12955/Flying on Ego High

Flying on Ego High
Date of Scene:	03 October 2022
Location:	Flying First Class
Synopsis:	Monet and Lei Ling talk on a long flight and bond over insulting Americans.
Cast of Characters:	Monet St. Croix, Lei Ling

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Monet St. Croix has posed:
It's an international flight. Monet is not the type who can afford her own plane, nor is she fast enough to fly from one side of the world to the other. Fortunately, there are many nice planes. Currently on a UAE flight going to Egypt, M is sitting back on a very, very nice first class flight, leaning back and sipping over some very, very expensive wine. Her seat is vibrating, a built in masseuse at work. It's so comfortable.

Lei Ling has posed:
    Lei Ling didn't have an Emirates Skywards number until this month, but she heard enough rumors about the airline that she splurged (on the company account) for an upgrade to First for the trip, just for the experience. Singapore to Cairo via Dubai, and the first leg had already been fantastic, even if she had thought the whole decor gaudy.
    Ling slips down her headphones to listen to the quiet thrum of the plane and the muted rumble from the seat next to her, then looks around in the darkened cabin for the controls on her armrest. The glare from her iPad, from which she had been reviewing her own studio's design proposals for a 80-storey hotel-and-office tower, had made her night-blind. Ah, there's button...
    With a quiet chime, the attendant light blinks on, over Monet and Lei's heads.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
There's something to be said for flying an airline funded by sheiks. Everything is the best. Monet St. Croix goes to let out a sigh over in pleasure from the seat, looking incredibly relaxed in her position while going to take a sip from her alcohol.
    She would glance over at Lei Ling, pausing over then in consideration, "That looks like some sort of abomination. Why, pray tell do you have to take it seriously?" Then the sound of the attendant coming. Excellent. More high grade alcohol and hcocolates would soon be there.

Lei Ling has posed:
    Lei Ling notices and carefully suppresses the surprised-then-irritated twitching of her eyebrows. It's first class. One can never know with whom one is seated. Future customer? Media? Competitor? Possibly even the present client? She puts on a fixed, polite smile.
    "This design is a bit hideous, is not it? I think that there is much room for the improvement. Ah, however I must still conduct a detailed review. Do you know architecture, Miss...?"
    The attendant arrives, a shadow against the soft blue nighttime cabin light of the A380. She waits quietly to be noticed.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would glance over at it for a moment, and then reply, "Monet St. Croix." A French accent showing. "And it is an abomination. You should burn it, and then fire whomever came up with the idea, and then fire whomever thought it was a good idea and whomever insisted you give it due consideration. If not, they might think you approve of it and will no doubt come up with worse ones."

Lei Ling has posed:
    Lei Ling's internal rolodex riffles through and comes up with a big blank. The rest of her runs forward on automatic. "Lei Ling." Her accent is neutrally, artificially British - untraceable to any vernacular and clearly learned as some programme.
    "Undoubtedly you are correct, Ms. St. Croix. Review of credentials and training is certainly called for." Lei Ling lies, and redirects Monet's attention towards the attendant, "Would you like something?"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would glance over at the attendant approaching her, "Something sweet,w hatever you have that's the lightest. We do have a long flight ahead." And she does want to ration the good stuff to appreciate it. "And some chocolates to go with it." she would look at Lei Ling.
    "And what are you that has you reviewing such atrocities? I would suggest placing those individuals on children's birthday party duties."

Lei Ling has posed:
    Lei Ling meaningfully taps her empty cognac glass, before tearing her eyes regretfully from the attendant and returning her attention and fixed smile to Monet. "I am chief architect. So, some of the proposals - though as you say, not that one - would be bid for contracts with the developers. Unfortunately, I am not in business of organizing or staffing children birthday parties. Do you know someone who is?"
    Please, all the dear sages in heaven, please let this person be the type to talk about themselves!

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod over at Lei-Ling, "I see. Having seen some of the things that such geniuses try to create.. You have my understanding and sympathy." She would sit back over and lean in while scooping one leg up and over teh other.
    "Where are you based out of then?" The fake English accent is probably where she was educated from.

Lei Ling has posed:
    "Shanghai," Lei Ling pronounced that in full native tones. She rolls in her seat, to better face St. Croix and to cover for her carefully turning away her iPad so that no more of the proposal - especially what design studio it was from - could be seen. "You, Ms. St. Croix?"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would ahh, "Morocco." She would take a few moments to switch over to Mandarin, her accent non-existant, spoken in the tone of someone tha tlearned it by textbooks and college classes. "You don't mind, do you?"

