#god its like an enjolras and grantaire au

[teawithghosts]

"You don't have to keep clapping, I have no intention of going anywhere."

It's a comfort to know. But perhaps just once more, Vander thinks, just in case.

[kjack89]

Two Sides to Every Story

Just a little modern AU E/R fluff for a Sunday night.

The Musain August 18, 2023 10:15am

“God, I don’t think I’ve ever been this hungover,” Bossuet groaned as he pulled open the door to the Musain, automatically taking a step back to let Joly in first.

Joly just laughed. “You say that every weekend,” he pointed out. “Which means there’s probably a lesson in there about hanging out with Grantaire and its long-term effect on our livers.”

Bossuet just grunted an acknowledgement. “Right, so, you get the drinks, and I’ll find Grantaire?” he suggested.

“Perfect.”

It wasn’t like Grantaire was hard to spot by any stretch of the imagination, but there was a greater than passing chance that he hadn’t made it in yet, or had fallen asleep in the back room, or was emptying his stomach in the bathroom. 

But worse, to Bossuet’s immediate irritation, Grantaire was awake, seemingly hangover-free, and on the phone. He gave Bossuet a wave when he saw him, but didn’t hang up. “Yeah, no, I totally get it,” he said, his tone making it entirely obvious who he was talking to, which only made Bossuet’s irritation grow. “Takeout’s fine, you know me, I’m flexible.” He winked at Bossuet, who rolled his eyes. “In more ways than one.”

“No, no, don’t mind me, I’ll just sit here listening to you badly propositioning your boyfriend,” Bossuet grumbled, though despite his irritation and raging hangover, he didn’t quite sound as sour as he had intended. Probably because he had been wanting this for Grantaire for, like, ever, and at the end of the day, he was a bit of a softie. “Tell Enjolras I say hi.”

“Bossuet says hi,” Grantaire said dutifully, his smile widening at whatever Enjolras said in response. Then he straightened, his smile fading, just slightly. “Oh, sure. Love you.”

He paused, and Bossuet glanced at him, wondering what Enjolras was saying in response to that. After all, it’s not like the man was renowned for his sentimental side—

“Nuh-uh,” Grantaire said, his grin back in full force. “I love you more.”

Turns out when Bossuet was wrong, he was really wrong.

“No, I love you more.”

Bossuet rolled his eyes again, glancing around to see if Joly was on his way with the drinks to rescue him from having to listen to this.

“No, you hang up first.” Grantaire laughed at whatever Enjolras said. “I love you, talk to you tonight.”

He hung up and grinned that same stupid, dopey grin at Bossuet, who just gave him a withering look. “You two are revolting. You know that, right?”

“And here I thought you believed in true love,” Grantaire said innocently, snickering and dodging Bossuet’s half-hearted attempt to sock him in the arm. 

His phone buzzed on the table and he reached for it, but Bossuet beat him to it, picking it up and glancing down at the screen to read the text. “From Enjolras,” he read out loud. “I love you the most.”

He mimed throwing up while Grantaire wrestled his phone back from him, laughing. Joly arched an eyebrow as he carried their drinks over to the table. “Do I even want to know?”

“No,” Bossuet and Grantaire said at the same time.

City Hall 10:15am

“Anyway, this is our third meeting with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, and needless to say, we’re getting nowhere,” Enjolras said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he glanced down the hallway. “And I know tonight’s supposed to be date night, but I was hoping I could talk you into takeout at my place instead.”

“Yeah, no, I totally get it,” Grantaire said immediately, and Enjolras let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. Of course, he’d really had no reason to be worried – this thing with Grantaire was easy in a way that Enjolras had never allowed himself to believe a relationship could be. As easy and as perfect as Enjolras had hoped it would be when he finally let himself admit what seemingly everyone else had already put together on their own. “Takeout’s fine, you know me, I’m flexible.” Enjolras preemptively rolled his eyes, already knowing what was coming by the smirk he heard in Grantaire’s voice. “In more ways than one.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Enjolras said dryly.

Grantaire’s grin sounded particularly self-satisfied when he said, “Bossuet says hi.”

“And Combeferre’s on his way here, so once he arrives, we’ll have ourselves a quorum.” The secretary poked her head out into the hallway and gestured at him, and Enjolras sighed. “Shit, I gotta go. Honestly, I’m tempted to just offer to withdraw the complaint against the department as a whole if it mean they’d actually do fuck all about the officers involved. Anyway, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Oh, sure,” Grantaire said, much more seriously than before. “I love you.”

Enjolras glanced over as the elevator doors dinged and Combeferre got off. “Uh-huh, you as well,” he said, a little distractedly, because Combeferre looked particularly grim, and Enjolras had a feeling he wasn’t going to like where this conversation was headed.

“Nuh-uh, I love you more.”

“Right,” Enjolras said blankly, tempted to ask if Grantaire was having a stroke. “Anyway—”

“No, I love you more.”

Enjolras’s eyes narrowed at Grantaire’s slightly gleeful tone. He might not have the slightest idea what Grantaire was doing, but judging by his tone, Grantaire sure did. “We’ll continue this conversation later—” he started warningly.

“No, you hang up first.”

“—no matter how fascinating this display of justification for homicide may be.”

Grantaire had the nerve to laugh. “I love you. Talk to you tonight.”

Enjolras hung up and forced a grimace masquerading as a smile at Combeferre. “You look like you have good news,” he said.

Combeferre just shook his head. “Dare I ask what that was?” he said mildly.

“Absolutely not,” Enjolras said firmly, typing a quick text to Grantaire: I love you the most. “So what’s going on that makes you look like someone’s died?”

“The mayor picked a new police superintendent,” Combeferre said, and Enjolras paused in the middle of composing his follow-up text.

“Well, that’s…” He trailed off, realization hitting. “Meaning COPA’s going to want to delay this until the superintendent gets approved by the Council and sworn in.”

Combeferre nodded. “Most likely.”

Something I want you to remember when I kill you with my bare hands tonight.

Enjolras clicked send on the second text before looking back at Combeferre. “Then in that case, fuck ‘em.”

Combeferre blinked. “Fuck ‘em?” he repeated, more intrigued than concerned. “Dare I ask what precisely you mean by that?”

“I mean fuck ‘em,” Enjolras said. “They’ve been trying to keep this quiet but if all they want to do is obfuscate and delay, let them. They’re not allowed to speak to the press about ongoing investigations, but we sure as fuck can.”

Combeferre nodded slowly. “You want to threaten to go to the press if they won’t move the investigation along.”

Enjolras’s phone dinged and he glanced down at it automatically. You said you were tempted to withdraw the complaint, the text from Grantaire said. Bet you’re not nearly so tempted now.

Enjolras felt a sharp smile stretch across his face. “Well played,” he murmured, so that Combeferre couldn’t quite hear him. “And no, I don’t want to threaten. I want us to do it. We’ll hold a press conference this afternoon, share everything we have. Should make for a nice little mess for the newly minted superintendent to deal with when he starts.”

The hint of a smile played at the corners of Combeferre’s mouth. “Burn it all to the ground,” he said.

Enjolras just shrugged. “Well, since Courfeyrac couldn’t make this meeting, someone’s gotta do it.”

Combeferre’s smile widened, and he gestured for Enjolras to lead the way. “By all means, don’t let me stop you.”

Enjolras grinned as he glanced down at his phone and another text from Grantaire: You still going to kill me?

Jury’s still out, Enjolras sent back, hesitating before adding, But we’ve landed on a strategy of fuck ‘em and burn it all to the ground, so the odds look in your favor.

You’re welcome, Grantaire sent back, and Enjolras rolled his eyes.

If that’s your way of fishing for gratitude, good luck with that. He paused before adding, I love you.

A moment later, just as the secretary was letting them into the office for their meeting, Grantaire responded: Uh-huh, you as well ;)

Enjolras just rolled his eyes as he slipped his phone into his pocket, though he couldn’t help but smile.

