logomachist | do you hear the people sing?

[And, soon enough, Enjolras is also outside the Gorbeau House, ready to help wrangle however many of the collection of Thenardiers need bringing to get lunch.

And still, of course, faintly curious as to exactly what had happened the night before. That just takes the backburner when there are childen to feed.]

[It's the usual suspects sitting on the corner waiting for Enjolras. When he first comes into view, Gavroche is on his feet running over to his older friend. Azelma and Eponine wait for a few more moments before standing, Eponine looking down at her feet.

Azelma is on her phone- an iPhone far above the Thénardier pay-grade. Stolen, like nearly all of their electronics.]

Hey, [she greets Enjolras, unable to meet his eyes. It was hard, accepting an offer like this. But, she reminded herself, it was in exchange for information. Everyone wins. Especially her siblings.] Thanks for letting them come.

[Enjolras isn't amazing with children. Then again, Enjolras isn't amazing with people generally. Gavroche is, and has always been, the exception.

The boy is too old for hoisting into arms or folding into a hug. Instead, he reaches easily to ruffle the boy's hair, fingers lingering affectionately over the unruly curls as the girls approach.]

Nothing to thank me for.

Still. Most people... [She shrugs a little, not wanting to say it out-loud. She knew Enjolras liked her brother better than her, anyway. All of his friends did. Eponine was just there. Watching, observing, drinking. She forced her way in, made them acknowledge her. Originally, it was to get closer to Marius.

But most of his friends aren't too bad. Which is exactly how she'd gotten herself into this situation to begin with.] Most people wouldn't do this.

Or they'd make some big deal about it.

[Unlike certain friends, Enjolras has faith in most people. Somehow, in spite of that, he's constantly surprised by how bleak most people seem to think everyone else is.

He takes a brief beat to study Eponine's forehead before letting one shoulder lift.]

Doesn't seem productive.

[She shrugs, falling into step with Enjolras as they make their way toward the nearest cafe.]

No. People like to do shit just to feel better about themselves. They make a big deal so everyone else does and everyone can worship them and their giving spirit. [She rolls her eyes.] They don't get it's hard to say yes, after dumpster diving for the past few weeks.

[His head bobbles slightly side to side.] Catch-22, then, isn't it. Better to have more people helping if you want things to change, but-- harder to handle egos if you let them all in.

And nothing changes.

[They stay hungry, they remain freezing and poor. Their father still sells his daughters, their mother ignores it all and helps their father with fraud and other crimes.]

One day of help isn't going to change anything. Then those assholes posting pictures of themselves with little African orphans who's life they touched or whatever?

[This has to be a delicate thing. Delicate isn't at all his forte.

Still, attempts are being made.] What does change things, then?

I don't know.

[She's silent for a moment, watching Azelma and Gavroche ahead of her.]

Gavroche is too young to remember how it used to be. Azelma barely remembers. We used to own an Inn, did I ever tell you that? We had money- I had a bed!

That so?

[Not talking isn't easy. Not talking is, however, fairly important in moments like this.]

Yeah. Out in Montfermiel. I was about seven, when we lost the place.

[She scuffs the sidewalk with the toe of her worn-down Converse] Fucking Lark.

[There's one person and one person only she blames for the loss of the inn. You can guess.]

It was amazing- things were so much better there. Dad used to let me sit on his lap and he'd have me help him write up invoices, bills. Sometimes he'd have me deliver them when it was time to check-out. [There's a small smile on her lips as she remembers it. Happier times.]

[This is quite pleasant, as Enjolras lets himself sink into it. The Thenardier family hadn't had such a particularly fascinating rise and fall, but there's something oddly contenting about people telling their own story.

At least, when there's nothing better to do.]

Sounds lovely.

[Eponine looks up at him, suddenly frowning.]

You're not even listening, are you?

[No one listens to her. She could just talk to the air for all anyone listened to her. There had been weeks where she'd go without talking before, and no one had ever really seemed to notice. Stupid Eponine, tricking herself into thinking someone was listening, again.]

No wonder they say I'm so stupid.

[she leaves it out there, a throw-away line that doubles as bait. She's daring him to ask her who 'they' were. But he won't, and she'll just be that more disappointed.]

I am. [As much as he listens to anyone, at any rate, when there isn't an active debate on.] And you aren't.

[Enjolras's pace slows a half-step. The pair of younger children are nearly at the cafe, but they're old enough to handle themselves for a few minutes while their older sister lingers outside.]

Other people certainly don't get to decide that for you.

[Instinctively, she matches pace with Enjolras. Eponine presses her lips together and nearly glares up at him.]

It's true. One of the reasons I dropped out- I was failing all my classes. [She should have been in her final year of school, if she'd stayed.]

That's hardly proof of stupidity.

[But now isn't the time to rail against the school system, he's guessing, or the pitfalls of modern education's push away from technical skills.]

Yeah it is. Dad's brilliant- he knows stupid when he sees it. [There had been more than extenuating circumstances to excuse her grades.]

Gavroche's the smart one in the family.

[There it is.

And yet, there also isn't something to yell about just now.]

Gavroche is smart like I'm smart. Maybe like your father is. That's still just one sort of smart. Almost no one gets every single kind.

Yeah? So what sorta smart am I then?

[It's a challenge, to be sure.]

[His shoulder lifts slightly.] You should find out. Sometimes going back when you're older helps. Sometimes trying out trade school helps.

[After, you know.

Making sure she had enough to eat. That seemed like it ought to come first.]

[Eponine, for her part, shrugs.]

Marius wants to help me get my GED.

[It's the first time she's told anyone.]

[That gets a brief grin. Not the glancing sort of thing he sometimes manages, but an actual little smile.]

Do you want to?

I'm... [she hesitates, wishing hse could disappear into the cafe, but she didn't want to have this conversation in front of her siblings. None of them were in school, though all of them were still young enough.] Not sure.

[She was doing it to be closer to Marius. Any moment she could be with him was worth any sort of hell she could put herself through. And letting him tutor through a GED program meant plenty of time spent together.

Then she noticed his smile and did an actual double take. Wow. When he smiled... She could see what Grantaire saw in him.]

[The smile lingers as Enjolras nods. His feet also linger on the sidewalk, attention briefly properly focused on studying Eponine.

Potential is beautiful. Taking control of one's own life is stunning. Even these hesitant thoughts are a step in such a wonderful direction.]

Keep thinking about it. [His features drift back toward neutrality again, attention flitting toward the cafe again.] You should want to do it if you're going to throw yourself into it, hm?

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