thecapitol | (no subject)

who:Eponine and Harley
what: Eponine's been kicked out of the D3 suites and Jessica's infected her with the plague. Harley just likes to wind Eponine up when she's down.
Where:: Starting at the bins behind the Tribute centre where Eponine's currently living and moving on to explore the Capitol.
When: At some point after Eponine's network tantrum and her subsequent 'fight' with Jess.

WARNINGS: Millions: blood, sickness, bins, kidnapping, Harley, mentions of murder and possible mentions of being eaten by a zombie.

Eponine feels awful. Her head's spinning. She can barely open her eyes. When she stands up straight, she sways on her feet, and when she walks, she staggers.

Since her argument with Jessica, she's been feeling steadily worse. It was that Jessica, though, coughing purposely in her face so that Eponine caught this dreadful illness.

She shifts uncomfortably, and coughs into the sleeve of her oversized jumper, leaving a streak of red there. The bin bags beneath her shift and squeak, and Eponine tries her best to ignore it. She just wants to sleep.

She rolls over , tipping herself off the little mattress of bin bags that she had dragged from the dumpster to create a bed.

At least the concrete seems cooler than the bags for the time being. Eponine closes her eyes.

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Harley's face fell into a frown, "You're the one who described him to me kiddo. And from everything you've told me about him? He was a low down dirty rat who only cared about himself. If he's not that way then you left out some very important details." She argued feeling a twinge of worry all her good work might swiftly be undone by this girls foolishness.

"No..." Eponine trailed off, trying to sort her idea of her dad in her mind. "No, he were a good dad when I were little. He loved me then. But... oh, but he was my Pa. God, I hated him... but I loved him a bit as well. God, I don't know. I don't have the words to say it. I get that feeling in my belly where it all twists and makes me want to be sick, you know, when I think about my Pa and what has happened."

It was unfortunately, painfully familiar.

"You want to be loved." She began "You need to be loved. You feel an aching in your heart that spreads through you till your whole body is so desperate for affection that it's all you can do to hold onto yourself."

"But you also don't think you deserve it. You talk down on yourself, point out all your flaws just like your father used to. He would stroke your head and tell you how much he cared up until you upset him right? Or until he wanted something? And what happened if you didn't get him what he wanted? BLAMMO! Just like that suddenly he's calling you names and making you cry."

"He'd hit me again if I cried." Eponine whispered. "I - I never showed him my tears."

Was it possible that Harley knew what it felt like? That she understood? She peered through the gap, wishing it were bigger so she could at least cuddle into Harley. She just longed for somebody to love her.

"When... when I were younger, he'd sit me by his feet and stroke his fingers in my hair and he'd tell me all the nice things we'd buy if I robbed him some money or went with this man. That's how he told me what to do. And... and then he gave 'Parnasse leave and he loved it. He used to sit me by his feet and he'd wind all my hair in his fist and tug it back so my eyes looked at the ceiling and he's say I were his skank and his whore and his ugly little bitch. And he'd tell me he loved me... I think I have too many bad inside me to be proper... and now he's dead and... oh God!"

Eponine clamped her hand over her mouth, utterly alarmed. She had not meant that to slip out.

If Harley was at all bothered by the confession she didn't show it, she didn't even bat an eyelash. Instead she slid the partition open more and opened her arms ushering the girl closer for a hug.

"I'll tell you right now kid, a real father doesn't do those things. A real father doesn't hurt you, or manipulate you or make you feel ashamed for who you are. Someone who loves and supports you, guides you gently and someone who does their best to protect you? That's what a real parent is."

"Well, I suppose I am an orphan then." Eponine crawled through the partition. She no longer cared that she was naked, no longer cared whether Harley was wearing a mask. She just wanted somebody, anybody, to hold her close at least for a while.

Safe in Harley's arms, she began to sob. "Always I make a mess and now I will die... Will you... would you help me write for Eva and Sigma, and perhaps Felicity and Orc and... Howard. I want to say goodbye to them.

"Of course." Harley took her into her strong arms letting the scrawny girl press close to warm soft flesh. "You're not gonna die, but we can write the letters just in case. That way we're prepared. But you have to promise me after we write the letters you are gonna march write back to Eva's apartment, apologize for running away and tell her what happened. If you need me to stand there while you do it I will."

Might as well get as much progress out of this as possible.

"I never ran away!" Eponine leaned in, breathing harshly, though the strong perfumes on Harley's skin eased the congestion a little.

"I've just not gone back... but I've been here the whole time. She doesn't want to see me."

Harley gave her a gentle tap on the nose with her finger.

"How can you know that if you haven't seen her? The city is a big place, for all you know she's been looking for you every day." She chuckled "Or it could be she thought you were upset with her. Maybe she thinks you hate her and never want to see her again. You've gotta at least set things right with her."

Eponine sighed. "You ask me when my head is so full of rags that I cannot say an answer to you. I am too tired on an answer... it's not fair that I say yes because I long for a bed."

Harley winked cheerfully, "I'm not known for playing fair."

Standing up she turned off the shower and wrapped a robe around Eponine.

"Come on, we'll go get our massages and then head home to Eva's."

"Now?" Eponine was shivering now. She hugged herself into the dressing gown, but made no attempt to stand.

"No. Leave me be. Please. You have it. I can stay asleep here."

Harley rolled her eyes and offered a playful grin.

"If you sleep in the showers you'll drown. Come on you can sleep on the massage table while the nice handsome men with the big muscles rub all of that tension out of your back. Then we'll put you in some clean clothes. That will all feel so nice won't it?"

It wasn't so much a question as a list of things that were going to happen, at least if Harley had her say.

"And all they'll touch is my back?" Eponine let Harley help her to her feet, clutching at the dressing gown to cover herself.

"And you have clean clothes? Mine... they're all in the Suite, and Jessica, she says, 'NO. You are not allowed here, Eponine'. I couldn't get them."

"They'll only touch what you ask them to." Harley promised. "That's what I pay them for. Back, shoulders. I suggest you ask for a foot massage. It's all ticklish but totally worth it." She cackled.

"I have some clothes you can use. And once Eva and you have sorted things out you can get your clothes back from Jessica. Remember she's not the owner of the tower."