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

[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.

[shylyintrepid]

[He holds the flowers close as he leans against Courfeyrac]

No, don't. Please. I'm sure he has his reasons for joining Gaia. I don't agree, obviously, but...don't fuck him up beyond seriously beating his ass, okay? I don't want anyone dead, but I know I can't stop people from tearing into him if he ever comes back.

[dandylicious]

[He sighs and rubs his hand along Jehan's arm, comforting... Trying to assure him he's there and not going anywhere.]

I won't kill him... I doubt mom would approve of it or whatever... But I will beat him so bad he won't even think about messing with someone like that ever again. Possible good reason or not, he messed with the wrong guy.

[shylyintrepid]

[He nods before breaking down into tears again. He just clings to Courf, sobbing]

[dandylicious]

[And both arms wrap around him, holding him close and protectively. He mutters things quietly in French to attempt to soothe him.]

[shylyintrepid]

Why did he do it, Courf?

[dandylicious]

I don't know, Jehan... Some people are just assholes like that.

[shylyintrepid]

Don't call him that.

[He still misses him and loves him, after all.]

I don't think he wanted to hurt me...

[dandylicious]

[Right. Tact.

He sighs and frowns.]

I'm sorry... He must have done reason, but that doesn't excuse him.

[shylyintrepid]

No, I know it doesn't. Still...maybe I should have tried to talk him out of it. Maybe I should have tried to get him to leave Gaea. He's not a bad guy, I know he's not.

[He can't be. He just can't. Jehan couldn't take it if Zane was really that bad.]

[dandylicious]

You're going to drive yourself mad with what ifs. You didn't have the chance to try and talk him out of it... And it's unlikely he would have listened...

[He holds Jehan just a little tighter.]

A lot was happening and if he was in it against his will, he has more to be worried about with leaving them.

[Courfeyrac believes none of this, but his first problem right now is to make Jehan feel better.]

[shylyintrepid]

We'd protect him! Or at least...I would have.

[His voice breaks a little]

I have poems about him, Courf. I have a lot of poems about him.

[dandylicious]

[Courfeyrac hardly knows what to say. Aphrodite children have a tradition that he's not sure Venus children do... And he doesn't want to mention it to Jehan, it would only break him even more.]

Mon dieu, Jehan... I don't know what to tell you...

[He sighs and closes his eyes.]

I wish I could fix all of this for you...

[shylyintrepid]

[He'd refuse to believe it anyway. He knows Zane truly liked him. If he wanted to cause real problems, he'd've picked someone more important than Jehan to hurt. Someone like Enjolras, or one of the younger kids.

He curls up in Courfeyrac's arms, head on the other's shoulder]

It's not fair.

[dandylicious]

[Nothing in life ever is...

Courfeyrac continues to run his hand over Jehan's arm.]

I know. I'm sorry.

[No one wants to hear "you'll move on" when they're recently heart broken. But Courfeyrac truly believes that Jehan will find someone better for him. Someone that won't be a backstabbing bastard.]

[shylyintrepid]

[Jehan wishes everyone would realize that, unless they're specifically talking about the betraying the camp thing, Jehan doesn't feel that Zane's a bastard.]

Can you guys do anything to make it hurt less?

[dandylicious]

[Jehan might not feel like it. But Courfeyrac feels like it. Big time. And then that question...]

I don't... I don't know.

[He could try to charmspeak him into feeling better... But that felt wrong....]

[shylyintrepid]

...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. That's not...that's not the right way to be thinking.

[dandylicious]

Mom likes messing with people's love lives, right? But I don't... There have to be reasons for it. You know? Whatever you learn from this will help you later on or something.

[shylyintrepid]

What's there to learn from this except "don't love"? It's a horrible lesson.

[dandylicious]

That's not the lesson, give it time. But I'm not going to charmspeak you into getting rid of those feelings... It's not right.

[shylyintrepid]

...I thought charmspeak was just for seduction.

[dandylicious]

Charmspeak is just to get someone to do what you want them to.