[baba-the-yagaa]

"#The dynamic between two paladins would be INSANE#and so fun" Hello , I saw your tags, tell me more about your Ideas about the TTRPG Amis -slash-Les Mis?:D

dear god im sorry i let your ask marinate its been a Time man anyway

(im a mathematician) so we gotta look at two cases: Les Amis play a ttrpg like dnd together, or we make ttrpg based on Les mis/and Les Amis

case 1: oh my god dont get me started (well you did, so here we go) we all know how dramatic ttrpgs can get, so maybe a modern au where the barricade is ttrpg and everyone is playing various characters, except for marius who is new and very obviously playing himself. which is why he like that. anyway!! this can also give rise to the two paladins dynamic i was yapping about, so lemme yap some more. The tension would be unparalleled. Courf and Enj arguing about who serves whos god better and being the same kind of divine but different would be bonkers. Grantaire would try to roll so many times to seduce Enjs character and fail and Enjolras is oblivious so its Courf who confronts him about it and is like 'yo. whats up with all that' and R is just like 'wouldnt you like to know, weatherboy' etc the other half of the table (Combeferre, Joly, Lesgle, Jehan, Feuilly) (Bahorel is more partial to the above mentioned drama) is on about something more sciency and shit (except for the occasional glances and giggling about the rest) which all begs the question, who dms? and the answer is simple. Gavroche. he would be a very, very good dm i feel like. kid's got crazy ass ideas they're perfect (also dm candidates are: Valjean) this au is generally very on point to the book i feel like because of how most characters are symbolic and extraordinary but also its just fun

case 2: again, right after i got the ask i started ruminating on this. came up with stats even! so regular dnd 5e has 5: strength, dex, int, wis, and charisma. Les Mis ttrpg: decided to merge strength and dex into one, but maybe we split em up, dunno. Charisma we obviously keep, and add two more stats: religion and revolution. religion works kinda like wisdom/int, bc les mis is heavily influenced by religion and its fairly self explanatory revolution is a scale of 0-20, with 10 being 'i dont give a shit', 20 is Enjolras and 0 is Javert. other than that, mechanically i have no idea lol but it should be also very fun

thanks for coming to my TED talk lmao hope this wasnt too long

[aaronstveit]

5 (😌), 18, 29, 30: say something kind about your writing and also something kind about one of your fics xoxo love coco

helloooooo coco pompom ty for asking 💞

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write?

are you making that face because you're laughing at the fact you're forcing me to admit out loud to god and everyone that i considered an exr are you the one? reality tv au... sick and twisted. i shall never write it but it is a fun thought experiment at least

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

already answered here but i feel like you know that already and wanna make me choose another one so here, this bit from rooftop fic is one of my all-time favs:

Don’t you understand, Grantaire wants to say to him, that I will stain you? My hands will blacken your soul. Walk away. But each time, Enjolras seems to tell him, So blacken it. Change me by degrees. Lick my blood from your fingers, become the marrow in my bones.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

oh god let's go digging around in the google docs hm....... okay this is from something i tried writing, gave up on, and butchered for deep end. this paragraph however did not find its way into deep end so you may have it as a treat <3

(The beginning, Enjolras tells him later, was before we even lived together. First semester of uni. We were shouting at each other in the back room of the Musain and I told you to be serious. You said, ‘I am wild,’ and I wanted to shut you up with my mouth.)

30. Ask anything! "say something kind about your writing and also something kind about one of your fics"

i resent this since we both know i'm overflowing with self-love recently! it's hard to think of more things i haven't already said before umm......... something kind about my writing...... i believe that i am good at characterization which is good because i work very hard at it! and something kind about one of my fics....... i'm gonna do the surprising thing and say something kind about blind date fic. i think it's funny! which is nice!

thank you so much for this exercise in psychological torture coco i love you mwah 🥰

fanfic writer asks!

[whatsaboomlakalaka]

fic writer interview!

thanks for the tag @grantairesbottle !!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

20 ! how did that happen !

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

56,068

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

5 on ao3 but really 4 bc I think Original Work + Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game) count as one (its backstory for one of my PCs)

the others are Les Miserables, Dimension 20 (specifically Fantasy High) and Life with Derek

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

What To Expect When You're Expecting A Soulmate - (Dimension 20 (Fantasy High)) - Fig/Ayda - the figayda soulmark au nobody asked for but i wrote anyway - classic first words your soulmate will say to you are written on your body somewhere, bc with their first interaction how could i NOT. 2k, oneshot!

Llamas and Siblings and Pies, Oh my! - (Life with Derek) - Casey/Derek - texting fic! the whole family's involved! i don't know how to describe this one except ridiculous and very fun! 4k, oneshot!

Bump In The Night - (Life with Derek) - Casey/Derek - a mix of soulmark aus from a 3am prompt that i wrote in 40mins and didn't read through before i posted. wild that its this high up tbh. 600 words, ficlet!

A Pretty Good Bad Idea - (Life with Derek) - Casey/Derek - summer vibes prompt that's actually just pwp - everyone loves smut OPPPPP. 2.5k, oneshot!

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger - (Les Miserable) - Enjolras/Grantaire - again, everyone loves smut? this fic is so old omg but yeah i guess its a thing i wrong. canon-compliant pwp. 2k, oneshot!

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes! Always! I love to chat come talk to me!!

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

God, right. Do we mean angst like "everyone's about to die"? Because if so, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger, again, or Just Open Your Eyes - but they're both Les Mis and like. Is death angst in canon-era Les Mis bc idt it is???

Non-death related, I'm going with Evacuate The Dancefloor. Mostly because it was going to end happily and then the last 40 words just came out of nowhere but like. It had to. Idk. Sad wanking innit.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Hmmm I haven't written any with like crossed over characters but I like putting people in different settings. Hogwarts AUs etc. And like. My Life with Derek Tag AU, cleverly just titled "Tag".

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Writing for small fandoms is a blessing, no.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yeah but like I'm not comfortable writing it really? But sometimes I do it to challenge myself and those are always the fics with the best stats which is WILD.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Again, not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nel said this too in hers lol but like. No posts fic, but RP. A lot of RP.

Also @nosybutterfly and I have the starting of a Life with Derek one but we've both been working on separate things recently - Em we should get back to it !!!

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

The ship that first got me into fanfiction was Harry/Ginny (Harry Potter). But I've probably read more Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Miserables) than anything else. Plus Combeferre/Courfeyrac (also Les Mis). Honourable mentions to: Beck/Johanssen (The Martian), Josh/Donna (The West Wing), Laurie/Amy (Little Women), and Casey/Derek (Life with Derek).

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Nothing has been posted of it yet but I've got this one Ballet Dancer!Casey/Photographer!Derek Long Distance AU and. Eurgh. One day.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think I manage to get a lot of info into not a lot of words. I also think I'm funny but who knows what everyone else thinks.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I start so many things I know I'll never finish yikes

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter - I don't even remember my old username but it was on Sink Into Your Eyes, back in the day.

Also Firefly - mostly on fireflyfans.net

19. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

A Thousand Years Go By (Love Don’t Die) - Life with Derek - Derek/Casey - the mcturi siblings are paranormal investigators checking out sam's new mansion-come-hotel. 8k, oneshot!

this fic hit me like a fever dream and i could think of nothing else until it was written. its also got just... so few hits compared to my other dasey fics and that makes me sad sometimes ngl.

Tagging anyone who wants to do it! Say I tagged you and I'll back you up!!

[queer-cosette]

20 questions: writers edition

Thanks so much for the tag @deinde-prandium!!!!!!!

How many works do you have on AO3?

20 at the moment! I’m proud!

What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

569505… wow

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Eight! Miraculous Ladybug, Les Misérables, Original Work, Total Drama, Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race, Heathers the Musical (Murphy and O’Keefe), Heathers (1988), and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

mArinette (1,138)

Cute Boys With Short Haircuts (214)

Mistlejoke (203)

More Adventurous (132)

the four realised love languages (and the one that isn’t quite there yet) (98)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to on fics with less comments - I like letting people know I appreciate them taking the time to tell me what they think! I struggle more if there are a lot of comments (like on mArinette for example) because I just don’t have the ADHD spoons for it.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

The thing is, I LOVE writing angsty middles, but I need to resolve it by the end. Probably Good Enough, since it’s from the point of view of an unreliable narrator with a victim complex.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Currently mArinette, but one of my current WIPs has a big happy ending coming its way soon…

Do you write crossovers? If yes, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever written?

