and another character is with them but he isnt relevant for this). When they get there Madam Loathing asks The fix if he is here to drop of Conrad here, and The immediately is like "Absolutely not, shut the fuck up." (I think that's the direct quote). I just really like that scene.

At the end, end of the series. Some plot stuff happens. The Fix met a women named Pasha N (She represents Passon), and they are in love, The fix proposes to her, its sweet, but then madam Loathing, who got some like, character growth I won't really go into here, and she says to The Fix how, she needs to go on a trip to find herself, and then she offers the entire orphanage to The Fix and Pasha, which is accepted. So in the end of the show, The Fix has basically adopted, that entire orphanage, so thats a lot of kids, along with Pasha, but she isn't in the show as much so I wont submit them as a pair. I didnt mention it before but The Fix is known for knowing a lot of facts and saying "Did you know." before saying a fact, which a lot of the time, it is a fact that is truly terrifying but thats a lot, and The narration at the end of the shows, says how The Fix and Pasha spend their lives with kids around them, constantly saying "Did you know? Did you know?" and it is very sweet. Conrad sort of had his own ending away from The Fix, but I still head cannon that The Fix adopted him too and Conrad comes to the orphanage sometimes.”

[midasinc]

.... more Enjolras headcanons? do you have more?

always do babes

-modern enjolras did tap growing up so he has a pretty good sense of rhythm and is more physically coordinated than people give him credit for

-both canon era and modern era enjolras doesnt like doing his hair. he's not particularly good at it and he thinks it's a waste of time, so he's very prone to hats and a quick comb job. if there's a formal event or something that enjolras needs to look better than normal for, he gets joly to do his hair because they have a similar hairtype and joly is better at styling hair than he is. they become more than acquaintances because of this, going into actual friend territory

-enjolras parrots people. it's half the reason why people find him so charming- he picks up on other people's speaking patterns and social cues very quickly and utilizes them in conversation. it's very subconscious, it isn't something he purposely does, but when he does notice he's doing it, it gives him identity issues where he can't identify what his actual personality is when he's alone

-modern era enjolras wears a tiger's eye crystal beaded bracelet every day. people think he's super zen crystal spiritual slay, but honestly he just saw it at the store and thought it was cute. he doesn't know what tiger's eye is so when people call it that he's like "huh i guess it does look kinda like that. weird that these people think about tigers so often"

-canon era enjolras is kind of a homebody. when he's not doing school and his abc stuff, he likes to do work in his lodgings. because of this, his quarters are a lot more decorated and lived-in compared to people like bahorel and grantaire and courfeyrac who are out so often that their homes are more so just a mattress and a desk. enjolras has things stuck onto the walls so he can think better and he has little plants and candles in his windowsill and little places on the floor for him to sit comfortable and scribble in notebooks. he's a floor person

-he also tailors his own clothing. as an only son, he's particularly close with his mother and many of his early years were spent with her. she taught him the inherently female skillsets and now he's able to fix his own clothing and his friends' clothes as well. enjolras gets this particularly pointed look to his face when he's focused on sewing. joly's been thinking about teaching him to do sutures on the side so he has that "feminine" skill ready in the context of war

-enjolras also likes to go out with bahorel, tbh. not only does he get to learn and practice things like boxing and fencing and sports, but he also gets to make connections. take enjolras and bahorel, two charming people who get people on their side in different ways, and you have an insane sales pitch

[shitpostingfromthebarricade]

What do you think a modern version of enjolras would actually be like and do you agree/disagree with the popular fanon version of him ?

As always, I preface this by saying that fanon has its place and has value in its own right, and what is canonically accurate has no bearing on that status. If you like fanon, shine on, you crazy diamond.

To answer the question (or rather, how I am interpretting the question): I do not feel that popular fanon reflects what a modern, canon-based Enjolras would look like.

One reason I don't think it does is that modern AUs (and arguably fanfic in general) seek to humanize characters, and I don't think Hugo's characters were ever truly meant to be fleshed out and humanized to that extent: most of them are 90% symbolism in the same way we are 90% water. To ignore the symbolic ramifications of any given character's actions is already to sort of lose the concept of who they are. Any given two characters even merely conversing or interacting is already in and of itself a statement in the bricc (in most cases), and I think modern fanon in general often loses that. Like, Les Misérables is Invisible Man levels of "everyone is a symbol and no one simply Is a person unto themself."

Moving onto specifically what I think a modern Enjolras would look like based on the bricc description of him: an important part of the Amis, to my thinking, is that none of them are working in their own self-interest. Even Feuilly (and I may be forgetting some passage here, please feel free to correct me) is described as going out of his way to learn about the plights of fellow workers that don't actually personally affect him, and I think this really matters, because in that way Hugo indicates the importance of solidarity between classes and social stratuses in effecting change. As such, I think it remains important that Enjolras retain his privilege, though in what capacity can be very flexible (so long as he is privileged in whatever areas they are advocating for ie he is not rallying for his own rights).

