Email to R:

[jamesmcginty]

To: AGrandError [@] ParisU

Be safe.

My house is always open to you. Someone kicked in Damian's door and he's a wreck. I would really like to have you here, no matter how late, so I know you're okay.

Love,
J

Comments

[grand_error]

It's after dark when Grantaire knocks at James's window, looking exhausted, and dirty, but seemingly unhurt at least. That's something, anyway, isn't it? He's also smiling a little as he taps. At least things could have been worse. Probably.

[jamesmcginty]

James is down to his undershirt when he opens up and grins to offer him a hand. "Hey. Wasn't sure the message made it through."

[grand_error]

"It's been..." R hesitates a little. "Crazy, through the whole city. Might've fried the phone, actually, I think I had it in my pocket when I set off some explosions." Which isn't really a typical way to greet someone, but. At the moment he's a little dead on his feet, but looks...grimly happy enough under the circumstances.

"Sorry I...was trying to do a few things out there."

[jamesmcginty]

James pulls him as close as he can stand with the warm weather. "Want help out of that coat and into the shower? You look exhausted. I wrote to you - about some stuff going on here and invited you over."

He takes a deep breath and shifts so he's not pressing the hinge of his glasses on some of the armor under that hooded coat. "You don't have to apologize? I might be half tempted to drag you off to the coolest part of the house and lock all the doors, but that's because it's a madhouse down there. And I'm damned selfish at times. Are you all right?"

[grand_error]

Were it even a few degrees cooler, R would be popping his forehead on his shoulder,and just keeping it there for a long moment or several. As it is, he does appreciate this well enough, and he nods."That's...I'd appreciate it. We need summer weight robes to work in. I think." It's something to throw at the council and watch them have a stroke over, anyway.

"Well, I'm glad I got here now. Madhouse isn't the word. The barricades were crazy. I'm not sure I can break up any more of them." He adds, quite seriously. "Tomorrow, Arno can take on where I failed. Maybe if it's not their cynical friend,they'll listen to reason."

[jamesmcginty]

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you take these off. Your coat I mean." James nudges him toward a chair. Hood seems to have some buttons, which is easy enough to figure out. "Proper term is robe. I wonder what they'd think of a rainproof light version. Using the thin nylon stuff that pilots use. Probably too loud."

He's babbling and he knows it. "I talked to Combeferre. Got him to rest."

[grand_error]

"Not since I got them,I don't think." R muses "I don't have that many secrets, at least. Some scars, a lot more ink that covers others..." He pauses a moment, trying to think about the way he wants to explain that statement.

"That feels like I should quantify it. I only gave myself the scars on my left hand. And not on purpose. I wasn't exactly good at this." He raises said left hand, flicking out his blade once, then retracting it to pull off. "And yeah, the robes. Tradition, really. Though the other fabric...you would think. I mean we started as an organization in the middle east.I know very few of THEM were going around in anything this heavy. Loud though...they'd probably be with newer. And did you? Good. I was around briefly. They...had their hands full."

[jamesmcginty]

James has found the hooks that help keep the shoulder pieces on for the armor. He'd guess this is a more old fashioned variant, just from what little he's seen of some of R's friends.

"Do you mind if I step in the shower with you? I haven't had one yet. Got home, washed my hands and kind of was flat next to the fan." James pauses. "Just - I think if I leaned on you right now, we'd stick in horrible ways. And I am curious about the ink. If you don't mind me looking."

He pauses. "I could show you kid photos of me, maybe. Mervin was kind of cute as a kid."

[grand_error]

Most of his brothers don't go in for the hood that R's gone with as far as those choices go, that's true. And the sleeves are slightly more...medieval feeling. It was a concession to his own slightly anachronistic tastes when he realized he could pretty much do what he wanted in terms of some bits of styles, anyway.

"That sounds pretty nice, actually." R smiles at the thought. " I don't think I especially want to be alone right now. I saw...a lot of things today. You'd think mass casualties stopped being an issue when you kill people for a living but..." He shrugs.

"Talking about the ink sounds a lot better than talking about that. AND your kid photos. That's probably incredibly sweet."

[jamesmcginty]

James exhales in a huff as he wrestles most of the weight off his shoulders. "The bed fits two. If -" He looks over at R's face. "I'm not sure what you're okay with. But I'm offering because I'm okay with that. And erm - waking up to morning breath or a knife hilt in the morning joke."

He's looking a bit shy and awkward there, with that grin. "And the photos. I don't have a ton. They're - we weren't rich, you know? But - well - you might like it."

[grand_error]

"I'd like that a lot." R laughs at the last bit there. "It's probably more than ONE knife hilt, at the end of things." He admits, smiling. "Sounds like it would be good for me. Whatever you'd like is...there are things that don't have to be rushed or gotten to. I mean, that right there is fantastic."

And he nods at the mention of photos. "Sounds like I would."

[jamesmcginty]

"Do you know how -" James gestures. He doesn't have words for it. "Empowering's the wrong word. How something it is to hear that? I could like - I don't know, trying to get you to eat something and mopping the house at a stupidly late hour."

He pauses to unbutton his braces and tug off his undershirt. Probably might make it feel better if he's wearing about as much as R is. "You okay with me saying that I think you're handsome? And I'm curious about the tattoos?" And the scars under them. "Want help out of your boots?"