Oh my god yes!! Please go and read On Se Sent Comme Par Magie, it’s a 4/6 parts completed Les Misérables fic set to a Winx Club AU and it’s looking more and more like it could compete with the original book in the way of wordcount. I’ve also written two Heathers AUs (Dazzlings and Dear Diary) and mArinette is an Easy A AU; I also have something vaguely planned in the way of a Kim Possible/Harry Potter crossover AU where Kim and Ron are wizards.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I’ve had annoying nitpicky commenters, sure, but nothing in the way of genuine vitriol. Lilanon has been a dick on a couple of Miraculous fics, but she’s just irritating.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nothing explicit, but Dazzlings and A Delinquent and a CIT both have scenes where sex is happening on-screen. Dazzlings’ sex scene (Chapter 5) is entirely dialogue, while A Delinquent and a CIT (Chapter 15) is more focussed on thoughts and emotions, but in both there is no doubt whatsoever what’s going on.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Probably not, although some of my Tumblr posts concerning fics have wound up on instagram without permission.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet!

Have you ever cowritten a fic?

Back in the day, me and my friend Bozzy collabed a massive multifandom Hogwarts AU that we still sometimes go back and reread aloud for shits and giggles (yes, we do voices), however it never made it to screen. There is talk of a possible collab fic I’d be involved in in the ML Writers Guild, so eyes open!

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

The one that’s stuck around longest is Duncan/Courtney (Total Drama), although I’m a big fan of Marius/Cosette and Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Mis), Fred/Daphne (Scooby Doo), and Sunset/Flash (Equestria Girls). I’m not so involved in ML anymore, but my favourite ship from it is Adrien/Marinette.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I would LOVE to finish 10 Times Carlotta Sugrue-Dupain Got Very, Very Angry, but I don’t really see it happening. I haven’t touched it in more than a year. I may have to change it to “5 Times”.

What’re your writing strengths?

According to my beta reader, readability and fluid writing, suspense and engagement with characters. Love you E <3

What’re your writing weaknesses?

I’m so aware that I can drag stuff out longer than it needs to be dragged while I try to change scenes. Changing scenes. Ugh. Help.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

I try to avoid more than the occasional phrase (mostly with French, Italian or Spanish characters) thrown in as a hesitation noise or as part of a conversation observed by another character, unless it’s in the languages I specifically invented for On Se Sent Comme Par Magie using a language generator. I’m only fluent in English and Scots (and at that, I can’t write in Scots even though I can speak it and understand it), and I know how hard it is to make mistakes or clumsy sentences if you’re using an online translator.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

There are a lot of ways to interpret this one. The first fanfiction ever? I rewrote the ending of a whale documentary, Ocean Odyssey: Secrets of the Deep. The first fic with the knowledge it was fic? My Little Pony human AU (this was before Equestria Girls happened). The first fic I liked enough to publish? Total Drama. The first fic I posted on AO3? My Little Pony: Equestria Girls.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Does On Se Sent Comme Par Magie count as a single fic? If not, my favourite part of it is The Warlock Of The Flame.

Tagging: @marvelousmsmol @theladyfae @mostlymadandmoonly @courtneydeservesbetter @galahadwilder @sunflowerandco @sunfoxfic @icelily17 if you haven’t done it already <3

[everyonewasabird]

I would love to see your Thoughts on the Hugolian Internal Magic System sometime:D It's something I like talking about but def. some Deep Nerding that is not an overcommon discussion!

Ah!! Thank you!! I’ve been wanting to talk about this!

But also, it’s so Big? So instead of overwhelming myself trying to cover it coherently, I’m going to get the ball rolling by scattering undeveloped ideas everywhere.

To start, my feeling is that the brick operates on something that isn’t real-world logic but a coherent system of magic logic, heavily symbolic, and with power over the events in the story. It’s not fantasy-world magic--it’s closer to magical realism, though it never quite reaches what I’d consider that.

There are a lot of magical elements in the brick. Some I want to acknowledge but have little to say about:

The animal thing. The dog-man versus lion-man, mice and cats and all that. The visual use of it in Arai’s manga was how the penny first dropped for me about the brick having magic. Many other people have more coherent thoughts about this than I do.

The fatefulness of spiders and the doom that hangs over anything connected to the numbers four or eight.

Enjolras and Grantaire in OFPD as the apotheosis of the ideal and the grotesque uniting in the sublime--I’ve read meta from you and others about this! It’s fascinating, and I feel like I only half understand it! I have nothing to add to it but it’s wonderful.

A whole lot of characters symbolize different things, and the way that functions has a magic logic to it, and Oh God This Topic Is So Big, I Can’t.

Related to the symbolism, there’s the, um--economy of casting? There’s a coherent logic behind a lot of the coincidences: If someone goes for a police officer, they’re probably going to find one--where brick logic differs from real world logic is, that policeman will always be Javert. All the misfortunes of poor and friendless young women befall Fantine. All people at the cusp between abject poverty and marginal respectability live in the Gorbeau house. I’m not sure I’d quite call this magic, but it’s related.

The place where I first really noticed the magic system myself was with the four-and-a-half characters who have power of will over when they die.

The first is the Conventionist, G——, and it’s with him we get a description of the trait I’m talking about:

Though so near to his end, he preserved all the gestures of health. In his clear glance, in his firm tone, in the robust movement of his shoulders, there was something calculated to disconcert death. Azrael, the Mohammedan angel of the sepulchre, would have turned back, and thought that he had mistaken the door. G—— seemed to be dying because he willed it so.

This isn’t a magic that can be used for arbitrary purposes--you can’t game the system with will-powered immortality. I think it’s more that the characters who have this are so in tune with the magic they become immune to petty injury until they reach the moment of their death--which will be an appropriately symbolic one.

The second of the four is the Bishop, though his death is a little different: instead of culminating in a moment of transcendent will, he’s granted Hugo’s ideal of the perfect death. (Now--I have Massive issues with what Hugo thinks the perfect death is: blind, and beloved woman is taking care of you. It’s gross, sexist, ableist bullshit with wild disregard for boundaries, and Hugo is being The Worst. But anyway.)

In the text it’s the ideal death, and Myriel is granted it. This feels to me like not an exception to the system but its culmination--the other four are granted sublime and transcendent suffering, and Myriel was granted something past that: transcendence without the suffering.

Following the Bishop and the Conventionist are their direct successors, slightly more tarnished, but only slightly: Jean Valjean and Enjolras.

Like the Conventionist, neither can be killed until they choose to die. Until that time, bullets don’t touch them. Both deaths are sublime and transcendent, but Enjolras seems to come closer to perfection--there’s something strangely self-defeating in Valjean that doesn’t exist for the other three. Nevertheless, both of them clearly have near-superhuman power of will over their deaths.

Discussions of what Enjolras would have done if he’d survived after condemning himself for Le Cabuc feel slightly misaimed to me because of this--my feeling is that once he condemned himself, there was no other ending. He belonged to the magic, and he had willed it so--he Knew.

(And... okay, side note, I personally am writing an AU where he lived. But I had to fracture some of the magic system to do it. It felt right to me that in a story about Combeferre the magic would be fractured--I don’t know, I feel like that’s a thing.)

Aside from those four, many characters have different magic at different times.  Eponine gains a preternatural ability to get things done, Gavroche is made of magic and Paris, there’s a lot of magic in Cosette, and so on. The Amis are also magic, and a few of  them seem remarkably able to perceive it--Combeferre understood Valjean at a glance and described Fantine exactly. (Side note: my  favorite headcanon about Combeferre is that he has a nearly unparalleled  ability to perceive the magic system but is too at odds with himself to use it.)

But I feel like there’s a character with a half-realized version of the transcendent will like the other four above, and it’s Javert.

There’s something really interesting going on with Javert and magic.

Like Valjean and Enjolras, he’s immune to bullets, (”You’ll misfire”/The pistol misfired.) And Valjean almost gave to Javert the transformation Myriel had granted him, but something went wrong. Instead of becoming the fifth of these supernormal characters, Javert reaches half a revelation and backs away. He wills his own death, but prosaically and with despair, in a bastardized version of what the others achieve.