It's also very important that les Amis is an actually radical org: he doesn't get caught up in the semantics of veganism or anything so milquetoast as gay rights in the year 2022. Les Amis de l'ABC are a terrorist organization in its most basic and literal of definitions ie the use or threat of violence in pursuit of political goals. In 1832, they literally were hoping to overthrow the government. Everything was so broken that it made more sense to throw the whole thing away, and this is what they were preparing to do! Enjolras does not get tripped up in the small details when there is a grander vision to behold, and he certainly doesn't argue those details with people who disagree wholesale with that grander image. Even when Courfeyrac prods at Enjolras about Rousseau's personal foibles, Enjolras's response is pretty much, "And?" The means are not perfect, but the ends are Divine.

It also means, though, that in pursuit of this divine end, the motivation throughout needs to remain as pure as possible. At no point can they allow themselves to be swayed by the temptation to loot or harm for looting or harming's sake (as seen with Bahorel and the eggs): as people they may be flawed, but the movement itself and its actions must remain immaculate (as seen in the deleted quarry scene and demonstrated in the killing of le Cabuc). If they are not restrained in this time, how will the government they hope to achieve show the restraint necessary in its dealings with the people?

On that note: I simply don't think pre-barricades Enjolras as he is written in the brick is interested in romantic or sexual relationships. I think he has room in his life for one (1) project, it is fixing the world, and it is all-encompassing. I love a modern ExR as much as the next person, but as long as there is still suffering in the world and his duty is yet to be fulfilled, even if he isn't aroace or somewhere on that spectrum, it's not even something canonically on his radar because his attention to this cause is so absolute.

Moving onto personal carriage and interpersonal relationships: Enjolras is someone capable of doing what needs to be done and making hard choices, but that doesn't mean he's senselessly cruel. Fanon likes to portray him as this outspoken leader-type, but in meetings he's actually usually quiet and content to listen to his friends banter. He rarely properly argues with anyone (certainly not over major and core beliefs), and if anyone is issuing verbal smackdowns, it's most reliably Combeferre My Beloved. Enjolras will be there for you through your revelation, but he's not wasting time or energy on closed minds — he has other things to be focusing on here. He makes stupid corny puns sometimes and speaks in a very matter-of-fact way when he does speak and above all cares about humanity, and he is willing to make hard decisions on behalf of humanity.

Back to the type of leader he is: uh, generally, not. He's happy to sink into the background, but in times like the barricade, he's mostly the leader by merit of the rest of the Amis turning into the closest approximation of a pack of cats to herd. Enjolras can inspire them, sure, and remind them of why they're here and what they're fighting for, but how many people went to sleep when he said to rest up? Feuilly was like, "What are you, a cop?" and spent the entire time doing A Graffiti. When all of this is over, he doesn't intend nor want to be in charge, he just wants to prepare the way for and facilitate a system where the voices of the people are heard. He sees himself as a tool of the revolution, not a leader.

(It is also important to note that the other Amis do care about this cause A Lot. Enjolras is not compelling them to come, they're not just here because there's nothing else to do or it's the most convenient way to hang out and they all Just So Happen to think the world would be better if they overthrew the government, and Enjolras did not drag them kicking and screaming to the barricades. This is a movement of individuals who seem very different but all have come together because they see that society needs to change, and they're all willing to whatever it takes [having sworn to go through fire but not water] to effect it.)

So uh, to sum all of those thoughts up into a single person: Enjolras is probably that person in your law class who seems really serious and rarely speaks, but when he does, he does not leave much room for argument; if you seem open to having your mind on a subject changed, he may interject with an idea or two (a la Waterloo), but he probably mentally checks out of a conversation when he hears a bad take, and he is not losing sleep over not changing their mind. Seems rather intimidating and distant until you see him around his friends, at which point he doesn't exactly talk more or even necessarily seem more approachable, but he does soften and sometimes makes little jokes in what he does say delivered so seriously that it doesn't even initially register as a joke. He's in favor of overthrowing the government (or at least major instutions within it) and is actively a part of a group planning to do just that, but they're not raggedy anarchists either: they understand that Presentation Matters and that they need to hold their movement to a higher standard. This movement and helping the people are the most important things in Enjolras's life, and no one gives him hell over it because tbh they all really admire him and everything he stands for (even if they don't necessarily aspire to be him).

[transrevolutions]

5 8 16 nd 17 fr enjolras!

