logomachist | do you hear the people sing?

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?

...Yeah. [Eponine shifts forward again.]

My parents wouldn't like it. Waste of time, y'know?

It isn't their decision.

[It isn't his place to step in. It isn't his battle to fight. It's impossible, all the same, not to let his ire bubble up slightly.]

It's yours. And if it's what you want, and what will help you with your own life? It's not a waste of time.

I'd be taking up their time- taking classes and studying will take a huge chunk of time away when I could be helping out.

[Helping out. They both knew what she really meant.]

[His jaw is beginning to set. Enjolras can feel it shifting. It helps a bit to glance into the cafe, where the children are clearly calmly enjoying themselves, but it doesn't quite erase the twinge in his chest.

Not shouting is a difficult thing for overly passionate people.]

It's your time. You can spend it for them, if you want, but it's yours.

[She's done with this conversation- wrapping one arm around herself to grab her opposite elbow, shrugging at the same time.]

Whatever.

[Dismissive, closed-off once more.] We should go stop them from ordering every single desert available.

[Leaning when not to push is still clearly a difficult thing. His lips have to press firmly together as he moves to hold the door open.]

Keep thinking about it.

[There. Now he'll shut up.]

[The girl purses her lips for a moment.] Fine.

[Like it's no big thing. She pushes past him, bumping him with her bony shoulder unnecessarily, even as he held the door open.

She doesn't wait for him, before coming to sit with her siblings and quick chatting with them about they wanted.]

[Deep breath in; slow breath out.

This can be dropped, for now. This can be set aside for brightening into an easier aspect with the younger children. This can cede attention to quietly encouraging Gavroche and absently ordering more food than strictly necessary.

This won't be forgotten, but it can be left aside.]

[The more food they get, the better. Honestly, all three Thénardier children will be stuffing their faces with food the second they get the option.

They're all terribly underfed, underweight. Gavroche, who had more places to go than the girls, was the healthiest looking of the lot, but that didn't say much.

Azelma smiles up at Enjolras, sitting closer to him than her siblings. This gets a look from Eponine, but she doesn't say anything. When Azelma asks Enjolras about his love life, Eponine has to roll her eyes.]

Leave him alone, 'Zelma.

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