Well, Mervin -

[jamesmcginty]

I'm heading down to check out the protests, since you were worried about them. The factories here are worse than Port Martin, but it's nowhere near as bad as the stories coming out of Lorena Station. Work on your ship, get some rest, and don't worry about me. Feel free to grab the bread. I'm pretty sure I can buy something while I'm out. Or give up and buy some flour and just make something in that tiny thing masquerading as an oven.

Never thought I'd miss bread. The bread shortages have been the oddest things lately. Maybe I am becoming French?

Walk's good for me too.

Love,

James

Comments

[thechief]

It's probably hard to tell what's going on, exactly, though the general gist of 'protest' is clearer than anything else, and the crowd, made up mostly of students or workers of all ages is getting riled up quite nicely, Enjolras decides, after reading, more like screaming, one of his last pieces at them. Courfeyrac's up now, and things are somehow getting even louder and probably soon, they'll turn to violence. He doesn't like the idea, but...

It's still what people seem to be waiting for, isn't it? That idea that someone is going to start throwing things and get someone in the head and end the relative order out of chaos they've established. Of course, the moment the police start showing up, just to observe and behind boundaries, not so much engaging as waiting, the mood starts shifting into an even tenser one.

Still, there's a lot to be overseen here, so Enjolras is scanning the group, looking for potential problems and trying to disperse people toward them. So far, well, they're holding?

[jamesmcginty]

By the time James gets to the edges of the protests, he hears a gunshot, and sees - well - he's not hyperalert about cops, but he still doesn't exactly need to deal with them and there's too many around.

He's pretty sure it's just someone who got over excited, but flattening on a wall for a while sounds like a damned good plan.

[avian_cat]

"James!" Tom's not raising his voice too much as he hurries over. "I think I heard a backfire or something like that. Are you all right? It might be time to get a move on."

He's - as British as ever sounding with his accent, to be honest, but that's an honest grin and a handshake he has going on. "Is Mervin down at the docks? I wanted to run into him, but there was quite the crowd here. Little close for my taste."

He's missing his hat, and his hair's a little ruffled like things might be going on. May be time to get a move on.

[onlycopinparis]

"Damn!"

Javert's not really one for overreacting to the protests the students have been putting on here. They're one of those facts of life of working in Paris that you must, unfortunately, become used to, and so long as they're allowed to rant and yell and no one's hurt, everyone ignoring each other seems to suit the city best. PERSONALLY, he finds it all rather tiresome, and their idealism better spent actually planning for the changes they demand so much, instead of expecting someone else to do the actual job for them, but no one's ever asked him that before, so he keeps it to himself. Usually, at least.

Until times like this, when gunshots split the air. Gunshots that seem to be coming from slightly terrified new hires to the gendarmerie, and that apparently have managed to catch people already. There's no time to waste in scolding someone for it, especially when his work demands he do one thing, and Javert's surging toward the injured young man and his friend, holding up a hand, calling for calm. He may not be enough to break through an entire group, but there IS a bit more of a hush at least, which gives him time to make it over, and turn to the fallen boy's friend with the extremely British accent. Lidavian, perhaps?

Either way, it's a small detail, one filed away for later, as Javert starts firing out questions, looking for an exit wound as he does.

"Did you see the bullet's entry?" Perhaps they'll have gotten lucky and it will have missed him and simply been a shock. Common enough and maybe it'll teach them all to be more careful. He can HOPE it doesn't end with tons of paperwork for the night, at least.

[avian_cat]

"I think it may've hit the wall?" Tom crouches down to offer James a hand up. "You all right, McGinty? He's an old college roommate of mine, so I hurried over when you ducked down."

Tom's probably Lidavian. Bright green eyes, pretty surprisingly short as he straightens up. Looks rich, by the cut of his suit.

"I - think I'm all right, officer," James looks a little shaky as he splays a hand on the wall to try to get up. "Ma - maybe it was an engine backfi -" Did he see a glint in the crowd?

[onlycopinparis]

Javert's taking a moment to catch a relieved breath there, glad that nothing serious has been done. And that's when he realizes how familiar the injured party is here. "I've seen your face before." he muses, frowning a moment as his mind goes back over several faces from the last few years specifically. Surely... Oh. OH.

"You are a McGinty. " That is definitely not a question, but a statement. A statement that is quickly turning serious.

Javert doesn't notice a swish of something arriving close behind him yet, or a figure in green robes, who has just emerged from the shadows, ready to bolt into the situation at a moment's notice.

"I've had the...pleasure...of meeting Redeye himself a fair few times. Do tell me you aren't involved in something too."

