Important Things ™

My piece for the 2021 Enjoltaire Games!

The prompt I had was: ‘You will never “find” time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.’ (Charles Buxton)

Image IDs under the cut!

Image ID: A 14-panel comic strip

Panel 1:
Top left reads 9:15pm.
Enjolras is sat at a brown desk. He wears an oversized sweater that features a trans-flag coloured stripe across the chest and arms, and his blond hair is in a high bun.
On the desk sits a purple mug, scattered loose papers, a laptop to one side and an open weekly planner that Enjolras is reading.
In the empty space surrounding him is to-do items written in various colours.
They read: “Permit requests: 487 (tick); 292 (tick); 14B (follow up)”
“Funding application due Friday (Baz to check over budget)”
“Finalise route for January march”
“New ABC blog post? (it’s been a minute”
“Mrs Combeferre’s birthday this weekend”
“Sound kitchen roster (swap Thursdays)”
In the bottom left corner is a small “R”.

Panel 2:
Top left reads 10:09pm.
Enjolras’s laptop is now in front of him - it has stickers on it that read “France France Revolution”, “I Voted”, and one of the LGBT flag.
Enjolras looks more tired than the first panel, he is leant heavily on his left hand, his right hand sits on a red mug - a new addition to the cluttered desk. There are highlighters and a pen to his left.
The words around him read:
“Catering for Saturday (gluten free for Joly)”
“Winter blanket drive (Talk to Ep re: shelter needs)”
“Any leftovers in the fridge?”
“Word count: 6,874. Word limit: 5k”
“Check over meeting minutes”
“LSF course 10am Thursday (crossed out to say 12 noon)”
“Get Well Soon card for Bossuet”
The “R” has gotten a little bigger, and is now by Enjolras’s shoulder.

Panel 3:
Top left reads 11:32pm.
Enjolras is yawning and stretching, he now has a month-view calendar of November on the desk in front of him. The red and purple mugs are stacked to his right, there is a glass of water to his left.
Around him reads:
“Room 104 doesn’t have ramp access (find new venue!)”
“Les Amis holiday exchange (?? Pontmercy)”
“Call Feuilly’s union contact”
“Delete Twitter (again)”
“Check the fire alarm batteries”
“Jehan offered to proof-read speech (email it!)”
The “R” is larger again, and is now by Enjorlas’s face.

Panel 4:
Top left reads 11:33pm, the font is lighter than previous panels.
Enjolras has noticed the “R” - which is now almost as big as his head.

Panel 5:
Top left still reads 11:33pm, but it is so light it is almost not noticeable.
Enjolras is checking his watch, his smartphone is in his right hand.

Panel 6:
A close up of Enjorlas’s phone screen, open to the Messenger app. It is showing a conversation with Grantaire. The previous message from Grantaire reads “…Courfeyrac is probably not flammable.”
The time stamp for the new conversation is Weds, Nov 3, 11:34pm. Enjolras has sent “You awake?”
The three dots to represent the recipient typing are visible from Grantaire.

Panel 7:
Enjolras is smiling down at his phone - viewed again from the perspective of earlier panels.
To the left of the panel are two grey messenger bubbles.
The first reads “Literally always.”
The second reads “Usual spot?”

Panel 8:
Enjolras is now standing and walking towards the right side of the frame - he carries the two mugs and the unfinished water glass while still smiling down at the phone in his hand. Behind him is a green speech bubble that shows a colon and closed bracket smile “ :) ”

Panels 9, 10, 11 and 12 are grouped together

Panel 9:
A smaller panel that features Enjolras putting on a red jacket.

Panel 10:
Partners Panel 9 in size, and shows Enjolras pulling on a dull green beanie, the jacket now buttoned.

Panel 11:
Sits underneath the previous two panels, and shows Enjolras walking down a purple hallway towards a set of stairs. He has passed two doors numbered '307’ and '308’. On the wall behind him is a poster for the ABC.

Panel 12:
A thin rectangular panel showing a close up of a sign on the purple hallway wall. It reads “To roof” and has an arrow pointing up-and-right - the direction Enjolras is walking in. There is a glimpse of Enjolras’s red jacket leaving the panel to the right.

Panel 13:
Two almost silhouetted figures against a night sky. Closer to the viewer is Enjorlas, visible from mid-waist up. He is looking through a doorway at the more distant figure of Grantaire, who is visible from the knees up, and is looking out at the stars.
The colours have shifted cooler in tone.

Panel 14:
Grantaire and Enjolras are leant on the balcony railing - both resting on loosely crossed arms, not quite touching each other but close enough that they could be with little effort.
Behind them is a sprawling night skyline, with the light pollution that comes with city life - various windows are lit, and the streets give off a glow.
Grantaire is closer to the viewer, wearing an oversized green hoodie and triangular maroon scarf. He is looking down at the street below them.
Enjolras is looking at Grantaire with a soft smile.
A speech bubble to the left of Grantaire says “Have you finished up all your important to-dos?”
The response to the right of Enjolras reads “I have now.”