thecapitol | (no subject)

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Who| Enjolras, Joly, Others!
What| Reactions to a certain conversation between Venus and Courfeyrac in the arena.
Where| at a public viewing
When| Week 5, I do believe
Warnings/Notes| I don't think there are any yet!

Thus far, Joly's first of the public viewing parties as the guest of Enjolras had been...interesting...if he had to pick a polite word to toss at the cameras, the viewers, and anyone else who dared to ask him in public about his impressions of the entire thing. If asked privately, he would have had quite a different thing to say, but such thoughts were a luxury that he could not afford, even as the spectacle of death treated so callously made him want to be sick.

Enjolras's advice during the dream scenario they'd shared had served as a reminder though, and he had played his part well enough thus far, having decided, for the cameras, on an image to sell himself with (playing up the cadence of his mother's speech, dropping puns more frequently than at home, fussing with his clothing more than strictly necessary), which so far seemed to be working well enough, and was managing, with the help of a decent amount of alcohol, to get through everything so far. That was until Venus's mention of Enjolras as her Prince Charming,which set him to snort, which he quickly turned into a giggle, let them think he was a bit of an idiot if they wanted, and then Courfeyrac's question, which was enough to silence him as he glanced toward Enjolras, leaning forward a little, frankly rather curious as to what his friend was liable to do now.

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There had yet to be a time to properly explain to Joly the full extent of the situation (as he understood it, at least) with Venus. There would likely never be a time to properly explain it, and even if there were, he doubted very much that he would have the words for it. His gift of eloquence seemed to be reserved for politics and while he didn't mind that most days, the limitation was becoming increasingly tiresome as the Arena wore on. It had been easy to admit to her that he had no idea how to falsify being in love, no concept of the emotions he was to be faking, it was more difficult to examine the reasons behind that and his general reluctance to engage.

He regretted the oversight, the lack of explanation the moment he saw Courfeyrac and his District-mate trading a bottle of wine back and forth along with easy smiles. After all, Courfeyrac could be more of a gossip than Joly regarding such things. He would want to pry and with the alcohol flowing and nothing to stave off its effects, he would.

"There is something you should know," he began, purposefully talking over her response. A small part of him regretted the necessity, though he was sure Venus would be diplomatic enough to divert the conversation elsewhere. "It is not something I can completely explain here, however I-- I told you that a certain duplicity would be necessary in this place."

Felicity entered the viewing party on her own, diplomatically avoiding the small talk and mindless chatter of the other eager guests as she moved through the room in her newest ensemble: a neatly tailored women's suit styled after those of the gentlemen of her era. She looked beautiful, and more importantly, she felt confident, pushing through the partygoers to search for anyone she recognized in the crowd.

The only person she knew was Enjolras and she was loathe to approach him. It was not that she disliked him so much as she found his existence troubling. She did not recognize the man beside him, however, so she opted to stand nearer to him once she found a decent place to stand and pretend that she was watching the broadcast.

The people on the screen were unfamiliar to her, and having come into the room mid-conversation, she'd missed the entire preamble to the deep and prying questions being asked. Bored, she cast a sideways glance at the stranger (Joly) and wondered aloud, "Who are these people and why should I be bothered to care?"

Joly had realized, at some point in the arena, after that video had been shown, that there was something between Enjolras and Venus, and he had not entirely accepted that it was a matter of mentor and tribute alone. What it actually was in any case was still something of a mystery to him, of course, but this was causing him to come to a few, probable conclusions, or at least He felt them probable.

Whether or not Enjolras would confirm them was another matter, of course, and Joly would not dream of fully pressing him here, but even so, his expression remained a little quizzical as he glanced at the screen, quirking a brow as Enjolras began to raise his voice a little.

"Duplicity, yes." He agreed, even as he privately imagined that Enjolras was either putting a spin on it that he was comfortable with, or hiding things not of an immediate to their goals nature from Joly, knowing what he might do with the information.

If Enjolras was taking the second option, Joly did have to admit that his behavior when it came to romantic entanglements of his friends in Paris did set rather an example that would scare their leader off from saying anything. He did wish he could have heard her response more clearly all the same, to glean some better idea of it. As it was though, well...

"I shall have to hear more of you and your mademoiselle at any case." he said, keeping the words light so that to any who might overhear, it would sound simply as if he were teasing Enjolras about a conquest. "But no, this is hardly a proper place for talk of such things." This, accompanied by a light, teasing shove, might get him into a small bit of trouble at the moment, but better that than he demand the entire story here, correct?

