WELCOME TO NOTT!

[abraxasmods]

WELCOME TO NOTT!

Welcome to Nott! A blend of old world Thorne and new world industrialism, densely packed wooden buildings surround a section of ancient stone architecture at the lake’s edge. The city rises up against the horizon and is easily seen from a distance, lacking any farmland or outposts around it to distract the eye.

The city gates are wide open. Whatever may be happening back at the Thornean capitol, there’s no obvious hint of it here. Busy citizens are going about their day, guards in local uniform patrol the streets with little urgency, and no alarm bells or horns are sounding. It appears,at least on the surface, as though no one is concerned about escaped prisoners here.

But it certainly is a bustling place! Sounds and smells assault the senses right from the gate. The streets are filled with vendors and panhandlers and criers shouting out deals and directions and soliciting money, hawking food and services and shops. There seems to be a tavern or a public house on almost every corner. A cool wind comes off the lake and the scent of the fish market carries through the city. People are everywhere and no one seems to notice or care that much about strangers - aside from wanting their coin.

It’s the perfect place to hide out from Thorne while staying within Thorne’s borders.

Within a few hours of arrival a city guard will approach each escapee from Thorne - regardless of what their standing was back at the castle - to politely inform them that Lord of Representatives Lyle Vela would be happy to receive them at the House of the Lords at any time today. Each character will be given a handwritten invitation marked with an official seal that gives directions to the House of the Lords, a sprawling Old Nott building on the lake that overlooks the city. The invitation is of course optional and there are no repercussions for declining.

Comments

[gardienne]

“Because everyone always does in the end.”
It’s not self pitying. It’s resignation to her unpopularity.

“And truly Susan, I don’t want it to be you. But it will be, because that’s how it is. I’ll send you mad or angry and you’ll wish you’d chosen someone else. Someone better than me”

[girl_at_the_window]

Some of them aren't the greatest people. And Roland's voice, at the back of her mind: Ye've seen evil, but this Flagg is a step beyond. Gods, she wishes it had been anyone else. She wishes she didn't have to feel like a traitor both ways, for trusting Nadine the one way, and Roland the other. She wishes, almost, that she and Roland had passed each other by at the execution, and she could look at Nadine and smile without feeling she's lying.

Ye chose this. Insisted on it. She has to keep reminding herself of that. Nobody made her be here, nobody but herself. She clears her throat, takes a long drink of the beer in front of her. It tastes terrible.

"'Ponine will, though," she says, quietly. She's got something of a measure of her friend, by now - enough to know she's not the forgiving type. "She's had it hard, too, ye ken that, and... well." And she's like a dog that's been kicked one too many times. Sometimes she'll cringe away, sometimes she'll turn and bite. It feels disloyal to admit to that failing in her friend, but it's not as though it's hard to spot, and Nadine must know it, too. And it's reason enough to explain her hesitation, while she gathers herself to be less suspicious. "But it'll come right, won't it? I'll stick by her, and Julie's got Lloyd, so they're neither of them settlin' alone."

Not that she's sure, from the little time she's spent with Lloyd, that he's much of an improvement on alone.

"How about ye? I've hardly seen 'ee since we arrived. Are ye settling well?"

[girl_at_the_window]

Roland, she thinks at once, of course. I'll wish I'd chosen Roland.

And then she rebels against that thought, with a fury that overwhelms doubt. Fuck that. She isn't buying into this. She won't let Eponine sell herself so cheap, not like this. She grabs the other girl's bony shoulders, holding her eyes, and there's a sharp intensity in her look.

"Ye listen to me, Eponine. That ain't how this goes. I don't care how many times it's gone that way for 'ee before, that ain't how it goes now. I won't hate 'ee, no matter how angry I get. I don't hate easy." And that's true, she realises; it's why it comes so deep and so all-encompassing when she does hate someone. She gets angry, sure, gets to dislike folk, but hate? Hate's a strong thing, and one she's only ever saved for those who killed what she loved. "So ye quit that talk, alright? I'm your friend whether ye want it or no, and ye're stuck with me, so ye are. Aught else, we'll just... we'll take as it comes."

