Backdate to beginning of the month - closed to Eponine

[knowntohisfriends]

The Dodger knew most of the good fences in London, and a few of the bad ones an' all. He knew when to try to flog an item himself, when to pass it on, and when someone was clearly trying to sell him something they'd nick previously. It was a handy skill, especially when you wanted to annoy someone at one of the markets. Mostly he didn't care, because why should he, but occasionally he would have a nosy.

Today was one of those days he felt like he might stick his nose in. Depended on what happened, really

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[melancolique]

Eponine has to wait until the sun fades before she can leave her tomb. She waits near the entrance of her tomb, watching for the sky to turn pink dusky. Then she leaves.

She hurries through the streets, her hoodie pulled up over her hair, and long straggles falling in her face. She pushes through crowds commuting home, all the time fighting her hunger and her desire to bite.

Eventually, though, she reaches her destination. It's a gloomy street in Hackney; the street lights have been shot out. Glass litters the pavement. Shop windows are boarded up. There's even a burned out car further down the road. Youths on bikes huddle under street lights, shouting abuse at one another and catcalling at Eponine when she appears.

For now though, it doesn't deter her. She heads for her destination, a tiny pawn shop next to an alley opening. She ducks in, and makes her way to the counter.

"Please. I have a phone. Didn't I swear I'd find you a phone?" She asks the man behind the counter.

She places Imogen's rose gold iPhone on the counter, before opening her palm and holding it out. "My money, if you please, Sir."

[knowntohisfriends]

The pawn shop happens to be run by a friend of the old crook's, and one who happens to owe him money. The Dodger is there to collect, and jumps up to sit on the counter when he enters.

"You got what you owe then?" He speaks to the man, then glances down at the iPhone, before looking at Eponine.

"Hope you cleared the memory. Heard they can track those things now."

[melancolique]

"Dunno," Eponine looks up at the lad sat on the counter. "It turned off, won't work. I don't care anyway."

Why would she care if the memory was wiped or if the police would descend on the pawn shop? All she was bothered about was her money.

Well, that's all that she's bothered about until the shop owner grabs the phone off the counter, and quite quickly closes his till.

"My money," Eponine insists, jerking her hand beneath his nose. But the man shakes his head.

"No, no. You see, m'dear, the boy is right. What use is a locked phone? No money. Not until you get me a working phone. A wiped one. Now, get out of the shop, Eponine, or I'll have the beaks after you in minutes."

Whilst the man talks, Eponine's scowl deepens, and she throws a look of pure loathing at Dodger. The little idiot's done her out of some fast cash. She tries to interrupt the man, but at the mention of the police, she shuts up. The owner knows what she is, knows of her addiction, knows she's attacked people, murdered people. They could have her done for murder and then the gig would really be up. Eponine would rot, unchanging, forever, until she passed away from sheer starvation.

So she leaves quickly, silently.

But Eponine doesn't go far. She waits in the alley, and as soon as Dodger comes out of the shop, he is yanked into the alley too.

"Hand it over, kid." Eponine growls.

[knowntohisfriends]

The Dodger is not pleased about being yanked, and pulls on his jacket to try to get the creases out of it. He looks up at the threat and there's a moment because he just laughs.

"Bugger off," he says. "More than my life's worth to be just handin' over money what ain't even mine."

[melancolique]

"You lost me my wages." She squares up to Dodger.

"I need the money. You owe me. Twenty... twenty pounds. Come on. Pay it.I could have had twenty for that phone before you opened your mouth."

[knowntohisfriends]

"You mean loot. Selling what you stole for money ain't wages, it's loot." There's a look of annoyance on his face, clearly not enjoying having to explain this to - what he assumes is - yet another newcomer to the thieving game.

"An' again: bugger off. Ain't my money, an' I ain't goin' back without it."

[melancolique]

"Does it matter for the word you use?" Eponine throws her hands up, completely impatient. "You lost me my loot, my wage, the phone, all of it, you little creature. I need the money, for there are people I must pay. What am I to tell them? A child has lost me the money for it opened it's mouth in stupidity? NO!"

She goes to push Dodger's shoulders. "Twenty pounds. Now."

[knowntohisfriends]

"No, you tell 'em you lost the money 'cause you didn't think the wipe the phone because tryin' to give it to a fence," the Dodger replied. "Minute he got into that and saw it filled with it, you would have been gettin' nothin'. Fence's gotta keep 'emselves safe, you get that?"

He steps away. "So no, you ain't gettin' nothin' off me. You want money, you need to go learn how to actually thieve." He shook his head. "Insult to hose of us what have been learned in the arts."

[melancolique]

Eponine scowls. "I have been thieving longer than you can think on," she mutters. She's never bothered to wipe phones she's stolen before: the dealer has always done that. Never once has it been an issue until this smart-mouthed child came along.

She backs off though, folding her arms around her skinny middle. "I should watch it. There are them what are more dangerous than I, boy. It is their money you have lost, and they might come after you for it."

After they have beaten Eponine and denied her her fix until she's come up with another way to pay the debt she owes already. Eponine already knows how that will end, but it doesn't mean that she has to like it.

"Your cockiness will get you killed, you know. It got -" Her voice catches. It got Gavroche. All that time ago, and the memory of him still makes her regret his death. "You should keep people like me onside, boy. Women like me, we bring trouble when we are wronged."

[knowntohisfriends]

"An' they'll need to deal with the people what this money belongs to," the Dodger replies with a tilt of his head. Oh dear, it's one of these days, isn't it? Fagin sure knew how to pick his ... outside brokers was the phrase he was using these days.

"Got someone like you on side. An' they'll box me ears if I don't keep things straight."

[melancolique]

"Well, p'raps I should box your ears now?" Eponine threatens. Perhaps Dodge should be worried? She's a lot stronger than she looks.

She closes in again on Dodger. "Look - it is worth fifty. Give me fifty and thieve the rest. I need it now. I don't have time for more thieving right now."

[knowntohisfriends]

"Better people th'n you have been doin' that fer too long." He would be worried, honestly he would, but he grew up with Fagin and Sikes. Threats are just a thing that happen to him, and pain is also just a thing that happens to him. The Dodger's life, what even is it?

"It ain't worth shit if it ain't wiped, an' what makes you think I got the time to go lifting?"