As the sun was setting on August 17th, a bone tired Iroha Isshiki dragged herself through the wide boulevard of de Surène street with Jacques matching her step. Neighbours, random people they met along their walk all wearing the funny tilted red caps and the tricolour bonnet stopped and greeted Jacques whenever they caught a glimpse of him. And the outgoing man dragged Iroha with him whenever he recognised someone important to him.
From the merchant Malliard coming from the east out of a town called Rheims, to the Audreys at their blacksmith shop, who to the relieve of the man of the house had just received additional stock for their work from the harbours in the far west of the French coast. In the past days Iroha had learned and witnessed, for as many as had fled the capital just as many had flocked to the banner, the beating heart of the revolution. Paris.
It was something that Jacques had impressed upon her in her new work over and over again. As a member of the staff in the Salle du Manège she brought drinks and food to the elected members of the Assembly.
"Lass, when at work listen well and listen good. What you hear can be worth more than a barrel of gold." Where Jacques's words when he dropped Iroha off on her first day at work and already she felt a sense of familiarity that only added it's weight onto her exhaustion.
'Now I can understand why so many OL's in the subways had a "Kill me now" look in their eyes. Am I to become like one of these hags?! What a horrible glimpse into the future! Well not actually the future of me, but the actual future and not of France but of japan and how there so few differences- Raggh!' Shaking her head furiously a deep breath stowed away in her lungs for a long time, blew out of her as she slumped visibly.
"Ah lassie, such is the working world But at least we're at home now." Iroha almost hadn't noticed the door that led to the humble and cramped abode of the Bosset's stepping through the threshold with a great leap excitement giving her that one extra push to carry herself to the dining table. Her hunger already fuelling her actions, as her speedy removal of her shoes and hurried greeting of Celine raised brows and bemused lips on the two elderly Bosset's.
Behind the wooden, glassless windows, night's darkness started to cover the city and streetlamps were lit one by one by diligent city workers dragging portable stove and oil tanks with them, lighting up each lamp by hand.
It was then as the worker's cart passed the Bosset house that an exhausted looking Hachiman entered the home, seating himself at the table. Seeing his weary glower Iroha swiftly grabbed his hand and put on a bright grin, "Great work today senpai! With all the work you're doing at the ferry you'll have to keep the women away from your arms with a stick won't you?"
Clapping his biceps for good measure, what ever response Hachiman had in his mind, died an ignominious death on his lips as he stammered and hemmed before surrendering with a customary offer of gratitude for the meal as the Bosset's and the two japanese teenagers dug in.
"Bread and wine for dinner certainly certainly is French." Hachiman muttered as he dipped bits of his small bread into the red liquor and ate it with gusto.
"Oh this is dangerous senpai. Letting a innocent maiden like myself drink, let alone see this much wine is truly is a dangerous proposition."
"Well then you don't mind if take of your-" Hachiman's reaching hand was immediately swatted at by a fierce Iroha glaring at him.
"Just because my innocence is in peril doesn't mean you can steal from a fair maiden like me!"
" 'Your innocence'?! That nose of yours is growing longer with every wo- ow!"
"I apologise senpai but you gotta learn to read the room while as tempting as this is, it's neither the time and place to do it!"
"What are you even talking about!?"
Unaware of the amused stares from Bosset's, Hachiman and Iroha continued to bicker eat their dinner as the night drew to a close.
"So there'll be elections then?" Hachiman asked Iroha as they made their final preparations for the day before the sun was even out yet.
"Yes they're setting up some sort of tribunal, which thankfully is in the same building as the assembly. Well the assembly for now until it's done and replaced by the new thingy."
"The convention."
"That, exactly!"
Hachiman sighed as he shook his head, "Well, won't be our concern for long. Just till we have enough money to get of here. So let's keep our heads down, don't draw any attention and work on getting us out of here." The way Hachiman stared intently at Iroha, as if he could drive the point home by engraving it into her with his impressive glare, raised her heckles.