5. Job/what they're studying: I have trouble pinning down a solid job for Enjolras, for a couple of reasons. One is that he can't work at any kind of large corporate conglomerate, because there is no way that it wouldn't end in him getting fired/arrested.

Legislature/political office is also out, because I set my modern AUs in the US (lame, I know, but I know the political scene of the US better than France or whatever other country you could put them in). In the US, there is no radical mainstream party. There isn't even a leftist party. You straight-up cannot get elected if you're anything further left than a social democrat, and even then you will have a very hard time with it. Enjolras in current US government would also be arrested/fired/assassinated very quickly, if he could even get elected in the first place.

Enjolras isn't opposed to legislative reform as a channel (unlike, say, Bahorel, who thinks the entire system is fucked to the core and needs to be torn up like pavement, no more questions) but he's very... St-Just about it? He's not going to settle, he's not going to compromise his ideals to appear palatable to the moderates. He does not mince words, and it is very, very hard to manipulate him. (Conversely, he does not like to manipulate people! He wants the common people to believe in what he's saying because it's right, not because they were tricked.) In another world, where we did have a functioning and decent government system, maybe, but in this world, no.

I think, in the current world, the only job he could realistically hold down would be in some sort of NGO. Grassroots work, activism, organizing, getting down to the core of the issue and helping fix it, that is where Enjolras is going to be able to land. Les Amis are an activist group, but it's not paid work, and Enjolras, as much as he hates it, knows he needs to pay the rent somehow. Capitalist monetary systems, he hates thee but he uses thee.

For studying, I think he majors in some sort of political/human rights area. This is his passion, it's exhausting sometimes, but it's important, and he's not one to shy away from something just because it's uncomfortable. For his minor, though, I like to think he chooses revolutionary history of some kind. Again, not the most fun minor, per se, but he finds it interesting, intellectually stimulating, and (somewhat rare for him!) occasionally truly amusing in its anecdotes.

8. Hobbies: Enjolras is not a very socially well-adjusted person. If you ask him about a pop culture figure, he likely will stare at you blankly. Ask him what he enjoys doing, he'll probably confusedly fumble for a bit before quickly changing the subject. He has hobbies, but all of them tend to tie into his greater passion of bringing about systemic change. He likes to read philosophy- but he uses it to get ideas and perspectives on human nature and society! He enjoys history- but as a way to explore societal constructs and eras of upheaval. He likes to play games- but nine times out of ten he'll eventually segue into political rhetoric! He likes oratory and debate- but his speeches are always about the topic of sociopolitical activism. It's not really an on purpose thing, just that it all ties back into that part of his brain.

Is this 100% healthy? No, probably not. But is there realistically anything he can cognitively do to not be this way? No, there really isn't. "Severe in his enjoyments" is a very good way to put this, actually.

(One thing: Enjolras can sing. Quite well. But he's not going to sing in front of other people. He's just not. That's not him. That's a side of himself that he doesn't quite know how to express. I think, of the Amis, Ferre and Courf have heard him sing, maybe Feuilly or Jehan, and, once they reach a certain point, probably R. If Ep's heard him, he didn't know she was listening. Is it a hobby if he's almost ashamed of doing it?)

16. Strange obsession: The French Revolution! This is actually canon, albeit a bit less strange in 1832 than it would be today. He is fascinated by revolution in general, and he likes the French one because it was the first. (Sorry America, yours is a war of seccession, technically speaking. Actually, not sorry at all.) They did not have the benefit of hindsight that other revolutions had. The people of the French Revolution, in general, really and truly wanted to make things better for people.

People will ask him what he thinks about the violence/"Reign of Terror" and he will say one of a few things. If he knows you well and/or you seem to genuinely be asking in good faith, he'll go into the well-rehearsed explanation of how hindsight and precedent impacts social movements, of the very unusual political conditions leading to the time period, the results of English and Thermidorian propaganda, and the demonization of revolutionary violence, and the exaggeration thereof. If you're trying to 'gotcha' him, he'll either give a short version of the above with a "please go read a book instead of Wikipedia" tacked onto the end (if he's in a good mood) or "actually, I think the Montagnards didn't go far enough" and then stand back and watch their expression of horror (if he's in a bad mood; he doesn't actually really think this in the way they mean, he does not think excessive violence is necessary in all cases, he just... can't deal with the shitheads sometimes.)

Grantaire jokes that if you want to find him in a crowd, all you need to do is shout "Robespierre was an evil dictator" and he'll materialize right next to you to beat the shit out of you. He's not entirely wrong.

(Pre-college/Pre-Amis Enjolras would consider sociopolitics as his strange obsession, because everyone shits on him and mocks him for it mercilessly. But high school Enjolras is a very isolated, traumatized, and bullied teenager. Once he gets to college, once he gets out of his little town and he gets his autonomy, things get a little better. He's not completely alone, there are other people who care.)