"Ah Mademoiselle." Joly turned at the voice, sketching a bow in her direction. "Friends, in our case." He nodded toward Enjolras, including him in the explanation, even if he did not quite engage him yet. "And they are discussing romantic tensions, of course." If that lilt in his voice at those words was a bit sarcastic, he sincerely hoped that no one with the power to do anything to him had managed to pick up on that.

"Can anything be greater or more thrilling?" Many things, actually, he thought, and up close, his greeting smile was actually sincere, as opposed to a good half of what was coming out of his mouth just now. "The last of the little alliance and friendship I was fortunate enough to experience in the arena as well, so there is something of a personal interest, I admit. But come, one could hardly expect for you to be interested in such things. Might I more properly make your acquaintance?"

His friends had a gift, Enjolras decided in that moment, for a levity of attachment. There was an ease to the way they dealt with each other and the world around them that he had never taken the time to cultivate. Perhaps it came from his unflinching devotion to an ideal that he was quickly realizing would never be, perhaps it was that he had simply never bothered to consider the benefits of moderation, he couldn't say. Regardless, he found himself rolling with the shove, blushing lightly and casting his eyes downward, away from Joly. There was a stiffness to the gesture still, and it may have partially betrayed his discomfort with the circumstances altogether. Nevertheless, he could make an effort to play along.

"Is there a proper place for such a discussion, Joly?" With no small amount of effort, he maintained the confidence in his voice. It would be easy to simply quiet down and hope it all would pass. He would have preferred to quiet down and hope it all would pass. But that was not how anything in the Capitol functioned and inaction was still its own queer variety of action, a reluctant choice still a choice for which one was culpable. A delicate eyebrow lifted as he mirrored his friend's expression. How often had he made the exact same face before in a different context? And yet it still felt foreign. "I am surprised at you, monsieur. And I would not betray her confidence to matter where you asked it of me."

This was what she had wanted, wasn't it? It was noncommittal enough, but would still fan the rumors about them enough to maintain her image. It was all strategic, all to benefit the social and political web of the Games, to extract from it the best possible results from which there were no good results. If that were the case, he had no reason to feel guilty for what he had said. None at all.

They did at that. It seemed to Joly, in that moment, that it may be harder to guess that Enjolras had done the same entirely. To an outsider, Joly might guess that it appeared that Enjolras was simply embarrassed at the attention and not so much discomforted by things. Joly could understand it, yes, and he would offer an apology later, when they had a moment unobserved, but for now, things were working well enough.

"A proper place...it would depend, I suppose." He added, and there was, for half a second, a stiffness in his shoulders as he settled back into his earlier position there. "In Paris, surely some places, my friend. But here? I dare not guess."

With that, he was relaxed again, almost cheeky as he surveyed Enjolras, just a friend, looking out for a friend's well being instead of wondering and requesting to find out later, where such discussions may take place.

"And I would not dream of asking that you reveal secrets of an especially close nature. Your pardon if I venture into rudeness instead of my concern and affection for you. Mademoiselle does suit you well is all that I will say of it and leave the rest to you."

Seeing him clearly now, she was struck by how lovely he was, and by how gentlemanly he seemed in contrast to his prickly blonde compatriot. If this young man was a friend of Enjolras', then he must be one of those men from the old novel... It was such a delicious revelation, and she was pleased. Felicity found herself smiling, opting not to bow or even offer her hand for a kiss, but rather to extend her hand for him to shake.

"Felicity Worthington. But you may call me Fee, monsieur." Her eyes darted up toward the scene being replayed again in slow motion, pausing as the commentators analyzed every second frame by frame. "They don't seem to have much romantic tension between them. It all seems like a fuss over nothing."

There were any number of things he could say to that. Another denial, a rebuttal against Joly's assumptions, and the assumptions being made, fostered by the narrative playing itself out in front of them. But no, none of that was half so interesting as the implicit question. Where and when were the appropriate places and times to discuss things they didn't want the Capitol peaking in on. A viewing party certainly not, unless they developed some code more complex and incomprehensible than winks and nods, and playful, boyish shoves. But then where? The café, perhaps, or the one landmark on the road leading to it. There, he was reasonably confident they could be unobserved, but unrecorded was another matter altogether.

He pushed the thoughts --plans really, they were becoming salient enough again to merit the term plans-- out of his head for the moment in order to more fully commit to their charade. As appealing as such a discussion was, as much as he longed for the actual progress which it could lead to, duplicity was what was needed here. To behave otherwise would be to risk becoming a hypocrite and while he was becoming comfortable as a great many unpleasant things, a hypocrite Enjolras would never be.

