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(no subject)

Who: Ella, Hattie, Eponine, and NPC Guard(s) (courtesy of dear Shellymod)
When: September 1st or 2nd, 1918 - during this conversation.
Where: Undisclosed barracks at the Missionworth Military Base
Summary: Hattie got dragged in, Eponine wants to bust her out. Ella...gets to be the distraction.
Warnings: I don't know yet?
Notes: The distraction will be attention grabbing so for those in prison or breaking out, feel free to have your characters notice/hear the fuss if you want :D

Eponine wandered reluctantly away from the bars; she wasn't good at planning what to do; she had spent her life being told to be in a certain place to do a certain thing, and unlike Ella, wasn't independent enough to consciously take charge of her future. She sat on the bunk again.

"I would like to take Hattie back to France with me - I wish I could show her... a day in my life there would teach Hattie not to fight peopple she cannot possibly beat."

She looked up as heavy footsteps came closer and a jangle of metal indicated that the cell was being opened. A soldier.

He pointed straight at Eponine. "You. Girl. Come with me - and let's be having no funny business."

Eponine stood up, glancing at Ella, but said nothing. She followed the man quietly out of the cell, and some way down the corridor, waiting patiently as instructed whilst he locked Ella's cell again. Once the guard had collected her, Eponine put her hand on his, closed her eyes and concentrated, imagining his mind being wiped of - everything. She had probably overdone it a bit, but she wasn't sure what might trigger a reaction, and Eponine had no intention of staying in jail for longer than she had to. Especially if they were hitting prisoners. Eponine had no intention of being beaten up again.

Once the man was essentially blanked, it was simple for Eponine to take his keys off his belt, and hurry back to Ella's cell. Breakouts with magic powers were SO much easier than in France... Her hair was only slightly ruffled from where she had ran her hand through it as she concentrated,and she attempted to smooth this down even as, triumphantly, she waved the keys at Ella.

"Look - see, Madame, what I have. Come - we can get out of here. I don't want them to hurt you too."

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Strike Eponine? There's no way she could, Hattie understands that she's practically at the girl's mercy, as frustrating as it is to deal with. She swallows hard, rubbing her arm with her opposite hand, but once the hand is offered she does accept it- And even whimpers a little before stepping down from the stool. It takes about ten seconds for her to gain the courage to do it.

And after she sits, hoping that she isn't asked to help shuffle through the filth. Just.. Ew. She has her limits.

"They eat people alive??" Hattie suddenly cries, completely interrupting Eponine's downplaying of the rodents at 'They do not'. She lifts her feet up onto the stool, her eyes darting about as if she were following a laser pointer. "I- I can't do this.. Eponine, I can't! When I was eight I was learning how break hearts, not.. Not fight carnivorous beasts!"

"They do not eat! They taste."

At least she's sat. Eponine sits too, and leans down into the filth, feeling for the purses.

"Well, when I was eight, I thought I'd be learning the same as you. Not how to avoid the police and the shop keepers. I had everything, and I lost it. As you have now."

She manages to grab one of the purses, which she tosses at Hattie.
"You see if there is money there."

She bends back down. "I think it is right they try us. I have eaten a rat before now. Perhaps they should eat us. You see."

She draws her hand up. One finger si bleeding a little from a rat bite.

"It does not hurt. Do you wish to try?

"What's the difference??" Hattie hisses. Taste, eat, it's all the same to her! She watches Eponine shuffle about, and she swears she's going to get sick just watching her shuffle about. Her hands immedietly jerk away from the tossed purse, though it lands on her lap!

"..." She stares, "You.. You've eaten a rat? That's.. Oh that is so disgusting, how.. Ewwwwwww..." Hattie whines, shaking her hands and bounces in her seat as if she had accidentally grasped a pole covered in slime.

But then Eponine just has to take it a step further, doesn't she? Hattie looks at the trickling blood, and enough is enough. She turns to the side and throws up.

Eponine simply watches the pantomine with some amusement. Oh Hattie, you know nothing of life. Eponine reaches for the hemline of her dress. Just think, it had been new today. But still, she picked at the tattered ends and tore as hard as she could, pulling off a sizeable rag which she hands to Hattie.

"Clean your mouth. It is only blood."
She sucks her own finger, before tearing off another rag to tie around her finger.

"Now Madame, you must be sensible. That what was in your stomach might have been your last meal for days; often I went for three days or more without food. And now you do not have that any more. It'll kill you if you are like this. I have said I have done things I do not like. A rat is meat; any meat is good. Otherwise, it's bread so hard it can be a brick, not even a handful, and maybe some gruel if I am lucky. A rat is a treat, but they are hard to catch. Now - will you look in that purse whilst I find the others?"