17. Biggest secret: This one really depends at which time of his life you're looking at. For elementary-middle school Enjolras, it would be whatever thing he's doing that got him in trouble, because he thought it was the right thing but the powers-that-be disagreed. For high school Enjolras, it's his loneliness, his anger, the crushing betrayal he feels every time nobody stands up for him and nobody helps him. He can't blame them- the system is fucked and they're just trying to survive- but he does. He just can't help it. But the biggest one, really, for Enjolras post high school, is that he's autistic.

He's not ashamed of it, really, it's just that whenever he tells someone, things go badly. There's a stigma, there's enormous amounts of harassment, there's people refusing to listen, there's stereotypes and internalized shit and all that, there's people claiming his aromanticism is only because he's neurodivergent, there's people saying that he only cares about the things he does because he's crazy, and he just can't deal with that on top of everything.

It takes years before he tells Les Amis. His childhood and adolescence is something that he wants to cut out and leave behind. He is terrified that if he tells his friends, they will start treating him like a pet. After all, that's how everyone else responds, and the definition of insanity is to do the same thing multiple times and expect different results. He finally, finally has the family he dreamed of all those nights alone, why risk ruining it?

[a-heart-full-of-dumb]

I have to be somewhere in 40 minutes and I still need to get ready and all but my brain decided to focus on this one Dutch version of drink with me again so let's talk about it.

It's the 1991 version so the footage is blessed with the lovely quality from then /s

The songs starts with the more commonly seen set up with some of the amis on a bench and others on the ground. In this case its Feuilly, Jehan and a mystery ami (couldn't figure out who) sitting on a bench. Grantaire is sitting on the ground with Joly next to him and Marius next to Joly. Enjolras is talking to another one of the group at a different part of the stage.

Feuilly's, Jehan's and Joly's solos aren't much special. Their lines are sang and that's about it. The most unusual thing is Jehan looking like he's at least 40 which is a more common thing with this casting. It gets interesting tho when Grantaire starts his solo.

At least the amis around him don't really pay any attention to him, only turning to him when he starts to sing about death. Now an interesting choice here is that Grantaire, who's got his eyes fixed on Enjolras purposefully raises his voice when he sings "the death" (the Dutch translation of 'can it be you fear to die' is 'can you feel the death nearby?') He seemingly does this to get Enjolras's attention and it works as the man turns to face him. Grantaire then turns to Joly next to him when he sings "will the world know why that you fell?" (will the world remember you when you fall) again raising his voice. This time "you fell" He sounds both mad and desperate almost as if he's trying to do one last attempt at convincing them to leave. (Enjolras is staring daggers into Grantaire's head at this point.) Joly turns away looking very upset and for as far as I can see faces with this quality almost guilty? He then looks down and stares at his hands for a while. Grantaire turns his attention back to Enjolras for the rest of his solo. The rasing of his voice getting more desperate and upset. Enjolras starts to make his way over to Grantaire, the two never breaking eyecontact.

Grantaire suddenly extends his arm that he was holding his flask(?) with to offer it to Enjolras (Enjolras visibly flinches when he does so). Enjolras stares at the flask for a second as if he's unsure what Grantaire means with the gesture and asks for Feuilly's instead. Feuilly gives it to him, pats Enjolras on the shoulders and walks away. Grantaire turns to the others, desperately offering his flask to them, but they all refuse.

This is when Grantaire curls up into himself and starts to cry as the others (besides Enjolras and Marius) leave. Enjolras notices Grantaire crying and stares at him for a bit. Before kneeling next to him, shaking him. Grantaire only responds by curling up against Enjolras. Enjolras awkwardly wraps and arms around him and pats him on the back, still looking like he isn't exactly sure what's happening. He stands up again, Grantaire still crying, and walks away with a small shrug. He genuinely looks so confused and like he doesn't know what else to do.

I can't see what Enjolras does after he walks away cause the camera stays on Grantaire and Marius. Marius starts his solo and Grantaire does look up with a concerned look on his face when Marius sings that he doesn't care about dying. He starts to reach out to Marius, as if he wants to comfort him, aaand then Marius mentions Cosette. Grantaire turns away again with an expression I can only place as oh god this again and walks away. Well he tries to. He struggles to stand up and when he does he has to take a moment so he doesn't fall before stumbling away and out of the frame of the camera.

So overall Enjolras seems to be completely clueless about why Grantaire is so upset or why Grantaire is even still here. I mean it's not like he actually gives a shit about anything they're doing right? Throughout the entire show he seems completely oblivious to the way Grantaire looks at him and him being the reason why he's there.

So he's confused when Grantaire starts crying and he doesn't know what to do with that either.

