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[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

It had been an unnatural day. Not only long, but trying in every sense of the word. Marguerite managed to find an empty bench and thought it as good as any for a little rest. She had no place of her own to go to, and no doubt in her mind Percy would turn her away. After moving about to get comfortable she finally managed to lay her head on her puff of skirts. The un-abiding light, however, seemed to make dozing off for a short while an unbelievably difficult task to do. Finally able to set her fan up enough to block some light, she found herself dozing off.

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[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

After going on further explorations, trying to figure out just why the food never ran out, Beaufort was walking through the park, notebook and pen in hand, with his tie stuffed in his inside pocket. it was too hot for suits. Bordeaux hadn't been much different.

As he walked, he saw the wonderful woman he had been talking to earlier on and was almost lost for words when he saw her sleeping on a bench. It was not uncommon at home, what with most of Paris having decamped south, but here, where resources seemed so plentiful, he was a little shocked to see a woman of such stature sleeping on a bench. He would have thought she'd have gone to find her husband, at least. He was secretly rather pleased that she hadn't, simply because his luck might be improving at last after everything that had gone so awfully wrong with Vivienne.

He approached her carefully, considering how to approach this diplomatically, then carefully put his hand on her arm, just as she let out a slightly surprising heavy breath, "Madame. Excusez-moi, madame. This is no real place for a lady to fall asleep. Do you not have anywhere to stay yet?"

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

Marguerite been having a pleasant dream, she was at home again with Percy and they were talking to each other again. He was saying something charming like he usually did, something to make her blush. "Madame. Excusez-moi, madame." It was a French voice, "Percy, quit being silly," she smiled, opening her eyes and swatting his hand when she realized it wasn't him.

Sitting up she felt herself flush as she looked in the direction of the voice. "Oh," Marguerite said confused for a moment. "Oh heaven's me. I am," Marguerite sputtered confused. "No, I suppose it's not. No, I haven't. That scoundrel mouse thinks it's his business to put his nose into things that have nothing to do with him," she went on becoming more angry before she composed herself. "So sorry, excuse my language,"

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

Trying not to laugh quietly to himself, he offered a smile and politely removed his hand, "It is perfectly alright, you must think I'm incredibly rude, but I could not just leave you there." He raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What did the mouse do, exactly? I just thought he was here for formalities." This could be an interesting piece of information, but more than anything, he was actually concerned.

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"No, no. I appreciate it, I assure you. I must appear like a complete loon." She smiled, brushing the hair from her face. "He placed me with in the same land as Percy simply because we are married," Marguerite explained frustrated with everything. "I tried to explain that he nor I wanted to live in the same place but he thinks he knows better. It is a he, isn't it?" She asked, willing herself not to get emotional.

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

Beaufort nodded, following her attentively, not that he particuarly understood the mouse's intentions, nor why she wouldn't want to live with her husband. It worked better for him that way, anyway.

"I believe so. It is called Mickey. I also don't think you're bound to live where he tells you to. Maybe mice don't have the same sort of understanding of human relationships that we do." He never asked why she didn't want to live with him, assuming that she would tell him if she wanted to discuss it, and if she didn't, it was not a problem.

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"Oh, well that is a relief at least," she sighed. "Why should that, that, mouse based what is best for me based on what's best for my husband?" She argued becoming very frustrated with the entire situation. "I am so sorry, you are being kind and I am burdening you with my problems. For that I am truly sorry,"

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

Beaufort waved a hand, "Oh, don't apologise. I am used to dealing with much worse." Like women being murderers. "A little honesty in opinion will not go amiss, I am entirely sure. And the mouse...well, maybe he has preconcieved ideas about what makes people happy." Which makes for very interesting reading, one way or another, and that was certainly going on his list later.

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"That is very kind of you to say. I appreciate that," she smiled at him. "He is a mouse, what sort of preconceived notions could a mouse possibly have? It is preposterous is what it is!" Marguerite fumed. "Dealing with worse or not, it's very kind of you. I'm sure you have better things to be doing than listening to my problems,"

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"He talks. I think all of the rules of being a mouse can be dismissed. Maybe someone controls the mouse and has such preconcieved notions, it is difficult to say. Either way, you are quite right, it is preposterous." He was doing his best to find out, though, or to understand, "I always make a point of making time to listen to people whose company is worth it, and trust me, yours certainly is."

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps, it is quite odd don't you think that someone would pick a mouse to host us. Of all things, a large mouse? Odd that," she remarked, quite glad to have someone to talk to and actually agree with her. Marguerite felt her cheeks becoming flush at his words. "Thank you, that is," she smiled, fanning herself. "That is the sweetest thing I've heard in a very long time."

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"It hardly looks like a real mouse, at that. Like a drawing, or a cartoon...which is quite difficult for me to explain, now I think about it." He smiled, very pleased with the reaction he got, then decided it was worth attempting to explain, "They have drawings, and they move, oui? Like they have a way now of recording plays and things so they can be watched again and again...they also have an odd way of doing it with drawings. He looks like one of those." Sweetest thing she'd heard in a long time? What sort of husband did she have? "And you're absolutely welcome, by the way. Although it does sadden me to hear that that is the case."

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"Very true. Cartoon? Perhaps some sort of magic?" She suggested. What else could it possibly be? She listened to him and tried to understand. "Oh, no, no. It's just that, it's been quite difficult really," she explained to him. Even if Percy didn't want to be her husband she still loved him and didn't want to make anything difficult at the park they were now stuck in.