Hattie eyes the rag warily once she turns back, but it seems a little safer than the shawl.. Maybe. "It's not only blood." she mumbles, as she dabs at her mouth then listens to the rest.

And she thinks she's going to be ill again. To take her mind off of it, she raises her hand, "All right, all right, I get it, stop talking about it already." With a shudder, she opens the purse, and her eyes light up as she withdraws bills. They look a bit different than what she's used to, but it must be good! "Eponine, this one has plenty!" she squeals as she counts the bills, "This should be enough for a decent dress, maybe a pair of shoes, and a trip to the spa! Well, maybe not the full course.. Maybe a visit to the hairdresser, though!"

Edited 2013-01-09 20:46 (UTC)

"Oh yes." Eponine sits back up. "And I'll carry your bag, shall I, and lace you into a dress and tie your shoes and then stand outside whilst you have your hair done. And then we'll sleep in a doorway and think of food we don't have."

Eponine shakes her head. "You are mad, Hattie."
Then she leans in to snatch the money.
"We get a bed for tonight, and maybe some porridge or gruel or maybe stew. And we save the rest for tomorrow, because we might not be so lucky. I don't wanna go to the corners and ask the men."

"W- wait a moment now, I didn't say anything like that at all, Eponine!" .. "I'd get someone else to carry my bags.." Maybe. Don't put words in her mouth!

She gives an offended gasp when the money is suddenly snatched, growls a little, but then lets it go for the sake of being nosey and seeing what else is inside. Coupons, notes, pens. Things that don't seem to catch her interest right away.

"A bed.. Fine." she mumbles, "I still think we need clothes. Because.. Um.." ... "So.. So we can blend in! You know?" another gust blows through, causing Hattie to yelp and start shivering again. ".. Ok, a bed is a better idea though. You lead the way." ... "Please."

"Blend in?" Eponine looks down at her now tattered dress and sighs. She's starting to look like a beggar again, in rags and bare feet.

"I... suppose." She notices Hattie's shivering and carrying on, and decides, with regret, to forget about the other wallets, which had sunk into the mire of rubbish at her feet.

And Hattie's expecting her to produce a bed, is she? WHERE she imagines Eponine can conjure one up from is beyond Eponine's imagination; the kid doesn't even know where she is, let alone where an inn or something might be.

"We must look, Madame. I do not know where things are in this place. It is not France, you know?"
Although clothing is starting to look more familiar to Eponine; she's only sixty years into her future, after all.

"We'll go this way - and if we see a clothes shop, and I can get inside, I'll get you a warmer coat, okay? Now please, come."

Eponine steps down into the rubbish, ignoring the horrible squelch beneath her bare feet and the slime of mud and rotting food that coats her ankles. She steps away and holds her hand out to Hattie.

"Jump, Madame."

Eponine really hopes that Hattie will fall in the mud.

Hattie does expect Eponine to know where she's going, so she can't help but look a little disappointed when the girl makes it clear they'll have to put forth some effort. The blonde is just about to agree to the wandering, but then realizes that Eponine does not have the other wallets.

She is cold, but even she can sacrifice that in exchange for having more funds. Though.. Oh it's so gross. Hattie can feel her stomach turn, even as she looks to Eponine's hand. Ewwww. Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew.

She takes Eponine's hand, hops, and lands perfectly fine. She has Warsman to thank for that. But at the sound of *SPLLLCH* that follows, she whines almost like a puppy, looking upward as hard as she possibly can, "Mmnnnghhhhhhhhhmmmhmmmmmm... You can't find the other one?"

Oh, she has shoes, doesn't she? Eponine has no idea what Hattie's complaining about. But at Hattie's request, she crouches in the mire, poking with her hands for the wallet. One of them is buried in between two open bags of rubbish, and on this level, it's easy for Eponine to spot and grab. She's not even going to bother looking for the others though; call it an investment. They can come back in the full light tomorrow.
And Eponine is quite dirty enough, thank you!

She stands up, wiping her filthy hands down her dress, and shoving the second purse into her pocket.

"Shall we go now?" She sets off into the main street, and wanders down.

Within about twenty minutes, the girls end up outside an inn; it is a little ramshacked, but that's probably good; it won't be too expensive.

"We can stay here, Madame. But do you want to look for a dress and shoes now?"

There's a sigh of relief when Eponine seems to have found another, but she's even more happy to finally step out of the alley. Please let her never have to meander about through there again. Pleeeeease.