"I have taken no offense, my friend, and I dare say neither would she. I will thank you, however, if you do not try my luck upon her return." He offered a small smile, blush still clearly visible as he lifted his eyes again. If he was performing correctly, any curious spectators would dismiss the admonishment as him not wishing to risk Venus' ire for discussing her personal life. A futile gesture, but one befitting the genteel and slightly old fashioned reputation he had established within the Capitol. "There are places we should attend, and when Courfeyrac returns from embarrassing me, we will invite him along as well. He can treat the two of us as penance."

Well, he attempted to be gentlemanly, at any rate. Whether Joly always succeeded was left up to a wider consensus. He did have a head for gossip that may not be exactly considered well mannered, even if it was perfectly tolerated and encouraged in most social circles, so there was that. He had also, by now, had some semblance of how to treat a lady beaten into him via his lovely mistress's wire sleeve hoops (or well, thrown at him, actually, but semantics). In any case, he accepted the hand, shaking it rather firmly.

A bit of a surprise, he thought, that she did not seem to expect the kiss, but then, he would hardly force it upon her now.

"Mademoiselle Fee then. It is a pleasure. Thierry Joly, though most commonly Joly only." And then he followed her gaze back to the screen. "Ah, I believe our...good hosts often see romantic tensions early on. A talent, I suppose, if one wishes to look at it from a positive lens."

There was an emphasis on those words that was not quite sincere, even if it was not so broad as his usual sarcasms, evidenced more by a slight tilt of his eyes upward than anything else, though he was quick about it, lest someone see or overhear.

Indeed not here for any specifics yet. If Joly could find a way to make that happen, he might have argued for the prospect of being present in a large group of people making them and their discussions seem more innocent, but the watching cameras, like in the arena, blasted that idea of safety far away. For now, he had dared enough on the subject itself, so it was as well to keep himself in the character he was working on creating instead.

Their plans, and yes, he would have agreed with Enjolras that they were plans, could use some finalization, he had doctors, and others here, to get to know, the others had to return so that they might all speak and get to work, but that it was definitely going to happen was a given to him. As God had corrected one problem of nature with the cat, perhaps the group of them had been sent here to create another sort of cat entirely. Metaphorical though it was, but carrying with it what they needed most. Duplicity indeed, and he had pushed the bounds of it himself so far, so back to the other 'topic' at hand, he thought, letting his grin spread.

"Ah, I do see how that COULD create some problem, should she find a way to hear of this. Ladies, after all. One hopes that Courfeyrac will not manage to try it either, before his return. And yes, somehow that does seem fair. After all, there are so many both of you must show me."

Thierry Joly. How odd. She hadn't recalled him having a first name, but then again, it made more sense for him to have one than to not. She relaxed a bit, intrigued by meeting this strange, literary fellow, figuring that he would no doubt be less obstinate than his golden haired counterpart, and likely more amusing to talk to as well.

"The pleasure is mine, Monsieur Joly, I assure you." She then gestured broadly to the image on the screen. "And who is he? Your friend. What is his name? And her? I do not recall meeting either of them in the Arena."

Less obstinate indeed. In Joly's estimation, it took a great deal to be as obstinate as Enjolras could be at his worst. It was usually, though not always, warranted, perhaps, but even so, there were times when one must find a place to draw the line, even in a world such as this. And Felicity seemed, so far, to match her name remarkably well on top of that.

He could even dare to think that 'Felicity' and 'Jolly', as he had been termed in the past meant that they must be friends, in the matter of names. They fit remarkably, did they not? For the moment, he focused on the screen instead.

"Ah, Courfeyrac is from Paris, with us. And we've met Mademoiselle Venus here."

"I may not recover so well if she decides to sic her Roman friend upon me again." In a strange way, it hurt to be using Venus in this way. She had done the same to him any number of times, invoking his name when it was convenient or would make for an interesting plot twist. She was simply better at compartmentalizing all of it, of taking the utilitarian aspect of personal relationships in stride. It wasn't something everyone, not even everyone among the people in Panem, were capable of. Again, he forced himself out of the such reflection. Insomnia would see to it that he had plenty of time for such examinations later. "You should meet him as well."

He needed to take a census, assemble a list, preferably mental, as physical evidence could undoubtedly be used against them, of everyone on whom they could rely. Such a task would not be easy, and would require even more deception, even more questions veiled beneath other questions. More than that, however, it would require common cause, and faith that any answers he received could be trusted at all. Faith was becoming a challenge for him of late.

"I'll invite Maximus to dinner with the three of us," Enjolras nodded to Joly, then to the ghostly blue image of Courfeyrac, distorted by the projection screen and the dust of the Arena around him. "Provided he doesn't still wish to kill me, of course. He is very honorable, I assure you. A true Centurion of the Roman Republic who fought alongside Marcus Aurelius. He is simply too overprotective of Venus, though I can hardly blame him."