[nadine_he_loves]

"Yeah, I know how Eponine's had it. There's a reason I look out for her. I don't expect them to ever get along, but as long as they don't brawl with each other, I'll take it as a win. And you're right, Julie has Lloyd and Lloyd...he's a really good guy."

Quite possibly the best of them, really. Even if he doesn't see it, he has a good heart. He's carrying more guilt than she is, and he's done far less to be guilty about.

"And I know, I've been pretty missing in action lately, but...it's been a long time since I could even talk privately with my husband. We've had a lot to catch up on. And I didn't want to spend much time out in public until I could hide..." She gestures to where her horns are, hidden beneath the kerchief holding her hair back. "Didn't want to draw unnecessary attention."

[nadine_he_loves]

"I have more than enough room in my heart for you both, I promise. You need me, too."

There is no capacity when it comes to Nadine's affection and devotion to the young. Her heart has no boundaries there.

"Oh...Eponine, thank you." There's an immediate impulse to deny the gift, to tell Eponine it would be better served sold, but...they have ways of making money. They aren't hurting at the moment and she understands that the giving of a gift is an important thing. Especially from someone who doesn't have much.

"It's beautiful. And it's not sausage, but..." She offers her bag of salted crabs towards the young woman.

[gardienne]

Eponine's never given a present before. She has an immediate sense to pull the necklace back from Nadine, to hide it in her skirts and run with it. Her fingers tighten around it before she looses it into Nadine's palm.
"Will you wear it?" she asks, anxiously.
Surely Nadine likes it? Surely she's not just saying it? If she wears it, she likes it. If it's shoved in a pocket... well, Eponine will just have to steal it back and get that sausage after all.

She wrinkles her nose at the crabs, but takes one anyway, and eats it. Who is she to turn her nose up at any form of food.
"They are not a nice thing, Nadine. I'd rather swallow mud again than those things. What is it?"

[gardienne]

Eponine's never had a friend. Never had someone that is never going to hate her, no matter how horrible she is. Well, perhaps Azelma, but she is so stupid, she hardly counts.
Now that she's got one though, in Susan, she doesn't know what to do or what to say.

How are you a friend?

So Eponine just nods. She doesn't know what else to do

[princessvegas]

[ Julie, on the other hand, deeply enjoys walking through the waves as they rush up the shore and then ebb back out. She can swim, and it's only because they don't seem to have swimsuits here that she's not out in the water. Eponine speaks and Julie looks up from the surf, her face immediately falling into an expression of pure disgust.

Water flows around her ankles and seagulls squawk in the distance. ]

If it weren't for me, your rancid frog ass would still be back in Thorne. So shut the fuck up before I put you in the water and hold you under 'til the bubbles stop.

[gardienne]

You?

[Eponine laughs loudly and bitterly.]

All you did was have me locked away again. You know they starved me in there, don’t you? You fought me for my bun that you stole and then the guards find it funny to starve me? You nearly killed me. What should Nadine have said to you then, when you killed her favourite?

[Eponine spits hard on the sand.]

I hoped your horse would buck and dash you beneath its paws. Any creature with more sense would have.

[princessvegas]

Bitch, who the fuck do you think got that horse you rode in? Nadine? She don't even know how to ride, let alone tack a horse up. You'da never got outta Thorne without me. And it ain't my fault that you don't know how to stay outta trouble.

[ When Eponine calls herself Nadine's "favorite", Julie cracks up with cruel laughter that she seems to be genuinely enjoying. ]

Her favorite? Sorry to be the one to burst your bubble, but Nadine would forget you even existed if Flagg told her to. She'd murder you in cold blood if he even hinted at it. Ask her what happened in Boulder, if you don't believe me. Ask her what she did. Now fuck off before I see fit to break your nose again.

[gardienne]

Susan got it. Susan did. She said - she promised she would. So don't you take the charm for somat that you didn't do. That is an idiot as well as a horror.

[But it's Julie's words that come next that shut Eponine up. She comes closer. She shakes her head, unsure at first, but then defiantly.]

No. No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't forget me. She wouldn't kill me. She is an angel, a good person, and I shan't have you speaking ill of her.You are a lying bitch if you think so. And worse if you say so.

[All the while, Eponine's been coming closer to Julie. She bends to pick up a handful of sand, her only defence, and throws it hard at Julie.]