I can’t prove this, but I put real significance in that moment when Javert’s tied-up body makes a cross with Mabeuf’s body laid out, and instead of bearing his suffering he asks Enjolras to re-tie him lying down. Javert does a LOT of things wrong morally, but magically and symbolically that might be where he got off the path of the Absolute. (Does it matter symbolically that there end up being four of them (a fateful number) rather than five? Does the feeling of transcendence in Enjolras’s death and incompleteness in Valjean’s have anything to do with the fact that Enjolras convinced Grantaire, but Valjean did not convince Javert? ...I’m not convinced of any of that, but it occurs to me.)

--

And the barricade.

The barricade is made of magic and fate and the Absolute. It magically draws everyone to it and intensifies the magic potential in anyone near it. Enjolras and Jean Valjean become godlike, and everyone else becomes more transcendent as they get nearer.

I swear I can hear the first sparks of the magic of the barricade forming in Grantaire’s dialogue in the Corinth. He’s in the middle of a misogynistic and racist harangue and then he bursts out with:

“And it appears that they are going to fight, all these idiots, to get their  heads broken, to massacre one another, in midsummer, in the month of  June, when they might go off with some creature under their arm, to scent in the fields the huge cup of tea of the new mown hay!”

(Wilbour. Hapgood massacres this line.)

...then he goes back to rambling, until he wanders into an entirely perceptive (if wryly mocking) description of Marius’s love for Cosette and his own for Enjolras: “They must make a queer pair of lovers. I know just what it is like. Ecstasies in which they forget to kiss. Pure on earth, but joined in heaven. They are souls possessed of senses. They lie among the stars.”

Which, for once, is exactly correct.

And I think these sparks happen because the barricade is beginning, and the barricade is magic, and it’s what finally pulls from Grantaire what he was capable of.

There is SO MUCH MORE I’m sure, but this post is becoming novel-length, so I’ll stop for now. Anyone who wants, please argue or expand!

[irrelevantrevolutionary]

Idk what the amazing race is but I think it would make a great Les Mis AU, what about you

I feel like this is sent in by @jamie506101 since I was ranting about it but either way idc lets go

Btw this is the amazing race its fucking addicting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Race_(American_TV_series)

The teams: Part one, Imma split it into 3 parts

Enjolras and Grantaire

Been dating for a year. 

Enj worried R will slow him down in his conquest. 

Marius and Cosette

young Married parents who want an adventure

Prob gets eliminated quick bc marius won’t eat a bug and Cosette cries a lot. 

Eponine and Gavroche

Brother sister team

Gavroche has a rep for cursing everyone out. 

Javert and Jean Val Jean

Everyone sabatoges them and gives them u turns and yeilds 

Probably seperated, trying to reconcile. 

Threatens to fight Enj. 

Thenardiers 

They loose rather quick but while theyre on they are fan faves

Love the drinking challenges 

No one knows if they’re married they just refer to each other as LOVER

Joly and Lesgle 

Polyamouras boyfriends and their girlfriend inspired them to run. 

Very lovable 

Make it a while but Joly won’t eat a bug bc he saw an episode of greys anatomy or something

Comb and Courf

Enj probably calls them nerds for being stratigical 

The two end up beating e and r in most legs though

PETTY AF

Jehan and Feuilly 

Everyone loves them but my god are they bad at this show. 

[serinesaccade]

yesterday i found your fic and that last anon reminded me that when i tried to write a comment it wouldn't post which was annoying. so I'm doing that here! you don't need to post it to your blog or anything I just wanted you to know how much I loved it. honestly, I can't even describe how much I adore your writing! And I love abo fics. I think it's because they have the innate-attraction elements of soulmate aus, but rather than divine fate it's rooted in biology and WAY more flawed

[this goes on and is INCREDIBLY LOVELY so I’m putting everything below the cut so I can gush in return oh god <3]

pt. 2 of me commenting on ur abo fic bc ao3 won't let me :/ The whole preppy-schoolmates-who-meet-once-in-an-arranged-marriage is just. yes omg. And the way Enjolras is so focused on escape he doesn't even notice Grantaire who has probably been crushing on him for months? perfect. How Enjolras is aware of his privilege but oblivious to the extent that it affects his life and makes his experiences differ from that of others is so realistic.

3. May I just say that Enjolras' longing for the freedom of university is hella relateable

4. Grantaire absolutely shattered my heart so props to you for that I guess. As always, his snarkiness is top tier. I love the way you have him mock the abo stereotypes. The concept of artificial bonding is equal parts hearwrenching and clever(I lied its mostly heartwrenching) The vision of Enj's parents sending over a single t shirt and teen R just clinging to it...ouch.

5 i think. Grantaire still needing the relief that comes from scenting after 4 years, and apologizing for it. And the way he was shocked that Enjolras would willingly provide that relief more than once?? god. oh my god. Also I got the sense that when he said he could go a week without like that comfort again he was calculating the absolute longest he could go without going into a mini-withdrawal or something similar. pain. unforgiveable, thats what you are. in conclusion JKEHFK i died. I am dead

Anyway I’m sobbing hysterically from your kindness but also YES

2. yes confirmed Enj is absolutely like “a stranger” and Grantaire’s just “MY LONGTIME CRUSH OH HEY THIS IS CHILL”. Honest to god if I had the research brain for this, this fic would’ve 1000% been set in the 1800s. I just. I could not. and now I am attached to them as preppy-schoolmates-in-modern-times-but-still-arranged-marriage 3. omg YEAH that freeing first rush of getting to college and finally being able to exist and breathe

4. sometimes I feel like I make Grantaire?? not bitter or snarky enough??? especially given his circumstances. Like it’s difficult to gauge R in the brick because we are told things about him and then see him ONLY in a very specific slice of time where I think he is behaving a little differently. every time I write him I am smashed in the face by the gentleness of the hat scene and just. he is a slippery character that I love to explore. so hearing this worked is so!! nice!!!

4b. yeah I knew for sure Enj would! not bond and leave!! He is a dumb boy but he’s not that stupid. I can promise you that if he’d done the bond bite in person and seen any part of the aftermath he would’ve stayed around. Enj’s parents suck and we know this but this is legit very heartless of them like. they just waved a hand when one of their waitstaff tentatively brought up that the new Monsieur Omega Enjolras might appreciate the clothes being cleared out of the absent Monsieur Enjolras’ room, and might they send some over? they were like *hand toss* send one, I suppose

5. yeah we’ll see more of R and his take next chappie but he! he does not expect nice things!! even though he deserves them

NOW I’M DEAD THANK YOU

I wanted to respond to this lovely review with an update but I legit. Cannot get it to a place I am satisfied with >:/ I have like ten thousand words so you’d think it would be done but it needs Help

anyway!!! thank you! much love

[imfromthemiddlekingdom]

TW// ED fanfic masterlist

aThese are all of the best fics about ed i’ve read in my six or so years on ao3, most of them are pretty triggering but they get the job done ya know.

Les Misérables 

·  Pylades Fasting - Enjolras/Grantaire (7/10) not really that angsty so it isn’t higher but it is angst with a happy ending if that’s what you’re looking for.

·  Becoming a Ghost - Enjolras/Grantaire (8/10) depiction of ed’s is realistic and I probably read this at least once a month to break me out of a binge cycle.

·  J'ai oublié (I forgot) - Enjolras/Grantaire (7/10) sad, really sad. but very triggering so that’s good. ·using Enjolras’ dedication to start restricting again, very smart I am· 

·  just keep your head above - Enjolras/Grantaire (6/10) montparnasse is babie so thats good. eng messes up again and tarie has to deal with the fall out. when does he not

Bandom

·  Mad as a Hatter (Thin as a Dime) - Ryan Ross/Brendon Urie (9/10) gods this fic always manages to make me not binge and restrict, honestly I’d give it a 10/10 if they didn’t make brendon to be such a saviour. 

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken| JoJo’s Bizzar Adventure

·  Rent-to-own Sanity - Giorno centric (8/10) recently read it and gosh is it good, characterization is on point and istg i may have fallen a lil bit more in love with him.

·  spiraling - Giorno centric (7/10) takes place after the events of golden wind so it may not make sense unless you’ve finished it. ed is mentioned but it isn’t really the whole point of the fic, still good though, still good enough to make me restrict anyways.