"A Roman friend, you say?" Oh this was interesting. It was a chance, outside of medicine to actually practice Latin, perhaps, in order that he might use it with Marius, if needed. And more importantly, Rome's Republic itself. "And he has been tossed at you on occasions?" He had to laugh at the thought of that somehow, Enjolras facing down such a man.

"I would quite like to meet him. If it comes to it, I have always wondered a few things about Rome that I would quite like to ask. Do you suppose a citizen of Rome might disappear without Thrace? I've often wondered."

Joly would assist of course, where-ever needed in that census, or in anything. If Enjolras lacked faith, then the rest of them who could would need to work to supply it until the other's could be boosted. It was the sort of thing that only stood to reason here, after all... Wait just a moment.

"Misunderstandings with Roman Centurion that have resulted in his wishing for your blood? What DID you manage to get up to that you have galled him so?"

So that was Courfeyrac. Felicity found her frown growing deeper for a moment at she watched the screen with piqued curiosity. Courfeyrac was quickly forgotten in favor of Venus, however.

"She is exquisite." Fee marveled, lips curving into a tidy smirk. "But to whom were they referring? Surely those two are not...?"

She refused to believe that the pair on the screen were entangled. Nothing in their body language indicated such affections. She turned back to Joly (or Jolllly, as she recalled from the literature) with arms folded across herself expectantly.

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."

That was Courfeyrac indeed. Watching her face, Joly was left to consider that, in his estimation, Courfeyrac, by mere mention had never made a woman frown before that he had seen. It prompted a little curiosity, truth be told, as to the reasoning behind it now. But then, to Venus.

"She is at that." Joly agreed, "Moreso in person." Even now, were he in the arena with her, he would see that, and be somewhat awed. Somewhat, because she had proven to be human too, and someone he might speak to, not simply the astounding and downright gorgeous warrior. "But no indeed. Rather..."

He jerked his eyes toward Enjolras, smirk crossing his face. "Now, of course, he will be among the first to disagree with that assessment but it seems obvious enough so far. Seeing them together after this has ended ough to say for certain."

Honestly? It was far easier for Joly to push himself a little, to shove the doubts that arose when he let himself consider them far into the back of his mind. In truth, it was a tactic he'd employed at home, often enough. While he was with an actual patient, he could manage to stave off panic, focusing only in the moment, but when it came to working on cadavers, or the like, or facing the idea of having picked up an illness itself or when he was simply terrified, he did revert to humor, and to puns, finding them enough distraction, usually, that he could manage to carry on in what it was.

But, no, for Joly, there was no ill intention behind the joke, and he fell silent, nodding at Enjolras's answer.

"We are gladiators of a sort at that." Joly agreed, nodding. And really, the thing was almost completely true. Conscripted as they were. He could certainly see the reasoning behind that sort of explanation, though he doubted that it was a comfort to one who had come from such a life as that to be launched into another one.

Not to regard Venus as a woman though? It seemed to Joly like the sort of technique that would prove badly for everyone in the end. While it was certainly true that gender had played very little of a role in the arena, and that women had the right to be seen as equals, entirely discounting a woman's femininity was a dangerous one to make. It was confusing, certainly, and not something to ask Enjolras about, surely.

"I can see why one might avoid a person who killed them." He begin, a million inappropriate comments about la petite mort rushing through his mind, though he ignored them in the face of this, more serious tone. "I admittedly do not have plans to spend much quality time, if any, with my own. As matters of interpretations go, it seems straightforward enough. Though..." His nose crinkled a little at the next bit.

"I can think of fewer things that put a man into a better or more distracted mood than his lover's presence, that IS true. And all right, not so interesting as all of that. I was expecting greater scandal somehow. I suppose that IS best left to Courfeyrac, or is that worst?"

If there were jokes to be made about the irony of a romantic entanglement with your murderer, Enjolras was hardly the person to pick up on them. Instead, he hummed approvingly at the change of subject. They poke some fun at Courfeyrac's expense for the moment.

"Better for us, worse for them. It's a good thing he makes a point to a of married women, I suppose." Other men he knew had been slightly less upright in their womanizing. Courfeyrac had insisted on a certain decorum, a certain Romance to his romances and while Enjolras had never seem them as truly meritorious of his friend's time, he had to admire at least his intention. "Though that didn't keep him from charming Madame Pontmercy, when her husband was not looking."

