You settle down for the things you like

[confidentially]

Who| Jessica, Albert, and anyone else from District Three!
What| Mingling with each other and meeting with their newest mentor.
Where| District 3 Suite
When| The final week of the Arena
Warnings/Notes| N/A (will edit as needed)

Jessica could be incredibly lazy when it suited her. She enjoyed long, luxurious showers. She relished in lounging around in various states of undress. And most importantly, she required at least nine and a half hours of beauty sleep in order to function at her very best. Even with her plans to dine with Albert firmly in place, she was loathe to emerge from the sanctity and security of her chamber, instead leaving the door tightly closed until after 3pm when she at last rose and entered the communal living space. She wasn't yet dressed for the day, still clad in her ridiculous silk dressing gown as she blustered in and took up a seat on the sofa. Her bare feet with pink painted toenails were kicked up onto a coffee table and she seemed right at home, ready to loaf and lounge the rest of the day away.

Comments

warnings for mentions of prostitution

[gardienne]

"You wish to cut my hair off?" Eponine was definitely alarmed, and she clutched at her straggly locks. "I'm not ill, Madame. Nobody will buy it. Honest, they won't." That probably wasn't true. Eponine could probably make quite a bit selling bits of her hair to silly Capitol people desperate to own a real bit of her. But that didn't occur to Eponine at all. She just knew that she wanted her long hair.

"Madame made it beautiful for me. It made me beautiful. And the teeth. They helped - you see the holes? She opened her mouth, pushing her tongue through gaps where teeth had rotted away. "And none of them were brown - every single one was white, like how they used to be when I was little."

She still looked doubtful at the idea of making men want her. "I am not going to be a proper whore for you though. I am not wearing these stupid dresses that show my legs and my chest. I'm not a proper whore, Madame. Never have I stood on the streets or in the park selling myself, and I shan't do it here. I don't care what nobody says. I ain't doing it." She folded her arms, mutinous.

[confidentially]

The blonde maintained her charming smile, though she did seem slightly condescending. "I'm not saying we're gonna whore you out. I'm saying we're going to keep ourselves open to the idea of using men. You don't actually have to do anything, you know. All you have to do is make them think that you will."

This was something Jessica had failed at, originally. That said, she was sure it would work for Eponine.

"Your hair is unhealthy, sweetie. You've got to start over from scratch. Get all the damaged hair cut off and you can start over, fresh and new." She batted her eyes, to emphasize her sincerity.

[gardienne]

"Will they not have me arrested, Madame? For lying to them - Madame, I know loads of girls in the College locked up because they were robbing men like that. Pretending, they were, that they'd go with 'em, but it was just until he'd parted with his Francs. But he'd have 'em locked up after. It's a dangerous game. It ain't worth prison though. I hated it in there."

Eponine bit her lip. There was so much - just so much to consider: what to do for the best. She felt instinctively that Jessica wasn't right. She was sure that Eva would tell Jessica to knock it off. But then, where had Eva been when Harley had embarrassed her? Why hadn't Eva looked for her these nights over? With a sigh, Eponine released her hair.

"Will you cut it, Madame?" What else could she do but give in to these people. Perhaps if she gave in, things could get better.

[confidentially]

"I've been playing this game for years. Trust me. You only have to play along so much." She didn't have the heart to tell Eponine about how she'd been bid on after winning her Arena. Not now, anyway.

With great tenderness, Jessica reached to touch Eponine's braid, to feel just how split and worn her hair was. "I'll make it really cute. I have excellent taste and you have the bone structure for a pixie cut."

[gardienne]

"Well, I have done it before. They promised me money - your money, not Francs. But it never came. I am NOT doing that again."

She flinched at Jessica's touch at first, but she held still, and nodded. "Whatever you like. Just... I need someone to tell me what to do, for when I go it alone, everything turns sour."

[confidentially]

Jessica kept her hand steady, petting the girl's hair gently. At last, she got up and indicated that Eponine should follow her with the wave of her hand, and she strode confidently toward the bathroom. "You won't be alone anymore, Eponine. Now you've got a mentor on your side. I'll be your guide. We'll be as close as sisters."

Laughing wickedly, she entered the bathroom and started shuffling around one of the cabinets, at last pulling out an electric clippers. "Come on, quick, before Valeria gets wise to us!"

