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[jondrette]

[So, it's April. Eponine has sobered up somewhat, gotten her wits about her, and realized she needed to actually go see Marius Pontmercy. And explain. And apologize for being a fool and asking him to kill her, for begging him to love her. It took what courage the girl had left for her to walk over to his suite, and when she knocked, the door swung inward revealing what she feared most. What he said he would not do.

An empty apartment.

You know how Eponine spent most of March on a bender?

She's... about to start it again.

When she finally appears in front of the camera this time, she has dark circles under her eyes, her skin sallow. She's nearly as skinny as she was when she first arrived, and there's a bottle of whiskey in her fist.

She speaks simply, without light in her eyes.]

Marius Pontmercy has gone home.

He has returned home where none of us shall be living, to perhaps June 7th, 1832. He will return to his beloved Cosette Fauchelevent. They shall be married.

[She takes a pull from the bottle.]

And he shall forget all about us.

About me.

[She closes the network connection.]

Comments

[jondrette]

[Eponine does not cough when she drinks.]

You prefer wine.

[solo_patria]

Ah, I am more accustomed to it, I suppose is all.

[And there is a small smile that is not quite a smile.]

[jondrette]

As am I. But I enjoy good whiskey.

[She holds her glass up to him, and continues to drink.]

[solo_patria]

And I suppose I've never really paid attention to the heavier sort of thing.

[He, in turn, holds up his glass to clink with hers.]

I have much to learn of that, it seems. It does look to be a comfort for so many, so long as it is not in excess.

[Hes obviously trying to make a subtle point, or maybe feel her out here.]

[jondrette]

[She clinks her glass, and finishes it. Yum.]

It burns, and I like it that way. Strong. It's easiest to let the world disappear with.

[She pours herself another.]

I can teach you! You must visit me at the Brazen Turtle.

[solo_patria]

I admit that at home, before, it never seemed to be so much an option for myself. The loss of control too much brings. I have never been so much for that.

But here, we live in a sort of chaos, do we not? The idea of control is...so far gone already. Perhaps I shall do so sometime.

[There is a little sigh as he glances at Eponine.]

Does the burn take it away...the...pain I mean?

[jondrette]

No.

But it numbs it for the time. and that is all that matters. The now. I have nothing else. Nothing else was promised.

[solo_patria]

Numbing may be useful sometimes. There are things now I would like to forget. I did not understand that before I was here.

[Eponine, obviously, knows this only too well.]

And no, it was not. Nothing that I have now is promised to remain for that matter either. I think that...Courfeyrac showed me that. Losing him.

I...am not certain what to do with that knowledge. You know it all well, I think. What a pair we make just now.

[jondrette]

You are learning.

[She leans back.]

I have always known this.

[solo_patria]

I suppose I am.

I do not mean...Death was the sort of thing I knew, and could accept. Death was something I could work within, even wield to some extent, but here...

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I suppose I am.

I do not mean...Death was the sort of thing I knew, and could accept. Death was something I could work within, even wield to some extent, but here...

<small[It is ALL out of his control now. He is at the mercy of this island, like he was at the mercy of others and he's shaking his head, though he's staying dry eyed now.]</small>

I did not know of the rest of it, I would guess. What it felt like.

[jondrette]

But now you do.

Death was always there. I could feel it. An inevitability. The question was when he came for me.

[solo_patria]

But now, I do.

Death was always in the wings, I think. The sense that I was on some some of a deadline, that I had much to finish before I was gone. I knew that I must die but...

It was different to what you say, still. In ways I could not understand just then.

[jondrette]

Death nipped at my heels. It was in the last ember of a fire, in the winter winds, in the lengthening shadows.

Every day was a deadline, when you lived as I did.

[solo_patria]

[His nod is serious at this. While Enjolras did not live the life she speaks of, so has no personal understanding of it, there is enough he witnessed that he is not surprised.]

It would seem that it had to be, and wrongly so. I think much as we wished to help all people, I could have stood to be a bit more like Etienne there, to actually do more to help, instead of only trying to change the world.

[jondrette]

Little things. Always the little things.

[She sighs.]

I should not keep you from Etienne.

[solo_patria]

Those do seem to add up.

And if you need me, I will stay. I do care for you.

[jondrette]

You have someone that loves you. Go to him.

I shall be here. Alone, as I always am.

[solo_patria]

You are certain you will be all right?

[jondrette]

[Eponine laughs, leaning back on the couch.] I am never alright.

[solo_patria]

Well, then you are certain I can do nothing else now?

[Because he would do much to help; he truly would.]

[jondrette]

[She was about to tell him now, when the thought occurred to her.] Help me to bed- I am drunk and wish for care. Perhaps stroke my hair and sit with me till I sleep. I am lonely, and wish to be loved.

[solo_patria]

Ah those things I can manage.

[Even the hair stroking. He may not be particularly good at it, though he's been getting better at showing physical affection to people and not having his motions be awkward physically, but of course he can manage now, and he's pushing himself out of his seat to come over and offer his arm.]

May I then, soeurette?

[jondrette]

[Little sister. Her jaw dropped as she looked at him, her eyes wide. They glistened, in the low light of her suite, with something akin to wonder. Happiness, perhaps? Dare she think it was hope? It did not matter, in the end, as she took his arm, letting him help her up.]

You may. My room is here.

[With her free hand, she gestured to the darkened room. On the bed was the coat Marius had bought for her, and a few of Courfeyrac's scarves. She'd taken to curling up with them, like a child.]

[solo_patria]

[Happiness at a time like this, for Eponine, was something Enjolras welcomed, so that light in her eyes was something that he chose to take as a good sign for now. Hope would be far better, but he was not sure, himself, if he would dare to go that far. For the moment, he went along with Eponine, smiling as he noticed the few items there.]

I see you've stil found a way to be close to them. Scent IS quite powerful that way.

[jondrette]

It is. It's all I have now. I have some of Gavroche's things, as well.

[She doesn't bother to turn any lights on, but rather, lays down on her bed gingerly.]

Do you sing?