Also yes, she does. Her shoes are ruined by her standards. They'll get thrown away the moment she gets home. If she ever returns home.

Upon seeing the inn, Hattie lightly claps her hands. It isn't a five star place, no, but at least it isn't a run down shack. She'll take what she can get, at least until she's fully recovered. But then she ponders the next plan of action, "I think that's a good idea.. It'd be better to go while there are fewer people out than when everyone is out tomorrow anyway." she actually wants to go inside and warm up, but.. She knows the moment she suggests Eponine go on her own Hattie will end up by herself for the next few days.

"I actually saw a couple of clothing stores half a block back." Of course she would have seen them. And she's eager to lead the way to show that she's useful. She's helping!

Ahaha - Hattie is learning. There's nothing like a good, sharp shock to the system to really see where Eponine's coming from, is there?

Eponine allows Hattie to lead her back; she stinks now, from all the rubbish that she's ended up wearing - and which she's totally blaming Hattie for.

Stepping a little closer to Hattie, she whispers,
"Madame, have you ever stolen before?"

Hattie probably does as well, but she doesn't bother bringing up Eponine's smell as she has much bigger things to worry about. Once they arrive she notices the available options; an upscale clothing store and, much to her surprise, a second hand clothing store. That is no doubt going to go out of business or move over the next ten years.

To the question, though, Hattie raises an brow, ".. What does that have to do with anything? We have money." She's performed her fair share of mischief, but rarely got her own hands dirty.

"Because we cannot afford two dresses and shoes and a bed and food for us both." Is Eponine's firm reply.
"We have to take what we need, Hattie."

Eponine eyes the stores. She wouldn't dare to break into a high-class shop like the one Hattie showed her; the second hand shop is less likely to have armed guards or to notice that their stock is gone.

On the other hand, it's Hattie, who has squealed about wearing Eponine's shawl. Squealed about just about everything so far! No way is Eponine going to break in somewhere for Hattie to kick up a fuss and not wear anything.

She turns resolutely to the posh shop.
"That one. We'll break the window, and you can go in and help yourself - and then I will keep watch. Yes?"

"..."

Hattie stares at Eponine for a good, long moment. She's not suggesting... She is! Where does she even begin here? "You're out of your mind," she hisses, "The moment we break that window, an alarm or something is going to go off and there's no way I'll have enough time to find something in my size!"

"And then the police will show and ask if anyone has seen anyone suspicious!" she points quickly to herself and Eponine back and forth. "It'll never work, we'll be caught in minutes!"

"But will you wear clothes from another shop? Hattie, no matter where we break in, someone will hear the glass and shout for the police. And we will have to run. You do not hunt for a size. This is not shopping. You take the first thing you see, and you run. You hope it is too big - we can tie them on. You know in Paris, I had a skirt tied to me with string and my Papa's belt? It had been my Mama's and she is a large woman... Hattie, you make do. Do you hear me?"

She grabs for Hattie's hand to pull her forward. "Punch the window. Hard."

Eponine doesn't even want to think about what she's doing. It makes her sick to the stomach every time she thieves - in a big way like this. And quite honestly, the way she was bossing Hattie reminded her of how her own Papa spoke to her a lot of the time.

Eponine raises a good point, would she be picky? It's rare for her to actually have a good choice. She bites down hard upon her lower lip as her hand is taken and she's tugged forward.

".. All right, fine."

Can she do this? Eponine must know what she's talking about, she's been doing this all her life, hasn't she? Hattie swallows hard as she stares at the window. "...." She was feeling herself getting fired up by Eponine's encouragement, and so she nods her head and instead walks over to the center of the shop where the large, wooden door is locked.

In just seconds Hattie shifts into her sapphire form which, actually dulls her senses to a neutral state. There's no hesitance from that point when smashes her fist through the door, shuffles her arm a bit to unlock the locks, then is free to push the door open.

Without another word she walks inside.

Well.... that was a bit of luck that Hattie could turn into stone. Eponine had forgotten that completely; she simply hadn't wanted to cut her own arm so soon after having it healed. But this was better; now Hattie wouldn't whine about being hurt too.

"Well done, Hattie." Eponine whispers, lowering her voice.

She follows Hattie into the shop immediately, and closes the door behind her.

"Now be quick. Take a dress for you - and one for me. And a shirt each for night. I'll get shoes."

She's already making her way to the back corner of the shop, well away from the little door which would lead to the staff quarters. But she freezes when she hears a slight noise in the back; it sounds like a cough and a snuffle. And there's a slight click that Eponine can't quite place. She looks in alarm at Hattie.

