"A companion deserving of the likes of me," she scoffs, "can't imagine what they'd have done." But Eponine smiles at it nonetheless, pleased and just tipsy enough to show it.

"No, it's not," she says after a moment and looks up at him. "You feel it too? I thought at first it wasn't anything to fuss over. Food turning, crawlies where they oughtn't be. Nothing I haven't seen. But that was before all the --" She waves a hand, generally at the home, shuddering.