·  Appetite of A people pleaser - Fugo centric (8/10) extremely angsty, everybody lives nobody dies so abbacchio stans are in luck, although fugo stans are gonna have their hearts ripped out of them. depiction of ed’s is extremely realistic therefore extremely triggering to me which is kinda good lmao /srs

·  In Memory of the Past and What Comes After - Trish centric (7/10) my bby goes through so much in this fic.... tw//sh though, like kinda graphic if im remembering right.

Shingeki no Kyojin| Attack on Titan

·  Corp de Ballet - Erin and Mikasa centric (7/10) wlw and mlm, great for motivation esp. if you’re involved in the hell that is ballet.

·  Mikasa Ackerman - Mikasa/Annie (6/10) didn’t really like the plot but back it did the trick in getting me out of b/p cycles.

Hunter x Hunter

·  FREAK - Illumi/Hisoka (9/10) really good, absolutely very very good. there is smut so if yall don’t like it i suggest yall skip this one even though it is very effective in making me feel bad about myself.

Naruto

·  a long hard twenty-year summer vacation - Ino/Sakura (8/10) modern setting, really really really good 

·  I Want To Be - Ino/Sakura (9/10) tw//sh 

·  What We Did To Me - Genma/Raido (6/10) really well written but ed isn’t really the main focus. 

Boku no Hero Academia| My Hero Academia

·  Blessed - Tamaki centric (8/10) not that triggering tbh but a really good read

·  Problems - Shinsou/Izuku (8/10) this one hits a lil too close to home with the bullying and ed but its so freaking good.

·  A Bowl of Oatmeal - Dabi/Shigaraki (7/10) tw//child abuse 

·  acid and iron - Izuku centric (8/10) best dad award goes to aizawa 

·  What’s Wrong With Me? - Jirou/Momo (9/10) wlw power couple nothing else to say but gosh is this fic good

·  Disarm - Dabi centric (10/10) found family trope has my knees weak with want 

Stranger Things

·  Sleepovers - Nancy/Robin (9/10) gods i wish that were me 

·  empty walls can't hear you scream, can't see you languish - Steve centric (8/10) steve is a mess, robin is a BAMF and ed’s still suck ass

·  La Sylphide - Billy/Steve (9/10) Ballet AU so you know its gonna be angsty and ed heavy

Batman

·  Off Beat - Dick and Tim centric (8/10) another ballet au.

Haikyuu!!

·  Trust - Kageyama centric (7/10) tw//sh

·  O - Kageyama centric (7/10) not very accurate but good enough ya know

·  defiance - Tsukishima centric (8/10) giraffe is in denial about the whole ed thing

(ill update this when i have the time to read more fanfics, but currently skls kicking my ass so imma head out)

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Hi! I found your avatar piece a few days ago and its absolutely lovely! Not trying to push, just curious if you were planning on updating it? Hope you're keeping safe!

Anonymous asked:

I’m sorry to like bother u, but.... The atla les mis au is soooo good and I wondered if u were gonna write more, because it is really really cool but if not that is totaly ok and understaneble. So yeah

Ah yes, things we lost in the fire.  Do I aspire to update?  Absolutely.  I love the universe and I really want to talk about Cosette and Enjolras overthrowing their dad together.  I also really want someone to hug Grantaire and tell him what the Avatar is actually supposed to be for, ideally perhaps Roku, instead of letting him languish forever in purgatory over how he’s supposed to be a weapon for the Earth Kingdom against the Fire Nation.  And I do tend to amble back around to the Les Mis stuff I’ve got going every year or two, so it’s even probable that, eventually, I will complete those.

Unfortunately

Please address all letters of complaint to the ADHD Gods and throw one in there about my sleep schedule while you’re at it.

[wilwywaylan]

Hey Jude

Fandom : les Misérables

Present for @youknewyouwerelost for the @lesmisholidayexchange

Modern AU, Enjolras x Grantaire, 2575 words

Happy belated holidays! I'm sorry it's so late, but I hope you'll like this anyway, just some good fluff with our two dorks and Jude the cat being cute!

Also on AO3!

-

Hey Jude

Don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better....

Grantaire held out his hand, tried to reach his phone and smash that alarm away. Of course, the damn thing had taken advantage of the mess on his nightstand to hide under half-read books and a pair of socks that had bothered him too much when he had crashed in his bed. No phone, and the music wasn't stopping. He pat the ground, trying to find the thing. Papers, a handful of brushes, more papers, coffee cups.... phone. He grabbed it, dropped it on the mattress near his head, and squinted at the screen. 3:45 AM. What the fuck ? Why had his alarm started ringing at such an ungodly hour ? Was it finally the rise of the machines ? Where they trying to exhaust him so he wouldn't resist ?

Wait a second. That wasn't his alarm ringing. The screen was back to its usual, innocent black. No blaring lights right in his face, it was as peaceful as a phone should be in the middle of the night. And now that he was a little more awake, he noticed that the sound wasn't coming from his phone at all. And even more, the person singing certainly was no Beatle. Then again, at 3:45 - now 3:50 -, Grantaire probably have been at the peak of his singing abilities either.

He clambered out of bed, trying to avoid the landfill of paint tubes and other implements trying to stab his feet, and made his way to the window. The singing became a little clearer when he opened it, and a bit better too. The culprit was standing just under Grantaire's flat, looking upwards.

Grantaire's heart missed a beat. Then twenty.

The man - boy ? - standing under his window was.... gorgeous. More than gorgeous. The kind of man you could only see in a few specific works of art, the kind carved in marble by very, very skilled artists, with sharp cheekbones, a high forehead barely touched by curly strands of hair, and eyes so big, so clear they seemed to hold the whole sky in them. All this, assembled into a face that would belong in museums. Said face was surrounded by hair turned golden by the light just above him, barely restrained behind his head. The man was wearing a dark sweater looking a bit too thin for the weather, and either very tight jeans or body paint. And he was still singing, looking expectantly at Grantaire. Grantaire, who, of course, didn't have the slightest idea of who he was and what he was doing there.

He leaned out of the window, mentally cursing the cold, and called :

- Not that I don't like being serenaded by a pretty boy, but at this hour, isn't it a little bold ?

The man jumped at least a feet in the air, as if he hadn't noticed until now he had an audience. Granted, it was kind of hard to notice a dark-haired man against the black background of the window, but still.

- I'm not.... This is not a serenade, the man answered.

Of course. Of course it wasn't. Pretty boys didn't just decide to stand under windows and sing. Especially not under people like Grantaire's.

- So what do I owe the pleasure to hear you not-serenading me ?

The man's expression turned to one of embarrassment.

- My cat, he said simply.

- Your what ?

The man pointed at something a little on Grantaire's left. There was something white on the ledge, something that looked a lot like a white cat.

- Oh. Is that your cat ? Because it's been gallivanting around for weeks.

- He (the man stressed the "he") tends to wander a little. I'm trying to get him home.

- By singing ?

- He likes that song.

Grantaire looked at the cat.

- Is that true ? You like the Beatles ?

He couldn't have been sure in the dim light, but the cat seemed to enjoy it, or at least the attention. Grantaire held out his hand.

- Here, kitty. Let's not worry your master longer.

The cat stepped forwards to smell his fingers, scoffing a little at the lingering scent of paint thinner. Then decided to just use him as a bridge, stepped along his arm, on his shoulder, and jumped in the flat. Under them, the man made something that sounded like a noise of distress.

- Don't fret, Grantaire called. I'll buzz you in.

The man raced to the door. Grantaire let him in the hall, unlocked the front door, then went looking for the cat, who had taken residence on his hoodie in the living room and was kneading it, looking very pleased with himself. Good, no need to search further. Grantaire looked around, suddenly very embarrassed with the state of his living room. It wasn't very dirty, no, but he had been busy non stop this week, and well, cleaning had always been very low on his priorities. But now, with less that ten seconds left, he felt suddenly very self-conscious. He barely had time to hide a few bottles and two pizza boxes under the couch, before the blond man barged into the flat, barely taking time to knock before. He made a beeline to the cat, who just looked at him adoringly, scooped him in his arms and held him close, muttering what probably was very sweet nonsense.