And honestly that felt pretty in character to me. This Enjolras overall had a lot of Brick Enjolras vibes.

[theladyragnell]

Graintaire and Enjolras, where R is a mechanic and E needs his car fixed (in a hurry / before Combeferre finds out he broke it / to finish his road trip).

(I do not know much about cars but I at least know some things about feelings!)

Enjolras is going to get Combeferre's car maintained if it kills him, which it actually might. He has his license, but he doesn't have much or frequent cause to use it, so it was a white-knuckled trip to the mechanic Bahorel recommended as having the best intersection of prices with labor policies (though he laughed while he was giving the recommendation). And now, as if that wasn't enough, the mechanic reaching his hands out for the keys is Grantaire.

Enjolras doesn't have anything against Grantaire, exactly. They're even friends, in the shorthand sense of “he's friends with all of my friends to the extent that it's stupid to make a distinction.” There's just always an underlying tension when they have to talk, the median point between knowing from experience how easy it is to fall into an argument and not knowing but really wanting to know how easy it is to fall into bed.

Grantaire is attracted to him. He's obvious about it, and even if he weren't, Joly and Courfeyrac, in very different ways, both warned Enjolras so he wouldn't be unkind through obliviousness. And Enjolras, who doesn't get infatuated with people often but tends to find it ruinous when he does, is attracted back. He likes Grantaire's hands and his wry smiles and his messy hair, and the only thing that's kept him from making a mistake is the knowledge that it is a mistake, that their incompatibilities could cause disruption to a group of friends he really loves.

And now Grantaire is covered in grease, wearing coveralls with someone else's name stitched on them, with his eyebrows raised and his hand still out, and Enjolras is staring. “Didn't realize you work here,” he finally blurts, and realizes it must have been long enough that Grantaire probably asked him a question while he was frantically thinking that Enjolras just totally failed to answer.

“I pick up a few shifts now and again,” he says, which as far as Enjolras can tell is the same thing he says about the boxing gym, the art supply store, the fancy gallery, and the food truck. Grantaire may not have the commitment Enjolras wishes he did to their cause, but in his life, that tendency to go off in new directions certainly makes him interesting. “I didn't realize you have a car.”

“It's Combeferre's,” says Enjolras, and then finds that he can't stop talking. “His birthday is coming up, and he always likes practical things best, and the car is his but he's always using it for me and for Courfeyrac and for the group, so I wanted to get it tuned up for him.”

“Right.” Enjolras finally remembers to hand Grantaire the keys, and Grantaire frowns at him thoughtfully. “I've got the order, so I know what you mean by a tune-up, though I suspect you don't. Also, you don't need new tires, don't let them sell you on that, we'll just give them a rotation. Also, it's going to be really weird if you just sit in the waiting room with a book while I do this without me offering an alternative. I'm not going to put you to work, but you're welcome to hang.”

Enjolras brought some reading he's been meaning to do for months that he really should do, because Feuilly lent it to him and probably wants it returned at some point, but Grantaire is right. Sitting in the waiting room while Grantaire does the work isn't what he wants. “I can hand you tools or something,” he offers.

“Sure, if you know what they are. Otherwise, all I require is conversation.”

“I know what tools are,” says Enjolras, which is only half true. He's helped some of his friends with plumbing and maintenance projects, so he knows the vague categories of tools, and very little that's car-specific, but he's always a little too willing to let Grantaire push his buttons. “And I'll figure it out fast for the ones that I don't,” he adds, which is at least more true.

Grantaire laughs a little, and all of his laughs are mocking, but Enjolras has no idea which of them he's making fun of this time. “Okay, then. Stay a little clear, though, we don't have any extra coveralls clean.”

That, Enjolras has to concede, but he follows Grantaire over to Combeferre's car and finds himself listening more than talking. Grantaire talks like he breathes, that's something Enjolras has known about him since the first time they met, but when he's facing Enjolras alone, it's like the words usually get knocked out of him—he says a sentence at a time instead, most of them disdainful or easily heard that way, and Enjolras hears his longer speeches second-hand, when he's talking to Bossuet or Jehan or anyone else. Now, though, that there's an easy subject at hand, Grantaire is relieved to talk, and Enjolras lets him. Grantaire walks him easily through every step of what he's doing, as he changes the oil and rotates the tires, checks and tunes up the brakes, tests all the belts, and generally puts the car to rights, and in between he's talking about books and boxing and Bossuet's new cooking hobby, which has already led to two sets of stitches and a filet mignon worth dying for.

Most times, Enjolras prefers a give and take of conversation, but sometimes it's nice just to listen, and Grantaire doesn't expect much out of him aside from the occasional encouraging noise. More rarely, he'll stop whatever he's doing and fix Enjolras with a worried, searching look, but whatever he sees, he continues, until it's been an hour and a half and Combeferre's car is put back together and, Grantaire assures him with a firm tap to the hood, “Going to last another decade if he keeps this maintenance up.”

