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((SB 118 – New Orléans Sector – Terrace of the Café des 2 Moulins / 2 Windmills Café))
::Léa had spent the past thirty minutes trying to find differences between this space version of an iconic café, and its real version in Paris. As far as she could tell, it was an exact replica, with a red shopfront, complete with a 'rue Lepic' street sign, which she found quite charming.::
::What killed the illusion were all the buildings beyond the terrace, as they bore no resemblance with what existed in the rue Lepic. For example, facing her, there was a Cardassian 'gift shop for the home'. She would have thought that within Starfleet, people replicated everything they needed, but it looked like there existed a trend for possessing decorative items bought in shops.::
::It was a nice store, until someone she recognized from the Astrolabe was ejected from it. He then rushed to grab a chair from a pub next door and smashed it into the largest window. Security intervened at that point, and two minutes later the lunatic was taken away, shouting insults until they shoved him into a turbolift, where more security officers were waiting.::
::While she was observing the accident, Romain had arrived. He kissed her and sat down, looking impressed by the décor.::
Romain: I should have known you'd have gone for a rustic style. I tried two other cafés, more exclusive, before I made it to this area. Do they also speak French in here?
::Léa nodded her head, convinced that it could have been her in that Cardassian shop. These days, it took very little for her to lose her temper. A snigger, prices too high for her wallet, queues... and there she went, protesting and screaming, wanting to steal and break everything around her.::
Léa: We need to talk Romain. I can't continue like this. We have surrounded ourselves with ugly things, and it's turning us into ugly people too. How long do you think it will take before we become like the Thénardiers? You know, abject and cheating all the time... Life didn't use to be so mean.
Romain: ::He took a sip of her café noir and smiled.:: Don't be ridiculous. For a start those Thénardiers are fictitious characters, and they were truly repulsive! The scum-of-the-Earth-type-of-family. We are not like that at all.
Léa: Said the man who, tonight, plans to find a lonely married woman, lure her into a bed and then blackmail her. We are already grotesque.
Romain: Said the woman who wants to possess her own ship and business. You don't get those things by twiddling your thumbs.
Léa: That's why I want out.
Romain: ::After a long silence.:: Out as in... leaving me?
::She observed him carefully, wondering for a moment if she had not fallen into a trap, set out by him, to push her into breaking their relationship. So it was with relief that she saw he looked suitably livid.::
Léa: Don't be silly. I'm speaking of leaving the Astrolabe. There's always plenty of prospect elsewhere for engineers.
Romain: I know that. Yet think of the money we'll make once we've delivered those medicines! Are we really prepared to quit, so close to our destination?
Léa: You've not listened to me Romain. This life is destroying us.
::He took her hand and squeezed it gently.::
Romain: Let's treat 118 like a holiday and think if over, okay?
::Their commbadges chirped at the same time.::
Klart: =\/= Attention, crew! This is Commander Klart of the freighter
Astrolabe. You are hereby ordered to report immediately to the
Astrolabe for an emergency meeting. Repeat: Report IMMEDIATELY to the
Astrolabe! Klart out. =\/=
Léa: ::With a firm tone of voice.:: I'm not going back there.
Romain: Come on, Léa, it's just for a meeting. Who knows, maybe the news are good?
Léa: A Ferengi, with good news?
Romain: You have a point. Yet it won't hurt to hear what he has to say. And if we don't like it, we walk off.
::Moments later they were on their way to the docking ring, walking hand in hand, like they didn't have a care in the galaxy.::
tbc
MSNPCs Ensigns Romain and Léa Deschamps
Engineers
Independent Freighter Astrolabe
As simmed by Lt Cmdr Brek, CDO, SB118
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