thecapitol | Jailbird

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Jailbird

Who: Eponine and open
What: Eponine has been arrested for speaking out about the Capitol, and is enduring a couple of weeks in solitary confinement in the prison. Luckily for her, they still allow visitors. However, all visitations will be CLOSELY monitored by Peacekeepers, so best behaviour please.
When Anytime you fancy for the next two weeks
Where: Eponine's cell in the prison or the Visitor centre.
Warnings: As always, feel free to add your own. Eps comes with the possibility of mild swearing and attempts at spitting - not that it's going anywhere: a forcefield separates her from you! Also, mentions of death.

Scenario One - for Peacekeepers/officials who might have the joy of visiting her cell.

She hadn't been particularly surprised when she had been taken into custody. She had fully expected that she was going to be arrested after that stupid meeting. She had expected that a cloth bag would fall over her head, that she'd be dragged out, forced to kneel, feel the mouth of the gun on her head and -

But no. She had been dragged out, yes, and bundled into a van, before being shoved into a cell without further ceremony. For a while, she had stood and shouted through the heavy, opaque door, demanding to know how long she was being held for, demanding to be let go, but when it became obvious that nobody was going to answer, she stopped.

She looked around her cell. It was completely white: smooth, white walls, white floor, white ceiling. Even a white light illuminating the cell. Her bed was smooth concrete, laid over with a white mattress: the toilet, hidden behind a low wall, again was white. Even the door. Nothing to look at.

Eponine sat down in the middle of the floor, her knees against her chest, and her arms wrapped tightly about. She made sure that the hood on her hoodie was well pulled up, and she buried her face in her knees.

Without much indication of time, she slept when she was tired, and when she woke, she returned to the same place on the floor, occasionally looking up at the door, willing it to open and for her imprisonment to be over.

Scenario 2 - for those who wouldn't have the pleasure of a cell-side visit.

She was marched through corridors that twist and turn and yet all look completely identical. There was no way to tell them apart, no time to look closely for tell tale markers for the Peacekeepers moved her at a quick pace.

They took her to a visiting room, sat her down in a chair, and enabled the forcefield around her. This way, her visitors could see her, and she them, but there was no chance of contact. She didn't like it much, and she wasn't particularly eager to see anybody, not in here. But it was a change at least, from the oppressive whiteness of her cell.

The peacekeepers flanked Eponine, guns drawn, and restraints clearly visible. She knew that they wouldn't hesitate to use them, either on her nor anybody else. She hoped, desperately, that nothing would go wrong this time. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the seat, waiting resignedly for her visitors to come. And she knew that the Peacekeepers had their ears open, listening to hear any sniffs of anti-Capitol thoughts. She hoped nobody would be as silly as she.

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"I think it has made it worse. But..." She shook her head despairingly. "I have held to it for so long. I have shown them what I think. I don't want to be weak. I just want to live. I wouldn't care if it meant that Felicity and Grantaire, perhaps, could live well. But even the Victors... and now they are talking of sending me to work in a factory. I don't know what to do or what to think no more."

It was sad yes, but not the most tragic thing happening around here which is probably why most people were ignoring it.

"Well first off we need to get your head on straight. People fight strongest for love and right now you don't love yourself. You've loved other people sure, or at least you say you have. But when was the last time you looked in a mirror and actually liked who was looking back?"

She chewed on her lip. When had she liked who she was? Real and truly?

"When I -" She shifted again, once more looking up to the Peacekeepers flanking her. How she wished she could see their faces, see what they thought. It was an embarrassing conversation in public, really.

"When I were a little girl at the inn. God, I were a beast, but when I was little, I thought I was well. I was such a pretty child, you know? I were lovely. And look what has become of me now."

That was enough to make Harley smirk. She actually had to bite the inside of her cheek to stifle a good natured laugh because she knew how much Eponine hated laughter at her expense.

"Well she may have been an unholy terror, but little babby Eponine had the right idea. The best way to build yourself up is to be a happy, whole and healthy person. To throw out toxic and poisonous thoughts like jealousy and greed. No more self loathing or bitterness. It can be as easy as forcing yourself to smile."

She demonstrated with her own glittering white smile.

"When you smile it releases a chemical into your brain that very subtly improves your mood. So even when things are grim and horrible if you can force a smile you're making a little progress. Because we all think better when we're happy."

"I were so horrid. I used to make up stories about that Cosette to tell my mama because I thought it were funny when she was beaten." She rubbed her wrists ruefully, bare at last, after two years encased in cuffs. "I think I have had my commupence, no?"

She sat back and sighed again. "Does that really work? Perhaps it only marks if you are mad?"

Harley couldn't contain the chuckle this time and she shook her head. "We all do stupid mean things when we're kids. It's just that some of us never grow out of it."

