You could be my luck

[libertin]

Who| Courfeyrac, Marius, Cosette, Joly, Max, and other invited (or uninvited guests)
What| Courfeyrac brings home a stray. Later, the campers gather to watch the nightly soap opera on the projection screen.
Where| 4th floor, near the mammals
When| Week 2, after this & this.
Warnings/Notes| N/A?  No tagging order, make your own threads if you want.  Let's make new CR and tag around!

Courfeyrac was waiting in the hallway outside of the mammal exhibit with his new acquaintance, X5-452, knocking out a pattern on the wall.  It wasn't any sort of standard pattern, but it would be recognizable to the people he hoped were still camped out around the corner as a sign that the approaching footsteps were his and not someone coming to kill them all.  

He waited for a response for several seconds before repeating the knocking, then, becoming eager, he called out to the campers in French, "You must answer when I knock, otherwise I will think you are dead.  Fools."

Comments

[saisamour]

"It must be done."

The sudden strength and insistence in Marius's voice surprised even himself, and yet he knew that he had always been determined to pull her out of the death-match no matter the cost. He pushed himself up, so that he rested on his knees and could meet Joly's eye.

He knew that Joly was a dead man. That Courfeyrac and he, and even the child that Courfeyrac had led into their camp, would likewise have to die. But his voice was alarmingly steady, and his gaze never wavered once, when he declared,

"I would become a murderer for her. I would die a thousand deaths for her."

[medecin]

That strength in Marius was rare to see displayed so openly, Joly thought, envisioning only a few other times in his aquaintance with the man that it had appeared, first, while defending Bonaparte the night he had made his acquaintance at the cafe, and then at the barricades themselves. For all that it was rare to see, and somewhat easy to doubt as part of Marius, the gesture of it now was still convincing, and he found himself nodding.

Joly knew perfectly well he was a dead man too, and that had been before he'd known that anyone from home was even here with him. It only stood to reason, and, in truth, he preferred it this way. Musichetta would have scolded him for expecting that he lose his life in saving her from such a fate as the arena, likely, but he knew damned well he would have done it all the same. So he understood, certainly, where Marius was coming from in his vow, and well, he was willing to die for such a cause as this.

"Then what is it you would have me to to aid in this?" He found himself asking. "How is it I might help you now?"

[saisamour]

Marius had not expected any other response than concession, and it was perhaps because of it that he had found himself abruptly submerged in guilt. It was a brief and fleeting feeling, however; it did not occur to him that Joly would be thinking of his cheerful mistress, back in Paris, but he had convinced himself a half-second later that no one could deny that out of all of them, Cosette was the worthiest of being protected. Of winning the games so she could never experience such cruel hardships again.

He made a move to stand, but he had barely even lifted himself an inch above ground when a sudden wave of dizziness took over him. He collapsed back onto the ground, his shoulder scraping against the wall, which he leaned on to steady himself. He raised his tired eyes to Joly, remaining silent for a few seconds as his vision focused and his ragged breathing returned to normal.

When it finally did, his eyes drifted to a spot behind his companion. "Our supplies are diminishing at a hurried pace." He nodded at the small hill of food and bottled water behind them, to illustrate the point. "To begin with, we must tend to that."

[medecin]

That was certainly the case in Joly's mind. Much as he knew that a woman could handle things like the arena, hell, if he had had no examples from home, there would have been Venus to consider here, she should never be forced to do so. The idea that women, and that children, like the boy Courfeyrac had located, were forced to this made it all the more repulsive, and it made Joly all the more determined to work against the possibility that either of those must be forced back into this again and again and again.

He hated the idea of the arena already, the miasmas floating around, the knowledge that they were likely to become ill from exposure to each other and linger slowly, over exposed wounds, but even so, it was different for a gentleman. No matter how he hated it, no matter what it did to him inside, it was his duty to ensure others were protected. Keeping Cosette alive for long enough to have the chance was the only possible thing to do now.

"Marius!" Joly was on his feet at once as the other man started swaying, moving right along to catch him as best he could, frowning all the while. The dwindling food and water were likely the cause of his sudden weakness, he thought, frown furrowing up his brow now. "Please. Lie back. Dwindling though it is, when was the last time that you ate, or drank? The worst thing you might do is make yourself ill from severe lack of either. " Going without a few meals was not a problem, but going without all of them? It could not be allowed if such was happening.

[saisamour]

Marius stared at Joly, uncomprehending for a long moment, then said, almost dismissively, "I cannot remember."

