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(via @dreamtaire) #ok nomally i try to avoid this kind of discourse but uh#fandom mischaracterizes grantaire So Much…. #in fact most of grantaire’s fanon characterization#would be Much more in line with bahorel #who is Much more Chaotic™ and headstrong#and argumentative #that whole exchange between bahorel and enjolras #that exchange is exactly how so much exr fic is written ??? #but UH #grantaire literally has so much respect for enjolras #and he’s very submissive and gentle towards enjolras always #and uh evidently hugo didn’t stress it enough how much grantaire looks up to and admires enjolras #and idk it’s just a fandom pet peeve that i see a lot that kind of uh #idk takes away from the beauty of their relationship #anyways that’s my soap box for today
I wouldn’t say he’s submissive toward Enjolras always. There are key moments where he explicitly sticks up for his own position to Enjolras’ face. The part where he prevails upon Enjolras to get himself sent to the Barriere du Maine, or the “Let me sleep here…until I die here,” bit. But the thing is, those moments? They’re key precisely because they’re exceptions to the rule!
I do think that if they interacted more directly more often, Grantaire’s penchant for quipping would come out more, but yeah, like. y’all. listen. listen. There is nothing in canon to suggest that Grantaire and Enjolras argue during ABC meetings! As far as we know, Grantaire never directly challenges his object of admiration while he’s soapboxing! At best, you can say that in the musical Grantaire adds a few funny comments that fit into the margins of Enjolras’ speech, but he doesn’t pick fights with the man. Doing that kind of shits-and-giggles pigtail-pulling in an actual activist meeting where people are trying to get work done is a surefire way to not get invited back ever.
Grantaire’s depressive rambling happens during backroom downtime, the same time other ABC members use for shooting the shit about plays and setting things on fire and giving each other advice about their respective mistresses.
In my opinion, at least, Grantaire is a lot more interesting when his snarky downer side is visibly at war with his “treat Enjolras with tender deference” side. If you personally want to write a story where Grantaire argues with Enjolras during meetings while Enjolras is actually taking point brainstorming strategy with the others, or while he’s giving presentations about upcoming events, or whatever, you obviously can – it’s not totally implausible, especially if you’re drawing heavily on the musical’s characterization of Grantaire – but please at least be aware that it’s a fandom trope, not explicitly justified by canon, and shouldn’t be taken as a given.
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