Leaving Grantaire all the time in the world to admire him. If in the street, the man had seemed gorgeous, he was stunning under a better light. As Grantaire had guessed, he had very blue eyes, lined with long eyelashes. Some shadows under them, almost... delicate. His mouth itself was a work of art, in a bow to rival Cupid's himself. The lips were chapped, but that didn't deter from their grace. The nose was a little longer than he would have thought, and pointy, but it fit in his face. And his hair... Golden, as he had thought, perfectly framing the face in little ringlets, and in long curls tied together, falling.... oh no, at least to the small of his back in a cascade of gold, pooling in the hood of his sweater. Red, not black, stretched around the wrists like Grantaire's. He was wearing pants, jeans, and yes, they were as tight as they had seemed, hugging everything and.... he had to lower his eyes for a moment. Converse, red, of course. Bigger than his, looking old. The perfect high point.

Indifferent to Grantaire's predicament, the man was still petting the cat, who was nuzzling his neck, purring like a tiny motor. He finally seemed to realize that he was still in someone else's flat and had an audience, and turned to face Grantaire.

- Thank you for your help, he said simply.

Grantaire snapped out of his trance.

- Don't mention it. Does he run away often ?

- Sometimes. He usually comes home after an hour. He didn’t, this time, so I decided to look for him.

- Have you been looking for long ?

- Three hours now. Maybe a bit longer.

- Oh gods, you must be freezing. Do you want some coffee ?

The man seemed to ponder the offer. Please stay, please stay, Grantaire thought, mentally crossing his fingers.

- I don't want to deprive you of your sleep. You already...

- Don't worry. I mean, I can sleep whenever I want. I mean, he hastily added when the man frowned, I'm an artist. I make my own schedule.

- An artist ? What do you do ?

- I paint, mostly. I try some other medias sometimes, but it's my favourite.

While talking, Grantaire lead the man and the cat to the kitchen. He quickly freed a chair, and put himself to work. He leaned against the counter, trying not to show that his brain cells were blinking like Christmas lights.

- By the way, what's your name ? I mean, we have a common acquaintance, we're not total strangers any more.

The man smiled - smiled ! -, sending a jolt in Grantaire's chest.

- And I'm sitting in your kitchen. I'm Enjolras.

He held out a hand over the table. Grantaire rushed to shake it, surprised to find it rough. The knuckles had been scrapped raw recently.

- A fall ? Grantaire asked casually.

Enjolras looked at his hands for a second. His smsile faltered, and Grantaire cursed himself.

- A protest that went wrong.

- A protest ?

Grantaire poured them two mugs of coffee and sat down at the table.

- You went to a protest ?

- I organized it, Enjolras answered with a hint of pride in his voice.

- What were you protesting ?

- We're opposing the reform of our retirement system. This new law, should it pass, would cause huge prejudice for a large part of the population, greatly reduce their retirement earnings and buying power. All this for a problem that could be solved with a few minor tweaks and a better understanding of demography and its evolution. But....

Grantaire had leaned back, letting the words flow over him. Enjolras had straightened his back, his eyes were shining with determination, and he looked ready to take on the government this instant should he get the opportunity. Enjolras was shining with a blinding idealism ; it wouldn't have taken much for a halo to appear on his head. He was almost.... blinding. Such a burning passion... that was starting to tickle Grantaire. He'd seen enough of those movements to know that they would just fizzle away after a time, when the general public would start to get fed up with strikes and stop supporting them. They didn't amount at anything except the indignation value before people start being distracted by something else, and nothing ever changed, except for the worse. Grantaire didn't expect anything to ever help. All the opposite of Enjolras, it seemed.

- So ? Enjolras pressed. What is your opinion ?

- My what ?

- Your opinion. On the situation.

- I don't really care.

Enjolras' smile disappeared and Grantaire almost took back his words in hope of seeing it back. Almost.

- You don't really care.

- No. Striking doesn't work.

- Strikes are a right we won, and we need to use it.

- For what ? Grantaire retorted. It doesn't work. The people you're impeding aren't the people you want to pressure.

- I don't want to... that's not the point !

- Yes it is. You want to pressure them, that's the word. But by striking and making other people's lives so complicated, you don't get their support, you get their aggravation. And the ones you want to convince - if you want - count on this, they count on the people to turn on them. Divide to better conquer. You know that one ?

Enjolras' face had taken on an interesting shade of red, almost as vivid as his hoodie, and if his eyes had the power to kill, Grantaire would have been dead for at least a minute. Which was hilarious, but not at satisfying as needling an idealist young boy should have been.

- Okay, okay, he finally said, raising his hands in apology. Sorry, I can't resist...

- You can't resist mocking me and my ideals, Enjolras said in an icy tone.

- I'm not... okay I am, a little, but I can't help it. I'm an asshole. Sorry.

Enjolras' expression softened a little. A very little.

- You don't believe in what we're doing.

- Not really. As I said, I've seen it fail several times. People get distracted, they become interested in something else, and the law passes. That's why they often decide to vote them just before the end of the year, so people tire out.

- Well we won't. We're going to fight and prevent that law.

Back to full fury mode again, and Grantaire's heart was beating faster than ever. This wasn't good for him, not at all. Should he pursue a relationship with Enjolras, they would probably fight day and night about everything. On the other hand, it would do him good to have someone challenging him about his ideals. Then again, why would Enjolras want a relationship with an ass whose first reaction was to needle him ? And why would he want one ? Except that Enjolras was beautiful, and enthusiastic, and even a little convincing. Not that Grantaire would join his crusade, but he felt a little less defeatist listening to him. He raised his mug.

- I’ll drink to that.

Enjolras did the same, clinking the cups together.

- Will you join us ? At least to see ?

- I may. It may not concern me, as an artist, but I must say, it intrigues me. Maybe I should check it out.

Ah, the smile was back. That was the right thing to say. Enjolras grabbed one of the numerous pencils strewn around, a piece of paper, and scribbled on it.

- Here, that's my number. And the next protest. We'd be happy to get some support.

Grantaire took the paper, nodded.

- I may come. Just to see.

Enjolras gave him another smile, then gathered his cat in his arms. Well, end of the date. Grantaire walked him to the door with a pinch of regret. Well, at least Enjolras didn't throw his coffee at his head ; that one generally hurt. But he didn't seem too enthusiastic.

They stopped at the door, and Enjolras turned to face him. Grantaire only noticed how small he was ; the top of his curls barely reached Grantaire's chin. He vaguely wondered how he would look, wearing one of his oversized shirts, then kicked the thought out of his mind ; this was really not the time.

- So... he started.

- Thank you for helping Jude, Enjolras cut.

- Jude ?

Enjolras lifted the cat a little higher.

- That's him.

- Oh. Hello Jude, Grantaire said solemnly, patting the cat on the head.

- He seems to like you.

- That's the Grantaire effect. It works on cats, dogs and little grannies.

- Not just on them.

... What ? What was that ? Was he starting to hear things ? But Enjolras was pointedly not looking at him, and his ears were an interesting shade of pink.

- Well, Grantaire said casually, I don't want to hold your revolution back. See you around ?

- If Jude runs away again, I will certainly.

- I'll keep my window open, then. See you, Jude !

And with that, they were gone. Grantaire retreated back to his room, dropped on his bed and shoved his head in his pillow. It was way too early or too late to try and wrap his brain around what had just happened. Pretty boys, lost cats, serenades.... that was too much for him right now. But Enjolras.... Enjolras had dropped into his life, that was a present from Lady Luck with a shiny bow on top, and he wasn't going to let it escape him. Even if it meant going to protests and listen to all those happy students with eyes shining with idealism talk about how things would work if only the world was perfect. He'd have to tone down his cynicism and make an effort, but he could at least try. Carefully, he extracted the paper Enjolras gave him and put it on the nightstand. What was the best time to wait for before calling, if it was for a protest ? Oh, he'll see tomorrow. And maybe it would turn out well.

(It almost didn't. Who would have guessed that someone as pretty as Enjolras would write so badly ?)

[meta-squash]

Okay I know I'm rambling at the void but I’m having Grantaire Feelings. I was just thinking about how the fandom tends to portray Grantaire, and how they get a thing wrong.

Namely, most modern!AU Grantaire interpretations have him straight up disagreeing with/playing opposing devil's advocate with Enjolras regarding revolutionary/justice/etc related things. As in, he's completely like "no this is bs" but also he just thinks Enjolras is passionate and therefore believes in him and his cause and whatever, because Enjolras has passion and drive that Grantaire doesn't.

