Posted by Civilian Halai Cosgrove (Head of Science and Terraforming) in Maza’s Kitchen- Lunch

Posted by Civilian Astrid Rousseau (Head of the Judicial System) in Maza’s Kitchen- Lunch

Posted by Civilian Halai Cosgrove (Head of Science and Terraforming) in Maza’s Kitchen- Lunch
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“I think they will be. My brother and I love each other very much, but we aren’t as close as my little sister and I. I practically raised her the last years of our lives in New France and was her only family in San Fransisco, Earth. I think we all feel pretty lucky that we are no longer on New France and have lives of our own. No matter what comes our way, we will always be there for one another.”

Astrid Rousseau

Halai nodded, ignoring the pang of both longing and guilt she felt. Soon though, soon she would remedy at least one of those. “What are they up to these days now that yo have all gone in your own directions?” she asked curiously.

~Halai Cosgrove

She sensed the longing in her friend and a touch of the guilt too and wondered at it. Astrid had not grown up on Betazed so she was not much into prying into peoples affairs on the level that is common for the Betazoid people. “Oh. Matthieu is in Star Fleet Command working on things he can’t talk about. He seems very at home there and he is well liked and hard working. My sister Marguerite is currently serving on the USS Europa as an Ensign in the Science Department. She graduated last year with distinction. Her specialty is biology and biochemistry. Given that so much of her family is in law or government, it is a wonder her love for science was not stifled.”

Astrid was obviously proud of both of her siblings, but was especially so for Marguerite. Matti had left them… for his own sanity, sure, but he had left them and there was still some resentment on Astrid’s part for having been made to be the responsible one. She knew and understood his reasons, but it didn’t make her life or Margie’s any easier.

Rousseau, HotJ

Halai smiled. “Oh, when you really love something, you find a way to pursue it, even when those around you have zero interest in it. At least that is what I’ve observed,” she remarked.

Astrid grimaced behind the glass she drank from. It was more that her father was overbearing in his need for his children to rise up as his prodigies. The fact that Astrid had been able to shield Margie from most of that pressure was nothing short of a miracle, but even this story was a bit too much for someone she was just meeting.

“What made you go into law?” she asked Astrid curiously. At this point she had been enjoying their lunch a great deal and while not all the topics were lightheartedly, she appreciated that Rousseau didn’t shy away too terribly from getting into deeper things. She was already of a mind to ask her come over for dinner at some point.

~Halai Cosgrove

“My father was a lawyer and rose as a political figure on New France. I used to sit in his study and read his latest cases or his law books. I was the one child that his passion really was imparted on. As I grew older, he would quiz me about how I would defend or prosecute a case. There were lots of evening hypothetical cases as our bonding time. After my mother died, he sort of forgot about that. He became more political, less lawyer.” Astrid frowned. There was a sadness to her expression.

Ï did not follow that particular passion. That at least my brother did.”

Astrid Rousseau, HotJ

Halai understood, or at least in part. It wasn’t the same, but once again she found symmetry between her and Astrid’s stories. “May I ask about your mother?” she asked softly, not wanting to make Astrid upset, but wanting her to know she understood. “I lost mine when I was ten.”

~Halai Cosgrove

Ï am sorry.” She responded with genuine sympathy. Ï lost my mother when I was young as well, 13. Her and my brother Rene in a shuttle explosion. I think that really was what tore my family apart, or at least started the cut that would eventually tear when my father brought home a new wife and her son. He had not talked with us about it. We had never met her and sad to say, she did not engender kindness or goodwill among the remaining children when she did come into our lives.”

“I remember my mother so much. She was so gentle and kind. I think if she had lived, our family would have been very different.”

Astrid Rousseau, HotJ