You ought to be caned for all you have done, you know? Not sand in your eyes.

[princessvegas]

Susan rode it, sure, but I'm the one who was in the stables. You don't know jack shit about anything, so you should stop talkin' outta the side of your neck.

[ Julie's smile is mean, so mean and so sadistic, and she shrugs. ] Like I said, ask her 'bout Boulder. She puts on a real nice show, but she ain't no better than the rest of us. Worse, probably -- I know I never blew up a buncha people.

[ The sand comes at her and she dodges it easily, jumping to the side, but her face immediately gets hard again when she looks back at Eponine. Her voice lowers to a dangerous silky smooth, like a tiger coiling its muscles to pounce. ]

I already fucked you up once, whore. There ain't any guards here to save your ass this time.

[gardienne]

Blew up -

[Eponine shakes her head.]

You're lying. She wouldn't. She couldn't. Why would she? That is a stupid lie to tell and you're an idiot for saying it. My Nadine shouldn't do something so wicked and you know it.

[The sand hadn't worked as well as Eponine had hoped. She takes a step back, out of Julie's reach.]

Call me a whore if you will, Miss. At least it were an honest living. At least they wanted me. Who should want you, with such a ratty wig as yours, and such a big nose? Perhaps that is it? You are so mad with me because you are cross for my good looks to your party ones?

[princessvegas]

Why? Because Flagg told her to, duh. She went to Boulder to spy on 'em like he said, and then he decided it was time for 'em to die. She blew 'em sky high. Like I said, ask her yourself. Don't forget, only one of us knew her before Thorne. I know all about Nadine Cross.

[ Julie starts to walk toward Eponine with the cool confidence of someone who has already beaten the hell out of her and is willing to do it again. She's not insecure about her looks, so it's easy for her to ignore the childish insults. Especially now that Eponine's own nose is crooked and ugly. ]

Men'll fuck anything with a hole, don't let it go to your head. I got a man, and I can get a new one tomorrow if I want. You have to get on your back for any toothless bum that waves a dollar at you. We ain't the same, honey.

Now hold still if you wanna die quick.

[gardienne]

No. No, you're wrong. You're lying. You're making it up.Nadine wouldn't. She is too good.

[But there's something niggling in Eponine's mind. If Nadine, if Flagg, were so good, why would they want her? Nobody good would actually want her... so maybe? Maybe they really were bad?
Her little world, the narrative that she'd built in her head, of Nadine and Flagg, doting parents, and herself their daughter, clever and quick, starts to crumble. They've brought her here to thieve for them, and when they're sick of her, they'll kill her. Duh.

Eponine wipes her rough sleeve over her eyes fiercely, determined not to let Julie see her cry.
She keeps moving backwards though, up, away from the water, trying to keep the distance between them the same. At Julie's insults though, she laughs.]

Miss, I have had the grandest men in Paris in my hole. I have had their beds. And you have a man what looks like he lost a fight with a cat. At least my 'Parnasse were the most handsome in all of Paris. And M'sieur Marius, he were the other. Your mangy dog shouldn't hold a candle to either of my loves. So yes, yes you are right. We ain't the same. I spread my legs for beauty and money. And you? You give yourself for free to whatever will take such a disgusting animal as you.

[princessvegas]

I ain't makin' up shit. Nadine killed tons o' people. I heard she mighta even killed a deaf guy. Not that it's any big loss, he sucked anyway.

[ Julie seems to be delighting in how upset Eponine is getting, sneers at her tears. How stupid she must be, Julie thinks, to think that just because someone's nice, they're incapable of doing bad things. "Nice" people are often the worst people, using all that kindness as a cover for their horrible deeds.

There's no pause in Julie's step -- she continues to push Eponine back, away from the waves. ]

Oh, that's what you wanna talk about, callin' Flagg's right hand man ugly? The man who's been takin' care of Nadine all this time, that's who you wanna insult? You look like a skeleton. Your teeth are 'bout rotted right outta your head. Your hair is disgusting, it's so ratted up and dirty. You smell like fuckin' garbage. You're a liar, and you're dumb as a sack of hair. You had Nadine bringin' you food in the dungeon and you still tried to fuck the guards for more because you're so low. So let me do the world a favor and put you down.