"Oh senpai you should know by now it is not me that you should be worried about that!" Her comment only earned her a scoff and a rolling of the eyes by Hachiman as he left towards the Seine. Unaware that Iroha's gaze trailed after him, lips pressed thin.
'Something is gnawing at him.' She shook herself yet her worries would not leave her as she joined Jacques and the left for the Manège together.
At boulevard with the Manège just around corner they met Malliard again, looking busy with his mercantile stock.
"Ah, Malliard already leaving again? It hasn't even been a day yet you should rest." Jacques's concern was waved off by the man, without looking up from his sheets.
"I'll sleep on the road. The past months were rough and we need to stay competitive. Ma' boys have the shop, just need another supply run and the prices Chaalons are said to be dirt cheap I'd be a fool not to snatch that."
Jacques patted him on the back and the two entered the Manège just as the sun was beginning to rise, parting ways with Iroha at the marble steps of the Tuileries.
'Right what did Jacques's say: Keep your ears open and keep silent. I suppose I have to get to work and gather gossip then.' Bouncing on her feet with a sudden surge of familiar energy, born in the school halls of Sobu High, Iroha went into the kitchen and immediately the now accustomed roars of orders and overwhelming heat from the stoves and ovens. No longer was she close to fainting from the overwhelming heat and stuffy air, instead she was now working at her given tasks with gusto. Preparing the thin dried jerky and helping with the bread rolls, lamenting with her fellow workers the lack of overall spices.
From salt, pepper, cinnamon to sugar. There was a lack of everything and what there was had to be used carefully and precisely.
But for Iroha that was busy work, as her real work lay within the assembly hall, at the stands of the parliamentarians, the table of the secretaries, overlooked by the public stands for anyone curious enough to observe the debates.
'And to remind the delegates of their promises.' The dark thought burst through her consciousness as she saw dozens of faces from the day of their arrival, who had stormed this very palace with gunfire and swords watching the debates from the public stands like hawks.
Carrying her food tray into the halls her sharp ears picked up conversation from of two familiar faces. One with shoulder long black hair and the other with a grey mop for hair on his head were in a deep conversation their hands full with stacks of papers.
The secretaries of the Minister of Justice, Georges Danton. Camille Desmoulins and Fabre d'Églantine.
"When do you think they'll capture Lafayette? The order has been sent out and he couldn't have gone far yet." Fabre muttered with a frown, displeasure written on him like a book.
"I don't doubt that we will and when do, France will have her vengeance. The massacre shall not go unpunished. But we're still at the beginning of our work!" Camille waved the paper in his hand in front of Fabre's nose.
"The enemies within are still plentiful and we need to deal with them sooner or later before who knows how many of the Feuillants and other royalists manage to escape into the countryside to spark revolts against us."
Fabre raised a placating hand, "With time and diligence we will and ah I see Danton and Bosset's newest helper has arrived as well." Like a grandfather the man turned to Iroha and gasped in childlike delight at the food within her basket.
Iroha winked at the two of them as the secretaries picked their foods, "As busy as a bee though today seem to be another busy day like yesterday." Fabre groaned while Camille's shoulders sagged a little bit.
"You have no idea child. We're going to pass the law on abolishing religious teaching and nursery orders. Finally snuffing them out." Camille rips into his jerky the delight and eagerness Iroha hears in his words fuelling his movements.
"I see, I see. So if I were to saunter about in the plains doing my duties at a leisurely pace." Iroha trails off with a small smirk that quickly spread to Fabre's wrinkled face. Pulling out 15 sous he quickly presses the money into her eager hands.
"Such initiative is a very commendable trait, young lady. It gives someone like me, hope in the younger generations who will inherit our works."
"Come of it Fabre, you're not even ten years older than me and already you're acting like you were sixty!" Camille suppressed a sigh as he clapped Iroha on the shoulder.
"However I share his commendation, now don't dawdle we don't want people to have the wrong perception."
Not needing any more incitement Iroha bounced away towards the assembly hall where her real work would begin.