Allons enfants de la Patrie/ Le jour de gloire est arrivé...

[aknighterrant]

For the struggling insurgents the world had shrunk to include only the Rue de la Chanvrerie and the café Corinth behind it, a world that was a myriad of smoke, dust, blood, mud, and rain. Enjolras had given his last orders, and soon the barricade would break and the small Parisian street that the students had kept safe for the French Republic since

Comments

[fleurdescendres]

"Apologies, sir," Fleur returned, hands in pockets as she approached the newcomer, "but you have skipped straight to Hell instead." The fact that the young man had appeared out of thin air left her completely unfazed. It made a nice change, actually; people here tended to come and go in non-magical ways.

[aknighterrant]

Courfeyrac got to his feet, still understandably disoriented and looking it. In all honesty he had no idea if this was Heaven, and was inclined to doubt it, but no other explanation seemed any more logical - and that was saying something.

On the other hand, if the young woman approaching he was what God had had in mind when he created the angels, Courfeyrac was apt to feel more kindly towards Him than he had in some time.

"It would be more appropriate," he said, a quirk of a smile making it through his bemused expression, "but my senses tell me otherwise."

[fleurdescendres]

It was such a relief to hear her native language. Although Fleur was still practicing regularly with Sophie, the growth of a French contigent on the island wasn't an unappealing thought.

Fleur smiled ruefully at the man. "Nonetheless, here you are. We call it Tabula Rasa. There are nearly 300 of us, all of whom simply arrived. No one knows how to get off. And most of the residents speak English." This she said as though it were among the island's worse offense. "Hardly Heaven." She offered a hand and a more sincere smile. "Fleur Delacour. It's a mercy to meet a countryman."

[aknighterrant]

Rene blinked, and blinked again. He threw a look over his shoulder, a gesture of disbelief, then looked back at the young woman. "But I was just..." Courfeyrac frowned. This was not quite what he had expected.

At least the welcoming party was attractive. "Rene Courfeyrac. The pleasure's all mine." He took her hand with a smile, but instead of shaking it kissed her fingers.

"Did you say they're mostly English?" The young Frenchman clearly wasn't very impressed by this bit of news, either.

[fleurdescendres]

"I was just shopping," Fleur said with a shrug, neglecting to mention that the shopping had been in preparation for her wedding. "We were all just something."

Her smile grew, however, at the brush of lips against fingers. Ah, but here was a man who actually knew how to behave with a woman - or, if nothing else, a man who was French and, to judge by his clothing, not from her time. "Not mostly English," Fleur said. "American. Mostly from after the millenium - the 1990s, for me."

[aknighterrant]

If Rene's expression was anything to go by, American didn't sound much better. The dates, though, gave him pause. "Oh..." He tilted his head to the side. "I see."

He didn't, really, but it made about as much sense as arriving on the island at all. "Tablua Rasa, you said it's called?"

[fleurdescendres]

Fleur was hardly impressed herself, although she liked Elliot well enough. Exceptions could be made for Dr Reid. "Yes, the blank slate." Fleur laughed. "I guess some of those who came first were ready to start again."

She hadn't been. She had been happy exactly where she was, and there had been work to do and a man she loved. Tabula Rasa. A blank slate was the last thing she needed.

[aknighterrant]

"Or they wanted to show off their ingenius use of latin," Rene countered with a small grin. He put a hand on her arm. "How about a tour, mm? If I'm stuck here I should get to know the place."

Somewhere in the back of his mind the reality of the situation was still being processed. He had little use for a blank either, and if he wasn't dead then he damned well had work to do in Paris. But none of the thought process rippled his charm for a moment.

[fleurdescendres]

It had been the longest time since anyone had thought to pay attention to her properly, and Fleur had begun to suspect that her appeal really had largely been a charm in the strictest sense - a magic, an allure laid by her Veela heritage. That would have been disappointing in more ways than one.

"Oh, right," Fleur said. She started forward, toward the path to the compound. "Mostly it's beach and jungle. There is a building - most call it the compound - where we have restroom facilities, laundry, a kitchen. There are meals and rooms. Not so bad. This Friday, even, we will be having a party for everyone, to celebrate our new government."

She paused then in her chatter and glanced at him. "It is not a dream, Rene, so you know. Everyone thinks so at first, but it is real."

[aknighterrant]

Rene linked arms with her as they walked - nothing too forward, but a friendly gesture nonetheless. She had a flippant exterior, this girl, but there was a certain lonliness lurking underneath that he, well, wouldn't exactly object to filling.

"A new government?" His eyebrows rose curiously.

A frown marred Rene's features at her next words, though. "Wouldn't a dream say as much?" he mused, half to himself - a sort of halfhearted comfort. Perhaps he had merely been knocked senseless and was still in the heart of Paris, unconscious on cold cobblestones. "And our homes? What about returning to them?"

[fleurdescendres]

"Yes, a council," Fleur said. The whole thing had bothered her - an admission of being caught that she didn't want to make - and, by the time she had decided to stir herself, it was too late to make an informed vote. "Ten of us to represent the three hundred who live here, to make a bill of rights. No laws yet, because we do so well without!" She grinned. "But I guess we will see, and at least no one has tried to rule the island on his own yet, right?"

It had been hotter than usual of late, summer on the way, and she felt that keenly as they made their way through the jungle to the compound. "I think a dream would want you to think she was real, don't you? And never suggest otherwise, so you would not doubt. We've found no way home yet. I hope that will change soon, but so far? No luck."

[aknighterrant]

"Huh. Interesting." A slow smile spread onto Rene's face despite himself. To stumble from one botched attempt at a Republic to a newly established one was some sort of luck, wasn't it? He would have to find someone to ask about it - though he suspected that this young lady was not the best place to begin.

He grinned at her instead. "Unless she was a particularly clever dream. Might you be one of those?" In all truth he believed her, but it was an enjoyable, and slightly less unnerving, idea to toy with anyway.

[fleurdescendres]

Fleur's eyes widened coyly, mouth parting slightly, as she pretended to consider this. "I might at that." She smiled. "But there, you have found me out. What fun is it now?"

He was playful, too. A point in the favor of M. Courfeyrac, Fleur decided cheerily. It had been too long since she'd had fun with anyone, and she hadn't seen Viktor in days. She was beginning to worry; the hut seemed abandoned. "Ah, here's the compound."

[aknighterrant]

"Well," he grinned and stepped back from her a moment, looking her up and down, "this party you mentioned - you haven't already snatched up an escort, have you? As a gesture of apology I would be happy to take you. Or would it be as prize?"

He looked up at the large concrete block set into the middle of the lush jungle. "Well. It isn't much to look at, now is it?"

[fleurdescendres]

Fleur suppressed a grin, allowing for only a small smile. Tilting her head to the side, her voice was thoughtful as she said, "I think I might be free that night, yes. I accept your apology. And, for you, it can be a prize for your cleverness." She gave a small laugh.

Cocking her head the other way, she examined the compound building. "Nothing pretty about it, no. But it has many conveniences to make up for it, including a bookshelf that may or may not be possessed."

[aknighterrant]

"As long as I get a prize." Rene grinned and twirled her around.

His eyebrows went up. "Possessed? As in by demons? What does it do - throw heavy textbooks at you if it gets too damp?"