Gauled. Of course. Joly's penchant for punning was still surprisingly well intact even after his unseemly demise. Perhaps he'd over estimated his friend's sensitivity, or the need for a respectful recovery. Or perhaps it was simply his way of dealing with their unpleasant surroundings. Either way, it left Enjolras inhaling sharply, eyebrows raising derisively in response. Contrary to the popularly held perception of him in the Capitol, he wasn't humorless. Rather, he felt a certain keen fondness for the humor common to his friends even if it was beyond his usual capacity to join in it. As such, he could easily play the straight man, less the butt of jokes and more their facilitator. This towed the line, however, even if he had brought it up. Oh well, better Jolllly than Courfeyrac. At least he could be assured that that the man's tongue was firmly in his cheek, and that there was no cattiness looming behind the remarks.
"Venus and I have a complicated regard for one another," Which was also towing dangerously close to the line he'd wanted to keep. Still, if it distracted Joly from whatever Courfeyrac was sputtering about in the Arena and whatever Venus would feel compelled to say under pressure, it was probably better. With any luck, Enjolras' seemingly flippant explanations to his friend would end up the bigger story of the evening and he wouldn't have to deal with much of an aftermath at all. "Maximus regards all of us as gladiators, and I can understand such logic. He believes that I have treated her unfairly, and perhaps I have, but he views this not in terms of a man and a woman, but rather in terms of two warriors who should regard each other with honor and dignity."
He snorted slightly, the noise accompanied by a slightly rueful smile, an altogether self-effacing gesture. Maximus had been right about certain things, even if he had completely misinterpreted others. "She killed me once in the Arena, and I ignored her for a very long time because of it. I felt betrayed and she felt as if she had done me a favor. Maximus, understanding exactly none of this, decided to intervene and I lashed out at him. It was all very dramatic, and I only made it worse by implying that if his lover were around, he would probably be keeping his nose out of my personal life." He offered a furtive glance back to the screen, as if to assess the damage done. They still appeared to be talking, although with markedly less enthusiasm. "Which I maintain is less spectacularly interesting than the magazines and evening broadcasts might indicate. I wonder what they shall do with themselves when Courfeyrac has more than a day in the Capitol. I look forward to no longer being news."
no subject
"Venus and I have a complicated regard for one another," Which was also towing dangerously close to the line he'd wanted to keep. Still, if it distracted Joly from whatever Courfeyrac was sputtering about in the Arena and whatever Venus would feel compelled to say under pressure, it was probably better. With any luck, Enjolras' seemingly flippant explanations to his friend would end up the bigger story of the evening and he wouldn't have to deal with much of an aftermath at all. "Maximus regards all of us as gladiators, and I can understand such logic. He believes that I have treated her unfairly, and perhaps I have, but he views this not in terms of a man and a woman, but rather in terms of two warriors who should regard each other with honor and dignity."
He snorted slightly, the noise accompanied by a slightly rueful smile, an altogether self-effacing gesture. Maximus had been right about certain things, even if he had completely misinterpreted others. "She killed me once in the Arena, and I ignored her for a very long time because of it. I felt betrayed and she felt as if she had done me a favor. Maximus, understanding exactly none of this, decided to intervene and I lashed out at him. It was all very dramatic, and I only made it worse by implying that if his lover were around, he would probably be keeping his nose out of my personal life." He offered a furtive glance back to the screen, as if to assess the damage done. They still appeared to be talking, although with markedly less enthusiasm. "Which I maintain is less spectacularly interesting than the magazines and evening broadcasts might indicate. I wonder what they shall do with themselves when Courfeyrac has more than a day in the Capitol. I look forward to no longer being news."