Petal 03 -- Open to Action

[shylyintrepid]

[When the feed starts, Jehan is clearly not in his cabin. He's down by the shore.

And he's been crying. His voice is hoarse and when he speaks, his accent is a bit thicker than usual]

If...if anyone else knew Zane, son of Venus, he...

[He wants to say "died". Died would be so much easier than the truth]

He was a...he was an agent of the Red Room. This entire time. He...he was here to spy on us.

[And he cuts the IM. As he does, you can see him break down yet again. It's going to be a long time before he recovers from this heartbreak]

Comments

[ action ]

[ospreyed]

[The past few days, Eponine has hardly spoken to anyone. When they've tried to get near her, she's shoved them off, verbally, physically. She's avoided meals in favor of stabbing things in the guise of practice. But when she sees Jehan's IM, she knows she can't avoid him as she's been successfully avoiding everyone else.

She doesn't necessarily want to speak to him. What do you say to something like that? She's not good with tears or love or anything or soothing broken hearts or dealing with betrayal (you betray Patron-Minette, you get shot). But Jehan...

It takes some time, but she finds the energy to move, making her way down to the shore, standing a few paces off, surveying the scene. After a few moments, she approaches him, coming to sit next to him. She doesn't say anything. Just sits, starring off into the distance. But she's here.

And that's a big step.]

[ action ]

[shylyintrepid]

[And Jehan takes it for what it is. He knows Eponine isn't good with things like this; that she came and found him says volumes about what he means to her. Even though he really just wants to be alone with his broken heart, he won't send her away.

After a few minutes, in between bouts of sobbing, Jehan murmurs more to himself than Eponine:]

Ce n'est pas juste.

[ospreyed]

No. [She says finally, surprised by the sound of her own voice.] It's not fair, Jehan. It's really fucking not. None of this is.

They say all is fair in love and war, but y'know what? Fuck. That. Because to leave you here like this? It's not fair. It's cruel. You, out of everyone else here, don't deserve this. You don't deserve to have, on top of everything, have your heart broken by some asshole who knew exactly what he was doing, and strung you along the whole way. That's sick. There is something seriously fucked up with him if he was going to betray, not just us, you like that. [There's fire in her voice as she speaks, not even looking at Jehan.]

I know some bad people. But he's got to be one of the worst. And hearing that isn't going to help you. because you know that. But you still love him, and that's- that's okay. And nothing I'm going to say is going to change that. because if it did, I'd say it.

[Woah, words words words. Carefully, she reaches out and wraps an arm around Jehan's shoulders, pulling him in towards her. This is entirely new territory, but she knows that, secretly, when she gets like this, that's exactly what she wants someone to do for her.]

[shylyintrepid]

[Jehan leans against Eponine. He won't hug her since that makes her uncomfortable, but he appreciates the hug and the words]

It isn't fair, but it's equally cruel. Maybe that's what they mean. That doesn't make it any less unfair, though.

[And she's right. He does still love Zane a little. He sighs]

...you don't think it's stupid that I'm hurt this badly and yet I still miss him, yeah?

[serenesuccessor]

[Naomi's been crying too - though for different reasons. Tai had sat her down before he'd sent out that camp wide message to explain everything to her. She's spent the morning talking to Kou via rainbow sobbing her head off while her older brother promised it would all be worked out.

She was still crying in the amphitheater when she sees Jehan's message and...

And suddenly Naomi is wiping her tears and running right to the shore.

When she arrives her eyes are still puffy, she still wants to cry.

But right now she can't cry, so instead she goes right up to Jehan, throwing her arms around him and giving him the biggest hug she can muster.]

[shylyintrepid]

[Jehan has no time to react to Naomi. He sees her, he realizes she's coming towards him, he finds himself wrapped in a hug.

He's her counselor, her older brother, and he shouldn't been this much of a wreck in front of her. But godsdammit, he hurts and had his heart broken by a boy he thought he might have loved a little. When Naomi hugs him, Jehan just sobs.]

Je--ah, I'm sorry, Naomi.

[serenesuccessor]

[Naomi shakes her head, squeezing him tighter and rubbing his back like her family always does when she cries.]

There's nothing to apologize for!

D'you want me to kick him in the shins? 'm really good at that. Kou says it's probably my actual demigod power.

[That's because he has so many shin bruises he use to think they were permanent.]

Let's ignore how unsuitable these icons are going to be...

[worldabouttodawn]

[This is... Not something Enjolras is particularly good at. He has zero experience in broken hearts and he has never been good with tears.

Honestly, after hearing Jehan's message he wants to grab his pistol and hunt down this Zane.

That's not something he can do yet. So instead he goes down the the shore, taking a seat behind his friend. There's a long moment where he's not sure what to say, knowing nothing will really fix this problem.

In the end he ends up speaking up, switching to French.]

I'm sorry, Jehan.

eh they work xD

[shylyintrepid]

[Jehan speaks in French too]

It isn't your fault, Enjolras. You didn't know. None of us knew.

Sob I hate when paids go up they don't let you pick the icons you want to save -FIST SHAKE-

[worldabouttodawn]

[But he should have known, that's what Enjolras wants to say.]

Regardless, I'm still sorry. You don't deserve this.

[angeliaforos]

[Okay, so. Gabriel pretty much has no freaking idea what Chiron or Mr. D or anybody could have said to Chuck that convinced his uncle to let him stay at 'Boy Scout camp' for the remainder of the year - or however long this is going to last, but it worked.

Somehow, he has a feeling tbat Shady Mist Dealings were involved.

