[ All at once, Éponine is a child again. She fairly vibrates with excitement, hands over her eyes with their bitten-down fingernails speckled with the remnants of green nail polish apparently inexpertly applied some time last month. Through them - through the gaps between her fingers, with the amount of peeking she inevitably does - she can see that the light is off and that a soft orange glow colours the air in its place.
She perhaps hasn't had all the opportunities another her age might have taken for granted, but she is by no means stupid. She prides herself on that much. The sound of a cigarette lighter is unmistakeable, and all the evidence seems to point in one direction.
The thing is, it's been such a long time since her birthday mattered at all that even she's forgotten what day it is.
She could recite it, of course, if called upon to. And she always remembers Azelma's, because who else will? But even if she was asked right now it would take its being pointed out for her to realise that oh. That's today, isn't it.
For the hundredth time she rises up onto her tiptoes - down, back up again, she walks barefoot so much that somehow she just seems more steady that way. Teeth chew in excited agitation at chapped, smiling lips. ]
[ This is the beautiful part of being stuck with clerical work at various volunteer stations. It is an unfortunate circumstance of their system. He may have the knowledge for other tasks, but not the qualification. He looks at a lot of birthdays.
Realizing that Eponine's was only around the corner with no plans to celebrate? Of course he had to take matters into his own hands.
He keeps the cake carefully balanced and walks closer to her. He doesn't want to get too close. With the bouncing, he's almost afraid her hair might catch in the cake. All they needed was her celebration to literally end up in flames. ]
Now you can look.
[ Oh, and he fully intends on singing. Just you wait, Eponine. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
She perhaps hasn't had all the opportunities another her age might have taken for granted, but she is by no means stupid. She prides herself on that much. The sound of a cigarette lighter is unmistakeable, and all the evidence seems to point in one direction.
The thing is, it's been such a long time since her birthday mattered at all that even she's forgotten what day it is.
She could recite it, of course, if called upon to. And she always remembers Azelma's, because who else will? But even if she was asked right now it would take its being pointed out for her to realise that oh. That's today, isn't it.
For the hundredth time she rises up onto her tiptoes - down, back up again, she walks barefoot so much that somehow she just seems more steady that way. Teeth chew in excited agitation at chapped, smiling lips. ]
Now? Can I look now?
no subject
Realizing that Eponine's was only around the corner with no plans to celebrate? Of course he had to take matters into his own hands.
He keeps the cake carefully balanced and walks closer to her. He doesn't want to get too close. With the bouncing, he's almost afraid her hair might catch in the cake. All they needed was her celebration to literally end up in flames. ]
Now you can look.
[ Oh, and he fully intends on singing. Just you wait, Eponine. ]