I think the fandom tends to go wrong there. Because if you read Grantaire's wild, rambling monologues in The Brick, he completely agrees with Enjolras.

He quite literally talks about how if he was rich he'd help the poor, how there's all this injustice in the world and he hates it, how he understands the need for revolution etc he just wishes it weren't so. I think what fandom misses is that he absolutely agrees with Enjolras, it's just that he also heavily doubts (as Hugo constantly points out) and is incredibly cynical and questioning. So he agrees with Enjolras' ideas, what injustice is, his revolution, etc, but he also very much doubts the success of any endeavors.

He talks about the cyclical nature of history/revolutions, how god is useless and so humans have to do the work of change via revolutions, how all greatly admired empires/cultures have major blemishes, etc etc.

His problem is not completely disagreeing with the ideals and actions of Les Amis. His problem is agreeing with them but also being unable to imagine success. He talks multiple times about how they're all going to sacrifice themselves for nothing, he essentially summarizes in extremely condensed and convoluted form Les Amis' ideals and then casts them in doubt, not because he disagrees but because he is "crawling with doubt" and is really only able to imagine the worst outcomes. Which is why he sticks so closely to Les Amis and "orbits Enjolras". Not because he disagrees and the passion is interesting and inspiring, but because he absolutely agrees but can't find it in him to believe that anything is going to work

So Les Amis (and especially Enjolras') belief and fervor is something he sticks to because he has "a vague ambition in that direction" but can never fully get there. Example: his failure at Barrier du Maine. Even at the Corinthe before the barricade is made he essentially says he agrees but cannot believe. And then at the barricade when he's drunk and Enjolras tells him to leave, if he really disagreed this is when he would do. Instead he says "Let me sleep here, until I die". Interesting because just before this he says "All the worse for Enjolras, I won't go to his funeral."

But I think by that point he's realized self-preservation is kind of useless. That he does believe in them though he cannot bring himself to believe enough to really participate, because he knows how this is going to end up, and if it's going to end that way, he's not going to leave. Because he still does agree, and because if his friends are going to die on the barricade, he's going to as well. Because he has a vague ambition. And he went to Barrier du Maine. And he sticks around.

And if they're all dying for the cause, he may as well do it too, but he's not going to participate because he cannot bring himself to really believe it will do any good. And it's easier to hide from the death of your friends than witness it.

The irony of course being that he wakes in the exact moment that allows him not only to watch his idol die, but also to join at the last moment and simultaneously believe ("I am one of them") and prove himself right.

Because Grantaire has always agreed with the cause, it's just that he's never been able to bring himself to believe in its actual success. He sees the injustice and he wishes it could be fixed but he also only sees the failures in history and the power imbalance etc.

 He dies holding Enjolras' hand, and dies at Enjolras' feet, but it's not because he woke up and suddenly believed. It's that he woke up and suddenly was willing to sacrifice. The difference is the other Amis are sacrificing for the republic. Grantaire is sacrificing for Enjolras. And maybe also for himself, for the fact that if he did not die with Enjolras he would be alone with his doubts. He would be proven right. But I don't think he ever actually wanted to be proven right, which is exactly why he hung around Les Amis in the first place. He doesn't actually want to doubt like he does, he has a vague ambition in the direction of belief, but he can't help it. So instead his belief is directed at one person, Enjolras, instead of the bigger concept of revolution or justice.

But he never disagrees with Les Amis de l'ABC. He's a skeptic regarding their success, not regarding their ideals. He's a skeptic regarding the sacrifices they're making, not the injustices they're seeing. He absolutely agrees with their morals. He just can't quite get himself to believe that those morals are going to get them anywhere. He doesn't oppose Les Amis, he questions them. It's important because if he opposed them he wouldn't be there. If he opposed them, Enjolras passion wouldn't mean nearly as much as it does. If he opposed them, he wouldn’t stick around at the barricade. He wouldn’t fall drunkenly asleep in the Corinthe, as if he was “waiting there for a bullet which should spare him the trouble of waking” because he knew his friends would all die there. If he opposed them, his staying would be aimless self-destruction, not grudging sacrifice.

He agrees with them, and so he stays, but he does not believe, so he does not participate. Falling asleep is his way of joining them. A passive sacrifice rather than an active one, so he dies with them, but does not have to go to the trouble of truly believing in something only to see it fail. Obviously, though, he wakes, he sees, and he does sacrifice himself, actively. “Long live the Republic” and “I am one of them,” he says, only acknowledging either of those things at the very last minute, when he has no other choice but to expose the fact that even if he doesn’t believe, even though he sees right in front of his own eyes that he’s being proven right about the revolution’s failure, he still agrees.

And even then, even with this agreement, he still turns to Enjolras for permission. I don’t think it’s necessarily a question of whether Enjolras will allow them to die together. I mean, it’s there in the question, especially because Enjolras could have died honorably, nobly, by himself, a glowing symbol of defiance if Grantaire had not woken up. But it’s kind of inevitable now that Grantaire is standing there that they’re going to die together whether Enjolras says yes or not. It’s not a question of whether Grantaire is allowed to die beside Enjolras. It’s a question of whether Grantaire is allowed to sacrifice himself despite himself, whether he’s allowed to die with Enjolras while believing in his ideals, but still doubting their success.

And the answer, obviously, is yes. Because while Enjolras and this attempt at revolution may not have convinced Grantaire to believe in the cause, they both realize it’s better to die by the side of a comrade who ideals are the same as yours than alone, whether belief is there or not. And the answer is yes, also, because by acting, by getting up and standing beside Enjolras, Grantaire demonstrates that even those who do not fully believe in the success of something can still contradict those doubts through actions, can still believe in ideals, and can still sacrifice themselves for the cause.

[williamvapespeare]

a modern au snippet featuring coffee, kisses, and that feeling of relief when you finally catch yourself on a good day

-

Think of Grantaire in the morning, tugging an old t-shirt over his head, running a hand through his bed-rumpled hair, simple domesticity. Think of how simple it all must look from the outside, when so many people in his life go through routines so simply, putting foot after foot on chilly carpeted floors, putting on the kettle, checking a morning’s worth of missed texts and new emails. Think of Grantaire, who sometimes finds that rolling over in bed is itself too much effort, or not effort so much as it’s simply too much altogether.

So, instead, think of Grantaire in the morning. And maybe it’s well into the afternoon on a slow day off, but for him it’s the morning and he makes coffee, slowly and meticulously, like he’s going to appreciate something about its flavors rather than just the rush of caffeine. Maybe it’s one of those not-quite-mornings when his fingers think about sketching or he simply stands, coffee in hand, in front of his fridge and makes bastardized quotes out of scattered word magnets - an old gift from Jehan. Maybe he’s briefly amused by his own wit (sing, goddess, of the anger of a man forced to wake up before noon on a weekend) and is distraced by the buzzing of his phone.

When he sees the name, he almost doesn’t answer it. But today, imagine that he does. Think of the edges of sleep at the corners of his voice, of the way he’s unable to keep the confusion out of his tone when he says, “Enjolras?”

And think of Enjolras on the other end, disarmed by the very idea of him, think that it is truly madness that Grantaire hasn’t noticed it himself.

“I’m outside,” Enjolras says, simple and steady, and Grantaire doesn’t put down his coffee; he doesn’t even hang up the phone, he simply goes.

Think of Grantaire in the morning, barefoot on the outside steps of his building, a mug in one hand and the ghost of a smile on his lips. Think of Enjolras, golden in the early afternoon sun, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear like he’s distracted because god, how could he not be when Grantaire is here, smiling and painted so beautifully with the strokes of domesticity.

Enjolras asks a question, just one. And think of Grantaire’s eyes going wide for a moment, before he breaks. Think of how he tries to say something like, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that I was still asleep.”

When Enjolras kisses him, gentle and slow, winding his arms around Grantaire’s neck, feeling the rough brush of stubble against his face, and tasting coffee on his tongue, Grantaire can do nothing but kiss back, shocked and greedy all at once. He wants to savor the moment, but he can’t help taking in as much of Enjolras as he posssibly can.

After a minute of kissing, Grantaire turns to rest his forehead against Enjolras’s huffing out a gentle laugh.