He's shaken, definitely, and he's pissed. Despite how much he likes going away to camp - and how much more he likes sending IMs to camp to piss everyone off during the school year - he was actually looking forward to going home, to seeing his little cousins again.

He's also not big on getting kidnapped by a friggin Evil Organization - seriously, he thought those went out the window when Kronos was gone - but he's at least glad that he and Naomi are back and in one piece.

Still, he's trying to hold it together. It's what he does. (He laughs in the face of danger. Or something. Damn. He's really got to figure out a way to get movies to play here or something. A distraction's what they all need right now.)

Jehan, though, looks shaken up as all hell. He likes the kid - he feels bad for him, honestly, and he looks like he's been crying. He heads down to the beach, parking it next to him, and speaks quietly.]

So...how did you find that out, exactly?

[shylyintrepid]

I...looking for you and Naomi, I ran into their leader. He hinted at it, but I thought he was trying to make me lose it. He was in the room next to John and me, after all. We thought they'd got him too.

[He takes a shuddery breath]

And then John and I ran into Zane ourselves.

[angeliaforos]

She's back now, you know that, right? Dunno if you saw her, but I tried to keep her safe.

[He frowns - and it's a weird expression on the usually playful Iris counselor.]

Fuck - seriously?!

[thewindything]

[John was there when it happened but. That didn't mean it was any less startling. John had wanted to not believe it. That any one of them could actually betray them like that, but. Well.]

[This was so shitty. He hadn't known Jehan all that well before this but- well. Jehan was a bro now.]

[John finds him over at the shore and debates saying anything at all. He's never been the best at comforting, but he's not going to ignore him either. He was still kind of upset himself.]

[He sits down quietly next to him.]

[shylyintrepid]

...hi.

[Jehan doesn't do quiet for very long. He just doesn't.]

Are you okay?

[Deflect! Get it off of him and onto John, a little. After all, Zane was from his camp, even if John had never been to Jupiter]

[thewindything]

Fucking awesome.

[Sarcasm. He leans back and looks up at the sky.]

This was such bullshit. I can't believe this even happened! And now people are magically assholes and I can't go see my dad for...what? How long? Another year? To top it off we almost got eaten by some stupid earth titan monster thing!

[He flops back against the ground.]

Auuugh!! I'm so mad! I want to punch that smug jerk in the face! Twice! One for being a smug jerk and one for making you so fucking upset!

[dandylicious]

[Courfeyrac, to say the very least, was still livid over everything that happened. But for this to happen to Jehan? To someone he believe deserved only the best things in life and only good, happy, decent people?

He was thankful Jehan was still alive and well... But may the Gods have mercy on his Roman brother if he ever came across Courfeyrac. Ever.

Seeing the Iris Message, he wasted little time in finding Jehan and once he did? He approached with a few flowers in hand... marigold for grief, surrounded by half a dozen red tulips. He had spent a long time looking at flower language books and asking other kids with knowledge in the plant stuff what meant what... So... Here he was now, standing front of Jehan and holding out the bouquet awkwardly.]

[shylyintrepid]

[Jehan hears Courfeyrac coming and looks up, smiling through his tears when he sees the flowers]

Tulips. Some of my favorites.

[dandylicious]

I thought I remembered you saying something like that...

[Vaguely.

He flops next to Jehan and hands over the flowers before wrapping his arm around his shoulder.]

I'm going to fuck some people up, Cabin 10 style, if I ever see them again you know.

[wokethedragon]

[Not many that Dany was particularly close to were taken by the Red Room, but Jehan and Naomi - all three children of the Demeter cabin were some of her favorites at camp, and she'd been paired with their sister Anna to find the stolen summer campers. Especially after Jehan had taken such good care of her dragons - it became personal. She'd gone into the headquarters, hands blazing, her three children flanking her.

She'd known some of his feelings for Zane - knew they were strong, and knew they were of a romantic persuasion, and so she makes her way down to the beach, cradling the green dragon Rhaegal in her arms. He was getting a bit big - soon, she'd not be able to do this sort of thing. Soon, he'd move into a bigger cage, somewhere outside the Hephaestus cabin - but hopefully nowhere near the Big House. She can't set foot in the area anymore, quite literally.

She sets the dragon down on the sand to roam a bit, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.]

Jehan, I am truly sorry.

[shylyintrepid]

[He jumps when she touches him, but he doesn't swing. He's too tired to swing, to hurt. He doesn't want to hurt people anymore right now.

Instead, he just reaches up and holds her hand]

It's not your fault, Dany.

[wokethedragon]

You do not deserve the fate you were assigned to, Jehan. None of the stolen campers deserved that fate.

[She takes his hand in her own, sitting down next to him on the sand. She smooths out her skirts with her other hand.]

I know you were quite fond of him.

action

[unstinting]

[When he hears the news, Alcuin doesn't want to respond by IM. He feels too badly for Jehan... and he feels guilty for himself. He should have known, Zane was in his cabin! How could he have tricked him? Delaunay would be ashamed of him.

It wasn't hard to find where Jehan had sent the message from. Alcuin stopped a little way away, not wanting to startle him. Perhaps he didn't want to see any of Zane's siblings, either.]

Jehan? It's Alcuin...

[shylyintrepid]

[He glances up]

Hi.

[And then he remembers: Alcuin is the Aphrodite counselor]

I don't...I don't hate you or the cabin, you know. I don't even hate him.

[unstinting]

[Alcuin comes over, then, resting a hand on his arm.]

It is entirely possible you are too good for the rest of us, Jehan.

[...okay, he would be in the same position.]

I am sorry you have been so badly hurt.