“I think he plans to,” says Enjolras. “And thank you so much, he'll like knowing a friend was the one who did the work.”

“Literally my job, man, but thanks.” Grantaire stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Weird running into me outside of meetings, right?”

It is, but not if Grantaire is going to turn that into a weapon of self-deprecation. “Nice, though,” he says, which is just as true. Grantaire's pessimism, his promises to do things that he then sheepishly admits he felt too overwhelmed to do, make him difficult to work with in meetings, but they aren't the whole of him. Not even the largest part. “Maybe we should do it more.”

Grantaire's eyebrows climb his forehead. “You really think that's a good idea?”

Indecision isn't one of Enjolras's flaws. There are a lot of things to think about, about their friends and how to make sure anything they try doesn't force anyone to make awkward choices in the end, but trying … after watching Grantaire do something he likes, something he's good at, it's hard not to think trying is a good idea. “Of course I do,” says Enjolras. But he also knows when to push and when not to, and Grantaire is at work and looks like Enjolras just hit him over the head with one of the myriad tools around them. “We'll think about it. I'll see you around, Grantaire.”

“See you around,” says Grantaire weakly when Enjolras goes to pay for the work and go home, and doesn't follow him.

Oddly enough, the drive home seems much less stressful, but that might just be because he has better things to think about.

[milynya]

The mage rebells the les mis-fandom (doesn't) need...

