A meeting

[gardienne]

 Who: Eponine and Enjolras
What: Argot talk - or else secret languages to confuse the Capitol and a very round about way of trying to help Marius
Where: In the Common Room
When: Almost straight after Enjy's last post
Warnings: Argot? It's not swearing - it's French criminal slang. But talk of argot and talk of the Capitol and probably death...

Eponine showed up just a little bit early to her meeting with Enjolras. She had dressed in her best; a little white lace blouse and black satin shorts, with black tights and heels. Her face was made up, slightly inexpertly (she's just learning), and her hair was at least a brushed tangle. She thought she looked nice. She hoped that Enjolras would notice her effort. As gracefully as she could, she sank into a chair and asked an Avox for a bag of salt and vinegar crisps - one of her favourite new foods. And then she waited, munching steadily.

Comments

[gardienne]

"Exactly so. It sounds as if I tell you I went to school. Well, we both know this is not true. We use l'ecole to mean prison, sir."

She lowers her voice more and more as she explains so she is only just above a whisper. Eponine grins though. She loves to feel more intelligent than people. She loves having someone listen so intently.

"And there, you see? L'ecole we use for a women's prison, like la Madelonnettes, where no sentance is long. We use la College for La Force, where my Pa was, or the one where Ma is being held. They are bigger, with really bad sentances. La Madelonnettes has murderers but only on remand until there is space in La Force. 'Antan' means last year. So you see, it is a language to make us look innocent and to confuse Monsieur Javert."

[orestes]

Antan, old, yore. Her explanations were logical, and he nodded along, wishing for a scrap of paper on which he might take notes. Still, as they were attempting something to deceive the Capitol, perhaps such notes were inadvisable and it was fortunate that he was unable to take them. It really was a code, then, and he would simply have to do his best to memorize its double meanings.

How interesting that she was so fixated on Javert. Enjolras didn't know the man very much outside of his presence at the barricade, but Gavroche had known him. Perhaps his entire family had a history with their spy. And, actually, given the shockingly forthright nature of the Inspector, especially for a spy, Enjolras didn't doubt for a second that he'd be deceived by such a language.

"Antan, j'ai ete a l'ecole," he repeated softly, tapering the harsh phrasing a little bit to fit perhaps slightly better into his own voice. "Will you teach me another? Or explain more words?"

[gardienne]

"It already sounds well on you, Sir. You will be able to speak my words yet. And you can change it how you want."

The harshness suited Eponine, with her hoarse voice and unrefined manner of speaking. But, no. On Enjolras' tongue, it did not sound natural. She paused, thinking of another sentence she could say.

"Vous bonnai-je plus? Ah, mais oui. Nous allons avoir un bavarde et vous pouvez commencer a pige ce que je dit."

She grinned expectantly at Enjolras.

"Do you understand, Sir? Only - nod if you do. It is not good to say it aloud, really, or we shall be overheard and it will be no good anyway. Sir?"

And, after a slight hesitation, she leaned right over to him. One hand went to his shoulder, the other on the bar between them so that she could balance, half stood on the foot rest of the chair, to put her mouth right up to his ear.

"We must go somewhere, Sir. Where they cannot find us, for me to teach you. Or they will listen. And - I am sorry, Sir. We must pretend that we are friends - or we shall not be believed. You see that, no? That you must pretend to like me for them not to suspect us?"

(translation: Shall I tell you more? Ah, but yes. We will have a chat and you will begin to understand what I say.)

[orestes]

He nodded finding that he did understand, more or less. Some of the word were different, but if one didn't consider them literally, they fit. More or less.

"I do not have to pretend to like you, Eponine." He rose from the lounge's cushy chair, offering her his arm. "We might not know each other very well, yet, but I suspect we will when all of this is done. And remember, please use my name."