[gardienne]

Eponine followed Jessica apprehensively. Many a times had Valeria shoved her head under a tap in that bathroom and held it there so long that Eponine was sure she would drown. But every time, she had come out with silky locks. Now... now, there'd be nothing.

She bit her lip. "I have a sister. Azelma." Was her only reply. She was trying not to think about what was about to happen to her.

[confidentially]

The blonde hummed to herself, in acknowledgement of Eponine's babbling. She patted the side of the tub, indicating that the girl should sit. "I have a sister, too. Elizabeth. We're twins, actually. Is Azelma your twin?"

She plugged the clippers in and turned them on to test that they would work. "Perfection. Now, hold still, pumpkin. This won't hurt a bit!"

[gardienne]

Eponine sat, clutching the edge with both hands.

"No." Her mouth felt like she had swallowed cotton. But she told herself to just keep chattering, to ignore the clippers.

"No, she is my little sister. I have three brothers: Gavroche; he was here, and two more but my Mama sold 'em when they were babies."

If she kept babbling, it would all be okay, wouldn't it? She wouldn't let herself think about her poor hair.

[confidentially]

"She sold them?" The blonde frowned, then boldly made her first pass at Eponine's scalp with the clippers, buzzing off a portion of one of her braids. "What'd she do that for? Isn't that kinda thing like, kind of illegal?"

[gardienne]

"Yes." Eponine flinched as her hair fell to the floor. She closed her eyes quickly, not wanting to see any more.

"We needed - we needed the money Madame. We do not bother so much with what is legal." She snorted a bitter laugh. "Most everything we do is illegal, Madame. But it's alright. We're quick - fast on our feet, the lot of us. They hardly never catch me. They did once, though, and I were in two months before I got to speak to one, and convince him I were only fourteen - they can't keep me in prison that age, you see? Maybe it's not a lie anyway. I might be fourteen for all I know - but I do not think I am so young. I think at least seventeen. I don't know." It was easier to babble on, to raise her voice so she couldn't hear the buzz of the razor. It took her mind a little bit, from her hair.

[confidentially]

Jessica found herself sympathizing with Eponine's plight, completely against her own will. The girl had had a rough time, she'd had more than her share of suffering. Even though Jessica spent most of her time feeling sorry for herself, she could tell that Eponine had had it much worse than she did.

"You don't need to worry about that crap anymore," she said firmly, continuing to buzz off the frazzled brown locks. "You're young and beautiful and worrying will give you wrinkles."

[gardienne]

"Not without my hair." Eponine reached up with a hesitant hand to touch her short locks. "But it is nice to hear you say I am beautiful all the same. I like people to tell me that. I like to pretend when I look in the mirror."

[confidentially]

"Hair can grow," Jessica said. She gestured to her own chin. "Mine was like this short about a year ago. Before you know it, you'll have soft, fluffy, beautiful hair. And when you look in the mirror, you'll look healthy."

Purify the body and the mind will follow. That's what Jessica had learned during her rehabilitation the year before. Of course, they'd wanted her to quit drinking and sleeping around as a coping mechanism, but the message still applied, she thought. If they cut out the rotten parts, then the healthy bits of Eponine would remain. Sheer off the frazzled hair and let the new locks grow in properly. Nix the unhealthy foods and she'd grow plump and healthy off of milk and vegetables and protein. It was a solid plan, and Jessica was certain it would work. Not only that, but then Maximus could start actual training for her...

"When we're all finished, we'll order up some cheese. You like cheese, don't you? And grapes? And strawberries? I love strawberries."

[gardienne]

"I eat anything, Madame. Anything at all. I like chocolate best though. And ice cream." She knew Jessica was right, of course. Hair would grow - but she also knew that as soon as she died in the next arena, she'd be brought back to life, and her hair would be as long and straggly as ever. Would that make Jessica chop it off again? Would she ever have long hair again? Eponine decided not to wonder - what was the point?

"But yes, cheese is fine - and I like fruit better. Apples, Madame. My brother used to give me an apple sometimes."

[confidentially]

Jessica smiled encouragingly, as if she were trying to reward and coax the proper behavior out of Eponine. "You know what they say: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. You'll be healthier the more varied your diet is. Before you know it, you'll look like a million bucks and feel like it too."

((ooc: omg i am so sorry, i just realized i'd lost track of this log entirely! this was totally my bad, no hard feelings at all if you don't want to continue!))