Grantaire's heart was racing and his hands were shaking. Every shadow was a templar lurking in the dark, every flash of metall was a reflection of a blade. He was terrified beyond clear thinking, just stumbled forwards. He knew the punishment for leaving the tower and it was his fourth time breaking out. He would be made a tranquil, a complete extraction of his magic abilities, along with every feeling he ever felt and would have felt. Maybe it would make everything easier. But no, he made a promise. He promised his mother he would care for himself and although he struggled daily with this promise, this once he wanted to keep it. His clothing was still leaving a track of dripping water from his swim through the lake and he was so very cold. Maker, he longed after fire dancing on his fingertips, warming and bright, even though the elements never were his strengths. Whatever, it wasn't possible. His only chance was to be quiet und to cross the city unnoticed. With a shudder, Grantaire pressed his back to a brick wall. A shady-looking man walked by, the look in his eyes far too interested in his situation. Grantaire walked faster through the little alley, when suddenly a hand closed around the sleeve of his robe. “Follow me if you want to live“, a voice hissed. Grantaire only saw a hint of blond locks, before he was pulled between two houses and into a backdoor. Shock was paralysing his body, he couldn't even remember a single spell out of everything he learned (and frankly, it wasn't very much.) But well, one could say that his instincts still worked pretty well. As the blond man turned towards him, Grantaire's fist connected with his nose, before he could stop himself. A nasty cracking noise was heard, blondie gave an undignified yelp and some blood trickled through his fingers. “What in the Maker's name are you doing?“,snapped the man a little stuffed, his eyes were now glowing from underneath his hood which partly slipped from his golden head. And... Andrastes' tits, those were flames dancing along his fingertips and on his hair! Bright flames moving wildly. Grantaire found his tounge suddenly able to move again. “You...you're a mage?“, he asked puzzled. And a handsome one as it was. His hair looked, like it was part of the fire crowning him, shimmering in its light and his eyes had a concentrated and momentarily a little angry quality to them. Maker, he had weak knees and almost missed the next words of his new companion. “Of course I'm a mage! Why else would I try to help you?“ Now he tried to stop the blood with his white sleeves, not a good idea. They so in were coloured in a dark red. “How should I have known that was the reason you dragged me in here?“, Grantaire retorted. His heart was shifting between running and stumbling now. Brillant, just brillant. Free for like almost an hour and then caught by the worst kind of prison: Attraction. He barely knew the guy for the Maker's sake! Blondie didn't answer and knocked a complicated rhythm on the second door of the narrow floor they were standing in. Didn't he know a good answer or was he being annoyed? Whatever, Grantaire was distracted by the slightly raspy voice from the other side of the door that was asking: “Who's there?“ Blond saviour bowed his head close to the door and whispered: “Mage revolution!“ A revolution? Oh damn, what had he gotten himself into again? “Well, not exactly what I planned“, Grantaire murmered to himself, but Blondie seemed instantly irritated. He wachted Grantaire with narrowed eyes and huffed: “Don't be ridiculous!“ The door was opened by a broad-shouldered man at least twice their age with serious eyes who winked them through. “Quick, boys. Good to see you.“ “Thanks, Valjean“, Enjolras replied kindly. He hadn't used such a friendly tone with Grantaire yet. A bad sign? Very likely. The man called Valjean eyed him from underneath bushy eyebrows, not friendly but neither unkind, before he gave a short nod. “New member?“, he asked shortly. Blondie shrugged. “Maybe.“ “Yes“, Grantaire's mouth formed the word before he really thought about it. Oh well, he always had been one for trouble. Saviour boy looked surprised, but again didn't comment on it. Valjean nodded again. “Good luck, boys.“ He made room for them to pass and they crossed a living room where a girl with bright locks waved and winked at them, then they took a ladder into a cellar. Grantaire shuddered, it was suddenly colder again and his clothes were still slightly wet, and kept his eyes fixed on the little ball of fire blondie was nursing in his hand to get them through the clammy dark. They stayed silent, Grantaire felt the tiredness creep up on him, he hadn't felt this save since he jumped out of that tower window. Weird. Saviour guy fumbled in the dark, till his fingers found the end of another ladder and they climbed up to a trapdoor that was opened, as soon as he initiated their knocking ritual again. “There you are, we were worried“, a man with kind dark eyes said and gripped blondie's hand to pull him up into some kind of backyard. Grantaire was stunned by his smooth, dark skin. Once, he had been eating something called chocolat that had had exactly the same colour. Unfortunatly, it hadn't been a long-lasting experience, because the templars had chosen this exact moment to find him and drag him back into the circle tower. “Who's that?“ Chocolat-man asked and eyed Grantaire like door-man before. These guys seemed more and more like an exclusive society. “I don't know, I found him dripping wet in those mage robes. Who are you?“ Blondie arched an eyebrow at him as if it was his fault he didn't get the chance to introduce himself. “Grantaire“, he replied anyway. “Grantaire“, informed blondie his friend and squeezed past him towards some other people lurking around the yard and talking. They straightened up a little as soon as saviour guy joined their conversations. He had to be some kind of leader then. “So, Grantaire“, chocolat-man interrupted his assumptions and Grantaire's head snapped back caught red-handed. “My name is Combeferre. I'm not a mage myself, but I know a lot about magic. What are your strengths? Many of us live here as save as possible, but we all help as a payment. If you want to stay, you 'll have to contribute something.“ Combeferre didn't really sound severe, just as if he liked to have things in a neat order and kind of trust-worthy. Still, what on earth should Grantaire be able to contribute. He had never really been a good student concerning his mage, he didn't cope well with working under pressure. “I'm alright with force spells and spirits“, he told hesitantly. Combeferre nodded and gave the hint of a smile. “You 'll work well with Jehan, he's a necromancer and maybe with Joly, he heals with spirits. Maybe you can teach each other some things, you should find them near the hospital room, I think Bossuet froze his own toe again...“ He pointed in a general direction, while Grantaire was still processing his words. Necromancy, a tevine ability! Seemed like these people weren't just apostates, but also very dangerous! Well, what did blondie say? Mage revolution! Grantaire watched his saviour who was talking and gesticulating wildly, then smiling in the most honest way he had ever seen before. How bad could it be here if a man like that was the leader of this group? “What's his name?“, Grantaire asked and nodded in blondie's direction. Combeferre looked a little amused. “Enjolras. I've got a feeling you will get to know each other really fast. Courf? Will you show our new man the way to Joly and Jehan?“ A curly-haired, energetic youth gripped his arm and soon, a river of words was emptying itself over Grantaire's head. He didn't mind, but might have missed a few sentences, as he watched Enjolras in passing-by and blue eyes locked with his. Was that a ghost of a smile crinkling his eyes? Grantaire's heart skipped a beat and a small magic impulse was racing over his skin. 'Courf' arched both of his eyebrows, as it hit him with little force, but embarassingly hot-natured, although he luckily didn't comment on it. Grantaire let his breath flow out of his lungs, as Curly continued chatting. That would be a very interesting time.

[midasinc]

I speak for both myself and @aromantic-enjolras when I humbly ask for some enjolras/courfeyrac friends with benefits content 😇 (the E/C shippers are STARVING) thank u thank u lots of luv <3

i love them as fwb i think it has so much fun potential ive done a post like this a WHILE ago but i wanna revamp it and go canon era baby! fuck okay this might get long

-anyway my #1 hc for enj and courfeyrac friendship wise is that they grow up like a door down from each other. in canon era this translate more that like their parents are good friends and they know each other even before they have children

-so enjolras is somebody that courfeyac grows up knowing from their father's hunting trips that they go on and their private schooling that they do together that they sneak out of to go play in the garden with wooden swords

-there's this sort of ball they're forced to go to when they're teens and neither of them are that interested. enjolras keeps complaining that his shoes are uncomfortable and courfeyrac is bored by formal conversation and standing by his parents as they introduce him to someone else's daughter