[jamesmcginty]

James kind of staggers a bit as he gets to his feet and touches his side. Why is his hand a little sticky?

"That's my cousin," James says. Why does Tom have that look on his face? There's blood on his hand. "I think I've been shot."

[onlycopinparis]

There IS blood on his hand now, isn't there? That makes it hardly the time to make threatening insinuations about his cousin. "Is it now?" Javert can't help but ask as he moves to get a look at the blood. "Well, there's an interesting set of circumstances. I can hope you don't plan on going down the same road he's chosen...Let's see if the bullet's lodged itself or grazed you...." he adds quickly.

[avian_cat]

"Hey, Redeye doesn't have any standing warrants on him right now," Tom says frowning at the long tear in James' coat. It looks like the bullet grazed, and was partly hit the edge of a buckle on his braces and the bulk of a waistcoat. "You should probably press something on there to slow the bleeding, James -"

James winces. "And now I'm feeling it. Shock I guess. I'm just an accountant, officer, and - that stings, Tom."

Tom's fishing out a handkerchief. "I think that's it on the ground. A bit lopsided. I think your braces braced you." Tom crouches down to point out the bullet and there's another report as something hits the bricks above his head.

[onlycopinparis]

"Just an accountant." It's an interesting position for someone related to an infamous pirate, someone CLOSE to said pirate, to be in as a line of work, that's for certain. Javert's eyes narrow a little, but he's filing it away as something to be explored later.

"Do you require a doctor? That'll have at least one around. I may not agree with all they do here, but at least the crowd's prepared."

His lips twitch a little at Tom's comment, involuntarily, and then Javert is bolting back up.

"HOLD YOUR POSITIONS ALL OF YOU!" He's yelling at the crowd. "THE NEXT MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR LETTING SOMETHING FLY *WILL* REGRET IT."

[avian_cat]

Tom's kind of automatically ducking nearer to James and reaching to support the hat he's not wearing. He's - pretty sure someone up in one of the balconies just called him a rich something or another. Right right. "And I'm just a dilettante."

He's - admittedly not liking watching James cautiously check if the wound's clean enough and pressing the handkerchief. It doesn't look that bad. Probably just some bandaging and taking it easy. His Lidavian accent is showing through a bit. "Doctor might be good. James would probably swear he could head back, but I've seen your stitches."

"They're not awful," James protests. "I could go to a clin -"

"You're bleeding on me, and I've seen that Necker Clinic you wrote me about," Tom says, "Mervin'd yell at me if I left you - with a generous officer and no medical care. Doctor, sir? No need for us to take more of your time."

[onlycopinparis]

"I'll see who can be obtained." Javert starts through the crowd, calling for a doctor, and that's when someone else steps out of the crowd.

"James!" Grantaire's surging forward, hoping he's not hurt. "Are you all right? What can I do?"

[jamesmcginty]

"R!" James grins and moves to touch his arm and then realizes he's a bit bloody. Well, he's standing? Small progress. "I'm sorry. I think I'll be okay? There was a police officer looking for a doctor."

Tom waves brightly. "Hi. I'm useless, but I can help get him wherever it'd be okay." He pauses and then offers a grin. "My name's Tom. You're the artist guy from back in college, right? Watercolor, the winter semester?"

[grand_error]

"Artist Guy, that would be me." R's trying his best to appear casual, as if he's not freaking out inside. He's always anticipated the day one of his friends ends up hurt, but this is completely different, somehow, the way his heart is pounding. "Hi. I'm Grantaire."

And then he's looking back to James. "Why are you sorry? You didn't come here to get hurt. I'm sure Javert's going to find someone who..."

The Inspector isn't very long, before he's tugging over a concerned lookng Combeferre, who's immediately settling into action.

"Grantaire, I didn't know you were here. Ah...thank you for keeping an eye on the wound...wait." He stops a second, noting that look of concern, and a small smile spreads on Combeferre's face, even as he's splashing his hands with a bit of water mixed with cheap alcohol. "I didn't realize you were friends." he says instead.

[jamesmcginty]

"I'm his," James says automatically, and then ducks his head a bit. "I mean - we're friends for ages. College. I don't think the fellow with the gun realized that bullets necessarily will come back down again?" James tries, trying to keep an eye on the Inspector.

Tom's casually leaning on the wall. He doesn't like that it rather looked like someone may've been trying to make it look like the cops shot someone in the crowd. Or they were targeting him. Not that it's that unusual, just - a political rally out here and killing the Lidavian heir seems like a firecracker waiting to pop. "Or they did. You need me to walk you back, James? Is Mervin over?"