There was more than a little irritation in his voice now; after all he just said, all they had agreed upon, why was Joly still concerned about whether or not he had consumed anything? He could not make himself eat, anyhow, not when his portion can be handed to Cosette, instead. He didn't care if he was weak; he could die from starvation or dehydration and it would have been worth it knowing that he had saved her.

"I will need to leave, you realize." For all his bravado, his voice cracked when he made an attempt to raise its volume. And yet he continued, "I will not allow any of you to starve."

[medecin]

"Then I must insist that you at least take water." Joly told him, very serious about the fact just now.

"You cannot be any use in helping Cosette to stay alive if you are not helping yourself. I realize it is a matter of resources but, we may be better off than you think. Courfeyrac has shown me a guide of some of the plant life here, a good deal of it edible. I know very little of what I might do here yet to help her. I will need for someone who has been through this hell to help. I do hate to impose that on you."

No he didn't. Not really. Not when he might help Marius instead. It was obvious he would not make it through this, but...that did not mean his death had to be as drawn out and painful as starvation.

"And I would not, I doubt that any of us, would allow the same for you. I need you to think clearly as does she. You will not be doing so much longer should you keep this up."

[saisamour]

Marius bit on his lower lip. He understood what Joly meant, and in fact could tell a sound argument when one was presented to him, but he still could not reason the illogical stubbornness away.

So he frowned. And then he felt rather guilty of frowning at Joly, who only was looking out for him. He did not know whether there was anything he could say or do that can serve as an arena guide for Joly in return; ever since his first game his intention had simply been to protect someone else at the cost of his life. The manner of death was of little importance.

That goal was no different now. It never will be.

Finally, he let out an almost childish huff, his eyes darting to one side. "Fine."

[medecin]

It was clearly the stubborn factor that Joly had seen in Marius before, at the barricades, where it had served them well. Here, although he knew that they all must die, regardless, in order to give the lady a chance, he would not see Cosette witness Marius's slow and lingering death from dehydration either. Some things were simply too cruel to subject someone to. and he was reasonably sure that watching one's husband waste away would NOT make the lady's list of things she'd prefer doing if it could be prevented.

He returned the frown with a firm expression, very well practised upon patients in the past, particularly, though he'd not tell Marius this, when he had needed to work with stubborn children. Marius, truth be told, met that qualification fairly well right now, though it came as a relief, almost amusing,when he huffed his acquiescence.

"Thank you." He told him, moving to gather the water and measure some out. "And then some rest I think. You clearly are in need of both, and I can watch for your beloved now. I assure you, she will be safe."

[saisamour]

His drooping eyes followed Joly for a while, then settled on the tiny stream of water, mercury-like in the dim lighting. He didn't realize how appealing even the mere sloshing of water inside the bottle was until it rang enticingly in his ears. All of a sudden aware of his parched tongue and dried, cracking lips, he tore his eyes away from the bottle and the temptation to request for more than what was rationed for each of them. Instead, he shifted so that he leaned once more against the wall, his eyelids falling shut.

"I believe you," he murmured, again feeling the sudden tug of sleep. His shoulders sagged a little, his eyelids all too heavy to open.

[medecin]

And Joly wished that he could offer more, but doing so was putting them at a greater danger, and he understood that well enough that he did not try to press Marius into taking more. Doctoring under such circumstances as this was going to be difficult, he knew, and even in Paris, there had been water enough to offer, and for cleaning.

Here, water had become so much more precious, and that came with an unpleasant sensation in his stomach, like a gut punch. He'd make due, of course, given there was no choice, but that did not mean he would not resent that fact all the same. Not that he was speaking of that at the time, only sighing in relief that he had gained Marius's trust for now.

"Good." he answered, letting his voice slide a little, into more of a rhythmic cadence, usually only used when he was with a member of his family, emotional himself, or wished to lull someone into security. " Dòmi non, Get some sleep. We shall be here when you awake."

[saisamour]

The voice sounded almost like a berceuse to a worn down and sleep-deprived Marius, and finally he let his tiredness and exhaustion envelop him, and the other man's rhythmic assurance lull him to sleep.

He sagged against the wall, his head tilting slightly to one side. Just before Somnus took him, however, he cracked one eyelid open and glimpsed a half-blurry outline resembling Joly through the tiny slit. An infinitesimal smile formed on his face, and he managed to murmur an almost inaudible "Thank you," before his eyelids closed themselves and he drifted off to a welcome and dreamless sleep.