Lei Ling has posed:
    "Your accent is very accurate," Lei Ling says, smiling genuinely for once, however briefly. It is always good to see foreigners adopt and practice Chinese ways. "Are you on your way back to Mologe?"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would smile, "Down the line. I'm going to see some of the sights and then go to visit my sisters." She would keep up her Mandarin, enunciating it very carefully with the intent of someone that was wanting to make sure that she's doing it properly.

Lei Ling has posed:
    "Oh. Then you intend to stop and do some touring in Kailuo? I have heard that the Icon Tower is very impressive. It is a shame that it is not finished yet." Lei Ling looks distracted, as her gaze wanders off to some spot above Monet's head. Perhaps she was thinking about buildings.
    The shadow of the attendant re-appears. She quietly and efficiently replaces Lei Ling's cognac, and places a turbulence-safe, heavy-bottomed flute filled with bubbling a Lallier Grand Cru Doux down on Monet's wide armrest, alongside a small plate of Emirates-branded Marcolini dark chocolate truffles.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would go to take the drink over, "Thank you." Going to put over several bills for the attendant. Always polite to tip up front. It ensures proper service throughout the rest of the way. "Perhaps. It depends ultimately on everything that is going on and when is most convenient for me to see my sisters." She speaks in careful Mandarin, slowly and trying to make sure she's doing it as properly as she can.
    "You appear to have some high rises on your mind."

Lei Ling has posed:
    "I was thinking," Lei Ling muses, still pleasantly distracted by visions of high rises on her mind. She rouses herself after a moment and finally completes the journey of the cognac glass to her lips.
    "I was thinking," Lei Ling reprises, much more presently, "That a study of the mosques and madrassa of Kailuo, and then adapt the motifs into the interior design of a large tower, may be comforting to the residents who would live in the tower. The Americans-" she doesn't specify, but obviously had very specific Americans in mind, "-seem to think that to make a thing Eiji, it has to do with motifs of Pharaoh and hieroglyphics. I do not think it is so. Too old."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shake her head over, "No, the Americans have no appreciation for traditions and have not been around long enough to develop their own styles aesthetics. At best they borrow from others, but there is no unique feel or style. Perhaps in another century or two."
    She would go on dryly, "And I'm sure that they would welcome such a thing with many, many open faced protests."

Lei Ling has posed:
    "Just so!" Lei Ling puts her glass down before she spills it in an errant gesture. "Sometimes it seems that the primary nature of American 'culture' is their disregard for traditions and other cultures. Everything is taken and simplified and made into commercial products, without context. What is China? Big Wall. What is France? Eifuo Tower. Most Americans know only these."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "Yes, and their total unwillingness to heed any sort of advise nor listen. Even to themselves. They produce little of cultural value beyond aping what older ones have. Yet they are somehow the most powerful nation on the planet. They pay no attention to others. We are too -different-." The Muslim woman from Morocco would affirm.

Lei Ling has posed:
    "If Americans stayed home then the world would be good. But they deliberately do not. Why is McDonald and Starbucks everywhere? What culture is that? They just have money and violence." Lei Ling catches herself and takes a long, calming breath. "If everyone was starting evenly, American Culture would not be so popular."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would just shake her head, "The Americans, protected by a freak of geography and being on their own side of the world. Rich with resources and no threats. Having everything gifted to them on a platter, having no struggle, no culture, yet all the superiority of ignorance."

Lei Ling has posed:
    Lei Ling falls silent for a little while, then concludes, "It is still a matter of money. For now, it's practical to take Dollars. What is important is: remind the rest of the world that Americans are copies. Not even high-quality copies. Where is it all made? China, naturally."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would mm, "Of course. And in Vietnam, Cambodia.." Well, not the high quality copies. Everything was being outsourced where people were willing to work for even lower pay.

Lei Ling has posed:
    "New buildings in the cities there. Countries that get rich, they want skyscrapers to show off. Many projects; high budget, low labor costs. Everybody knows it, so there is so much competition." Lei Ling shakes her head, "Most proposals are not good."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "Such are the ways of the world. It is a tradition. Where one class gets rich quickly and in turn wants to display it while they have the capabilities." She would speak it as one's family that had gotten their accomplishments through that.