"At the docks." James probably shouldn't say that with Javert there. He looks over at Grantaire. "You're with this, right? I - my hands are a mess, aren't they. I should head back. Maybe you could come along?" He was planning originally on buying more bread or something to make some, but -

[onlycopinparis]

"Science." Javert's tone is rather dry there. "Go and figure." It's probably a testament to the lack of educational system, or something, but he doesn't want to go there right now by any means. As far as the people themselves...that does remain to be seen. If people strive to break up this rally...well.

Javert doesn't know much about his mother's contacts through her life, mainly that she had them and that the most public part of what she did was a coverup for something else, and that mysterious circumstances, such as shots erupting from a group you'd normally think too disciplined to respond to something like this, would fit the circumstances. It may be paranoia, but then again...

***

"Not exactly WITH it." Grantaire's quick to answer. "Keeping an eye out for the idiots who organized this, but."

Combeferre, to his credit, doesn't really respond with more than an eyeroll while he's trying to take care of the hole in James. He'll soon be done with most of the patching up, though.

"I could come along, that is." R adds, nodding at Combeferre. "You want to get out of the brewing storm or does l'ange de la mort request your presence?"

[jamesmcginty]

"I could stay, if you're watching things here? I'd be - uh - how much do I owe you for this, doctor?" James is trying to not wince too much. "I'd be okay, wouldn't I? All I'd have to do is not do too much?"

The shock's definitely wearing off a little, and it's making the twinging more obvious. Sort of a gnawing pain and he can feel his pulse in his ears. When did he start clinging to R's hand?

[grand_error]

"Pretty sure they're about to break things up, best they can." R frowns, scanning the crowd, his eyes settling on Enjolras, glowing red as ever, Courfeyrac and Feuilly at his sides as they settle into what looks like a typical rushed conversation with Enjolras pointing across the way at the group of them, looking...is that actual concern on his face? Wow. Wow. He's a little stunned to see that.

"They usually break off like that when things go wrong and tend to back off to try another day." He adds, focusing MOST of the attention on James. "I'd as soon get you out of here before anything else goes wrong. And you." he nods at Tom. "In case someone's decided to get a little anti Lidavian. You're the roommate, right?" He feels like he'd recognize the eyes immediately just from hearing about those.

"I've got someone to actually be concerned about right now." He adds, a little amused at Combeferre's face when he says that. "What?"

[avian_cat]

Tom looks at R sharply and tries out a smile. "Yeah. Formerly of Lidavia. Seemed safer to travel." And please don't guess who he is of Lidavia, right? "James is pretty worth being concerned about in my opinion. He put up with me."

"You weren't a hard roommate at a -" James hisses quietly as he tests the bandages. "That'd hold, I think. How bad does it look?"

"I've seen worse," Tom says quietly nudging James' glasses back up his nose. "Look - they'll be breaking stuff off. Maybe the doc'll clear you for following Grantaire a bit, and then he'll take you back. You've got food in the apartment right?"

James holds up his hands. "I do. I do."

[grand_error]

"Seems like a smart idea to me." Combeferre's still checking over James and winding a bandage around his wound now. "I can't say I wouldn't advise anyone to do the same. Insurrectionists as we are, there are so many more sensible ways to make a point about political power and its shift. Today for instance." he sighs deeply. "Whatever that was should not have happened."

"It wasn't an officer either." Grantaire nods, groaning. "I didn't see who sent it but..." But it was probably another assassin, he thinks, but doesn't say. "Someone wants to discount this cause and all of you. Be careful." he adds to Ferre.

"I don't want any of you to get hurt. AND." He nods at James. "I don't want my... my people I know...to get hurt either. Especially. Never mind." he practically mumbles, and flushes a little.

"Are you okay to move?"

[jamesmcginty]

James touches Combeferre's arm. "Thank you for this. I didn't see who shot. And I mean - it could've been upward?" There was always those warnings about shooting up during holidays and all that. And then he's flushing a little. Especially him? "Is that all right, officer? Can we -"

Tom's scrubbing off James' hands. In his opinion, James seems a bit shaken and - yeah. Get him somewhere quiet. "I'll hang around a bit, but I was supposed to meet someone soonish. I think I saw someone up on the second floor watching where we were. I'm staying down at the Plaza Hotel. If I'm required later."

[grand_error]

"Someone on the..." R nods, frowning, glancing up himself, though nothing is there now when he tries to see. That could be a real problem somewhere along the way.

"Why don't we get you to somewhere close by,then? We have a bit of time before soon, I hope."

"I may need a statement later." Javert is saying. "But by all means, I know where I can find Grantaire, and if you aren't far...It works enough." And he'll probablly find nothing if he tries. It's frustrating but he does understand and waves them off now. "Come. Get him somewhere safer"