In the rain - tag: Azelma and Open.

[eponine]

It was quiet. Quiet as it usually was at night with nothing but the stars and dim lamp lights to guide you in the darkness. The rain pitter-pattered against the pavement so quick that the droplets made it look like silver. It was funny how every little thing in France could look like something totally different come nightfall. Everything always seemed more tranquil, more peaceful and even brighter to the minds senses at night. She had been seated underneath a small arch in the window of an abandoned building. One with a roof to keep the harsh rain from soaking her to the bone, especially in this damp and cool time of night. Eponine's brown eyes shone within the reflection of moonlight and the sparkle of stars as if alive with hope. Hope that maybe someday she'd escape this...Hell that her parents had caused for her, Gavroche and her sister. Azelma was her biggest concern when it came to protecting any of her siblings. Gavroche was as sly as a fox and just as resourceful as his older sister so she had not much to worry about with him.

Her thin fingers clung onto a small apple and the brunette brought it to her mouth to take a large bite. Food, food was hard to come by these days and it only became harder with her parents reputation. They had wanted her to fake sickness or steal someone's purse just so they could get satisfaction for their situation. What exactly was their situation? They were the most ungrateful and cruel people the young woman had ever known. How could they cheat, steal and lie their way through the world without getting what was coming to them? Eventually though her only wish was for them to experience karma.

She swallowed the apple and took another bite, happy to please her hungry stomach from growling. It was nice to get time to herself even if Marius and her allies were the only ones truly involved in her life she secretly relished the time with him more than the others. Being on her own also gave her a few moments to reflect on what the day had brought her before she wound down for the night. A street girl, was that what some of the people referred to her as? Was she as ugly and dirty as they had perceived her to be? Her confidence usually dropped tenfold when it came to Marius. If he ever asked her, she would be his.

"What's the matter with you 'Ponine?" the small girl spoke quietly to herself as if in a whisper she hoped no one would hear. "Tell him. Tell him how you long to feel his touch...how you long to at least say something!" her hand tucked a piece of wet dark hair behind her ear and finally her apple was finished.

Her eyes peered around to look for her sister as this was the usual spot where they would meet and collect each other's feelings for the day. Was that what bonding was? Was this what it was like to be normal?

Eponine had never thought herself to be above anyone else and had always stayed true to herself. If anything, the tomboy was more humble and caring than most. Even the boys appreciated her because not only was she that but also courageous and quick witted.

"Azelma?" her voice louder now.

[azelma]

Azelma had just given the gold pocket watch to her father; her hand was still wrapped in ripped piece of cloth. She wandered the streets her bare feet making no sound. Azelma still hadn’t eaten and it didn’t bother for that much. She was used to being the hungry one. Everything Azelma wore was ragged and didn’t fit but it was just her way of looking. Her brunette hair hung around her shoulders in matted curls. She didn’t have a pride in herself or her appearance anymore.

Azelma had headed towards the square before her father could send her on another job, hit her or insult her anymore. After her run in earlier with Javert Aze was on edge she knew what would happen if she was ever caught what puzzled her was the gentleman who had helped her escape this morning.

Aze sighed and stared up at the sky as she walked sometimes she wished that she could be like Eponine and be strong but she was always going to be the girl who let others walk right over her she always had been the weak one the one who would never be able to make a life on her own she struggled with forming relationships.

Azelma almost jumped out of her skin as she heard her sisters voice in the dark, she calmed her breath and looked at her sister walking closer to her “ Eponine “ her voice was soft in the dark as she walked until she was facing her sister. “ Sorry I have a habit of sneaking up on people when img thinking” Azelma tugged at the makeshift bandage around her hand as she watched her elder sister carefully she wished sometimes that she could be more like her siblings not care about what parents thought of her or what they wanted her to do.

Her brown hair blew over her eyes in the slight wind the Smokey grey eyes that she didn’t get from anyone in her family it was something odd about Azelma. She was different from her family and she looked slightly different than her family.

[eponine]

And just like that she had been startled enough to nearly fall from the small sill but caught her balance as always. "Zelma!" the young woman whispered in a yelp. Her nails dug into the side of the sill as she finally dropped down skillfully onto the pavement below. Eponine smiled at her younger sister and had noted how different they were from each other, especially in the eyes. Two peas in a pod yet still stuck in this wretched world. When the other girl noted how she was sorry she scared her, the brunette nearly scoffed in a playful mockery. "Me? Scared?" she grinned ear to ear and avoided a broken glass bottle on the ground with her bare feet as she swiveled around it and towards her sister. Gavroche had no doubt already found himself company and a large feast so that left the two girls to fend for themselves. Like always anyway.

"I just finished this." she pointed her toes towards the apple core on the ground and gave a sad sigh and expression. "I was hungry." her shoulders slumped and shrugged as if this was a new thing for them. To tease each other, seeing how Eponine had food and Zelma had none...this was always their game. "But I suppose you deserve that..." she nudged her chin towards where she had been seated. This was part of her plan to give her sister wings so she could fly out into the world on her own. What would happen if someday the siblings weren't around each other anymore? What would happen then?

Her small hand tucked back some more of her hair behind her ears. "It's-" about to say bread Eponine immediately caught sight of the others hand and her eyebrows furrowed in both hurt and confusion. "What happened to your hand?" her fingers were careful around her partner in crime's hand ever so slightly in case it was an even worse cut. The ripped cloth was a definite alert sign in her mind and called her senses on edge once more. Her best bet was their father or one of his horrid friends.

"Zelma, what happened?" the elder Thenardier was more forceful this time but still quiet. The world would never know how much she herself cared about her sister, maybe their parents didn't give a damn...but she did.