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"I've found that just suspending any kind of disbelief is the best way to retain any kind of sanity about such things, personally." Beaufort looked up, as he had been expecting something like that, but was still interested and concerned, as he understood the frustrations of relationships. "Ah, oui, I've certainly been there, admittedly, not with a wife, but I know how difficult such things can be. Probably in an entirely different context, as well."

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"All right then, I'll have to trust you on this then. For I have no personal or second hand knowledge of, car-toons?" Marguerite admitted with a smile. It was easier to talk of that than of Percy. "No? Surely someone as gentlemanly as yourself as someone," she insisted with a nod. "Yes, completely different. I am not always sure of it myself,"

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I have very limited knowladge of so many other things here compared to some people. I am still struggling how people from your time cope." Beaufort mentally stumbled over her next comment, and did his best not to smile sheepishly, "I did, but...well, I was fed up of being used for my position. It was just getting ridiculous." He had left that behind him, as when he was brought here, he'd swallowed it deeply in order to do his job. "It's a shame...I know not all women are like that." It just had to be the one he was obsessed with that could manipulate him.

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"Now isn't that how it is for everything? You may not know so much on one thing as someone else does, but you probably know more about something else. No one knows everything, some people just think they do. And that is how wars are started," she explained with a smile. "Cope? It isn't that bad, politics aside. Unless that is what you're refering to," she thought outloud.

Marguerite nodded to herself when he spoke. "I understand that very well myself," she explained. Her past situation was somewhat different, Chauvelin used her as much as she used him. "No, I promise you, they're not."

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"Wars are a very complex affair, in my experience, but that probably does have a role somewhere. If wars were only that simple, I do suppose." He shrugs, not particularly in the mood for a long political debate on the subject, simply because that seemed too much like home. "No, I more meant how you cope going from the 18th Century to here...the 21st, I believe. It must be difficult."

Smiling, he sighs in mild relief, "It's good to know that it was just her that screwed over every man she met, often all at the same time. Although sometimes, I wonder if she was as naive as we were, simply because she thought she could get away with anything. I have hope for the female population of this park, though, I must confess." Meaning - her.

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

She was trying to be clever but seeing what his job was Marguerite supposed she understood why he took it so seriously. "Oh yes, well that," she nodded, "It hasn't really hit me quite yet. Besides meeting a, a robot," she explained trying to remember the word. "It's all sort of, it seems unreal. I guess I assume that I'll wake up soon." She smiled.

Marguerite felt like she was hearing things she wasn't supposed to. "Oh?" What else could she have possibly said to him about the woman? "Well, a new situation with new people often helps someone over the hardest hurdles, I think."

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"There's a...robot? Have you met any of the time travellers?" He'd only met Una, but there was something odd about Jenny and he guessed there were more around. "I assumed that, and I'm still waiting. I just hope I don't wake up in a white room."

Beaufort realised he'd done an incredibly clumsy thing and jumped on the nearest opportunity to get some of that off his chest. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have rambled on, it wasn't fair of me to do so. But if you're right, that could be a positive to this place. An absolute positive." He smiled at her slightly and sat back on the bench, significantly more relaxed about this.

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"Oui, Chii is her name. So it's a real thing? Robot that is?" She asked him surprised he'd heard of it too. Not that the girl would lie, but what an odd thing. "Time travellers? I was unaware there where such things. In this situation, aren't we all time travellers as you call them?" Marguerite quirked an eyebrow at his mentioning of a white room. "What is wrong with a white room?"

Smiling at him she shook her head, "La!" She smiled. "I just wish I had something more to say. I am so sorry to hear of your experience," she insited. "In times like these we must always look to the positive things,"

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"I...have never heard of them, but I don't suppose they would be impossible. What with time travellers..." He'd given up disbelieving anything he heard of here. Someone could have probably convinced him that the world was going to be eaten by a spaghetti monster in their home, and he'd have thought it possible. "I suppose we are all time travellers, yes. And a white room...I meant, they'd have locked me up for being insane."

"Even so, I'm sure it's nowhere near as complicated as yours sound. But we must find the good in things, oui."

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

Marguerite listened as he went on. Jean-Etienne seemed so calm about the whole thing, she supposed it was from the time he spent doing his job but it was miraculous. "Zooks! A white room? Is that where they lock up the insane?" Things have improved if what he said was true.

Marguerite didn't like to think about her own situation, particularly in front of others but it was comforting to know someone had been through something like he had and made it through. "Yes, well, one must never compare situations. Things are always different which is worse depends on who is going through it, no?"

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

Jean-Etienne had to be calm, because otherwise he had to come to terms with the fact he'd completely lost his mind. He was good at being thrown into entirely strange situations. Admittedly, this was weirder, but more peaceful than Bordeaux. "I wouldn't actually know, but I hear it's accepted practice."

Ah. She didn't want to talk about it, which was entirely understandable, "Entirely true. So, where are you actually going to live?"

[adore-therockin.livejournal.com]

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. That is a far cry from what I am used to. A step up I suppose, well I hope." Just because a room had a ceiling, walls and was painted didn't mean it was that much better. The horror stories she'd heard were enough to give her nightmares.

"That is a very good question. I haven't given it much thought really," she explained. A slight lie really. She knew she couldn't live with Percy, he didn't want her. "My first priority was to get some sleep, but that aside I should look I suppose. Where would one begin here?"

[oui-ministre.livejournal.com]

"Well, it would be, compared to your time, I suppose." He didn't know much about it, it had never been his responsibility or curiosity to know.

"To be perfectly honest, I just looked for a nearby building, then saw if it was empty. Then you sort of claim it and find some furniture, which there's plenty lying around here and there, and it's pretty much yours." He shrugged, then offered after a moment's thought, "If you'd like some help, I'd be most happy to."