“My hands are full,” he murmurs into the space between them, nonsensical and utterly perfect and Enjolras laughs too. It’s true, he’s still holding the coffee mug and his phone, clenched agianst his chest so he can press as closely against Enjolras as possible. “I’m sorry, but if we’re going to keep doing this, I’ll need my hands. It’s a requirement.”

And Enjolras, whose own hands are pushed up into Grantaire’s hair, strokes once through the curls at the nape of his neck before he reluctantly pulls back.

“Lead the way.”

Think of Grantaire in the morning, with his hand slipped under Enjolras’s shirt to rest against the small of his back and know that this morning, at least, is a happy one.

[neon-junkie]

Victoria Secrets

Summary: Grantaire has a job working in a lingerie shop, and one morning gets a very hot customer.

Pairing: Grantaire x Enjolras

Word Count: 1105

Rating: SFW but mentions of NSFW  Tags: Lingerie, Work, Modern!AU, Shopping, Love at first sight.

Notes: Based off THIS prompt. Requests always open!

Most people would have expected Grantaire to work in a bar, or maybe as an art technician at a school. But no, this scruffy male worked in a nice, luxury underwear shop - Victoria Secrets.

So now Grantaire had been working in the shop for about 4 months now. His job was to tidy the rails and help customers, which was usually finding the right size or colour. He also got some discounts, and the leftover stock was given out to the staff, so when he could he would get some for Eponine, only because 'she made him get a job.'

Grantaire actually enjoyed working here.

It was on one morning when a customer came in that would totally change Grantaires life. It was just past 11am, Grantaire was counting down the minutes to his lunch break whilst tidying the rails when he noticed that one customer had been stood by a rail near him for quite some time. They were looking at a matching set of bra, pants, stockings, and belt, in different shades of red. Grantaire finished tidying the rail before slowly walking over and asking the usual, "Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with today?"

The person turned their head slightly to look at Grantaire, and in that instant, their eyes clicked and sparks flew. Grantaire blushed heavily but tried to keep a professional manner.

He had shoulder-length blonde hair up in a bun, his sunglasses hooked over his white t-shirt and red unbuttoned cardigan. He also had black skinny jeans on which bunched up at the bottom against his black shoes.

Grantaire actually thought he was a girl at first due to his slim figure, but that was definitely a guys face with the nicest blue eyes he'd ever seen.

And whilst Grantaire was thinking how attractive this customer was, he was also thinking the same thing. This shop assistant had just approached him, his messy dark brown curls almost reaching his eyes. He was slightly tubby and a bit shorter than him, but looked like he'd give really good, warm hugs.

The guy then softly coughed when he realized the both of them had been stood there admiring each other for a while. "Sorry. Oh, um.. I'm actually just deciding between these shades of red," he replied.

"Well uh, would you like some help deciding?" Grantaire replied.

"Yes.. please, if you wouldn't mind."

Grantaire softly laughed, "well it is my job," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So uh, how come you're stuck between the two?" He asked.

"Well I like the bright shade of red simply because of how bold and vibrant it is, but I also like the darker shade because its.. sexier." He shrugged.

"Hmm.. Well," Grantaire began, then paused to ask "What's your name? If you don't mind me asking."

"Enjolras, and yours?"

"Grantaire," he smiled. "Anyway, Enjolras, I definitely agree with what you're saying about the colours, and it all depends on what mood you want. The bright red could be for more daily use, whereas the dark red is something that could be put on only at night if you get what I'm saying."

"I do get what you're saying. Do you think the bright red could also go for the night? As in it'd look good in both day and night?"

"I think so. If it's going to be worn at any time then id go for the bright red, but if it's going to be worn only at night then id go for the dark red. It's your choice after all though," Grantaire replied, feeling impressed with himself. He always enjoyed talking about the moods colours give off.

"I still like both though. Hmm. Do you have any shade in between?"

"I think we had a new shipment in recently and there may be a shade in between. Do you want me to go check the back?" Grantaire offered, smiling.

"If you wouldn't mind," Enjolras smiled back, his cheeks turning soft pink.

"Alright, I'll only be a minute. What size?"

"Uh Medium please, I'll wait here." Grantaire nodded and headed into the back of the store where the new shipments were kept before being put out.

The red was in between the two Enjolras had picked, a shade darker than roses but still bold and vibrant. Grantaire felt slightly jealous, whoever he was buying this for was clearly very lucky to have such a handsome and sweet boyfriend. He shrugged it off, knowing he'd drink on it later. He was at work now and couldn't let his mind wander. Grantaire picked out a medium and headed back to Enjolras, who was flicking through his phone.

Enjolras put his phone away as soon as he saw Grantaire approaching him.

"Is this okay?" Grantaire asked, handing Enjolras the lingerie set.

"Ooo! It's perfect. Thank you, Grantaire," Enjolras smiled as he took it off him and the two walked over to the till.

"You're welcome. I hope she likes what you've picked," Grantaire said.

"It's uh, for myself," Enjolras muttered under his breath as he paid the cashier. Grantaire didn't quite hear him and was wondering what he said. 'Did he just say it was for him? What? Hmm..' Grantaire thought, trying to figure if he could have said anything else and just misheard it. "Thanks for your help, I'll see you later," Enjolras said as he handed a tip to Grantaire and made his way out.

Grantaire was left standing beside the till, cheeks turning as red as the lingerie Enjolras had just brought. Imagining that god-like figure in blood-red lingerie, his soft blonde curls falling lightly against his back; cheeks soft and pink, eyes a dashing shade of blue.

"You okay?" The cashier asked him, making him lose his train of thought.

"Uh, yeah," Grantaire said, then began to walk to the back of the store.

As he walked he unfolded the tip which Enjolras had left him. There was a piece of paper folded in the middle of it with Enjolras's number on it.

Maybe he was going to see Enjolras with that lingerie on after all.

[fivie]

Anything you feel like sharing about 'if you'll believe me I'll still believe me', please *puppy eyes* that fic is awesome!

flaps arms YES PLEASE I miss that fic!! I’d love to go back to it sometime but I feel like I’d want to start it over again? but for now i’M GONNA TALK ABOUT IT

okay so the original endgame pairings were Enjolras/Grantaire (obviously) and Courfeyrac/Jehan but in all honesty if I went back to it now I’d be very tempted to have endgame Enjolras/Grantaire/Jehan despite the fact that that is a sort of non-existent configuration and maybe no one would read it but I don’t KNOW, I love Jehan so much and I feel like he and Grantaire are weirdly compatible when I write them (this goes for UMW too, I’ve also had the urge to write some kind of poly AU one-shot for that fic lol) and it would just be so tasty!! the drama...the conflict...the unorthodox but perfect resolution!! When I read over ‘if you’ll believe...’ I catch myself feeling bad for Jehan because without even meaning to I think I wrote him in such a way that it seems like he might have feelings for Grantaire, but now they’re fake-dating so Grantaire can make some stupid point to Enjolras, and initially I wrote it that way because I wanted to ZAG on the traditional ‘they fake date but fall in love along the way’ trope but it turns out I love that trope too much to not use it and now I want Grantaire realising he was in love with the idea of Enjolras but that Jehan is very much Real and his best friend and he’s maybe in love with him, but then he also finally gets to know Enjolras as a person and it turns out he is pretty great and oh fuck it seems there’s no happy solution to this conundrum............unless? ;) 

the real challenge would be bringing Enjolras and Jehan together, especially since Jehan initially dislikes him based on what he’s heard about him from Grantaire’s high school stories and would also definitely resent him a bit for having Grantaire pining after him for so long when Jehan himself is right there, but I think it could work. Even if they only tolerated each other for Grantaire’s sake at first, I think they’d eventually become close. The three of them together might not be the healthiest relationship to start with, because most everyone in that fic is struggling with their self-esteem and finding their place in the world and looking for validation in all the wrong, sexy places (because at its core that story is about my very millennial experience of Oh God How Do I Find Meaning In My Life In This Capitalist Hellscape That Cares Not For Me and wishing that I could at least have some torrid romance to distract me from the existential horror of it all LOL) but I’m a massive sap so by the end it would totally become this beautifully loving and supportive thing and everyone would be happy.

(I’m sorry I don’t know what you were expecting me to say about this fic but I bet it wasn’t THAT)