[azelma]

Azelma grinned at her elder sister folding her arms over her chest her grey eyes flicked over the elder girl “you’re never scared I forgot” Azelma leant back slightly looking down at the floor as she took a step back the last thing she needed was to cut her small foot open on a bit of broken glass after she’d just done that too her hand. Azelma yawned and pressed her lips together her gaze resting on her feet she didn’t want to look at her sister. She always felt weak in comparison to Eponine it was just what always happened but she did love her no matter what.

Aze looked down at where her sister as pointing and she shrugged “We all are.” Aze always admired how her sister was able to find food when Aze usually couldn’t, she glanced up at where her sister directed her “its fine you eat it “Aze wasn’t really the type of person who enjoyed taking things from people who needed the food too. Aze loved her sister and couldn’t imagine her life without her.

Azelma ran her fingers in her hair before glancing at Eponine before biting her lip as her sister took her hand “Nothing i just hit it and cut it” lies... Aze knew how Eponine would react to the deep cut in her hand, she was so used to the over reaction on her sisters part, but she loved her no matter what even if she sometimes over reacted about things that happened.

“Nothing happened Eponine I swear” Aze wasn’t a very good liar that was mostly why she was silent when asked questions. She still dreamed of the days when their lives had been better. The young girl had been happier than even though she had still witnessed her mother’s cruelty she had felt loved something that she wished she felt now but she didn’t and never did.

Azelma shifted her weight from foot to foot biting her lip as she done so, what could she say other than she put her hand through a window so their father could steal something. She was always the one who did what she was told.

[eponine]

"Nothing indeed!" the young woman wanted to slap her older sister but couldn't bring herself to it. She instead paced around the pavement and shouted though quietly in French. "Vous devriez voir son visage un jour quand je le faire revenir pour ça!" Eponine exclaimed angrily. "We need to get that fixed, perhaps we can find Marius? Even Grantaire with his marriage to 'is wine bottle!" she threw her hands up in the air in both frustration and defeat. How could their parents let them amount to this? Stealing pocket watches from rich people, running around in the night and even worse. How many times had he asked her to 'sell herself' to give them money? What on earth could they need money for? Were they not in enough of a six foot dug grave as it was?

Every fiber of her being seemed to be as passionate as fire. Like some type of new emotion had ignited inside of her and now there was nothing else she could ever know except for help her sister. "The bread, Azelma. Eat it." her feet once again dodged the broken glass on the ground and she inched closer to the small nook where the bread had been wrapped up in a clean cloth. It had been so skillfully placed where it was that for sure no one would have found it even if they tried.

In almost two seconds flat her form was right back beside her sibling and her hands out stretched to give the other the bread. Her gaze suggested seriousness and even a sternness that was wise beyond her years. If Zelma was smart for sure she'd have to take such a gift. "You look like you need to eat more than a thousand meals, Oui, Lord! Take the damn food." her foot tapped impatiently but her eyes went right back to the wound on her sister's wrapped hand.

They'd do something about that soon enough. As for right now her biggest concern was the malnourished girl before her.

[azelma]

Azelma took a step back as Eponine started to go off on one. “It’s nothing honest.” Azelma took her sisters arm gently “Calm down please, I told you it’s nothing, please leave it with that.” Azelma watched as her sister as she went off on one “There’s nothing to be fixed,” the young woman’s voice was timid she didn’t like it when people got angry. She wanted a better life but was too scared of trying to get it. That was just how her life went when she had to find something to steal she saw it as doing what she was told. The young woman watched her older sister biting her lip.

“You got it, you need to eat”Azelma gave her big sister a weak smile as she watched her return to the nook and get the bread. She shifted and bit her lip. She did love her sister but sometimes her passion put the young girl on edge. Aze didn’t like being so weak that she actually did need someone to take care of her, even though she only got that from Eponine.

Aze looked at her sister her blue eyes resting on her sisters face as she looked at her and Eponine’s gaze and she shivered looking at the bread. Zelma took it and started to eat, the young girl was as hungry as she ate the bread quickly as she could as if she was scared someone was going to steal it off her before she even go the change to eat it. Azelma looked at her sister as her eyes rested on her hand “It’s nothing okay, please leave it Eponine.” She didn’t want to think about her sister’s reaction if she actually saw her hand.

Azelma rubbed her forehead as her stomach growled now that she had actually eaten something she was hungry. She looked at her sister “thank you for their bread you didn’t need to give it to me after all, you’re hungry too.”

[eponine]

Calm down? Why was Azelma such a mouse? It angered her on the inside and really ruffled her feathers that her sister couldn't stand up for herself. But was it worth scaring her? No, no it wasn't. Eponine's gaze pleaded with her dear friend's eyes and she frowned. "I didn't mean to upset you. You know I worry about you...right?" she tucked back a few strands of Azelma's hair behind the other girls ear in a comforting and maternal way. The more the other spoke the more it made her curious as to what exactly Zelma was so afraid of in the world.

"There are going to be consequences no matter what you do. Every mile that you walk, every way that you turn there is always a risk. But what is life without risks?" trying to make her see the brighter side of things and the bigger picture. Her lips upturned into a warm smile and the older Thenardier shook her head when her sister offered her some of the bread. Instead Eponine nodded her chin for the other to finish her meal.

"Had an apple." the brunette stated proudly and puffed out her chest some in a cocky manner. She was proud that a; she could fend for herself and b; her little sister was fed. This would be a nice addition of good to an otherwise lousy night.

"No stars out tonight." her voice murmured softly.