As for the science of smiling she nodded. "It absolutely does. It's proven science that has been in textbooks for ages. You may not feel it right away but those chemicals are doing their best to lift your mood. It would also help if you can appreciate the little things. Like for example yes you are locked up right now, but you have a roof over your head and it's not as freezing cold here as it is outside."

"I know. It is not so bad here. I do not mind prison. I have my own room. I have a bed, and food - not much, but there is more than Paris jail. It is just so boring. Everything white, white white and nothing to do, and a light always. I hate that. It is better than Les Madelonnettes."

That probably hadn't been Jennifer's aim when she had had Eponine arrested. "And I do not always do stupid things. I have done worse than this and got away with it. What does she think I could do to her anyway? Stupid woman!"

"But it's not about that." Harley tried to explain "It's about her pride. I mean I'm not totally clear on what happened but I feel safe in guessing that you were rude to her. Probably demanding...did you spit on her? You spit alot when you get mad."

"Anyway, she had to make a show of force. Had to remind you where you stand in relation to her. Plus it probably made her feel better. Not safer just...vindicated. Like all is right with the world."

"That Eponine is back in prison where she belongs. You know, that Inspector Javert said that of me. That my place was in the gutter, with the other scum, and behind bars so I can't spread all the diseases all them toffs are sure we have."

It made more sense, at least, now that Harley had explained it. She still hated being locked up, but at least she properly understood. Eponine was probably an easy target; young girl, largely disliked. It made sense.

"Exactly. See so that's how someone like Javert thinks of things. But that's a very close minded way. People like he or our Miss Jennifer need to feel some amount of control over their lives. They achieve that by controlling others around them. It's easiest to target and control people who are weak or uneducated of course but the higher up the food chain you are the more you can impose your will on others."

She twirled some of her shiny blond hair around a finger as she explained further keeping her eyes on Eponine.

"Are you calling me weak and uneducated? My reading has got loads better now, you know? And I can add up. I could always read, no mistakes, you know? I am not that stupid. Where I were from, I were proper clever." She says, disgruntled.

Any other day of the week Harley would have called her out on that and point out all the mistakes she made in her life just for the bits that Harley had known her, but today wasn't about that so she bit her tongue and tried to sooth her.

"I don't mean that YOU are weak and stupid. I mean that they think you are. And that's why they come down on you so hard. They want to put you in your place."

"Yeah, well. I'm fe- " She catches herself before she says anything else stupid. "I'm feeling that I have learned my lesson. I am scum, in jail, a criminal, all the rest of it. I will shut up and keep my head away." She rolls her eyes.

Harley smirked "Sarcasm is an art form isn't it?"

Still they had gotten off track hadn't they?

"So you understand why you're in here but that still leaves what you're going to do to improve your life once you're out. Simply being quiet and following the rules won't be enough. I mean you can sit in Eva's empty apartment all you want but that's not gonna help you grow up to be a stronger woman."

She doesn 't answer Harley's first comment. She is desperate not to make the guards cross or give them reason to think that she is not conforming to the status quo.

"I am going to follow the rules and train and win an arena all by myself."

Harley shook her head gently.

"You misunderstand me. I don't mean long term goals. What short term goals are going to help you to get there? How can you change as a person to be better? You already know following the rules and training physically. What else do you think you need to work on?"

"Keeping my mouth shut. And..."

She swallows, hard. "And letting Eva go. Just forgetting her, I suppose."

Her voice wobbles, just a bit, though she tries to control herself. "She is just trouble. And perhaps I should hate her for causing me such trouble. I don't know. Perhaps I do hate her."

"BZZZZT wrong." Harley admonished with a loud buzzer noise and shaking her head.

"Eva was a huge part of your life. Whatever bad things she did she changed you for the better. If you completely let go and forget about her that's disrespecting her and you."

Leaning forward Harley's voice dropped into a softer tone "I didn't mean to say you have to leave Eva behind. I mean that you need to move on and take with you the lessons you've learned. But don't let your memories hold you back or you'll only live in the past wallowing in all the mistakes you made and people you've lost."

By god if it killed her she would make this kid a better person if only out of respect for Eva and the thrill of a challenge.

She nodded. She could understand that. But at the same time, it hurt her a lot to remember. Perhaps it would be best to let Eva go, just a little bit?

"I think you should take those tattoos back, Harley." She said, heavily. "They're on the side in my room. On top of the big pile of books - they're Eva's. But you can take them. Please."

Harley smiled and nodded.

"Alright I'll do that for you, and you promise me you're not gonna give up on this self improvement schtick. We may have had our history together but if I can turn over a new leaf so can you. And maybe this leaf won't have so many bugs!"

The metaphor was weak at best but she added "And I'll even leave you a little gift so you have something to look forward to when you get home."

The "Gift" would be a terracotta cat head with instructions to take the packet of seeds and spread them carefully over the cat's head. Water once a day and eventually a lush green mane of green grass would grow around the cat's face.

Yes, Harley thought a Chia Pet was an appropriate reward for someone getting out of prison.

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