[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.]
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.
[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.]
[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.
[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?
[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!
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.
[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.
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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on 2017-08-08 05:55 pm (UTC)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.
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on 2017-08-08 09:04 pm (UTC)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.
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on 2017-08-09 03:13 am (UTC)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.
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on 2017-08-09 12:38 pm (UTC)He takes a brief beat to study Eponine's forehead before letting one shoulder lift.]
Doesn't seem productive.
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on 2017-08-09 03:20 pm (UTC)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.
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on 2017-08-09 03:38 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2017-08-09 03:42 pm (UTC)[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?
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on 2017-08-09 03:46 pm (UTC)Still, attempts are being made.] What does change things, then?
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on 2017-08-09 03:56 pm (UTC)[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!
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on 2017-08-09 04:01 pm (UTC)[Not talking isn't easy. Not talking is, however, fairly important in moments like this.]
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on 2017-08-09 04:05 pm (UTC)[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.]
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on 2017-08-10 12:17 am (UTC)At least, when there's nothing better to do.]
Sounds lovely.
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on 2017-08-10 04:34 am (UTC)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.]
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on 2017-08-10 11:54 am (UTC)[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.
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on 2017-08-11 12:48 am (UTC)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.]
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on 2017-08-11 01:10 am (UTC)[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.]
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on 2017-08-11 04:10 am (UTC)Gavroche's the smart one in the family.
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on 2017-08-11 12:40 pm (UTC)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.
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on 2017-08-12 04:35 am (UTC)[It's a challenge, to be sure.]
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on 2017-08-12 12:23 pm (UTC)[After, you know.
Making sure she had enough to eat. That seemed like it ought to come first.]
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on 2017-08-12 02:19 pm (UTC)Marius wants to help me get my GED.
[It's the first time she's told anyone.]
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on 2017-08-12 06:35 pm (UTC)Do you want to?
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on 2017-08-13 04:14 am (UTC)[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.]
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on 2017-08-13 11:59 am (UTC)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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on 2017-08-13 03:33 pm (UTC)My parents wouldn't like it. Waste of time, y'know?
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