The kiss had been innocent enough. As a point of fact, Cosette was a loving enough person to have kissed each of her husband's friends in the same way, but it made for an excellent story. If Joly were to be the affable socialite, and Enjolras the brooding scholar, perhaps Courfeyrac could play the Casanova in the eyes of the media. It would round out the appeal of their collective quite well. And Marius, Marius would soon be useful in other ways.

"You learn which of their lies to accept and which to push against. Sometimes you cannot push against them at all and so you learn to push around instead." He blinked in surprise at the peculiar timing of that particular thought. However many months ago, he had expressed similar sentiments to Venus moments before she's snapped his neck. "You can convince people of very little and persuade them of less when their minds have already been made up. Often their perceptions of you will hold more weight than anything that you say."

Her surprise (and contempt) was palpable. Enjolras? Involved with a woman? That notion was positively mockable! Felicity was no scholar, but having read the text, she was astonished that the idea was even being considered, let alone given some weight of truth. Surely this young lady, as ravishing as she may be, was mistaken in her pursuit of him.

"Of course they are not involved," Felicity pronounced, voice aching with some mystery emotion. "He would never do such a thing. The very idea."

Enjolras. And a Woman. Apparently. Joly had, despite the fact that he pretended to believe Enjolras's statements that it was related to the cameras and other aspects of it, rather concluded that, sooner or later, it was going to move in that direction. It seemed Enjolras simply needed more time to warm to the idea, and to not be pushed in any direction there. At least in private quarters. In public ones, well...

"So he says that he would not." Joly agreed, eyedarting a little. "Personally, I do suspect denial, one might see where anyone would be smitten at once, with either one of them, but whether something comes of it...that must be left for everyone to see, I suspect."

Perhaps there was a pool that he could throw his name into for that outcome. It may help detract from other things in future, after all.

Indeed not. It was the sort of thing Joly might toss out at, well, anyone else, but for Enjolras's sake, he was content enough to remain silent, and be amused at the joke in his mind on his own time. It was not a place to fall all over oneself giggling at innuendos besides. There WAS a place for it; he was fairly certain, but for the moment, he had yet to find that, so instead, the gossip of Courfeyrac did fairly well to serve instead.

"Madame Pontmercy indeed?" He smirked a little, in spite of himself. "Well,if any were the reason that he broke such priorities, I can understand her presence being responsible. By all accounts, she seems remarkable enough to create a Launcelot out of a Galahad."

It was exciting, certainly, and Joly leaned forward a little, eager for more detail at that. "There seems to be some greater story than just charming, yes? I think you'd better share whatever news you know, right here and now, before poor Marius may hear of it." Oh certainly the socialite, and eager, ever so eager to hear more, and perhaps help Courfeyrac's reputation along here. What were friends for, after all?

"Well then. It seems I must devote myself to further study of that matter. As far as perceptions go, I think that I might work with them. They had their use in Paris, after all."

Edited 2014-03-10 23:21 (UTC)

"If he says they are not, then they are not." On first glance, it might have even come across as jealousy, the way she protested. She did not mean to sound so insistent, and yet. She had to hold firm to her disbelief. She'd read the novel and she'd met the man, and following both encounters, she still found it next to impossible to accept this truth.

No matter. It was lies, and Felicity knew that. She would not worry about her literary ideals being shattered by these unusual circumstances. Besides, there was another intriguing figure just before her, one she knew even less about.

"Surely you do not find this trivial gossip as appealing as the rest of these people do." She tilted her head at Joly, eyebrow raised.

"I do trust Enjolras to say everything that he believes to be the truth." Joly said, keeping his tone brightly pitched, enough that someone else may overhear. "And it is not within his character as I knew him at home." He added, finding himself glancing about to see if anyone else might hear before letting the act slip a little, leaning in a bit closer.

"Truthfully, I think no woman, even Venus, who is extraordinary, could cope well with the reality of Enjolras. But I do believe they are fond of each other. That is...rather clear enough." And then he was straightening again, as if he'd just divulged some secret, and winking, very broadly.

"Ah but my dear Mademoiselle does trivial gossip not have its place here and now? I intend to make myself the connoisseur of all that may be known. And perhaps, in time, a source."

Her arched eyebrows raised in surprise. "A source? Perhaps it is unwise for me to associate with you, in that case. I fear I may be too set in my secretive ways for such a bold declaration."

In truth, however, Fee was delighted. She did love some delicious gossip, even if she didn't know the people involved very well. She would educate herself, and she would delight in it. She could weave just as pretty yarns as Joly could.

"Let us hear a tasty morsel, monsieur. What other news can you tell me?" She leaned in, a conspiratorial grin on her lips.

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