[ And then she starts to run at Eponine, leaving her shoes on the sand. ]

[gardienne]

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Eponine shouts back. "I - I don't care. I don't care what you or Flagg or your mangy fellow or even Nadine does. I don't care about Susan. I don't care about any of you. You could all die for all I care."

She glares at Julie, hatred in her eyes. The insults sting, but worse is the rumour. She's heard people whispering about her, of course, but it's not nice to have it thrown at her.

"Come any closer, Julie, and I shall run my knife through you. I swear. Leave me alone!"

[souille]

She'd briefly considered getting a proper job when she first arrived in Nott, but had discounted the idea pretty quickly, and shakes her head at the prospect now.

"No. It feels too permanent, you know? We escape from prison, just get a job and settle down and pretend we belong here? It doesn't feel right. I'm not planning to become a part of this society, but I'll take what I need from it to get by."

[abraxasnpcs]

I see. An unfortunate welcome. But a great many things are unfortunate in this day and age. I appreciate you taking your time to meet with me. If you have any questions about the city, now is the time to ask them.

[abraxasnpcs]

You and half our citizens. I'm afraid steady employment isn't abundant here. But day work is always available at the docks. Most inns of any substance have stables attached.

[Lyle opens a drawer in his desk and takes out a small slip of paper with something already scrawled on it.]

Here. Take this two doors down to the small open office with the elderly woman. Give her this and she'll give you a queenie for your time. And don't worry about the capitol. We'll deal with that if the time comes.

[abraxasnpcs]

Don't take offense but I've spoken with others that the capitol jailed. And I have spent time at the castle. What did you do to earn that? You won't be punished here for it but I do need to know. I can't have any surprises with the risk we're taking to shelter you.

[The door opens and a young man in servant's clothing brings in a platter of cold meat and cheese and fruits. It's set down on the desk before the servant scurries back out again without a word.]

[princessvegas]

[ That hatred is met only with cold indifference as Julie stops just outside of arm's reach. She doesn't hate Eponine -- she doesn't care about Eponine outside of vague disgust about her general existence. Julie's eyes glint, calculating, and she cocks her head to one side. ]

You gon' listen next time I tell you to fuck off?

[gardienne]

[Eponjne, slightly ungratefully, wrinkles her nose. Then she grabs for the cheese, stuffing a piece into her mouth. She’d hoped for hot but who is she to say no?
She uses the time it takes her to chew to think what she’ll say.]

I escaped to that city. Hid in the mines and took their axes and their stupid rocks, Sir.

[She’s going to conveniently forget that she picked pockets and stole sweets from the guards.]

And then, Miss Julie - now she is a horrid one. She is one what you ought to send away. Anyway, she hits me to steal my bun - only a bun did they feed us - and so I shouted to her and la - they don’t like me already, them guards, for who should like to be outsmarted by me? But so - they pull her off me and throw us both to the cell by ourselves. Already in there, it is scraps. Like the jails in Paris, Sir - scraps as to a dog. And now even less they give me.

[She watched him carefully as she prattles, fingers slowly closing round strawberries and whisking them into her pockets in a manner she hopes he doesn’t notice. The last thing she wants is to exhange one jail cell for another. He might not send her back but he’s not said about letting her free.]

[souille]

Abigail jolts a little, suddenly very self-conscious, not liking anyone to see her when she's let her guard down like this. She wipes her eyes on the back of her hand, attempting a reassuring smile that probably doesn't look convincing at all.

"Sorry, I-- I didn't mean to disturb you."

[gardienne]

[Eponine shakes her head.] I don't understand you, Julie. You are mad at me because you pushed me away from my food and I answered back. You try to murder me over a bun and a bit of cheese? You are fat enough anyway not to fight for such a thing. And yet, it's me what is the whore, the devil, the little shit?

[It's a good thing that Julie believes Eponine has a knife. She doesn't - but maybe stealing a little dagger would be a good investment. She cocks her head to one side.]

You know a man what visited me in prison? He has paid me to kill you, you know? You are not so well liked as you think. And me, not so bad, for here you are, still breathing such rancid breath to the air.