-they end up leaning against the wall together by the food and refreshments, just sneaking a bunch of little fruits and hors d'oeuvres because theyre teenagers and theyre hungry. anyway, they're sort of just watching people in fancy dresses and suits passing by and enjolras is rolling his eyes and saying something when they both reach forward for the same thing and enjolras's arm bumps into the glass of dark wine courfeyrac is pretending to drink just spills all over enjolras's sleeve. both of them kind of start to freak out and courfeyrac's solution is to hide before either of their parents see because oh they are so dead. you can't fix a stain like that. so they run to the nearest washroom of this manor they've never been to before and courfeyrac is yelling at him telling him that they need to soak it in hot water and enjolras is yelling back that they need to soak it in cold water. they're in this panicked rush to undress enjolras and courfeyrac is struggling with all the buttons and layers and their hands keep bumping into each other and as enjolras hits the wall and courfeyrac finally gets to his inner layer and yanks the shirt off

-and both of them are panting from the struggle and sort of coming to realize how close they are and it's cold in this washroom so the hairs on enjolras's arms stand and courfeyrac is maybe thinking and maybe not at the same time and he leans forward and kisses him. and it takes enjolras a second but he kisses back. and that's the first time they ever have a sort of more-than-friends encounter

-they don't really talk about the hour or so they spend making out in the washroom. they have to show enjolras's parents the red stain all over the sleeve and courfeyrac gets told off for the wine and enjolras gets told off for being irresponsible and neither of them talk for a week before enjolras breaks because he misses his friend and he goes back to ask courfeyrac if he wants to look for frogs by the river

-it happens again. and again. and courfeyrac comes to realize that they have a really unconventional relationship but he doesn't mind it at all. enjolras isn't interested in marriage or girls. he doesn't seem interested in courfeyrac either, not in the way that courfeyrac maybe looks at other boys their age on occasion. and maybe the portrait of saint sebastian in his library that appears in his dreams and fantasies more often than he'd like to admit. enjolras asks courfeyrac to lounge in the garden with him or read the newspapers and play chess and catch frogs, even when they're probably too old to be doing so. enjolras is just his best friend and honestly courfeyrac doesn't mind. they can go catch frogs and end up hidden from anyone else beneath a tree by the river to kiss and maybe more

-courfeyrac is a year older than enjolras, so he's already at uni when enjolras finally comes to paris. he's ecstatic, really. he greets his friend in the biggest hug and shows him all of the best places to eat and have fun. enjolras winds up distracted by the harsh split between their lives with what wealth they have and the lives of the poor in the city. he's not as used to seeing it and it really breaks his spirit

-courfeyrac listens to him rant about it and agrees, wondering what it is enjolras is willing to do about it. he's not sure himself, but he'd follow enj to the ends of the earth if he'd ask. so they start their group. and it's difficult. it's difficult to find people with "treasonish" opinions and enjolras gets frustrated. really mf frustrated

-he's in courfeyrac's lodgings one night just so aggravated and upset as he paces back and forth and talks with his hands. he doesn't know what to do. he can't relax. he just feels shitty all the time. courfeyrac stands up and takes his hands and tells him that he is brilliant and charming and will always be capable of change, but sometimes these things take time. and enj kisses him. and they fall back into old habits

-sex for enjolras is an outlet to let go of care. courfeyrac is willing to indulge in whatever enjolras might give him

-courfeyrac likes that enjolras will tie him with a furrow in his brow. he likes that enjolras gets angry and will leave a bite on his chest that bruise for days on end. courfeyrac also likes that sometimes enjolras taps his sleeve at frustrating points in time, nodding his head towards the nearest empty room, and just wants courfeyrac to take control.

-and enjolras likes courfeyrac. he's a beautiful man with a solid weight to him and bright eyes and somebody that he is incredibly attracted to on occasion. he likes to kiss him in their rooms and pull on courfeyrac's hair and sit on his lap and then get dinner together that night and discuss the newspaper, just like they used to

-combeferre notices their odd little relationship but never comments on it. he worries that courfeyrac might have some sort of love for enjolras, that his heart is going to get totally broken when enjolras doesn't feel the same way. courfeyrac loves enjolras, of course, but it isn't like that.

-he's willing to follow enjolras to the ends of the earth and he knows him like no one else, but he's comfortable loving him in a way that doesn't need romance and courtship.

-combeferre's diaries do discuss his journey of discovering how their friendship works and they're quite funny. he worries that they have murdered a man with the way they suspiciously whisper to each other and he corners courfeyrac one day, only to find a peculiar bruise on his neck that wasn't there before enjolras left. ah. combeferre has to pinch his brow and walk away