"Madame, when you saw this shop, it was CLOSED, no?"

If Hattie knew Eponine had forgotten about that, she would not be happy. She assumed the girl believed Hattie to be stronger.. Which is quite a pleasent thought! Still, only one? How was she supposed to decide something like that?

Actually it wasn't so hard, she could just look for something orange. "All right." 'One' she says. She'll go for two each! As for the question, she twists her lips, "..I think so. You remember my shoe size, yes? Go now, shoo." as apparently she didn't hear the cough. She then heads over to the dresses and has a stroke of luck to find an orange dress of her size. With a bright smile she pulls it off the rack so violently that it tips over and clatters loudly to the floor.

"Oops." she crouches to pick it up.

Eponine does as bid; she scurries over, and begins to look for sturdy shoes to fit Hattie in particular, and for herself. But they were all statememnt shoes with high heels and ribbons and stuff. Gorgeous, but not practical, not for the mean streets of the Port.

But eventually, she finds a pair of boots in her size; they're dark brown and lined well. As she picks up a similar pair in Hattie's size, she hears the rail tumble, and she turns back. Hattie.

Within seconds, Eponine's hurrying back across the shop towards the direction of the noise. She's dropped Hattie's shoes, though she still wears her own. But after she passes the little door leading into the back, it creaks open, a sound which catches Eponine's attention immediately.

She whirls around - and comes face to face with a gun.

Aimed straight at her chest.

Her whole mouth goes dry. She's been caught. She stands stock still, her palms up in a natural reflex of fear and a desire to show she's unarmed.

Hattie!! You're supposed to pick deserted shops. Hide. Hide. And when I am in jail, get help.

Eponine wishes she's telepathic.

Normally, Hattie is above scrambling about for dresses on the floor, but she thinks she sees something she likes and actually shuffles through them as Eponine does her part. They even seem to be in her size, so that's quite lucky!

"Well.. What have we here?" The man, presumably the shopkeeper, stands with the weapon pointed at Eponine, and the other in the pocket of his fancy vest. He is a fairly tall but older gentleman, with a handlebar mustache and a receding hairline. "I did not even hear a window break or anything. And what a horrid stench you carry.. You entered by yourself, did you?"

Hattie's eyes go wide, and she doesn't dare stand. She looks over her shoulder but doesn't see anyone behind her, and barely able to see Eponine is standing. She can't flee and leave Eponine by herself. It'd also be unwise to approach from where Eponine is standing. Maybe.. Maybe she could sneak up from behind- But she'd have to make such a wide u-turn to do so. And a weapon. She'd need a weapon what could she use as a weapon?

Eponine flinches at the insult, but says nothing. Instead, she stares defiantly at the man.What a horrible man, obviously part of the upper class. She should have known not to trust Hattie's opinion on the shop being deserted. He wouldn't believe a word she said.

"The window was broke when I came, M'sieur. I just wanted somewhere warm for the night. That is all. I'll... I'll go."

Please let Hattie have heard that and be making her way to the door.

"Hmmn.." the man glances for only a moment to the side, then back to Eponine. He hasn't the slightest clue what window Eponine refers to, but he can always take a closer look around later. He withdraws his cigar case from his pocket, "Now now, you went through all of this trouble getting in, it'd be a shame to let you go so soon." after snapping it open, he places a cigar in his mouth.

"Your kind has no business around here, you know that? I was just thinking to myself why business has been so bad lately, I have. Simply horrid. Let me ask a question. Do you know what's hurting our economy?"

Eponine drops her hands when it becomes apparent that he's not going to shoot her. Even still, she starts to take very small steps backwards towards the door. Go on, Hattie. Get OUT of here.

She shakes her head. "I was just cold, M'sieur. You wouldn't want me to sleep on the streets, would you?"

She gives him a filthy look when he refers to 'her kind'. No matter how many times people deride her about it, she can't stop hating the people who voice it.

"The... the economy, M'sieur?" She doesn't even know what the economy is.

"I do believe I suggested you don't move, I've a lesson to teach you know." the man murmurs, shuffling in his other pocket once more while keeping the gun leveled.

"First, to answer your question, 'Yes'. 'Yes I would'. I don't have a trash can big enough for you in here, you see. Now listen, the economy is a system that involves manufacturing, producing, trading and distributing goods. It works best when something of equal value is exchanged for the goods in question. Do you know what I get in exchange for my store reeking of filth and my goods stolen? What I get in exchange for rats loitering around my property?"

Hattie clearly isn't leaving. Actually it's not even possible to tell where she is at this point, but she clearly doesn't know what she's doing.